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January 31, 2004:   Ford Motor Company's North American dealers got a lesson in safe driving today at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention as they participated in a clinic to educate dealers on ways to promote safe driving for teenagers in their communities.  Full story here.

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January 30, 2004:   A Clear View on an Icy Day.

     A Walkman-size gadget is now available from Microheat that fits under the hood and heats windshield-wiper fluid to 145 degrees at the push of a button. The heated fluid not only melts ice but helps dissolve splattered bugs and oily road grime.

Full story, from the NY Times online.

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January 30, 2004:   Thursday's deadly crash on I-57, Missouri, brings up some important reminders about 15-passenger van safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cautions drivers to not overload the vehicle, and warns that the more passengers on board, the greater the chance for a possible rollover accident.  That's especially if the number is higher than 10.

     The leading cause of 15-passenger van accidents, according to the NHTSA, is the fact that the vans aren't made for quick maneuvering.  Any sudden swerve or over-correcting by the driver usually leads to a rollover, and eighty percent of deaths in passenger vans are due to people not wearing seat belts.

 Full story, from KFVS-12

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January 30, 2004:   In observance of National Child Passenger Safety Week, the Louisville Police Department urges residents of Louisville and Winston County to secure their children in age-appropriate safety seats when traveling. 

     National Child Passenger Safety Week is observed each year during the week of Valentine's Day to bring public attention to the importance of safely transporting children. This year, the week will be observed Feb. 9-15.

Full story, from the Winston County Journal

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January 30, 2004:   Volvo and Ford test ways to stop drivers dozing off and killing someone.

     Drowsy driving accounts for 1,500 deaths and 100,000 crashes a year, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Statistically, it is less of a problem than drunken driving, but many incidents of sleepy driving are not reported by police because it can be hard to detect.

     Because Volvo is taking the lead in the study, devices to shake drowsy drivers likely will wind up in its cars, built and sold in Sweden, before they arrive in the USA.

Full story, from USA Today.

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January 30, 2004:   British Columbia's solicitor general denies the province is planning to decriminalize drunk driving.

     Rich Coleman says nothing could be further from the truth.

     NDP House leader Joy MacPhail says she cannot understand why the Liberal government would even consider reducing the penalties for drunk driving.

Full Story from the Vancouver Sun, and a second account, from CBC News.

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January 30, 2004:   Soccer great George Best has been charged with drunk driving in London.

     Less than four years ago, Best -- considered one of the most talented players of all time -- underwent liver transplant surgery on July 30, 2002, to repair damage caused by decades of heavy drinking.

     The former Manchester United striker started drinking again last year as his wife, Alex, eventually left him.

Full story, from Canada.com

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January 29, 2004:   SIMSBURY, Conn. -- Victor Petrenko, an Olympic champion figure skater, has been charged with drunk driving after police said he crashed his car into a utility pole and fence.

     Petrenko won the 1992 Olympic gold medal. His arrest comes two months after Alexei Yagudin, the 2002 Olympic champ, was placed in an alcohol education program for an August drunk driving arrest in nearby Avon.

Full story, from The Canadian Press, via Canada.com

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January 29, 2004:   Not all Michigan police agencies drained the inkwell last year, but Troopers from the Jackson state police post handed out 19,454 tickets, a 19 percent increase from 2002.

     "I believe our troopers realize the need for aggressive traffic enforcement to enhance the quality of life of those who drive on our freeways and secondary roads," said Lt. Monica Yesh, post commander.

Full story, from the Jackson Citizen Patriot, via MLive.com.

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January 29, 2004:   Grieving mum out to make a difference in New Zealand.

     Marilyn Wehrli’s 17-year-old daughter Julia was killed in July 2002 when she travelled with her new boyfriend in the car of a young driver she had never met. Unbeknown to her the 17-year-old driver had racked up 11 driving offences in his short career, and was due to lose his licence.

     On the motorway near the Tawa exit he lost control of his car at high speed, with tragic consequences for the Wehrli family.  Julia was killed and the two boys injured.

     Although almost two years have passed, this Christmas was worse than the last, Mrs Wehrli says. And Julia’s surviving brother and sister are still 'majorly grieving'.  “No one is the same as what they were.”

     At the request of Land Transport Safety Authority community road safety manager Debbie Player, Mrs Wehrli agreed to make a training video aimed at road safety professionals.

     Mrs Wehrli’s moving six-minute account of her memories of Julia was played at a national conference of police, LTSA and council road safety officers last year.

     “It was (painful), but I wanted to do it, because I thought if it helps accident prevention, or road safety, if I could save someone’s life, one family wouldn’t go through what we are. It would be worthwhile,” she said.

     “Maybe in the past when they’ve pulled up a car load of teenagers and maybe let them off with a warning, they’ll think (in future) ‘we need to get them off the road’.”
Full story, from the Porirua News, via MyTown.co.nz

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January 29, 2004:   The 2004 campaign for the European Road Safety Charter will be launched officially today, in Brussels.

     A conference for the Charter, including an official signatory event, is planned for April 2004, in the context of the world road safety week.

[Source:  ETSC Newsletter, Jan. '04]

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January 29, 2004:   The need to improve the driving skills of young people in Wales is behind the launch on Tuesday, 27th January of an important road safety initiative, the Daewoo Young Driver Challenge, organised by the Road Safety Council of Wales and supported by the Welsh Assembly. Full details here.

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January 28, 2004:   Just 27 days into the new year and Weld County, Colorado, has already had a dozen traffic fatalities. The same time last year saw three.

     Weld nearly always tops the state's fatality list despite the fact that ten other counties have more people.

     "I used to keep a map with pushpins to track fatalities. It was like a shotgun pattern all over Weld County," said Colorado State Patrol Master Trooper Ron Watkins, who covered the county for four years.

     Although no one has identified a pattern to the traffic deaths, those who investigate the crashes have theories. "We found that a lot of the traffic fatalities in one year were caused by people running stop signs," said Watkins.

Full story, from the Rocky Mountain News.

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January 28, 2004:   Unhappily, it will be Super Bowl Tragedy for some.

     Statistics from 2000 through 2002 show that only New Year's Day has a higher proportion of deaths due to drunk drivers than does Super Bowl Sunday. The first day of the year averages 63% and Super Bowl Sunday clocks in at 58%. The moral of this tale is obvious but will be ignored by many -- Don't Drink and Drive!

[Source of statistics: NCADD]

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January 28, 2004:   A new Louisiana law aims to keep kids in safety seats longer. As of January 1, the new law requires that:

-- Kids under one year of age and weighing up to 20 pounds must be secured in a rear-facing safety seat.
-- Kids ages one to four and weighing 20 to 40 pounds must be secured in a front-facing safety seat.
-- Kids ages four to six and weighing up to 60 pounds must be secured in a front-facing booster seat and seat belt.
-- All other children up to age 13 must wear their seat belts while the vehicle is in operation.

Full story, from the Bogalusa Daily News.

DSA Comment: All new laws to protect children are obviously to be welcomed but recent research suggests that the above measures may not be enough. For examples -- in respect of different age groups -- see the article below, dated January 15, 2004, titled:  "Children are safest if kept in rear-facing car seats until the age of three!"  

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January 28, 2004:   An American toddler survived for five days on crackers while clinging to the body of her mother after being trapped in the wreckage of a car crash, police said Tuesday.

     The three-year-old girl was found by a police patrol Monday after surviving not only the accident but also freezing temperatures after her mother's car careened off the road in an isolated part of the western state of Arizona last week.
     The tot was conscious and apparently aware of what had happened but was desperately in need of food and water after being rescued from the vehicle. She was immediately airlifted to the Maricopa Medical Center where she was being treated for dehydration and severe frostbite to her feet.
     Police said the youngster appeared to have been strapped into a seat in the back of the vehicle at the time of the accident, but that she crawled to her mother in the front after the crash.

     Family members had reported mother and child missing after they failed to return home last Wednesday.

[Source: IRIB]

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January 28, 2004:   A NiTSA Survey Finds Widespread Misuse of Air Bag On/Off Switches in Pickups

     Air bag switches are often misused and this needlessly either endangers children or deprives adults of life-saving protection, a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) survey has found. Full article here.

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January 28, 2004:   The UK's drink-drive problems will continue to grow unless the Government agrees to cut the current alcohol limit, RoSPA said today.

     Kevin Clinton, Head of Road Safety for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "The proportion of people testing positive over the Christmas and New Year period is now back to what it was six years ago and the number of people killed in drink drive accidents annually has also increased.

     "'There will be no improvement in this dreadful situation unless the Government accepts that the drink-drive limit should be lowered from 80mg to 50mg (equivalent to 0.08% and 0.05% BAC) and the police are given powers to breath test motorists anywhere and at anytime."

Full report here.

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January 28, 2004:   Last week's horror smash on the Hume Highway has focused attention on the appalling safety record of 4WDs/SUVs.

     Insecure? Vain? Self-centred? Self-absorbed? Lack confidence in your driving skills? Nervous about your marriage? If so, you are the stereotypical SUV/4WD driver. These are the findings of internal car industry research reported in US journalist Keith Bradsher's controversial book, High and Mighty.

     Rollovers of sports utility vehicles (as the Americans call 4WDs) and utilities made up about a quarter of the deaths on US roads in 2001-02, according to official US figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Figures from a 2002 Australian Transport Safety Bureau study showed that 35% of all 4WD fatal crashes involved a rollover, compared with 13% for passenger cars.

     According to Stuart Newstead, a senior research fellow at Monash University's Accident Research Centre, 4WDs/SUVs are about twice as likely to be involved in single vehicle crashes. He also dispels the myth that 4WDs are safer for occupants than cars, saying they provide no greater passenger protection than a large sedan. Even worse, they're extremely "aggressive" towards other cars in an accident, and up to 60% more likely to cause significant injury to passengers in other vehicles than conventional passenger cars. "That won't bother some people," says Newstead, "but if you've got any community conscience at all, the aggressivity should bother you."

Full article, from NineMSN

See also the Drive And Stay Alive review of Keith Bradsher's book, "High and Mighty".

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January 27, 2004:   The European Union plans to reduce accidents by half with eSafety concept – active safety systems are the key to success.

     Every year, 1.3 million accidents occur on European roads. Some 40,000 people die in them, and 1.7 million suffer injuries.

     According to an EU survey, active safety systems in automotive vehicles have the greatest potential for a dramatic reduction in these figures.  Full article here.

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January 27, 2004:   The Feds open a new safety inquiry on the Crown Victoria, plus the Grand Marquis, and the Lincoln Town Car.

     The defect investigation, launched by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last week, focuses on the rear axle design -- a total of 287,819 vehicles are involved.  Full story, from the Detroit News.  

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January 27, 2004:   In Iowa, Snow brings rush hour traffic woes.

     The overnight snow Monday night and Tuesday morning caused more than 50 vehicle crashes — including collisions and cars sliding off the road or onto medians — during the morning rush hour in the Quad-City area.

Full story, from the QC Times.

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January 27, 2004:   In North Carolina, Highway safety advocate Dewey Dove addressed the Bladen County Commissioners at their Tuesday meeting regarding the safety of various intersections in the county.

     The commissioners took no action as a result of Dove's presentation.

Full story, from the Bladen Journal.

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January 27, 2004:   One that could have been much worse!

     A commercial truck overturned, spilling 5,000 gallons of aqua ammonia, yesterday, on Interstate 71 near Ashland, between Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio.

     Aqua ammonia is also known as ammonium hydroxide and is commonly used for fertilizer, refrigerants and home cleaning products. Exposure to the chemical can cause breathing difficulties plus throat and eye irritation.

     Fortunately, no evacuations were necessary.

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January 27, 2004:   Drivers start to heed road safety warnings.

     Police believe motorists in the Illawarra are starting to take note of New South Wales-wide road campaigns in a bid to lower the incidence of drink-driving offences on the region's roads.

     Of the 7,000 breath tests between Wollongong and Ulladulla over the long weekend, only 19 people were charged with drink-driving offences. This represents half the number caught over the Australia Day holiday period last year.  [Source:  ABC NSW]

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* January 27, 2004:   Doubling the number of pedestrian footbridges, over main highways, is expected to reduce the death toll in Metro Manila.

     Quezon City has earned the reputation of being the car-theft capital of Metro Manila. Now you can add another one: it’s also the traffic-accident capital of the metropolis.

     From the traffic accidents that occurred in the city, 128 deaths and 1,074 injuries were recorded between July 2002 to October 2003. Pedestrians topped the list of persons killed, with 64 percent, drivers with 19 percent and passengers with 17 percent.

     The Metro Manila Development Authority Chair, Bayani Fernando, expects traffic accidents to drop once the MMDA completes the construction of footbridges along major highways.

     “At present we have built 14 footbridges, and we are planning to put up another 14 this year,” he said.

[Source:  The Manila Times]

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January 27, 2004:   At least 51 people have been killed and 61 others injured across China in a series of major road accidents, Ministry of Public Security said on Tuesday.

Full story, from the Hindustan Times.

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January 26, 2004:   A Wisconsin family’s mission for barriers along Hwy. 41 medians is from the heart.

     Spending money to improve safety along Highway 41 should not be a matter of dollars and cents, says the family of a Mayville teenager who was killed in a traffic accident on the roadway last year.

     “It is a matter of life or death,” said Carla Clark, mother of 17-year-old Andrew Clark, one of four teens killed when the car he was driving crossed the Highway 41 median and struck another vehicle near head-on in April. The accident was just one of many that brought the death toll on Fond du Lac County roads in 2003 to 32, tying a record set in the early 1970s.

     She has written a letter to Gov. Jim Doyle and sent a copy to state Rep. John Townsend, R-Fond du Lac, that asks the state to designate the money to upgrade the median. Townsend has asked the state to study Highway 41 and determine what should be done to improve safety. He said any decision has its pros and cons and must be examined from a “cost-benefit” ratio, not on emotions.

     “I dare [Townsend] to say that to my face,” Carla Clark said. “We have a president calling for a program on the moon and we can’t even keep people safe down here?”

     “Is whether it’s cost-effective still a question if he knew ahead of time his family was going to be involved in this type of accident?” her husband, Tracy Clark, asked.

Full story, from Peggy Breister at The Fond du Lac Reporter.

DSA Comment: Median guard rails (a.k.a. crash barriers) are an area in which the USA certainly does appear to lag behind other developed nations, where a much higher proportion exist, and where the rate of road deaths is up to 60% lower. Perhaps federal and state governments need to remember that with about 42,000 road deaths each year, costing the nation around $1m per fatality, money would undeniably be saved, year-on-year, by reducing those deaths and any preventive measures would pay for themselves. And that's to say nothing of the reduction in grief...  [If you have any questions on the international-comparison aspects of this issue, please feel free to contact us.]

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January 26, 2004:   The weather has been blamed for at least 25 highway deaths after two storms spread snow, sleet and freezing rain across the eastern half of the nation, and glazed highways with treacherous ice as far south as Georgia.

     The conditions were blamed for five traffic deaths each in Iowa, North Carolina and Missouri; three in Nebraska; two in Indiana; and one each in Ohio, Kansas, Minnesota, South Carolina and West Virginia. 

More details, from ABC News.

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January 26, 2004:   Volvo and Acura newcomers break BMW's design hegemony.

     For years the BMW Three Series has been the definitive design in the entry-level luxury sedan market. A brilliant visual combination of elegance and dynamism, with short overhangs and wheel openings properly filled with tires, the Three has been the default choice for many buyers in its segment.

     But lately certain rivals have been sneaking up on BMW's perennial winner. Two such newcomers on my radar screen are the Acura TL and Volvo's S40.  Full story from John McCormick at the Detroit News.

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* January 25, 2004:   A road safety campaign was launched yesterday by the Royal Brunei Police Force in conjunction with its 83rd 'Police Day'.  The campaign aims to raise the awareness of road users to be vigilant and adhere to road safety regulations.

[Source: the Borneo Bulletin, and Brudirect]

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January 25, 2004:   New Pennsylvania DUI law lowers drunk-driving threshold to .08  Next Sunday, a driver with a .08 blood-alcohol level will be subject to the penalties of the state's new drunk-driving law.

     That's when a three-tier system will go into effect for motorists convicted of DUI. Offenders will be classified by the categories of "general impairment" for a driver with a blood-alcohol level of .08 to .099; "high rate" for a level of .10 to .15; and "highest rate" for .16 and above.

     Only a handful of states still have not passed a .08 drunk-driving law. One of them is West Virginia, which is expected to lower its DUI limit to .08 (from .10) within the next week.

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January 25, 2004:   In 2003, one-vehicle wrecks killed more people than any other type of wreck on non-municipal roads in the Texas Panhandle.

     DPS Trooper Wayne Beighle said many factors may lead to one-vehicle wrecks, including drunk driving, speeding, fatigue, road construction, bad weather and driver inattention.

     "It seems that the one common thread that we see with those one-vehicle crashes is drivers overreact to [their vehicle leaving the road]," Beighle said. Overcorrection after a vehicle starts to leave the road often causes a vehicle to skid and roll, he added.

     Another factor contributing to highway deaths is occupants not wearing seat belts. In 2003, 67 percent of those who died on non-municipal roadways were not wearing seat belts, compared to 43 percent in 2002 and 50 percent in 2001.

     Occupants ejected from a vehicle have 25 times more risk of being killed, Trooper Beighle said.

Full story, from Amarillo.com

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January 25, 2004:   British drivers get the harshest fines -- Even the most minor offences earn steeper penalties here than abroad.

     The sharp flash from the camera caught Ernie Harbon by surprise and he glanced down at the speedometer on his dashboard. He was only travelling at 38mph and it was a quiet country road. He scanned the wide, empty carriageway ahead of him but could not see a road sign telling drivers the speed limit... Little did he realise that... he would [soon] be serving time in Leicester jail for his minor transgression, imprisoned for the non-payment of his fine.

     Last week, Sunday Times Driving carried out an international survey that highlights how the British motorist is punished more harshly (not to mention taxed more) than those in Germany, Holland, Spain and France. Fines can vary from state to state in the US, so we picked Ohio as a typical example and again found figures that made Britain’s fines regime seem brutal.

Full story, from Jane Mulkerrins of the Sunday Times, via the UK Times Online.

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January 25, 2004:   Stickers on the windows of new cars soon could sport information designed to save drivers’ lives: the car’s crash-test ratings.

     Sen. Mike DeWine, an Ohio Republican, introduced a package of bills Friday aimed at reducing the No. 1 cause of deaths for Americans 4 to 34 -- car crashes.

     His bills also would mandate clearer “birth” dates for tires, push safety groups to use more child-sized dummies in crash tests, and require states to rank and publicize their most dangerous roads and intersections.

Full story, from the Detroit News.

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January 24, 2004:   The Queensland Opposition leader, Lawrence Springborg, has focussed on road safety issues during Day 12 of the state election campaign.

     Two weeks out from the election, Mr Springborg has unveiled the Coalition's road safety package. He has promised to use speed camera revenue for road safety programs, and provide police with a helicopter for safer pursuits.  Full story, from ABC News, Australia.

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* January 24, 2004:   It is believed that driver fatigue caused the death of two police officers in Puerto Rico on January 23.  Police agents Felix A. Galarza Maldonado, 25, and Cruz Orlando Gonzalez Garcia, 27, died in the early hours of Friday during a car accident at the Luis A. Ferre highway in Salinas.

     Ponce Police Spokeswoman Iris Colon said the accident took place around 4:50 a.m. when Galarza Maldonado apparently fell asleep while driving and crashed his vehicle into the back of a truck.

Full story, from "Puerto Rico Wow!"

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January 23, 2004:   Nunavut -- The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Rankin Inlet say they're going to step up surveillance on drunk drivers after responding to three times as many complaints about intoxicated drivers in 2003 than the previous year.

     Sergeant Grant St. Germain of the Rankin RCMP says the increase in complaints doesn't necessarily mean there were more drunk drivers last year. He says he'd like to be able to say it's because RCMP have been more vigilant, but he thinks it's actually the community that's cracking down, because the large majority of complaints about impaired driving come in from citizens. Full story, from CBC North.

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January 23, 2004:   The 2004 Monterey mobility minivan would appear to be the latest word in facilities for disabled people on the move. It is equipped with motorized lifts engineered, installed and sold by independent outfitters and it is designed to accommodate a population of drivers and automobile passengers who maintain active lifestyles despite the effects of age or disability.

     The vehicle modifications are so discreet — it looks showroom new — that Mercury hopes it will become a selling point to people with disabilities who simply want to blend in with other commuters.

Full story, from USA Today.

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January 22, 2004:   Twenty drunken driving arrests are enough for prosecutors, who said they'll try to put a Massachusetts man behind bars for the next five years.

     Charles Stefanilo, 47, has been arrested 19 times for drunken driving and had 16 convictions. His driver's license was permanently revoked in 1995, but apparently that didn't stop him from getting behind the wheel. 

Full story from the Boston Herald.

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* January 22, 2004:   New Zealand police in the Auckland region say a massive road safety campaign has been a success. More than 123,000 vehicles have been stopped in the past six weeks.

     Operation Spike netted a total of 192 drink drivers. Thirty-three of them were more than twice over the limit and a further 60 were arrested for driving while disqualified or for having outstanding warrants for other offences.

     Police say the success of the operation can be judged by the fact that there were no fatal crashes in the district during the entire holiday period.  [Source:  NewsTalk ZB News]

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January 22, 2004:   The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that police may now testify about any unscientific tests they have given to suspected drunk drivers. The court, in Columbus, ruled six-to-one yesterday that officers should be allowed to talk about sobriety tests in evidence even if they didn't follow all the rules while giving the tests.

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January 22, 2004:   Tougher seat belt law wins support in Mississippi.  Doctors, law enforcement agents and transportation officials are calling on Mississippi legislators to enact a primary seat belt law.

     Such a law would allow officers to pull over drivers simply for not wearing seat belts. Now, an officer must have another reason such as speeding or a broken taillight to make a traffic stop. The fine for not wearing a seat belt is $25.

     "This is not about traffic tickets. It is about saving lives, and that's what we're here for," said Master Sgt. Walter Armstrong of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol.  Full story, from the Sun Herald.

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January 22, 2004:   If Pennsylvania state legislators get their way, a stretch of Interstate 81 through Cumberland County will be designated a Highway Safety Corridor with fines doubled for aggressive driving.

     State Department of Transportation officials still are working out criteria for creating the corridors — established by state law in 2002 to improve highway safety.

     State Rep. Will Gabig, R-199, says I-81 is as bad as it gets, with several fatal accidents in the past six months.

     "We just need to do what we can to crack down on the unsafe and aggressive driving out there," he said.

     Trooper Kristal Turner-Childs says higher fines might be the only thing that will make people drive more safely.
     "Until it hits them in their pocket, people do not seem to believe or adhere to the speed limit," she says. "Enforcement works. When you're writing those citations, people slow down."  Full story, from the Carlisle Sentinel.

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January 22, 2004:   Was it bad highway design or "just" another SUV rolling over that killed both parents and two of their four young daughters at an accident "black spot"?  

     Bill and Liz Allen had everything to look forward to.  He was a successful lawyer with his own firm, she taught law at the Australian National University and, with their four daughters, they had just moved into a new home in Ainslie, a leafy suburb of heritage houses in Canberra's north.

     All of that was cut short on Monday when their four-wheel-drive Toyota Landcruiser rolled several times at a bend [curve], at a notorious black spot halfway between Sydney and Melbourne, on the Hume Highway. Mr Allen, 42, his 40-year-old wife and their daughters Hannah, 15, and Phoebe, 9, were killed. The other daughters, Leah, 13, and Ruth, 7, were injured.  Full story, from smh.com.

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January 22, 2004:   The average sticker price of a new car or light truck, in the USA, last month topped $30,000 for the first time as manufacturers raised prices and buyers chose cars and trucks with more expensive options, according to an analysis by Edmunds.com.  Full story, from the Detroit News.

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January 21, 2004:   Distracted driving bill passes committee in California.

     A bill that targets distracted driving is headed through the California General Assembly.

     According to the Assembly’s Web site, AB1511 would make it illegal for a driver to engage in any activity unrelated to operating the vehicle if that activity interferes with safe driving. Drivers would be subject to the bill if they were cited for a traffic law violation while engaging in the distracting activity.

     AB1511 was first introduced early in 2003. It failed in committee in April, but was resurrected Jan. 5, 2004. It passed the Assembly Transportation Committee Jan. 13 by a vote of 11-2, and is now headed to the Appropriations Committee.

     The bill was introduced by Assemblyman John Benoit, R-Bermuda Dunes.

     Also in California, Assemblyman Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, plans to introduce a bill into the General Assembly that would make it illegal to use a cell phone while driving unless the driver uses a hands-free device, media outlets reported Jan. 20.

[Source (for both stories): Landline Trucking News]

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January 21, 2004:   Washington, DC — The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) today called on the nation to focus more attention on the growing problem of excessive speeding by drivers. The GHSA represents federally funded State Highway Safety Offices nationwide.

     Kathryn Swanson, Chair of the GHSA, said “Speeding is not getting the attention it deserves on the national level despite the critical role it plays in traffic deaths, one of the nation’s most serious health problems. National seat belt use is at an all-time high and yet we are still seeing an increase in traffic fatalities nationally and in a number of states. We believe this is largely because drivers are speeding and generally not obeying traffic laws. We are fortunate because the seat belt use gains have prevented an even greater increase in deaths and injuries but increased speeding has limited the gains we should be making with more people wearing seat belts.”  Full story, from the Weekly Online.

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January 21, 2004:   Is sobriety an issue in the passenger seat?  California state law is unclear as to whether a parent can be drunk while riding with a child who is learning how to drive.

     What are the legal consequences when a driving instructor is drunk? Or if a parent is inebriated but is acting as a supervisor and watching his or her child drive with a learner's permit?
Full story, from Ralph Vartabedian at the LA Times.

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January 21, 2004:   In New Jersey, yesterday, Nelson and Debbie Albano joined hands and led