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The main purpose of this web page is to let drivers, legislators, road safety experts, police officers, parents of young drivers, etc., have an easily accessible insight into what is happening in their own countries and elsewhere, and thereby possibly do something to help save some of the many wasted lives on roads everywhere.
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The Volvo "Your Concept Car" (YCC) has been built by a team of nine women and is being unveiled at the Geneva International Auto Show. The car itself is stunning: muscular and catlike, with 225bhp on tap. It is as sexy and seductive as any new sports coupé should be, with gullwing doors and a futuristic feel. But it’s the interior that points to its genesis: it is swimming with tactile, eye-friendly textures, from the sea anemone carpets to the oak-panelled console and the changeable seat pads. On the safety innovation front, for which Volvo is famous, the YCC boasts graduated yellow-to-red brake lights. According to the company, the YCC is no gimmick, but the first step in a concerted drive to allow women to have more influence within Volvo and the car industry. Team leader Anna Rosen, 27, who graduated from design school only three years ago, said: “I wanted the car to have presence and have attitude, like a wild cat.” But she saves her most radical idea for last: “It’s not a car made by women for women, it is a car made by women for everyone.” Read the full details in an article by Sophie Tweedale, in the UK Times Online. ______________________________
The case was the first involving Ford Motor Co.’s 15-passenger E-350 Econoline van to a reach trial in six years. An attorney for the plaintiffs, Jeffrey G. Wigington, said evidence -- including Ford’s own research -- showed that the vans would be less likely to roll over if they had six wheels instead of the standard four. He told the jury that Ford had created a “van rollover epidemic.” He also said Ford erred by putting too many seats in the cargo van without changing the design and failing to put it through sufficient testing. A half-million of the long vans are estimated to be on the nation’s roads. From 1990 to 2000, 268 15-passenger vans were involved in rollovers, resulting in 424 deaths and hundreds of serious injuries. Full story, from the AP, via the Detroit News. ______________________________
A study has found that over 60% of parents who drive their child to school would allow their children to walk or cycle if they knew they would be protected from strangers. The more common dangers of being hit by a car or knocked off a bicycle, however, are less of a priority despite 14, 231 children being killed or injured as pedestrians on the road last year. ______________________________
For those who might have genuine security problems while traveling, Bill Griffith of the Boston Globe has an interesting article. ______________________________
Patrol Supt. David Collins said that last year speeding citations written by troopers increased 1,134, to 92,940; drunken-driver arrests increased 243 to 3,488; and safety belt and child restraint violations increased 1,952 to 29,388. But enforcement alone can’t stop highway deaths, he said. “We constantly remind people that the most dangerous thing they do each day is drive their vehicle." Read the detailed, full article, at the Post-Crescent. DSA Footnote: The death toll in Wisconsin, on a per capita basis, is almost exactly the same as the average for the whole of the USA (which is 14.8 deaths per 100,000 population). 27 states have a worse record than Wisconsin, and 11 of those states are actually more dangerous than the worst of 30 countries on the international road accident database. Click here to view the comparative charts. ______________________________
From now until September, UConn police will be using $18,000 in federal grants to set up DUI check points every weekend and crack down on drunk driving around campus. Drunk driving arrests on campus have been steadily climbing since 2000; going from 83 to 119 in 2002. That is the latest year from which statistics are available. Full story, from WFSB Eyewitness News. ______________________________
Edmonton law enforcement officials are saying the way to safer roads is to aggressively target the worst of the worst. The worst drivers made it onto a hit list. Now the hunt is on. The plan is to tail them and the moment they make a mistake, shower them with traffic tickets, get them into court -- and hopefully off the road. Some legal experts think targeting bad drivers before they commit an offence is simply going too far but the risk of a constitutional challenge hasn't deterred Edmonton police yet. In just three months, they've removed more than 20 of the worst drivers from the roads. Fatalities are down. That initial success means that for now, the deep cover traffic police will continue hunting their city's worst drivers. Full story, from CTV. ______________________________
Legislation proposed by state Rep. Laura Ruderman, D-Redmond, would hold law enforcement officers to the same standard as other motorists who drive poorly or cause accidents. Melodee and Dan Loshbaugh, of Woodinville, plan to testify Monday at the state capital in Olympia when Ruderman presents her draft legislation. The couple received dozens of supportive phone calls and e-mails this week, prompted by the Journal's report Wednesday on the abysmal driving record of the State Patrol trooper who fatally struck their 22-year-old son two years ago as he was crossing a road in Mill Creek. A State Patrol investigation cleared Trooper Jason M. Crandall, 32, in the accident that killed Brock Loshbaugh, on the grounds Loshbaugh wasn't in a crosswalk when he walked across Bothell-Everett Highway in Mill Creek. But in a 20-month period that began four months before the fatal accident, Crandall was found at fault for five other collisions, including some with injuries. There is more disturbing detail in the full article, by Noel S. Brady, of the King County Journal. ______________________________
The setting up of traffic engineering centres as well as establishment of safety teams to carry out audits of flyovers and other road constructions prior to their opening were among the recommendations. While an increase in the number of vehicles and dangerous driving have been identified as major causes of accidents, Delhi Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf added that it was essential to focus on accident investigation. [Source: Delhi Newsline] ______________________________
It has been told that SSP Aman Pasha was going towards Fateh Jang from Islamabad when his car smashed into a train at the railway crossing, resulting in his immediate death. He was recently transferred from the National Police Academy to Pakistan motorway police. ______________________________
Trooper Terrill Barnes said his visit is an important component of the driver's education course because it allows him to give students firsthand accounts of the dangers. Teacher Becky McKeever said "I can tell them all the grim statistics over and over again, but when someone who goes to the scene of these crashes comes in with the same information, they know I'm not making this stuff up." Full story, by Lisa Roberson, of the Chillicothe Gazette. ______________________________
"Late last year, federal regulators toughened the standard for protecting car fuel tanks in rear-end crashes. Several automakers argued against the standard, noting it could save as few as eight lives a year while costing more than the estimated $41 million to change cars and trucks. "That's an argument that angers Jason Schechterle of Phoenix, severely burned two years ago when a taxi going 85 miles an hour slammed into the back of his Ford Crown Victoria police car, rupturing the fuel tank. "I don't like to listen to people putting a value on life," he says. Even if a safety standard saves just 10 people from death or injury, the government should act so no one else has to go through what he has, he says. "Forty years after the government began setting auto safety standards, regulators, automakers, consumer advocates and lawmakers are debating how much safer cars can be made and at what point — if any — the potential savings in lives are too small to justify the costs, often more than $100 per car." [End of quote from article] [Full article, from USA Today]
DSA Comment: This is a well-reported article, by Jayne O'Donnell, from which it is clear to see that a general priority of many automakers is nothing more than cost cutting. One point they omit from their comments is that if, for example, "redesigns" cost $40 million and will save 20 lives a year that is not a cost of $2 million per life because the redesigns are effectively a one-off cost whereas the lives saved are ongoing. Over a ten-year period, using this simplified math, the cost would drop to just $200,000 per life and given the fact that every fatality on America's roads costs the country about $1 million (NHTSA) this represents a huge financial saving -- not to mention the reduction in grief.
Vann Wilbur, vehicle safety director for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, apparently dismisses the benefits of protecting fuel tanks in order to prevent the inferno deaths that several people -- most notably on-duty police officers -- have unnecessarily suffered. He is quoted as saying, rather callously it would seem, that "on a bad snow day, you'd lose more people." Strange that he makes no mention of inadequate design and inadequate forethought being entirely responsible for this sad situation in the first place. And one must also assume from his remarks that he is capable of blocking out the thought of somebody close to him ever being burned alive in such a hideous scenario.
Lastly, however, we would comment on the paragraph which states: "The fatality rate, based on the number of car-crash deaths and miles traveled [in the USA], decreased significantly during the 1970s, but the rate of decline has slowed since the 1980s. The actual number of deaths has remained near constant since the mid-1990s at about 42,000 a year."
Any intimations by politicians, or others, that this situation is more or less acceptable are scandalous. If one applies the internationally preferred parameter of deaths per 100,000 population (IRTAD), rather than deaths-by-mileage, the USA has performed particularly badly over the last ten years for which data are available (1992-2001), improving the death rate by just 4% and making the least progress of the 23 countries for which these data are available. [Click here to view the full results.] ______________________________
Not only did she drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.12, but she also managed to crash her state-owned car into a ditch. Lautenschlager has said that she has no plans to resign, but unless -- perversely -- she believes that she has set an acceptable example, bearing in mind her status as the state's top law enforcement official, should she even have a choice? ______________________________
Police and local authorities will publish the number of casualties at
every site before and after a camera was installed, allowing drivers to
assess their impact on safety. Ministers believe this will help to
persuade people that the 5,000 cameras are helping to save lives, not
simply raising revenue. ______________________________
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DuPont Automotive invites attendees to "Choose Your own Briefing" during the 2004 SAE World Congress and Exposition in Detroit, March 8-11. On of the options is "Better Safe than Sorry". First tier customers are integrating their approaches, OEMs are selling five-star safety and the industry is racing to meet voluntary and regulatory standards that are coalescing worldwide. Recent advances in laminated safety glass will offer other advantages beyond safety and security for added sound, solar and other "smart" advances. As options go standard, such as side curtain airbag systems, there's a rush to lower their cost and increase their performance. Then there's the issue of new approaches and materials to offer collision avoidance features as well as for active and passive systems that will better protect vehicle occupants in frontal and side impacts or rollovers. The EU Pedestrian Protection Directive in Europe will require new energy management technologies with new materials in new forms.
For details of the Automotive SAE World Congress, go to Drive and Stay Alive's conferences and events page. ______________________________
BOC is rolling out a global safety and security programme to help customers in industries as diverse as refrigeration, glass and glazing, water, chemicals and pharmaceuticals deal with hazardous and controlled chemicals in compliance with new EU legislation, some of which comes into force in April 2004. Full story, from Process And Control Today. ______________________________
It warns drivers if they are getting too close to the vehicle ahead, tightens seat belts in anticipation of a crash and helps the driver to brake if it senses that a crash is probable. Mercedes-Benz was first in the market with a similar system, called Pre-Safe, that it introduced in 2002 as standard equipment on its S-Class sedans. The Mercedes system returns reclined seats to full upright position, tightens the seat belts, and even rolls up the windows and closes the sunroof in anticipation of a crash. It also assists the driver by applying up to 20% of the car's braking force. Toyota expects the new system to trickle down through the Lexus line and into Toyota brand cars and trucks in coming years. Full story, from the LA Times. ______________________________
Despite a warning from the national police force KLPD for motorists to stay at home if possible, snow, slippery roads and strong winds led to the second worst day of Dutch traffic jams of all time. Many drivers ignored the warnings and by about 8am there were 63 traffic jams with a total length of 860km (538 miles). The longest delay on Thursday was on the A2 Den Bosch-Amsterdam motorway where a 57km traffic jam developed between the Deil and Amstel junctions. ______________________________
"What has been lacking in the past is a holistic integration of vehicles with roadway infrastructure," said Dr. Charles Wu, director, Manufacturing and Vehicle Design, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. "Through the combination of intelligent vehicle technology and ITS in the United States, we hope this program, called Vehicles-as-Sensors, will contribute to the development of the next generation in transportation and driver information systems." ______________________________
The demonstration will include truck ride-alongs for news reporters and photographers. Safety demonstration will include tips on blind spots, safe-merging techniques, and stopping and following distances. The safety advice is critical for Arizona drivers because: * 35% of all truck-involved highway fatalities occur in a truck's blind spots (FMCSA) * Most drivers were never taught how to share the road safely with trucks * Watching this demonstration will help reduce accidents (Thursday, February 26th, 10.00am, at the Wesley Bolin Plaza, 1700 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ)
Share the Road (http://www.truckline.com/safetynet/howtodrive/index.html), is a highway safety program that delivers life-saving messages to hundreds of U.S. cities and reaches millions of motorists annually, designed to educate automobile drivers about sharing the roads safely with trucks. The program, sponsored by Mack Trucks, Inc., is presented by members of America's Road Team, a team of professional truck drivers with millions of miles of accident- free driving on America's highways. Web site: http://www.truckline.com/safetynet/howtodrive/index.html ______________________________
Robert L. Darbelnet will be the speaker at the Club luncheon on Monday, March 8.
Darbelnet has spent his entire career with AAA/CAA starting as an
emergency road service driver for the Quebec Automobile Club. He served
11 years as CEO of that club prior to being named AAA president and CEO
and moving to the federation's headquarters in Heathrow, Florida. Tickets for the event are $30 for members and spouses, and $45 for non- members. Full tables of 10 may also be reserved. Hyatt Regency Hotel, Dearborn, Michigan. [Source: AAA Michigan] ______________________________
Isofix is a unique attachment system which allows you to secure the child seat to the car using "click-type connectors", without the use of the vehicle seat-belt. Such an attachment reduces the risk of misuse, eliminates compatibility problems between different car makes and seats and hence offers better protection. Britax has offered the only volume Group 1 Isofix seat in its range since 2001. The Duo Plus Isofix is currently classified as vehicle specific. The company has undertaken a major crash-testing programme with car manufacturers to gain these approvals and the applications list for the seat now covers 25 manufacturers and contains 162 vehicles. This list covers 50% of all new cars sold in the UK last year. The introduction of a universal category is a welcome addition to the European Standard as it allows any vehicles with Isofix, a secure third point or attachment from the top of the child restraint to the top of the car seat or parcel shelf and specific labelling (see appendix), to be used with Isofix child car seats. With the addition of manufacturers such as Volvo, Saab and BMW Britax believe the Duo Plus Isofix will now fit in 58% of all new cars when used in the universal category. [Source: Britax Excelsior] ______________________________
During the Head of State's new year address to the nation on December 31, 2003, he [said he] was deeply worried that numerous Cameroonians were sent to their graves through road accidents. What [bothered] President Paul Biya greatly was the fact that most of the accidents resulted from either the carelessness of the drivers, over speeding, overtaking or the simple fact that some of the drivers had never been trained [yet still] own driving licences. Full story, from the Cameroon Tribune (Yaoundé), via AllAfrica.com ______________________________
Mineta's call to Congress will come as he helps launch a new Mobil Travel Guide -- the first of its America's Byways Series, titled All-American Roads. ______________________________
Four local authorities in England have been awarded over £4 million for extra road safety measures to reduce casualties in deprived areas. The money has been allocated from the 'Dealing with Disadvantage' initiative and will be used to address road safety problems in poorer areas. It follows the award of over £11million to deprived areas in Greater Manchester and Lancashire last year. Projects will include: * Making routes to schools, parks and play areas safer * Educating children and adults to dangers on the road * Traffic calming measures * New pedestrian crossings * Child car seat inspection and fitting services [Source: UK Dept. for Transport] ______________________________
According to one reliable estimate, 2500 people were killed and thousands more injured in road accidents last year. However, there is no similar appraisal as to who is to blame for this sorry state of affairs, with each side in the debate pointing fingers at the other. The traffic police authorities complain that they are powerless to prevent reckless driving and the dangerous overloading of commercial vehicles as these belong to or are controlled by influential politicians, officials and businessmen. Then there is the transport employees' trade unionism coming into play. The police claim that no sooner do they act to detain offenders than they are ordered by their superiors to let them go. Indeed, so bold the drivers have become, the police claim, that they routinely refuse to stop when ordered to do so and even go so far as to try to run over traffic sergeants attempting to apprehend them. For their part, the drivers and owners of commercial vehicles argue that the police are guilty of widespread extortion and they are forced to overload their vehicles to meet the cost of this extortion. There is doubtless a fair amount of truth to both sides. It is true that political patronage is often an obstacle to policing, and by the same token, it is also true that police extortion and toll collection are serious problems. It is now the responsibility of the government to step in and find a way out of the morass. [Source: Daily Star] ______________________________
Also giving evidence will be Professor Oliver Carsten (Leeds University), Mike McDonald (Southampton University) and Chief Inspector Neal Skelton. PACTS written evidence to the inquiry argues that the cars of the future will be safer and more sustainable:
PACTS’ vision for cars of the future is one in which cars are safer and more sustainable, and form one element of a safer, sustainable and integrated transport system. Improved vehicle design, incorporating advanced designs for the prevention of accidents or the reduction of the severity of accidents, will be key to this. PACTS believes that cars of the future must also incorporate existing safety technologies as well as future possibilities. It is also necessary to take a strategic approach to road safety, in which advanced vehicle design is complemented by an improved road environment and driver education.
The paper summarises new vehicle safety technologies, and classifies
them into short, medium and long-term prospects. It welcomes
in-car computerised technology in as far as it helps to prevent
collisions, but warns that there are risks presented by the blurring of
distinction between human driver and computer. ______________________________
"The new law says you must stop for pedestrians on your half of the roadway or when the pedestrian is within the adjacent lane to your half of the roadway," said George Branyan from the Maryland Highway Safety Office. That's the general rule. When a pedestrian steps into the crosswalk, all traffic on his side of the road must stop. As he approaches the other side of the road, and is in the adjacent lane, traffic on the other side must stop too. Once he steps onto the other side, the cars behind him can go because he's moving away from traffic. But many drivers still have no clue. The maximum penalties have been made more severe for fail-to-stop drivers, too: In the worst case a $500 fine, 2 months in jail, a point on your driver's license and a mandatory court appearance. Full article, from the WBAL Channel. [Keywords: pedestrians, pedestrian crossing] ______________________________
The Toyota Avensis already has the distinction of achieving the highest five-star rating for passenger crash protection in Euro-NCAP testing. Now Toyota is strengthening its
standard safety package by introducing Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control
(TRC), and Brake Assist (BA) on all 1.8 VVT-i models. [Source: News Press] DSA Comment: As always, it's good to see additional safety features being fitted as 'standard'. Unfortunately, however, the excellent Avensis is not available in North America. ______________________________
In just over a month, the Florida Highway Patrol nabbed 131 people for aggressive driving in Palm Beach County and these were just a part of the traffic crackdown that began Jan. 23 on Interstate 95, during which troopers wrote a total of more than 940 tickets, including 468 for speeding. Three motorists were driving so recklessly, they were handcuffed and taken to jail. State law defines aggressive driving as a combination of at least two moving violations, such as speeding, following too closely, improper lane change or running a red light. Read the full story, from the Palm Beach Post. ______________________________
To get the word out about the five-year-old provision — and improve motor vehicle safety while reducing traffic congestion — the state is launching a public awareness campaign paid for with a federal grant. The first “Clear It and Steer It” ads hit the airwaves Monday, and will run on 40 television stations and 312 radio stations across the state through August. Gwinnett Police Maj. Dan Bruno said Gwinnett County has seen its share of deaths caused by drivers smashing into wrecked vehicles, or into the rear of wreck-induced traffic jams. “Each day throughout metro Atlanta there’s literally hundreds of minor accidents, and when those vehicles are allowed to sit on the roadway, the traffic starts to back up, especially on the interstate,” said Bruno, who until recently oversaw traffic-law enforcement at the police department. “You then have high-speed traffic coming up on the back of the traffic queue,” said Bruno, “and what you have are secondary collisions. A lot of time those are severe because of the speed involved.”
[DSA cannot unreservedly endorse this advice as
there are many circumstances where the attempted removal of damaged
vehicles from multi-lane highways, by inexperienced people, can put
those people and others at extreme risk. Advanced warning signs and a
greater policing presence -- both of which are commonly found in other
countries -- would be a safer option, but as these tend not to exist in
the USA you might wish to check this article out and make up your own
mind.] ______________________________
According to a poll of Washington drivers commissioned by PEMCO Insurance, most drivers believe cell phones cause a dangerous distraction, but fewer drivers take active and effective steps to prevent it. In the poll, 58 percent of Washingtonians admitted dividing their attention between the road and a cell phone while driving. When asked to rate the safety of using a cell phone while driving, 69 percent rated the activity dangerous or very dangerous.
The survey also found interesting variations in the income, age,
gender and family status of people who use cell phones while driving: [Source: Newswire] ______________________________
WJACTV have a report of two such incidents in an article on their website. The bus drivers are saying that it's their understanding that no vehicles, even emergency ones, are allowed to pass a bus with flashing red lights. But the police department concerned say that in cases of extreme emergency, like a potential hostage situation, state law does allow it. ______________________________
Dairy company Fonterra has taken top prize at the inaugural New Zealand Road Safety Innovation awards for a comprehensive programme aimed at improving the safety of the company's large fleet of milk tankers. The award will be presented today (February 24) at a Wellington ceremony hosted by Transport Minister Paul Swain. The prize-giving is the culmination of the first national awards programme for breakthroughs in New Zealand road safety. The Road Safety Innovation Awards recognise outstanding achievements in the following categories: Road Safety Community Promoter, School Road Safety, Corporate Road Safety, Vehicle-Based Innovation and Improvement, and Road-Based Innovation. Inspired by the Prince Michael Road Safety Awards in the UK, the New Zealand awards highlight examples of road safety innovation in this country with the aim of encouraging others to follow suit. To be eligible for the awards, innovations must have originated within New Zealand or have been significantly adapted for New Zealand conditions. For brief details of the five category winners, click here. For more extensive details, click here. (Thanks, also, to Scoop). ______________________________
Martin Narey believes many offenders who are now serving sentences could have had their cases better dealt with by way of community penalties. His comments have been seized on by campaigners who claimed that motorists were being jailed because they were seen as an "easy target". The Automobile Association was more guarded, saying that most motorists who were sent to prison had committed serious offences such as driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and causing death by dangerous driving. Andrew Howard, the AA's head of road safety, said there was growing public support for jailing such offenders: "What else can you do with someone who has ignored a court order or has killed someone on the road?" He quoted an AA poll which last year showed that around two-thirds of Britons thought the courts were too soft on dangerous drivers. Full story, from the ITV. ______________________________
For nearly half a century, the U.S. and Canadian car markets have operated essentially in lockstep as if the 4,000-mile border were invisible. But suddenly, sharp differences are beginning to appear in new car showrooms on both sides of the border. At the recent Toronto auto show, visitors got their first glimpse of products such as the new Pontiac Solstice roadster, Ford Mustang and Chrysler 300C destined both for Canadian and U.S. showrooms. But Canadian car buyers also will soon get an opportunity to buy the Nissan X-Trail, Jaguar’s X-Type wagon, and nearly a dozen other cars, trucks and crossovers that will not show up in U.S. showrooms. Full story, from the Detroit News. See also the Drive And Stay Alive feature on the Canadian International Auto Show. ______________________________
Since the introduction of reforms intended to restore sanity to the country's roads, there has been a sharp drop in the number of minibus taxis - or ”matatus” - that are operating. An umbrella organisation for taxi owners, the Matatu Welfare Association (MWA), claims that only 40 percent of the 40,000 taxis are currently on the roads. Under new rules that came into effect on Feb. 1, all public service vehicles are obliged to install speed regulators and seatbelts to improve road safety. The regulators ensure that the vehicles, which previously drove at life-threatening speeds, do not go beyond the speed limit of 80 kilometres an hour [i.e. 50mph]. With traffic officials putting the number of lives lost in road accidents at approximately 3,000 every year, the new laws have probably been welcomed by some... [and] concerns have elicited limited sympathy amongst the public, with analysts pointing out that many matatu drivers have simply doubled their fares to compensate for the loss of passengers. Full story, from Interpress. ______________________________
344 people were killed last year, in a city of 8 million. You have to go back to 1912, when pedestrians and cars were competing with horse-drawn carriages and trollies, to find a tally that low, according to city statistics. "These numbers are encouraging and impressive," said John Kaehny, executive director of traffic safety group 'Transportation Alternatives', a sometimes vocal critic of city traffic policy. "New York City is doing something right when it comes to pedestrian safety and overall traffic safety." Full story, from the New York Daily News. ______________________________
This is a universal problem in agricultural areas around the world, and in North Carolina more than 100 farmers showed up in Smithfield for a “Be Seen and Be Safe” seminar at the Johnston County Cooperative Extension offices, Thursday. Cooperative Extension distributed 125 highway safety kits to the farmers, which included a reflective slow-moving vehicle emblem, reflective tape and a strobe light beacon, and farmers learned tips on making operating farm equipment on the highway safer as well as the latest safety technology. Full article, from The Dunn Daily Record. In addition, you could try Johnston County Cooperative Extension for any further details you might require. ______________________________
The $800 devices, called "passive alcohol sensors," look like an ordinary police flashlight and can also be used as one, but can detect alcohol and will help police nab underage drinkers at parties, school dances and sporting events. They also could be used in routine police work to help officers establish probable cause for a preliminary breath test. Full story, from the Traverse City Record Eagle. ______________________________
The year-to-date figure is now 52, 16 more than in the same period last year. Full story, from Irish Emigrant. ______________________________
In Anchorage, where deep snow has driven an estimated 1,000 moose into neighborhoods, parks and streets, more than 120 moose have been killed since summer. Driving highways becomes a seasonal moose roulette that annually kills one to three people and injures at least 100 more. But even when no one gets hurt moose collisions cost millions of dollars in property damage and lost time, and leave hundreds of wild animals mangled by the roadside. Full story, from Anchorage Daily News. ______________________________
A first offense for drunken driving has now been raised from a violation to a Class B misdemeanor, which would leave the charge on the driver’s criminal record and a fine no less than $500. Penalties for second- and third-time offenders were also increased. A person committing a second offense will be charged with a Class A misdemeanor, receive a fine of no less than $500, and spend 30 days in jail. Third-time offenders will carry the same charge with a 180-day jail term. Senate Bill 478 comes through efforts by legislators to advance New Hampshire’s status as a leader against drunken driving. In 1994, legislators lowered the blood-alcohol-content level from .10 to .08 to stiffen the drunken driving law. Full story, from the Portsmouth Herald. ______________________________
The removal of the sirens came a week after a Channel 2 news report c |
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