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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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Daniel Viloria, 6, riding in the back seat of a Plymouth Voyager, died when the vehicle slammed into a guard rail on an off-ramp from Washington 3 early Tuesday morning. The father was being held for investigation of vehicular homicide, child endangerment, drunken driving and driving with a suspended license. Full story, from Seattle Post Intelligencer ______________________________
Now, to combat the driver stupidity that was undoubtedly to blame for many of these deaths, state transportation officials and Governor Rod Blagojevich have announced a safety program that will utilise using covert tactics, including undercover police and radar-activated cameras. Multiple law-enforcement agents, including plainclothes troopers, will be in Illinois Department of Transportation vehicles to monitor drivers' speeds, said State Police Director Larry Trent. He added that motorists can expect fines of up to $10,000 and a possible14-year jail term if they hit a road worker.
Work zone safety is a national concern, with 1,181 deaths occurring in
road construction areas in 2002, the latest figures available from the
Federal Highway Administration. About 80 percent of those who die are
motorists or their passengers, said Jennifer Gavin, spokeswoman for the
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
"There tends to be an attitude by the driver that this must be
someone's problem other than theirs," she said. "It's the
people in the car who have the most on the line and who also have the
most control over preventing a tragedy." ______________________________
U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta today announced that 47 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will share $36.4 million in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grants for states that develop innovative projects to increase safety belt use. "Safety belts are the most effective safety device in a car. They prevent people from getting killed in crashes,” Secretary Mineta said. “These grants provide incentives to states to enact and enforce laws that promote use and educate people about the effectiveness of safety belts.” Secretary Mineta said that safety belts also save money. Injuries to unbuckled occupants cost this country roughly $18 billion each year in medical care and lost productivity. For details of the amount awarded to each state, click here. ______________________________
Statistics show that in 2003, approximately 300 people were killed in car accidents on average each day in China. "Traffic accidents, of all accidents, have become the second largest killer for Chinese children, next only to drowning," said Martin Eichelberger, president and chief executive officer of SafeKids Worldwide. His organization has joined hands with the Shanghai municipal committee of China's Communist Youth League, the municipal women's federation and Federal Express, a US-based courier service, in a program that aims to protect Shanghai's 450,000 primary school students from road accidents. Full and detailed story, from China View at Xinhuanet ______________________________
Traffic policemen have literally been lying in wait for the offenders who jump red lights. They have selected the intersections which are normally left unmanned and at times they are usually believed to be off duty — between 6 am and 8 am, and 8 pm and 10 pm. "Knowing the unruly Delhi traffic, it is perfectly imaginable how well they are likely to behave when they are not being supervised. Even at manned crossings, policemen often have to ask people to withdraw their vehicles behind the stopline" said joint commissioner of police (traffic) Qamar Ahmed. And the results are telling. The drive was started on March 24 and till March 30, the traffic police challaned 1,179 motorists for jumping the redlight between 6am and 8am, while another 1,796 were prosecuted between 8pm and 10pm. [Source: The Times of India] ______________________________
“Over the Noruz holidays last year, 150 people lost their lives in car accidents and the number has increased to 201 people in the New Year, 153 of whom have been killed on [out of town] roads,” he said. [Source Mehr News Agency] ______________________________
The KwaZulu-Natal transport department unveiled its Easter road safety plans today. Last year, 50 people died, the majority pedestrians. The department has now taken steps to ensure that this is not repeated. [Source: SABC News] ______________________________
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There are 4.4 traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents in the nation's largest city, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. Los Angeles, the country's second-biggest hub, followed with 7.2 deaths per 100,000 people. You have to go all the way to the nation's 46th-largest city - Minneapolis (pop. 375,600) - to find a metropolis with a better safety record than New York. Minneapolis recorded 3.7 deaths per 100,000 residents. New York had 355 traffic fatalities in 2002 - nearly half of them, 162 - were pedestrians, according to the report, which was based on 2002 data. Cops have waged ticket blitzes on double-parking -- which creates hazards when cars have to swerve -- driving while talking on hand-held cell phones, and not buckling up. Full article here, from the New York Daily News.
DSA Comment: It is good to see "per capita" data being used (i.e. "deaths per 100,000 population") but we are puzzled as to why this approach is rarely if ever used to show national road-death rates in this country. It is much more revealing than "deaths per 100 million miles" (or other distances) and shows in a much more understandable and tangible manner the true scale of the road-death problem in the USA. Click here for selected U.S. statistics which do use this approach. ______________________________
The Electronic Stability Control Coalition today released new educational materials at the annual Lifesavers Conference aimed at continuing its efforts to educate consumers about the latest in automotive safety. For the first time, the public has free access to a recent research study, conducted by the University of Iowa, which found that 34 percent more drivers maintained control of their vehicles with ESC than without. ______________________________
Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D., administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), today presented the 2004 NHTSA Awards for Public Service to 13 individuals exemplifying high standards of achievement in the field of traffic safety. Dr. Runge presented the awards in San Diego during Lifesavers 2004, a national three-day conference on highway safety priorities. More than 1,800 people are expected to participate in more than 85 workshops at the conference and view more than 90 exhibits of traffic safety products and programs. Full report on the award recipients. ______________________________
Graham Feest, secretary of the Association of Industrial Road Safety Officers (AIRSO), and Professor James Thomson of Strathclyde University were presented with RoSPA's Distinguished Service Award for road safety at the Society's National Road Safety Congress in Cardiff. ______________________________
Modern vehicles are overwhelmingly better than they used to be in every way, and not least in terms of safety. Improvements in vehicle safety have contributed significantly to reducing road deaths and injuries and will continue to do so. The British Government sees technology as a vital ally across their transport policy, and particularly in safety issues.
In the past many of the innovations have been in the field of passive
safety. Now, however, we will see rapid advances in active safety
systems. ______________________________
Despite a "difficult" police chase (and the fact that the driver did not have a license) the driver claimed that he didn't think he was driving faster than 130Km/h. ______________________________
Careless and dangerous driving have claimed the lives of more than 1,000 Jamaicans in the last five years. In 2001 alone, more than 6,000 were hospitalised, said executive director of the National Road Safety Council, Paula Fletcher. Her concern is backed by further statistics from the police which show that in 2002 there were 351 fatal accidents, resulting in 388 deaths; and 323 accidents in 2003, which resulted in 358 deaths, less but still far too high a toll. Over the period January 1-March 18, 2004, there were 63 reported deaths from 59 road accidents. Most accidents take place in Kingston, St Andrew and St Catherine where the majority of the so-called black spots are located. Data provided identified 152 black spots across all 14 parishes. But accident statistician at the Ministry of Transport and Works, Kenute Hare, insisted that black spots by themselves do not cause accidents. "Drivers have turned the roads, especially the Mandela Highway, into a killing field," he declared. Read the full article, from the Jamaica Observer. ______________________________
"I guess you take your chances," said one young man, in a bar. "I'm not real concerned." But he should be. Arrests of drunken drivers in Ohio and Michigan jumped last year after both states dropped their threshold for drunk driving from the long-held 0.10 percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 percent, according to review of arrest data by The Blade. [Even more important, in terms of those self-centered individuals who think it is only their own "chances" that they are taking, is the fact that] in 2002, 42,815 people died in traffic accidents on the nation's road. Of those deaths, nearly 41 percent, or 17,419, were believed to be alcohol-related, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "People have tried to frame [drunk driving laws] as people against drinking," said John Bobo, director of the American Prosecutors Research Institute's National Traffic Law Center. "It's not. It's about people wanting to save lives. We have these human land mines on our roads, and they're taking out entire families with a left turn." Full article, from the Toledo Blade. ______________________________
Consumer groups last week called for Congress to require automakers to make vehicle roofs safer during rollover crashes as part of a “top 10” list of auto safety improvements. ______________________________
Studies show that going just 18 hours without sleep will impair your reaction times just as severely as if you were legally drunk. Full article, by Keith McKelvey of Livermore Police Department, in the Contra Costa Times. ______________________________
The new fines, which took effect March 13, call for a $950 assessment
for a first conviction and $2,150 for a second one. Full story, from the Arizona Republic ______________________________
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Surendra Bahadur Pal, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), made some interesting comments to Nepal News -- too many to itemize here, so see the full article -- but he summed up thus: "On the part of road safety, we need to have more infrastructures and awareness. If we cannot generate awareness among our citizens, we cannot prevent the accident injuries. Our part is just to manage. So far as generating awareness is concerned, it is up to the media and civil society as a whole. They need to play effective role. We cannot prevent injury just by executing the law. The government cannot do it alone. We have to introduce traffic in a curriculum at school and college levels. You cannot control the accidents by organizing monthly and annul traffic campaign. The short-term actions will not be effective. We have to show our new generation how to maintain the road discipline. During the course of socialization, children can learn the manners of road traffic. At school level, we have found very negligible interest." ______________________________
There are many sound suggestions in the list, including protective measures for children in cars, a possible introduction of a 40Km/h (25mph) minimum speed limit on highways unless with police escort, and the acquisition of speed radars to permit enforcement of speed limits. But one of the recommendations bears witness to the existing state of affairs: "Introduce the breathalyser. Alcohol and gasoline just doesn't mix!" Come on, T&T -- that last one is so fundamental that it shouldn't even need discussion. Indeed the writer immediately takes it to "best practice" level by adding that there should be mandatory drug and alcohol testing for all drivers involved in any road accident in any public or private location in Trinidad and Tobago. Good luck with your goals, Ashmeed Ramdath -- the people of your country would unquestionably benefit from them. Full article, from the Trinidad & Tobago Express. ______________________________
Bishop Thomas O'Brien was sentenced on Friday to four years of probation. He was also ordered to carry out 1,000 hours of community service. He could have received up to three years and nine months in prison but Judge Stephen Gerst said that the conviction alone was a significant punishment for a public figure like O'Brien. This was despite the fact that the victim's mother had asked Judge Gerst to impose the maximum sentence on the bishop. Afterwards, Chief prosecutor Rick Romley said the judge had sent a message that the court system gives prominent people special treatment.
If this weren't bad enough, it is worth noting that on June 2, 2003, the Arizona Republic reported that Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien had acknowledged that he covered up allegations of sexual abuse by priests for decades and would relinquish some of his power as head of the Phoenix Diocese to avoid possible criminal indictment.
The hypocrites.com website summed this man up with their scathing headline "Can you feel God's love?" But in the strictly driving context the fact is that O'Brien hit a pedestrian then drove away and pretended it had never happened, yet he got off lightly because of his job. [Multiple sources] ______________________________
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In New York, supercars are roaring ahead, sedans are anything but sedentary, SUVs are moving mountains, convertibles are fun-in-the-sun fabulous, and pick-ups are picking-up more fans as the 2004 New York International Automobile Show "readies for the most exciting and diverse show in its 104-year history." Click here to view the ten trends. ______________________________
An Italian motorist who drove the wrong way through the Mont Blanc tunnel at high speed was in hospital last night in a critical condition. The man sped through the seven-mile tunnel at more than 100mph in his Opel Astra, police said yesterday. Officers said it was only the fact that the incident took place in the early hours that averted a serious pile-up. His behaviour caused security barriers to be activated, to blocked further traffic from entering the tunnel. As he emerged from the French side just before 5am, the driver lost control of his car and ploughed into a concrete barrier at high speed. He was cut free from the wreckage and was taken to hospital. The reason for his actions is not known. [Source: The Scotsman] ______________________________
In New Jersey, the Prospect Park Mayor William Kubofcik and his wife Nuha are breathing a heavy sigh of relief after a traffic crash that could have been deadly for their 14-month old son Josef. Ten days before the crash, Mrs. Kubofcik had visited a DaimlerChrysler "Fit for a Kid" inspector for a child seat inspection. The parents and fire personnel that responded to the crash credit the inspection for keeping Josef out of harm's way. ______________________________
March 26, 2004: Bikers in Bus Lanes in Northern Ireland Motorcyclists across Northern Ireland were jubilant at the announcement in the press this month that bikers in the province would be legally allowed to ride in bus lanes from March 22nd 2004. The announcement was embraced by the motorcyclists and riders groups who have campaigned endlessly for access to bus lanes since 1996. [Source: Roadsafe] ______________________________
With nearly 1.2 million fatalities and over 20 million injured in road accidents each year, road safety is an issue of immense proportions. Over 75% of these casualties occur in developing countries and countries in transition, although those same countries account for only 32% of all motor vehicles. The World Health Organisation has dedicated World Health Day on 7 April 2004 to road safety. On this day there will be a call for action and events round the world will raise awareness of the appalling level of death and injury on our roads. In this press release, RoadSafe announce that the UK launch of World Road Safety Network will take place at a Department for Transport conference on World Health Day. Full text here. [See the DSA page about World Health Day] ______________________________
Only six of the 30 nations belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development have had [more*] road deaths per 100,000 residents than the United States. In fact, 11 U.S. states have higher numbers of road fatalities per 100,000 residents than Portugal, the nation that has the highest number of road deaths per population.
Drive And Stay Alive, Inc., a non-profit organization focused on
reducing the American road deaths, used figures from the Brussels-based
OECD, which maintains the International Road Traffic and Accident
Database, a highway safety indicator for the 30 OECD member countries...
The IRTAD also logs deaths per one billion vehicle kilometers, but only
nine nations submitted those statistics. The United States ranked fifth
out of the nine that participated in that category. [*
typographical
error in the article, which was mistakenly worded "fewer"] ______________________________
Consumer Reports asked those questions and more in its first investigation and ratings based on how well 182 cars and trucks serve today’s family-travel needs. ______________________________
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Click here to access Public Citizen's report: "Keeping the Safety in SAFETEA: Life-Saving Vehicle Safety Provisions Are Long-Overdue and Feasible" ______________________________
A two-hour special was built around 40 questions on road safety, mostly driving rules but with some tricky safety statistics thrown in. Taking part was irresistible. The questions were cleverly contrived: about 50 per cent no-brainer easy, 25 per cent tricky, and 25 per cent falling into the "well I'll be blowed, I never knew that" category. You would think the combination of Oscar Kightley's jaw, Petra Bagust's dimples and a whole lot of finger-waggy stuff about the Road Code would be too, too much, specially on a Monday night, but taking part, even in obsessive secrecy, was clearly an improving experience. Even the seasoned drivers who made up the studio audience averaged below 50 per cent for most of the show. This amended extract is from a very amusing article, by Jane Clifton, at Stuff. It is well worth reading and may just give some TV producers in other countries an idea. ______________________________
...the present number of accidents can definitely be brought down to an acceptable level. It has been observed that road-dividers have played a key role in bringing down incidences of accidents. The authorities should try and put up dividers along the highways as much as possible. It is not viable to put up railings alongside the ditches. But boulders can be kept at regular distances. Highway patrolling in Bangladesh is pitiably inadequate. More trained police personnel should be deployed. At present the members of law enforcement agencies seem to be more keen on getting their palms greased [i.e. accepting bribes] on any pretexts instead of taking measures to ensure road safety... Full article, from the Independent ______________________________
??? March 25, 2004: A few male journalists display their ignorance and arrogance at the Geneva Auto Show Full story here, from Ann Job at the Detroit News. ______________________________
While auto safety opponents claim that safety mandates are too costly, too speedy and too difficult, we also yesterday released a report answering these claims and building a strong case for the bill. Periodically, the U.S. Congress must reauthorize the legislative program for agencies within the Department of Transportation. These bills -- passed only every six years -- can include important new mandates for the agencies. In 2003, the reauthorization bill was dubbed the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act , or "SAFETEA." Click here to view Public Citizen's web page on this issue. ______________________________
Consumer advocates, crash victims and proponents of more automotive safety technology called on Congress Tuesday to enact sweeping new safety rules for new cars and trucks. The groups back a Senate bill crafted by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that would require the federal government to address a long list of outstanding auto safety issues. Full report, from the Detroit News. ______________________________
Gunnebo Protection AB has received an order from the national road administration in the United Arab Emirates to supply approximately 100 km of its "Safety Line" cable barrier. Gunnebo Safety Line is currently being installed in the Nordic region as a central barrier on "2+1 roads", or as side or embankment crash barriers. Safety Line has been put through full-scale tests by the National Road and Transport Research Institute in Linköping and has been approved in accordance with current European standards. ______________________________
The State of Texas has awarded a $10 million contract to IBM Corp. to study automobile crash reports in hopes of improving road safety and reducing the number of traffic accidents. Full story, from Austin Business Journal ______________________________
The National Safety Council is launching a new safety campaign to prompt simple, life-saving steps parents can take to protect the lives of their children. A series of multilingual public service announcements will be released nationally. Motor vehicle crashes are still the number one cause of injury-related deaths in kids. By following simple, preventative steps, parents can help save lives. For example, even with the introduction of new, advanced airbags, parents need to know that the safest place for kids is always in the back seat. The new campaign, complete with the Celine Dion PSAs, will be be unveiled on March 25, at the Green Cross for Safety Award Dinner in Washington, D.C. [Source: NSC] ______________________________
Sixty-three people were killed in 2003 in road accidents in Israel while they sought refuge on highway shoulders. This figure is one-third of all fatal traffic accidents the occurred on intercity roads. In 2002, 67 people were killed in such accidents. Traffic police say that while stops on highway shoulders are meant to be short, there are drivers who park on road shoulders for extended periods in order to pray, smoke, talk on the phone and even to sleep - without being aware of the dangers they are facing. According to police, one of the primary reasons for this is that proper parking areas have not been developed along Israeli roads. Therefore, drivers who need to rest, talk on their cellular phones or relieve themselves pull onto the shoulders and park without taking the dangers into account. [Source: Haaretz] ______________________________
Sahrainen does not believe that education is enough, and says that rules are needed. ______________________________
These are some of the findings in the third edition of the annual Road Safety Monitor, released today by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF). On average, 557 people are killed each year in Canada as the result of crashes involving heavy trucks. About 12,000 others sustain injuries. In 2001, of all people killed in collisions with heavy trucks, 87% were the occupants of the other vehicles, pedestrians, or bicyclists. Click here to view a summary of the report. ______________________________
The Traffic Police, grappling with ways and means to resolve the traffic gridlock headache in Kampala City, has come up with what they might assume is an ingenious measure: erecting traffic towers at trouble spots. But the Monitor disagrees with this approach and points out that "the global trend has been to harness basic technology in the form of traffic lights - [which] works. "Why then is the police force sticking with such an archaic idea with little indication that it will produce a dividend? Traffic cops already have enough difficulty controlling motorists with their feet firmly planted on the ground, what are the chances that with them stuck up in those tin towers, several feet above the ground, they will fare any better?" Get both sides of the argument from the full article, at allAfrica.com ______________________________
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta is pushing an ambitious plan to cut the rate of traffic deaths by a third over the next four years. If successful, the program could save as many as 13,000 lives a year by 2008... No one would oppose the idea of improving safety, but many highway officials and safety advocates question whether the goal is attainable and whether the focus is on the real causes. [Full article here, from USA Today]
DSA Comment: At risk of making ourselves very unpopular in certain quarters, the DSA opinion is that the goal is most definitely attainable even if the four-year target itself might be overly-ambitious. Why do we hold this opinion? Simply because many other countries have achieved results as good as, or even better than this target -- despite the fact that driven mileage (etc., etc.) has increased in all of those countries, too. The fact is that in the last ten, fully measurable years, the USA achieved the least improvement among over twenty countries -- a mere 4% reduction in the road-death rate, on a per capita basis, compared with up to 39% in those other nations. (And the country that achieved a huge, 39% reduction was Portugal -- owner of Europe's most dangerous roads.) To see a table of the full results, click here. ______________________________
It's a deadly recipe: A carload of teenagers having fun, ignoring the speed limit and taking risks. Over 10,000 kids between 15-24 die on America's roads each year and at the weekend many more joined that dreadful toll -- including two Arizona girls aged 15 and 16 who are thought to have been traveling around 75 to 80 mph when their car crashed and rolled over. This particular incident is reported in the Tucson Citizen. ______________________________
MADD hosted a press conference at 10:00 a.m., today, in Washington, D.C., in connection with the fact that two of every three children killed in alcohol-related crashes, in the USA, are riding with drinking drivers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will report that 24 percent of children killed in traffic crashes between 1997 and 2002 involved drivers who had been drinking, and that 68 percent of these child victims were riding in the same vehicle as the drinking driver. The new MADD report is based on a thorough examination of the problem by a panel of experts who identified serious gaps that need correction in order to save children's lives. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) will unveil its new "Child Endangerment Report. Web site: http://www.madd.org/
Read the New York Times report from this press conference, here. ______________________________
The Ohio State Highway Patrol and Pizza Hut are partnering in a safety belt campaign to encourage youth to voluntarily comply with Ohio's safety belt laws. State troopers will visit elementary schools to talk about the dangers, and students will have an opportunity to sign a "Safety Belt Promise" indicating they will always wear their safety belt and also encourage family and friends to do the same. Those who sign the promise will receive a coupon for a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. Troopers also will make unannounced visits to area high schools this spring. They will monitor the school parking lots for students who are wearing their safety belts as they arrive for school. Those found wearing them will be rewarded with a coupon for a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. [Source: the Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum] ______________________________
It is clear that a very large number of repeat drunk-drivers in the USA are taken to court, over and over, as though each time was their first offense. But now New Jersey is working to stop this dangerous loophole in the law. Read the article, from Courier News. ______________________________
On December 17, 2001, a snowfall in the afternoon covered Beijing streets with a thin layer of ice. The city's entire traffic network, worsened by the weekend rush hour, was completely paralyzed and many people did not reach home until midnight. The impact was obvious. On the night of December 6 last year when a moderate snow blanketed Beijing, the command centre initiated a Grade-3 emergency plan two hours later. Traffic moved freely through the night. The lesson of the snow underlined the fragility of the city's emergency plans. Since then, the leaders have reportedly been considering the establishment of a city alarm and emergency response system to counter all kinds of potential hazards as Beijing prepares to host the 2008 Summer Olympics. This is a brief excerpt from a more involved article, dated March 23, from Xinhuanet. ______________________________
The Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership, which operates the website, is a co-operative venture between the Strathclyde Police and all twelve local authorities. The website shows the location of every speed camera. Spokesman Ross Wilson said: "We want motorists to know the camera locations and to drive within the speed limit." The cameras cut crashes campaign has helped slash fatal and serious casualties in the area by two thirds in two years. [Source: the UK Evening Times] ______________________________
One shocked motorist said she was about to join the motorway traffic when she suddenly saw a line of brake lights. She said it was misty, but the visibility was not that bad. Meanwhile, 15 separate collisions were reported on the A67 motorway, which connects Eindhoven with Antwerp in Belgium. Full story, from Expatica. ______________________________
A driver in Montpellier, France, has been convicted for trying to run over a pedestrian he mistook for fugitive al-Qaeda boss Osama Bin Laden. But instead of a US$5 million reward, it won him a three-month suspended prison sentence. Full story, from the BBC. ______________________________
The chairman of Road Safe Central Victoria, John Cutting, says the [many of the] speeds were ridiculous and the results could have been catastrophic. [Source: ABC Central Victoria] ______________________________
[Source: Agenzia Giornalistica Italia] ______________________________
Experts say increasing wheel size can exaggerate the risk of hydroplaning, or wear out brakes, shocks and springs. Full story, from the Detroit News. ______________________________
In his latest review, 'Good Car, Bad Car', he "finds the right car for your kind of life, selecting four of the best vehicles in each of 12 classes - plus he nails the worst in each class." (From the UK Times) ______________________________
"This publication focuses on important driving topics such as alertness, vehicle safety, driving attitudes, hazard awareness, vehicle handling, dual carriageway rules, road and traffic signs and car crash safety procedures. Its overall objective is to give one the opportunity to explore and appreciate various theoretical aspects that, when applied correctly in practice will help set driving standards in Malta." ______________________________
NEW DELHI : The Bhishma Pitamah Marg-Lodhi Road crossing was in the news for a long time after six persons were killed and eight injured in two consecutive accidents in 2002. Following a public outcry, preventive measures like the construction of rumble strips and pruning of foliage that hid the traffic signals were taken. Two years on, the rumble strip has disappeared and the over-grown foliage, once again, hides the traffic signals. ______________________________
Under the Transportation Ministry's new policy, which was disclosed in yesterday's Haaretz by Anat Georgi, the length of time during which offenders' cars will be impounded is to be doubled from 60 to 120 days. This policy joins a new program that has already been instituted for toughening the point system for traffic offenses. Lieberman's working assumption is that traffic offenders are the drivers most apt to be involved in road accidents. Though that assumption has logical appeal, it turns out that the connection between traffic offenses and road accidents is not so simple. Drivers break traffic rules virtually every time they take their cars out for a spin. Full article, from Haaretz. ______________________________
An independent crash repair expert says he has detailed evidence of shoddy and dangerous repair work. Read the full story, from News.com ______________________________
He will now face an internal police investigation to determine if he keeps his job. Full story, from the Mercury News. ______________________________
The Acura TL and TSX, the Nissan Maxima, the Chevrolet Malibu and the Mitsubishi Galant all received 'good' ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Verona scored 'acceptable'. ______________________________
ISLAMABAD: Mussadaq Muhammad Khan, joint secretary of the Communications Ministry, has said that Japan is playing a significant role in the development of a highway network in Pakistan and mutual cooperation between the two countries will pave the way for an improved highway system. Mr Khan was addressing the inaugural session of a seminar on Highway Management and Maintenance held at the National Highway Authority (NHA) head office on Saturday. The seminar was arranged by the NHA and the Japan International Cooperation Agency with the collaboration of the Express Highway Research Foundation. NHA Chairman Major General Farrukh Javed addressed the concluding session while Japanese experts Professor Kashima, Fujinami and Yamakawa spoke on highway safety, pavement management technology, overloading and its countermeasures. Full story, from the Pakistan Daily Times. ______________________________
A report from the Public Relations Department at the Islamic Republic of Iran's Red Crescent Society said Tehran, Isfahan and Fars had the highest number of victims on the day, mainly due to the carelessness of the drivers. [Source: Payvand] ______________________________
Brigadier Mohammed Saif Al Zafeen, Director of the Dubai Police Traffic Department, said they have the active participation of most schools around the United Arab Emirates. He said 874 people lost their lives in the UAE last year, of which 281 were UAE nationals [and the rest were foreign workers]. "Most of the fatalities are usually from the youth group who are the future of this country." Full story, from the Gulf News. ______________________________
Help could soon be on the way for motorists who get caught in accidents on the national highways. As a first step, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plans to set up Road Accident Helpline Centres along the Golden Quadrilateral to immediately attend to accident victims. About 150 trauma care centres — each equipped with life-saving drugs and equipment — would be installed every 30 km (19 miles) along the stretch connecting the four metropolis. In addition, 78 ambulances would be deployed -- one every 60 km (38 miles) -- along the 5,846-km Golden Quadrilateral to rush the victims to a trauma care centre or a nearby hospital. To get the project rolling, NHAI’s parent ministry is trying to rope in the State-run oil firms — which run retail outlets along the highways — to set up and manage the centres. The NHAI felt the need for the roadside centres as a substantial number of highway deaths occur due to the non-availability of immediate medical help or transport. Even though the NHAI is building wider and better roads under the National Highways Development Project, accidents continue to occur because of human error, indisciplined drivers, unfit vehicles or poor visibility due to bad weather conditions. [Source: Indian Sunday Express] ______________________________
The barn owl, one of Britain's most reclusive, yet most treasured birds, is facing extinction in many parts of the UK. The population of barn owls now stands at just 4,000 pairs, a drop of 70 per cent since the 1930s, according to a new survey by conservationists. The main reason for the decline of the bird is the construction of trunk roads and dual carriageways [i.e. "divided highways"] through Britain's countryside. Motor vehicles exact a devastating toll, and the survey found that 72 per cent of barn owls that encounter a major road are killed and that half of all known barn owl deaths occur on roads. Adult barn owls that nest within 500 yards of a road are almost certain to be killed during the nesting season. Full story, from the UK Independent. ______________________________
Trainor, who was appointed to the 25-member court in 2001, was arrested for drunken driving after refusing to take a Breathalyzer test when he was stopped on Route 128 in Needham early last year. He automatically lost his driver's license for 120 days. Full report from the Herald Tribune. ______________________________
Italy's highest court has ruled that drivers are responsible for ensuring their passengers wear safety belts and must pay damages if the passengers are injured in an accident. Last Wednesday's ruling in Rome serves as a stern warning not just to Italian motorists but to the hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists who drive on Italy's roads each year... A recent survey of 72,000 people by Eures, an Italian social research institute, showed that 24.4 per cent of car drivers and 22.7 per cent of motorcyclists were on the roads without wearing seat belts or helmets. Full
story, from the Financial Times.
______________________________
He is now in the County Jail awaiting trial on six charges of
intoxication manslaughter in the deaths and one charge of intoxication
assault in connection with the injuries that a 14-year-old girl
suffered.
Full
story, from the Star Telegram.
______________________________
A
new educational campaign illustrates why children age four and up should
ride buckled-up in the back seat in a booster seat.
The "Put Big Kids in Booster Seats" effort urges parents to
keep their child passengers safe by learning the "3 Bs" --
Ride Buckled-up in the Back seat in a Booster seat.
______________________________
According to a senior police officer at the scene, nearly all the
victims were teenagers and young people, with the youngest being around
fourteen years of age. They were travelling from Helsinki to the popular
ski-resort of Ruka in Southern Lapland.
The front section of the bus and the front of the trailer were both
totally destroyed in the crash. The huge number of fatalities was caused
by the rolls of paper, which were dislodged by the impact and apparently
flew into the coach with devastating effect. Most of the victims were
killed instantly.
Fourteen people are being treated in hospital, several in critical
condition. Flags are at half-mast across country. Full
story, from the Helsingin
Sanomat
______________________________
From fiscal year 2001 to 2003 the Army's accident rate has spiked from
168 accidental deaths to 255, according to officials from the Army
Safety Center, Fort Rucker, Ala.
There have already been 29 deaths this year caused by privately owned
vehicles, according to officials from the Safety Center. Last fiscal
year private vehicle accidents were responsible for 40 percent of
accident fatalities.
Military police are aggressively ticketing people who disregard seatbelt
laws, and showing zero tolerance during holiday weekends.
The Army is hoping that saturating Soldiers with the two simple and
heartfelt words, "be safe," can help keep them alive. Full
article, from Sgt. 1st Class Marcia Triggs of the Army News Service,
and www.dcmilitary.com
______________________________
The National Injury Mortality Surveillance System annual survey found
that firearms caused 7,091 deaths in 2002, making them the leading cause
of non-natural death in South Africa once again.
The report also showed that women were five times more likely to die of
traffic injuries than murder, whereas men were seven times more likely
to die of murder than traffic injuries.
[Source:
sundaytimes.co.za]
______________________________
WASHINGTON
— A key House panel looking at auto safety refused Thursday to
agree to a series of sweeping new safety measures mandated by a Senate
panel last month, setting the stage for a major legislative battle. This
is an important article, by Jeff Plungis of the Detroit News; read it in
full, here.
______________________________
Most attempts to curb driver distraction have focused on cell phones,
probably because it's easier than trying to ban food or to prevent
adults from quieting unruly children, said Troy Costales, an
administrator in the transportation safety division of the Oregon
Department of Transportation.
"The best message to drivers is, don't use your cell phone; don't
play with the radio," said Jonathan Adkins of the Governors Highway
Safety Administration, a nonprofit group that represents states' highway
safety interests. "Driving is a complex task." Read
the full, worthy article here, by Lisa Grace Lednicer, from The
Oregonian.
______________________________
A news release from the police services says this brings the number of
people killed in road accidents to 175 this year as compared to 163
during the same period in 2003.
The release says out of 4401 cases of traffic violations 1680 involved
drivers who were charged for speeding. [Source:
Botswana Government Daily News]
______________________________
Continental's custom designed tractor-trailer is traveling throughout
the U.S. to better educate consumers, particularly women, about onboard
safety systems available in vehicles. The trailer has interactive
educational kiosks with Cramer-created realistic driving simulations.
Full details, and tour schedule, here.
______________________________
The campaign,
implemented in cooperation with the private sector, will focus on drink
driving, speed control and the overloading of passengers in pick-up
trucks.
Deputy Prime
Minister Chaturon Chaisang said some 800 people died last year from
recklessness during ten days of Songkran celebrations. "This year,
the road safety campaign will strive to stop the death toll from
reaching 900 as has been predicted," he said.
This year's
festival falls on April 13 to 15. [Source:
The Nation]
______________________________
Kafue Member of
Parliament Robert Sichinga said most accidents were caused by drivers
who disobeyed traffic rules by either overspeeding or drink-driving.
About 1,046 people
died last year from the 21,692 reported accidents countrywide.
A law to ban night
driving of public service vehicles, and one to compel alcohol testing
will apparently be introduced soon. Full
story, from the Times of Zambia.
______________________________
Police have
confirmed that many drivers are travelling well in excess of 100mph on
the 27-mile long, Ł900 million M6 Toll.
Inspector Paul
Andrews, from the Central Motorway Police Group, said that officers are
carrying out regular patrols and he warned: "If you are caught over
100mph you are going straight to court and will have to explain to the
magistrate why you're going so fast."
Drivers face big
fines, driving bans and even imprisonment. The police have voiced the
opinion that the combination of a brand new road together with very
light traffic have been the catalyst for such reckless driving.
______________________________
A new stage in campaign against so-called “werewolves” in the
Russian police seems to have started. This time it concerns
representatives of not very popular department – road police.
A group of State Inspection of Traffic Safety (GIBDD) officers was
arrested in Moscow today. Ten have been charged with illegal car
registration, Izestia reports. According to Ministry of Internal
Affairs, the gang registered more than six thousand foreign cars,
previously stolen in Europe.
______________________________
Full
story, from WISTV.
______________________________
Interior ministry assistant undersecretary Major-General Thabet Al
Muhanna said 372 people died last year, 57 more than in 2002, as a
result of 45,400 traffic accidents.
In addition, 405 people were seriously injured and 927 others received
light wounds.
Kuwait has a population of some 2.5 million people, 900,000 of whom are
indigenous citizens and the rest foreign workers and their families.
Muhanna said traffic police issued over 2.4 million tickets, the
equivalent of more than two tickets per vehicle.
Hundreds of sophisticated cameras and radars have been installed on
Kuwait's main roads in a bid to stem a rise in serious traffic
accidents, mostly caused by speeding and motorists who run red lights. Full
article, from Trade
Arabia.
______________________________
Ryan reported pre-challenge surveys indicated that seat-belt usage in
the district was 42 percent. But with the support of the Mount Carmel
Area School District administration, faculty, driver education
department and the North Central Highway Safety Network, current buckle
up rates are near the goal of 80 percent. Full
story, from NewsItem.com
______________________________
Full
story, from The Oregonian.
______________________________
Full
story, from the Evening
Times Online.
______________________________
The development project is called SPARC (Secure Propulsion using
Advanced Redundant Control) and its overall objective is to
substantially improve traffic safety and efficiency for heavy commercial
vehicles by using advanced electronic systems, including preventive
safety systems which compensate for driver mistakes.
______________________________
Mr Solomon Kwabena Ntim, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), MTTU,
who said this at a two-day seminar in Accra said the figure, was
"too high for a country with only 620,000 vehicle-population."
DSP Ntim said when road offenders were apprehended and found guilty by
the courts, they are liable to imprisonment between three months and two
years, stressing, "we have widened our net and will not spare any
culprits".
An exhibition of new improved road furniture including reflectors, road
signs, information boards, markings and traffic signals is being mounted
at the seminar. Full
story, from Ghana
Web.
______________________________
The gunman might have wanted to take revenge against police following
the stepped-up crackdown on road-racing activities,” said Colonel
Sakonrat Thirasawas, Tourist Police Bureau deputy commander.
Full
story, from The Nation.
______________________________
SSP Ropar S P Singh said they were planning to give leverage of about a
week’s relaxation to the residents. ‘‘From March 22, we will be
strict on offenders,’’ he said adding that more police force,
including commandos, would be deployed to manage the traffic. On
the same web page, but worthy of separate mention is this: The
Children's Traffic Park in Ludhiana is home to former policeman Sham
Sunder Juneja, 69, who has dedicated his life to educating people on
road safety.
Founder of the Park, he says that he took voluntary retirement in 1976
and decided to dedicated his life to this cause.
"I visit educational institutions, tell children to abide by the
law," he says. "I was inspired to work for road safety after I
underwent training in Mumbai [Bombay] in 1975.
"I could not concentrate on my mission due to frequent transfers.
Voluntary retirement was the only option,’’ he says, adding, "I
am collecting traffic related data and exploring the possibility of
legal engineering devices of traffic control to prevent accident." Both
of these articles are from Chandigarh
News.
______________________________
It all used to be done with mirrors, and a quick turn of the head. But
high-tech companies are creating sophisticated gizmos that will help
motorists see where they've never seen before. Full
article, from USA Today.
______________________________
Journalist Sarah Bahari has written a good article in the Star-Telegram
(Texas) about police motorcyclists being issued with bright, reflective
jackets for the sake of safety. Click
here to read it. DSA
Comment:
The editor of the DSA website is a former traffic patrol
officer from a police force in which reflective jackets have been used (and compulsory)
since the 1970s. They undoubtedly save many officers lives and -
comparatively speaking - have few if any disadvantages. DSA also has
a
web page that covers the topic of patrol car conspicuity, click here to view
it. ______________________________
The speed limit legislation, approved in an 18-12 Senate vote March 9,
allows the Arizona Department of Transportation to raise the speed limit
to 80 from 75 mph on roads like Interstate 10 from Phoenix to Tucson. If
enacted, it would be the nation's highest speed limit. Full
story, from the Tucson
Citizen. DSA
Comment:
The Senators concerned clearly know more about how to
win votes at the next election than they do about saving lives by means
of sensible highway safety measures. This attitude may be part of the
reason why
Arizona is in 38th position out of the 50 states in terms of the per
capita death rate. ______________________________
The projects address issues such as child passenger safety, graduated
driver licensing, drunk driving, road and intersection safety, senior
drivers, and mobility. Details about each project will be forthcoming as
contracts are signed. [Source:
AAA Foundation]
______________________________
Last year, nine base personnel or their family members were killed on
roads in Suffolk, England, including Cortina Hamilton, a mother who died
with her three children after their car tumbled into a roadside ditch.
Following that accident, RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath launched a
wave of safety measures for the USAF, including an overtaking [i.e.
"passing"] ban on minor roads, a safety hotline and changes to
the training airmen and their families receive when they enter the U.K. Full
article, from EDP24. ______________________________
"Operation Wake-up" involved 30 police at checkpoints set up
on all motorway on-ramps from the central city, between 4.30am and 8am
last Saturday.
Some drivers were more than two-and-a-half times the legal
breath-alcohol limit, which is 400 micrograms of alcohol per litre of
breath.
"There was an element of surprise to the operation at the weekend
for which there is no apology, and given the high rate of offending more
operations are planned," said Inspector Dave Walker, officer in
charge of the motorways and traffic alcohol group. Full
article, from the New Zealand
Herald.
______________________________
Four in five young drivers believe they're a danger to other road users
despite having passed their test. And six in ten claim they were trained
just to pass the test rather than drive safely. Full
article here, from Autoglass.
______________________________
Marcoux, whose office has apparently reviewed studies about cell-phone
use by drivers, allegedly prefers to use only a public-awareness
campaign. A
full
report is available from the Montreal
Gazette.
______________________________
Five people were killed and 14 others injured.
The cause of the accident
is believed to be the driver's exceeding the speed limit in the early
foggy morning. [Source:
Vietnam
News Agency]
______________________________
The firm -- an arm of the Hyundai Automotive Group comprising Hyundai
Motor and Kia Motors -- will spend 140 billion won annually on R&D
and expand the number of R&D staff from 600 to 1,700 over the next
seven years.
A Hyundai Mobis executive said the company's R&D efforts will focus
on the development of advanced systems and technologies, including smart
vehicle safety systems and battery-less tire pressure monitoring
systems. Full
report, from the Korea Times.
______________________________
If Public Citizen and the Center for Auto Safety prevail in their suit
against the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorists
could feel more confident that safety defects possibly affecting their
vehicles are not falling into a geographical black hole.
Click here for the
full
article, from the NY Times (subscription
may be required).
______________________________
He urged the public to shy away from the "easy to
get away with" notion, which, he said, is typical of the criminal
mind-set. "The reason we have laws is to put order in our society.
They are not always created to suit us, but for a higher purpose of
serving the greater good," De Leon said. Full
article, from the Manila
Bulletin Online.
______________________________
An Autocar magazine investigation designed to coincide with this
week’s Budget has lifted the lid on secret industry documents that
show what private buyers really spend their money on – and it’s a
very different story from the picture car manufacturers paint.
A staggering 56% of new cars sold in Britain are fleet or company
vehicles – bought not for quality, desirability or handling, but
because of discounts, future values and running costs. Full
report here.
______________________________
During the same period 6.5 per cent of those injured in traffic
accidents were children aged less than 10 years, a rise over 2002 when
six per cent were injured.
Brigadier Mohammed Saif Al Zafeen, Director of Dubai Traffic Police,
said most of these accidents could have been prevented if adults had
been more careful. "The deaths of these innocent souls could have
been prevented if parents and other motorists had taken more care on the
roads," he said.
At 30km per hour [19mph], five per cent of children struck are killed.
At 50km per hour [31mph], 45 per cent are killed, while at 70km per hour
[44mph], 85 per cent are killed.
______________________________
The mastermind behind a structure promoting the government's road-safety
campaign yesterday defended his creation amid criticism that it was
annoying passing motorists and was itself a hazard.
The structure features two life-sized dummies riding real motorcycles on
a three-metre-high platform, on Thani Road. The
"motorcyclists" are wearing helmets and black jackets and are
illuminated at night by spotlights.
Many motorists and motorcyclists, however, have expressed concern that
the structure could cause accidents as the motorcycles' headlamps and
break lights [sic] are always on and annoy oncoming motorists when they
look up at them, particularly at night...
The government campaign aims to encourage motorcyclists to wear crash
helmets and keep their headlamps on while riding. Full
story, from The
Nation.
______________________________
The
Scion xB and Pontiac Vibe join long-time family favorites from Honda and
Volvo.
While test-driving the vehicles, AAA and Parents considered everything
from air bags and fuel economy to cup holders and cargo space. The
reviewers also installed a variety of child safety seats into every car,
making sure it could be done easily and securely. Of those vehicles that
have been tested, the AAA/Parents picks are among the top performers in
crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Full article here. ______________________________
A statement issued by the Chairman of the committee, Professor Richard
Horst Noack, said thatover 1,800 submissions were received and reviewed.
The abstract, "Road Casualty Reduction Scheme For An African
Environment", authored by two Nigerians, Charles Chude Ojugbana and
Frank Odiachi, took into consideration the average African setting with
bad roads, poor insurance participation, poverty, inadequate trauma care
system, increased motorisation with poor counter measures for road
safety, insufficient resources of the National Road Safety Agencies,
competing needs of the government, and the necessity for adoption of a
trisector partnership model that provides joint value creation. It will
now contest for the best global abstract award in injury prevention and
safety promotion.
The selection of the abstract for presentation in an international forum
is considered a huge step for Africa, especially now that road safety
crisis has been classified a development disease, particularly in medium
and low income countries. Full
story, from This Day (Lagos), via the excellent allAfrica.com
______________________________
OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors Corp., is a pioneer
in that area. OnStar launched its telematics subscription service in the
1997 Cadillac, and now some 2.5 million drivers of all types of vehicles
subscribe to it. (more...)
Iteris Inc. says it will unveil in April a partnership with a large auto
manufacturer for its Lane Departure Warning System in passenger
vehicles. (more...)
Ford is using a simulator it developed, called the Virtual Test Track
Experiment, to create software-based technologies aimed at warning
drivers if they start to fall asleep at the wheel. (more...) Full
article, by Laurie Sullivan of Information
Week.
______________________________
The vehicle was being driven south along the A1M motorway when it hit a
stretch of water and veered off the carriageway.
The dark blue Porsche 911 convertible careered up a steep bank before
smashing through a crash barrier, somersaulting and landing upside down,
hundreds of feet away, on another road.
It is believed that the driver was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of
the crash. His body was found away from the wreckage of his car. Full
story, from the Peterborough
Now. ______________________________
The newsreader, who lost control of her car and rammed into two others
vehicles on the main highway through the emirate, also had to surrender
her driving licence for three months. The court also fined a Jordanian
student 2,000 dirhams (US$545) for claiming to police that he had been
driving the unnamed woman's car. Full
story, from the Borneo
Bulletin. ______________________________
A surveillance study indicates that transport-related incidents are now
the second highest cause of such deaths in the country - and the KwaZulu-Natal
traffic police say they are determined to clamp down on aggressive
driving behaviour. Full
report, from IOL, and The
Mercury. ______________________________
Hundreds of vehicles were impounded in recent months - until their
owners paid tough new fines. Full
article, from the BBC.
______________________________
The volunteers who make up Wetton & Alstonefield Community
First Responders recently won a Queen's Golden Jubilee Award for
their work. Only the second self-funding team of its kind in the
UK, its 25 members stand by round the clock ready to respond to
any type of medical emergency.
In a month they can receive as many as 20 calls, so the
volunteers need to be able to drive in rugged terrain
inaccessible to regular ambulances, and often snowbound in
winter.
Their previous vehicle was an elderly Jeep Cherokee and, because
most of the responders were untrained in off-road driving, they
often had to leave it on the nearest road and proceed on foot,
losing valuable time and carrying capacity.
"We're delighted with the Land Cruiser," said the
team's co-ordinator John Clarke. "It fulfils our
requirements exactly and everybody likes driving it because it's
so easy." The team had considered all the appropriate 4x4s
on the market. "And we all knew Toyota's reputation for
reliability." DSA
Comment: At the risk of appearing churlish, we would
point out that the passenger, in the picture on the right, does
not appear to be wearing a seat belt (even when a larger,
clearer picture is examined). This is obviously unwise in any
moving vehicle but on terrain such as this it is downright silly
and definitely not a good advert for safety awareness!
______________________________
Full
report, from the Detroit
News.
______________________________
ALL
March 14, 2004: For
decades, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz have been the clear leaders in the
auto-safety stakes, but now Honda is making a serious bid to join these
top people-protectors.
Full
story, from John O'Dell at the LA
Times.
______________________________
The vast majority of drivers involved in fatal or serious injury crashes
involving alcohol, in Wisconsin, have no prior drunken driving
convictions.
A new state report indicates that in alcohol-related crashes in which
someone was killed or seriously injured, three-fourths of the drivers
had no prior convictions for DWI or related traffic offenses on their
Wisconsin driver record, according to an analysis of 12 years of data
(1991-2002). Read
this important
article, from the Wisconsin
State Journal.
______________________________
Across the Mountain State, law enforcement officers are making the
public's use of seat belts and child safety seats one of their primary
concerns. The new, stepped-up enforcement period will continue until
Wednesday (March 17). Another period will begin on May 19 and run until
June 2.
Officers, however, can only ticket seat belt infractions if they pull
over a motorist for a separate violation, such as a broken tail light,
said Wheeling Police Sgt. Ron Didion, who acts as highway safety
director for the northern region of the state.
Since the program began, seat belt use in West Virginia has improved
markedly. In 2001, surveys of West Virginia motorists showed that only
49 percent were buckled up. As a result, West Virginia ranked 49th in
the nation. It is now up to 74 percent compliance and officers are
aiming for 78 to 79 percent this year. Full
report, from the Wheeling
News Register.
______________________________
Of course, Detroit’s average of 18 problems per 100 vehicles still is
worse than the industry average of 17 and substantially worse than the
12 ranking accorded the Asians. Yes, that’s progress for the Motor
City, but it’s not worthy of popping a single champagne cork. Read
the full
article, by Daniel Howes at the Detroit
News.
______________________________
Researchers will visit more than 250 sites in far north Queensland where
they will flag down drivers and ask them about their trip, attitudes to
road safety, behaviour on the road and driving history.
In addition, road victims are being interviewed in hospital so
researchers can determine the circumstances behind each crash, such as
road conditions and whether they were distracted.
The study is being conducted by the Centre for Accident Research and
Road Safety and staff from James Cook University's school of medicine.
It is expected to continue for three years.
Reports will be filed every six months so road authorities can consider
the findings and any recommended actions.
Senior researcher Colin Edmonston said road safety statistics showed
motorists were four to six times more likely to be killed on rural or
remote roads than on motorways.
"We've made fairly huge inroads into road safety in urban areas but
we haven't made a dent in the problem in rural areas," he said.
"We need to change that situation." Full
story, from the Sunday
Mail.
______________________________
According to traffic statistics, 78 percent of people killed are under
the age of 45. One fifth are children under 15.
According to statistics, there were 65,000 people killed and 55,000
injured in 800,000 car accidents between 1971-1995 an average of 2,708
deaths per year. However in 2002, figures for Saudi Arabia showed that
4,840 fatalities occurred in car accidents.
Adel Al-Qahtani, [a resident of Riyadh], said, “Most accidents happen
as a result of speeding and ignoring traffic rules. It is normal to have
tragedies from car accidents here. In other countries, they have strict
traffic laws that are applied to everyone without exception. I think it
is about time we did that here.” Full
article, from the Asharq Al-Awsat
newspaper, via Arab
News.
______________________________
Here’s a pop quiz. Rank the following in order of the number of
American lives they claim in a typical year: food, guns, terrorists, flu
and cars.
Ready? The most deadly are automobiles, which kill 117 Americans a day,
or nearly 43,000 a year. Then comes flu, which (along with pneumonia,
its associated disease) kills 36,000 people. Third is guns: 26,000
deaths. Fourth, food-borne illness: 5,000. And finally, terrorism, which
in a typical year claims virtually no US lives -- with horrific
exceptions like 2001. But antiterrorism efforts get most of the
attention and the resources...
Governing the United States is like playing 200 simultaneous chess
matches (while whiny columnists second-guess every move on every board).
The terrorism chessboard is among the most important, but if we could
just devote a bit more energy to the others, we could save thousands of
lives. Read
this excellent commentary, from the Today
newspaper and ABS-CBN Interactive.
______________________________
Gregory, 48, was pulled over going 70 mph in a 40 mph zone on Monterey
Highway near Phelan Avenue, said CHP officer Les Bishop. After officers
conducted a field sobriety test, the first-term councilman was arrested.
The councilman said he had "a few glasses of wine'' over dinner
with friends at a restaurant... Full
story, from The
Mercury News.
______________________________
The debate pits drivers who want to reach their destinations sooner
against experts who analyze statistics about car wrecks.
The issue does not concern Kansas alone. Across the country, states are
looking at the idea of raising speed limits, just as they did a decade
ago.
Arizona legislators seem favorable toward a speed limit of 80 on some
rural highways. Support has been building for raising the 65 mph speed
limit in Iowa. Maryland has also been eyeing higher limits. Missouri is
not part of the trend, however. No big push has developed to increase
the 70 mph speed limit there. Full
article, by John A. Dvorak, at the Kansas
City Star.
______________________________
President Mugabe last year said it was "a must" that all major
roads be upgraded into dual carriageways to reduce road accidents, which
were killing and maiming hundreds of people every year. [Source:
The Herald, Harare]
______________________________
"We are investigating allegations that several drivers have forged
permits," the inspector of vehicles, Peter Kimalen, said recently.
Kimalen, said he would verify the permits and test the drivers' skills.
Most of the drivers tested on Friday failed the test of balancing the
vehicle on a slope.
[Source:
New Vision, Kampala]
______________________________
Click
here to read the outline for this extremely important research.
______________________________
ALL
March 12, 2004: A
Truly International Dummy
The WorldSID Task Group of the International Organization for
Standardization has officially released the world's first
internationally designed crash test dummy today for production.
For the first time in the automotive history, a crash test dummy has
been designed, developed and tested collectively by technical working
groups from the America's, European and the Asia/Pacific regions.
The dummy, known as WorldSID (for World Side Impact Dummy), has been
under development since 1997. Its 212 sensors capture data more than
1000 times per second and store the information in special memory boards
inside the dummy, making it the most advanced (and probably the
smartest) crash test dummy in the world. SID,
taking it easy
Highlighting the international nature of this massive effort, the
WorldSID dummy will make its official debut in June at a meeting of the
Working Party on Passive Safety at the United Nations in Geneva.
[Source:
Ford Media]
______________________________
Hyderabad: Now that the summer sun has already set in, some of the
worst sufferers are the traffic constables who are yet to be provided
with some kind of protection from the direct rays of the sun.
Traffic constables will be provided with 'Mobile Traffic Umbrellas' in
about a month or so at about 12 junctions in the city. The
umbrellas-on-wheels are designed to provide shade for one constable, and
also has a seat attached to it. It is an open booth, but will protect
the constable from head to toe from the burning rays of the sun.
There was a proposal last year to provide the constables with umbrellas
which could be attached to their waist-belts, but it failed. The
umbrellas could not could not withstand windy conditions.
______________________________
He was caught after members of the South African Police Service (SAPS)
Mamelodi task team heard of his actions and arranged for marked notes to
be used the next time the officer demanded a pay off.
Full
story, from the Cape Times, and IOL.
______________________________
West Lothian [i.e. a Scottish region] did its part this week to help
promote World Health Day — while celebrating its improved road safety
record at the same time.
This year, the event — organised by the World Health Organisation —
is focusing for the first time on road accidents and the county is
joining the rest of the country in bolstering the Scottish Road Safety
Campaign.
To help bring its message to the public, the Campaign organisers created
a baton containing a document stating its commitment to World Health Day
which featured signatures from representatives of Scotland's 32 local
authorities, eight police forces and 15 health boards.
The baton has been making its way around Scotland, and reached West
Lothian this week.
It was presented on Monday to Councillor Jim Swan of West Lothian
Council’s community safety committee by junior road safety officers
from Carmondean Primary School. It will finish its journey on World
Health Day, on April 7, at Hampden Park Stadium in Glasgow. DSA
Comment: Do read
this article, from IC
WestLothian. West Lothian is currently a leading light in
showing everyone the way to achieve major reductions in road casualties,
particularly among children.
______________________________
Two deaths on metro Atlanta highways are the most recent and striking
examples of how such debris can lead to tragedy.
Priscilla Donald, 33, a Georgia Department of Transportation employee,
died Thursday after being struck along I-20 in downtown Atlanta late
Thursday morning while picking up a mattress and other debris, police
said.
Michael Ronald Hall, 43, an assistant dean in the business school of
Clark Atlanta University, died Monday after he swerved to miss a new
clothes dryer that had fallen from a pickup truck onto I-75 north near
Forest Park.
"Refrigerators, ladders, mattresses, furniture, trash: you name it
and our crews are picking it up," said Bert Brantley, a GDOT
spokesman. "Sometimes it's people just throwing it out; sometimes
they fall off by accident. It's a huge problem. We fill up dump trucks
with tons and tons and tons of trash."
Brantley said that, in metro Atlanta's six core counties alone, 6,500
tons of debris were picked up by GDOT and prison crews last year.
Private contractors picked up more, he said, possibly just as much.
Full
story, from the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution.
______________________________
Gardaí* and the National Safety Council have launched a campaign aimed
at avoiding any road deaths in the run-up to St Patrick’s Day.
Operation Lifesaver will target speeding motorists and those who drive
under the influence of alcohol.
75 people have died on Ireland’s roads so far this year, a significant
increase on the same period last year.
Speaking at today’s launch, NSC spokesman Pat Costello expressed
particular concern about the increased number of multiple-vehicle
crashes this year and the large number of elderly pedestrians being
killed in recent road accidents.
Chief superintendent Denis Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, insisted that the
penalty points scheme introduced in late 2002 was working, despite the
increase in road deaths this year.
“The trend is generally downwards,” he said. [Source:
Ireland Online]
*Gardaí
= Irish Police.
______________________________
The Scottish Capital has one of the highest sign-up rates for organ
donation in Britain.
One donor can save up to five individual lives.
A decade ago, a large proportion of donated organs came from car
crash victims.
However, seatbelts, drink-driving campaigns and traffic-calming measures
such as speed bumps have led to one of the lowest road death rates in
the world1. Full
story, from The Scotsman. 1DSA
Link: International
Road Crash Fatality Rates, 1988-2001 (where Scotland is included in
the UK figures)
______________________________
Nascar
3-D: The IMAX Experience at
the Henry Ford Imax Theater, Dearborn, Michigan. Get to know
some of the world's most famous drivers and catch rare,
behind-the-scenes glimpses of the fascinating world of
racing. "Gripping
footage of unpredictable racing action will make this film the
most awesome IMAX experience ever." Details.
______________________________
"The violations were largely committed by party supporters on
motorbikes," said Sr. Comr. Sulistyo Ishak. "Many of the
motorists failed to wear helmets. Some were carrying too many
passengers."
Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara said that despite the
traffic violations, the first day of the campaign period was peaceful. [Source:
The Jakarta Post]
______________________________
Police in Australia have urged drivers to buckle up for even the
shortest journeys, after a six-month-old baby boy sitting
unrestrained on his grandmother's lap was killed after being hurled into
the windscreen of a van.
"We see this around town all the time, that for the best of reasons
the parents have put the kids on their lap, and it doesn't work."
"They take off like a bullet, like a lump of concrete – there is
no way you can hang on to them, they have to be properly
restrained." Full
article, from NewsCom Australia.
______________________________
Mr Page says it is a disgrace and means there are fewer police observing
driver behaviour, especially on the Pacific Highway where 73 people died
last year. [Source:
ABC News Online]
______________________________
Lancaster, Central Ohio -- In one week, three teens and two men died in
vehicle crashes handled by the State Highway Patrol. None of them
were using seat belts.
"We have to intensify our (educational) efforts," said Lt.
Gary Lewis, Lancaster post commander.
"The most alarming statistic in the past week is the number of
teenagers we've lost and the number of people not buckled," he
added. Full
story, from the Lancaster
Eagle-Gazette.
______________________________
Police said the men picked their victims in rest areas along France's
southern toll autoroute network. After following them, they pounced,
sometimes robbing them at home, sometimes stealing the car. [Source:
Expatica]
______________________________
A Minnesota Highway Safety & Research Center certified instructor
teaches the classes, which will be either in Brooklyn Park or Brooklyn
Center.
The fee for the four-hour refresher course is $18, and the eight-hour
course is $20 (which makes the extra four hours seem like pretty good
value!).
Persons age 55 and older who complete the course qualify for a 10
percent discount on their auto insurance premiums for three years. [Source:
The MN Sun] ______________________________
This morning, a demonstration of highway safety measures will be
conducted for local news media, including "ride-alongs" in
tractor-trailers, in Portland, Oregon.
Such safety advice is critical for drivers because 35% of all
truck-involved highway fatalities occur in a truck's blind spots
(Source: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration).
"Share the Road" 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.
Visit their website for further information: www.truckline.com/safetynet/howtodrive/index.html
______________________________
The stretch of the coastal highway that runs between
Givat Olga and Kfar Vitkin is frequently clogged with traffic. The
congestion occurs on the southern side of the highway, where the two
lanes do not adequately serve the estimated 95,000 vehicles that rumble
by each day.
This seven-kilometer stretch is also the scene of frequent road
accidents, some of them lethal. In the years 2000, 2001 and 2002, 56
road accidents occurred on this small stretch of the coastal highway and
six of the accidents involved fatalities, according to data from the
Central Statistics Bureau.
Dr. Moshe Becker, a transportation expert, calculates that the number of
fatal accidents on this stretch of the highway exceeds the national
average. During the past three years, he says, there were 200 fatal road
accidents a year on the 5,000 kilometers of roads that run between
cities in Israel. This figure translates to one fatal accident for each
10 kilometers of road over the three-year period.
Plans to widen the highway have been on the books for years, works
authority officials say. But at a cost of NIS 150 million,
implementation has been delayed due to budget limitations. Full
article, from Haartez.
______________________________
He said road improvements, better traffic flow monitoring, and the
replacement of old vehicles – specially buses – were all on the
Government’s agenda.
The National Traffic Safety Committee said the number of road accidents
in 2003 dropped 28 per cent from the previous year, with 9.4 percent
fewer deaths and 25.2 percent fewer injuries.
But the committee said the number of fatal traffic accidents in the past
two months had increased 3.6 per cent compared with 2003, with 2,292
deaths and 3,477 injuries. Full
story, from Vietnam
News.
______________________________
"We want to prevent the accident from happening," said Senior
Trooper Robert Skinner with the Highway Patrol Vehicle Safety Section in
Utah County after he placed an orange slip of paper marked "out of
service" on [one] truck's windshield.
Last week, six deputies and seven troopers inspected 22 trucks in
another blitz. The results: 12 trucks and one driver were rendered
out of service. Three trucks didn't have any violations. Read
the full article, from the Daily
Herald ('harktheherald.com!)
______________________________
They arrested Robert Lee Crider on charges of child endangerment, public
intoxication and having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle.
Crider's son was pulled over by a Texas state trooper outside of the
west Texas town of Big Spring in the predawn hours of Saturday after the
officer saw the car speeding and weaving through traffic, said Sargeant
Jason Hester, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety. Read
the full story, from Reuters, via Yahoo
News.
______________________________
Unbeknownst to Mr. Gauthier, the airbag in his Chevrolet Sunfire had a
data recorder that proved he was driving at three times the 50-kilometre
speed limit on a Montreal street when he hit another car, killing the
driver...
The palm-sized device that convicted Mr. Gauthier is now standard on
most new car models. Manufacturers designed them as protection in case
they are sued for airbag malfunctions. Full
report, from the Globe
And Mail.
______________________________
"We believe that the percentage of thefts relative to the number of
an individual model on the road is more telling. When measured by those
criteria, the Camry's rate of theft and insurance loss claims are
comparable to the average for all vehicle brands." -- Toyota
spokesman. [Source:
Automotive Digest]
______________________________
On the website at WSFA.com the recent deaths of two pedestrians inspired
a lady called Colleen Catania to enquire why there weren't any
crosswalks at certain locations.
The article
then read: Montgomery traffic engineer Bubba Bowden says there are so
many factors to consider before putting up a cross walk complete with
signals. Bowden says this part of Atlanta Highway is way too wide and it
could take someone more than 30 seconds to walk across it.
"At this intersection, you're looking at probably 80 feet across,
so 80 times 4 would give about 32 seconds of walk time and that's a lot
of time to just to get across, and a long time to tie up traffic,"
says Bowden.
DSA
Comment: We are not criticizing
Mr. Bowden -- despite his puzzling math -- as he is undoubtedly governed
by politics, but this is a sad state of affairs. If there are no
pedestrian crossing facilities on 80-foot roads what chance has a person
got if they need to cross it on foot? Sprint like a cheetah and
hope for the best?
The
USA is noted, across the developed world, for the general lack of
pedestrian crossing facilities. The question is why are there also so
few pedestrian footbridges (complete with zig-zag, gentle ramps for
wheel chair users) to allow people to safely cross such large roads?
Many other countries use this method.
Is it because of the cost, perhaps? Well, given that every fatality on
America's roads is said to cost the nation around $1 million per dead
body, those seemingly high costs can be justified over a period of a few
years. And that's before one even considers the emotional cost of every
lost life.
______________________________
Melissa Coniglio, manager of Goddard Health Center’s Health Education
and Wellness Center, said she expects a turnout of a few hundred cars,
and the first 175 people to arrive will receive a free T-shirt.
“A lot of times students don’t have time to take their car in, or
they don’t want to part with the extra cash they may have,” Coniglio
said. “We’re trying to get people to their destinations safely.” [Source:
OU Daily]
______________________________
"That's despite clogged city centers, narrow roads and gas prices
three to four times as high as in the USA."
DSA
Comment: Hmmmmm.... That's
not a very accurate summary given that Europe has had SUVs in the form
of Range Rovers, etc., for almost four decades, and Land Rovers for
much, much longer. And that should be borne in mind if you read
this interesting article, from the Detroit
News.
______________________________
Interactive
Driving Systems has extended its range of award winning on-line driver
assessment tools for car, truck, van and bus drivers to include a
RoadRISK assessment specifically for van and truck drivers involved in
multi-drop operations in the UK, continental Europe, the USA and
Australia.
The new assessment will focus on the unique issues faced by multi drop
drivers, such as frequent stops and starts, manoeuvring, driving at
slower speeds in congested traffic, and dealing with a wide range of
other road users in densely populated urban area.
Based on an on-going study of 13,000 drivers by
______________________________
The Governor's Office of Highway Safety announced today that the number
of Georgians dying from crashes on rural county roads is more than
double the number of motor vehicle fatalities occurring in the
metropolitan areas of Georgia. “In the most recent study, 327 people
died in crashes in the five metropolitan Atlanta counties, compared with
718 crash fatalities in our rural counties,” said GOHS Director Bob
Dallas...
Behind the disparity in highway fatality rates is a fact that shatters
one major stereotype long-held by many motorists. Non-interstate roads
here are statistically shown to be more dangerous than our interstates.
In 2002, 1315 people died on state, county and city roads, compared with
216 deaths on Georgia's interstate highways. “Crash injury data also
supports this perspective,” said Director Dallas. “In 2002, there
were 5,068 serious injuries in crashes on non-interstate roads. The
number of serious crash injuries on interstates came in considerably
lower at 661.” DSA
Comment: There is much of interest and importance in this
article. Read
it here. ______________________________
State Farm and the
National Youth Leadership Council have announced the launch of this new
nationwide service-learning project for high school students. It will
showcase top projects that combine service to the community with
learning objectives. All projects are created by teenagers for teenagers
on an important issue affecting young people. For 2005, the topic is
Teen Driver Safety -- a particularly appropriate choice as car crashes
are the #1 killer of our youth.
Project Ignition is an opportunity for students and teachers in various
classes to work together to create a public awareness campaign for their
school and/or community on the subject of Teen Driver Safety. Step one
includes an application by interested schools signaling their idea and
process. The focus of the program is primarily on communication, how
students choose to address and educate their peers on teen driver safety
is up to them. Approximately 25 project ideas will be selected and
awarded a $2,000 grant -- funded by State Farm -- to make their project
a reality. Full
press release.
______________________________
______________________________
The death toll from Sunday's Great East Road tragedy in which a Chipata-bound
bus and two vans plunged into Nkalamabwe river has risen to six after
the retrieval of two more bodies from the water.
Although there were 34 passengers on the bus -- plus, one must assume,
the occupants of the two vans -- only seventeen survivors are mentioned
in the reports.
The community at Chinyunyu are now allowing vehicles to cross the river
by pushing the vehicles across what's left of the old bridge.
"This
exercise is very dangerous since vehicles can slip and plunge into deep
waters on both sides," said Works and Supply Minister, Dr Ludwig
Sondashi, when he visited the site. [Source:
The Times of Zambia]
______________________________
This first-of-its-kind testing, via the NHTSA's National Advanced
Driving Simulator, confirms that ESC prevents crashes and saves
lives. Full
article here.
______________________________
His keynote presentation, "Active Safety: Electronics Leading
the Way to Smarter Vehicles," will discuss the car of the future
that will link active and passive safety systems such as electronic
stability control (ESC), active rollover protection (ARP), adaptive
cruise control (ACC), lane departure systems and restraint systems,
along with additional sensors that give the car electronic reflexes.
In cars such as this, an onboard computer will constantly assess
relevant information related to the driver, the vehicle and its
surroundings to help avoid crashes and minimize injuries.
"While it is widely accepted that vehicles are well-equipped to
protect occupants after a crash, many consumers are not aware that there
is safety equipment available now to help them avoid the crash
altogether," said Dr. Ziebart. "Surveys indicate that safety
features, including electronic stability control, are among the highest
desired by consumers."
______________________________
______________________________
The addition of the
11 new officers brings Yukon's total number of CVSA inspectors to14.
Officials hope that
number will increase in the near future -- resulting in broader and more
efficient Roadcheck and Operation Air Brake inspection blitzes
throughout the territory. [Source:
Today's Trucking]
______________________________
The new High Dynamic Range CMOS (HDRC(R)) camera provides a
significantly increased dynamic range in high- and low-light
conditions such as tunnels, in blinding sunlight and after dark. It
detects light levels over an intensity range of 170dB, a significant
improvement compared to conventional CCD cameras, which typically have a
limited dynamic range of 60dB.
"Advanced driver assist systems now under development will increase
safety," said Jerry Bricker, vice president and general sales
manager at Omron Automotive. "These systems provide increased
visibility for blind spot detection, lane departure, collision warning,
and other functions. This image sensor and camera will meet or exceed
the needs for advanced driver assist systems."
The advanced camera technology is now available in automotive prototype
form. It is expected to appear on cars and trucks by the latter part of
the decade.
______________________________
"How do we calculate the loss of a beloved mother, the death of a
bright-eyed six year old or the disappearance of a trusted friend we
relied on for common sense advice and emotional support?" he asked.
[Full
press release here]
______________________________
Officer Paul Crowe of the Clovis Police Department (New Mexico) said he
noticed traffic at the corner of Prince and Commerce was flowing better
during the Tuesday lunch hour than it had for some time. Of course, that
could have been because of the visible presence of his clearly marked
patrol car and his use of a bright, reflective safety vest.
Even so, as he scanned the oncoming cars, he noticed one vehicle — a
bright yellow sports car driven by a young woman — and motioned for it
to pull over into a parking lot. Crowe asked the driver for her license
and registration and returned to his patrol car.
“The reason I pulled you over is you are obeying the law,” Crowe
said to the woman. “You’re wearing your seat belt, you’ve got your
license and registration, you’re driving safely, you’re doing
everything right.” Read
the full
story, by
at the Clovis News Journal.
______________________________
Over
the years, the Government has introduced a number of programmes to try
to reduce the country's high rate of traffic accidents and fatalities.
There has been some success. Last year, the ratio of fatal accidents per
10,000 cars was 4.9; down from 8.2 in 1996. But, the figures are still
high.
Now, the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre (Puspakom) is suggesting
that car owners send cars that are more than 10 years old to Puspakom
centres to be checked for roadworthiness before they can renew their
annual road tax.
Koris Attan of the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association feels
that mandatory testing should only be imposed on cars that are more than
20 years old.
In Singapore, Japan and Germany, says Puspakom CEO, Salamat Wahit, cars
that are older than three years must be inspected every two years. In
Argentina, annual inspections are mandatory for cars that are more than
two years old. In Israel, all cars (new and old alike) must be inspected
every year. Full
article, from the New
Straits Times.
______________________________
As Europe’s premier car event got under way, the British-built
Aquada was being put through its paces on Lake Divonne, 15 miles
away, in France.
"This is the off-roader to beat them all... it appears to
have managed the near impossible — to combine decent road
manners with superb water skills." Full
story, from the UK Times
Online.
______________________________
It was introduced by Aisin Seiki, today, at the 2004 SAE World Congress,
Detroit.
With the cooperation of Toyota Motor Corporation, the system has already
been installed on the new Japanese market Prius. [Source:
Aisin World Corp. of America]
______________________________
"The probability of getting in a road accident is high -- higher
than contracting Sars or bird flu," said Health Education
department head Dr Amal Al Jowder. "The theme is important as
people have car accidents in Bahrain every day."
In Bahrain, the latest figures from the General Directorate of Traffic
showed the number of serious accidents in 2003 had risen to 535, up 5
per cent on 506 in 2002. Minor accidents rose by 26pc from 2,269 in 2002
to 2,873 in 2003.
There were more than 40,000 minor, non-injury accidents last year, but
fatal accidents fell six per cent to 76 in 2003, compared to 81 in 2002. Full
article, from the Gulf
Daily News.
______________________________
Ralph M. Wagner, 51, pleaded no contest in late January to driving under
the influence and DUI-manslaughter charges.
Prosecutors said tests showed his blood alcohol content was 0.153 and
0.154 early the morning of Dec. 14, 2002, when the crash occurred.
That's almost twice the 0.08 level at which Florida law presumes that
someone is unable to safely drive a motor vehicle. Full
story, from the St Petersburg Times.
______________________________
A state Office of Highway Safety spokeswoman, Andrea Summers, said as
many people died in the last month alone as did in the first two months
combined of 2003. Full
article, from Terri Sanginiti, at the News
Journal. DSA
Comment: Using internationally recognized measures,
Delaware's roads are slightly below the average safety level for the
entire USA and as a result it does not compare very favorably to the
highway safety standards in many other countries. Click here to view
a state by state comparison, and here to see
where the USA ranks, in the international road safety arena.
______________________________
"SENSING THE FUTURE: Moving to Enhanced Safety," is the
title of a news conference to be held on March 8, at the Society of
Automotive Engineers World Conference, Detroit.
"Enhanced automotive safety technology is making extraordinary
progress. More than just a warning alarm if a car gets too close to
another vehicle, DENSO's cutting edge pre-collision system technology
helps physically redirect the car to help avert a serious
collision." [Source:
Press Release from DENSO]
______________________________
One weather-related death was reported in a five-car collision on the
expressway connecting Seoul and Busan. [Source:
JoongAng Daily]
______________________________
The fatality prompted police traffic experts to urge drivers to use more
caution when their cars break down on the highway.
"You hear a lot of people say they don't want to ruin their rims,
so they don't want to drive further off the roadway,'' said Officer Greg
Toyeas of the Cincinnati Police Department's traffic unit.
"You might ruin the rim, that's true,'' he said. "But you can
buy a new rim. That's better than losing your life." Full
article, from The Enquirer
(Ohio)
______________________________
Almost as soon as New Jersey Assemblyman Doug Fisher proposed a ban last
spring on "distracted driving" — everything from eating a
bagel to chatting on a cell phone while behind the wheel — the measure
was ridiculed.
Drive-time disc jockeys called the bill "DWE," for driving
while eating, and "the ham-sandwich law."
But it wasn't a laughing matter. The National Highway Transportation
Safety Administration estimates that up to 30% of the 3 million
accidents a year may be attributable to distracted driving.
"People consider it their basic right to do whatever they want in
their car," Fisher says. "People are literally reading the
newspaper as they drive down I-95."
But Fisher says states will have to deal with the broader issue of
distracted drivers. "There's carnage on the road because of
this," he says. Read
the very illuminating full
article, from USA Today.
______________________________
It struck with such force that Gay's 1996 Volvo 850 was hurled airborne
and landed with all four wheels on a sidewalk. The front airbag
deployed, and the violence of the collision twisted the frame of the
car, popped open the moon roof and cracked the windshield.
Gay walked away from the wreck. "If I hadn’t been in a Volvo,
I’d be dead," declares the 46-year-old, whose day job is
president of a Philadelphia executive-search firm. "The car did
exactly what it was supposed to do." A week later, she was back at
the Volvo dealership to buy a new S60 sedan.
That the 7-year-old Volvo protected Gay is a tribute to the carmaker’s
reputation for safety. Its sedans and XC90 SUV consistently earn top
marks in government and independent crash tests. And Volvo offers as
standard equipment such safety features as side and head-protection
airbags, anti-lock brakes, whiplash-protection seats and traction
control, even on its low-end S40 sedan.
In a new report, Kiplingers are recommending five particularly safe
cars:
-- Perhaps the biggest surprise of the bunch, the Mini Cooper
-- the VW Passat
-- Mercedes Benz E-Class sedans
-- the Ford Freestar mini-van
-- the Volvo XC90 SUV
Read the full
article and a summary of Kiplingers' report at MSN
Money.
______________________________
The WHALE (We Have a Little Emergency) Program distributes potentially
life-saving packets to anyone who transports infants and children in car
seats. They are designed to communicate health information about child
passengers to emergency medical personnel at the scene of accidents.
The packets are vital especially in the critical minutes following a
crash when adults in the vehicle may be incapacitated and unable to give
information about child passengers.
Rose Thompson, MMHC Auxiliary committee member, said. "Emergency
personnel often have trouble obtaining emergency contact information and
other vital information from a child. This little sticker will help
alleviate many of these questions and at least give workers a good
starting point when faced with an emergency situation." Full
article, from the Ardmoreite.
______________________________
The most popular sport-utility vehicles are the worst for true off-road
driving, says a new ranking by Consumer Reports magazine.
Two of the worst for going off-road -- the Ford Explorer and the
Chevrolet TrailBlazer -- are the two best-selling SUVs in the USA. And
the Ford Expedition -- judged worst, off-road, of any tested -- is the
second-best-selling full-size SUV, behind Chevy Tahoe.
The four-wheel-drive vehicles that handle tough off-roading best, not
surprisingly, are those with specific equipment for off-roading,
exceptional ground clearance, or both. Full
article, from USA Today.
______________________________
The initiative is being held in collaboration with Ministers for
Infrastructures and Education and has the endorsement of UNICEF.
Two convoys will travel to 29 Italian town, to reach a total audience of
more than 10,000 young people.
One will target young children, using simple and amusing language. The
second convoy, aimed at high school students, will address new rules on
rider licensing for mopeds, and an interactive CD from the Training
Centre of the Cesena police will be given to participants. High school
students will also be encouraged to enter a contest for the creation of
a commercial: "Us -- the young people -- the road we want." [Source:
news release from the Italian Prime Minister's office]
______________________________
Average speeds on Belgium's motorways dropped immediately. One of the
new measures is a serious increase fines for speeding.
Only time will now tell whether enforcement and the certainty of
punishment will keep speeds down.
______________________________
"Operation CRISP," an acronym for Crash Reduction In
Southcentral Pennsylvania, will feature increased patrol efforts to
identify and arrest motorists driving under the influence in Adams,
Cumberland, Franklin, Lancaster and York counties.
"The goal is to take drunken drivers off the road before they cause
crashes," State Police Commissioner Jeffrey B. Miller said.
"This program has the potential to prevent injuries and save
lives."
As part of "Operation CRISP," five State Police stations will
conduct roving DUI patrols every other weekend for a year. The dates
will be staggered so that at least two of the stations will be operating
the DUI patrols each weekend. In addition to the extra patrols, each of
the five stations will conduct two sobriety checkpoints during the next
12 months.
The operation is funded by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation. [Source:
Pennsylvania State Police
Department]
______________________________
The NRMA public policy manager, Alan Finlay, said that while the
situation on the Princes Hwy was worsening, the crash rate on most
highways was improving.
"The Princes Hwy hasn't had the same advanced rate of upgrade as
has the Pacific and Hume. The other thing that will make a road crash
rate increase is if there's been a great increase in traffic
volumes," he said.
The Princes Hwy crash rate is 37 per 100 million vehicle kilometres
travelled -- almost double the Hume Hwy which has 18.6.
Mr Finlay said the benchmark crash rate should be about 17 or 18 per
100MVKT -- as it is on the Hume and Federal highways.
"The Hume Hwy between Sydney and the Victorian border is now by and
large dual carriageway. Likewise the Federal Hwy between Goulburn and
Canberra is all dual carriageway. What that shows is for roads that have
been upgraded to dual carriageway standard, that's the sort of crash
rate that we would expect -- that or better," he said.
"That's not to say that dual carriageway is the answer to
everything because in some cases they can't be justified. Road
straightening, more overtaking lanes, dividing barriers and wider
shoulders would be a good start, particularly for the area south of
Jervis Bay where dual carriageway was unrealistic," Mr Finlay
added. Full
article, by Chantal Rumble, at the Illawarra
Mercury. [Glossary:
a "dual carriageway" -- Australia, UK, and others -- is a
"divided highway" to Americans.]
______________________________
Police officers will have to comply with to strict new rules for chasing
criminals from today after two high-profile cases in which innocent
victims were killed in crashes.
New guidelines on police pursuits gives police supervisors the ultimate
power to call off any chase, and once this has happened officers are
under instruction to immediately switch off their lights and siren, slow
down, stop on the side of the road and tell the communications centre
where they are.
Another of the new rules makes it clear that the "abandon
pursuit" command applied to all police cars, and not just
individual vehicles.
______________________________
ALL
March 5, 2004: The
Driving Challenge of a Lifetime -- and it's for a good cause, too!
After driving mostly south for 104 days, the Drive Around the World
LONGITUDE Expedition team is on their way back from the end of the
world, "el fin del mundo."
From their starting point in Sunnyvale, Calif., to their latest
landmark, the world's southernmost city of Ushuaia, Argentina, the team
covered 13,500 miles in their four 2003 Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover
Discovery vehicles -- completing more than one-third the distance of
their planned drive-a-thon around the globe intended to raise
awareness and funding for Parkinson's research.
While they may have come to the end of the world, it is not the end of
the road for the team. After a short few days in Ushuaia, the team drove
north to Buenos Aires, where they put all four vehicles on an ocean
liner for a six-week sail to Australia. From Australia, the team will
head up through Indonesia and 12 countries in Asia, ending their
northbound journey on Siberia's Kamchatka Peninsula before heading home
through Alaska and Canada. www.drivearoundtheworld.com ______________________________
(*Society
of Automotive Engineers)
______________________________
The list of “America’s top 20 Most-Loved Automobile Brands” was
released today. John
P. Hoeppner, president of NameQuest, commented, “General Motors has
40% of brands in the top ten with #1 Chevrolet rated highest among
contenders for value and trust. Robert Lutz is obviously making an
impact at GM, especially with the formerly stodgy Cadillac brand ranked
#4."
Among imported makes, consumers rated #2
Mercedes-Benz
highest in perceived quality and Korean import Kia the lowest in
perceived quality. Kia (#27) finished last overall among all auto
brands.
______________________________
DSA
Comment: North Dakota has a death rate only marginally higher
than the average for the whole of the USA, when measured on "deaths
per 100,000 population basis," but 26 other states have worse death
rates, including 11 where the situation is more dangerous than in the
worst of 30 countries on an international road accident database.
Click
here to view the rates for all US states. ______________________________
______________________________
All
photographs courtesy of Bentley
______________________________
A car driven by the officer, 50, veered into oncoming traffic and
crashed head-on into another car at about 10:55 p.m. Monday, the police
said. Nobody was hurt.
According to Yotsukaido Police Station, the officer had drunk three
bottles of beer with colleagues at a restaurant in Chiba after work at
about 6:30 p.m. Monday.
[Source:
The Daily Yomiuri]
______________________________
They
say that if the market share of the traditional, five-door hatchback is indeed numbered, its place might well be taken by striking crossover vehicles designed to live a dual life... vehicles like the Nissan Qashqai.
______________________________
There is no personal "freedom" to die on the highway and run
up insurance costs for everyone else. There is no personal
"freedom" to drink and drive. There is no personal
"freedom" to speed through a school zone. Society has said
anyone making those personal choices will be severely punished. Society
has said that through responsible laws written and approved by
responsible legislators.
South Carolina's Senate will soon have another chance to save lives and
millions of dollars by forcing more use of seat belts, and the state
needs the Senate to act responsibly. This law is a no-brainer. The
Senate should pass it and quickly move on to real challenges. Full
article, from the Island
Packet.
______________________________
The Florida Highway Patrol saturated roadways for a 48-hour period,
issuing nearly 10,000 citations across the state for a range of traffic
violations.
Among the citations issued, troopers earmarked 663 specific incidents of
aggressive driving. Read
the full article, from the Miami
Herald.
______________________________
Statistics show, for example, that 7,538 accidents
with injuries that occurred in 2003 --
40 percent of all such accidents that year --
were caused by not heeding traffic lights and signs, or by not yielding
the right of way. However, only 13 percent of the citations issued by
the police were for these infractions. In contrast, some 27 percent of
citations issued in 2003 were for speeding, although speeding was the
cause of only 7 percent of accidents, or some 1,300 accidents,
according to police traffic department statistics for the year.
Police say that enforcement is crucial to the fight against traffic
accidents, in the belief that if drivers are caught in a violation,
suitable penalties will prevent recidivism. But according to
transportation expert Dr. Moshe Becker, enforcement policies focus on
infractions whose perpetrators are easy to catch. Full
article, by Anat Georgi, at Haaretz.
______________________________
Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, have been around for a long time but
technological advances in recent years have paved the way for a new
generation of high-powered LED headlamps that will change auto styling
and possibly improve safety. Full
story, from Ralph Vartabedian at the LA
Times.
______________________________
Here's a
life-saving questionnaire...
Read
the full article and check out the questionnaire, by Laurie Mustard,
of the Winnipeg Sun.
______________________________
Diesel car owners,
and bus and trucking fleets in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) now have a
convenient local source of BioDiesel, a renewable vegetable oil-based
fuel that can increase diesel engine life while dramatically reducing
emissions.
Thousands of fleet
vehicles have driven millions of kilometers using BioDiesel in Canada.
It is a fuel that can be used in place of petroleum diesel in any diesel
engine, generator, pump or heater, with few or no engine
modifications.
Using
BioDiesel helps to reduce waste and support Canadian agriculture because
it is a fully renewable fuel, made from local-crop vegetable oils
and used cooking greases. BioDiesel also produces much lower
emissions than regular diesel fuels and using it improves local air
quality and contributes to the reduction of smog and acid rain by
significantly reducing the toxic emissions associated with petroleum
diesel fuel.
______________________________
BETHESDA, Md. -- Worn out tires and windshield wiper blades are symptoms
of neglected vehicle maintenance that put drivers and passengers at
serious risk during the typically rainy months of spring.
Thin tire treads create hazardous driving conditions when water builds
up on the roadway, according to the Car Care Council. Deep tread
accommodates accumulated water; thin tread does not. Thin tread causes
the tire to hydroplane -- ride up on a film of water, losing contact
with the pavement, similar to driving on ice.
The simplest way to check tire tread depth is with a penny. Insert the
penny into the grooves of the tread. If you are able to see all of
Lincoln's head, the tire needs replacement.
Rainy weather also affects driver visibility. Because 90 percent of
driving decisions depend on good vision, a clean windshield is
imperative. Streaking and smearing impair vision and are caused by worn
windshield blades.
"Replacing worn wiper blades is easy and inexpensive," said
Rich White of the Car Care Council. "Why put it off until there's a
downpour and your blades are chattering and smearing the
windshield?"
The Car Care Council is the source of information for the "Be Car
Care Aware" campaign, educating consumers about the benefits of
regular vehicle maintenance and repair. For more information visit www.carcare.org
______________________________
Every year, in Britain, around 40 children between the ages of 0 and 11
years die while travelling in cars, about 500 are seriously injured and
up to 9,000 are slightly injured, yet the proper use of child car
restraints would prevent many of these deaths and injuries.
Now RoSPA’s website has been recognised with Britain’s top road
safety award. Read the full article
here.
______________________________
In Taiwan, a 13-year-old cyclist has been ticketed for a traffic offense
despite the fact that his mistake and the resultant collision put him in hospital for
a day, for the head injury he suffered.
Even a minor pedaling a bike had to be fined, if he made a wrong turn on
a narrow rural road, according to a Chiayi traffic police chief.
The sixth grader at an elementary school in Hsikou near Chiayi received
head and knee injuries when his bicycle was hit by a speeding car. Full
article, from the China Post
- Taiwan Edition.
______________________________
This represented a 50 per cent increase in the number of tickets issued
compared to the previous year.
In contrast, fewer motorists have dashed through the red traffic light
in the first 9 months of last year but, even so, over 12,000 offenders
-- about 44 daily -- were fined for not stopping for the green man.
250 traffic surveillance cameras have now been established, island-wide. [Source:
Channel News Asia]
______________________________
It is reported that the passenger bus accidentally caught fire because
of fuel leakage. The fire spread quickly, and only three passengers and
the driver managed to escape. Criminal proceedings have been instituted. [Source:
ITAR-TASS] ______________________________
The Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tire is already factory-fitted on the
Porsche Carrera GT, 996 GT2 & GT3, Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR, BMW
Alpina Z8, Bugatti Veyron, Chrysler Crossfire, Audi RS6 and TT, but it
is now going on sale at authorized Michelin dealers in the United States
and Canada on March 1, 2004, and in Mexico on April 5, 2004. It will be
available in 59 sizes, beginning with 33 at introduction and the
remainder to be introduced throughout 2004.
Most notably, the new Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tire features a
four-groove tread pattern. Reminiscent of the looks of a Formula One
tire, the new Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tread footprint is designed to
create a larger and more stable contact patch compared to the previous
generation Michelin Pilot Sport tire. [Source:
Michelin]
www.michelinman.com
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and 
March
30, 2004: 
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March 23, 2004: A Scottish website
is an ongoing hit with drivers.
March 19, 2004: The Thailand government yesterday
launched a road-safety campaign aimed at reducing accidents during the
Songkran festival, next month.
March 18, 2004: The Zambia Parliament yesterday
unanimously adopted a private members' motion urging Government to
institute stringent measures to reduce the increased number of road
accidents.
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