INTERNATIONAL

 

ROAD SAFETY NEWS

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ARCHIVE FOR JULY 2004

 

(263 articles from 56 countries, including 6* new)

 

 

All contents copyright ©, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc., 2003 onwards, unless specified otherwise. All rights reserved.

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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.

Page edited by Eddie Wren

 

 

 

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Please always bear in mind that news and information from other countries can be important because -- irrespective of irrelevant things like which side of the road people drive on -- the laws of physics are exactly the same everywhere, and by checking data from around the world you will gain access to "best practice" and techniques which may not have been considered in your own country/community. Information is deliberately included here from "first world," "developing" and "third world" nations, as no one country has all the answers. Please note, also, that in some of the articles 'Drive and Stay Alive' writers will include glossary-type definitions for readers in different countries. For example, the word "pavement" in America means the road, but in Britain and elsewhere it means what Americans call the "sidewalk" so 'translations', in parentheses, may be given.

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June 1, 2004   click for details

 

  July 31, 2004:  Crackdown on Arizona Freeways Nets Hundreds

     It didn’t take very long for officer David Mowry to nail someone for speeding as he set out to patrol Loop 101 on Saturday morning — a minute at the most....

     Mowry was one of 60 officers saturating Valley freeways in a campaign launched this weekend and designed to stop dangerous freeway drivers.

     "We had to do something out here. It’s getting ridiculous," said Lt. Tim Lane, who heads operation Maximum Impact 2004.

     Impaired, aggressive and inattentive drivers are taking a toll on Valley freeways. DPS investigated 544 more collisions during the first six months of this year compared to 2003.

     "We’re not out here to ruin someone’s day with a ticket," Lane said. "We are here to save lives."

Full story, from the East Valley Tribune

 

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  July 31, 2004:  Death count takes its toll

     It's a short walk, not even 100 steps. Still, Rick Ritter hates it. It's not a happy stroll.

     Violent death obliges him to take the walk along U.S. 92 north of DeLand [Florida] where he stops in front of a sign and changes numbers to reflect the running total of fatalities in Volusia County.

     Sgt. Rick Ritter is the Florida Highway Patrol homicide supervisor for Volusia and Seminole counties. His team looks at tire tracks, crumpled metal, broken glass and bloody car seats to determine what caused deadly accidents, and if appropriate, to assign blame.

     It's also his job to change the numbers on the fatality sign in front of the Highway Patrol office.

     "I'm spending more and more time out here this year," he said, as four lanes of noisy traffic passes a few yards away. "The numbers don't even have a chance to get dusty."

     Volusia County's traffic fatalities are increasing at a faster rate than any other county in Florida this year. The sign says there were 92 deaths last year. So far this year there are 71....

     "I don't understand it. They're happening everywhere, for all kinds of reasons," said Ritter, a 22-year FHP veteran. "A lot of it is carelessness and stupidity."...

 

     Ritter believes the sign is worthwhile: "Maybe if enough people look at it, some will realize, 'Holy cow, people are dying at an alarming rate.' "

     But it's not alarming. Not really.

     If 71 people were killed this year by firearms, or by alligators, or rip tides or falls from balconies, we would be more alarmed. Community and government leaders would rush to increase resources and efforts to stem the deaths.

     But highway deaths, even two or three a week, isn't alarming. It's an acceptable, if unfortunate, price for personal mobility.

     It's not acceptable to Ritter. It's distressing.

Read the full story here, from The Daytona Beach News-Journal

 

 DSA Comment:  This article highlights the problem that road safety practitioners are faced with around the world. For some extraordinary and seemingly unique reason, road deaths are only ever thought of by society as individual tragedies rather than a rampant epidemic that in America alone equates to a World Trade Center Disaster every 24 days.

     Based on the the World Health Organisation's estimate of casualties, it is clear that around the world more people are killed in road crashes every single day than were killed in the entire 9-11 outrage. And yet still so little is done about it.

Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc.

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  July 31, 2004:  Police Pursuits are a Hot Issue Across America

     ...The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration keeps records that law enforcement agencies voluntarily submit about police pursuit deaths. According to those statistics, at least 365 pursuit deaths occurred nationwide in 2003 - the latest year available....

     Mississippi and Florida, along with a number of large cities - Boston, Chicago, Miami, Seattle, and Orlando - have recently strengthened their pursuit laws.

     Mississippi's new law, which took effect July 1, increases the penalties for those who flee from authorities and requires all police agencies to adopt pursuit policies or training programs for officers....

     California law enforcement agencies have immunity from litigation in police pursuit deaths and several police associations in that state have come out in opposition to a bill seeking to impose a statewide pursuit policy and prohibit chases unless the public faces "certain, immediate and impending" peril. The bill has stalled in a legislative committee....

Full story, from the Picayune Item

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  July 31, 2004:  July's road accidents claim 874 lives

     More than 1,300 traffic accidents occurred nationwide in Vietnam, in July, killing 874 people, and injuring nearly 1,200 others.

     In comparison with the same period last year, the number of accidents, deaths and injuries were down 21 percent, 11.4 percent and 30 percent, respectively.

[Source: VNA]

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  July 31, 2004:  Traffic Police Start Night Patrols on Fiji's Highways

     Drivers who speed at night on long stretches of the highway in the Western Division must be careful now.

     The police have beefed up their traffic section and officers are doing night patrols and radar checks to catch speeding drivers.

     Western Deputy Divisional Police Commander Emosi Lagilagi ... said in the past officers in the traffic section did not do patrols and radar checks at night but it was made a part of the operations now.

     "In the past we used to do these checks during long weekends and when we had large crowds, especially for sporting activities in the West.

     "A lot of drivers have been taking advantage because they knew that officers did not use radars at night.

     "We hope that the drivers are responsible because the road death toll is rising rapidly," said SP Lagilagi.

[Source: Fiji Times]

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  July 30, 2004:  Brain Injuries More Common When Side Air Bags Are Absent

     To prevent serious brain injury in a broadside crash, cars need to have side air bags that protect occupants' heads, a new study concludes.

     An analysis of car crashes reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found broadside crashes cause more brain injuries than other accidents, according to the report in the August issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine.

     "The point of our study was to show that the sides of cars are unprotected," said lead author Dr. Jeffrey Bazarian, an associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Rochester Department of Community and Preventive Medicine.

     ...In their study, Bazarian's team found that if you are the occupant of a car that gets hit on the side, you are three times 

more likely to suffer a head injury than if your car gets hit in the front or the back.

Full story, from Forbes

Related story:

 

  (August 1, 2004):  UR Study Points Out Danger to Motorists

     You are two and a half times more likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury in a side-impact car crash than in a head-on collision, according to a study at the University of Rochester.

     “Your head is very close to the window or another object the car is striking,” said Jeffrey J. Bazarian, an author of the study, which appears in the Annals of Emergency Medicine today. “The door doesn't absorb much energy.”

Full story, from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY.

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  July 30, 2004:  Fasten Your Seatbelts  --  A Comparison of Road Casualties Across Europe

     Anyone planning to drive on holiday this summer would do well to know a little about how 'they drive over there' before booking the hire car. One useful benchmark is the number of auto-related deaths; the higher it is, the more likely you are to encounter problems parking your panda.

     Needless to say, the issue is no laughing matter. A high incidence of auto-related deaths on a country's roads may be down to a number of influencing factors. These range from the state of roads and related infrastructure, typical driving practices in the particular country or even the capabilities of law enforcement agencies to effectively police the road network. Weather, geography and even population density could also make an impact. While a combination of these factors may come into play, general attitudes towards road safety and driving probably weigh in the most.

     Based on data from Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, of the EU's 25 member states, the country with the highest rates of auto-related deaths amongst both men and women is Latvia. With 43.2 male deaths and 11.1 female deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2001, the Baltic state has the biggest problem with car accident deaths in the EU....

     The other Baltic countries, Lithuania (40.1 for men, 9.9 for women) and Estonia (28.1, 7.6) also recorded high death rates on their roads with the remaining countries at the wrong end of the scale including Greece (34.4, 9.9), Poland (29.5, 7.2) and Luxembourg (25.9, 8.7). Most of the other countries above the EU average of 17.4 and 5.4 deaths (though only available for the 15 'old' member states-this will be much higher for all 25 member states) spring from either eastern Europe (Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic) or the Mediterranean region (Portugal, Spain, France and Italy).

     All the other EU countries falling below the EU15 average are from central, northern or western Europe: the UK (8.7, 2.9), the Netherlands (9.6, 3), Sweden (10.4, 3.3), Germany (14.4, 5), Denmark (14.9, 4.5), Finland (15.2, 5), Ireland (15.7, 5.6) and Austria (16.8, 5.2). The rate for Italian women of 5.3 deaths per 100,000 also falls under the EU15 average.

Full story, with bar charts, from Tiscali UK

 

Related story:

 

  and    (July 31, 2004):  Malta has lowest incidence of deaths on roads in the EU

     Malta is the country with the lowest incidence of deaths on the roads (6.4 male, 1.7 female), a Eurostat survey revealed. The lack of road network on the islands could be one of the influencing factors for these statistics. The same applies to a lesser extent for Cyprus with 10.7 and 3.4 deaths for men and women respectively.
[Source: MaltaMedia]

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  July 30, 2004:  Measure Would Strengthen Drunk-Driving Laws in South Dakota

     All motorists suspected by police of being intoxicated should be forced to provide blood for alcohol testing, a panel reviewing state laws decided Friday.

     People arrested for felony drunken or drugged driving must already provide blood that is tested and used as evidence against them. It is a felony the third time someone is convicted of drunken driving within a 10-year period.

     Those arrested for misdemeanor drunken or drugged driving on first and second offenses cannot be forced to provide blood for alcohol testing. However, unless they plead guilty, they lose their driver's license for a year.

     A subcommittee of the state Criminal Code Revision Commission said those motorists should no longer be allowed to refuse blood withdrawal....

     The recommendation for forced blood withdrawal will get a final vote next month in the full commission. If adopted, the measure will be introduced in next year's Legislature. A similar bill failed in 2002....

Full story, from Aberdeen News

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  July 30, 2004:  Cycling Safety Should be a Priority

     ... Statistics indicate more than 900 bicycle riders are killed each year in the United States. An estimated 20,000 cyclists are hospitalized each year with injuries and some 580,000 require emergency room treatment. No community is immune....

Full story, from The Winchester Sun, KY

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  July 30, 2004:  New Survey in Ireland Reveals a Disturbing Attitude Towards Road Safety

     Seven out of ten drivers think it is acceptable to drive at 10 mph above the speed limit on Irish roads, according to a recent survey of almost 2,500 drivers in Ireland conducted by the National Safety Council (NSC), the Car Buyers Guide and W5 Marketing. The details of the survey were announced yesterday in the run up to the high risk August Bank Holiday period.

     The survey also reveals that 40% of drivers believe it is acceptable to break the speed limit on local and regional roads which account for the majority of fatal accidents...

     Reacting to the results of the survey Mr. Eddie Shaw, Chairman, NSC said, "Clearly many of us in this country consider ‘real speeding’ to be driving in excess of the limit by more than 10mph. This is a killer attitude as there is no such thing as safe or acceptable speeding.”....

Full story, from the Limerick Post

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  July 30, 2004:  Another Deadly Bus Crash -- This Time it's in Turkey

ANKARA -- Some 26 people were killed and 30 others injured in a serious vehicle collision in eastern Turkey, Anatolia News Agency reported Friday.

     The accident took place in Erzincan city, late on Thursday, when a passenger bus collided with a big truck coming from opposite position and another truck behind ran into it. The injured were rushed to local hospitals for medical treatment.

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  July 30, 2004:  Missouri State Highway Patrol Plan an August Campaign

     The Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, or STEP, is funded through money received from the Missouri Division of Highway Safety. The goals are to reduce traffic problems and crashes on Interstate 70 and to heighten awareness of the risks associated with drunken driving, speeding and failing to wear seat belts.

     The patrol said it hopes to reach those goals through high visibility and strict enforcement.

     The patrol urges all residents to report any vehicle observed operating in a careless manner. The public can contact the highway patrol toll-free at (800) 525-5555 or on a cellular phone by dialing *55.

[Source: the Columbia Daily Tribune]

 

 DSA Comment  Clearly, all road safety advocates will support campaigns such as this but with reference to the mention of "high visibility" we would suggest that American patrol officers could be much better protected -- and, indeed, the number of driving offences reduced -- if patrol vehicles here were made much more prominent, as has been the case in several other countries, each of which has lower rates both of overall road deaths and of officer deaths.

     The "benefit" of having drably-colored patrol cars to help officers catch speeding drivers, etc., are dramatically outweighed by the safety and awareness advantages of high-conspicuity vehicles.

     Drive and Stay Alive has a web page on this specific subject, here.

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  July 30, 2004:  Indianapolis Star Editorial Opinion:  Cell-Phone Driving Needs More Data

 

Our position [at the IndyStar] is: Legislators shouldn't be lulled into believing hands-free cell phones are safer for motorists.

 

     Legislation has been introduced in the last three sessions of the General Assembly to require motorists to use hands-free headsets when talking on cell phones. The proposal has failed each year. Any lawmaker considering a similar bill next session should look before legislating. Recent studies suggest that hands-free phones are no safer than hand-held ones.

     Unfortunately, no one has any good data on just how much of a distraction cell phones really are for those behind the wheel. Studies involving simulated driving suggest damning evidence about cell phone use. Yet, despite an explosion of cell phone use in vehicles, automobile accidents are down, as are fatalities. It doesn't add up.

     Better real-life accident data are needed to determine how much of a hazard cell phone use poses on the highway. Meanwhile, motorists and legislators shouldn't be lulled into the mistaken belief that hands-free devices and voice-activated dialing are safer than fumbling with a regular cell phone in the car. Several studies, including a recent one by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, say that isn't so.

     Pending better data, the safest advice is to turn on the voice mail and turn off the phone while driving.

 

 DSA Comment:  We wholeheartedly support the writers of this Indianapolis Star Editorial in their conclusion, but we must differ on two of the points they have made.

     The first of these is that the allegation that the math "doesn't add up."

     With all due respect to the aforementioned writer(s), the thing that unfortunately doesn't add up is this often-seen, rather superficial approach to something that is complicated. 

     If one does assume that because the occurrence of some type of risky behavior has visibly increased while the number of casualties hasn't significantly changed, then the said behavior can't be so dangerous after all, one is guilty of trying to over-simplify a highly complex subject. Massive parts of the equation are missing from such an approach.

     Einstein's famous bequest to society, after all, was E=MC2, not E=M.

     One must take into account the ongoing, proportional changes not only to the number of crashes due to improved vehicle engineering such as ABS and other accident avoidance features, but also any proportional changes in the number of casualties -- again often due to engineering improvements, whether in vehicles or road design.

     So even if cell-phone use by drivers is causing more crashes and more deaths, this fact could be masked by reductions in deaths due to improvements elsewhere.

     Apart from engineering, one of the other 'e's of road safety is enforcement, which as we all know can be a major variable.

     The second point with which we must take issue relates to the available data showing the dangers of cell phone use.

     The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) in England and Monash University in Australia, both world leaders in road safety research, have proved that the degree of distraction when talking on any mobile phone -- hand-held or hands-free -- gives a reduction in alertness and reflexes equivalent to being a drunk driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of around the legal limit of 0.08%.

     The Indy Star is totally correct in its suggestion: the safest advice is to turn on the voice mail and turn off the phone while driving. But we would suggest there is no need to wait for any more data.

Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc.

 

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  July 30, 2004:  Common Application of Traffic Violations Enforcement (CAPTIVE), in Europe

     The European Commission is currently seeking tenders for this project, but it has been posted on the DSA website in order that the 'Description' may be viewed, viz:

     At present, large differences persist between national road traffic enforcement and penalty systems and, with respect to cross-border pursuit of driving offences, serious deficiencies exist in terms of communication and enforcement between Member States. The situation is aggravated by an increased willingness of foreign drivers to violate traffic laws, as the risk of being prosecuted is lower than that for domestic drivers.
     A large number of different bilateral and multilateral agreements and other instruments exists, which deal with enforcement of traffic offences committed in a Member State other than the State of residence. These instruments shall be comparatively assessed, focussing on non-pecuniary sanctions such as driving bans, restrictions to drive and, if applicable, criminal penalties, as well as financial penalties. The study should not focus on isolated offences or penalties, but rather address the subject of improving international cooperation with a view to improving road safety.
     After examining the existing legal and practical obstacles to effective cross-border enforcement strategies and their effectiveness in general, the study shall formulate strategic policy-oriented solutions and recommendations and shall put forward legal and practical proposals for EU measures to be taken in the short and medium term.

Related details available here.

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  July 30, 2004:  The European Road Safety Charter

     As above, the European Commission is currently seeking tenders -- this time for the operation of the Charter -- and the 'Description' is being posted on the DSA website so that it is available to give road safety professionals from outside Europe an insight into the logistics of the campaign.

Full details here.

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  July 30, 2004:  Women's Superior Mirror Skills are Not Reflected in their Driving Test Pass Rate

     While female learners [i.e. 'student drivers'] are better at checking their mirrors, they are let down by poor reversing skills on their driving test, says AA driving school, revealing men pass in a shorter time and take fewer attempts.

     Keeping an eye out for other motorists may be a female speciality, with men 10 per cent more likely to make a mirror-related fault. But when it comes to reversing [i.e. backing around a minor intersection, from one quiet road into a minor side street] and turning in the road [i.e. a 'three point turn' on a public road], 40 per cent more women than men will fail their test attempting these manoeuvres.

Full press release and statistics here.

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  July 30, 2004:  A New Drink Drive Campaign in Britain

     There is no failsafe guide as to how to stay under the legal alcohol limit or how much you can drink and still drive safely. It depends on your weight, sex, age, metabolism, stress levels, an empty stomach, and the amount and type of alcohol you drink.

     Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive safely as your reaction times are impaired and you're unable to judge speed and distances accurately. The only safe option is not to drink if you plan to drive.

     The THINK! campaign has launched a new 30 second drink drive TV ad warning that it takes less than you might think for your driving to be impaired by drinking alcohol.

 

     The TV ad, Crash (.mpg - 1.49mb), shows three guys meeting up after work for a quiet drink. One of the guys buys a second round of beers, and our 'hero', tries to decline because he is driving but quickly gives in - "After all it's only two." The ad dramatises that exact moment of decision making and shows the consequences of that second drink.

You can't calculate your alcohol limit -- So don't try.

How the ad was made

     The new drink drive TV ad was filmed entirely in a pub over two days in early June 2004 using quickly cut camera shots, stunts and state of the art editing. Using stunt people, a car reaching speeds of between 10mph - 20mph was used inside the pub to create the crash scene and capture the crash's impact. A pub table was then transposed over the moving image of the car to create the dramatic scene.

Source: The UK Think! Road Safety Website

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  July 30, 2004:  Police Cars in Nassau County (NY State) to Get Computers

     ...$509,123 [has been approved from] state funds for a traffic safety program that is expected to reduce the number of crashes, injuries and deaths on New York's roads through the use of computers in Nassau County Police cars. The computers will enable officers to automatically produce traffic tickets and accident reports and transmit data quickly.

     The system will have a host of benefits, beyond improving highway safety statistical data. Officers will also have access to databases of suspended and revoked licenses, stolen vehicles and other public safety information....

     Funds from the grant will pay for the installation of computers in 48 police cars. The computers, using TraCS software, will allow traffic tickets and accident reports to be submitted electronically to the Department of Motor Vehicles and also to the local traffic courts capable of receiving this data.

     TraCS (Traffic and Criminal Software) is the software application used in the project and was developed in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the State of Iowa, State of New York Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, New York State Police, DMV, Office of Court Administration, Department of Transportation, Division of Criminal Justice Services, New York State Chiefs and Sheriff's Association and others....

Full story, from Anton News

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  * July 29, 2004:  Daily Danger on Swaziland's Roads

     There is a daily danger presented by untended cows on the nation's highways.

     "Considering how important cows are to Swazis, and the cultural value we place on them, it is discouraging that so many farmers still think this country exists in the 19th century, when the kraal gate was opened in the morning and the cattle found their way home at dusk after grazing in a land without fences or motorways," said a source with the National Road Safety Council.

     The Ministry of Works and Construction has long lamented the theft of barbed wire along all new highways. The wire, intended to keep wandering cattle away from high-speed traffic, ends up protecting crops from other people's cattle. "The theft is being done by the same owners who let their cattle roam free without herd boys tending them," said former MP Nthuthuko Dlamini.

     One well-known if unstated reason why Swazi farmers have resisted the prospect of branding their cattle is that it would allow police to identify the owners of animals that cause traffic accidents.

     "Cow owners disappear when the cattle they allow to roam free are responsible for road fatalities. Families of victims, and the Highway Fund, which must compensate relatives of family members who die on the roads, can sue the owners for damages," said the Highway Safety Council official.

Full story, from the UN Integrated Regional Information Networks

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  July 29, 2004:  Probe Into Illegal Driving Licences in South Africa

     The Scorpions are investigating several Eastern Cape municipalities in connection with bribery and the issuing of illegal drivers' licences.

     Directorate of Public Prosecutions spokesman Sipho Ngwema yesterday confirmed to the Daily Dispatch that the unit was busy with investigations in several towns....

     The Daily Dispatch yesterday reported that about 530000 of the province's roughly one million drivers had bogus licences.

     Ngwema said the Scorpions were working with the provincial Transport Department on the investigations. A spokesman at the department said arrests were expected soon.

     Meanwhile, the national Department of Transport (DoT) said the department would introduce a licensing system aimed at reducing bribery there.

     "The Best Practice Model will make sure that an application is not processed by one person. It will have to go through a large number of people and so an applicant will have to bribe all the people involved," DoT road traffic management chief director Wendy Watson said.

     Watson said that drivers with fraudulent licences were a significant cause of the country's high road accident rate....

Full story, from the Daily Dispatch

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  July 29, 2004:  Cell Phones Are Used to Report More Drunk Drivers to the Police

     The Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Prince Edward Island think cell phones may have led to more reporting of drunk driving, and caused a big jump in the number of charges laid in 2003.

     P.E.I. holds the dubious distinction of having had the largest percentage increase in the country of drunk driving charges in 2003. There were almost 70 more charges laid on the Island last year compared to the year before. A total of 607.

     RCMP Sgt. Mike Murphy believes the increase is linked to the number of people reporting drunk drivers.

     "We find that with the increased access to cell phones now that we're getting a lot more calls from people who are actually on the highway and see signs of an alcohol-related offense, or an impaired driver," says Murphy.

     Cathy Jarvis, president of the P.E.I. chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, says she's worried the 'don't drive drunk' message just isn't getting across to Islanders.

[Source: CBC-PEI]

 

 DSA Comment:  It has to be said that this growing intolerance of drunk driving is the only thing which will truly reduce the frequency of such offences in the longer term. When drunk driving is reviled by the vast majority of society as being completely unacceptable behavior the number of deaths starts to fall. A key part of this process must be a growing willingness for people to report incidents to the police. Sweden has led the way and now boasts massive public rejection of such deadly selfishness, and in doing so has proved that deaths can be drastically reduced.

Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc.

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  July 29, 2004:  Death On Nova Scotian Roads

     Alcohol, speed and not buckling up are contributing to this year's sharp rise in the death toll on Nova Scotia's roads, says the province's transportation minister.

     "It appears that we will surpass last year's total and at this rate we may even exceed the worst year for traffic fatalities since 1999," Ron Russell said at the Emergency Health Services fleet maintenance centre in Dartmouth on Wednesday morning.

     Mr. Russell said there had been 47 fatal crashes on the province's highways and roads as of Sunday, claiming a total of 55 lives, including 11 pedestrians. Last year, 61 fatal crashes killed 70 people....

Full story, from the Chronicle Herald

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  July 29, 2004:  New Rural Road Safety Programme in Scotland

     A new Scottish rural road safety programme has been launched in Tayside to highlight the dangers of slow moving agricultural vehicles. The Tractor Factor campaign is claiming that the vast majority of accidents involving farm vehicles are caused by other motorists.

     For a car driver, there's nothing much more frustrating than being stuck behind a tractor and trailer on a narrow road, especially when you're in a hurry. Perhaps leading to dangerous overtaking. Hence the presence of the Grim Reaper at the launch of the Tractor Factor Campaign on the A90 between Dundee and Perth today.

     It's meant to drive home the need for vigilance when there are slow moving tractors on the road. The brainchild of the Perth and Kinross Agricultural Forum, the campaign's drivers survey shows the vast majority of accidents involving agricultural vehicles are caused by other motorists.

     The survey also found that only two per cent of agricultural drivers feel they're shown consideration by other motorists. The campaigners hope their message will eventually go nationwide.

[Source: North Tonight]

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  July 29, 2004:  Police Halt Program Rewarding Safe Drivers With Ice Cream

     A program in which police had an ice cream reward instead of a ticket for motorists they pulled over has been halted after just three days for a little fine-tuning.

     Police in Kansas City's North Patrol Division had been stopping motorists they saw driving safely to give them coupons for free ice cream.

     Sgt. Don Jantzen said some in the community expressed concerns about the program, and the department's legal counsel advised officers to stop it. He said Maj. John Armilio, the division commander, will "revamp" it and come up with a new approach within two weeks.

Full story, from the Kansas City Star

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  July 29, 2004:  Traffic Police in Goa Hold Seminar to Promote Use of Helmets

            This effectively carries on from a previous article about road deaths in Goa, dated July 26, below.

Panaji: A seminar organised by Goa Traffic Police to promote the use of helmets among two-wheeler riders in the state deviated from the real subject and was reduced to a stock-taking exercise on the functioning of police in Goa.The seminar on road safety called ‘Use of Helmets and Seat Belts’ organised by the Goa Traffic Police evoked a good response from the members of public. Participants agreed that helmets must be used but said there should be no compulsion in the matter...

Read the full article (both sides of the pro/anti helmet debate) from the Navhind Times

 

 DSA Editorial Comment:  Having spent time in Goa and been a guest of the Goa Police, it is particularly saddening for me to see that this debate is still going on. Until such time as helmets are made compulsory and the laws are applied in a fair and just manner, a high number of people will die unnecessarily.

Eddie Wren, Executive Director.

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  July 29, 2004:  Review of Crash Investigation Policies in New Zealand

     A crash in the Auckland central business area which caused motorway chaos for hours earlier this month has led to police changing their investigation policy.

     In future, traffic will either be diverted around serious crashes or police will use a mark and move policy to re-open roads quickly.

[Source: NZ City]

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  July 29, 2004:  Blackspot Intersections Take a Human and Financial Toll

     Accidents at 10 of Brisbane's most dangerous intersections are costing the community $6.9 million every year.

     Figures from the Main Roads Department reveal that 32 people were admitted to hospital and another 191 injured at the 10 state-controlled intersection sites in the three years to June 2003....

     The three-year Main Roads analysis found the most accident-prone state-run site was the roundabout where the Gateway Motorway, East-West Arterial and Airport Drive intersect.

     During this time, 64 accidents were reported at the roundabout, four people were admitted to hospital and 45 injured. [These] accidents cost an estimated $1.4 million-a-year to the economy which included property damage, lost earnings and medical bills....

Full story, from News.com

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  July 29, 2004:  Australia's Holden Muscle Car Has a Grip on the CIA

     America's secretive CIA chiefs are setting their sights on an Australian muscle car as the new motor for agents.

     The agency likes Holden's American Monaro - the Pontiac GTO - because of its speed.

     [In addition,] State police forces across the US have been expressing interest for some time in the GTO as a highway pursuit car....

     Holden has a history with police vehicles in the United States with several state and local forces adopting the Chevrolet-badged left-hand drive SS Commodores manufactured for the Middle East.

Pontiac GTO

 

Full article, from News.com

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  * July 29, 2004:  Road Fatalities Reach Epidemic Proportions in Latvia

     The sharp increase in the number of road-related deaths over recent weeks in Latvia, which already possesses the dubious distinction of having the worst auto fatality ratio per-capita in Europe, has shocked both the government and the public and opened discussions on ways to prevent the situation from worsening.

     During the week of July 12-18, 16 people died in road accidents, with 10 deaths over the weekend alone. Officials said it was the deadliest weekend the country has ever seen.

     Worse, the number seems to be climbing daily, prompting the daily paper Diena to print a year-to-date death toll on its front page. As of July 27 the tally (which the paper insists is preliminary) was 255.

     The upswing in deaths alarmed Prime Minister Indulis Emsis, who suggested that the root of the problem lay in the large number of older cars on the road.

     The prime minister added that while police are working to reduce the number of road accidents, they have yet to produce results. He added that a change in the public's attitude was needed, especially among those whom he dubbed 'highway hooligans.'

     The head of the state traffic police, Visvaldis Pukite, has called for more cops on the highways, while Interior Minister Eriks Jekabsons has proposed a number of different strategies to make the highways safer, his spokesman Krists Leiskalns said.

     According to Leiskalns, many accidents are due to excessive speeding, drunk driving, inexperienced drivers and a lack of driving education.

     ....some argue that the number of deaths on Latvia's roads is first and foremost a reflection of poor driving culture... Even 48 police officers were punished for traffic violations in the first half of this year....

     While the number of fatalities decreased from 222 in the first six months of 2002 to 172 in the first half of 2003, they have begun to climb again and hit 207 from January to June of this year.

     The overall number of accidents has skyrocketed from 17,888 in 2002 to 23,778 this year.

Full story, from the Baltic Times

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  July 28, 2004:  A Widow Accepts a Settlement in an Enterprise Rent-A-Car Lawsuit

                             and Offers the Company Free Tire Tread Gauges to Prevent Further Deaths

The following press release was issued by the Law Office of Ricardo A. Garcia:

     Enterprise Rent-A-Car has settled a wrongful death lawsuit in south Texas over its failure to inspect and maintain a safe depth of tread on its vehicles. It is the second worn tire case filed against Enterprise in the area in two years.

     Johnny Arguelles, 34, of Edinburg, was killed on June 26, 2003, when the 2002 Chevy Silverado truck he had rented from an Enterprise agency spun out of control on a rain-slicked highway and struck another vehicle. A passenger in the Enterprise vehicle was also killed, and five persons in the second vehicle were injured, one child seriously.

     An investigation showed the tires to be nearly threadbare, a condition that contributed to the accident, according to the police officer at the scene.

     In deposition testimony, Enterprise officials acknowledged they don't train or equip vehicle attendants to check for unsafe tire wear, instead relying on outside vendors to conduct routine maintenance based on warranty schedules, according to Rick Garcia, attorney for Nora Arguelles....

     Mrs. Arguelles and Garcia have offered to provide each of the 1,330 Enterprise offices in Texas with a $2.50 tire tread gauge using proceeds from the settlement.

     "I know Johnny would approve of the offer," said Mrs. Arguelles, noting her husband had been chief diesel mechanic for a local car dealership at the time of his death.

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  July 28, 2004:  Brain Injury is More Likely in Side-Impact Collisions

     People involved in side-impact vehicle crashes are three times more likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury than those involved in a head-on crash or other types of collisions, says a University of Rochester study.

     The study also found that brain injuries inflicted during side-impact collisions are usually more severe. The findings are published online in the August issue of the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine.

     The researchers analyzed a sample of crashes reported to the National Highway Safety Administration for the year 2000. They found that traumatic brain injury was the cause of death in 51 to 74 percent of single-vehicle side collisions and 41 to 64 percent of multiple vehicle side-impact crashes....

     Seat belt use, not frontal air bags, was associated with a reduced risk of brain injury during a collision....

Full story, from the Atlanta Journal Constitution - Health Highlights

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  July 28, 2004: BP and Dubai Police Launch 'Drive Safely Arabia' Campaign -- the Dangers of old Brake Fluid

     BP Middle East and Dubai Traffic Police today launched a joint safety campaign called Drive Safely Arabia to cut down the amount of traffic accidents attributable to brake failures, believed to be a leading cause of road fatalities in the UAE.

     Central to the campaign will be the introduction of a unique device for testing the condition of brake fluids, which is the main cause of brake failures.

     'Most motorists do not realise that their brake fluid needs to be changed regularly or else their brakes can fail, frequently with disastrous consequences. We want to help reduce this risk for motorists,' said Jeremy Bowen, Chief Representative, BP Middle East.

     Brigadier Dr. Jassim Mohemmed Balrumaithah of the Dubai Police commented: 'The UAE has one of the highest per capita ratios of traffic accidents in the world, and we suspect many of these may be caused by brake failures.'

     To help motorists find out if their brake fluid needs replacing, BP has sourced a patented testing instrument from the UK and for the next two weeks is offering a free brake fluid testing service at its major lubricants stations in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Simultaneously the Dubai Traffic Police will run a public awareness campaign to warn motorists of the danger of brake fluid which has exceeded its effective working life....

     Karim Ibrahim, Regional Technical Services Manager of BP Middle East, explained that brake fluids have a limited life span. In the Gulf, because of the high humidity and temperature, this can be as little as two years.

     He noted: 'Hydraulic brake fluid absorbs water from the atmosphere until it becomes completely saturated, which reduces the boiling point of the fluid. In this state, if the driver uses his brakes repeatedly, or in an emergency suddenly brakes very hard, the heat generated can literally make the brake fluid boil. The gas that is created stops the brakes from working, which can lead to fatal consequences.'....

Full story, from AME Info

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  July 28, 2004:  Road Safety Drives Esso Phone Ban

     Esso has banned all its employees fro