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The main purpose of this web page is to let drivers, legislators, safety professionals, police officers, parents of young drivers, etc., have an easily accessible yet wide ranging insight into road safety best practice globally, and through this be in a better position to help save some of the many lives wasted in road crashes everywhere. Page edited by Eddie Wren
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The national council for traffic safety is distributing tens of thousands of "safety bracelets" encouraging drivers to be patient on the roads, particularly towards pedestrians. On the bracelet are the words, "On the roads, the change starts with me." The bracelet is part of a national effort to reduce the carnage on Israeli roads, where more than 500 people died in 2004. The bracelet is being given out free of charge to anyone requesting and also has been distributed to Knesset members and schools.... The campaign is part of a multi-pronged effort to reduce traffic accidents, which have claimed more than 22,000 victims since 1948, a number slightly higher than all Israelis who have been killed in wars in the country during the same period.... Full story, from Israel National News ___________________________
In a bid to attenuate one of the growing causes of road accidents, traffic police will be able to carry out sporadic drug tests on drivers as of Monday morning, Army Radio reported. The drug test procedure includes wiping the driver's body and car with testing paper that identifies the presence of the drug. Despite the decrease in the number of road accident fatalities from 556 in 2002 to 482 in 2003, the figure rose again in 2004.... Full story, from Haaretz ___________________________
Thanks to sponsors, 55 more traffic signals are likely to operate with battery back-up in the city by February end. Within a week, the traffic police will submit a formal proposal to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to provide battery back-up to these signals.... Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) A D Shinde said a total of 55 persons have now come forward with proposals to sponsor battery back-up to traffic signals after Pune Newsline carried a report highlighting the problem (January 10). He said the expenditure incurred on providing battery back-up to a signal falls between Rs 9,000 and Rs 12,000.... The PMC’s traffic planner Shrinivas Bonala said the civic body would have no objection in allowing sponsors to provide battery back-up to traffic signals. ‘‘We will not hold up such a proposal even for a day. We will also allow the sponsors to put up signboards displaying their names at the traffic signals,’’ he said. Full story, from Express India ___________________________
JACOBABAD: At least 26 people were killed while one person was injured in a passenger bus-wagon collision at the Begari area 20 km away from Jacobabad. The incident took place when a Jacobabad bound wagon collided with a Peshawar bound passenger bus. 26 people including a woman and two children died on spot while one person was injured.... [Source: GEO] ___________________________
Sunyani -- Available statistics indicate that 649 persons died in 14,854 road accidents throughout the country last year. Mr. Joe Osei-Owusu, Chief Executive of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) of the Department of Ministry of Road and Transport announced this at a general meeting of the Authority in Sunyani at the weekend. He said the Authority registered 59,548 vehicles last year as compared to the 48,074 vehicles in the previous year. The Chief Executive stressed on the need for the Authority to adopt pragmatic measures to rid the roads of defective vehicles, saying with the increasing vehicle population there was the likelihood of more accidents accordingly.... Full story, from GhanaWeb ___________________________
A coalition of state attorneys general is launching an ad campaign today aimed at SUV safety and funded with money received from Ford to settle a deceptive ad suit. The campaign shows people riding on a large, hairy fictitious animal, dubbed the Esuvee, to illustrate the point that drivers need to treat SUVs differently than cars. SUVs sit higher than cars, making them more prone to roll over. The $27 million campaign is part of a $51.5 million settlement attorneys general from all 50 states reached with Ford after suing the automaker in December 2002 for depicting their SUVs as safe in advertisements.... Full story, from the Detroit News ___________________________
NEW ORLEANS - General Motors Corp. plans to put two safety features - OnStar in-vehicle communications service and electronic stability control - in all of its vehicles by the end of 2010, the company said Sunday. GM believes it would be the first automaker to make both features standard across its entire fleet, a spokesman said. The world's largest automaker said OnStar will be included on all vehicles in 2007. Stability control will be standard on all GM sport utility vehicles and vans by the end of 2007 and on all cars and trucks by the end of 2010.... Stability control systems apply brakes to individual wheels if they sense the driver is swerving off course. Twenty-one percent of 2005 vehicles sold in the United States have the systems and an additional 19 percent offer them as an option, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Full story, from the Buffalo News related story
ARLINGTON, Va. -- The following is a statement of Adrian Lund, Chief Operating Officer, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: "GM's decision to make electronic stability control standard equipment across its product line is a model we hope other automakers will follow. If all passenger vehicles had ESC, we would prevent thousands of deaths each year." [Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety] ___________________________
A total of 65 people have been killed in the past two weeks in road accidents across the country, according to the latest figures. This translates to five people dying daily on the roads, a trend police describe as 'alarming'. "It is a big number despite the measures taken by the government to curb the incidents because majority of those involved in the accidents are public service vehicles," Traffic Commandant Daudi Kyalo said. During the same period, there were 144 accidents reported in which 255 people were seriously injured.... At the same time, Kyalo revealed that there was a decline of 20 per cent in accidents reported last year compared to the previous year. He said the number of injuries reported declined by 32 per cent and attributed this to the new traffic rules that were put in place by the government early last year.... Full story, from the East African Standard, via allAfrica ___________________________
Parents who stopped wrestling their kids into car seats years ago may soon have to flex those muscles again. A growing number of states are requiring children as old as 8 — kids who have outgrown basic car seats, but who still are too small to use regular seat belts — to sit in booster seats. The seats, which cost as much as $70, are designed to raise a child up so that a regular seat belt can rest properly across his or her lap and shoulders. The concern is that, without such a seat, regular seat belts can pose a risk of abdominal or spinal-cord injuries to children. Booster-seat laws, aimed at older children, have been on the books in some places since at least 2000. Efforts to toughen the rules, spurred by new research, are keeping more kids in seats for more years. Car-seat makers, seeing an expanded market — and aware that most kids resist the restraints long before they are 8 years old — are trying to design new models that will appeal to both parents and kids. Six states passed or expanded their booster-seat laws in 2004, with most changes going into effect this year; those states include Indiana, North Carolina and New York. Several more states, including Connecticut and Minnesota, have legislation pending. These efforts follow those of 22 states and the District of Columbia, which have put such laws in place during the past four years. In December, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration issued a requirement that all new cars, SUVs and pickup trucks include lap-and-shoulder belts — which work with boosters — in the middle rear seat. Right now, an NHTSA spokeswoman said, only 20 percent at most of kids who need to be in boosters actually use them.... A 2003 study by Partners for Child Passenger Safety, funded by State Farm and conducted by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, found that use of a booster seat, instead of a seat belt alone, reduced injuries 59 percent for children ages 4 through 7 involved in crashes. Injuries ranged from facial lacerations to serious brain and spinal-cord injuries.... Read the full, important article, from The Day, CT ___________________________
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: A technical committee to oversee the standards of bus bodies would help reduce accidents on Tanzania’s roads, an expert has said. The expert says before buses are inspected by the traffic police for licensing, they should be cleared first by a committee of experts. Hudson Manyara of Dar Coach Body Builders suggested that the police need to be assisted by a team of experts in order to curtail cheating by some dishonest bus owners. The National Institute of Transport, Traffic Police, the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Dar es Salaam and bus body builders could form a strong advisory team, he said.... Full article here. Source: The Guardian / IPP Media ___________________________
A variety of activities and events are planned in February to promote safe cycling and help reduce Wellington City’s higher than average cycle accident rate.... Wellington City Council Road Safety Co-ordinator Kate Brockett says 14 percent of all those injured on the city's urban roads are cyclists which is high compared with figures for similar authorities and the national average. Local casualty numbers increased from 37 in 2002 to 41 to 2003.... During the workshop Wellington City Council road safety staff, Greater Wellington staff and police will cycle through some of the city's most difficult intersections to help raise awareness of the challenges cyclists face every day.... [Ms. Brockett said] "We are trying to get the message out that in some circumstances it is best for the cyclist to occupy the whole lane particularly at roundabouts, intersections, in narrow lanes and where footpath extensions intrude onto the road. If more cyclists and motorists begin to follow this rule it will help prevent the accidents that happen when cyclists get cut off by motorists turning left or right at intersections."... Full article, from Wellington City Council ___________________________
State and local authorities say they would like to eliminate the kind of railroad grade crossings that allowed a suicidal man to drive into the path of a Southern California commuter train Wednesday, but funding shortages and other obstacles mean the work would take decades to complete. It could cost $1 billion to build tunnels or trestles at 48 points where the Caltrain passenger line crosses public roads between San Francisco and San Jose, for example. "There's a tremendous backlog in applications for limited funding,'' said Richard Clark of the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates railroad safety in the state. The attempted suicide in Glendale triggered a derailment disaster that killed 11 people and injured more than 180 when a packed commuter train struck the man's SUV and then careened into a second train traveling in the opposite direction.... Several rail authorities [have] acknowledged that a "grade separation'' -- in which the train tracks run over or under the road -- could have prevented Alvarez from driving onto the tracks. Such improvements are the goal of many safety advocates, who say it's too easy for accidents and suicides to occur when motorists are crossing the tracks. But in many cases, the goal has been elusive. There are about 11,000 railroad crossings around the state and only about 2,000 of them use tunnels or trestles to separate the road from the tracks. It can cost up to $40 million to retrofit a crossing, particularly in urban areas where construction can affect surrounding homes and businesses.... Full story, from the Mercury News ___________________________
SANAA, Yemen -- Yemen's interior ministry said Thursday 415 people were killed or hurt in road accidents nationwide during the Muslim feast of Adha. An official report said as many as 168 road accidents were reported by police in the period between Jan. 18 and Jan. 24, including multiple vehicle accidents, single car wrecks and pedestrian accidents. It said 74 people were killed in the road accidents, 341 were injured and dozens of vehicles were destroyed. The rate of road accidents is high in Yemen and increases during the holidays due to bad and narrow roads with hardly any speed limits. ___________________________
HA NOI — The Ministry of Transport (MoT) is taking a tough stance on reducing traffic accidents this year by forcing [motorcyclists] to wear helmets and strictly enforcing traffic laws.... The ministry will [also] work with the Ministry of Public Security to readjust and revise some traffic regulations to make traffic safety more effective. ....co-ordination efforts between local officials and the ministry remain poor, causing the number of accidents to continue rising. In an effort to ensure traffic safety before and during Tet, the Ha Noi police will also toughen policies on traffic violators.... The campaign will increase police monitoring during peak hours in hot spots. Traffic police will concentrate on motorists who are speeding, driving drunk and driving without helmets on designated helmet roads.... In addition, traffic police will use non-lethal paint ball guns to help arrest violators. Full story, from VNS ___________________________
The engineering of Highway 2000 has contributed to the reduction of accidents on the corridors between Clarendon and St Catherine into Kingston, says Minister of Transport and Works Robert Pickersgill. But yesterday, Pickersgill warned again that dilapidated vehicles travelling at high speed could be lethal. "Motorists, please get smart about vehicle safety. If you want to travel at the maximum speed of 110 kilometres, vehicles must be in tip-top condition," said the minister. "Research shows that one-third of all accidents on the highway are attributed to bad or over-inflated tyres. Remember, it's the tyres that separate you from the road." Pickersgill gave his safety awareness speech at a special ceremony organised by toll operators Jamaica Infrastructure Operator (JIO) to recognise the five-millionth standard vehicle... to cross the Vineyard Toll Plaza in St Catherine.... Pickersgill gave no specific figures for highway deaths, but the road accident statistics show that fatalities amounted to 399 in 2003, and 351 in 2004. For one week, however, December 20 - 27 last year, there were 18 deaths in three accidents, two of which involved taxis. For Pickersgill, the figures point to an unacceptable level of lawlessness among road users. He warned that his ministry was moving to "end the recklessness" by increasing the fines under the Road Traffic Act. The amendments to the law are being debated in Parliament. Full story, from the Jamaica Observer ___________________________
New Delhi: Confronted with the dubious statistics of 84,000 Indians dying annually in road accidents, the government is actively considering setting up a dedicated Directorate of Road Safety to bring qualitative changes in road safety measures in the country. ''More than 84,000 people are killed in road accidents in the country every year, resulting in a heavy toll on the economy,'' Union Road Transport and Highways Minister T R Baalu told the 8th meeting of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC). Mr Baalu, who was delivering the inaugural address at the meeting, attended by transport ministers from various states and Union Territories, quoted reports from the World Bank and some insurance companies to say that India suffered an economic loss of over Rs 50,000 crore annually because of road accidents.... The minister said some studies had indicated that over 83 per cent of the road accidents were attributable to the drivers. The accidents caused by the drivers of heavy vehicles, though relatively less in number, contributed to a disproportionately large number of fatalities, he pointed out.... The other issues on the agenda include the demand for a pro-active approach on the part of states and UTs in the field of road safety by earmarking a percentage of fines realised from traffic violations for undertaking road safety related activities.... Full story, from Kerala Next ___________________________
MOSCOW -- Irina Alekseyenko, a Russian citizen, has died from injuries she sustained in a traffic accident [at Hurghada] in Egypt on Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.... Four other people are in the hospital. The other casualties who were taken to the hospital have been discharged.... [Source: Interfax] ___________________________
Dangerous road safety attitudes are causing havoc on the UK's busy roads as pedestrians flout the green cross code causing motorists to swerve and stop suddenly. New research from Direct Line reveals that pedestrians have an appalling attitude to road safety - with more than three-quarters (78 per cent) ignoring designated road crossings in favour of weaving through queuing traffic or darting across the road when a space appears between cars. And worryingly, more than one in 10 (11 per cent) also put their lives at risk by stepping in front of moving cars anticipating that drivers will have to stop.... Road deaths in the UK on are increasing with over 3,508 deaths in 2003, a six per cent rise on 2002. Of these deaths 778 were pedestrians and 171 were children. Direct Line's Motor spokeswoman, Emma Holyer, said "There is fault on both sides - our research reveals close to half (43 per cent) of pedestrians don't use designated crossings if it means deviating from their direct route. Similarly, half (47 per cent) of people on foot say drivers just ignore pedestrian crossing lights anyway...." ___________________________
The RACQ has thrown its support behind Queensland’s three-year L-plates trial by announcing a special offer of 10,000 free L-plate packs. From next Monday (January 31) it will be compulsory for learner drivers to display L-plates on any vehicle they drive. The penalty for not showing the plates will be $120 for both learner driver and the accompanying supervisor. The move is part of a three-year trial of L-plates that aligns Queensland with the rest of Australia. RACQ traffic and safety executive manager John Wikman said the trial had the peak motoring body’s full support. “We have been lobbying for the reintroduction of L-plates for more than 10 years,” he said.... Full story, from the RACQ article on a related theme...
"There's no doubt when you look at the statistics that our young people are disproportionately represented in road trauma and road death," Dr Gallop said. "On average, young drivers (aged 17 to 24) are involved in nearly one-third of road fatalities and serious injuries, and yet they account for only 13per cent of licence holders."... Opposition Leader Colin Barnett.... said it was Coalition policy that young drivers would not be able to drink in their first year of driving and would have to attend a defensive driving course before getting their full licence. Full story, from The Courier-Mail
See also: 'Lawmakers propose stiffer penalties to reduce teen fatalities' with DSA comments about L & P Plates ___________________________
According to the conclusions from a the recent meeting of EU Transport Ministers, earmarking a percentage of vehicle taxes, motorway tolls and insurance premiums are among the measures planned by EU Transport Ministers to reduce by half the number of road deaths between 2002 and 2010. The creation of a dedicated road safety fund is also in the cards, whilst another funding route for road safety could be to allocate a proportion of traffic fines. And to improve cross-boarder enforcement and credibility, the Ministers may establish a 'European System of cooperation for the settlement of penalties for foreign offenders'. The 30 measures defined by the Ministers in their conclusions are not concrete pledges but merely options to be explored. An associated statement by the Commission warns against 'anticipatory effects' for measures that are difficult to implement at both national and community level, such as the establishment of specific funds to finance measures to improve road safety. [Source: RoadSafe] ___________________________
In September and October of last year the first training was conducted by a team of international staff under an International Road Safety Academy programme at the traffic police training centre in Moscow. This training was the starting point for the establishment of the IRSA-Russia. It was a unique moment for Western road safety and police specialists cooperating with Russian traffic police master trainers. The training was financed by the World Bank and the City of Moscow. The next stage of training is scheduled for April 2005. Russian Traffic police leaders from all over the country visited the capital in October 2004 to become acquainted with the delivered programs, experiences and personal judgments of the Russian trainers and specialists. As a result the Moscow governmental authorities and police agreed with ITC to establish IRSA-Russia. The representatives of IRSA- Russia agreed to disseminate the programs not only to the former republics of the USSR, but also the assist IRSA International and IRSA-Spain in Latin-America. More countries in Africa, South-East Asia, the Middle-East and Latin-America requested ITC and IRSA-International for assistance. It is expected to have approximately 10 to 15 regional operating Road Safety Academies -- as independent NGO's with a non-profit status -- in operation within the coming three years. [Source: RoadSafe] ___________________________
Developing and emerging countries are witnessing a revolution in the growth and development of their highways. These new highways have opened gates to the latest generation high technology automobiles. While in the developed countries of North America, Western Europe and Japan, road deaths have fallen by approximately 10% between 1990 and 2000, developing countries have witnessed a 30 to 100 per cent increase and the problem of road safety continues to worsen. In India, at least 80,000 people are killed in road accidents every year and about 4,00,000 are seriously injured, causing a social loss of approximately Rs.55,000 crores annually. This annual loss is equivalent to the investment in the Golden Quadrilateral National Highways by the Govt. of India. The whole effort of the Govt. of India in developing state-of-art highways is being nullified by the growing rate of accidents and indiscipline on these highways. Highways account for almost 50% of the total road accidents. Along with the highway development programme, an effective patrol system needs to be implemented which should play a multidimensional role in bringing awareness, education, and enforcement leading to reduction in death, injury, crime and encroachment. This would help in building confidence of safety amongst road users, and will catalyze a process for growth of business, industry, tourism, and social integration. While some countries have implemented demonstratively successful programmes, other developing countries have a long way to go to develop similar systems. [Source: RoadSafe] ___________________________
Dr Jeffrey Runge, Administrator of the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has described the urgent need to tackle road traffic injuries around the world in an interview with the FIA Foundation. "This is not a problem that’s going to be solved by governments alone, this is a problem that belongs to society, to people in society. This is a problem that is actually being worked on very actively by business, by auto makers, by the FIA Foundation who stepped up to the plate to try to broker all the people working on this issue at the same time. Now we are on the cusp of turning the corner on this thing. But the time is now. If we don’t get hold of this very soon we are going to see the cost of this paid in human life. ‘The loss of one life is tragic. As a physician who practiced in a trauma centre for 20 years I can tell you that every trip down the hall to the family room to talk to parents, to tell them their teenager is not going to come home, or a child that their dad or mom is not going to come home, is the most gut wrenching exercise you can go through, except to experience the loss yourself. This happens in the US over 42,000 times a year, and when you consider it happens 1.2 million times worldwide it is a tragedy that is almost beyond comprehension...." Full interview here, from the the FIA Foundation [Source: RoadSafe, on January 26, 2005] ___________________________
Western New York State: Four Elba High School students, including a girl who could end up in state prison, have been charged in the hit-and-run death of a 17-year-old classmate following a party... nearly two months ago. Caitlyn M. Dorman, 17, of Elba, who was allegedly driving the vehicle that hit and killed William A. Stempin, has been charged with a felony count of leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle accident and a violation count of driving out of restriction. Dorman, who was 16 at the time, should not have been driving after 9 p.m. If convicted of the felony charge, Dorman faces a possible state prison term of up to four years, but she remains eligible for youthful offender consideration. Dorman's co-defendants... face less serious charges.... Full story, from the Buffalo News ___________________________
It is time for Montana to get serious about highway safety. For too long, Montana's poor record at keeping drivers and passengers safe has brought the state the very worst kind of national attention.
In November, 2002, Mothers Against Drunk Driving gave Montana an
"F" — and this state was the only one in the nation to get
one — in its "Rating the States" project. Late in 2003, a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report showed that Montana had the nation's highest rate of alcohol-related traffic fatalities.... Montana lawmakers are once again considering important pieces of legislation that would make our highways safer.... [Details of various bills given.] Session after session, community leaders, law enforcement officials and others have lined up to testify about economic losses and medical costs and insurance increases related to crashes. Parents and friends have told personal, tragic stories of lost lives and life-changing injuries. Yet session after session, the laws that could make a real difference on our highways don't make it into the books. The label of "nation's worst" embarrasses Montanans. Deadly accidents devastate families and communities. And nothing changes. We have all the statistics and experience we need to make a compelling case for each of these important bills. These laws will make everyone safer on Montana's roads. They will save lives. This session, it's time for Montana to get serious about highway safety. Read the full, important opinion piece by Mike McGrath, Montana's attorney general, from the Helena Independent Record ___________________________
Irving, Texas – Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) revealed today the organization’s best kept secret—free victim services—with the release of its first-ever national victim services public awareness campaign. The theme, “We help survivors survive,” anchors the campaign, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance and administered by the Office for Victims of Crime. ___________________________
As many as one in five of all fatal motor vehicle accidents that have occurred in Finland annually in the four first years of this millennium have been caused by drivers younger than 21. According to a preliminary report by the Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre, the number of young-driver fatalities was 49 of the total of 261 fatal accidents recorded in Finland last year. The number of drivers younger than 21 includes three categories, 18, 19, and 20-year-old drivers.
Measured by the total number of all injury
accidents, the category of drivers aged 18 years ranked the
first, says Jukka Vierimaa of Liikenneturva,
Finland’s expert organization in traffic safety. According to last
year’s statistics, 18-year-old drivers caused 346 injury accidents in
the course of the year. The next largest group was 19- to 20-year-old
drivers who caused over 100 personal injury accidents. The numbers of
the injury accidents caused by all other age-cohorts each stayed below
100.
NOTE: As may be deduced from this article, the minimum age for driving in Finland is 18. ___________________________
Young doctors-in-training who work the long shifts required by most hospitals are so woozy when they drive home they run the same risk of a car accident as someone who is legally drunk, a new Harvard study has found. The nationwide survey of 2,737 interns found the chance of having an accident on the road more than doubled after a work shift of 32 hours, while the risk of a near miss increased nearly sixfold. Yet "these interns are forced by hospitals to work marathon shifts," says study author Dr. Charles Czeisler, chief of the sleep medicine division at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University's teaching hospital. "They can't get a medical license or board certification if they don't do it." The findings appear in the Jan. 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.... Read the full article, from the Detroit Free Press ___________________________
While most people associate fatal auto crashes with speeding or drunk driving, making a trip to the grocery store could prove just as, if not, more treacherous. A new survey conducted by the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies showed more than 36 percent of motorists admitted to running a red light in the past year - an offense that is the leading cause of crashes in urban areas. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), red light running crashes cause nearly 1,000 deaths and more than 200,000 injuries each year. Red light running is defined as a motorist deliberately entering an intersection after the signal light has turned red. According to Farmers, the problem is then exacerbated because generally when people go through a red light, they accelerate to move through the intersection faster before the traffic in the other direction begins - this impulse to drive faster through the intersection, where there may be pedestrians, does not allow for a proper reaction time.... Full article, from the Insurance Journal ___________________________
STRAUBING - Twenty-six people were injured, some seriously, in a motorway pile-up in icy conditions in southern Germany, police said on Tuesday. Sixteen trucks and 31 cars and other vehicles were involved in the crash on the motorway between Passau and Regensburg late Monday. The motorway was blocked in both directions for more than 14 hours causing huge traffic chaos on surrounding roads. Police put the cost of the damage at more than EUR 10 million. [Source: Expatica Germany]
DSA Comments: Indisputably, multi-vehicle crashes such as this are entirely due to vehicles traveling too closely together. One problem is that drivers in many countries simply are not taught or trained how following distances must be adapted to allow for differing weather (i.e. road surface) conditions. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
"After every road accident, the national Gendarmerie has a maximum of 20 days to inform hierarchy and to carry out a thorough investigative report". That was the quintessence of a one-day intensive refresher workshop organized in Buea recently involving 100 Officers of the Gendarmerie. The Officers were picked from the Provincial Legion of the South West Gendarmerie, the six Divisional companies and the 26 Sub-divisional and specialised brigades across the Province. The workshop was held in the premises of the CEFAM training centre as part of the on-going nation-wide training programme to improve on the image and production of the elite force.... According to Lt.Col. Eyoum, the workshop was a quick-witted solution by hierarchy to alleviate the lethargy, lacunae and errors sometimes observed in the coverage of road accidents.... Full story, from The Cameroon Tribune, via allAfrica ___________________________
Traffic police in Selebi-Phikwe have been implored to clearly demonstrate their success in reducing road fatalities to the public. Speaking during a party at the Selibe Phikwe Police Station on Friday last week, mayor Molosiwa Molosiwa said the police might have succeeded in meeting their set targets, but they still had the potential to do even better if they went out to the public and informed them that their road safety education was yielding the desired results. The party was held to motivate and encourage officers to perform even better in 2005 and to show appreciation to the traffic section for achieving better results. The intention was also to share with other traffic police how they succeeded and sensitise the public on how they can help reduce fatal road traffic accidents.... Mayor Molosiwa said once the public realised that police education campaigns helped to reduce the road carnage, they would understand police efforts and help them catch traffic offenders.... Full story, from the Daily News ___________________________
While congested and unplanned traffic, bad road conditions and ignorance of the rule of the road continues to be some of the major causes for road accidents, the incidence of reckless and unlicensed driving increased manifold in recent years according to the Thimphu traffic police. Of the total of 455 accidents last year in the Thimphu region, 330 cases were related to rash and reckless driving and 58 cases by unlicensed driving according to records of the Thimphu traffic police division. In all, 13 people were killed and 148 injured. There were 59 accidents involving pedestrians and 68 hit and run cases. Of the other accident cases last year, 19 were caused under the influence of alcohol while 48 accidents occurred because of bad weather conditions and mechanical defects. “Bhutanese drivers take driving as a leisure with little regard to the others along the road,” said the superintendent of the Thimphu traffic police, Major Karma Tshering.... Bhutan today has about 26,775 vehicles and the Thimphu region alone has about 16,000 vehicles of which more than 80 percent ply in the capital’s estimated 80 kilometres of roads.... Thimphu residents agree that most drivers lack basic driving skills, disregard rules and show poor sense of consideration for fellow drivers.... Anyone detected driving under the influence of alcohol is taken to court and fined Nu. 1,250 for violation of traffic rules. Traffic police also said that accidents around road junctions have been reduced to some extent with the introduction of the roundabouts at various road junctions. In 1996, before the roundabouts were built, 81 accident cases were registered which fell to 41 in 2003 with the roundabouts. Full (detailed) article, from Kuensel Online ___________________________
Almost 900 people were charged with various driving offences over the weekend as part of an ongoing road safety campaign. The police yesterday announced that 896 people were charged in the Nicosia, Paphos and Famagusta areas. The charges were for driving without a valid licence or insurance, driving under the influence of alcohol, failing to obey traffic lights, not wearing a seatbelt, using a mobile phone at the wheel and for noisy exhausts. Ten motorcyclists were also charged for not wearing a crash helmet. The most common infringement of all remains speeding, with 311 people charged. [Source: The Cyprus Mail] ___________________________
[Normally, DSA does not post research directly onto this news page. Instead it is added to our Research and Related Information page. But this particular piece is -- in our opinion -- of such high, general importance that we are making an exception for it.] This paper studies the effect of the changed speed limits on accident counts for major roadways in the urban environment of Hong Kong. In 1999–2002, the speed limits of a number of sections of roadway were reviewed and increased. Nineteen of them were major roadways. Their speed limits were raised by 10–20 km/h from 50 to 70 km/h. Before and after studies were carried out to investigate the changes in accident counts with respect to the set of carefully chosen comparison groups. Qualification tests for these comparison groups were conducted to confirm their suitability for the studies. In the majority of the treatment sites, the accident counts were worse after the increase in speed limits, both for the category of fatal, serious and slight (FSS) accidents, and for the category of fatal and serious (FS) accidents. Overall, the relaxation of the speed limit from 50 to 70 km/h (i.e. 31mph to 44mph) increased the FSS accident counts by 15% and the FS accident counts by 1%. The relaxation of the speed limit from 70 to 80 km/h (i.e. 44mph to 50mph) increased the FSS accident counts by 18% and the FS accident counts by 36%. For further details, please visit the relevant page of Science Direct ___________________________
The Wet Flag Patrol (WFP) of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) apprehended yesterday 55 EDSA jaywalkers, who were then taken to a prison van to receive lectures on traffic regulations from MMDA education department personnel. And if that isn’t enough to make them mend their ways, the MMDA could soon bring in "men of faith" to do the job. After deploying prison vans to round up jaywalkers yesterday, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando said he is considering asking pastors from different religions to supervise the lectures on erring pedestrians and commuters apprehended under the WFP. Fernando hopes the volunteer pastors, would be able to provide enlightenment to those who continue defy traffic regulations.... Under the new anti-jaywalking scheme, the MMDA converted seven mobiles into WFP units. They attached a bamboo pole [presumably from the side of the vehicle, at roof-level -- DSA] [with a wet blanket hanging from it]. The words "Maglakad at Mag-abang sa Bangketa" are written on the blanket, which drives back erring pedestrians. These vehicles, moving at 28 kph (18mph), [drive along] main roads and [with the blanket] hit commuters occupying the outermost lane. This is intended to discipline pedestrians by forcing them to return to the sidewalk to wait for public transport.... The wet flag scheme has met strong opposition from two mayors in eastern Metro Manila. Mandaluyong Mayor Neptali Gonzales III threatened to arrest MMDA personnel who venture into his city to implement the said project while Pasig City Mayor Vicente Eusebio called the scheme "uncivilized and corny."... Read the full article, from Philstar
DSA Comments: We presume that the words "Maglakad at Mag-abang sa Bangketa" say something roughly to the effect that "If you stand there much longer, you're going to get wet!" Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
Road accidents in city areas and elsewhere in the country are increasing over the past years. In addition to immediate death and injury of passengers and passers by, such accidents cause damage to vehicles. Injured persons await the attention of careful people, who often take them to clinics and hospitals near the places of occurrence. Some injured persons including children die in hospitals and clinics. Others turn disabled due to major damages caused to different parts of the body. That being so, people at large look for corrective actions against road accidents.... In the context of increase in public vehicles and passengers the entire network of the roads needs to be put under strict administrative control. The issuance of licences to drivers and vehicles should be in accordance with provisions of law. Drivers should have to be trained properly and educated on the provisions of law and the imperatives thereof. Along with that, assistants of drivers plus the sales assistants of tickets of public vehicles should be trained before they secure employment in motor companies. Beyond that, law enforcing agencies including members of the traffic police force should be asked to work carefully. The cause of any accident has to be duly assigned to drivers, assistants or the traffic police. Legal actions have to be taken for punishing offenders without fear or favour. Full editorial here, from the New Nation ___________________________
Twenty people, including seven children, died and 110 others were injured in road accidents in the capital and seven districts in the last three days. Read the full article here, from The Daily Star
DSA Comments: The reason we have included this news item is to highlight the fact that seven separate bus crashes, involving a total of eight buses, resulted in no less than 12 (60%) of the fatalities and 82 (75%) of the injured. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
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Full details may be found on the DSA Safety Conferences page ___________________________
MANCHESTER,
England -- As part of its 'responsible driving campaign' leading motor
insurer Co-operative Insurance Society (CIS) is pleased to announce that
it will be supporting RoadPeace the national charity for road traffic
victims. ___________________________
Before the Lunar New Year holiday begins, many Taiwanese companies will host parties, and police are worried about people drinking and driving.... "The police will conduct serious checks for drunk drivers from [last night] to the Lunar New Year, nationwide," said Ho Kuo-jung (何國榮), director of the NPA's Traffic Division.... Ho said that according to NPA statistics, 434 people died in traffic accidents caused by drunk driving last year, making drunk driving the number one cause of driving accidents.... If a driver's blood-alcohol level exceeds 25mg per liter, he or she faces a fine from NT$15,000 to NT$60,000 -- depending on the type of vehicle driven and the blood alcohol content. In addition, the offender will have their driver's license for a year. Also, if a driver's blood alcohol content exceeds 0.55mg per liter, he or she can be charged with endangering the public. If drivers refuse to take a blood-alcohol test, they will face the same punishment. Ho called for the public "to not sit behind the wheel after you drink." "Because if you do, you will be risking innocent people's lives, which is kind of selfish behavior," he added. Full article here, from the Taipei Times ___________________________
A 16- or 17-year-old driver doubles his likelihood of having an accident by taking two passengers in his car. He quadruples it by taking three or more passengers, particularly teen passengers. Those statistics, from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an independent group, are part of a voluminous body of evidence that underscores this arresting fact: For traffic accidents, the No. 1 killer of American teenagers, a key variable -- perhaps the key variable -- is the presence and number of teen passengers riding with teen drivers. Unfortunately, Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s otherwise excellent legislative package on teen driving fails to address that critical issue. [The Washington Post agrees with state delegate Adrienne A. Mandel]: "The opposition comes from people who fear the inconvenience of being parents for an additional six months of their lives," she said. "They're talking about inconvenience, and I'm talking about saving lives." Read this excellent editorial in full, from the Washington Post (registration required) ___________________________
Having 50 traffic fatalities in Orangeburg County in 2004 [up 40% from 2003] is humbling to say the least. But what may be more humbling is the fact that the majority of those fatalities can be attributed to driver error. In laymen's terms, it was the driver's fault. Officials say drivers have either forgotten or chosen to ignore basic driving rules. Concepts as simple as paying attention to speed, stopping for stop signs, talking on cell phones without using a hands-free device, eating, putting on make-up and driving while under the influence, have all led to mass inattention that is leading to a higher traffic fatality rate.... Lance Cpl. Dwight Green, spokesperson for the Highway Patrol's Troop One (which includes Orangeburg and Calhoun counties), said driver disobedience of standard highway laws has caused the number of traffic deaths to increase locally. In 2003, South Carolina's fatality numbers fell below 1,000 for the first time in five consecutive years with 969. There were 1,025 fatalities in 2004. The highway patrol continues to push educational and preventative programs in an attempt to lower traffic fatality rates statewide. However, statistics from one of Orangeburg's deadliest years show the time has come for drivers to go back to the basics.... Read this lengthy, detailed article here, from The Times and Democrat ___________________________
CONCORD — "Live free or die" has been New Hampshire’s motto for nearly 60 years and the words are emblazoned on every state license plate, but how that will apply to drivers is the subject of fierce debate thanks to a seat belt bill filed by a Lakes Region lawmaker. Opponents of past seat belt laws have used the state’s motto to make the case that the state has no business telling people what they should or should not do inside their cars. So why should this year be any different when testimony begins in the House of Representatives for a bill that would create a secondary seat belt law? Unlike past years, the bill, filed by State Rep. Dr. James Pilliod, R-Belmont, already enjoys the unanimous support of the New Hampshire Chiefs of Police Association. [See a separate article and comments on this aspect, here] "We’re sworn to protect and serve. What better way is there to protect," said New Hampton Police Chief Nathaniel "Chip" Sawyer, who is the incoming president of the chiefs of police association in June.... Plaistow Police Chief Steve Savage, the departing president of the chiefs’ association, said his group decided to back this bill after the state experienced one of its worst years for traffic fatalities. In 2004, 167 people died in traffic accidents in New Hampshire compared to 119 deaths in 2003. The N.H. Department of Safety figures showed that 41 of the people who died last year on the roads were not wearing their seat belts.... When asked how newly-elected Democratic Gov. John Lynch views the bill, Pamela Walsh, his communications director, said Lynch is not convinced it’s necessary. But Walsh added the governor will keep an open mind and listen to the issue as it is debated in the Legislature. Peter Thomson, the state’s coordinator of the Governor’s Highway Safety Agency, is also not convinced New Hampshire would see higher seat belt use result from the proposed law that it sees now.... In addition to saving lives, a seat belt law would prevent injuries that cost public and private insurers millions of dollars, and cause even more losses in pay and productivity for injured workers and their employers. Read the full article, from Foster's Sunday Citizen ___________________________
WASHINGTON -- A national group has given Alaska's highway safety regulations a failing grade, saying legislators have toughened the state's road safety laws but not enough. The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety issued its national ranking of states last month and put Alaska near the bottom. Only Rhode Island, Montana and Wyoming had lower overall safety ratings. Advocates president Judith Lee Stone said the group wants uniform safety rules across the country.... At the top of the group's list of 14 ideal statutes is a primary seat belt law. Such a law allows enforcement officers to stop a driver for failing to wear a restraint. Alaska has a secondary seat belt law, allowing troopers to charge people only when stopped for another offense. The group ranked Alaska poorly because it has no laws requiring motorcycle helmets, child booster seats or blood-alcohol tests for people who die in vehicle accidents. Alaska isn't tough enough on people caught driving drunk more than once, and its ban on open containers of alcohol in vehicles isn't complete enough, the group said. Another mark against Alaska: It does not allow sobriety checkpoints.... Read the full article, from Anchorage Daily News (registration required) ___________________________
It has been said that all male Americans share two vanities, both having to do with performance prowess. One of the vanities is not suitable for discussion in a family newspaper, but the other is. It is difficult to imagine any American male admitting that he is an unsafe driver. Often, the most inept drivers on the road cite a lack of traffic tickets or accidents as validation of their road prowess. Some fools are blessed with luck. The Maui Police Department has launched “Operation SPEED” or, in the inane governmental infatuation with acronyms, Speed Patrol Enforcement & Education Detail. During the first two days of the operation, 256 speeding citations were written. Almost immediately there were howls of protest, drivers saying Maui’s speed limits – which are certainly quixotic – are antiquated and too low. Some critics argue that speed limits should be set at some percentage of ordinary traffic flow. In other words, find out how fast people – and younger females seem to have as heavy a right foot as any male – are driving and then set the speed limit to accommodate them.... Those arguing for higher speed limits are either indulging in their own vehicular vanity or they are ignoring the fact that too many drivers seem to be unconscious of anything going around them and are totally unprepared for anything that might require stopping or evasive action. There also seems to be a contingent of drivers who are revolted by driving behind another vehicle for any length of time. The MPD’s anti-speeder effort isn’t likely to deter all of the island’s hazardous drivers, but it might slow a few of them down. This pragmatic and undeniably accurate editorial opinion comes from the The Maui News. Read it in full, here. ___________________________
At least 10 per cent of road accidents involving motor vehicles were not reported to the Police since the introduction of the VIP (Vehicle Insurance Policy) scheme, said Minister of Transport Felix Perera at the launching of the Driver Training Handbook, held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. The book was the outcome of a study done [since 1996] by a Swedish organisation known as Sweroad. The Director of the organisation Per Glenberg and his team of consultants visited all parts of the country and observed road accidents, the cause for it and a programme was launched to train trainers in driving schools. They were trained at district level. This training was launched about six months ago. The Minister said there are 400 to 500 training schools in the country and between 20,000 to 25,000 new driving licences are issued per month. Since all these new drivers are trained by privately owned training schools it was important that instructors of these training schools should be trained to train the would be drivers. It was also revealed at this launching that drivers are 90 per cent responsible for accidents. Perera also noted that 2,000 die and 20,000 are injured per year due to road accidents.... Associated with the Minister was Deputy Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna. A large number of owners of driver training schools were also present at the launching ceremony. The handbook [is] priced at Rs. 200 per copy and [is] available in all three languages. Full story, from the Sunday Observer ___________________________
Tehran -- It's for 16 years that the Iraqi war has ended but Iranians are still at risk of being killed -- this time on roads not on battlefields. Iran's roads are regarded among the most dangerous in the world. Some 100,000 people have been killed in traffic accidents in the past five years, including close to 26,000 last year. It means road accident alone claims three lives per hour in the country. The life-threatening road conditions go from bad to worse in winter and the death toll rises. Decrepit vehicles, slippery routes, falling rocks and avalanche in arduous mountain roads, contempt for driving laws, and the reckless behavior of drivers are blamed for the casualties.... Responsible officials are expected to see to it and build safe roads for their own people as police are expected to deal with careless drivers more seriously. Full story, from Payvand's Iran News ___________________________
LONDON (IranMania) - Six more succumbed to injuries they sustained when the bus they were riding on fell [into] a ravine, bringing the number of casualties of Friday's road accident in northern Iran to 28. According to IRNA, the accident occurred when a passenger bus skidded off the Haraz mountain road and fell into a 150-meter ravine when the driver swerved to avoid rocks falling from the mountainside Friday evening.... Full story, from Iran Mania ___________________________
VICTORIA -- An additional licence stage between L and P-plates and restrictions on night driving and passenger numbers are among road safety measures for young drivers likely to be considered by the State Government this year. The Federal Government also announced last month that 7000 Victorian drivers would undertake a special driver training course after receiving their P-plates. [The state] last year recorded its second lowest road toll on record, with 345 fatalities. Yet the number of 18 to 20-year-old drivers killed on the state's roads jumped by 16 per cent and the number of 21 to 25-year-old drivers killed increased by 23 per cent. Acting State Transport Minister Bob Cameron said VicRoads had contracted the Monash University Accident Research Centre to examine graduated licensing schemes for young drivers.... Ian Johnston, director of the Monash research centre, said researchers had already identified many successful road safety initiatives for young drivers used overseas and had provided preliminary reports to VicRoads. "There is really strong evidence night-time driving restrictions are a very effective road safety initiative," he said, referring to schemes in New Zealand and the United States where [some] drivers received their licence at age 15.... Mr Johnston said the curfew was often combined with passenger restrictions "so you can't drive around late at night with five mates".... Another road safety change to come into effect this year will be issuing drivers aged over 75 with a three-year licence, instead of the previous 10-year licence.... The State Government also said it expected progress this year on its push for limiting the maximum reading on a car's speedometer to 130 km/h [81mph].... Full article, from The Age ___________________________
Dubai Police have said some insurance companies renew insurance policies for cars without first ensuring that these vehicles underwent roadworthiness tests successfully. Costs of renewal of registration, now found unbearable by many limited income people, force some vehicle owners to delay renewal procedures and seek to extend insurance policies to protect themselves against accidents. “We call on insurance firms not to cooperate with car owners who try to skip the regular roadworthiness tests that should be conducted before a vehicle’s registration is renewed. Firms should first ensure that the vehicle in question underwent the technical test successfully and that its owner started licence renewal procedures”, said Major Mohammed Nasser Al Sayed Abdul Razak, acting Director of the Bur Dubai Traffic Police Division. ... He said the cooperation by insurance firms with traffic authorities in this regard would prompt car owners to have their cars tested.... Full story, from the Khaleej Times ___________________________
Read the full article, from the Mumbai Newsline ___________________________
COLUMBUS - With Ohio lacking the level of collaborative highway safety efforts found in other states, the state's traffic-safety officials will start a program aimed at combining resources to save lives on deadly stretches of roadway. At its first meeting yesterday, the Governor's Task Force on Highway Safety announced it will use the combined resources of Ohio's three traffic-safety agencies to target major routes with the highest fatality rates in the state. It will evolve into a program to identify other dangerous stretches of roadway across Ohio.... Gov. Bob Taft ordered the creation of the task force after a series of articles in The [Toledo] Blade in November - "Behind the Curve: Ohio's Killer Corridors." With highway crashes among the nation's biggest killers, the series found that Ohio's collaborative efforts at targeting problem stretches of roadway were years behind other states. The three-day series found that the state's three traffic agencies - the Department of Transportation, Highway Patrol, and Governor's Highway Safety Office - have their own way to define what's dangerous, leading each to target different areas of the 19,000 miles of state-administered roadways with different methods. National traffic safety experts say that the best traffic-safety efforts use combined methods -- engineering, education, and enforcement -- to tackle dangerous roadways.... Full story, from the Toledo Blade ___________________________
CONCORD - The state police chiefs’ association has switched sides in the debate over broadening New Hampshire’s seat-belt law. For the first time, the chiefs support making seat-belt use mandatory for all, not just those under 17.... Read this important article (and DSA Comments) here. See a more general article (January 23) on the subject of NH seatbelts, here. ___________________________
WAILUKU – Maui police reported giving out 256 speeding citations while clocking drivers traveling up to 82 mph during the first two days of increased enforcement this week. The speeding enforcement, which is continuing, is part of an effort to reduce crashes caused by speeding vehicles and aggressive driving, police said.... Assistant Police Chief Sydney Kikuchi said the top speed measured was 82 mph as officers gave out 150 speeding citations Monday. [But] in some of the areas, including winding portions of the highway toward Hana, speed limits are 30 and 40 mph, Kikuchi noted.... Speeding is suspected of being a factor in 11, or 52 percent, of the 21 fatal crashes on Maui County roads last year, police said.... The fine for speeding is now $5 per mile over the speed limit plus $57 in fees.... Full story, from The Maui News ___________________________
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Bad weather, reckless driving, non-functioning robots and other freak incidents resulted in a huge number of road accidents on Friday morning. By 9am Johannesburg Metro Police had recorded 62 accident reports in Johannesburg alone - more than triple the average number usually received on weekdays. Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar, spokesperson for Metro Traffic, attributed the high number of accidents to wet weather compounded by reckless driving. Paul Nel, spokesperson for Netcare 911, said Netcare ambulances had responded to 33 collisions in Johannesburg and Pretoria by 9am, many of them serious. "The problem is that people don't seem to know how to drive in wet weather. They don't slow down, they don't increase their following distances and they don't pay attention," said Nel.... Full story, from IOL South Africa
DSA page on how to correctly judge safe following distances, whatever the weather, here. ___________________________
Parliament's Transport Committee called for tougher safety standards for frontal protection systems on road vehicles when it adopted a report on 18 January on a Commission proposal setting out tests for such systems, which include bull bars. Car manufacturers have already made a voluntary agreement with the Commission not to install "rigid bull bars" on new cars. [Source: Energy and Transport in Europe] ___________________________
The highly sensitive issue of driving licences in the EU came before the Transport Committee on 19 January when it voted on a report by Mathieu GROSCH (EPP-ED, BE) on a European Commission proposal to replace the existing 110 models of driving licence in the 25 Member States by a single EU format. In their amendments to the Commission text, MEPs sought to strike a balance between bringing in the new licence quickly, and indeed improving it, and taking account of the different national traditions on issuing driving licences, such as age restrictions. The report was adopted with 38 votes in favour, 5 against and with 6 abstentions. [Source: Energy and Transport in Europe] Related issue: (25/11/2004) Vice-President Barrot presents his priorities on road safety in his first public event ___________________________
The motor industry has been presented with What Car? magazine's 2005 reader award, for the voluntary fitting of Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) as standard. The award was collected by Christopher Macgowan, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, on behalf of the industry, at a ceremony held at The Grosvenor House Hotel on 20 January 2005. Readers voted for initiatives in the past year that made their lives safer, easier or cheaper. What Car? editor David Motton said, 'Previously, buyers were more likely to spend money on optional extras such as alloy wheels or air-con rather than ABS. Now they no longer have to make that choice and lives will be saved as a result.' Christopher Macgowan added, 'I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of the motor industry. We are committed to improving vehicle safety for occupants and other road users and the introduction of ABS as standard is an important step forward. All road users will benefit from this development because ABS gives drivers greater control in an emergency situation, preventing many accidents happening in the first place.' Manufacturers voluntarily agreed to fit ABS to new cars made after 1 July 2004. ABS allows the driver to stop more quickly and maintain steering control even in an emergency. The system works on the automatic principle of cadence braking, which means the driver applies continuous pressure on the brakes, steering round the obstacle. The introduction of ABS as standard was part of an industry-wide agreement to improve pedestrian protection that also included changes to front-end design and the removal of rigid bull bars. [Source: Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)] ___________________________
themselves for developing the crash test programme.... ___________________________
From [today], the speed limits in the Republic of Ireland, where both miles and kilometres have been used for many years, change to metric. But there are already signs that, in striving for consistency, more confusion has been introduced. Up until Thursday's change, speed limits in the Irish Republic have been in miles with road signs generally in kilometres. The changes aim to rectify this discrepancy. But thanks, in part, to pressure from road safety campaigners, the Irish Department of Transport has also used the switch as an opportunity to change actual speed limits. Because of rounding up after mph to km/h conversion, limits on main roads in towns and cities will get a small boost. But, more significantly, the limit on rural roads, which make up 90% of the road network, is being slashed by 10mph from 60mph (97km/h) to 50mph (80km/h).... Read the full story here, from BBC News
This issue was also reported under the heading 'On Irish roads, hurry up and slow down', from CNN [though why they should show a photograph of American speed limit signs as part of their article, we are not sure -- DSA]. The following are relevant extracts from that piece: ....One typically confusing example: Most highways and country roads are having their speed limits lowered from 60 mph to 50 mph. But the new signs will be in kilometers, so the speed limit will actually read 80 kph.... ....Ireland -- an anomaly within the 25-member European Union, where road deaths have been falling -- suffered a strong surge last year in traffic fatalities: 380 dead, or about 10 per 100,000 people; 336 died in 2003.... ___________________________
LAGOS— It was a dark Wednesday in Lagos yesterday after a multiple auto-crash under the Maryland bridge claimed over 50 lives, many of them burnt beyond recognition. Some others are now receiving medical attention at different locations including the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja for burns sustained in the crash. But the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Ighodalo, said only eight persons were burnt to death with about 30 others with various severe burns receiving medical attention.... However, the Unit Commander of the Ojota section of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Jack Vincent, who put the death toll at between 50 and 60 said the multiple accident involving an 18-seater Nissan Urvan bus..., a Peugeot... and a Lagos commercial Mercedes bus popularly called Molue, was caused by a diesel tanker which rammed into the J5 bus. The J5 bus reportedly had fuel in its boot causing the vehicles to go up in flames. According to eye witness, the Urvan bus driver who was on his way out of Lagos via Ojota suddenly noticed smoke coming from his engine and decided to stop and check what the problem was, only for the J5 bus to ram into the Urvan bus. Meanwhile, the driver of the tanker, said to be speeding, suddenly applied the brake after sighting the accident ahead but the brake failed and the trailer hit the J5 bus. The fuel in the J5 exploded and the vehicles caught fire. The driver of the J5 bus was said to have been burnt while still holding the steering. "....When the brake of the tanker was examined, we discovered that it was malfunctioning and the cause of the inferno which later consumed the trapped passengers...," [said Mr. Vincent]. Full story, from the Vanguard ___________________________
SOUTH AFRICA -- There has been a 12% reduction in the total number of road accidents and a 17% reduction in the total number of fatalities during this year's festive season in KwaZulu-Natal. Provincial Minister for Transport Bheki Cele announced today at a news conference that nationally and provincially there had been a reduction in road accidents and fatalities.... Meanwhile Cele said a number of factors had contributed to the decrease in accidents. This included the high level of visibility of law enforcement officers, zero tolerance and specialised operations like Juggernaut and Omela eKhaya (drink near home). Head of the department, Kwazi Mbanjwa, said that there was still concerned over the number of people who were driving without licenses. These people included those which were driving trucks and buses.... The department's statistics showed that more than 380 drivers were arrested for drunken driving and more than 1 100 were arrested for speeding from December 1 to January 16 2005. A further 11 were also arrested for reckless and negligent driving.... "Our success lies with the commitment and dedication displayed by our law enforcement officers and other relevant stakeholders," [Cele] said.... Full story, from the Daily News ___________________________
PUTRAJAYA: There were 6,223 fatal road accidents last year which were 63 less than the 6,286 fatalities recorded in 2003, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy. "In spite of a substantial increase of almost one million in the number of vehicles, we managed to reduce the number of fatalities on the road," he said at a press conference here Wednesday. He said the average fatality of 4.9 per 10,000 vehicles recorded in 2003 had dropped to 4.5 last year. For comparison, he said, the average death rate per 10,000 vehicles in the 1990s used to be 8.0 or more. Meanwhile, Chan said an integrated road safety campaign would be carried out on a large scale from Feb 2 to 16 in conjunction with the Chinese New Year.... Full story, from the Daily Express, East Malaysia ___________________________
Norwegians upset over another looming increase in traffic fines have won an unlikely ally. Police charged with writing out the fines think they're too high as well. A wide range of fines are due to jump a whopping 30 percent from February 1, meaning they'll soon be the highest in all of Europe. Motorists caught running a red light, for example, will get hit with a fine of NOK 5,200 (about US $825). Anyone caught driving 90 kilometers per hour in a 70-zone [i.e. 56mph in a 44mph limit] will get a speeding ticket that costs NOK 3,600 (US $570).... The police "think it will be uncomfortable to write out fines for 5,200 kroner for running a red light, when drug possession or even physical assaults can end up with fines of less than NOK 3,000," said Arne Johannessen, leader of the police officers' organization.... Justice department officials say the fines won't be reduced, but it was fine that the police aired their frustration. Full story, from Aftenposten
DSA Comments: Whatever one's thoughts on the level of the new fines, it has to be admitted that possession of drugs (as opposed to selling drugs) and "even physical assaults" are much less likely to result in death or serious injury than running red lights (which is the more costly of the two traffic fines, above). Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
DETROIT (Reuters) - The top U.S. auto safety official, a man often seen as a thorn in the side of Detroit's Big Three automakers, said on Tuesday that he expects to keep the post under the Bush administration's second term. "As far as I know I'm staying, and I'm happy to do that," Jeffrey Runge, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, told reporters. He said Secretary of Transportation Norman Minetta had recently asked him to remain on the job and that he "couldn't be happier" to do so.... Full story, from the Washington Post (registration required) ___________________________
INDIANAPOLIS -- Celadon Trucking Services was announced on Tuesday as the 1st Place winner of the Truckload Carriers Association's highly-coveted 2004 National Fleet Safety Award for carriers over 100 million miles. Celadon trucks travel over 20,000,000 miles each month. "This recognition is a testament to our drivers' commitment to road safety and our Safety Department's training programs," said Celadon Group President and Chief Operating Officer Thomas Glaser. "We're extremely proud we can say our drivers are the best in the industry. Bill Osborn, our vice president of safety, has been extremely effective in administering solid programs to track, train and follow-up on our drivers' performance." The award marks the third time in four years that Celadon has been recognized by the TCA for their drivers' safety performance. [Source: Celadon Group Inc.] ___________________________
AMSTERDAM — Police have arrested four people in relation to the death of a female motorist killed after a paving stone was thrown from a roadway viaduct, smashing through the car windscreen and hitting her in the head. All four suspects are adult men from Rijswijk. They will appear in court on Friday when a decision will be made whether their remand custody will be extended. Neither the motive nor the exact circumstances of the incident are known.... Full story, from Expatica Netherlands ___________________________
Not a few eyebrows were raised when the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) intensified sidewalk clearing operations and implemented the wet flag policy to confine pedestrians to the sidewalks. But MMDA officials say they have good reasons for these controversial projects. A study by the MMDA Road Safety Unit (RSU) showed that road accidents in Metro Manila doubled in 2004 from the previous year. The number of incidents rose to 5,237 from 2,264 in 2003, and 1,262 in 2002, the MMDA-RSU reported. MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando, in an interview, attributed the steep rise in road accidents to the lack of proper road signages in the metropolis. The MMDA chief said the agency needed around P1 billion [US $18m] to install the needed signages. But "even if we have the budget, we still lack the technical expertise for this particular project," Fernando said. MMDA Traffic Operations Center Executive Director Angelito Vergel de Dios added that the faster flow of traffic on Metro Manila's roads had resulted in more accidents. "While MMDA projects such as the U-turn slot or clearway scheme have greatly improved traffic flow, pedestrians who refuse to abide by road rules have been adversely affected," he said. Pedestrians topped the list of fatalities last year, the MMDA-RSU study showed. It noted that 142 of the 281 persons killed in accidents were pedestrians, while 80 were drivers, and 59 were passengers.... Full article, from INQ7, Philippines. ___________________________
Malaysia's crackdown on unpaid traffic summonses may affect Singaporeans Singapore traffic offenders are said to have chalked up 200,000 traffic summonses [over the border] in the last five years. If you are one of those Singapore car drivers who have not paid your traffic fine in Malaysia, be warned. 1,343 Singaporean offenders have failed to appear in Malaysian courts for traffic offences. The next time you drive to Malaysia you could be arrested and taken to court. [In Malaysia itself] police yesterday launched a crackdown, knocking on traffic offenders' homes and arresting them.... The Malaysian police do not have jurisdiction in Singapore, but China Press reported that the Malaysia police may seek the help of the Singapore courts to track down errant drivers.... Full story, from The Electric New Paper ___________________________
The following is an extract from a letter to The Star newspaper:
Road murder 'lesser' crime than drunk driving The article in The Star of January 13 reporting on a pedestrian losing his life in a hit-and-run accident struck a chord with me. Twenty months ago my son was killed in a hit-and-run accident. I was relieved when the criminal was found, only to be devastated later when he received a R2 000 fine and a minimal suspended sentence. The law encourages criminals to flee the scene of an accident, for to be caught driving drunk would result in a much harsher sentence than to be found guilty of culpable homicide and leaving the scene of an accident.... Julia
Tomas Full letter here, from The Star ___________________________
Ever been cut off by a Hummer while chugging along the interstate? Tailgated by a Honda while motoring to the mall? Thoroughly ticked off by a Toyota as you cruise to the beach? Now there's an alternative to steaming along on road rage. Law enforcement officers in Arizona and Washington state are asking the public to head to the Web and report reckless drivers online. It's perhaps the newest strategy to deal with the problem of aggressive driving, joining more conventional methods such as education campaigns and crackdowns by police.... Full story, from USA Today ___________________________
....a half-dozen speakers came to the Auburn school board meeting last week and urged the board to include money for driver education in the 2005-06 budget. They brought a petition with more than 1,200 signatures. Of the 46 public school districts in Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties, 20 offer driver education, according to a survey by The Post-Standard. Three private high schools also offer driver education. Driver education programs, once common, have fallen to budget cuts and insurance issues. Mike Miller, senior class president at LaFayette High School, said he's fed up with reading about fatal car crashes in Central New York involving teenagers. Since 2002, six LaFayette High School students and two recent graduates have died in crashes.... The National Highway Safety Administration reports that 3,657 drivers ages 15 to 20 died in 2003, compared to 3,827 in 2002, a decline of 4.4 percent. The number of people killed in accidents involving young drivers [i.e. aged 15 through 24] fell from 9,251 in 2002 to 8,666 in 2003, a 6.3 percent drop.... The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health did a study that appeared in the January 1999 issue of The American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The researchers concluded that "high school age persons who enrolled in driver education courses do not have fewer motor vehicle related violations, crashes or deaths than those who do not take the course."... Full article, from The Post-Standard at Syracuse.com
Also see the Drive and Stay Alive, Inc., report from the NTSB Standards in Driver Education Conference (October 2003) ___________________________
A truck driver was killed today when the tyre on a wheel that came off his vehicle exploded in his face, police said.... A West Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said tonight: “Police are appealing for information following an incident that occurred this morning on the M62. “The wheel of a heavy goods vehicle detached from the front of the HGV and the brake drum and tyre came to rest on the nearby verge. “The driver, a 50-year-old man from Leeds, managed to pull up on the hard shoulder at the side of the motorway to recover the wheel. “While he was doing so the wheel exploded towards him causing him fatal injuries.” Full story, from The Scotsman ___________________________
Police officers fall asleep while driving three times more often than the general population, according to a study published yesterday. An analysis of 515 officers commissioned by the police training service found 72 per cent admitted to dozing off while driving during the previous 12 months, compared with 20 per cent of motorists as a whole.... Propensity to doze was highest among those with a rank of inspector or above, 89 per cent of whom had drifted off in their cars.... Awake, the sleep research group that conducted the study, suggested that organisational factors might make police officers especially vulnerable to tiredness.... The research concluded that many police were suffering "profound levels of tiredness". Full story, from the Daily Telegraph ___________________________
The Ashanti Region has been identified as leading in the number of road accidents during the first half of [last] year.... There is no proper scientific basis to explain the varying accident rates in the country but human error is said to be the major factor in accident occurrence in the country. Despite the fact that the National Road Safety Commission has embarked on a number of sensitisation programmes to educate drivers and other road users on road safety measures and precautions, there has not been a corresponding behavioural response that can lead to attitudinal change. Most drivers still run the red light, while others drink and drive. Poor vehicle maintenance also leads to the occurrence of accidents on the country's roads. According to the Acting Executive Director of the NRSC, Mr. Noble Appiah, the commission intends to strengthen the Regional Road Safety Committees to ensure that the education conducted on a regional basis makes the needed impact.... The Road Safety Commission is determined to reduce the present level of deaths resulting from accidents from 27 per 10,000 vehicles to a single digit by 2020 and to promote best road safety practice for all road users. Full story, from Ghana Web ___________________________
Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei recorded an increase in road traffic deaths last year compared to the year before, Fire Services Department statistics revealed.... Twenty deaths were recorded in road accidents last year compared to 12 in 2003 and 18 in 2002.... Interestingly, the number of road accident injuries last year was down at 183 compared to 248 the year before.... Full story, from Brudirect ___________________________
On Monday (January 16) "Russia registered 362 road accidents in which 70 people died, 422 were injured, and 351 rescued." [Source: Interfax (Politics)]
DSA Comments: Given the stated 2003 death toll in the Russian Federation -- 35,600 lives lost -- the number of deaths on an average day would be 98. View a table showing the per capita death rates for almost 50 countries, here. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
MUSCAT — The weekly statistics issued by the Directorate-General of Traffic at the Royal Oman Police showed that 126 road accidents occurred from January 8 to 14, killing seven persons and injuring 72. Of them, 76 were collisions between vehicles, 9 run-overs, 9 turnovers and 32 collisions with stationary objects. The most fatal among them was a collision which occurred in the Dakhiliyah region killing two persons and injuring two. Speed and reckless driving caused the accident. [Source: The Times of Oman] ___________________________
FRANKFURT - The European Commission allocated a radar frequency on Monday that will let cars with the proper equipment detect nearby objects and warn drivers to avoid them, German-American automaker DaimlerChrysler said.... The move, set to be implemented in EU member states’ national laws by mid-2005, is an important safety step that may curb the frequency and severity of rear-end accidents or help avoid fender benders while parking.... Full story, from Reuters, via MSNBC ___________________________
GOV. ROBERT L. Ehrlich Jr. may have his faults, but cowardice is not among them. Last week, he walked into Largo High School's gymnasium to tell a packed audience of teenagers why he's cracking down on their driving privileges. And you know what? He wasn't even booed. Automobile accidents are the leading killer of teens, and many in the audience knew of at least one highway casualty. Mr. Ehrlich and first lady Kendel Ehrlich said they spoke as concerned parents. The students seemed to understand. What Mr. Ehrlich has proposed are three modest, but not insignificant, changes to the state's restrictions on teen drivers. He would extend the learner's permit period from four to six months and toughen the 18-month provisional license restrictions. He would also mandate that any driver under the age of 21 convicted of a drunken or drugged driving offense have his or her license suspended for at least three years or until age 21, whichever is longer. Experts say all three could help lower the teen accident and fatality rates. Under Mr. Ehrlich's proposal, a teen with a provisional license who gets caught driving without a seatbelt or violating the curfew restrictions would face a mandatory 90-day license suspension followed by a restart of his 18-month "clock.".... Read the full article, from the Baltimore Sun ___________________________
Small fines imposed on reckless drivers of long distance passenger buses are some of the major causes of increasing road accidents.... In a week-long survey on the country’s major highways, The Guardian has established that the punishment was not deterrent and many drivers were more than willing to be fined. The highest fine is 20,000/-, an amount which police also admit is insignificant, especially if by breaking the law, a driver would make more money. The Guardian has also learnt that the police attribute the rising number of accidents to speeding and tyre bursts. A speeding driver loses control or collides head-on with another ‘crazy’ driver. In an exclusive interview, Acting Iringa Regional Police Commander Killo Mdoe suggested a review of road rules and proposed heavy penalties for offenders. Mdoe was of the view that violators of the Highway Code should be accorded a ‘befitting treatment’ of people convicted of murder. Commenting, Iringa Regional Commissioner James Luhanga said some habitual offenders carry with them large sums of money for paying fines and bribing traffic police. The Guardian also conducted a survey on the ‘hectic’ Dar es Salaam – Arusha Highway, a gateway to Nairobi in Kenya and Tanga and Mombasa in the east of the country. Speaking in his office, Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander Mohammed Chicco conceded that most of the drivers willfully commit the offence because there is only a small fine to pay. He also proposed heavy penalties on reckless drivers, saying this would deter them from violating laws and causing accidents.... When approached for comments, Arusha Regional Police Commander James Kombe said his office had closed down all police check points and accused them of breeding corrupt police. He said traffic police in the region were conducting impromptu road patrols on the major roads, adding that the number of accidents had since, gone down.... Read the detailed, full story, from The Guardian, via IPP Media ___________________________
The State Administration of Work Safety, China's top work safety watchdog, has set new targets to reduce fatal accidents in dangerous occupations and sectors, such as mining and road traffic.... Statistics indicate that road accidents led all categories. "The violation of the traffic rules is the major reason behind the occurrence of these traffic accidents," said Wang Jinbiao, vice-director of the Administration of Communications under the Ministry of Public Security, during an interview last week. For example, speeding reckless driving, poor road conditions and over-loaded vehicles have led to frequent accidents, Wang noted. China is striving to lower the growth rate of deaths from road accidents by 1.5 per cent this year.... Full story, from China Daily Related story
BEIJING --The total number of traffic accidents in China last year, dropped by more than 20 percent last year. But the number of deaths increased by about three percent, raising concerns about what can be done to make our roads safer. More people in China are buying cars; more goods are being transported; and the building boom means construction materials are being transported and more workers are using the roads. Fatalities from traffic accidents are also increasing. "There are many reasons for the frequent traffic accidents, including China's under-developed roads, highways, and vehicles, as well as a poor public awareness of traffic safety," said Sun Huashan, deputy director of the State Administration of Work Safety. In the past year, a national road safety campaign has been launched to reduce traffic accidents. The campaign includes checking the qualifications of driving schools and has resulted in the shutdown of 500 unqualified schools. Checks on drivers have also been increased and more than one million drivers found breaking the road rules have been sent back to driving schools to re-sit their exams.... The condition of China's roads is also in the spotlight, with many dangerous or worn roads being fixed. Official figures show that the number of traffic accidents last year dropped from 650 thousand in 2003, to about 500 thousand last year, a drop of 20 percent. However, the death toll in 2004 reached 107 thousand, 3,000 more than in 2003. Sun Huashan said the figures are accurate. "The number of accidents and the death toll was counted by the police who went to the accidents, therefore the figures are very accurate. It seems that the number of traffic accidents is dropping, but it's hard to change the status quo," he explained.... Officials say drink driving, speeding and driving without a license are responsible for the majority of accidents. Full story, from Xinhuanet
DSA Comments: There seemingly is some controversy over the true number of people killed in crashes on China's roads, with one independent estimate suggesting that the figure is actually over 238,500. To view comparative per capita fatality rates for 2003, from almost 50 countries, click here. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc.
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The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) and the Traffic Injury
Research Foundation (TIRF) are organizing a major, international
conference on Distracted Driving, Goals of the conference:
To receive further information about the conference as details become known, send your contact information (name, organization etc.) with your email address to: tirf@trafficinjuryresearch.com.
For details of other safety conferences, etc., visit the DSA Events Page
The juxtaposition of these two articles is not coincidental!
In a report from the 2005 North American International Auto Show, Detroit, the Detroit News tells us "Forget the view, the real show is inside the vehicle."
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WASHINGTON -- A teenager's senseless death on a Florida interstate nine years ago sparked driver's license changes nationwide that are saving hundreds of young people's lives and averting thousands of crashes. The new approach makes teens wait longer to obtain unrestricted licenses and requires more adult supervision of novice drivers. It also keeps young passengers out of the cars of teens who are learning to drive and reduces night driving. The changes "always made a lot of sense," said Allan Williams, the chief scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Arlington, Va., a research and communications group. But state lawmakers rejected them as unfair for years. As the Los Angeles Times put it in a 1983 editorial, "It is contrary to the nature of teenagers to be home from a date by midnight." So until Tiffany Accardi, 16, of DeBary, Fla., plowed the 1992 Pontiac Sunbird her father had bought her into an oncoming Honda sedan on I-95 near Titusville on Labor Day 1995, state lawmakers ignored some hair-raising findings about young drivers. Among them: Drivers ages 16 and 17 have the highest crash rate per mile of any age group. Their risk is nearly three times that for drivers 18 and 19. Since 1996, when Florida toughened its standards, all but three U.S. states -- Kansas, Montana and Wyoming -- have imposed new limits, which are lifted in stages as drivers gain experience. Nationwide, the tougher laws are producing heartening numbers: Fatalities and injury-causing wrecks fell 32 percent among Michigan's youngest drivers, compared with the years before the new restrictions were in effect. North Carolina's fell 28 percent, Ohio's 24 percent, California's 17 percent and Florida's 11 percent. Outcomes vary from state to state largely because their laws vary. But it's clear that the tougher the rule, the more lives saved.... Read the rest of this gratifying article here, from the Lexington Herald-Leader, KY. ___________________________
SAINT-MARTIN D'ESTREAUX: Fifty-two occupants of a French coach taking schoolchildren home from a winter sports holiday were injured when the vehicle hit a traffic island and went off the road in cold and foggy weather, rescue officials said. Seven of the injured were seriously hurt. They included the driver, who was aged 70, and five children. The accident occurred at around 2am yesterday on a trunk road in the central Loire region. Police said a breathalyser test on the driver was negative.... [Source: Gulf Daily News]
DSA Comments: It is not possible to let this item pass without some mention of the driver's age. It may well have been irrelevant on this occasion but must surely be one area of concern. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
The government will embark on a road safety campaign using cutting-edge technology in concert with the GPS car navigation systems found in many vehicles. It plans to develop a system that automatically transmits expressway accident and traffic condition information to dashboard-mounted global positioning system displays. The use of information technology to ease traffic congestion and prevent accidents forms part of an intelligent transportation system. The developers are working to enable the system to detect and warn drivers of black ice and potential head-on collisions at intersections. They expect the system to contribute to a dramatic increase in road safety. The Construction and Transport Ministry plans to install the system by fiscal 2007 at sharp bends in city expressways, including the Tokyo and Hanshin expressway networks, where a high number of collisions occur.... The government will also begin working on a system to enable cars to communicate with each other to prevent accidents.... Much more detail in the full article, from the Daily Yomiuri ___________________________
A Queensland woman caught drag racing along a busy suburban road at 144km/h [90mph] in a 60 [38mph] zone with three young children in the back seat says getting caught is her only regret. Rachael Weymouth appeared in Redcliffe Magistrates Court this week after being clocked doing 84km/h over the speed limit with children aged one, five and seven in the hotted-up car. Two of the children were hers, the other her sister's. Weymouth, 27, from Margate in Redcliffe, was racing a friend, Michael Torrisi, 25, who had his fiance and 18-month-old child in his car, along Redcliffe's busy Anzac Ave when caught by police on a Sunday afternoon in December. A child protection group says the incident amounts to child abuse and are calling for the children of the offending pair to be taken away from them until a proper investigation can be conducted. [Source: NEWS.com] ___________________________
The Road Safety Council of Northern Ireland is on a mission to re-invigorate the Newry/Banbridge Road Safety Committee. "If we don't get involved we won't make an impact," said Stephen Melville, executive officer for the council. Members of the public are invited to an open meeting at... [which they can] elect a new committee and identify key local volunteers, in a bid to get local people more involved and to rejuvenate enthusiasm and ideas for road safety. The primary aims of the council are to educate the public and promote initiatives in road safety. "As a voluntary organisation, funded mostly by the DoE, we are able to reach local communities through our network of Road Safety Committees, of which there are currently 25 across the province," Mr Melville said.... He added: "It is an important function to have in any community. "Even though we seem to constantly face an uphill battle in combating the appalling statistics on our roads, it is one which can only be addressed by local communities becoming involved." Full story (with details of the venue), from the Belfast Telegraph ___________________________
Buckling up for safety while riding in a car shouldn't be a civil-liberties issue. It's just plain common sense. But state Sen. Gary Siplin says he plans to oppose a proposed law that would allow police to stop and ticket motorists who aren't wearing seat belts. Under existing Florida law, police can give a ticket for failing to wear a seat belt only if an officer stopped the car for some other infraction. Siplin's rationale: The proposed law gives police an excuse to stop and hassle black and Hispanic motorists. That thinking, though, ignores the fact that the proposal is a lifesaver -- a black lifesaver. Research conducted six years ago by Meharry Medical College -- a black school in Nashville -- concluded that if all African-Americans used seat belts, 1,300 lives could be saved annually.... ....Failure to follow the law requiring seat-belt use is appalling. Tough enforcement is needed. But that's impossible with Florida's flaccid seat-belt enforcement law.... There's a simple solution for anyone who is worried the police would use this law to unfairly target them to be stopped: Wear your seat belt. Your life depends on it. Read the detailed and well-written full story, by David Porter, for the Orlando Sentinel (registration required) ___________________________
WASHINGTON -- The government is falling short of its longstanding goal for cutting the nation's alcohol-related traffic deaths, and traffic fatalities involving drinking remain stubbornly stable at about 17,000 a year, according to transportation safety officials and private groups. Meeting the target, they say, might save as many as 1,700 lives a year. Federal and state safety officials spoke of meeting [a] lower target by the end of 2004, and although the final data have not been assembled, they now say the efforts will probably fall short. In 2001, in an effort to focus on a single nationwide goal, the agency aimed to reduce alcohol-related traffic deaths to a rate of 0.53 per 100 million miles traveled by all vehicles by the end of 2004. In 2003, the most recent year for which comprehensive statistics are available, the rate was 0.59. While the figure has been going down, to reach the target it would have had to plummet by an additional 10 percent last year, much faster than in previous years. "To be intellectually honest with you, I don't think we're going to make it," Dr. Jeffrey W. Runge, the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said Thursday in an interview.... "If we can get [the less effective] states to the national average, we'll be 80 percent of the way to meeting our goal," Dr. Runge said. He said some states with high alcohol-related traffic fatality rates had not done much with the federal government to reduce deaths. But he listed 13 states with severe impaired-driving problems that appeared willing to improve: Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia. Read much more detail in the full story, from the New York Times (registration required).
DSA Comments: Countries which perform more successfully at curbing drunk driving, most notably Sweden and Norway, and -- in the extent of its success -- Australia, have a range of measures, each of which may be effective in certain areas of the problem: -- Less restrictions on officers in terms of the reasons needed to stop a vehicle (e.g. Great Britain) -- More flexibility in allowing random testing, and doing so without prior publicity (e.g. Australia) -- No requirement for field sobriety testing (a simple breath test being mandatory and sufficient proof for arrest) -- Lower blood-alcohol limits (e.g. Sweden, Norway, and most countries where the BAC limit is known -- table here) Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
ADRIAN, Mich. -- A woman who admitted drinking three glasses of Listerine mouthwash had a blood-alcohol content more than three times the legal limit when she was arrested for drunken driving, police said Friday. [Police Sgt. Mike Shadbolt said the woman] was to be arraigned late next week on a misdemeanor charge of operating under the influence of liquor.... Police also found an open bottle of Listerine in [the woman's] and asked Lenawee County prosecutors Friday to authorize a warrant charging her with having an open intoxicant in a motor vehicle. [She] showed signs of intoxication after her car rear-ended another vehicle Sunday, Shadbolt said. She told police she had not consumed any alcohol and also passed a Breathalyzer test, but "there was something not quite right about her," Shadbolt said. She failed a second test using different equipment and, under further questioning, admitted to drinking three glasses of Listerine earlier in the day, Shadbolt said.... According to Listerine manufacturer Pfizer Inc.'s Web site, original formula Listerine contains 26.9 percent alcohol, more than four times that of many malt liquors. Other varieties contain 21.6 percent alcohol.... Penalties for a first-time drunken driving conviction include a maximum 93 days in jail, $500 fine, 360 hours of community service, six points on a driver's license and 180 days with a suspended license.... Full story, from the Detroit Free Press ___________________________
Three Saved by the Belt awards were presented by the Glen Carbon Police Department [IL] this week to two brothers and a young woman who survived traffic crashes because they were buckled up. "We hope the program will bring about more public awareness of the safety belt's value in a positive manner rather than through the negative experience of getting a traffic citation," Detective Ned Miller, coordinator of Glen Carbon's 2004 safety program, stated. The Saved by the Belt program was created by the Illinois Department of Transportation in an effort to increase awareness of the lifesaving value of safety belts. The award recognizes people who survived traffic crashes because they were buckled up.... Full article, from the Edwardsville Intelligencer
DSA Comments: It would appear from reading the full article that these awards are only given to people who can be deemed to be blameless in the relevant crash, and if that is the case then it may be a very good way to draw attention to this crucial issue. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
As surely as South Africans head for the coast for their summer holidays each year, so the media can be relied upon to express outrage over the carnage on the roads. SA's road death toll is indeed a national scandal almost half of the people who die violently in the country every year are killed in vehicle-related incidents, giving us one of the worst records in the world. But the mistake that is made year after year is to regard this as a problem that is peculiar to the holiday season. There is also a tendency to compare absolute mortality figures year on year, when vehicle ownership is increasing 3%-4% a year, making such comparisons meaningless. It is true that a disproportionately large number of the deaths occur in December and January, but that is because there are far more vehicles on the road. Measured in terms of deaths per 100-million kilometres travelled, the summer holiday season is in fact the safest time to venture onto SA's roads. This would indicate that contrary to conventional wisdom the transport department's Arrive Alive campaign has been relatively successful, concentrating as it does on raising public awareness before and during the busiest period. Last month's road accident figures are scheduled to be released later today , and the indications are that they will reflect a slight improvement on December 2003 once the annual increase in traffic volumes has been taken into account.... Of the 34 South Africans who are killed on our roads on an average day, 15 are pedestrians. If that is not shocking enough, research indicates that seven out of every 10 adult pedestrian victims have alcohol in their systems. It is entirely appropriate, then, that Arrive Alive's media campaign has concentrated on pedestrians this year, with an emphasis on educating the large numbers of poor South Africans who have little choice but to walk on the side of the road to get from A to B, and about the dangers of doing so while under the influence of alcohol. But while the Arrive Alive campaign is both necessary and under-appreciated, it is clearly addressing the symptoms of the problem rather than the cause.... Full story, from Business Day, Johannesburg, via allAfrica ___________________________
Nick Hall's Hilarious Account of Taking a Porsche 911 Turbo-S on the Famous, German Nurbuergring Race Track .....Safety-conscious Scot Jackie Stewart dubbed the Nurbuergring 'The Green Hell' before its long tenure as an F1 circuit came to an abrupt end in 1976, when Niki Lauda's face melted like the Wicked Witch of the West in a fire. The grand prix boys requested a new circuit, the Southern Loop, but it's a pale-pink imitation of the neighboring track. While the Nordschleife was deemed too dangerous for the world's best drivers and most advanced cars, club racing still comes--even at night during the annual 24-hour spectacular. It also seemed rational to reclassify this 14-mile sliver of winding tarmac as a public toll road to nowhere and open all 157 corners on set days of the month. Welcome to the Cresta Run, with wheels. Bikes, cars, vans, trucks, ambulances and tour buses all take to the circuit at the same time, a recipe for disaster in anyone's books, and it costs EUR12 a lap or EUR700 for an entire year's pass. An electronic car-park gate leads onto the world's craziest road. There are no safety briefings, no squadron of marshals on every bend and precious few rules. Most concern procedures if you come across an accident. Fail to follow them and you could be jailed, incidentally..... Full test drive report, from European Car ___________________________
Six passengers were killed when an Iraqi bus collided with a US tank that was on patrol today. The mini-bus had moved into the lane for oncoming traffic to try to pass a slow vehicle, said US Major Neal O’Brien. The bus smashed into the front of the tank, as the tank driver tried to veer out of the way, O’Brien said. The tank crew, which had been on patrol in Muqdadiyah, north of Baghdad, stopped to treat the eight wounded survivors, he added. [Source: The Scotsman] ___________________________
....At the moment we have haulage trucks and tractors as the biggest hazard on the highways. These guys have a habit of parking their trucks on the road without any reflective warning anywhere and as such there have been many people dying after crushing into these vehicles, but no one has done anything about it. As for the tractors 95 percent of them have no lights but you find them on the roads at night.... Full letter, as published in the Financial Gazette ___________________________
An increase in road fatalities in some country areas last year was an indictment on the NSW Government and its continued neglect of country roads, the Member for Orange Russell Turner said yesterday. The number of road fatalities in some parts of country NSW rose last year, even though the State road toll dropped. Mr Turner said it was "unforgivable" that the government acknowledged higher fatality rates occurred in some country areas but was not prepared to put in place adequate financing to upgrade roads and help reduce the toll. However, Acting Roads Minister David Campbell denied the government was skimping on country roads, saying $1.5 billion, or 64 per cent of all road works funding, would go to rural and regional NSW this year. This was up from $1.34 billion last year, he said.... Full story, from the Central Western Daily ___________________________
LOS ANGELES – Getting a driver’s license at 16 has long been a rite of passage. The learner’s permit at 15, the hair-raising driving practice with the shrieking parent, the dreaded clipboard guy at the motor vehicle department administering the road test, the first sobering crash involving a classmate – for better and worse, the rush for the license is so culturally enshrined that its particulars verge on cliche. But quietly, while the adults weren’t looking, teens have stopped driving at 16 the way they used to. In a shift that has overtaken the culture virtually without notice, a confluence of forces has redefined the concept of “driving age.” Poorer young people, tougher licensing laws, shifting teen attitudes, protective baby boom parents, soaring auto insurance premiums – these and other factors appear to have conspired to keep not just the majority of 16-year-olds, but more teens of all ages from driving. Only 43 percent of all 16- and 17-year-old Americans were licensed in 2002, the last year for which statistics were available, according to the Federal Highway Administration and U.S. Census Bureau. In 1992, that figure was nearly 52 percent. Meanwhile, in supposedly car-addicted California, teens are even less likely to be driving. Slightly fewer than 27 percent – about 1 in 4 – of the state’s 16- and 17-year-olds were licensed last year, a figure that has been sliding since at least 1978, when it was 50.1 percent.... Full story, from the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette ___________________________
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Traffic death rates dropped sharply in several states that have strengthened their seat belt laws to the toughest on the books, a leading highway safety group said on Thursday. An analysis of federal crash data by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety concluded that fatality rates in nine states and the District of Columbia fell by an estimated 7 percent when they adopted primary seat belt laws. They made the change at different times between 1989 and 2003. "In states with primary laws, safety belt use rates are higher. The result is that crash deaths are reduced," said Susan Ferguson, senior vice president of the safety organization funded by the insurance industry.... Ferguson said about 700 lives would be saved annually if the 28 states without primary belt laws were to adopt the tougher standard. More than 42,000 people were killed on U.S. roads in 2003, according to the last available figures. Read the full article, from Reuters
Also see the full, original news release from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, here. ___________________________
Safety proponents ask America's drivers to let up on the gas and auto makers to tone down their commercials Activists and officials are worried that decades of gains from safer vehicles are being diluted by a new crop of hot cars, hot drivers and overheated advertising. So they're pressuring the federal government to help, and organizing a safety "summit" to put on the brakes. The activists point to the growing number of cars equipped with high-powered engines with 400, and even 500, horsepower. They are unhappy, as well, about ads for the newest generation of high performance cars that emphasize speed. "We want the car companies to really look at their ads and to be more responsible," said Jonathan Adkins, a spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association. Federal regulators recognize the problem but are reluctant to try to force changes. "I think you have to differentiate the performance of a vehicle versus the driver's misuse of that performance," said Jeffrey Runge, who is the nation's top auto safety official as administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. But, he said in an interview yesterday, carmakers have a responsibility to understand the potential impact of their advertising. "I'm really not inclined to jawbone the industry into toning down their ads," he said, "but I would like them to be mindful of the messages being sent, particularly to younger drivers, about speed and performance." In June, the safety agency plans to sponsor what organizers are calling a summit in Washington at which an international group of safety experts and activists and law enforcement and other government officials are expect to explore ideas for slowing down America.... Full story, from Newsday
DSA Comments: While obviously recognizing that speed is a very frequent and serious factor in crash causation, we would like to view proven research specifically on the involvement of the high-price, high-powered cars to which this article at least partially refers, for it is quite possible that people who buy vehicles of this caliber may be prone to take great care of the car that they love! We support the GHSA call for responsibility from auto makers when planning their commercials but at the same time we support Dr. Runge's comment for NHTSA that "you have to differentiate the performance of a vehicle versus the driver's misuse of that performance." Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) - A car veered across a highway median Wednesday and slammed into a sport utility vehicle, killing all five people in the car, authorities said. The accident triggered some chain-reaction crashes and closed northbound lanes of Interstate 75 near Naples for about four hours, said Lt. Vent Crawford of the Florida Highway Patrol.... The weather was clear and not believed to have been a factor in the crash. Full story, from AP, via the Buffalo News
DSA Comments: Even this brief report highlights two important safety messages: 1. Median guard rails (or central crash barriers, if you prefer that terminology) are vital on divided highways (dual carriageways); 2. The chain-reaction crashes because people were driving too close -- period! If drivers observe "the 2-second, 4-second, 10-second rule," (as dictated by the weather conditions) then not only can they avoid crashing into a dangerous incident, ahead, but by giving themselves the time and the space to brake safely they can also reduce the likelihood of being hit by the vehicle behind. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
Just as you can screen for high cholesterol or high blood pressure, AAA today introduced a first-of-its kind scientifically valid tool designed to help seniors screen for their driving health in the privacy of their homes. Roadwise Review: A Tool to Help Seniors Drive Safely Longer, is a CD-ROM that measures eight physical and mental abilities shown to be the strongest predictors of crash risk among older drivers and provides feedback to guide the user's decision about their ability to drive safely. ___________________________
LAGOS (Reuters) - Twenty-one people were killed and 27 others wounded in a road accident involving three passenger buses on a motorway in southwestern Nigeria, police said on Wednesday. Police said the accident happened early on Tuesday when a speeding 60-seater bus veered off its lane on the Ibadan-Ife motorway and collided with another bus travelling in the opposite direction. A third bus then rammed into the wreckage. Fatal crashes are frequent on Nigerian roads and road safety officials usually blame speeding, poorly maintained vehicles and overloading. Motorists attribute the accidents to oil-rich Nigeria's crumbling highway network. [Source: Reuters AlertNet Foundation] ___________________________
WASHINGTON - As Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) anticipates its 25th anniversary later this year, the organization released today a new Law Enforcement Leadership Summit Report in support of law enforcement's efforts to stop drunk driving and lower the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities. MADD's new report includes six recommendations for increasing the use of general deterrence strategies to stop drunk driving-such as sobriety checkpoints, more training and resources for law enforcement, enhanced criminal justice system efficiency, and for the prevention of drunk driving to be a key priority for law enforcement leaders. The call for renewed enforcement efforts grew out of a 2004 MADD Law Enforcement Leadership Summit of more than 50 law enforcement leaders and traffic safety professionals from around the country along with organizations such as the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), National Sheriffs' Association (NSA), National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and the Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association (HAPCOA).... ___________________________
AAA To Release First Home Based Tool to Reduce Senior Driver Crash Risk and Let Seniors Drive Safely Longer People over 65 are the fastest-growing population in the United States and by 2020 there will be more than 40 million licensed drivers ages 65 and older. Because of their fragility, seniors have the highest crash death rate per mile of everyone except teenagers. AAA will release a first-of-its-kind, scientifically validated tool that identifies declines in functional abilities that increase crash risk in older drivers and provides them with the remedies to reduce that crash risk. This driver screening tool can be used in the privacy of one's home and its results are confidential. It will address the eight mental and physical abilities shown to be the strongest predictors of crash risk among older drivers. AAA will also release a national survey that examines the concerns of senior drivers. The conference will feature: Robert L. Darbelnet, AAA President and CEO; Loren Staplin, PhD, Principal, TransAnalytics; Bella Dinh-Zarr, PhD, AAA Director of Traffic Safety Policy; and Elin Schold-Davis, American Occupational Therapists Assoc. Venue: January 12, 2005 10 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time). National Press Club, First Amendment Room, 529 14th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. ___________________________
Here's another sign that times have definitely changed for the auto industry: safety is selling. A tour of the 2005 North American International Auto Show proves that safety features are now as much a part of the cutthroat competition in the U.S. auto market as horsepower and styling. Automakers are racing each other to offer the latest safety gear and package them in ways that give them an edge with consumers. If they skimp on safety, automakers are taking a big risk. Once a technology becomes widespread and consumers become aware of it, they expect it. There's no going back.... Full story here, from the Detroit News ___________________________
DETROIT - Kia on Tuesday said it will make full-length side-curtain airbags standard on all of its vehicles by the end of 2005. The South Korean company, struggling to boost its reputation and vehicle quality ratings in the United States, is the world's first automaker to announce such a plan. Side-curtain airbags, designed to protect an occupant's head in a side-impact crash, are increasingly being requested by car shoppers but not mandated by the government.... Full story, from the Detroit News ___________________________
Volvo's latest concept car, the 3CC, is the result of advanced research by the Volvo Monitoring and Concept Centre in California into the future of sustainable mobility, and... is now making its show debut in Detroit with first news of its advanced interior which incorporates a unique innovation for safety in small cars - the Volvo Safety Ride Down Concept.
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Advanced technology and safety features are coming this year to Honda models in the U.S. market, Takeo Fukui, company president and CEO, said Tuesday at the North American International Auto Show. In the fall the 2006, Acura RL will be equipped with a "collision mitigation brake system" that uses radar to detect collisions and apply braking force to lessen the severity of a crash. The seatbelt also is pre-tensioned before an accident.... Full story, from the Detroit News ___________________________
OYSTER BAY, NY -- 2004 marked some significant milestones with regard to automotive safety, and the majority of these have come from Japanese automakers, according to a new study from ABI Research. "Japanese automakers have been aggressively rolling out a new generation of vehicle safety systems, while North American and European OEMs have been playing catch-up," claims Frank Viquez, ABI Research's Director of Automotive Research. "What is important to note here is that the introduction of these systems are just stepping stones towards a larger plan to integrate all these ancillary systems into one fully interactive and sophisticated safety system." Viquez adds that in 2004 Honda and Toyota were the first non-luxury automakers to commit to installing electronic stability control and antilock brake systems across their entire North American light truck model range, while Nissan was the first to introduce a lane departure warning system on a North American passenger car. Toyota was also the first OEM to introduce a low-speed adaptive cruise control system on a production vehicle.... ___________________________
Michigan - A man retrieved his sports car from a brazen thief after hanging on to the back of vehicle while calling police as the thief drove off at speeds of up to [80mph]. Tony Young challenged the [thief] but the car sped off. He jumped on the back of the car and managed to grab hold of the rear spoiler. Young, 35, of Swartz Creek, somehow managed to call 911 on his cellphone as his Ford Mustang Coupe sped through Flint in Michigan. [The car had been stolen once before and] he told the Flint Journal: "I wasn't letting it go again. That car's my pride and joy."... As the car went faster and faster and swerved back and forth, Young hung on and gave police a running commentary. At one stage, he was hanging on to the back of the car and skiing with his feet on the snowy road. He says he thought he was going to die when the car turned on to a motorway [sic]. The chase finally ended when the thief stopped the car and fled on foot. He was caught by police about 10 minutes. Amazingly, Young was unhurt. Full story here, as reported by IOL in South Africa. ___________________________
(Lincoln, Neb.) Attorney General Jon Bruning today announced that he will appeal the excessively lenient drunk driving sentence of Melvin Rice of Sioux City, Iowa, to the Nebraska Supreme Court. Rice, 67, was sentenced to three years probation by Dakota County District Court Judge Maurice Redmond last year after his 12th drunk driving arrest. Rice has 11 previous convictions for drunk driving on his record. He was sentenced to probation on the most recent charge after agreeing to a plea bargain that reduced the drunk driving charge to driving while his license was revoked.... Attorney General Bruning said, “Mr. Rice has shown repeated disregard for the law that we cannot continue to tolerate. His record clearly indicates that he will not stop driving under the influence of alcohol. We cannot wait to take action until he kills an innocent bystander.”... Full story, from South West Nebraska News ___________________________
.....28-year-old Shanna Tottress and her four children, who were 15, 13, 8 and 5, were killed when their car spun out of control on a wet state highway 51 [last week]. Full story, from KOTV ___________________________
Firstly, three thematic briefings on the Road Safety Bill:
And secondly, four recent [Parliamentary] Early Day Motions (EDMs) of particular relevance to transport safety:
[Source: PACTS] ___________________________
To coincide with the Second Reading of the Road Safety Bill, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety today publishes a fresh look at the likely reductions in deaths and serious injuries in drink-drive crashes if the Government lowered the maximum permitted Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) Level from 80mg to 50mg per 100mlle of blood [i.e. the equivalent, in the USA, to BACs of 0.08% and 0.05%, respectively -- DSA]. The fresh estimates have been made by Professor Richard Allsop of the Centre for Transport Studies at University College London....
DSA Comments: Almost a year ago, the British Government failed to reduce the Blood Alcohol Content limit from 0.08% to 0.05%, despite strong guidelines from the European Union urging all member countries to do so, in the light of massive evidence now showing that 0.05% should be the maximum limit at which people can still drive with a reasonable degree of safety. We suggest that whether or not they will change the situation now has much more to do with the risk of Labour losing votes at the forthcoming general election than it does with any desire they may or may not have for saving lives on Britain's roads. We believe their refusal to lower the BAC limit, in 2004, and the planned reduction of penalties for "minor" speeding offences (see the article directly below this) are both cynical adventures in retaining as many votes as possible. In addition, the reduction in the number of traffic patrol police officers in the UK, on the fallacious grounds that the officers had somehow been superceded by red-light and speed-cameras, was another serious setback to road safety. For eight years out of the last sixteen, Britain has had the safest roads of any developed nation in the world, and in the other eight years has mostly held second place, with an occasional third. [Relevant tables here and here.] But in the last 3-4 years we have witnessed other countries gaining ground on Britain's excellent achievements. Yet even though the good progress of all nations is the ultimate and most desirable goal, we believe that Britain could have be making much more progress itself than it currently is. And for that lack of progress we firmly lay the blame at the British Government's door. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
Reducing punishments for minor speeding offences would not encourage drivers to break the limit, Transport Secretary Alistair Darling insisted today. He was defending his proposals to match penalties to how far over the limit motorists drive in the face of fears from Labour backbenchers. Measures paving the way for such a change are included in the Road Safety Bill which was getting its Second Reading in the Commons. While drivers who drive excessively fast would face tougher sanctions, drivers who go slightly over the limit would get just two penalty points not three and a £40 fine – £20 less than today. Rob Marris (Labour, Wolverhampton South West) said he feared such a move could lead to more speeding. “A pedestrian hit at 20 miles per hour has a 95% chance of survival; one hit at 30 miles per hour has a 50% chance of survival; and one hit at 40 miles per hour has a 10% chance of survival...." Full story, from The Scotsman
DSA Comments: Road safety experts throughout Britain are firmly against Alistair Darling's proposal and we agree with them entirely. Differentiation in punishment is appropriate for those who break speed limits by higher margins, so do it! But do it by increasing the penalties further for those more severe offences, not by reducing the penalties lower down the scale. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
KUALA LUMPUR: Seventy-two motorists were slapped with summonses yesterday as police launched an all-out war against those who beat the traffic lights and stopping their vehicles in the yellow boxes in the city. More motorists are expected to receive their summonses in the mail as plainclothes traffic police have also taken photographs of offenders. The two-hour operation, which began at 4.30pm, was held at junctions along Jalan Sultan Ismail. A traffic police spokesman said 48 summonses were issued to motorists who stopped in the yellow boxes, while the rest were for beating the traffic lights.... Full story, from the Malay Mail
DSA Comments: For those not conversant with such, we would point out that the "yellow boxes" referred to above are areas in the middle of junctions (intersections) that are painted with criss-cross yellow lines and they may not be entered unless the vehicle can pass right through the "box" and thereby not create an obstruction if the traffic lights change. It is a useful system that is employed in other countries, too -- including Britain, where they are known as "box junctions" -- and they are very effective in reducing congestion as long enforcement is fairly rigorous. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
Moscow, Russia, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- A revised biography of former Russian leader Boris Yeltsin claims Yeltsin once killed a man while driving drunk and ordered it hushed up.... Full story, from the Washington Times ___________________________
The conductor, who virtually steered an NEKRTC bus with 66 passengers into the Almatti left bank canal in Nidgundi in the wee hours of Monday, killing 58 onboard, has admitted that he took the driver’s seat while the bus was running and lost control. Siddappa Sharanappa Poojari, the conductor, spilled the beans only after Bijapur District Superintendent of Police Seemantkumar Singh and Gandhi Chowk Circle Police Inspector N S Patil grilled him at the district hospital where he was admitted for treatment of minor injuries.... Grilled further, Poojari unfolded the macabre tale of how driver Venkatreddy complained of feeling sleepy and he offered to drive. He came forward and took over the driver’s seat even as the bus was in motion. Just then the bend in the road appeared and he lost control, sending the bus hurtling into the canal. He broke open the glass panes and got out to safety.... Full story, from the Deccan Herald ___________________________
Delhi Traffic Police has been awarded this year's Institute of Road Traffic Education and Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for its contributions towards development of road safety. Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit and British Deputy High Commissioner Marc Runacres presented the award on January 7, Delhi Traffic Police said in a release here. The award was insituted in 2002 for global encouragement in building a positive road culture through safety attitude and good practices. [PTI] [Source: New Kerala] ___________________________
The Transport Ministry promised yesterday to provide funding for regional authorities as part of yet another campaign to improve Greece’s poor road safety record. During a meeting with regional officials through whose areas of jurisdiction national highways pass, Transport Minister Michalis Liapis said European Union and national funds would be provided to pay for improvements to road surfaces, lighting and signposting. Furthermore, regional authorities will contribute to the policing of highways, focusing on heavy vehicles.... At the same time, Liapis promised to “rationalize” the speed limits for the entire road network, which are often criticized as too strict at certain points. [Source: Kathimerini] ___________________________
A new strategy for policing the roads was today announced by Alistair Darling, Secretary of State for Transport, Home Office Minister Caroline Flint and Richard Brunstrom, Head of Road Policing for the Association of Chief Police Officers. Read this important press release here. ___________________________
Traffic police are taking a tough line with motorists for 2005 – the New Year message is shut up and belt up while driving. Operation Twin is running all this month as part of the on-going campaign to improve road safety throughout the Avon and Somerset force area by ensuring motorists are complying with mobile phone and seat belt legislation. New legislation concerning the use of mobile phones in vehicles has been in place for more than a year. Under the legislation, it is an offence for anyone to use a hand-held phone while driving a motor vehicle. But there is evidence to suggest that the number of motorists using a mobile phone whilst driving is increasing. The offence also applies to anyone who permits someone to drive whilst using a mobile phone, such as an employer or learner-driver supervisor. [In addition], research suggests that nationwide, around 12 per cent of drivers are still not complying with seatbelt legislation. Sergeant Carolyn Crocker from the Road Policing Unit, said: “It is well accepted that seatbelts are intended to reduce the severity of injuries suffered by vehicle occupants during road traffic collisions. “They are designed to retain the occupants in their seats, preventing them from being thrown about inside the vehicle or being ejected through windows.... “We make no apology for using whatever methods we can to catch those who are not complying with the law. “Not only are they committing offences but, more importantly, are putting their lives – and those of other road users – at risk and that is something we are determined to crack down on.” Full article, from the Avon and Somerset Police ___________________________
The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and Siemens VDO Automotive have teamed to create "Tire IQ," the most advanced tire information system to be developed.... "For the past 100 years, a vehicle's performance was based solely on the mechanical properties of tires," said Joe Gingo, Goodyear's Chief Technical Officer. "By extending the vehicle electronics to the tire with a system such as Tire IQ, we can now add an advanced level of performance monitoring and control."... ___________________________
It's just past midnight. Headlights begin to flare. Highway traffic is sparse and you're on the road, drowsy from a long day. Your eyelids start to droop and instead closing for a blink they shut for almost a full second and drift open. Zip. Your seat belt tightens against your chest. Thump, thump, thump. It taps on your left shoulder with a wake-up call. The technology is what the auto industry calls an active safety system, which aims to prevent accidents using sensors, cameras, alerts and in some cases brakes and steering to avoid a collision. Troy, Mich.-based Delphi Corp. demonstrated the seat-belt technology, fitted in a Volvo XC90 sport-utility vehicle, during Convergence 2004, a recent industry conference at Detroit's Cobo Center for automotive electronics. While [some] drivers still long for cutting-edge audio systems, satellite radios and fancy navigational tools, the prevailing focus is back on safety and driving performance.... The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said upcoming safety technology could decrease the number of crashes caused by driver distraction, lane changes and rear-end accidents by 1 million annually.... Full story, from Knight Ridder Newspapers, via the Buffalo News ___________________________
Last year 78 people died in road accidents around the country. The figure was not an improvement from the previous year. Just when road safety stakeholders were hoping for better things to happen in 2005, an eight-year-old girl was mowed down by a van on New Year's Day. On the same day, a 38-year-old woman [fell] from a moving vehicle at Vunimoli outside Labasa. She died three days later. The deaths brought the number of road fatalities to two this year, compared to none for the same period last year, said police spokeswoman Inspector Unaisi Vuniwaqa. The National Road Safety Council, Land Transport Authority and police have vowed to bring down the number of people killed on our roads. Council director Timoci Satakala said many accidents happened because the drivers did not know the road rules. He said the time taken for a careless driver to appear in court was too long and the penalties issued were too lenient.... [Another area that concerns him is enforcement of the law.] Mr Satakala said when he was in Australia for a seminar, he interviewed some participants and they told him they always drove within the speed limit and obeyed road safety rules. When he asked why, they said they would get caught if they didn't. Mr Satakala said this was the attitude Fiji drivers lacked and the council wanted to change it.... Full story, from the Fiji Times ___________________________
[4,464 people have died on Kentucky roads in the past five years.] ....In each of those years the number of dead has escalated, reaching 955 in 2004. One state official noted that more were killed on Kentucky roads than U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq last year. Further distressing state officials is [the fact] that the carnage occurred on Kentucky roads while the rest of the country saw record-low highway death rates. Last year, for every 100 million miles driven on state roads two Kentuckians died; nationally the rate was 1.4, or 30 percent lower. The Bluegrass state has the 11th highest fatality rate among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Montana has the highest fatality rate. The lowest rates are in Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. What baffles researchers and police is that Kentucky's death rate has increased even as more drivers are buckling up. However, seat-belt use in Kentucky is still relatively low compared with other states, and that's one of several factors listed by researchers as a cause for the state's numbers. Transportation experts also cite drunken driving, speeding, hazardous roads across the state, and hilly terrain in Eastern Kentucky, which has the highest fatality rates in the state.... The rise in rates over the last five years is part of what prompted the state to fund a $100,000 study by the Kentucky Transportation Center in the University of Kentucky's College of Engineering. "I work on it on an absolute daily basis; that is our bread and butter here," said Jerry Pigman, a research engineer and manager of the center's traffic and safety section. "Somebody asked me why the fatal crash rate is going up, and I can't tell you. It is a little bit of a dilemma. Kentucky is not going along with the rest of the country." Pigman and UK researchers will spend the next year poring over state data, examining hundreds of accident reports and looking into victims' socioeconomic backgrounds. Pigman also will examine whether the weather explains it, as some statistics suggest.... Full story, from the Lexington Herald-Leader
DSA Comments: Our first point is that the national VMT ("Vehicle Miles Traveled') death rate in the USA is currently 1.48, not the 1.4 that is quoted above, therefore using that method Kentucky is nearer to 25 percent behind the national rate, rather than 30 percent. Secondly -- a point we have made many times at DSA -- most countries prefer using the "deaths per 100,000 population" (known as the per capita rate) as a measure of road safety. The USA is the only one which shows a strong preference for the VMT rate. At DSA, we have published the per capita rate (2003 data) not only for all thirty member-countries of the OECD but we have also mixed these with the 50 American states so that people can truly see how well or how badly the USA and their own home states are doing. Sadly, using this method of measuring deaths as a proportion of the population, Kentucky is actually 52 percent behind the national average (though the worst state -- Wyoming -- is a colossal 121 percent behind). Click here to view the par capita rates. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
The three horrific traffic accidents that claimed six lives each during the Christmas holiday, and the continued carnage on the roads since then, have raised questions about the status of the national road safety policy, which is aimed at reducing the number of fatalities on the country's roads. Up to December 29, 2004 the number of road deaths stood at 344 - a result of 294 motor vehicle accidents. And while the figure represents a nine per cent decline over the same period in 2003, it does nothing to assuage the concerns of the authorities who are pushing for the implementation of the policy. Six years ago, the increasing number of road fatalities spurred the government to set up the broad-based National Road Safety Council (NRSC) to study the problem and recommend solutions that would lead to necessary amendments to the Road Traffic Act. The initiative has since produced a 30-page draft policy document aimed at slashing the number of road accidents and road fatalities by 25 per cent over the next four years.... According to the draft document, once the policy is approved by the Cabinet, it will be used as the basis for the development of a national programme and action plan that will promote road safety. The Cabinet subcommittee on road safety, which has not met for a while, will have to be reconvened to carry out these steps.... Full article, from the Jamaica Observer ___________________________
New Delhi: For parents worried about the safety of their children boarding school buses, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has an answer: better trained and better educated drivers. "The way these children board these buses and get down from them is frightening, to say the least. We must educate parents and drivers to ensure their safety," said Dikshit at a function Friday evening. Dikshit also promised more state-of-the-art driving schools to check the growing number of road fatalities in the capital. On an average Delhi alone accounts for 2,000 road accident deaths annually, one of the highest fatality rate in the country. Over 80,000 road accident deaths take place in India every year. Dikshit also generously praised the winners of the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) and Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards.... While lauding the winners [of the IRTE awards] British Deputy High Commissioner Mark Runacres said, "Given the number of fatalities every day, the issue deserves as much global attention as the tsunami disaster." The statistics on road safety are indeed grim. Over 1.2 million people are killed every year in road accidents the world over. Developing countries account for 85 per cent of these fatalities and India alone accounts for 10 per cent of this global carnage. Full story, with details of award winners, from New Kerala ___________________________
New Delhi: Rash drivers and adventurous liars, beware. Finally, India has the state-of-the-art mobile laboratory that will nail the alibis of anyone who was involved in a road accident and thought that he could get away by hoodwinking the police. CrashLab - India's first mobile collision and research laboratory - was launched by the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) amidst the chanting of Sanskrit hymns and stirring strains of the Delhi Police band here Saturday. This cutting-edge technology aims to reconstruct the scene of the accident and help establish the causes and consequences of road collisions. For a start, only one mobile laboratory will be used in Delhi. "If this experiment is successful, it will be replicated elsewhere in the country," said Delhi Police Commissioner K K Paul. Out of an estimated 1.4 million road accidents occurring annually in India, only 0.4 million are recorded and a still smaller percentage of the recorded accidents are investigated scientifically. Over 80,000 people die in road accidents in India every year. Full story, from New Kerala ___________________________
Students at Olympia High School on Friday mourned the death of yet another school acquaintance involved in a deadly car crash this week. The latest accident -- Thursday evening -- claimed the life of Dusten Burruezo, a 17-year-old Gotha resident. Burruezo withdrew from the west Orange County school as a junior in October. On Wednesday, classmates of Gaston Roy Johnson Jr., 14, watched in horror as the 14-year-old freshman was hit by an out-of-control sports-utility vehicle. Two teens also involved in Thursday's crash remained hospitalized Friday night. Derrick Linder, a former Olympia High student who transferred to Dr. Phillips High School last year, was listed in stable condition at Orlando Regional Medical Center; David Foyteck, 18, a junior at Olympia, was listed in critical condition. Friday was the third day of school this winter semester, when most students are sharing stories about Christmas gifts and vacation. Instead, between 150 to 200 grief-stricken classmates and friends sought counseling amid a somber start to 2005.... Full story, from the Orlando Sentinel (subscription needed) ___________________________
Pointless, dangerous and vain as ever, land tanks still sell millions. Only one explanation possible: Maybe stupid is too strong a word. Maybe it's more like willful ignorance. More like intentional blindness. More like a calm and conscious denial in the face of a staggering stack of overwhelming facts that if you looked at for even one minute would prove that land tanks are some of the most overrated and silly and harmful and utterly pointless vehicles on the planet. OK, maybe stupid is the right word. Because there really is no other explanation for the still-roaring success of the land tank. Still no other explanation for their bizarre popularity, for the fact that, according to the Census Bureau and despite California's legendary rep for organics and environmentalism and concerns of health and body and air, our fine and heavily Schwarzeneggered state leads the nation in new registrations for SUVs.... And then you hear that, according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, minivans are 10 times safer than SUVs in a crash. Whoops....
This article is a bit of a rant, but it does contain some valid points. You may view it here, from PEJ News. The Peace, Earth & Justice News is produced entirely by volunteers, and is a project of the non-profit Prometheus Institute based in Victoria, Canada. ___________________________
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Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds. So it's a natural inclination for parents to encase new drivers in the largest piece of steel they can find. Many are choosing sport-utility vehicles, the closest thing to a tank on the road. But evidence is mounting that SUVs - especially used models - aren't the safest choice for accident-prone young drivers. National research shows that crash rates, per mile driven, are higher for drivers ages 16 to 19 than for all other age groups. The crash risk for 16- to 17-year-olds is almost three times as high as for 18- to 19-year-olds. In other words, the majority of teens are likely to get into some kind of an accident. It's a question of how bad.... Falsely wrapped in the illusion that vehicle size equals safety, teens tend to drive SUVs too fast, leave inadequate time for braking, and overcorrect in turns - in a vehicle that has a greater tendency to roll over than a car.... Rollovers account for 3 percent of U.S. crashes but a third of driving deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA administrator Jeffrey Runge, a former emergency room physician, remarked bluntly two years ago that he wouldn't let his own child drive a vehicle with a poor rollover rating "if it was the last one on earth." Just as new drivers aren't ready for a Lamborghini, neither are they ready for an Explorer, especially a used one.... The perception of safety doesn't always match reality. Read this excellent editorial, from the Philadelphia Inquirer ___________________________
....An Associated Press review of state and federal records [has] found transportation-related accidents to be the leading cause of work-related deaths for Florida's farm workers, responsible for 83 fatalities and more than 400 injuries since 1992. Only California, which has more farm laborers, has had more such deaths over the past decade. Farmworker advocates say changing Florida law to mandate seatbelts in farmworker vehicles and stepping up enforcement would significantly reduce deaths on and off the highways. Florida has one of the nation's largest migrant farmworker populations, estimated at between 150,000 and 300,000 men and women. Many are illegal immigrants who don't speak English and can't drive themselves because they lack a car or driver's license. They often don't check to see if the vehicles they get into have been insured or inspected as required by law.... Full story, from the Sun-Sentinel ___________________________
NEW DELHI: The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) on Thursday appealed to the government to form a body for combatting the increasing road accident rates in the country. With a fatality rate of 14.54 people per 10,000 vehicles, social cost due to road accidents is over Rs 55,000 crore. [DSA: As we understand it, one crore is 100,000, in which case, this represents about US $126 million.] At a media conference to mark the road safety week, Siam president Jagdish Khattar said while there were efforts towards improving safety on roads, they were scattered and isolated. There is a need for a collective effort as shown by the experience of the developed countries. The key strategy across Europe, US and Japan is to have an apex body that guides and coordinates efforts in this area. Siam has proposed the formation of a national road safety board (NRSB). It has suggested that this institute advise the government on road safety matters and identify priority areas of research besides collating and analysing accident-related data. NRSB can also coordinate safety efforts across issues starting from road construction and design to traffic planning and management, vehicle design and equipment, driver training, licence mechanisms and enforcement. To raise the level of awareness on road safety, Siam has organised a number of training sessions for three-wheeler, bus and truck drivers during the ongoing road safety week..... [Source: Financial Express]
Without improvements in driver behaviour more Australians are likely to die in level crossing (i.e. 'grade crossing') accidents this year, according to new research. A study by the Co-operative Research Centre for Railway Engineering and Technologies found driver behaviour is a key factor in crashes at road-rail intersections. Associate Professor Jeremy Davey of the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety at the Queensland University of Technology said the numbers were a small part of the national road toll but level crossing fatalities can account for up to half of the national rail toll. "And while the numbers killed or injured may seem small, there is always the potential for a catastrophe - a major train derailment resulting in a large number of victims," Associate Professor Davey said. Between 1997 and 2002, rail crashes between vehicles and trains at level crossings took 74 lives, imposing an economic cost of around $50 million. Researchers believe that with more vehicles on the road than previously, more than 12 deaths at level crossings were expected in 2005.... Full story, from The Maitland Mercury
Also see: New Rule on the Conspicuity of Trains at Railroad Crossings (January 3; USA) ___________________________
Michelin has released information and the first photos of its Tweel® technology today, the fusion of the tire and the wheel. Developed in the U.S. at the company's technology center in Greenville, the non-pneumatic Tweel® has the potential to transform the automotive, military, construction and personal mobility industries in the years ahead. "Major revolutions in mobility may come along only once in a hundred years," said Terry Gettys, president of Michelin Americas Research and Development Center. "But a new century has dawned and Tweel® has proven its potential to transform mobility. Tweel® enables us to reach levels of performance that quite simply aren't possible with today's conventional pneumatic technology.".... ___________________________
In New Zealand, an out-of-control truck on Auckland's Southern Motorway was brought under control by the quick thinking of two people. In separate vehicles, they fought to control the fully-laden rig through motorway traffic for 3km after its driver had a fatal heart attack. Police today praised the woman passenger of the truck and a passing truck driver who, they say, averted a potential disaster. The drama began about 4pm yesterday... when the 41-year-old driver had his heart attack [and] his truck began to scrape against the median barrier... Shane Mahuta was 500m behind [in his own truck as the stricken vehicle] hit the median barrier.... He feared the truck, which had been swerving, might roll. He believes the woman passenger got it under control and back into the centre lane. Mr Mahuta passed the truck on the inside lane.... As he passed the truck, he saw the woman passenger stretched over the driver and steering from the passenger seat.... Mr Mahuta then gradually applied his brakes until the following truck hit.... Slowly he tried to bring the two trucks, each about 16m long, to a halt as they drove locked together down the motorway. The two rigs - Mr Mahuta's weighing about 38 tonnes, the other closer to 20 tonnes - came to a halt on a bend just past the Greenlane turn-off. The other driver was dead when emergency services arrived..... Full story, from STUFF
DSA Comments: Brilliantly done, Mr Mahuta. We sincerely hope that you get more than a police commendation for this. In our opinion, something from Buckingham Palace would certainly not be out of place. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc.
Follow-on Story
January 7, 2005: Modest hero helps avert truck disaster [DSA: This time the lady gets fair mention] It was a last-minute decision. Office worker Anne had little paperwork to do in the Mt Wellington office of trucking company Carr and Haslam, so she decided to pop down to the port with one of the firm's drivers....
A recommendation had been made to police district commander Roger Carson for official recognition of Anne and Mr Mahuta's actions, the first step towards a police commendation.
This second article tells of the woman passenger's calmness in a very dangerous situation and her actions that undoubtedly made Mr Mahuta's rescue efforts possible. Read it here, from STUFF. ___________________________
New Zealand reported the lowest Christmas/New Year holiday road toll since the 1968/1969 holiday period. In all 9 people were killed over the break. The previous low was 13. This story was submitted directly to Drive and Stay Alive by John W Kelly, Manager - Operations, Road Policing Support, New Zealand Police -- Our thanks, John; direct submissions are very welcome. ___________________________
A new French report touts photo traffic enforcement devices with a 50 percent drop in fatalities.... Issued by France's Transport Ministry, the report credits that country's new network of more than 280 mobile and fixed photo radar units with a 50 percent reduction in fatalities and an 85 percent drop in crashes at highway sites where the cameras were installed. Crashes at these locations dropped from 446 in 2003 before the cameras were installed to 60 this year. The devices were installed across France in early 2004. According to Leslie Blakey, executive director of the National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running, "France is seeing the wide-scale positive results of photo enforcement that have only been seen at the citywide level in the few North American cities with similar programs." In 2003, 13,380 lives were lost in U.S. speeding-related crashes. Additionally, speeding was a contributing factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes nationwide. The estimated economic costs associated with speeding-related crashes are $40.4 billion annually. [In addition to Paradise Valley, Arizona], other U.S. sites that have used photo enforcement include Scottsdale, Mesa and Tempe in Arizona; Portland and Beaverton, Ore.; Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins, Colo.; Campbell, San Jose and National City, Calif.; Sandy, Utah; Washington, D.C.; and Clark County, Wash. Jim Champagne, chairman of the national Governors Highway Safety Association and executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, said, "This report is remarkable in that such a dramatic drop in speed-related crashes and fatalities has been achieved by using photo enforcement technology. "Traff |
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