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All contents copyright ©, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc., 2003 onwards, unless specified otherwise. All rights reserved. IMPORTANT: click here to read the DISCLAIMER
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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
We recommend that you repeatedly use your 'Page Down' key to quickly scroll through this often-huge page, so that you may select the countries or topics that interest you.
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The Traffic Injuries Research Foundation hosted its 42nd Annual General Meeting on May 19, 2005 at the Bank of Montreal Building in Toronto, Ontario. Presentations given at the AGM are now available, and include:
To view the presentations, click here. ___________________________
Beginning July 6, a new state law will require parents to properly secure every West Virginia child up to age 8 in a federally approved child safety or booster seat. [Only] if the child has attained a height of 4 feet 9 inches, he or she may strap into a regular, adult seatbelt.... Lawmakers during the recent legislative session overwhelmingly approved the new measure, prompted by Gov. Joe Manchin and based on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration guidelines.... Full story, from the Charleston Daily Mail ___________________________
[California's] Bay Area law enforcement agencies reported Monday that DUI arrests for the 2005 Memorial Day weekend were significantly higher than arrests for the same period last year. For the first three days of the four-day holiday period, 415 DUI arrests had been made in the nine Bay Area counties, with two deaths reported. The number of crash injuries was not available by Monday afternoon. Last year, 351 arrests, three deaths and 85 injuries were recorded for the same period. "We had more arrests because we had more officers out on the streets and highways doing checks," said California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Wright. The highway patrol reported that 125 municipal police departments joined the agency in its DUI enforcement campaign this year.... Full story, from the San Francisco Chronicle. ___________________________
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Eleven persons were killed and 324 others were injured in 786 crashes investigated by State Police during the four-day Memorial Day holiday driving period, Commissioner Jeffrey B. Miller announced today. Miller said three of the fatal crashes and 95 of the total number of crashes were alcohol-related. "Far too many people are being killed or injured because of drunk drivers," Miller said. Miller noted that State Police arrested 351 individuals for driving under the influence, an increase of nearly 24 percent from the 284 arrested for DUI during last year's holiday driving period. Miller said eight of the 11 persons killed were not wearing seat belts. During the holiday driving period, troopers issued 6,450 speeding citations, cited 565 for failing to wear seat belts and issued citations to 57 persons for not securing children in child safety seats.
Miller said the crash numbers cover only those incidents investigated
by State Police and do not include statistics on crashes to which
other law-enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania responded. [Source: Pennsylvania State Police Department] ___________________________
There were 34 deaths this weekend on the roads of Georgia. That is the highest amount ever recorded since 1969, the first year data was available. But it wasn't just the deaths that were up, it was accidents in general. In every category: total number of accidents, injuries, and deaths, the official estimates were low.... "If we just take the 2500 accidents, multiply that by about four thousand dollars, which is a conservative average cost of repair, you're realy talking in the $12 million category, says David Colmans of the Georgia Insurance Information Service. But the 12 million doesn't include the medical costs, lost wages, and potential lawsuits ahead. Colmans says there's got to be something done about it. "I think ultimately, what we're going to have to do is come to a need for a stronger law enforcement presence."... Full story, from News Channel 9, Chatanooga. ___________________________
In the woods moose are intriguing spectacles, beloved symbols of wildlife in northern New England. But on the roads they can be deadly. Collisions with a one-ton animal can severely damage cars and injure or kill drivers and their passengers.... Last year the state saw 265 collisions with moose including two fatalities. Moose stand high off the road, and when you hit moose you take legs out from under them, bringing them right though the windshield. That's where people get severely hurt.... Drivers should be vigilant and slow down, so they have more braking time if a moose comes along. Don't veer into an oncoming lane. That can lead to a head-on collision with a car. And if you can't avoid the moose, try not to hit it straight-on. Hit it in the tail so it doesn't come back onto your car.... Full story, from WCAX TV ___________________________
The number of people killed on the Capital's roads fell by 21 per cent last year new figures out today reveal. The figures published by Transport for London (TfL) show that 216 people lost their lives in 2004, 56 fewer than in 2003. And there were also 939 fewer serious injuries compared to 2003, down to 3,953. These results mean that the Capital has [already] almost reached the [UK Government's] target to cut death and serious injury on the roads by 40 per cent by 2010. Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said: "We are now almost within touching distance of our 2010 targets a full five years early, however, 216 deaths is totally unacceptable and I believe the time is now right to raise the bar. "I am asking Transport for London to start work with the boroughs and the police with a view to establishing an even more challenging target of a 50 per cent reduction by 2010 in the number of deaths and serious injuries on the Capital's roads." Jenny Jones, the Mayor's Road Safety Ambassador, said: "Road safety is working in London, because we have spent more and more money on doing the things which we know save lives.... "This is an amazing success story, but while there are still people being killed or injured, we need the local authorities and the police to do everything they can to make our streets safe for all road users."... Peter Hendy, Managing Director Surface Transport, TfL, said: "Today's figures demonstrate the progress that has been made in London in reducing unnecessary deaths on the roads, 56 lives saved is a huge achievement. "Measures such as 20mph zones, improved road layouts and the further roll out of safety cameras mean that we are making great progress. "However, we must not be complacent, only by continuing to work with boroughs and the police, and pressing the message of road safety home can we help to ensure lives aren't needlessly lost." Full story (with more statistics), from Transport for London ___________________________
New Zealand's top traffic officer will push for law changes after eight people were killed on New Zealand roads at the weekend.... Six [of the] people, including four from the same family, died when their car crashed into a tree in heavy fog on State Highway 35, near Ruatoria, on Saturday morning. None were wearing seatbelts.... The crashes have prompted the police national road safety manager, Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald, to push for law changes to bring New Zealand into line with Australia, where drivers are held responsible for ensuring that passengers wear seatbelts.... Associate Transport Minister Harry Duynhoven said last night that he would be "favourably disposed" to any such approach.... The East Coast had one of the lowest seatbelt-wearing rates in New Zealand, about 90 per cent, compared with the average of 94 per cent.... Full story, from STUFF ___________________________
"Every six minutes, one person is hospitalised due to road accidents," said Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek, describing the huge number of people injured on Malaysian roads. The rate, he said, was based on the total of 82,304 people admitted to hospitals nationwide after they were involved in road accidents in 2003 which also saw 6,286 killed. "What saddens us is five per cent of those killed were children below 12 years old," he told reporters... He blamed the attitude of road users in 80 per cent of the cases such as exceeding the speed limit and negligent overtaking.... "A study done in the United Kingdom by the European Transport Safety Council showed that if a vehicle has adequate safety features, the number of passengers killed and seriously injured in an accident could be reduced," he said. Therefore, he called on car makers to enhance the safety features in the vehicles they produced. Full story, from Bernama ___________________________
..... The familiar cautions apply [in Florida] against drinking and driving, driving recklessly or allowing others' recklessness to trigger road rage, and being sure everyone in the vehicle is using seat belts or child restraints.... It's all so obvious, simple and deadly important, yet Florida drivers continue in unusually high numbers to abandon common sense, and to die in unusually high numbers. Florida's fatality rate is higher than the national average, 12.85 per 100,000 people compared to 11 [see DSA Comments, below]. Some special factors — not to say excuses — apply, including heavy tourist and seasonal traffic and lots of good weather. Poor seat belt use and reckless driving are also blamed by experts for Florida's high road death toll. The Florida Highway Patrol will be focusing on this weekend with its "click-it-or-ticket" campaign to get people to use their seat belts. Last year's holiday claimed 40 lives on [Florida's highways], and 83 percent of the victims were not belted.... Full story, from The News-Press
DSA Comments We are very curious indeed about the reference to the USA having a national average fatality rate of 11 per 100,000 people. Our own calculations show that the rate for 2003 [i.e. the latest available figure] is, in fact, 14.66 per 100,000 population. In other words, if the USA really did currently have a per capita fatality rate of just 11 then "only" about 32,500 people would be killed each year rather than around 42,500 as has been the case for several years. We are also bemused by the "12.85" rate shown for Florida. According to our information the rate in 2003 was 18.64, up from 18.4 in 2002. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. View 2003 multi-country per capita rates here. View 1988-2002 historical multi-country data here. View 2003 per capita rates for all 50 American states, here. ___________________________
Work is in progress, but critics say more is needed. A little more than two years after the March 2003 announcement of an ambitious plan to install median barriers at the state's most dangerous crossover accident locations, five such projects have been completed in Central and North Jersey, and a sixth is under construction.... In March 2003, the department announced a $15 million program, dubbed "Safety First," to build barriers [over a five-year period] on the medians of targeted interstate highways where there have been high rates of crossover accidents or which are considered at risk. The barrier program was part of a series of recommendations by a Highway Safety Task Force, which was formed after three accidents on Nov. 20, 2002, that claimed a total of four lives on Interstates 78 and 287, injured six and gridlocked traffic in Central Jersey.... Full story, from c-n.com ___________________________
Oregon drivers rank as the most knowledgeable in the nation when it comes to the rules of the road and automobile safety, according to a new study by an insurance company. Nearly 5,000 licensed drivers between the ages of 16 and 65 were tested nationwide by GMAC Insurance Group to measure their driving and safety knowledge. Oregon drivers ranked highest on the test with an overall average score of 89 percent while Rhode Island ranked lowest at 77 percent.... Full story, from Oregon Live Also read the full report from GMAC Insurance Group (press release) related story
Bad drivers come in all types, but according to a study released this week by the GMAC Insurance Group, Massachusetts suffers from an acute case of driving ignorance. The survey tested people's knowledge of basic road and safety rules and only Rhode Island drivers fared worse than the Bay State set. It's a dubious distinction, but not a new one. And while basking in the reputation may satisfy some, bad driving is a public safety issue that state leaders have recognized and want to confront.... One state program run through the RMV encourages people to report reckless drivers. But then the accuser must attend a hearing and face the accused and for many people... it's not worth the trouble.... Drunk driving continues to be a serious problem. Yesterday, Governor Mitt Romney filed legislation called ''Melanie's Bill,'' named after a Marshfield girl killed in 2003 by a repeat offender drunk driver.... Full story, from the Cape Cod Times Also read the full report from GMAC Insurance Group (press release) ___________________________
Gov. Mitt Romney unveiled legislation yesterday that calls for tougher measures against repeat drunk drivers, including a one-year mandatory license suspension for motorists who refuse a chemical breath test. Romney's bill also calls for ignition interlock devices for repeat offenders, measures allowing judges to impound the motor vehicles of some offenders, and creation of new felony crimes for driving with exceptionally high blood-alcohol levels. Saying that Massachusetts "is a great place to come if you're a repeat drunk driver," Romney insisted his bill could help reduce alcohol-related accident deaths by as much as 25 percent or more. The state had 207 alcohol-related auto fatalities in 2003. "We're all shocked when we read a story about somebody who has been arrested time and time again for drunk driving, and they're out again, and someone is killed at their hands. We wonder, 'How can that be?'" Romney said. "This legislation is about saving lives."... Full story, from The Berkshire Eagle ___________________________
Twenty people were arrested in Johannesburg on Friday night for drunken driving, police said on Saturday. Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the metropolitan police made the arrests at three different roadblocks in the city. He said the roadblocks were part of operation Token Days in which 620 drunken drivers and 1220 people have been arrested in Johannesburg since November 8 last year. [Source: News 24] ___________________________
A juggler, driving to his next performance, is stopped by the police. "What are those machetes doing in your car?" asks the cop. "I juggle them in my act." "Oh, yeah?" says the doubtful cop. "Let's see you do it." The juggler gets out and starts tossing and catching the knives, and another man driving by slows down to watch.
"Wow," says the passer-by. "I'm glad I quit drinking.
Look at the test they're giving now! ___________________________
The Federal Republic of Germany continues to assist in the rebuilding of the Afghan National Army. Through its German Armed Forces Technical Advisory Group here, Germany is providing technical maintenance training [and driver training] to the growing Afghan Army. The German advisory group is a $1.9 million program designed to provide the Afghan Army with comprehensive, technical training in the areas of automotive maintenance and driver training. The program, which relies on help from Afghan civilian workers in addition to German military trainers, is scheduled to run through 2008.... The advisory group annually trains 192 soldiers in basic automotive [skills] and 50 soldiers in driver training.... The advisory group driver training course lasts five weeks. It begins with one week of instruction on vehicle basics such as how to perform preventive maintenance checks and services. The remaining four weeks of instruction focus on cross-country driving and traffic regulations, and include two weeks of actual driving time on public roads.... Full story, by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Mack Davis, for Black Anthem ___________________________
Over 100 people were injured, some of them critically when a violent clash broke out between police and students at the Dhaka University campus and nearby areas over the killing of a female student in a road accident at the city’s Shahbagh crossing yesterday morning.... Witnesses said Shammi Akhter Happy, a 3rd year student of Psychology Department of Dhaka University, was killed when she was crushed under the wheels of a speedy Uttara-bound minibus at Shahbagh crossing at about 11:30 am. The minibus (Dhaka Metro Ja-11-2642), ignoring the red traffic signal, also hit six [other] pedestrians at that time. The angry people halted the bus and set ablaze the vehicle. They also put barricades on the road in an instant protest.... Full story, from The New Nation ___________________________
A total of twelve persons were killed and 60 injured as [one] bus rammed a truck in Rangpur and [another] bus ploughed into a crowd at Sirajdikhan upazila of Munshiganj, on Friday night and Saturday morning. Full story, from The New Nation ___________________________
In its continuous effort to promote and increase public awareness on road safety in the country, Sin Hup Huat Tyre Company in close cooperation with the National Road Safety Council and Land Transport Department, will once again hold the "Tyre Safety Check". The three-day campaign is scheduled to start today at the Land Transport Department Headquarters in Gadong from 8am. Members of the general public are welcome to the event and have their tyres checked for free by Sin Hup Huat Tyre Co technicians who received special training from Michelin. "Regular tyre checks are essential for your safety. Worldwide, Michelin promotes and supports such programmes that are done globally," said the General Manager of Michelin Asia, Mr Alain Waha. [Source: The Borneo Bulletin, via Brudirect] ___________________________
Eighty participants who completed the "Defensive Driving" programme yesterday received their certificates which was presented by the guest of honour, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications Dato Paduka Hj Md Yusof bin Hj Md Hassan. The presentation ceremony was held at the Police Training Field in Gadong. The chief guest in his speech said that the National Road Safety Council, with members comprising staff from the government and private sectors, has planned and implemented various programme aimed at reducing road accidents in the country through the 3E approach: Education, Engineering and Enforcement.... Full story, from BruDirect ___________________________
For the fourth time since 2001, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned Thursday that 15-passenger vans need to be operated with extreme caution. New research indicates that 74 percent of all 15-passenger vans in the United States were likely to have "significantly mis-inflated" tires, compared with 39 percent of cars. NHTSA said improperly inflated tires can change handling characteristics and increase the likelihood of a rollover.... Full details, from the Detroit News ___________________________
An interesting articles from Forbes has led to a detailed response from Drive and Stay Alive editor, Eddie Wren. ___________________________
[This is an interesting approach. The Express India online has asked the public to send in their views on road safety. At the time of posting this link to the article a few individuals had responded and their comments are generally good. As a suggestion, we hope that Express India will forward these replies to the relevant politicians, bureaucrats and police officers so that they may respond to say what their departments are doing about each particular example -- DSA.] [One good example] The rise in the road accidents is surely the area of concern for the people. Many valuable lives are lost in the fatal incidents. We need to be more responsive. Our road infrastructure coupled with strict adherence to traffic rules can play a key role in checking the road accidents in the state. The traffic police should be particularly tough in checking driving of vehicles by untrained people.... Praveen, Chemist. Full article, from Express India ___________________________
Students of Bachelors in Mass Media (BMM) from National College, Bandra, were approached by joint commissioner of police (Traffic) Satish Mathur in mid-April to do a film on traffic safety. A month later, the five-minute musical is ready and waiting to be screened.... Says Harsh Punjabee (18), the editor of the film, “We wanted to make socially-relevant films and this film on road safety measures is right up our street.” “The film has been made as a musical so that it’s attractive to youngsters. Documentaries are monotonous and don’t hold their attention,” said Amit Wadhwani (19), the person who conceptualised the film.... Full story, from Mid Day (Mumbai) ___________________________
A national road safety road safety charity based in West Yorkshire is calling for restrictions on newly-qualified drivers – including a one-passenger limit and a ban on night-time driving. The Brake organisation – which campaigns to reduce road deaths and injuries – is urging the Government to introduce curbs on new motorists in line with those in other countries. Suggestions include a compulsory advanced driving test after they pass, a curfew restricting them to daytime driving and a law making it illegal to carry more than one passenger at a time.
The Huddersfield-based charity justifies the hard-line approach by
pointing to statistics from the courts. Research shows only one in 15 drivers is aged under 25, but more than one in four drivers killed is in this age group. [In addition] one in four drivers convicted of causing death by dangerous driving is under the age of 20. The charity said figures showed young men posed the greatest risk. Mary Williams, chief executive of Brake, said: "It is a tragedy and a disgrace that young men are the biggest culprits in killing their [friends] and girlfriends in road crashes.... Countries including Australia, Canada and the United States place restrictions on young and newly-qualified drivers. These [vary, from country to country, but] include banning unsupervised night driving, limiting the number of young passengers and requiring drivers to hold a probationary licence for a period after passing their driving test. Read the full, interesting article here, from Leeds Today
see story below
Those under 18 will need to go through an extra step before getting a full driver's license under a bill signed yesterday by Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, filling in for Gov. Linda Lingle, who is off island. The new provisional driver's license comes between acquiring an instructional permit and a standard driver's license. The law is designed to reduce traffic fatalities and accidents involving teens. It takes effect Jan. 9 and will run for five years to allow lawmakers time to study its effectiveness.... To receive a provisional license, a teen must hold a permit for at least six months and complete a certified driver's license education course and 50 hours of supervised practice driving. The teen then can obtain a full license at age 17 if he or she has held a provisional license for at least six months and has no action pending that might result in a license suspension or revocation. With a provisional license, a teen is limited to driving only one passenger who is under 18, although an exemption is granted to household members. The teen is prohibited from driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or guardian, or traveling to and from work or a school-related activity.... Another new law requires a motorist to stop and yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk when the pedestrian is "upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling, or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger."... The third law signed by Aiona sets a minimum penalty for repeat offenders of child-restraint laws at $100 for a second offense in three years and $200 for a third offense during the same period. The old law set only maximum penalties — $200 for a second offense and $500 for a third offense, without regard to when the previous violations occurred. The above are important excerpts from: 'Teen drivers have new hurdle to clear', from the Honolulu Advertiser
___________________________
The European Commission welcomed on 26 May the major step taken by the European Parliament towards substantially improving road safety in the European Union. By adopting three directives on the mandatory fitting of seat belts, the Parliament has made a major contribution to the goal of halving the number of road accident victims by 2010. The requirement to fit seat belts in commercial vehicles should now apply six months after the Directive enters into force, i.e. in the last quarter of this year. Initially applied to all new vehicle types, it will then be extended to new vehicles of types already in production. This measure, applying to all commercial vehicles and in particular tourist coaches and minibuses will have, in conjunction with the obligation to wear seat belts, a major effect on the dramatic figures seen in Europe in recent years. ___________________________
The European Commissioner responsible for enterprise and industry, Günter Verheugen, welcomed on 26 May the European Parliament’s vote (first reading) on a Directive which will provide better control on the use of frontal protection systems, or ‘bull-bars’ as [they are] more commonly known. These controls will ensure an improved level of safety for vulnerable road users. At the same time the Directive will also allow use of these systems where they can be proven to provide an improvement in safety levels when used on certain vehicles presently on Europe’s roads. The Directive has still to be approved by the Council of Ministers. related article
MEPs [i.e. Members of the European Parliament] are calling for tougher safety standards for frontal protection systems on road vehicles in a legislative report 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. This new draft directive details the tests for approving all frontal protection systems. MEPs are anxious that frontal protection systems should be designed in a way that improves pedestrian safety and reduces the number of injuries.... European, Japanese and Korean manufactures made a voluntary commitment with the Commission not to install so-called ”rigid bull bars” as frontal protection systems on new vehicles from 2002.... This new proposal goes further and lays down tests that must be complied with by frontal protection systems, either as originally fitted to a vehicle or put on the market as separate technical units. The aim is to improve the protection of pedestrians and mitigate the severity of injuries to them and other vulnerable road users in the event of a collision with a vehicle fitted with such a system.... The requirements consist of four tests (based on the recommendations of the European Enhanced Vehicle safety Committee, or EEVC) which will be required to be carried out on these systems in order for them to be acceptable for use. Parliament, in amendments adopted, tightens up some of these tests.... Full story, from the A2 Media Group ___________________________
Drivers who tailgate other vehicles or use a handheld phone while at the wheel are the most dangerous threats on the road, according to a new survey from the Institute of Advanced Motorists. More than half of all drivers regard each of these two activities as "highly dangerous", according to a survey of almost 700 motorists carried out for the IAM, a leading UK organisation for improving driving standards. Drivers who overtake on single carriageway A-roads when there is oncoming traffic, and those who cut others up, forcing them to brake, are regarded as the next most dangerous threats.... ___________________________
54% of Drivers Say They've Been a Victim of Road Rage; 78% Say They've Witnessed a Road Rage Incident This Memorial Day weekend will officially kick off a summer driving season during which American drivers will log over one trillion miles on our nation's increasingly congested, chaotic roads. Throw in some screaming kids, heavy road construction activity, and scorching temperatures -- and it all adds up to a 'perfect storm' for Road Rage. To help drivers stay cool, collected -- and in one piece! -- this summer, Autobytel's "Take the Pledge to Slow Down" safe-driving program has published 10 simple tips for avoiding road rage. ___________________________
Porter County says it will pay a $50 bounty to anyone whose tip results in the arrest of a drunken driver in the county.... In addition to offering the rewards, the task force also is paying for police departments throughout Porter County to have extra officers on duty to look for drunken drivers. Statewide, 12 people were killed in crashes last Memorial Day weekend. Half of the fatalities involved alcohol. Full story, from AP, via The Indy Channel ___________________________
"There's a little bit of 'Volvo' in every vehicle on the American road," says Anne Belec, president and CEO, Volvo Cars of North America. Such a bold assertion is based on Nils Bohlin's development of the three-point safety belt. And it is now widely recognized that no other single safety device has saved more lives than the three-point safety belt. In the 1950s, Bohlin, a passionate Inventor, brought his background with aircraft pilot ejector seats and his concern for human safety to the Swedish automaker that shared his interests.... Full story here (plus a link to the history of Volvo safety innovations). ___________________________
The State Government yesterday expressed reservations about a coroner's recommendation to limit the number of passengers that a probationary driver can carry. State Coroner Graeme Johnstone called for the changes following an inquest on the deaths of Kristie Lee Sporton, 18, and Nathan Smith, 26, at Moe on St Valentine's Day, 2003. The pair died after the car driven by Matthew Capes slammed into a tree as Capes drove through a roundabout. Capes, then aged 19, was a probationary driver. He had a blood alcohol reading of .104 at the time of the incident. The passengers were not wearing seatbelts. The car was travelling at 82 km/h [51mph] when it entered the roundabout, in a street with a 50 km/h [31mph] limit. Capes was later convicted in the County Court of culpable driving. Mr Johnstone said the Government and road safety authorities should consider restricting the number of passengers that P-plate drivers could carry. While he did not specify how many passengers a driver could carry, he proposed a gradual decrease in restrictions as drivers became more experienced, with a revision clause for those who committed a traffic offence. Yesterday Premier Steve Bracks said he was concerned that the recommendation was impractical and could jeopardise the designated-driver policy.... Full story, from The Age ___________________________
Three amendments to directives on seatbelts ('Road safety: safety belts and restraint systems') will have their third reading. ___________________________
The next session of the ECMT Council of Ministers will take place in Moscow, on 24 and 25 May, 2005. The Russian Federation, as the country assuring the current presidency of ECMT, will host this event for the first time. One topic on the ministerial agenda will be the social aspects of road transport, with the first results on the implementation of Resolution no. 203/4 concerning the setting up of an observation system for implementing regulations on driving and rest times. [Source: OECD] ___________________________
CAYMAN ISLANDS: Whether driving in a passenger car, light truck or an SUV, women today are far more likely to be in a road accident than 25 years ago, says the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. The reason? More women are licensed today than in the past; they are driving more miles; and they are more likely to be driving at night. “Considering that women – generally speaking – tend to be more safety-conscious than men, one would expect them to be more aware of what appears to be minor safety-related elements in their car,” says one car parts supplier. “Yet, that is not always the case. Take for example, the ‘humble’ windshield wiper.” It’s amazing what effect an obviously small item such as worn-out wipers can have on your driving experience. Windshield wipers can make all the difference between giving you a feeling of confidence or making you feel vulnerable when you are driving at dusk, at night, or in severe weather conditions, such as pouring rain or on extremely dry, dusty roads. Dust, salt and debris adhere to the windshield making it difficult for the driver to see the road ahead.... Full article, from Cayman Net News ___________________________
The American Beverage Institute have issued another press release implying that all efforts in the fight against drunk driving should be focused solely on particularly heavy drinkers and repeat offenders. Drive and Stay Alive challenge this approach on the grounds that many thousands of people have been killed in the USA by drunk drivers who were certainly over the legal limit but did not have as much alcohol in their system as the group to whom the ABI seemingly wishes to divert all of the attention. ___________________________
..... [The] cars react to red lights like bulls react to red flags. Their engines snort, then rev and roar. They charge forward, seemingly in search of a collision. Olé! It is mass civil disobedience with little chance of consequences. Driving like a lunatic has become accepted behavior here in Florida. The state's politicians even protect the rights of lunatics. They consider cameras that catch red-light runners an infringement on their privacy. They think if you drive the speed limit in the left lane, you should be ticketed for getting in the way of the turbo-charged crowd. Florida is the Mad Max state. So far this year, 107 more people have died on Florida roads than last year. I didn't buy a minivan for the space. I bought it for self-defense. Did you see that story we had about drivers driving faster than 100 mph? For their punishment, many of them simply took a driving course and escaped with no points on their license. Multiple-choice tests on a Web site do not change the behavior of people who drive juiced-up Civics at warp factor 10.... Full story, from the Orlando Sentinel ___________________________
MAT-SU: This spring, signs reminding drivers to buckle up will be multiplying along state highways.... The seat-belt advertising bill, introduced by Sen. Ben Stevens, R-District N, will allow the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to begin installing and maintaining those signs along state highways late this summer. The dark-blue road signs will memorialize the name of the person who was killed not wearing a seat belt and will say "Please Drive Safely."... Full story, from the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman ___________________________
LONDON (Reuters) - British drivers are among the safest and most modest in Europe, according to new European research highlighted on Tuesday by the RAC driving organisation. Britain along with Sweden has the lowest accident rates in Europe.... The findings from SARTRE (Social Attitudes to Road Traffic Risk in Europe) found 77 percent of Italian drivers and 74 percent of Irish motorists considered themselves less dangerous than other European motorists -- even though both countries have substantially higher casualty rates than Britain.... Only nine percent of British drivers were penalised for speeding between 2001-2004 -- despite a boom in speed cameras -- against a European average of 18 percent. Nearly half, 46 percent, of Dutch drivers had been caught driving too fast.... Full story, from Reuters ___________________________
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling today dismissed a report that he was set to raise the motorway speed limit to 80mph. He insisted that he was “not persuaded” that such a move would increase safety – suggesting motorists would end up driving faster still.... Full story, from The Scotsman ___________________________
Measures to clamp down on irresponsible driving and improve road safety were today reintroduced to Parliament. Britain has one of the best road safety records in the world but the Government is committed to reducing the numbers of people killed and seriously injured on our roads by 40 per cent by 2010 and numbers of children by 50 per cent.... ___________________________
Toyota (GB) PLC will be supporting the British Red Cross in a partnership over a three year period to promote their UK 'Don't be a Bystander Campaign'. Launched today the campaign will be targeting parents and children to teach them about first aid and road safety. The campaign aims to equip over 100,000 children of all ages and their parents with essential life-saving first aid skills and road safety knowledge with a series of 150 first aid sessions across the country. The campaign will take place at venues including shopping centres, theme parks, schools, town centres, beaches and parks. The campaign is aiming to tackle the findings by a UK wide survey conducted by the Children's Forum for Toyota and the British Red Cross. The results found that over half (60 per cent) of children who are currently most at risk from road traffic accidents (those aged 9-13) do not have enough knowledge of first aid to help themselves and others at the scene of a traffic accident. Over 1,800 children aged 9-13 are killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents every year and research shows that many children's lives could be saved if first aid was given at the scene before the arrival of the emergency services.... Read this full, important article here -- no matter which country you live in -- and view some first-aid guidelines. ___________________________
In support of national efforts to increase safety belt use, OnStar advisors will remind tens of thousands of motorists a day to buckle up when they use OnStar services, during the National “Click It Or Ticket” Mobilization.... "Increasing seat belt use is an important national safety priority," OnStar President Chet Huber said. "We want to support the efforts of government agencies, including the law enforcement community, during this campaign, by reminding OnStar subscribers to always buckle up in their vehicles."... See the full article, here. ___________________________
[Glossary: Undivided highways are known as 'single carriageways' in some countries, as opposed to 'dual carriageways'] [The following are brief, rearranged excerpts from the article linked below] Converting old two-lane roads into half of a four-lane divided highway isn't uncommon, but leaving them that way for decades while the death toll rises is inexcusable, [said Gerald Donaldson, senior research director at the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety]. Donaldson was flabbergasted by the number of injuries and deaths along 13 in the last six years. "Holy mackerel!" he said. "That's literally a public health epidemic on a public facility. ... It's murder alley." Between Springfield and Bolivar, crashes on the highway occur four times more often in the northbound lanes than in the newer southbound ones. In fact, the crash rate on the northbound side is twice the statewide average for similar roads in Missouri. In the southbound lanes, it's below average. On a treacherous 43-mile stretch of 13, between Springfield and Humansville, 920 people have been injured in crashes in the past six years, and 67 people have been killed..... This important article outlines several key factors in 13's outrageous accident record, from the Springfield News-Leader ___________________________
It's "Click It, or Ticket" time again. But we won't worry that many people will get traffic citations from police for not wearing their seat belts during the special enforcement Monday through June 5.... About 90.5 percent of Michiganders now buckle up. Only five other states also have seat belt use above 90 percent. Nationally, just 80 percent buckle up. Clearly, the seat belt campaign here for the past several years has had an impact. So have periodic enforcement campaigns to discourage drinking and driving and to catch drunken drivers. We'd like to see the same go-get-em energy also applied to other dangerous driving: Those who speed, weave through traffic and run red lights turn our knuckles white as we grip our steering wheels. We're not alone.... Read the full article, from The Bay City Times ___________________________
The Big Island is the deadliest place to drive in Hawai'i. Whether measured by population or miles driven, the fatality rate in Hawai'i County is consistently two to three times the rest of the state, and a growing number of doctors, lawmakers and concerned residents are wondering why more isn't being done to stop the deaths and injuries.... Over the past five years, the Big Island has accounted for about 28 percent of all traffic deaths in Hawai'i, even though it has only 12 percent of the population. Last year, 41 people died on the roads there.... With homes being built farther from existing jobs and the new Hawai'i Superferry expected to bring hundreds more driving tourists to the island every week starting in 2007, residents worry there will be even more fatal crashes. "Vacationers must reconsider their plans, particularly if they want to drive anywhere. The roads are too unsafe and the emergency specialist care they may need cannot be assured," Dr. Barry Blum, an orthopedic surgeon at Kona Community Hospital, warned in a commentary earlier this month. There's no single reason for the island's higher death rate, traffic safety officials say. Instead, they cite a long list of contributing factors.... That important list and the full article may be read here, from the Honolulu Advertiser ___________________________
In temperate countries we are always warned to check our tyres regularly to make sure they are not below their recommended pressures, but in hot countries such as Qatar, the immense heat of the sun on asphalt can cause tyre pressures to become excessive. .....With temperatures rising, the asphalt heats up. This in turn expands the air inside tyres putting additional pressure on the same, pointed out Traffic and Patrol Department deputy director Col Mohamed A al-Malki.... A number of accidents, many of them fatal, have been caused owing to tyre bursts [especially on long journeys], the official said.... During the summer months, it is advisable to change engine oil to a thicker variant as the oil tends to become thinner when it heats up. If the oil is too thin, the engine might not get enough lubrication. Coolant is another important aspect that should not be overlooked. The ideal mixture of coolant and water in the radiator is 50:50, Col al-Malki said.... Read the full article for other important maintenance tips, from the Gulf Times ___________________________
The South Australian Government says its doing all it can to help reduce the state's road toll, including putting more funds toward road upgrades. The road toll is now 62, which is 13 more than at the same time last year. The Government says it will spend an additional $22 million over the next three years in a bid to make roads safer. The funding includes $3 million for programs to build overtaking lanes on roads such as the Victor Harbor Road. Also receiving funding boosts are measures to improve safety at level crossings and public transport subsidies for people with disabilities.... Full story, from ABC ___________________________
....... Four people died when a transport truck slammed into a bus carrying oil workers Friday morning in the town of Gibbons, Alta., about 60 kilometres north of Edmonton.... More than two dozen others were injured, eight critically. The crash drew reaction from the Queen, who is visiting the West, and expressed her sympathy.... Full story, from CTV continued story.....
..... The RCMP said the bus - ferrying 43 Syncrude contract workers from a Fort McMurray oilsands project back to Edmonton - was waiting in line to get around an earlier rollover farther down Highway 28. Tired of the wait, the driver tried to turn the bus around, but it got stuck. The bus was then broadsided by a semi truck.... The semi -truck driver reportedly saw no safety precautions or reflective markers indicating something was ahead.... [The death toll has now risen to six.] Full story, from the Edmonton Sun ___________________________
The number of deaths on Alabama highways rose 15 percent last year over 2003. The preliminary numbers come from the state Department of Public Safety. There were 1,007 highway deaths in 2003, and figures for 2004 indicate there were 1,155 fatalities on Alabama highways. According to state troopers, 53 percent of the fatal crashes in 2004 were caused by speed, driving under the influence or a combination of the two. There were 255 DUI-related fatalities in 2004 and 362 speed-related crashes.... Preliminary statistics show most 2004 highway deaths did not occur on interstates. 31 percent happened on county roads, 22 percent on state highways, 22 percent on US highways and 12 percent on interstates.... Full story, from WTVM ___________________________
Traffic police in the city have decided it is time to get serious about jaywalking, so they will start to hand out stiff fines to pedestrians caught breaking traffic rules. Last May, the city increased fines for jaywalking to 50 yuan (US$6) from 5 yuan, but few officers have handed out tickets for the infraction as many said jaywalking was too common in the city to fine all violators. Police also said yesterday that violators who refuse to pay the fine or physically abuse an officer will face criminal charges, as a growing number of traffic police are being abused on the job.... Hundreds of digital recorders have been distributed to traffic police officers to ensure everyone on duty can tape record conversations with those they fine as evidence in case of any dispute.... Full story, from English Eastday (registration may be required) ___________________________
An Ottawa man convicted of drunk driving eight times will never be behind the wheel again and will spend 16 months behind bars. The judge in the case said [the man] had demonstrated he couldn't follow the law. Full story, from 580 CFRA Radio ___________________________
When getting behind the wheel for this fast-approaching summer season, don’t just use your foot to step on the gas, use your brain. The Highway Safety Education Committee wants drivers to know before heading out for the first long weekend of the summer there are all-too-familiar culprits which lead to summer driving accidents. “It is not road conditions that is going to be your error,” said Sgt. Rod Brown of the Ontario Provincial Police. Alcohol, speed, fatigue, lack of attention, lack of restraint and unsafe driving manoeuvres are collision contributors.... “[The] fatalities are 100 per cent preventable,” said Brown. “They’re horrendous! The carnage that you see out there just makes you shake your head and want to make it stop.” Fatigue is the main reason people get into accidents on the highway in Northwestern Ontario. Many people traveling from out of the area on the Trans Canada don’t realize the vast distances involved in crossing the region and they plan to drive it all in one stretch rather than break it up over a couple of days.
“Most of the time it’s because people don’t want to spend $80
for a hotel room,” said Brown. But to save from injuring yourself,
family or another person $80 isn’t very expensive, he added. ___________________________
The South African government is trying to clamp down on reckless drivers and dangerous vehicles, hoping to make the country's notoriously deadly roads safer for the millions of visitors expected for the 2010 World Cup. Transport Minister Jeff Radebe said Friday that the soccer tournament would serve as a "catalyst for our general transport strategy.''... "The measures we are taking will go a long way to minimizing accidents in South Africa by 2010,'' Radebe said. South Africa envisions the World Cup, one of the most popular sporting events in the world, as a chance to showcase and build on its post-apartheid social and economic gains, not the carnage on roads that are among the most dangerous in the world. In 2003, 12,353 people were killed in road crashes, according to government figures. [This next sentence is entirely incorrect, see below -- DSA] Traffic accidents caused 25.3 deaths per 100,000 people -- compared to 2 per 100,000 in the United States, 1.5 in Britain and 1.2 in Japan.... More than 90 percent of fatal crashes are due to a traffic offense -- usually speeding, jumping red lights, drunk driving and driving without a proper license, according the Department of Transport's Drive Alive campaign.... Full story here, from The Star, Malaysia.
DSA Comments Whoever supplied or collated the facts for this report got the statistics mixed up. The figures given in the article for the per capita rates -- i.e. the deaths per 100,000 population -- should actually read: "...14.66 per 100,000 in the United States, 6.01 in Britain and 6.97 in Japan." It would appear that the figures quoted in the article for these three countries may be for deaths per 10,000 registered motor vehicles -- a radically different statistic -- but whether or not that is the case they are certainly not the per capita rates and can not be compared in any way to the figure quoted for South Africa. For a list of the most recent, known per capita rates for more than 50 countries, click here. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
Nairobi is one of the very few cities in the world today with very undesirable [public transport] characteristics. Public Service vehicles are not scheduled. They can stop to pick up or drop off passengers anywhere. (At the moment, the section of Uhuru Highway between GPO and university roundabouts as you proceed towards Westlands has become very dangerous because buses now park on the road waiting for passengers).... Other undesirable but unique features of Nairobi are as follows: It lacks pedestrian facilities, it has uncontrolled hawkers, it lacks traffic control devices, it has no synchronised traffic lights, and, drivers' education and behaviour are extremely poor. Further to this deficiency, the city's population and number of vehicles continues to grow, yet the capacity of Nairobi streets remain strictly finite. The end result is the current chaotic situation because the existing transportation infrastructure cannot bear the traffic load. This is what has led to severe traffic congestion which causes increased costs for travellers and freight movement, psychological strain, and now death. To fix these problems requires a lot of capital and visionary long-term planning. However, there is one thing which can be done immediately - the introduction of double-decker buses. These buses are a feasible solution to the problems caused by an ever-increasing transportation demand, and traffic congestion, for they will maximise the use of road space. A double-decker bus will accommodate anything between 100 and 120 passengers. This is equivalent to seven Nissan vans or four minibuses. Such a move can release working capital which can be used more productively elsewhere. A second advantage is that double-decker buses will be scheduled. Proper vehicle scheduling improves efficiency and reliability. This will attract office and business people who use personal cars because the current public transport "system" is total madness.... Full story -- 'For Safety's Sake Try Double-Decker Buses' -- from The Nation (Nairobi), via allAfrica
DSA Comments Great caution would be essential, here. Firstly, the typical double-decker bus -- as so well-known in London -- has a stated passenger capacity significantly below the 100 suggested here, let alone 120, so there would appear to be a clear possibility of severe over-loading, and on random occasions severe top-heaviness. Double-decker buses -- again where they are best known, in Britain -- tend to be used on slow-speed routes in towns and cities, rather than on open roads between towns, and in any event their speed is held under control by strict law enforcement and by adherence to timetables. While journeying by road through several African countries, I have had the dubious delight of travelling by public bus from Nairobi to Mombassa -- delight because of the journey and the two fabulous cities it linked, and dubious because of the untrained lunatics who turned out to be the drivers. So the second point reinforces the first: Given the dreadful standard of driving in many Third-World and developing nations, the use of what would inevitably be overloaded double-decker buses on open roads, away from slower roads in towns would -- in the opinion of Drive and Stay Alive -- result in catastrophic rollover crashes. The article, in The Nation, refers only to using double-deckers in Nairobi, which might indeed prove to be a very useful policy, but if such vehicles were ever allowed onto highways or rural roads the results would be entirely different. Strict controls over bus driving standards and over the actual routes would be vital. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
SAFE Highways of the Future 2005 is a two day conference that will be openly accessible FREE OF CHARGE, around the globe, to all who are concerned about reducing death on the roads. From their homes or offices, highway safety engineers and others who are concerned or responsible for fatality reduction on the world's roads from countries as diverse as Armenia to Australia can take part. They will be able to join top-level speakers and representatives from national and international governments and transportation authorities, who are coming together in Stuttgart on 30th and 31st May to present and discuss available and emerging relevant technologies. Top automotive companies such as DaimlerChrysler, BMW and Volvo, consultants, OEM's, inventors and highway safety experts will be actively contributing material relevant to the conference theme: "Using and utilising new and existing technology to reduce highway fatalities". ___________________________
Belgian motorists caught speeding in neighbouring European countries will be forced to cough up the cash and pay their fines in future. Given the administrative and linguistic burden of pursuing speeding motorists across EU borders, far too many have gotten off scot-free in the past. A Belgian driver speeding on a French motorway, for instance, could fairly easily avoid paying his fine.... Part of the problem has been police officers who do not speak the same language – it is difficult for an officer in Spain, for instance, to pursue a motorist caught speeding there [from] Belgium, the Netherlands or Germany, and vice versa. Still, even without the stricter new EU law in force, if a police officer in another EU member state stops a motorist and asks for an on-the-spot payment of a specific fine, there is little the motorist can do put cough up the cash. Most EU member states, however, catch speeders with hidden cameras that catch license-plate numbers. Full story, from Expatica Belgium ___________________________
Kathmandu: An elderly Japanese humbled a senior Nepalese police official in the full glare of the public eye on Wednesday, driving home the lesson that no one was above the law. A delighted crowd of Nepalese bystanders cheered and clapped as Kiyoshi Baba pulled up the powerful deputy inspector general of police, Gopal Man Shrestha, for trying to flout a red light while driving. Baba, an elderly Japanese tourist who started to visit Nepal in the late 90s, arrived with a special mission this year - to instruct the traffic police how to keep the chaotic traffic under control. The mission had Kathmandu's backing. Baba was manning the flow of vehicles along with policemen in New Baneshwor Wednesday when Shrestha, driving his car, tried to shoot past a red light. While Nepalese policemen trembled to stop the top cop, a fearless Baba ordered the offending vehicle to stop and demanded the driver's licence. An incensed Shrestha, dressed in regulation blue fatigues, at first asked the Japanese to meet him at his office, mindful of the fact that the little drama was being relished by dozens of onlookers.
But a resolute Baba went on asking for the offender's licence. The
tenacious Japanese refused to let go. When Shrestha could not furnish
a licence, he presented him a ticket. Full article, from Web India 123 ___________________________
Mumbai ['Bombay']: --
May 8: Police
constable Chand Shaikhlal Shaikh (42) was seriously injured when a PMT
bus ran over him while on traffic duty at the Volgo chowk in Swargate. As a part of Pune’s daily news digest, these may seem dry statistics. But given that the rickety buses run by the cash-starved Pune Municipal Transport are mauling and killing people on our streets with unfailing regularity, it’s about time that correctives are put in place to bring about a sense of sanity in the functioning of what is now a rogue department. No one understands this better than PMT’s new general manager Niranjan Kumar Sudhanshu. And so the young bureaucrat has already started what should have been done long ago: taking things seriously. First, he has ensured that any driver who causes a mishap does not drive a PMT bus till the court exonerates him. ‘‘The rule is applicable not only to those on PMT rolls, but also to those employed by private contractors from whom the PMT hires buses,’’ he says. Therefore, right now, if it’s a PMT driver who causes a mishap, he is suspended immediately. A departmental inquiry is launched and PMT officials even visit the accident site to record statements of witnesses. He may be reinstated only if he is not guilty. But he is not permitted to drive a bus. Instead, he is asked to do office work or work as a ticket checker.... Full story, from Pune Newsline ___________________________
Drunk driving claimed the lives of more Manitoba teens last year than in 2003, RCMP statistics released yesterday show. Overall, there was a decrease in collisions for 2004, but a 14% increase in the number of youths involved in fatal alcohol-related accidents where the driver was between 16 and 19 years of age.... The major contributing factors in all fatalities on Manitoba roadways continues to be alcohol and people not wearing seatbelts, with a 20% increase in unbelted victims last year over the previous year. There was also an increase (6%) of non-alcohol-related accidents involving teens.... Full story, from The Winnipeg Sun ___________________________
Local traffic police are set to launch a road safety campaign to dramatically reduce the death toll on the city's 21 most dangerous streets. Last year, these killer roads accounted for 23 percent of all the traffic fatalities in the city, claiming 351 lives in 324 accidents. These high-risk roads include Huqingping Highway in Qingpu District (30 fatalities last year), Tingfeng Highway in Jinshan District (29 fatalities) and Gonghexin Road in Zhabei District (10 fatalities). According to the police, the high fatality rates on these roads expose the lack of safety consciousness among drivers and pedestrian, as well as the problem of inadequate road infrastructures. [Source: Shanghai Daily News] ___________________________
The Minnesota Supreme Court has struck down as unconstitutional the Legislature's changes to the state's drunk driving law. Two years ago, the Legislature eliminated a requirement that entitled suspected drunk drivers to "prompt judicial hearings." The change was made for convenience and to save the state money. The court's ruling reinstates the requirement for a hearing within 60 days.... Full story, from Minnesota Public Radio ___________________________
Some fear Iowa will see a sharp increase in deaths after July first when the interstate speed limit is raised from 65 to 70 miles an hour. Jeff Runge, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, says it's hard to predict how the Hawkeye State's traffic death toll might be effected. "The issue is really enforcement. If you raise a speed limit five miles an hour, do people get the message that they can now go ten or 15 miles an hour higher than the speed limit? If the speed limit that is set is actually enforced, there should be a minimal impact on safety," he says. "Our data, our history though tells us otherwise." Runge says a national example from a decade ago might spell more deaths for Iowa once the speed limit goes to 70. In 1995, when the national speed limit was raised, the fatality rate did go up, though Runge says seat belt use was much lower then. He says "People don't behave. They do not drive the speed limit, even if it was going from 55 to 65, now they go 70 or 75." Runge says he'll encourage Iowa police officers to vigilantly enforce the 70-mile an hour limit when it takes effect. Last year was a record year for traffic deaths in Iowa -- the record being a good thing -- as it was the lowest number of deaths since the World War II era. The state D-O-T says 390 people died on Iowa's roads in 2004, the first time the statewide death toll was below 400 since 1945. [Source: Radio Iowa] ___________________________
RALEIGH, North Carolina -- First came the suggestion to ban women from applying lipstick while driving. Then came the amendment that would stop people from eating while driving. A third thought: Don't let drivers smoke or change compact discs while operating a car. Several lawmakers on a N.C. House committee on Wednesday basically poked fun at the idea of banning cell-phone use while driving. It got to the point that an opponent of the legislation started defending it. The bill would allow drivers in the state to use headsets, but ban them from holding cell phones to their ears. "This is a serious bill," chided Rep. Alice Bordsen, D-Alamance. Bordsen said she opposed the bill only because she thinks allowing cell-phone owners to use hands-free headsets wouldn't curtail accidents. She noted several studies have found it's the distraction of talking to a "disembodied voice" that causes accidents, not the fact that the driver is holding a cell phone. Rep. Stephen LaRoque, R-Lenoir, eventually withdrew his amendment to ban eating, drinking, and engaging in "personal hygiene" while driving. But he said, laughing, that he was driving Wednesday while "eating a ham-and-cheese biscuit and talking on my cell phone -- not at the same time." Lawmakers, including Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight, D-Dare, and House Speaker Jim Black, D-Mecklenburg, regularly talk to their staff, business associates and reporters while driving down the highway.... Full story here, from the Charlotte Observer (registration may be required)
DSA Comments This article is nothing more than a very sad reflection on several politicians' seemingly childish failure to grasp the seriousness of this important safety issue. Perhaps they think that in excess of 42,000 people being killed on America's roads every year is somehow a laughing matter? The NHTSA has already made it clear that cell phone use is now a significant factor among those deaths. Rep. Alice Bordsen was speaking the truth and many safety experts would consider her to have been right to challenge the original bill on the grounds she did. This is not just the opinion of Rep. Bordsen, or indeed of Drive and Stay Alive, it is research-based fact, established by some of the world's leading, safety-oriented scientific establishments. Interestingly, some other countries do have laws that prohibit such things as eating or various acts of (quote) personal hygiene while driving, and these laws can come under the general umbrella of "not being in a position whereby proper control of the vehicle may be maintained." Moreover, the death rates in those countries are typically much lower than they are in the USA, and while that situation is undeniably due to a whole host of reasons, nobody could legitimately suggest that increased enforcement and improved education, to reduce risky behavior by drivers, is not a factor. What a fine example the sneering representatives have set. Now that they have shown that safety is unimportant, the people of North Carolina need never again worry about being killed or causing other people's deaths while driving -- after all, having a chat on the phone is much more important! Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
No fewer than 300, 000 persons lost their lives in the 995,113 road accidents recorded between 1988 and 2004, a period of 16 years, while over 850, 000 persons suffered various degrees of injuries within the same period. Senator Chris Adighije who gave this statistical data while leading the debate on the general principles of the proposed amendment to the Federal Road Safety Commission Act 1990, also disclosed that the estimated registered vehicles on Nigerian roads within that period rose from 600, 000 to 6,000,000. Adighije, who sponsored the amendment bill, said the amendment sought to achieve "a proper management of road traffic and consequently affects life and security on our highways," adding that, "the Senate being sensitive to the quality of life of our people needs to review the law which sets up the FRSC (1990).... Adighije listed the highlights of the amendments proposed to the Act as:
Read the full story, here, from This Day (Lagos), via allAfrica. ___________________________
A coroner's call to ban four-wheel-drives from stopping within 200 metres of primary and infants schools was promptly opposed by the State Government yesterday. The Roads Minister, Michael Costa, also rejected suggestions for a special [driver's] licence for such cars, instead proposing "proximity alarms" inside the vehicles. The recommendations by the senior deputy State Coroner, Jacqueline Milledge, arise from the inquest into the death of five-year-old Bethany Holder.... Ms Milledge also recommended that schools, local council traffic committees and police review and better control traffic safety near schools. "I am not going to let arrogant people who think that the roads belong to them and who think that they should be able to take their kids right to the door step to drop them off get away with it," she promised Bethany's parents. Bethany was run over by a slow-moving Nissan Patrol inside the school grounds in July 2002.... The driver, a trained rally enthusiast, yesterday told the court she had looked around and had not seen the girl, but had stopped her car when she felt a "thud". Joan Maclennan also said she would never again drive a four-wheel drive and had tried to stop her friends from buying one.... The Pedestrian Council's Harold Scruby praised the recommendations, which he said would save lives. "These deaths are avoidable … if we train people with four-wheel-drives how to drive and how dangerous they can be," he said.... Full story, from the Sydney Morning Herald
related story
NEWS.com.au readers have had plenty to say in the wake of New South Wales coroner Jacqueline Milledge's recommendation that drivers of four-wheel-drive vehicles be required to acquire special [drivers'] licences, and be banned from the grounds of all state primary schools. [76 comments were on view at the time this link was posted here on the DSA website, and most were in favor either of more stringent driver licensing for SUV drivers or the imposition of regulations governing SUV use in urban areas.] View the full article and comments, from NEWS.com.au ___________________________
Oregon's crash fatality and injury rates have dropped 53% and 43% respectively, since passage of the adult seat belt law in 1990. The law, coupled with active enforcement, has resulted in 2003 Oregon safety belt use rates between 90.4% (front seat) and 91% (all passengers), making Oregon the fourth highest belt-use state in the U.S. (Washington 94.8 %, Hawaii 91.8%, California 91.2%). This compares to a nationwide belt use average of 79%. This is a single-paragraph excerpt from a good article: "Police take ‘Click It or Ticket’ reminders on the road" from bend.com ___________________________
With summer being the season of aggressive driving, more than 80 state and local law enforcement agencies from Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia are banding together to keep residents safe. The Smooth Operator campaign mobilizes its first wave of enforcement May 22-28, and police across the region will be out in force to combat aggressive driving. With children out of school, construction activities ramping up, and the influx of tourists, the theme of this year's Smooth Operator campaign will be "summer.".... ___________________________
The software glitch that caused some Toyota Prius hybrids to suddenly stall casts a spotlight on a broader problem: Cars have computers, lots of them, and computers can crash.... The typical passenger car has 70 or more tiny but powerful computers onboard that control audio systems, air conditioning, brakes, air bags and scores of other tasks. And the systems are complex.... [Carmakers point] out that automotive computers must work in conditions that would send the typical laptop or desktop computer into meltdown. The systems are jolted in rear-end freeway crashes, bounced over potholes at 60 mph, subject to extreme heat on summer drives through the Mojave and to extreme cold on ski trips. "We probably should be shocked that there are so few problems" with electronics, said Kevin Smith, editorial director of Edmunds.com.... Full story, from the Detroit News ___________________________
VTI was contacted by the National Police Board of Sweden in the course of an internal investigation of a traffic accident in which a policewoman was killed. Even though there was nothing about this accident which specifically indicated that the equipment which the police carry on their uniform directly caused the tragic outcome of the accident, it gave the impetus for an investigation whether any of the many items of equipment carried on the uniform entails a risk, and whether appropriate measures might also be identified to change or reduce the risks. It was therefore decided to study the working environment of the police in police cars, by performing two collision tests.... Additional search words: seatbelts, seat belts. ___________________________
.....Pedestrian fatalities account for about 10 percent of all traffic deaths..... Take one family's grief and multiply it by 100. That's how many pedestrians have been hit and killed on Florida's US-19 in five years. It's a six-lane meat grinder running 30 miles up Florida's Gulf Coast. We first visited in 2002, and found the shoulders of the road dotted with white crosses memorializing the dead. With fatalities in triple figures, US-19 is at the top of our list of dangerous roads.... US-19 may be the most dangerous road in America for pedestrians who have to cross it or walk along it, but it has plenty of company. In our review of five years of federal crash data, we found roads from coast to coast with no sidewalks, unsafe crossings, speeding traffic and some roads that are dangerous just because of where they are. The lesson here is pretty clear. In a land where the car is king, the person on foot better get out of the way.... But there's a road that proves it's possible to get off the most dangerous list. In the New York City borough of Queens, you'll find Queens Boulevard. In 2001 the Daily News dubbed this the "Boulevard of Death.” Pedestrians were being killed at the rate of one every six weeks. Since then, the city has put up warning signs, re-timed traffic lights, and built fences to discourage jaywalkers. Pedestrian deaths have declined sharply. The city says there was just one last year.... .....The mostly rural, often two-lane highways that carry only 28 percent of the nation's vehicles... are responsible for more than half [of all] fatal accidents.... To determine where these dangerous roads are, Dateline searched a federal database listing nearly every fatal traffic accident in the country. There are 400,000 miles of two lane highways in the United States, many with a disproportionate share of accidents. On State Road 138 in Southern California, head on collisions, overturned vehicles and cars going off the road are common. But despite that, many drivers don't realize just how dangerous two lane highways like this can be. There are places where an inattentive moment can be your last. Though 138's image has been helped a little by calling it the Pearblossom Highway, to locals it's the deathtrap highway or just blood alley.... The above is just a tiny insight into this lengthy, important article. Read it in full, here. From Dateline NBC ___________________________
This past weekend's traffic-death toll in Central Florida was shocking. Between Friday morning and Sunday at least 10 people were killed in traffic crashes. That total punctuates the need for state and local officials to toughen enforcement and penalties for dangerous drivers. Even seasoned Florida Highway Patrol troopers were surprised by the number of deaths this weekend. On a typical weekend, there usually aren't more than a half-dozen traffic deaths throughout Central Florida. Neither holiday travel nor bad weather can be blamed for these deaths. This latest news is particularly grim considering that last year there was a record number of deaths on Central Florida's roads -- 743. So far, this year's total in Central Florida is 298. There were 281 deaths reported for the same period last year. What's particularly noteworthy is that many of this weekend's fatal crashes involved a single vehicle. Troopers say that unless there is a mechanical malfunction, many single-vehicle crashes are the result of driver inexperience, intoxication, excessive speed -- or a combination of those factors.... Full editorial, from the Orlando Sentinel (registration may be required)
relevant, related story
.......Apparently, more than a few of us non-tourists rule the road as clumsily as our more clueless visitors but may be too smug to admit it. And we're not just talking about tailgating or failing to use a turn signal to change lanes. [The Southwest Florida Herald Tribune has] put together a little quiz to separate the bad drivers from the really bad drivers because, let's face it, we're all part of the problem by what we do -- and don't do -- in traffic. All American drivers should try this quiz, here. It's fun, but it's serious too. ___________________________
With a nod to Charles Dickens, for teenage drivers the period from May until late September is both the "best of times and the worst of times." Best of times because school is out, summer is here and the future looks pretty bright and challenging. It's the worst of time for teenagers because the 101 days from Memorial Day to Labor Day are when teen driving, crashes and fatalities take a tremendous jump, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Volvo Cars of North America, AAA, the National Association of Police Organizations, the National Sheriffs Association and NHTSA are sponsoring the Summer Safety Challenge to teens and their parents. The aim of the challenge is to urge parents to spend more time supervising their teenagers' driving in an effort to cut down on crashes and traffic deaths.... Full story, from the Detroit News ___________________________
At least 37 members of a wedding party died and another 25 were injured on Tuesday when their bus plunged down a gorge in a mountainous area of northern India, police said. The overcrowded bus skidded off a winding road and hurtled down the gorge in Rudraprayag district in the state of Uttaranchal, 350km north of the Indian capital of New Delhi.... Deadly vehicle accidents are frequent in the state in the Himalayan foothills that is criss-crossed by narrow twisting roads, which are often in disrepair and do not allow two-lane traffic. The latest crash came just more than two months after 15 people died and 14 others were injured on March 13 when a bus tumbled into a gorge near the tourist town of Mussoorie.... On May 3, at least 12 women guests travelling to a wedding were injured when their bus overturned and slid into a ravine near the hilly town of Almora in Uttaranchal state.... Full story, from the Mail & Guardian (South Africa)
DSA Comments There is an excellent example of how variations in terminology can occur between countries, in an article on this incident in the Calcutta Telegraph, where they stated that the bus had fallen into a "ditch". Even though they later added that the so-called ditch was actually 150 metres [492 feet] deep the scope for confusion is obvious. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
People who ride in pickup trucks use seat belts less often than passengers in cars, and the consequences are deadlier: A higher percentage of people killed in pickup truck crashes didn't buckle up compared to those in passenger cars, the government reported Monday. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released those statistics to open the national "Click It or Ticket" campaign, which is used to enforce seat-belt laws nationwide using police checkpoints and patrols. The two-week campaign runs from May 23 through June 5. The agency says more than 80 percent of the people in passenger cars buckled up in 2003, compared to 70 percent of those in pickup trucks. But the numbers were more stark in terms of fatalities: 70 percent of those killed in pickup truck crashes in 2003 did not wear safety belts, compared to 50 percent of the fatalities in cars. "While overall safety belt use is at an all-time high of 80 percent, 6,000 more lives could be saved each year if everyone buckled up," said Jeffrey Runge, administrator of the traffic safety agency. To spread the message, the Transportation Department is spending more than $26 million on advertising to alert those who ride in pickup trucks and other vehicles about the importance of wearing a safety belt.... Full story, from the Detroit News ___________________________
More than 90 car crashes have taken place in Sofia in just one day, police said on Sunday. Nine were serious accidents, and a total of 12 people have been injured. Sunday afternoon's rain boosted the risk of crashes even further, and caused for a car to slip off the Bulgaria Blvd. and block the way of tram cars for about an hour. ___________________________
The European Union’s energy commissioner has called for a 100kph — 62mph — speed limit to be adopted throughout Europe. Andris Piebalgs said roads in all 25 member states should be posted with a uniform limit to cut accidents and save fuel. His suggestion follows a recommendation by the International Energy Association in Paris and is seen as a quick way to cut energy consumption in response to depleted oil reserves. “If in Germany cars are speeding at 200kph (124mph) they are using too much petrol,” said Piebalgs. He was speaking at a meeting in Germany, where motorists enjoy the only speed-limit-free roads in the EU.... Piebalgs’s proposal came as the European economic and social committee, a body that advises the European commission on drawing up new legislation, launched an initiative to create a common European highway code. Its aim is to remove the wide variations in road regulations of member states. The committee said that in Portugal it is illegal to drive with daytime lights while in northern and eastern Europe lights cannot be switched off. Critics point out the contrasting weather conditions in Scandinavia and Portugal. The committee wants a commission white paper, with legislation to follow. Full story, from The Times ___________________________
The number of people in hospital after last night's street racing crash in Auckland has now risen to seven. At least one person has serious injuries after being hit by a speeding car that ran into in a crowd of hundreds of spectators on Harris Road in East Tamaki. Police are questioning several young drivers, but Acting Sergeant Gareth Hartley says a lot of spectators took off when things went wrong. He says it is not unusual for the crowds to fade off into the night after there is a crash caused by illegal racing.... Full story, from Crime.co.nz ___________________________
The government’s new road safety minister came close to being disqualified from driving after he was caught speeding three times within three years. Stephen Ladyman, who was appointed last week, has admitted that at one stage he had accumulated nine penalty points on his driving licence. If he had been caught speeding for a fourth time — adding a further three points — he would have faced an automatic ban. Ladyman, who is deputy to Alistair Darling, the transport secretary, oversees roads policy and is tasked with ensuring the safe passage of a road safety bill through parliament. The bill, which ran out of time before the general election was called, will be reintroduced in the Queen’s speech this week.... Ladyman last broke the speed limit by about 10mph in 2002 as he was driving on the A2 from London to his South Thanet constituency in Kent. He still has three points on his licence as a result of the offence and would have paid a £60 fine. The six points he acquired from the other two speeding offences — picked up at roadworks on the M2 — are now “spent” because they were incurred more than three years ago.... Ladyman’s offences have dismayed road safety campaigners. “A basic requirement for a road safety minister should be a clean driving licence,” said Mary Williams, chief executive of Brake, a road safety charity.... Full story, from The Times
DSA Comments We concur closely with Mary Williams' comments, above. One error of judgment maybe, but three in fairly rapid succession? That might be marginally 'acceptable' in ordinary life but not for the road safety minister who is now set to lead the country on this issue. The biggest issue, however, is the reference to two of the offences taking place in roadworks -- the very places where dangers are increased and lower speeds are particularly important to maintaining safety for all. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
and online options provide an easy alternative Tens of thousands of California teens will turn to unregulated Internet courses this year for their first lesson on the rules of the road, attracted by a booming private industry that boasts a quick and easy route to a learner's driving permit. No classroom. No teacher. And -- a [Sacramento] Bee investigation has found -- no oversight or quality control. Anyone, in fact, can "teach" driver education to teens in California today, no experience necessary. One industry leader, based in Citrus Heights, has a state license, but it isn't for teaching. It's for pest inspections. Public schools and the Legislature have paved the way. Most high schools no longer offer driver education classes, despite a law saying they must do so. And the Legislature, guided by industry lobbyists, has pushed state regulators aside, making California the only state among the few accepting Internet driver education certificates that doesn't regulate online companies or review what they teach. Teens, for their part, love the new Internet route. Like exuberant drivers on an open road, many speed through lessons on blind spots and zip past warnings about drinking and driving, all in pursuit of a 15 1/2-year-old's Holy Grail, the completion certificate known as the "pink slip." That slip lets would-be drivers under age 18 take the Department of Motor Vehicles written exam for a permit to drive legally for the first time - albeit with an adult passenger. A Bee review of several courses as well as interviews with dozens of teens, found Internet driver education often sorely lacking. Most of the courses can be completed in a few hours, far less than the 25 hours or more teens spend in the high school classes. Students can click through the courses without reading the material and guess repeatedly at quiz questions until they get enough right to move on. Without oversight, there is no one to ensure the teens even take those quizzes themselves.... Full story, from the Sacramento Bee (registration required)
DSA Comments Can this situation be referred to as anything less than scandalous? We were notified of the story by one of our regular correspondents, who understandably suggested that it should be re-titled: California Driver Ed: Send in Two Box Tops Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
..... More than half of all traffic deaths in Pennsylvania between 1999 and 2003 occurred on rural roads, even though almost three-quarters of the state's road travel is on interstate highways, a private transportation research group says. Figures show the state ranks among the nation's highest in rural traffic deaths and rural fatality rates in relation to miles traveled.... The Road Information Program, a Washington, D.C.-based organization, issued a recent report saying 52 percent of all traffic deaths nationally during the four-year period happened on rural, non-interstate roads. The report, based on federal statistics, blamed narrow roads, sharp curves, limited shoulders, roadside hazards such as trees and utility poles and inadequate funding for safety improvements. Pennsylvania had 4,362 rural road deaths during the period, accounting for 56 percent of the state's highway fatalities, TRIP reported. It was the fifth-highest total nationally, even though only 28 percent of the state's vehicular travel was on rural roads. In 2003, there were 3.2 deaths per 100 million vehicle-miles traveled on non-inter- B1 state rural roads in Pennsylvania, TRIP reported. That's virtually four times the rate of 0.82 deaths on all other state roads during the same period and 17 percent higher than the national rate of 2.72 deaths on non-interstates, the group reported. Pennsylvania's rate was the seventh-highest rate nationally.... The volume of rural road mileage in Pennsylvania factors into accidents and deaths. The state has 87,750 miles of rural roads, making up 72 percent of the state's network, according to the Pennsylvania State Data Center.... Many fatalities on rural roads occur at night in hilly, wooded regions, [according to Jack Lewis, spokesman for the state police in Harrisburg].... Full story, from the Scranton Times Tribune ___________________________
The image of a Cairo road gridlocked for all eternity isn’t a far-fetched one. But in a city where rush hour starts at seven in the morning and sometimes lasts until midnight, worse things happen when you have the following fatal formula: pedestrians and drivers equally ignorant of the ABCs of road protocol, plus bad road conditions. Despite carrying one message in other parts of the world, traffic lights, indicators, zebra crossings, footbridges and road signs clearly mean different things to different people in Egypt and, if it’s any consolation, in most developing countries.... [Egypt will host its] first international forum on road safety and traffic management [on February 8 and 9, 2006].... In Egypt, there are 6,000 road fatalities and 26,000 injuries annually, according to The World Health Organization.... Although many would be skeptical that the upcoming forum will make a difference, resigned that the ‘organized chaos’ of Egypt’s roads is a fait accompli.... the Interior Ministry and the newly formed Safe Road Society of Egypt believe otherwise. Under the auspices of First Lady Susan Mubarak, the conference, titled “Road Safety: A Shared Responsibility,” is intended to kick-start a holistic campaign to improve the situation in Egypt, which will be used as a case study for how developing countries may apply global ‘best practices’ and success stories to their own situations. The objective of this conference... is to initiate action towards long-lasting solutions for road safety. It brings together eight leading international experts including such high-profile figures as Joseph Schleicher, chairman of the Global Road Safety Partnership and professor Murray Mackay, director of the European Transport Safety Council. Locally, Habib El-Adly, minister of interior; Essam Sharaf, minister of transport; Mohammed Awad Taggedin, minister of health; and Ahmed El-Maghrabi, minister of tourism, will attend, as well as representatives of NGOs like Marwan Hammad, chairman of the Safe Road Society of Egypt.... Full story here, from Egypt Today ___________________________
[In Britain] speed limits are a once again becoming a major topic of discussion and some enforcement methods are at best misunderstood and on occasions a source of public irritation. RoadSafe believes that eliminating excessive speed will save lives and has outlined some of the potential solutions, their benefits and the rationale behind enforcement methodologies that will significantly contribute to road safety.... Read the full but short press release here, from RoadSafe ___________________________
As well as the safety features detailed in a new model brochure, "hidden" safety initiatives are design essentials built into a vehicle, such as energy absorption measures and the construction of space below the bonnet to improve occupant and pedestrian safety in the event of a crash. Therefore, in the case of an all-new model, safety elements of a vehicle are being worked on up to four years before the vehicle reaches production and around two-and-a-half-years in the case of a model update. "When we are designing new vehicles we are talking about the stringent implementation and development of safety features which includes testing and development with computer engineering methods from A-Z," says Ford safety expert Joerg Reim.... Reim is Ford of Europe's supervisor vehicle safety, body engineering product development Europe, based in Cologne.... There are two categories of vehicle safety --passive and active. Reim is responsible for passive safety, which covers features designed to protect in the event of an accident, such as seatbelts, airbags, vehicle structure and rescue ability - all part of what Ford refer to as the Intelligent Protection System (IPS) pioneered on the Mondeo. Meanwhile, active safety embraces features designed to aid drivers in the avoidance of an accident such as brakes, lights, vehicle visibility and more recent features such as Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBFD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA).... Full story, from the Derry Journal, Ireland ___________________________
WASHINGTON -- New car shoppers may soon be able to look at the sticker on a vehicle's window to find out how well it avoids a rollover or holds up in a collision. Legislation moving in the U.S. Senate known as "Stars on Cars" would require automakers to include crash-test results on the sticker along with the familiar manufacturer's suggested retail price, features and EPA fuel economy. Under the measure, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, consumers would see the "star" ratings based on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash tests. Such a requirement could instantly make crash test ratings and vehicle safety an important factor for car buyers.... Full story, from the Detroit News ___________________________
As available research indicates both hands-free and hand-held cell phones pose cognitive distraction to driver's performance, AAA advocates that the safest course of action is to refrain from using a cell phone -- hands-free or otherwise -- while driving.... Full press release here, from AAA Chicago. ___________________________
The following is an extract from the budget speech of the Honourable Peter Costello, MP, Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Australia: ".....to ensure that we minimise dangers on our roads, the Government will also provide $90 million to continue the Road Safety Blackspot Programme." [Source: '2005 Budget speech', from The Age] ___________________________
A lorry driver shunted a tiny Smart car two miles down a busy German motorway because he didn't know it was wedged to his truck. Klaus Buergermeister only stopped, allowing the Smart car's terrified driver to escape, when he was flagged down by police. The trucker, 53, pushed the tiny car driven by Andreas Bolga, 48, along the busy A1 after pulling onto the autobahn at Leverkusen. He said he was surprised when a patrol car signalled for him to stop as he was not driving too fast and had only had his vehicle serviced the week before. "I couldn't believe it when I got out of the truck and saw there was a car stuck on the front of it," he said. He added he had felt a slight bump, but said he thought he had simply driven over a stone in the road. Instead he had hit the Smart car and its bumper had wedged on the truck's radiator grill. Mr Bolga said: "I was driving at just under 60mph when the truck came onto the motorway and hit me. "I tried to drive away but couldn't. I looked up through my sun roof and could see the driver, but he didn't notice me." Police say no action will be taken against the truck driver. [Source: Ananova]
DSA Comments On the face of it, we find it astonishing that the police will allegedly be taking no action against the truck driver in this incident. The smallest Smart car we are aware of -- the ForTwo -- measures 2.5 metres long, by 1.515m. wide, by 1.549m. high (8ft 2ins. long, by 5ft. wide, by 5ft. 1in. high) and yet a truck driver, joining a motorway, completely failed to notice the Smart car and to all intents and purposes simply ran over it. And for the next two miles the driver of the Smart car could see the truck driver, via the sunroof of the Smart, yet the truck driver completely failed to notice the car he'd got wedged on his front bumper? If a driver -- any driver -- is meant to be observant when joining a motorway, what could possibly excuse the truck driver on this occasion from completely ignoring an 8' x 5' x 5' vehicle? Presumably this also means that it would have been perfectly acceptable if he had run over and killed somebody on a motorcycle! Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
.....The Powys
anti-speeding campaign has been massively successful in cutting the
number of deaths on the regions roads, with the number of riders
killed in the region falling by more than half in the last year.
The region is a
big attraction for motorcycle riders from all over the west with
some amazing roads for bikes [i.e. many hills and tight curves],
and the number of resulting accidents was causing serious concern.
But rather than pile on the speed cameras the local police and
council opted for an education campaign. They put up signs to
indicate the number of casualties and gave out maps of the area that
highlighted the accident blackspots, giving riders prior warning of
where to be careful.
The campaign
was so successful that motorcycle deaths fell from 12 in 2003 to
just 5 in 2004 and serious injuries dropped from 87 in 2003 to 49
last year.
The campaign
was also accompanied by a big investment in training through the
BikeSafe scheme, which has now been given the go-ahead to continue
this year....
Full
story, from MCN
___________________________
ALMA ATA -- General Director and CEO of Kazakhstan’s Khabar TV Agency, Zhanar Abdildina, died in a traffic accident in Alma Ata last night. Another three people in the Khabar vehicle were hurt. Full story, from Itar-Tass ___________________________
Three people died and 44 were injured when a tour bus swerved off the road and flipped over in southern province of Antalya over the weekend, the Anatolia news agency reported. The bus was carrying Turkish, Italian and Swiss tourists. Full story here, from the Turkish Daily News (registration required) ___________________________
.....As motorized recreational vehicles -- from scooters to mini-sized motorbikes known as "pocket bikes" -- grow in popularity, and as more cities and states make moves to ban or regulate their use on public property.... In Idaho [for example] state law prohibits anyone without a driver's license from operating a motorized vehicle of any kind.... Trouble is, say law enforcement officials and others who monitor transportation, these new vehicles present a whole different set of safety issues _ and often don't mix well with foot traffic on sidewalks or with bigger, faster cars and trucks on roadways. One transportation expert says she's especially worried about pocket bikes, which can exceed speeds of 40 mph and ride low to the ground, making them difficult to see. "In our view, it's just an accident waiting to happen," says Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, which will convene a workshop on the topic of "unconventional vehicles" at its annual meeting this summer in Norfolk, Virginia.... Full story, from the Washington Post ___________________________
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday in Houston for Representative Joe Moreno, D-Houston, who died early Friday in a one-vehicle accident near La Grange.... Moreno, 40, was driving from Houston to Austin following the Rockets playoff game with the Dallas Mavericks when authorities think he overcorrected after his pickup truck slipped off the shoulder of State Highway 71. Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, and a legislative staffer were with Moreno and both were hurt.... [Source: Services Tuesday For Texas Lawmaker Killed In Traffic Accident, from KWTX] ___________________________
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) are teaming up for safety with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Mid-Atlantic region, Buckle Up PA, the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA), the Pennsylvania Division of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and nearly 30 trucking companies across the Commonwealth who will be placing Click It or Ticket decals on the backs of their trailers. The Click It or Ticket campaign started in Pennsylvania in 2002 to remind motorists that if they are cited for a moving violation and are not buckled up, they may receive a second ticket for not wearing a seatbelt. According to PennDOT, Pennsylvania's current seatbelt use rate is 82 percent, the highest ever recorded in the state. However, in 2003, 623 people who lost their lives in traffic crashes in Pennsylvania were not wearing their seatbelts. PennDOT urges all motorists to always drive with caution, refuse to drink and drive and always buckle up. [Source: PennDOT] ___________________________
FRANKFURT - Eager to cut costs and curb the potential for breakdowns, European carmakers are growing increasingly sceptical of packing their products with the latest high-tech gadgets to emerge from engineering labs. When, for instance, General Motors Europe executives met recently to review 20 potential systems to aid drivers, such as lane departure warnings or eyelid monitors to detect drowsiness, their enthusiasm remained firmly in check. "The interesting question was not when we would introduce all 20. The interesting question is which of them will we introduce at all, and when, and how will we sell it," GM Europe President Carl-Peter Forster told a conference last week. Read the full story in the Detroit News, from Reuters.
DSA Comments Though saddening, it is not surprising that the two examples of "gimmicks" and "gadgets" referred to are actually significant safety devices. Apart from the journalist's choice of words this does, however, also reflect to a significant degree on a seemingly irrepressible human belief that remains the catalyst for a large number of road deaths: "It won't happen to me!" Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
An interesting look at statistics from a UK auto insurance company. Click here to view the article. ___________________________
A Cumbria Constabulary police officer has accused magistrates of giving out “totally the wrong message” after two truckers who flouted driving laws left court without a fine. Inspector Iain Clark spoke out after two foreign drivers caught breaching tachograph rules on the M6 were given conditional discharges at Eden Magistrates’ Court. Inspector Clark, of the force’s mobile support group, said tiredness caused by long journeys could have been the cause of four deaths in the last year on the motorway in Cumbria. The truckers – Spaniard Ismael Visedo and Brazilian Adriano Deus – were in the same lorry when they broke laws stating two drivers working together must not be in the cab more than 22 hours. Police say they had broken this limit by about three hours and appeared to have no intention of stopping on a long haul into Scotland which would take another four hours. “In view of the number of fatal accidents that we put down to drivers falling asleep, I don’t think this sent out a very good message,” said Inspector Clark. “It is totally the wrong message. “There have been national campaigns about not driving tired. It is a serious issue. “It is not my place to criticise magistrates but I don’t think they should have been let off.” Visedo, 40, and Deus, 29, both admitted breaching tachograph rules and not taking a daily rest period in a 24-hour-period. As well as the 22-hour rule, legislation states truckers driving alone must not work for more than 10 hours a day. Magistrates in Penrith gave both men a six-month conditional discharge hours after they were caught on Friday April 29. This means the court will take no action unless the person is convicted of a further offence within that time, in which case they would consider re-sentencing for the original crime.... [DSA NOTE: For the benefit of non-European readers, a tachograph is an electrical instrument that records vehicle movements and the driver's activities and working hours, over a 24-hour period.] [Source: the News and Star, which has an admirable online section specifically about Road Safety]
DSA Comments Forget any presumed protocol; in our opinion Inspector Clark was entirely right to speak out about the magistrates' inaction on a safety issue such as this. Sadly, at DSA, we continually see examples from many countries where an open and shut case -- to quote the cliché -- is met with a reprehensible lack of action by the courts concerned. These two men had even admitted their dangerous act, for heaven's sake; it wasn't exactly in doubt! The next time they commit the same offence it may be in France, or Spain, or Switzerland, or anywhere but Britain, so maybe they'll get off unpunished yet again. And what's to stop them doing it again? This Cumbrian court certainly hasn't discouraged them. But maybe -- dear Penrith Magistrates -- one or both of these men will kill somebody next time. Perhaps you think that won't matter if the dead are French, Spanish, Swiss or whatever! Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
KONAN, Aichi -- A man was arrested here after he drove his car into and killed a toddler as she played at a park dedicated to road safety, police said. Hideaki Kanmitsu, 32, a company employee from Iwakura, Aichi Prefecture, was arrested for professional negligence resulting in the death of 3-year-old Chiaki Yamamoto. Kanmitsu is accused of slamming into Chiaki as she ran toward her father in a parking lot beside the road safety park where the Yamamoto family had been playing together on Sunday. Police said the 32-year-old driver failed to pay enough attention while behind the wheel of his car. Police said that Chiaki had been jumping rope in the park, but gave up and started running toward her father when she saw him in the parking lot. As she raced toward her father, Kanmitsu was leaving the parking lot and slammed his car into Chiaki, knocking her down and causing fatal head injuries. (Mainichi Shimbun) [Source: Mainichi Daily News] ___________________________
The Supreme Court of Canada will hear arguments this week in a six-year-old drunk-driving case that deals with how long it took a Winnipeg man to take a roadside sobriety test after police pulled him over. John Woods was convicted of drunk driving on March 12, 1999 and was given a $300 fine. However, the Manitoba Court of Appeal overturned his conviction and fine because it took police more than an hour to give Woods a roadside-sobriety screening test for impairment. The court said police should have charged Woods when he refused the test at the roadside, instead of administering it more than an hour later. Crown attorney Ami Kotler says Woods initially refused the test, then changed his mind, which caused the delay in the test's administration. Kotler says that's a problem; he says police should have some discretion if people change their minds about submitting to the test. "We think it works better for everybody because people who are not over the limit can avoid being charged, and the police officers whose job it is to be out on the roads protecting the public can get back more quickly to what it is they're supposed to be doing," says Kotler. "The reason that we're pursuing the appeal is that it will tie the hands of police officers so that they will not be able to let anybody change their mind.".... Full story, from CBC ___________________________
MADINAH, Saudi Arabia — At least 23 Iranian pilgrims were injured, some of them seriously, when the bus they were in had an accident outside Madinah yesterday, Red Crescent sources said.... The injured were taken to Madinah General Hospital where eight are reported to be in serious condition. Full story, from Arab News ___________________________
.....a Canadian national was arrested after he accidentally bumped a chapel and then hit three children while driving his jeepney in barangay Guinsay, Danao City (Philippines) last Wednesday afternoon. The police identified the victims as Vincent Tito, 12, Carmen Lato, 10, and Gino Lato, 2, all of barangay Guinsay. Dr. Mary Ann Laurel of Danao City General Hospital said James Percy Dear, 70, was found positive during a liquor test shortly after the accident.... [Source: The Freeman] ___________________________
Eight people have been killed and 10 injured in road accidents across the country since Thursday.... Three people, including two Dutch tourists, were killed Friday evening in a head-on collision north of Eilat.... [Source: Haaretz] ___________________________
Sabah’s high traffic accident and fatality rate has caught the attention of Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Bakri Omar, who described the situation as worrying. Last year alone, there were 5,666 accidents reported in Sabah and 124 of these involved fatalities, he said when opening the new RM20mil Ranau district police headquarters and housing complex here yesterday. “We are monitoring the situation closely and will do our level best to minimise road accidents, especially fatal ones,” Bakri said, reminding motorists to observe traffic rules and regulations and to exercise extra caution when driving. He also urged police personnel in the state to keep abreast of current developments and to constantly upgrade their knowledge, skills and efficiency to provide excellent service to the public.... Full story, from The Star ___________________________
This Friday, Massachusetts will launch its Click It or Ticket campaign, a three-week effort to get more Bay Staters to wear seat belts in motor vehicles. The state requires that all people wear seat belts when riding in private passenger motor vehicles. But getting people to abide by the law hasn't been easy. Last June, a national survey determined that 63 percent of people in Massachusetts use seats belts, while nationally, 80 percent of the people do.... Now local and State Police want to increase the state's seat belt use rate to at least 66 percent. Highway safety tests have shown that seat belts reduce the risk of death or serious injury in a motor vehicle crash by as much as 50 percent. Here in Massachusetts, according to the Governor's Highway Safety Bureau, the low use of safety belts was a major factor in the 462 fatalities and more than 5,368 incapacitating injuries that stemmed from motor vehicle crashes in 2003.... Full story, from the Boston Globe ___________________________
New pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans will not be required to have portable fire extinguishers installed under a ruling by the government Friday. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in denying a petition by the Fire Equipment Manufacturers' Association, said it was concerned a new regulation could increase injuries or fatalities because many motorists lack training in using the devices. Fire equipment manufacturers wanted the government to require vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less to have the extinguishers onboard. The equipment is mandated on large trucks and buses used in interstate commerce. Manufacturers noted that in 2003 there were 14,000 automobile accidents involving fires. More than 10 percent of the accidents were fatal. They said having the equipment would prevent smaller fires in vehicles from turning into larger ones, and would avert deaths and injuries. Manufacturers estimate a cost of less than $20 per vehicle.... Full story, from the Detroit News ___________________________
Simple Plan's somber video for their song "Untitled" — which shows the far-reaching effects of drinking and driving — has been embraced by fans and program directors alike, having captured the #1 spot on Thursday's edition of "TRL". And now they're getting props from a somewhat unlikely source. The band has entered into a partnership with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and will attach a message from the organization to the end of the "Untitled" video, according to a spokesperson for SP's label, Lava Records. "Traffic crashes are the #1 killer of teens, and nearly one-third of teen traffic deaths are alcohol-related," the message reads. "For more information [call] 1-800-GET-MADD." In concurrence with the MADD partnership, Simple Plan wrote a letter to fans, asking them to watch the video and consider the impact of their actions if they choose to drive drunk.... Full story, from MTV News ___________________________
[This is just one more report of the type that emanates from newspapers every single day, in the USA, but it sums up the situation better than most -- DSA] If you want an accurate insight into deplorable driving standards, click here. [From AZ Central] ___________________________
.....A man died when he fell from the tray of a utility [i.e. a pick-up truck], at Loch Sport near Sale, in Victoria's south-east. The driver of the utility had allegedly swerved to avoid a kangaroo. Police believe the ute's occupants were returning home from a local hotel at 11.35pm (AEST) yesterday when the 47-year-old Cranbourne man fell out on a suburban road. The latest death brings the Victorian road toll to 138, up from 124 at the same time last year. Source: 'Woman killed in car crash', from the Daily Telegraph ___________________________
The number of people killed or seriously injured on Britain's roads fell by 7% last year, according to government figures. The Office for National Statistics said 34,500 people died or were seriously hurt in road accidents in 2004 -- 2,715 less than the previous year.... The government aims to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured by 40% by 2010. A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport welcomed the figures and said: "The trend has been falling every year and we are confident that the target the government has set can be reached. "There are different reasons for the fall but it is mainly down to improved road safety measures and programmes like the THINK! campaign which have helped to bring the overall accident rate down.".... Full story, from BBC News ___________________________
Big vehicles and toddlers make a lethal combination, according to a children’s safety expert. "In 2003, at least 72 children died in the United States as a result of being accidentally backed over by a vehicle," said Janette Fennell, founder and president of Kids and Cars, an advocacy group which promotes vehicle safety for children. "Even more heartbreaking is the fact that the majority of those tragedies occurred with a parent or a close relative behind the wheel," she says. "With the growing popularity of SUVs, which have extremely large blind spots that can sometimes camouflage up to 20 children behind them, the potential for back-over incidents is increasing," Fennell says, adding that most fatal back-overs occur when the drivers are in large vehicles. So how can parents of the most vulnerable age group, toddlers, keep their children safe in their own driveways? And are we seeing more children getting hurt by people backing into them while driving SUVs or big vehicles, or are these accidents just garnering more media coverage?..... To get the answers to these questions, read the full article from News Channel 5, at TC Palm ___________________________
1999: Jason Meyer, Grand Meadow police officer; crashed while on his way to help another officer. 2000: Theodore Foss, State Patrol corporal; struck by semi trailer truck during a traffic stop on Interstate Hwy. 90. 2002: Melissa Schmidt, Minneapolis police officer; shot while detaining suspect. Bradley Alan Anderson, St. Louis County sheriff's deputy, killed in a car accident responding to a call. Michael Lee, Staples Chippewa National Forest law enforcement officer, died when his car hit a deer. 2004: Thomas Wyatt, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension special agent; motor vehicle accident while on duty. [Note: during this period, two other officers died of illness or long-term injury complications.] Full article, from the Star Tribune
DSA Comments Our condolences go the families of all police and other law enforcement officers who are killed in the line of duty, worldwide. The reason we have posted this extract, however, is to draw attention to what we consider to be two rather neglected aspects of officer safety, here in the USA and that, of course, is road incidents: 1. At DSA, we have been assured that the reason many officers on highway patrol duties do not wear highly-reflective safety jackets like those used in many other countries is the fear that these simply give a gunman a better target at which to aim. But surely one needs to consider the ratio of danger. How many times in a typical day does a patrol officer stand on the driver's side of a vehicle on the roadside? And assuming that the driver who has been stopped is maliciously carrying a gun, do they really need the addition of a reflective jacket to help them aim better at virtually point-blank range? But what about all those cars and trucks that continue to barrel past, too close and too fast? 2. U.S. law enforcement officers deserve better driver training than they currently get. The only police driver courses we are aware of in America last from two to five days, but in some other countries -- where the rates of officer deaths in crashes are lower -- police driver training can last several weeks. If U.S. law enforcement officers protect the country, surely the country could do more to protect its officers! Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. (and a former police officer). ___________________________
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Human factors such as over-speeding, poor judgment, lack of skills and drunkenness continue to be the leading causes of road accidents, according to the latest study conducted by the National Transportation Planning & Research Centre (Natpac). Human factors accounted for 45.5 per cent of the accidents in the State capital, while road factors such as bad surfaces, lack of signs and street-lights, unmanned intersections, etc., accounted for 25 per cent. Traffic factors such as over-speeding, road congestion and mixed traffic conditions accounted for 23.5 per cent of the accidents. It was also found that in every accident, multiple factors were involved. On an average, 2.3 major factors were found to be responsible for an accident. "The study reveals that the driver is the key element in road safety. This points to the importance of road safety awareness programmes and strict enforcement of rules even while steps are taken to improve road conditions," says Mahesh Chand, who carried out the study. In the city alone, 4,754 vehicles are registered daily, out of which 2,556 are two-wheelers and 652 are cars. Last year, the number of all types of vehicles increased to 2.81 lakhs State-wide from only 1.91 lakhs in 2000. [DSA -- One lakh = 100,000] With more and more high-speed vehicles driven by young people hitting the road, the average speed on the roads is on the increase. A spot survey indicated an average speed of 39 kmph in front of schools on the Pattom-Kesavadasapuram road where the speed limit is 25 kmph. .....the maximum number of accidents in the city was recorded on Mondays. This is because, it being the first working day of the week, there is more traffic on the roads on Mondays. State-wide, the most number of accidents was reported during October-November. This is apparently owing to the flow of pilgrims to Sabarimala. The least number of accidents was reported during the period from March to June, when schools and colleges remain closed for the summer vacation. "There is an apparent need to step up road safety measures during accident-prone periods", points out Dr. Chand. Full story, from The Hindu ___________________________
Traffic on the Noida toll bridge gets particularly chaotic in the evening, with drivers often oblivious to the speed limit. While nine accidents have been reported this year, two people have died. A Newsline team went to the toll bridge this evening and saw DTC buses flouting signals, vehicles taking U-turns at crossroads, turning without signals and overspeeding, with hardly any sign of the traffic police. Apart from at traffic signals, there are almost no traffic policemen visible. The flyover is showcased as an engineering marvel, but traffic experts have pointed out various engineering flaws. The 6-km stretch of the 4-lane highway connecting Delhi and Noida has wide roads, which inspires speed beyond control. Piyush Mordia, SSP, Noida said he had no idea if a speed limit had been set for vehicles using the expressway: “A maximum speed limit would soon be set.” The Ring Road is seldom diverted onto a smaller road and the loops enabling diversions for Sarai Kale Khan or diversions from Sarai Kale Khan to Ashram, are dangerous, the experts said, adding that the banking of the loops was not constructed properly, which is why several accidents took place. ‘‘The vehicles that were coming at high speed would lose control on the loop as they swerved due to the engineering faults,’’ said an expert.... Full story, from Delhi Newsline ___________________________
If you are thinking of going for that extra fitting in your car, think twice and check the rule book first. Otherwise, it might land you in trouble. The Kolkata traffic police is planning to crack down on cars with front guards because the police officers feel that people who drive cars with a front guard, have a tendency towards rash driving. So traffic police officials feel that by cracking down on cars with front guards, accident rates can be reduced. According to traffic sergeants, often the cars with front guards are bumping into other cars while speeding along the roads.... However, according to the traffic sergeants, if a car is manufactured along with the guard, then it is difficult to take action. "We can take action against those cars which have it as an extra fitting," said erjee. Full story, from the Calcutta Times ___________________________
Drivers who are suspected of handphone driving will have their handphones and SIM cards confiscated to facilitate investigation. The court may forfeit the phones and cards if they are convicted. A first-time offender of handphone driving faces 12 demerit points and a maximum fine of up to $1,000 or a jail term of up to six months, or both. He or she may also be barred from driving. Source article here, from Today ___________________________
A highway safety campaign highlighting the state's Move Over law will be staged today along U.S. 27 by the Polk County Sheriff's Office and the Polk County Community Traffic Safety Team.... Under state law, drivers are required to slow down to 20 mph less than the posted speed limit and pull into the adjacent lane, if there is one, for safety reasons whenever a law enforcement officer, or public safety vehicle and tow trucks with amber lights are with a stopped vehicle on the side of the road.... Full story, from The Ledger ___________________________
Last week, observant drivers on the Church Street/Kansas Highway 10 interchange could see a Kansas Highway Patrol officer ducking behind the overpass railing aiming a speed gun at approaching westbound traffic. A few days earlier, a patrolman used a parked pickup with a raised hood as hiding while engaged in a similar activity at the highway's 1057 Road intersection east of Eudora. In both cases, the officers had little trouble finding enough speed limit violators to keep the assigned chase cars busy. This should come as no surprise to any regular drivers on the highway, where the posted 70-mph speed limit is treated as a barely tolerated minimum rather than the maximum. K-10 motorists who allow their speed focus to relax for a moment and slip to a leisurely pace in the 60s while they enjoy the beautiful vistas west of Kansas Highway 7 to Lawrence will soon find a line of impatient vehicles behind them looking for the first chance to pass.... We [the Eudora News editorial team] welcome a visible enforcement effort on the highway in the hopes it will get the attention of the most serious violators, creating more comfort for all drivers. Read the full editorial, from the Eudora News.
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Statistics for Montana highway fatalities are nearing record levels statewide.... [In District 1], fatal accidents that involve motorcycles, lack of seatbelts and out of state vehicles are up by 200 percent, according to District Captain Tom Hamilton of the Montana Highway Patrol. Hamilton said there are three contributing factors to the increases: the lack of manpower patrolling the highway, failure to use seatbelts and the image many drivers have of Montana. "The perception of Montana is that you can go as fast as you darn well want," Hamilton said. He believes educating everyone about wearing seatbelts will have a positive effect and educating drivers that Montana has speed limits that are enforced will cut the death toll.... With 75,000 miles of highways, byways and roads crisscrossing Montana, the 204 troopers are literally going from one accident to the next, he said. Full story, from the Ravalli Republic ___________________________
Infineon Raceway has partnered with the California Highway Patrol for the 2005 major-event season to raise awareness of a very serious issue: drinking and driving. The two will join forces during select major events at Infineon Raceway in 2005 with a Designated Driver Program booth, which is designed to not only educate people about the dangers of drinking and driving, but also reward those who choose to become designated drivers. The booth will be operated by both Infineon Raceway and CHP officers and will contain literature, designated driver pledge cards, free bottled water and prizes.... Those who decide to become designated drivers must fill out a pledge card — under the direction of the CHP — and they will be given a free bottle of water. Designated drivers will also become eligible to win great prizes throughout the day.... Full story here, from Road Racing World ___________________________
At least 29 people were killed when a truck collided with a bus on a busy motorway in southwestern Nigeria, police said on Thursday. Ondo state police command said the truck, laden with yams, swerved to avoid some cattle and crashed into the bus on the Akure-Owo highway on Wednesday. "Police recovered 29 bodies from the scene, there were also a number of people with serious injuries. It was raining heavily and visibility was poor when the accident happened," a senior officer told Reuters from Akure, the state capital. Fatal road crashes are a common occurrence in Nigeria and police usually blame them on speeding, poorly maintained vehicles and overloading. Motorists attribute the accidents to oil-rich Nigeria's crumbling highways. [Source: Reuters AlertNet] ___________________________
MUSCAT — Yahya bin Saud Al Sulaimi, education minister, presided over a celebration to give away prizes of Shell Road Safety contest at Grand Hyatt Muscat Hotel yesterday. The ceremony was attended by undersecretaries and officials of the Education Ministry and Shell Company.... The contest targets pupils, teachers and schools and some criteria were set for the participating works. The president of Shell in the Sultanate also gave a speech, in which he said the competition was held with the aim of reducing road accidents.... Full story, from the Times of Oman ___________________________
Formula One Ferrari drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello will launch a new international road safety campaign at the Spanish Grand Prix circuit, today. Think Before You Drive is a global campaign, aiming to promote safer driving, and is backed by the FIA Foundation and Bridgestone Corporation. The three year campaign will be rolled out across Europe and parts of Africa and Latin America in 2005. Participants in the media launch will also include Minekazu Fujimura, Chairman, CEO and President of Bridgestone Europe; and David Ward, Director General of the FIA Foundation. Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello will form an elite pit crew to demonstrate the safety advice of the campaign. [Source: i-Newswire] ___________________________
There is a new website for the International Conference on Distracted Driving. The conference will take place on Oct 2-5, 2005 in Toronto, Canada and is being co-organized by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) and the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF). The purpose of the conference is to identify rational and effective programs and policies for controlling the problem of distracted driving, based on solid facts about its magnitude and causes. The website address is http://www.distracteddriving.ca [Source: Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF)] ___________________________
Federal auto-safety regulators have taken the unusual step of removing documents on vehicle roof design from a government Web site at the request of Ford. The material includes internal reports from Ford and its Volvo subsidiary that suggest the Swedish automaker views sturdy roofs as an important safety feature, a stance at odds with that of its parent company. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Friday removed the documents from a Web site of public comments on proposed changes in the federal standard for roof strength in passenger vehicles. Ford requested the material be removed, saying that a court order in a wrongful-death case in Florida barred their release and that the disclosure would cause "irreparable" harm and could reveal trade secrets.... Roof collapse in vehicle rollovers may cause or contribute to as many as 6,900 serious to fatal injuries per year, NHTSA estimates. Safety advocates say the current roof crush standard, adopted in 1971, was too weak then and is grossly inadequate now given the popularity of top-heavy pickups and SUVs.... Volvo documents reflect its concern about increasing roof strength [yet further] for the new Volvo XC-90 SUV, along with improving seat belts to hold passengers firmly in place in a rollover. The documents discussed the development of more advanced tests to see how roofs perform in rollovers. The roof of the Volvo SUV is more than twice as strong as required by the federal standard, the Swedish company has previously said.... Full story, from the Detroit News ___________________________
To sensitize the general public and to remind people that safety belts in the rear seats are not an optional accessory, 'The Road Safety' has launched a communication campaign via TV and radio. VINCI Park, the leader in car parking in France, are supporting this campaign by placing prevention messages at available places. Obligatory since 1990, wearing seat belts in the rear seats of cars is one of the priorities of 'The Road Security'. When this action becomes a reflex, it can save lives! Nevertheless, wearing safety belts in rear seats has not been universally adopted by French people. Only 68% of passengers are safely restrained in the back, while 97% are restrained in front seats. [Source article, from the Parking Network] ___________________________
.....Cameras and fines imposed on violators are not expected to be much of a deterrent because people have money and can easily pay fines. To effectively check accidents what is actually needed is an awareness campaign and the system of issuing 'tickets' to violators as is the case with USA.... In the US each time a motorist is involved in an accident because of his fault, he accumulates points and when the points reach a critical level, his driving licence is suspended. Tickets are issued to violators to collect fines from them and send them to special driving schools for lessons on awareness about road safety.... [In addition,] the system of roundabouts make Qatar a different country and foreigners need to be trained to negotiate them. Also, many motorists seem to be unaware of the significance of the signs posted at 300, 200 and 100 metres before a roundabout. The 300 metre sign means a motorist can maintain speed, while the 200 metre sign cautions a motorist to indicate which direction he would like to go from the roundabout. When approaching the 100 metre sign, a motorist is supposed to keep his foot on the brakes and should be ready to stop.... Full story, from The Peninsula ___________________________
Bosses beware - don't drive your employees to danger. That's the message being driven home by Noel Edmonds and the Road Safety Team at West Berkshire Council as they invite employers to a special work-related road safety seminar Risk v Cost at Newbury Racecourse on Tuesday 24th May.... The one-day event organised by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and West Berkshire Council aims to show delegates how they can maximise premium savings by reviewing their operation and how an investment in time can improve the running of their fleet - however small. In addition to presentations from RoSPA and the Council, organisations including Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Thames Valley Police and Insurance companies: Allianz, Cornhill and Paul Jones Insurance Services will be contributing to the day. There will be opportunities to sample and discuss a wide range of support products and services from exhibition stalls.... Full story, from ClickNewbury.com ___________________________
.....The Missouri Department of Transportation plans to install such barriers along 437 miles of interstate median by 2007, including 244 miles of I-44 between St. Louis and Joplin and 165 miles of I-70 between St. Louis and Kansas City. Both interstates were built decades ago as divided highways, their medians rarely much wider than 40 feet. Today's standards call for medians at least 60 feet wide; many on newer highways are even wider.... MoDOT officials expect the cable barriers to start showing up along Missouri's interstates late next year. But contractors won't string the cable westward from St. Louis. Instead, the department will take a piecemeal approach starting with the most dangerous areas, said MoDOT spokesman Jeff Briggs. "We analyze where the biggest need is based on the crash history, and we put them there up first," he explained.... Full story, from the News-Leader ___________________________
A Deshler, Ohio, man who admitted he had too much to drink before he decided to drive home on a riding lawn mower was charged with drunken driving, authorities said. [The man] was arrested about 2 a.m. Sunday after the mower went into a ditch on State Rt. 18, just west of Hockenberry Road in Jackson Township, according to Wood County sheriff's reports.... He told the deputy he'd had "too much" beer to drink and he subsequently failed field sobriety tests. Full story, from the Toledo Blade ___________________________
Authorities said a bullet hit a motorist's car Monday and two men were wounded in separate freeway shootings over the weekend, the latest in a spate of highway gunfire in Southern California in recent weeks that has killed four. A bullet pierced the windshield of a car being driven on Highway 14 on Monday, but nobody was injured, authorities said. Police are investigating whether the incident was linked with the earlier shootings. In the first wounding, a 16-year-old driver was shot three times by someone who pulled alongside the victim's car Saturday on Interstate 5. The victim was able to drive to a hospital and was expected to survive, police said. Authorities said events leading up to the shooting indicate it may have been motivated by road rage, informs the Guardian Unlimited. According to the USA Today, no one knows whether incidents of road rage, in which a violent dispute erupts between drivers over such things as slow driving or lane changes, are on the rise. Studies show they did increase through the 1990s. And more recent research indicates that people nationwide feel less safe on highways. The Gallup Organization polled 4,010 drivers for the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration in April 2002 and found that 40% said other drivers had become more aggressive in the past year. Other results: 5% felt threatened by other drivers every day, and 19% felt threatened at least once a month.... Full story, in News from Russia (Pravda) ___________________________
Traffic police said last month that road accidents in Russia went up by 8 percent in 2004, with 75 percent of them the fault of drivers. The most common violations are speeding, driving into the incoming lane and incorrect driving at crossroads. More than 49 million traffic violations were registered in 2004, traffic police said, adding that close to 17,000 accidents were reported in the first two months of this year. From the article: "Seven soldiers hospitalized after military truck crashes in Moscow" -- News from Russia (Pravda) ___________________________
As the steady flow of Athenians returning from their [Orthodox] Easter vacations continued yesterday, authorities provided revised figures for the number of people killed on the roads in the last 10 days which took the total death toll to 42.... The number of people killed in accidents this Easter is slightly lower than last year, when the death toll reached 71, but a true comparison with the 2004 figures will only be possible when the Easter period officially ends on Saturday. Full story, from Kathimerini ___________________________
Police have called on people to be especially careful when driving and exercise all caution following the two recent deaths in separate traffic accidents that occurred in Nicosia and Paphos.... Police have labelled the latest number in traffic deaths for 2005 as ‘very worrying’ with the two recent road fatalities bringing the macabre total for this year alone to 35. Speaking to state radio, Police spokesman Demetris Demetriou said the problem of road deaths has gotten worse, adding that youngsters seem to be making up the majority of victims. “It seems that once again from the numbers we have recorded that the high risk group from traffic deaths appears to be youngsters. Last year we saw that one third of traffic deaths were of people under the age of 25 and for this year we have seen that number increase a lot and that is very worrying.... “This problem is very worrying for all of us. From January 1, 2005 up until now we have recorded 35 deaths so far and that is a big increase compared to last year. There is no magic solution to the problem; it is a question of our attitudes when driving.... “We believe that the lessons on road safety have to start from schools. We are currently increasing our efforts on educating pupils in primary and secondary schools on the issues of road safety.... Full story, from the Cyprus Mail ___________________________
HELENA - While the 2005 Legislature toughened Montana's highway safety laws, the true test will be whether fewer people die in drunken driving accidents, the president of the Montana Sheriff and Peace Officers Association said. “In my mind, the results are yet to be seen,” said Jim Cashell, who also serves as Gallatin County sheriff. Lawmakers passed several bills relating to drunken driving, including tougher penalties for repeat DUI offenders and banning open containers of alcohol in vehicles. What failed to pass this session were tighter restrictions on seat-belt safety... Full story, from the Billings Gazette ___________________________
DOHA: Sixty seven people were killed in road accidents in Qatar from January 1 to April 30 this year, which means that one person gets killed in every two days in such incidents, a senior official of the Traffic and Patrol Department said yesterday. Speaking at a seminar held at the Al Wakra mosque, marking the launch of a Traffic Awareness Campaign, Lt Col Bakheet Al Dosari, head of the Traffic Awareness Section said majority of these accidents took place in areas outside Doha such as Al Rayyan, Wakra, Mesaieed and Al Shamal. Last year, the total number of deaths in such incidents was as high as 164, which, combined with this year's figures indicate an alarming rise in accidents as well as the casualties, it was disclosed at the seminar, according to Al Sharq.... Full story, from The Peninsula ___________________________
A Spanish tourist was killed and nine others, including four Moroccans, were injured in a road accident that occurred Saturday afternoon on the road linking Marrakech (central south) to Casablanca, said authorities. The accident occurred when a minibus carrying the Spanish tourists collided with a truck.... Earlier on the same day, a train hit a van close to the town of Guercif, northeast Morocco, leaving seven dead and four injured.... Road accidents in Morocco claim an annual death toll of over 3,800 and injure some 15,000. They also cost the State about USD 1.2 billion a year, which is 2.5% of the GDP, according to official figures. Full story, from the Morocco Times ___________________________
At least 11 of the 87 UK military deaths during the Iraq War have been as a result of vehicle crashes. Several other deaths were reported as accidents but without adequate detail to show whether these were traffic related. [Source of original data here, from The Guardian] ___________________________
BRUSSELS – Almost 40 percent of company car drivers in Belgium and the Netherlands admit they ignore road laws.... On Monday, 'La Derniere Heure' reported that GE Fleet had commissioned internet research company Insites to survey 1,421 Belgian company car drivers and 2,159 Dutch drivers. Those who said they didn't respect road laws generally had no intention of changing their driving, concluded Insites. Although a quarter (23 percent) believed they drove carefully, the survey results proved that wasn’t true, with 40 percent receiving one or two driving penalties a year. "We can conclude overall that six out of 10 (62 percent) don’t drive safely," said the survey’s report.... Full story, from Expatica Belgium ___________________________
BRUSSELS – At least nine people were killed in road accidents at the weekend in Belgium, according to French-language daily Le Soir. [Source: Expatica Belgium] ___________________________
On May 4, Rail and Road Safety Day will transform Toronto's Union Station into a giant safety village to teach hundreds of students important rail, road, and water safety messages that could save their lives. Toronto Mayor David Miller has proclaimed May 2-8 Injury Prevention Week, and the Toronto Area Safety Coalition is proud to support Injury Prevention Week with Rail and Road Safety Day. [Source: Toronto Area Safety Coalition] ___________________________
.....Some states with Graduated Driver License programs — there are 47 in all — say their programs are successful. Unlike the situation in New Jersey — where 16-year-olds with learner's permits may drive only with adult supervision — the programs in some other states restricted 16-year-old licensed drivers for the first time: -- In Georgia, fatal crashes among 16- and 17-year-old drivers have declined 26 percent since a Graduated Driver License program began in 1997; -- In Florida, which adopted a similar program in 1996, fatal crashes among 16-year-old drivers dropped by 19 percent and among 17-year-old drivers by 22 percent. But in both states, 15-year-old teenagers are eligible to acquire a learner's permit — meaning that teenagers are able to drive earlier and might be more affected by a program that specifically targets young drivers. Even in the absence of statistics, supporters of New Jersey's Graduated Driver License program say it is working.... New Jersey launched its Graduated Driver License program in 2001 to reduce fatal and serious accidents involving 17-year-old drivers. [But] in short, no one knows [whether it is working].... The problem is that state computers are not able to sort crash statistics by drivers' ages, said Gary Myerovich, public information officer for the New Jersey Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Those computers are being upgraded, he said... Only one statistic might measure the impact of the program on the performance of 17-year-old drivers: the State Police's fatal accident report. In 1999 and 2000, before the program began, 17-year-old drivers were involved in 28 and 26 fatal crashes, respectively. In 2001, 2002 and 2003, with the program up and running, they were involved in 28, 22 and 32 fatal crashes, respectively.... Even with the modest annual fluctuation in the number of 17-year-old drivers, the raw numbers of fatal accidents, and their rate, don't show a statistically significant trend over those years.... Full story, from the Home News Tribune ___________________________
Youths in Orange, NSW, are being asked to create an artwork that will
help save lives. The
competition is part of the road safety initiative being spearheaded by
RockUp Alive, a group of local young people. Now RockUp Alive wants an artwork that incorporates this slogan. The artwork will be transformed into a bumper sticker, poster and CD cover.... Full story, from Central Western Daily ___________________________
Istanbul, TURKEY: Three people were killed in a traffic accident inside a tunnel close to Fatih Sultan Mehmet suspension bridge in the early hours of Saturday morning. The driver of the tractor trailer, which caused the accident, fled the scene of the accident but later on turned himself in to the police station. Sukru Dinc who was driving the tractor trailer hit Engin Duman's car from behind at around 3:00 a.m Saturday morning at the entrance to the Maslak tunnel. According to a police report, after the trailer hit the car, the car was pushed along in front of the tractor trailer as it sped through the tunnel without braking. After a while, the trailer stopped by hitting the sides of the tunnel. In panic, the driver fled the spot. Police and firemen struggled for hours to take the car out of the trailer. Three smashed dead bodies were found in the car. It is believed that Sükrü Dinç, driver of the trailer, fell asleep in his seat, thus causing the catastrophe. In his statement Dinç claimed that the brakes did not work. He was arrested and put in prison. According to the new penal code which will be active as of June 1, Sükrü Dinç could be facing 3 to 15 years' imprisonment - a higher penalty compared with the previous code. [Source: Turks U.S.]
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