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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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and Achieves Lowest Number of Road Deaths on Record The number of people killed on Britain's roads in 2004 was the lowest since records began in 1926, figures published by the Department for Transport today show. In 2004, 3,221 people died in road accidents, down 287 or 8% on the figures from 2003 when 3,508 people were killed. This is despite an estimated increase in road traffic of 2 per cent in 2004.... Read the full report, here. View the per capita death rates for over 50 countries in 2003, here.
DSA Comments Britain has had the hard-earned delight of being the safest developed country in the world -- in terms of per capita road death rates -- in 9 of the last 17 years (i.e. 1988-2004, inclusive) and was in a close second or occasionally third place in the other years, and this is a record that no other country can match. (See the above link for 50 countries.) Our first comment, therefore, is one of congratulations to all of those in Britain who are involved in the many areas and levels of road safety. Our second comment is one of near-astonishment, because achieving a reduction of more than 8 per cent in the number of road deaths in just one year, when the country is already at such a comparatively low death rate, is quite remarkable! It is a well known fact that once the main sources of casualty reduction, such as mandatory seatbelts and rigorous drunk-driving enforcement are in place it becomes much more difficult to achieve significant reductions in the annual death toll. Finally, to those countries -- including the USA -- that insist on merely targeting the deaths-by-total-mileage rate (correctly known as the Vehicle Miles Traveled or 'VMT' rate) we will be blunt and say: WHY? Why worry about a rate (the 'VMT') that can actually conceal an increase in the number of actual deaths even when the said rate is falling? In moral, ethical and professional terms the only good target is surely that of reducing the actual numbers of people killed and injured each year, not just paying lip service to the carnage by focusing on misleading figures. Many developed countries have set challenging targets to reduce the actual numbers of people killed each year in road crashes, and in our opinion this is the only acceptable route for such countries to take. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc.
Related Story
We welcome this confirmation of a continued decline in casualties
which results from a huge effort by government and many others to find
new and innovative ways of reducing death and injury on our roads,
however until the whole community accepts some measure of
responsibility, people will continue to be killed and injured. Full commentary and links, here. ___________________________
Each summer, several million tourists visit France and many either arrive by car or rent a car while there. Do you know the driving habits of the French, or the rules of the French Highway Code? To answer these questions, La Prévention Routière (a private road safety association recognised by the government) has decided to provide information and advice about driving in France. The information will be available in five languages : English, German, Dutch, Spanish and Italian, to make it more accessible to most people. Full details (and all languages) here. ___________________________
WASHINGTON -- About one in three adult drivers ages 21 to 25 have driven under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the past year, according to a new report, released today by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). These data also show that 16.6 percent of adult drivers ages 21 or older (30.7 million persons) reported driving while under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs during the past year.
SAMHSA extracted the data from the National Surveys on Drug Use and
Health, 2002 and 2003. The report, "Driving Under the Influence
among Adult Drivers," estimates that among adult drivers ages 21
or older, 15.7 percent drove under the influence of alcohol, 4.3
percent drove under the influence of illicit drugs; and 3.0 percent
drove under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs, during the
past year. [Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration] The report is available on the web at http://oas.samhsa.gov/ ___________________________
The demonstration will be held on June 30th at 13.00, at the east entrance of the Kfar Yona junction, but for obvious reasons of security anyone wishing to participate should register in advance by calling Metuna on 09 - 8844667 or emailing metuna@netvision.net.il ___________________________
Road safety officials have called for more random licence checks to reduce the number of unlicensed drivers on Australian roads. A study by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has also suggested a review of the current penalties for driving without a licence and the introduction of electronic licences to prevent offenders getting behind the wheel. The ATSB recently quizzed about 300 people caught driving without a licence immediately after they left court. It found that more than a third of those drivers were unaware they were unlicensed at the time, most because their licence had expired. It also found that about a quarter of the drivers admitted to driving at some stage over the blood alcohol limit and one third said they continued to drive, even after being caught by police.... According to the ATSB, there is a growing body of evidence linking unlicensed driving to a cluster of other high-risk behaviours including drink driving and speeding. Full story, from The Age ___________________________
Part of parenting a teenager is learning to let go, so when 14-year-old Jessica Connolly, asked her stepfather if she could ride to work with her 16-year-old boyfriend Monday morning, he said yes. It was only after she died during an ill-advised attempt to pass on a two-lane road that stepfather Albert Stanley learned that her boyfriend had broken the law. As the holder of a Junior Operator License, which he received just two days before the accident, Matthew Faria was prohibited by law from giving rides to passengers under 18 unless he was accompanied by a licensed adult driver. ''I didn't know he wasn't supposed to have anybody in the car except for himself," said Stanley, a 58-year-old retired police officer. ''If I knew that, she never would have went. ''Being a trusting father, I didn't want her to go. But she wanted me to trust her, and I trusted him, too," he said, sipping coffee in the kitchen of the Burlington home he shares with Jessica's mother, Donna Stanley. ''I thought he wouldn't do anything stupid. But he did, and he got my daughter killed. It's just hard. She said, 'Dad, I'm so proud that you trust me and you let me go with my friends.' If I said no yesterday, she would still be alive.".... Connolly died about 1 p.m. Monday when Faria attempted to pass a car driven by a friend -- who was also driving illegally, on a learner's permit.... The 16-year-old female driver of [that] car had been cited for driving on a learner's permit without an adult in the car and that her 16-year-old male passenger, who had a junior operator license, was cited for letting her drive.... Over the last several years, according to Registry [of Motor Vehicles] records, more than 30 percent of the state's 16-year-old drivers had been involved in serious crashes. In 2004, Registry figures show, 48 drivers age 18 or younger were killed in car accidents. Full story, from the Boston Globe, Massachusetts.
"Nothing will ever change if all people do is hug each other, ask why, and neglect to stand up and say why" -- Journalist Beverly Beckham, quoted by Eileen McNamara in her related article: Standing up for the truth. ___________________________
Compulsory car safety systems costing as little as £300 could save 2500 lives per year on British roads, according to a report in Autocar magazine. Safety levels could be dramatically improved with sophisticated stability control systems -- dubbed ESP [or ESC, etc.] -- which control speed and braking when a car starts to skid. If every new car in Europe was fitted with such systems as many as 20,000 people could be saved from dying in accidents between now and 2010. However, this crucial safety system is not fitted to the vast majority of Britain's new cars and only supplied as standard to upmarket models, the influential motoring magazine reveals. 'ESP has the potential to save as many lives as the seatbelt' said Rob Aherne, editor of Autocar 'It's already saved lives on cars that have it fitted. But if the government campaigned for it to be standard equipment on cars, it could save thousands more lives.' A recent US study concluded that stability control could cut accidents by 37 per cent and car manufacturers Toyota believe the system will cut accidents by 35 per cent and head-on collisions by 30 per cent. Mercedes Benz reported 15 per cent accident reduction rate when it became the first car company to fit it to models. Anti-lock brakes (ABS) were made compulsory in a bid to improve safety levels but in its latest issue Autocar reveals that ESP is a more complete and effective system.
Road crashes are the leading cause of deaths and disability in the UK for people aged five to 40, and 33,000 children are killed or injured in traffic accidents every year. More than 3,500 people die on British roads each year - the equivalent of ten deaths each day.
DSA Comments While we, at Drive and Stay Alive, are committed fans of electronic stability control, we strongly doubt whether such systems (quote) "could save 2500 lives" from approximately 3,600 who are killed each year on Britain's roads. This would represent a cut in deaths of almost 70 per cent over the few years it would take to bring a compulsory scheme to bear on the British fleet of vehicles. We do not believe this particular estimate from Autocar magazine to be even remotely accurate. If, however, one perhaps crudely estimates that if crashes can be cut by say 25-30 per cent and that this figure could be transferred to a reduction of similar magnitude in deaths from such crashes then one is still talking about a major and immensely desirable breakthrough. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
If you like acerbic wit mixed with fun and humor, together with highly perceptive 'new car' reports, start watching the Discovery Channel at 10pm ET/PT on Wednesdays or 6pm ET/PT on Saturdays. Discovery Channel brings the hit BBC series TOP GEAR across the pond for American audiences. For more than three years, TOP GEAR has revved up UK audiences with its honest and humorous commentary on humans' motorized toys. In each episode of TOP GEAR, the hosts test autos in unparalleled races with unpredictable outcomes and full-blown stunts. In upcoming episodes, Clarkson attempts to outrun an Apache helicopter's missile lock in a Lotus Exige and races to Monte Carlo in an Aston Martin against the high-speed TGV train. TOP GEAR is a James Bond-like ride that delivers the speed, power and exhilaration behind the wheel that driving enthusiasts crave. Impassioned automotive expert and host Jeremy Clarkson goes the extra mile to provide factual entertainment, witty humor and a first-hand look at the world's latest, coolest, fastest cars on the market in TOP GEAR. [Source: Discovery Channel]
DSA Comments If you would like to read some of Jeremy Clarkson's excellent (but rebelliously sarcastic) test reviews, go to our the DSA test drives page where you will find a link to his weekly column. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
Honda Motor Co. plans to begin a voluntary program to provide safety information to consumers. In 2006, each new Honda and Acura vehicle will have a window sticker that shows how it performed in government crash tests. Honda calls the move a safety benefit for consumers. Vehicles get one to five stars for how well they protect crash dummies in front and side impacts and for how well they resist rolling over. The stickers will appear on all 2006 model year Honda and Acura cars and light-duty trucks and will include a listing of government crash test ratings. Honda is the first company to make this safety information available to consumers on window labels, which also show pricing, vehicle features, point of origin, Environmental Protection Agency numbers, domestic content, emissions and other information. Government officials and safety advocates hope the voluntary move will prompt other auto companies to follow suit so consumers will have the information at their fingertips while shopping. "It would be wonderful if it did," said Rae Tyson, a spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.... Sally Greenberg, senior product safety counsel for Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, said the atmosphere is turning on an issue the organization has been pushing since at least 2000.... "For Honda, it's a winning strategy because they have so many vehicles that meet the government's five-star highest crash test rating," she said. "Honda was smart to get out front on this. Their vehicles overall do very well on crash tests. It certainly provides an incentive for other automakers, too.".... [Partial source: Detroit News -- full article here] ___________________________
Euro NCAP, Europe's leading independent crash test organisation, has confirmed that the Peugeot's 1007 becomes the highest scoring car ever in all classes for adult occupant protection. The Peugeot is also Best in the Super Mini Class and is one of seven cars to be awarded the coveted five star adult occupant rating. Other crashworthiness results for executive cars, family cars, small family cars, super-minis and small MPVs were be launched at a press conference today in Stockholm co-hosted by Euro NCAP and the Swedish Road Administration (SRA). Full Euro NCAP press release here.
Related Story
A car safety system, shown to reduce the likelihood of involvement in some accidents by up to a third, should feature high on the shopping list of priorities when choosing a new car according to the RAC Foundation, launching the latest Euro NCAP (The European New Car Assessment Programme) results today. While the Euro NCAP testing results have traditionally concentrated on highlighting to consumers the cars which offer the greatest protection in an accident - this time, both organisations are also alerting drivers to developments in technology which will help to prevent a collision....
Related Story
The latest results from the Euro NCAP crash test programme are revealed today in Stockholm and confirm that the new Renault Clio III has been awarded the maximum five-star rating. The New Clio is already attracting considerable praise from the media for its new styling, so this prestigious crash test result serves to show that the new car is as safe as it is stylish. With a total score of 32.67 points out of a possible 37, New Clio becomes the eighth Renault to secure the highly coveted five-star crash test rating and also joins an elite group of ‘safe’ super-minis, as prior to this round of testing, only two other super-minis had ever achieved the maximum five-star score, the first of which was the Renault Modus launched last year.... ___________________________
In a presentation at the Eye and The Auto World Congress, Continental Automotive Systems, North America, Manager, Vehicle Test and Development, Robert Beaver presented Continental's vision of how the development of active safety technology will help save lives. ___________________________
VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI urged motorists today to take care as they embark on their summer holidays, lamenting the "tragic" loss of life on highways from careless drivers. Benedict made the appeal in his noontime blessing to thousands of tourists and faithful gathered under a scorching sun in St. Peter's Square.... "Unfortunately, every day and in particular on weekends, there are accidents with so many human lives tragically cut short, with half of the victims among the young," he said. "In past years, much has been done to prevent such tragic events, but more can and must be done with more effort by everyone. "We must fight absent-mindedness and superficiality, which in an instant can ruin one's future and the future of others," he said. "Life is precious and unique: It must always be respected and protected, including with correct and prudent behavior on the roads." Full story, from AP, via the Houston Chronicle ___________________________
[DSA: While much of the northern hemisphere enjoys hot summer weather, it is too easy to forget that our friends in the antipodes are facing the depths of their winter.] In Tasmania, icy weather and poor driving created havoc on the Tasman Highway near Mornington yesterday, with six accidents in just over an hour. Police were called to the first accident in the east-bound lane at 7.45am and soon parked vehicles with flashing lights on various sections of the highway to alert motorists of the icy road. But their presence made little difference, with five more cars sliding out of control and crashing on the same short stretch of road by 9am.... Tasmania Police Inspector Geoffrey Smith said he was pleased no one was seriously injured but was angry that people were not driving to suit the weather conditions. "This motorway was capable of being driven on provided people slowed down to an appropriate safe speed," he said. "But even with police in attendance, accidents continued to occur. "It's yet another example of motorists not driving to the conditions, which is a significant factor in many of our serious motor vehicle accidents in the state.".... Full story, from The Mercury ___________________________
The national road toll stood at 228 today -- 16 more than for the same period last year -- after five people were killed over the weekend. Full story here, from STUFF ___________________________
Analysis of crash data from a road demonstration program in Michigan found that low-cost intersection improvements had a significantly greater safety benefit for drivers 65 and older than for drivers 25 to 64, AAA announced today. According to the nation's largest organization for motorists, AAA Michigan's "Road Improvement Demonstration Program" (RIDP) reduced the rate of senior driver injuries at thirty high-crash intersections in Detroit since 1997, by more than twice the rate of injury reduction for 25-64 year old drivers. In addition, the rate of left turn collisions involving senior drivers dropped a staggering 84 percent when a left turn signal was added to an intersection.... ___________________________
A little-noticed measure approved by the New York State Legislature in Friday's flurry of bills passed on the last day of session is a matter of life and death. The bill to crack down on traffic accidents in highway construction zones [overseas glossary: 'roadworks'] follows the death of three construction workers last month in a chain-reaction crash at a work site on Interstate 81 outside Binghamton. Police believe that speeding played a role. Under the Work Zone Safety Act, anyone convicted of two or more speeding violations in a work zone would face a 60-day license suspension. The bill also requires a police presence in major work zones and creates a public education program through a $50 surcharge on speeding violations in construction zones. [Source: AP, via the Buffalo News] ___________________________
DSA Introduction: In many other countries, roadside emergency telephones offer swift and reliable safety or assistance to travelers in difficulties. It is sad and worrying to see that some of the few states that have such facilities in the USA are contemplating the termination of this important service, or have already done so. Hereunder are excerpts from an article -- Reducing highway safety completely uncalled for -- from NorthJersey.com Of New Jersey's 470 highway call boxes, just 330 remain operational and the number is dropping. "It's old technology," explained DOT spokesman Marc LaVorgna. "Replacement parts don't exist anymore. It would cost about $4 million to install a new system, and we can put that money to much better use for more important things." More important than safety?.... Rhode Island and Pennsylvania have scrapped most of their call boxes and Illinois, Massachusetts and Louisiana are considering dropping theirs. Only seven New Jersey highways have call boxes - Routes 295, 195, 80, 280, 47, 55 and 208 -and on average, each box is used only once a month.... Other states, such as California, Louisiana and Florida, still consider these boxes to be useful. Unlike PennDOT, so does the Pennsylvania Turnpike Authority. Actually, officially, New Jersey DOT remains undecided on the fate of its call-box program.... [Key words: highway call boxes, motorway emergency telephones, METs] ___________________________
The Colorado Department of Transportation reports nearly 80 percent of teen passengers who died in 2004 were riding with teen drivers. [Source: The Daily Sentinel] ___________________________
Young drivers are no more likely to have a fatal or serious crash in a powerful car than in other vehicles, research has revealed. The University of WA [Western Australia] study – the first of its type in the world – dismisses the myth that vehicle performance is a major cause of crashes for young, novice drivers. Road Safety Council chairman Grant Dorrington said the study showed that most fatal and serious crashes among drivers in their first two years of holding a licence did not involve powerful vehicles. And report author Peter Palamara said less powerful, smaller and lighter cars could be more dangerous in crashes because they could offer less protection. "Smaller cars with low power-to-weight ratios can also offer very poor protection against injury because of their low vehicle mass," he said. "About 20 to 30 per cent of the risk of being killed in a crash can be attributed to vehicle mass – the greater the mass of the car, the greater the chance of surviving a crash." He said that restricting young drivers from having more powerful cars could also deny them the safety of bigger cars.... Full article, from The Sunday Times
DSA Comments While there is much of interest in this article, there appear to be suggestions -- or at least some imprecise wording -- that imply that a powerful car or the extra speed obtainable from a powerful car are never factors in crashes involving young drivers. Yet clearly if that is the intention or the effect of the message then it is erroneous and misleading. The other factor with which we are uncomfortable is the apparent focus only on young drivers and their passengers. What about people who are hit by young drivers, whether those other people are in a vehicle or not? This is when a bigger vehicle may indeed give greater protection to its occupants but may equally cause greater harm to others. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
NRMA Motoring & Services has given the Alexandria-based 'Community Broadcasting Association of Australia' $5,000 to run a series of road safety advertisements across New South Wales. The organisation applied under NRMA’s Community Road Safety Grants program. “The grant will be used by CBAA to run a series of road safety advertisements targeting regional and rural NSW,” said NRMA Director Rob Hugh. “The 60-second advertisements will be syndicated to 80 radio stations across the state. “Two-thirds of all crashes occur on regional and rural roads in NSW, yet only one-third of motorists are from these parts,” Mr Hugh said. “These advertisements will provide road safety advice around tips for driving safely at night, advice on drink driving, driving safely in wet weather, overtaking on dirt or gravel roads and fatigue. “That’s why NRMA is delighted to be able to support this worthwhile community initiative.” [Source:
National Roads and Motorists' Association] ___________________________
Imagine that the next time you join a motorway your car registration plate will be recorded by overhead cameras and another camera will record you leaving that motorway. Now add a computer that works out the time it has taken you to travel between the two points, and if your speed during the journey exceeds the national limit, a penalty ticket will be issued automatically. It sounds scary, almost unbelievable, a bit like George Orwell even, but the technology is now here. At present the new generation of SPECS (Speed Enforcement Camera Systems) are in limited use to trap speeding drivers at accident hot spots and motorway roadworks, but police want much more widespread use of them throughout Britain, on motorways and major roads, to ensure that nobody can dodge speed limits.
In
Scotland, work
is progressing on one of the new, high-tech safety camera systems, with a
view to reducing accidents and casualties on the A77 from Bogend Toll,
north of
This
particular SPECS
unit
will be
the first of its kind to be installed in
Partnership
spokesperson, Neil MacGillivray, said:
“Our aim is to encourage drivers to slow down and thereby cut
accidents on this route which has a shocking accident history. SPECS
cameras are already in use in some parts of “This is a digital safety camera system that measures the time it takes for a vehicle to travel between various points along a stretch of road, which means that there is nothing to be gained by speeding. The system will be launched with a great deal of publicity and there will be advisory signs to remind drivers on the road itself. We are setting out to deter people from speeding, not to catch them out.” A
special report for Drive and Stay Alive, from John
MacInnes ___________________________
The three missing boys who were found dead on Friday after an enormous two-day search died accidentally, suffocating in a car trunk that the police had failed to check, the Camden County prosecutor said Saturday.... "There were no signs of trauma, no signs of assault,' said Vincent P. Sarubbi, the prosecutor. "This was a horrible accident." Police officials began an investigation into why none of the 150 officers assigned to the search checked the trunk of the car, a battered Toyota Camry parked just feet from where the boys were last seen Wednesday evening, licking Italian ice under a tree beside the oldest boy's home. Full story, from the Press Telegram ___________________________
Troopers and police, cracking down on dangerous drivers this week, ticketed more than 1,400 people in Wake County. And they saw everything from cars topping 100 mph on Interstates 40, 540 and 440 to a motorcyclist racing a trooper at 125 mph. The crackdown was in response to a chorus of complaints from drivers who are afraid to brave the roads. Troopers say too many fatal accidents are the result of drivers' reckless speed.... What is aggressive driving? The aggressive driver is someone who speeds excessively, drives carelessly, follows too closely, erratically changes lanes, or blows through stop signs and red lights.... Full story, from The News & Observer ___________________________
It's one of the busiest times of the year on Sweden's roads, but this summer there could be no traffic police on duty in many parts of Sweden, as too many police have taken holiday at the same time. According to Swedish Radio (SR), police forces in many Swedish counties are completely abandoning traffic duty in the period following Midsummer. Many of those who would normally be out trying to trap speeding or drunk drivers will either be on holiday themselves or have been shifted to other duties to cover for vacationing colleagues. In Gävleborg county, for instance, the usual force of 40 traffic police has been reduced to 16. Police in Jönköping county promised on the Swedish police force's national website that they would monitor speed and drink driving on the E4 motorway and a number of other major roads, but SR reports that normal traffic monitoring is in fact almost completely suspended.... Full story -- Full speed ahead as police take it easy -- from The Local, Sweden ___________________________
Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Wannasathit is worried about traffic build-ups at Lat Phrao intersection, Bangkok, after the closure of some traffic lanes to enable construction of a flyover today. He said yesterday motorists will face traffic problems due to flyover construction at the intersection and called for people to take part in solving the traffic problem by joining his traffic volunteer programme to direct traffic flow at the intersection. Some of those taking part will be 425 volunteers, including parents, students and businessmen who attended the opening of a training course yesterday at Saint John's University. Training instructors were traffic police of the Metropolitan Police Bureau. Pol Gen Chidchai said the volunteers would have an increasing role in the next four years as the government would carry out several mega-projects to ease traffic problems. [Source: The Bangkok Post] ___________________________
Research has shown that drivers understand picture-based messages up to a second quicker than text-based messages. Work on a £15 million project to install 43 of the latest, overhead motorway message signs on the M3 and M4 motorways begins with a communications upgrade in July. The new signs - capable of displaying both text and picture messages in two colours - are due to come in to use by the end of 2006 to give drivers the latest information about road conditions ahead. The new signs will be linked to an incident detection system, which uses loops in the road to identify slow or standing traffic and automatically activates the signals to warn approaching vehicles of an incident on the road ahead. Most of the installation work will take place off the main carriageway, on the motorway verge with hard shoulder closures in place to provide a safe working area. Occasional carriageway lane closures will be needed to install the detector loops, but these will take place overnight when traffic flows are lower. The Minister for Roads, Dr Stephen Ladyman, said: "Using pictures as well as words on the new signs will help drivers to understand and react to the information displayed more quickly." [Source: HIGHWAYS AGENCY News Release (HA043-05) issued by the Government News Network on 24 June 2005] ___________________________
Auto safety regulators are tightening rules meant to ensure every vehicle occupant has a seat belt by cracking down on vehicles with back seats designed for two passengers that have room enough for three. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed redefining what constitutes a seat because safety problems can arise when a third person squeezes into the rear seat of a vehicle with only two seat belts. The issue isn't isolated to the middle passenger. NHTSA has found that when three people are crammed in a back seat intended to hold two -- the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro or two-door Ford Explorer, for example -- the two people in the outside seats are less likely to wear their seat belts as well. "If it looks like a real seating position, we think it ought to have a seat belt," said Stephen Kratzke, the agency's associate administrator for rulemaking. NHTSA's proposes that automakers put a lap and shoulder belt in the middle or make it uncomfortably clear that a passenger ought not sit there.... Full story, from the Detroit News
The Chamber of Deputies yesterday passed a bill introducing a point system of punishing drivers' traffic offences, profoundly changing the current practice. To become valid, the bill must be approved by the Senate and signed by President Vaclav Klaus.... According to statistics, traffic accidents annually claim some 1,300 lives in the country. Last year, 1,319 people died in a total of 195,851 accidents. The government would like to reduce the death toll on the roads to one half by 2010. Under the new bill, professional drivers face stricter punishment for driving drunk or under the influence of other addictive substances. The new system should also motivate drivers to observe traffic regulations and drive considerately. If a driver does not commit a traffic offence for a year, two points will be deducted from his registry; for three years without offences, all penal points will be erased. The new system also meets the public demands, as according to a poll conducted by the SC&C polling agency for the daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD), over two-thirds of Czechs want more severe punishments for undisciplined drivers.... Full story, from the Prague Daily Monitor ___________________________
..... Police investigators revealed that the truck driver involved in Tuesday's deadly train crash near Kibbutz Revadim had 20 previous driving violations. The driver, 51-year-old Leonid Galinsky of Dimona, was killed in the crash, which left an additional six people dead and over 200 injured, when a train on its way to Beersheba collided with [his] semi-trailer [UK, etc: 'articulated wagon'].... The police investigation – headed by Dep.-Cmdr. Meir Or of the Traffic Police – focused Wednesday on the truck driver's behavior and whether he fell asleep at the wheel as he crossed the tracks, disobeyed the stop sign or got stuck on the tracks following a mechanical problem. Police said they were searching for the truck's "black box" – a device that records the amount of consecutive hours the driver had been behind the wheel within a 24-hour period – and hoped it would shed light on what had happened.... While Sheetrit said he would wait for the results of the investigation before drawing any conclusions, he did suggest that the truck driver was to blame. According to Transportation Minister Meir Sheetrit, the train was traveling slower than the maximum allowed speed.... Another question police were looking for answers to was who authorized trucks to cross over the train tracks near Revadim on a dirt road that did not have standard safety equipment such as a barrier and a warning light. Engineer Gadi Weissman said Wednesday that informal crossings – such as the one where the accident happened – would be made safer if both a warning light and an audible signal were in place. While Israel Railways had stationed a worker to direct traffic at the crossing, he had gone home at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, two hours before the accident.... The Eliahu Brothers trucking company [ -- owners of the truck in question -- ] came under investigation some three months ago after police received reports that the company's drivers were driving 30 to 40 consecutive hours, well over the maximum 12 hours permitted by law.... MK Taleb a-Sanaa (United Arab List) said he warned of more accidents on the Beersheba-Dimona line because of Bedouin school buses that travel in the area. He called for proper signing and lights at all junctions. But Sheetrit also suggested that train travel was safe, and the problem was the "craziness" of drivers on Israel's roads. He said that it would be best if train tracks did not intersect with roads. Full story, from the Jerusalem Post ___________________________
Malaysia -- The series of integrated campaigns organised by the authorities in Sabah had shown positive results with lesser fatal road accidents, said Infrastructure Development Minister, Datuk Raymond Tan. Tan, who is also the Sabah Road Safety Council (SRSC) Chairman, said there were about 299 fatal cases in the 12,018 accidents recorded last year in Sabah compared to 311 in 11,073 cases the previous year.... Full story, from the East Malaysia Daily Express
DSA Comments While a 4 per cent reduction in deaths is to be welcomed, one must view that figure against the apparent rise in the overall number of traffic crashes (by 8.5 per cent), which is potentially worrying. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
At least five people were killed and two-dozen others injured in two separate road accidents in Syangja and Jhapa districts, on Thursday. Three persons were killed on the spot when a jeep met with an accident at Jagar Bhanjyang in Syangja this afternoon. Nine others were injured, six of them seriously in the incident.... In Jhapa, two people were killed and more than dozen others injured when a bus they were traveling in met with an accident at Dhulabari along Mahendra Highway today morning.... [Source: Kantipur Online] ___________________________
South Africa -- Plenty of drivers regard speed limits as a guide, a mere suggestion to be applied only when there are speed traps in the area. Even mild-mannered accountants are known to morph into evil wannabe Schumachers behind the wheel. Why? And what can be done? The allure of speed goes far beyond arriving at your destination quickly. Many of us can attest to seeing Mr Upwardly Mobile in his shiny teutonic terror, tearing down the highway to the airport, only to find he boards the same flight you do after hanging around the departure lounge for 40 minutes.... Why do people speed? Speed is fun. Speed is intoxicating, [but that] doesn’t explain why people are prepared to be compromise safety in order to get some. Some motorists would retort that people are willing to do so because they’re morons. A more measured, more scientific view comes from Dr Shaquir Salduker, spokesperson for the Society of Psychiatrists in South Africa. He told the Daily News that the need for speed has to do with the Y chromosome – the male one, predictably. Salduker says it’s this necessary but sometimes troublesome genetic component that leads men with pent-up aggression to unleash it on the open road. Salduker says the name-and-shame policy doesn’t work because many of the speedsters like the exposure. It’s a kind of schoolboy-ish philosophy of, “I got caned by the headmaster, so I’m badder than you. Wanna see the stripes?” In New Zealand, hard-hitting new road safety awareness campaign conveys the message: “If you’re prepared to speed, you’re prepared to kill”. It aims to build a sense of outrage and what it describes as community rejection of dangerous behaviour on the roads. New Zealand lost 167 citizens on its roads in speed-related accidents last year, a fraction of South Africa’s death toll.... Read the full, interesting article here, from Health 24
DSA Comments Indeed New Zealand's death toll is much smaller than South Africa's but the final paragraph of the above excerpt has the potential to be misleading. Altogether, 459 people were killed on New Zealand's roads in 2003, versus 12,353 in South Africa -- almost twenty-seven times more people, but those figures need to be viewed in relation to some fixed point and the commonest method is to calculate the rate of deaths proportionate to the population. The relevant 'per capita' rates for these two countries are 11.48 road deaths for every 100,000 population in New Zealand, and 25.3 deaths per 100,000 in South Africa* -- still a huge difference but not sounding as drastic as 27-fold. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc.
* Multi-Country Per Capita Fatality Data for 2003 ___________________________
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A major revamp of the way police manage traffic may be on the cards following comprehensive studies and reviews. Active consideration is being given to raising penalties for offences and the introduction of a points system for licences, said Gen. Al Zayani. "There has been a review of driver training and, among other measures, the introduction of a theory test before the practical driving test," he said. "We are developing a highway patrol unit with video devices and are renewing ageing speed detection equipment. We are also reviewing the way in which our traffic patrols work with a view to improve efficiency.... To put things in perspective, the rate of deaths in Bahrain's roads in 2003 and 2004 were just over 10 per 100,000 people. "This is better than a large number of Western European countries and the US, which averages about 15 per 100,000. We are also significantly better than almost every country in the region." Gen. Al Zayani added that the individual and the community also had a role to play in traffic safety. "How often do you see unsafe driving and yet not report it by calling 199?," he asked. ___________________________
A passenger train collided with a truck near the Israeli city of Ashdod on Tuesday afternoon, killing at least four people and injuring more than 100 others, the Magen David Adom rescue services said. Passengers were thrown out of the train cars. At least two of the train cars derailed and were on their sides. Full story, from CBC News ___________________________
Demerit points have been used in New South Wales since 1969 to deter motorists from committing offences and now one point will be applied to drivers who stop unnecessarily, either on or close to a pedestrian crossing or a school crossing. NRMA research has found that motorists support the application of demerit points for safety offences. ___________________________
The arrival of summer has a downside. Summer months typically are the deadliest on Montana highways. This year especially, that's a pretty sobering thought. Highway deaths are running way ahead of normal, high enough to approach the record for most killed on Montana roadways. As of Monday, 103 people had died in crashes. The number of deaths is running 18 percent over last year. Traffic deaths have been trending upward for years. If there's any clear pattern to the upswing, we can't see it, and we don't know anyone else who has, either.... Interestingly, the majority of fatal wrecks generally involve just one vehicle. So far this year, 73 of the 103 deaths have been in one-car crashes. Also, 86 of the people killed so far this year weren't wearing seat belts. Excessive speed contributed to more than one-third of the deaths, and nearly a third also involved alcohol. The numbers vary from one year to the next, but seatbelts, alcohol and speed are the common denominators of death. You can't control everything in this world, nor can you eliminate all risks. But, clearly, people have great ability to control most of the risk they face while driving. Buckle your seatbelt, steer clear of alcohol before and while driving, watch that speed and you're unlikely to die on the highway. Moreover, with so many deaths attributable to one-car crashes, it's safe to say that the greatest danger out there is self-inflicted. It also should be a reminder to passengers to have a greater care about the likely competence of the driver before taking a ride.... Full story, from the Missoulian ___________________________
Five years ago, Public Citizen , a consumer group with a strong interest in auto safety, was blasting Ford Motor Co. and Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. for creating a deadly combination of defective tires and sport-utility vehicles that ended up taking 271 lives in accidents. Flash forward to the beginning of this month. Public Citizen, along with Bridgestone, three other tire companies and a trade group representing the tire industry took regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to court asking for a tougher tire-pressure monitoring rule. This is the kind of intervention that may have prevented the accidents and the recall of millions of tires that suffered from under-inflation and tread separation.... Full story, from the Washington Post ___________________________
The Israeli road safety organisation, Metuna, is demanding accountability from the Knesset, and they make a strong statement in support of their goals: "'To save a life is to save the world' [but] NOT IN ISRAEL [where] no one cares about school transport safety." Regulation 84z, which allows for 70 unaccompanied children, without seat belts to travel on a school bus, - has become the focus of our battle for child safety. Metuna has been at the forefront of the battle and the regulation has been repealed. The organisation is now fighting for new laws, which will ensure safety and protection for our children. However a new law which has been passed, allows 50 children (2 per seat) on the bus but has not been implemented because no authority (ministry) will pay for it! Twenty percent more busses will be needed and if this does not happen then the other necessary measures will not be taken either. Metuna is asking for there to be no more than two children per seat; seat belts available for all children; and adult supervision on each bus. The demonstration will be held on June 30th at 13.00, at the east entrance of the Kfar Yona junction, but for obvious reasons of security anyone wishing to participate should register in advance by calling Metuna on 09 - 8844667 or emailing metuna@netvision.net.il ___________________________
Police in Bendigo, Victoria, are appalled by irresponsible actions of some experienced drivers who are meant to be supervising learner drivers. Instructing front-seat passengers have been observed fast asleep, reading newspapers and on one occasion even napping in the back seat of a car, central Victorian traffic police have revealed. Last weekend in Bendigo, a 25-year-old man instructing a learner was caught with a blood alcohol reading of 0.106.... Police also detected a 17-year-old learner driver driving at 120 kmh in a 100 km zone on the Calder Highway at Ravenswood. When spoken to by police, the supervising driver admitted to not having been concentrating on the speed. Bendigo Traffic Management Unit Sergeant Geoff Annand said it was vital supervising drivers remained focused on the task at hand. "If people are going to take on the task of being a supervising driver, we would expect them to be responsible enough to actually supervise the learner.... "Some aren't even responsible enough to be sober when they are supervising."... Full story, from The Advertiser ___________________________
....... “Today’s announcement by Minister Jim Lloyd that the Australian Transport Safety Bureau will provide $350,000 in sponsorship to the Australian Road Assessment Program (AusRAP) is great news,” said NRMA Motoring & Services President, Alan Evans. ___________________________
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario -- When police were called to attend a motor vehicle collision on Sunday June 19, at approx. 12:24am, they found a vehicle in the ditch. Witnesses gave officers a description of the suspect and a short time later officers located the her. The 30-year-old woman has been charged with 'Impaired Driving and Drive Over 80 mgs.' She will be appearing in Court at 9:00am on July 25. At the time of the incident there were five children in the vehicle. [Source: LTV News] ___________________________
Arkansas -- A 42-year-old Pine Bluff man sleeping late on Father's Day was in serious but stable condition Sunday at Jefferson Regional Medical Center after a car crashed through the side of his house on U.S. 65 South and landed on top of him. In one instant, Rickey May thought a bomb had gone off outside his home. In the next, he realized a car had crashed through his home's brick wall and landed on top of him in his bed. Police Lt. Bob Rawlinson said May sustained several burns from the area underneath the car, an injury to the left hand and the possible amputation of his right hand ring finger.... Traffic Officer Ben Grinage said the car traveled 500 feet through a grassy area, clipped a telephone pole and ruptured a natural gas main, became airborne momentarily, then bottomed out as it crossed Grider Field Road. The car struck the southeast side of the house at 3436 U.S. 65 South and knocked out two walls before coming to rest.... Full story, from Pine Bluff Commercial ___________________________
DSA Comments: Without doubt, any system that encourages drivers and motorcyclists to take further training without first having a crash or committing an offence to warrant compulsory training is worthy of serious consideration, and on this we agree with the ABD. But for their closing comment that the British "system... has failed dismally to reduce fatalities" it is hard not to laugh at them.... Full ABD Press Release and DSA Comments, here. ___________________________
Six people were killed in a total of five road crashes across Scotland at the weekend. Two of the dead were children in separate bicycle accidents. Full story, from The Herald ___________________________
Five people were killed in a bus accident after the driver fell asleep on the way to a church meeting at KwaNongoma [South Africa] yesterday.... Seventy-two passengers were injured and were rushed to hospitals in the area. Traffic spokesman Rajen Chinaboo said the driver lost control of the bus when he fell asleep. The bus overturned and plunged 10m down a ditch.... The accident happened at about 5.30am. The passengers were on their way from Durban to a yearly church meeting in KwaNongoma..... Full story, from the Sunday Tribune ___________________________
A bus carrying dozens of passengers fell into a ravine near Pakistani's capital, killing 20 people and wounding several others, a news report and a police official have said.... Pakistan's Geo television said the accident happened on the outskirts of Islamabad and 20 bodies had arrived at hospitals.... Road accidents are common in Pakistan, where traffic rules are frequently disregarded and public transport drivers often work long hours. Full story, from The Age ___________________________
The company’s new flagship sedan debuts this fall in Europe and arrives in the U.S. early in 2006.
support for the window curtain air bags, and special seat cushions can inflate to provide greater lateral support for occupants and help the side air bags provide even better collision protection. The optional Distronic Plus radar system works with a new Brake Assist Plus system to monitor traffic conditions, and if a collision is anticipated, ideal brake pressure is applied, even if the driver applies the brake pedal too lightly. Another innovation making its debut on the 2007 S-Class is infra-red night vision, a new option that can extend the driver’s “visibility” to nearly 500 feet. An industry first, and in contrast to passive systems offered by other auto companies, this active system bathes the road ahead with infra-red light from two projectors mounted in the headlight assemblies. An infra-red camera discreetly mounted in the windshield receives the reflected images and displays them in the high-resolution display in the instrument cluster. The result is akin to a highly detailed black & white video image. [Source: Mercedes-Benz] ___________________________
A group of five large family cars and three large luxury cars earned top ratings of good in frontal crash tests recently conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety [IIHS]. Among the family models that were tested — Buick LaCrosse, Chrysler 300, Ford Five Hundred, Kia Amanti, and Toyota Avalon — all but the Amanti earned the added designation of "best pick" in the frontal test (see ratings, linked below). This is the first time every model in a group of large family cars has earned the top rating. The large luxury cars — Acura RL, Cadillac STS, and Lexus GS — also earned good ratings, and each is designated "best pick" for frontal crash protection. "Large cars are a good choice for consumers looking for a safe family vehicle, but some of them haven't always performed well in the Institute's frontal crash test," says Institute chief operating officer Adrian Lund. "In 1999 a large family model from DaimlerChrysler, the Chrysler LHS, along with its twin 300M, was rated poor for frontal crash protection. With these latest results we now have 10 current large family car designs that are rated good." The ratings reflect performance in a 40 mph frontal offset crash test into a deformable barrier. Based on the results, the Institute evaluates the crashworthiness of passenger vehicles, assigning each vehicle a rating from good to poor. The better performers among those rated good earn the added designation of "best pick." If a vehicle earns a good rating, it means in a real-world crash of similar severity a belted driver most likely would be able to walk away with nothing more than minor injuries. About half of all vehicle occupant deaths occur in frontal crashes.... Full report here, and ratings (for all vehicles ever tested) here.
DSA Comments Without doubt, the IIHS has been instrumental in forcing automakers to increase the safety standards of vehicles in recent years, and we congratulate the IIHS for this incredibly important achievement. On a different subject, we advise all auto buyers to beware when they see commercials for various vehicles. Some auto makers seem prone to refer to just one type of crash test -- whether frontal, side-impact, or rollover -- and refer to it as though it were the full range of crash tests. But it is still possible to buy a vehicle that might have, say, good frontal crash test characteristics yet only poor side-impact protection. We strongly urge all North American auto buyers to use both the IIHS ratings and the NHTSA crash test ratings, to check out any autos they might be considering. Drivers in Europe should visit the Euro-NCAP website and in Australia the ANCAP site. Drive and Stay Alive also has a web section on crash testing, here. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
Giant screens will be put up at crash scenes on British motorways this summer to prevent drivers from slowing down to gawk and take photographs of road accidents with mobile telephones. Temporary six-foot-high partitions will be attached to road barriers around the site of an accident until wreckage has been completely cleared. The Highways Agency says the screens are needed because of the increasing frequency of "rubbernecking" motorists who bring traffic to a standstill to look or take pictures of accidents. A police spokesman said: "We have seen passengers leaning out of windows using camera phones more and more often. It is disgusting. "Rubbernecking is already a problem, but this ghoulish behaviour by people who want souvenirs just makes things worse for driver safety."... The decision to screen-off accident sites was welcomed by road safety experts. Andrew Howard, the Automobile Association's head of road safety, said: "These screens are a brilliant idea. Emergency services attending an accident are regularly diverted to cope with the minor accidents caused by people who stop and look." The screens have been in use in Holland since 1997 and have been remarkably successful according to Dutch officials. A spokesman for the Dutch Ministry of Traffic said: "Our experience shows that as soon as the screens arrive, traffic speeds up. It works very well in Holland. "Not only do they keep traffic moving but they also help to prevent small accidents caused by drivers forced to stop quickly by motorists looking at incidents." The screens can take a team of four up to an hour to construct and they are vulnerable to winds greater than 30mph.... According to government surveys motorists who slow to view accidents are the third highest cause of traffic delays after congestion and road works. Inattentive or distracted drivers are responsible for 18 per cent of all fatal accidents on British roads and 19 per cent of all accidents. Last year, 3,508 people were killed in road crashes [throughout Britain] and another 290,000 were injured..... Full story, from the Telegraph ___________________________
Russia -- Voronezh Regional Duma Speaker Yuri Titov died in a traffic accident on Sunday, the Duma’s press secretary Anna Milova told Itar-Tass.... Titov was en route to the Belgorod region on a business trip. Regional Duma deputy Yaroslav Shevel was at the wheel. The road was wet, and the car slipped off the road. Titov died instantly, and Shevel was taken to hospital in a serious condition.... Full story, from ITAR/TASS
DSA Comments Notice the common, passive wording of this report: "The road was wet, and the car slipped off the road." As sad as this incident undoubtedly is, cars do not simply slip off roads whether the surface is wet or otherwise; they have to be driven inappropriately for the conditions in order for something like this to happen. Another possibility in such circumstances could, of course, involve worn tyres, but maintaining a vehicle in a safe condition is also the responsibility of the driver, so that would be no excuse, either. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
....the “Corso di Guida Sicura” Safe Driving Course has begun to train 2,500 volunteers between June 11 and 22 for the 2006 Games. The volunteers have offered to serve as vehicle drivers. [Source: Games Bids] ___________________________
but not through road accidents, hopes the EU Transport Committee Cross-border enforcement of road traffic law remains very unsatisfactory, says the European Union Transport Committee. It therefore argues that the time is ripe for a Community-wide approach to enable authorities to follow up offences and penalties imposed in another Member State. The committee also feels that enforcing compliance with existing road traffic rules would dramatically improve road safety as most accidents are the results of a failure to comply with traffic rules. On 14 June the committee adopted an own-initiative report by Ari VATANEN (EPP-ED, FR) on a Commission proposal on a European road safety programme, which bears the title "Halving the number of road accident victims in the EU by 2010: a shared responsibility". The vote was 30 in favour, 5 against and 5 abstentions. ___________________________
South Carolina had the highest rate of speeding-related traffic deaths in the nation from 1983 through 2002, according to a federal study released this week. The state recorded 19,211 traffic fatalities during the 20-year period. Of that number, 9,515 deaths — or just less than 50 percent — were speeding-related, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study found. New Jersey had the lowest speeding-related fatality rate for the period, at 14 percent. North Carolina’s rate was 39 percent; Georgia’s was 27 percent. The annual rate in the United States was about 32 percent. Transportation officials and safety advocates attribute South Carolina’s ranking to a lack of state troopers and the poor condition of rural roads. The federal study didn’t say why South Carolina’s speeding-related fatality rate was higher than other states’, though nationally it found that rural roads, problems with negotiating curves, and drinking and driving were major factors.... Full story, from The State Full report from the NHTSA: Analysis of Speeding-Related Fatal Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes ___________________________
Alcohol may have played a major role in the deaths of four men in a serious traffic accident on Interstate 580 in near Dublin on Friday, the California Highway Patrol reported.... CHP officers told KRON 4 News the driver of a minivan packed with 12 men drifted into the far right lane of traffic along eastbound 580, traveling 70 miles an hour. The driver then swerved back and forth over four lanes of traffic, trying to regain control, before hitting the center median and flipping the vehicle over. At least eight of the men were ejected and suffered major injuries. Four were pronounced dead at the scene. CHP officers say the driver, who is 19 years old, had been drinking.... No other vehicles were involved in the wreck.... Full story, from KRON 4
A one-time road cess is to be the key driver of the Road Safety Authority to be set up by Kerala government. The draft bill for the proposed body envisages a corpus for measures to minimise road accidents and extend critical hour medical care to accident victims. The state cabinet, which met on Wednesday, approved the draft bill for the outfit. “The bill will be introduced in the assembly at the earliest,” Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told reporters after the cabinet meeting. Transport and public works ministers are proposed to be chairman and vice-chairman of the 21-member Authority. The outfit will be co-ordinated by a 5-member executive, headed by state transport commissioner. Drawing from the corpus, the Authority is expected to improve road conditions to check accidents. Kerala is third in the country in the number of accidents, but is also now a paradigm for UN for road safety reforms. The state has the highest motor-density in the country and has a road length of 1.5 lakh km. Kerala government was also in talks with insurance firms for drawing up a critical care fund. The one-time cess from road-users is expected to feed as premia for the coverage. Much would also depend on how the assembly would react to the cess proposal. Source: The Financial Express ___________________________
Jeddah’s traffic and criminal police and the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice were out in full force on Tahlia Street early yesterday morning. They were waiting for the arrival of the shabab (youth) who were celebrating the official last day of school and the end of final examinations. Beginning at eight o’clock in the morning, traffic around Tahlia Street began to build up as students who had finished their last exam took to the streets in celebration. The resulting traffic jams became worse when police began blocking off streets around Danube supermarket, thereby cutting off some young drivers. The traffic police’s impound yard on Tahlia Street was crowded with young men, pleading their cases after having committed various offenses and begging for their cars to be released.... Osama, aged 16, had an older cousin rent a Mazda 323 for him. “I’ve had this car for a week and I have been practicing my skids in order to show off this weekend,” he told Arab News. “If the police think Wednesday morning was busy for them, wait until Wednesday and Thursday night and Friday morning.” Full story, from the Arab News ___________________________
A woman and a man died yesterday afternoon in two separate road accidents on the Queens Road in Sigatoka. The deaths bring to three the number of people killed on the roads this week.... The road death toll now is 31 equaling the number for the same period last year. Full story, from the Fiji Times ___________________________
OTTAWA — Canada’s highest court says the right to seek legal counsel is “not absolute” for drivers pulled over on suspicion of driving drunk. The Supreme Court of Canada says two Manitoba men should be retried on charges of impaired driving. Both were acquitted because police officers did not fully inform them of their rights before they agreed to — and failed — roadside sobriety tests. The court says such rights are reasonably limited in cases where police are trying to keep drunks off the road.... Full story, from cnews ___________________________
State-specific results from four national surveys of criminal justice professionals on the issue of impaired driving are now available from the TIRF. Sample size permitting, jurisdictions that participated in these national surveys can now request results specific to their state that will assist them in identifying priority problems and practical solutions. Survey participants included: 2700 police officers from 16 states; 390 prosecutors from 35 states; 900 judges from 44 states and 890 probation and parole officers from 41 states. This information can be useful to those states wanting to make improvements in their DWI system or planning to undertake a statewide review of it. The surveys were part of a comprehensive research project by TIRF that looked at ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the U.S. criminal DWI system for dealing with hard-core drunk drivers. To find out which U.S. jurisdictions have state-specific information available, click here. ___________________________
The Government has reneged on several promises on road safety while the weekly death toll mounts, the Dáil [house] heard today. Fine Gael [political party] leader Enda Kenny claimed the Government’s last eight years in office had turned the State into a country of road carnage by failing to implement proposals on penalty points offences, speed cameras and extra gardaí [i.e. police]. “The result of all this inactivity and inability to cope by the Government is that the road deaths unfortunately continue at a terrifyingly high rate,” he said. “A total of 172 people have lost their lives on our roads this year – an increase of 12% on 2004. “After almost 10 years, and after giving a litany of promises that your Government will take some action to implement the broken promises that are on the statute books,” he added. Mr Kenny said the Government had promised in 1998 to roll out speed cameras within two years but only three out of 20 cameras in the greater Dublin area are currently operating at any one time. The Government also promised to introduce 69 penalty points offences by the end of 2003, but only three have been enacted two years later. It pledged to set up a garda traffic corps in 2002. No legislation has been introduced to ban the use of mobile phones in cars despite being promised soon after it was announced in 2001, he said.... Full story, from IOL
Speeding is a factor in one-third of fatal crashes, according to data released Wednesday by federal safety regulators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that about 1,000 people die each month in speeding-related vehicle crashes. The agency looked at crashes and deaths between 1983 and 2002 and determined if speed was a factor based on police reports or charges filed.... The proportion of speeding-related deaths compared with total highway deaths reached a high of 36.8 percent - or 16,947 deaths - in 1986. That proportion fell to a low of 29.9 percent - or 12,552 deaths - in 2000, but has grown in the years since, NHTSA said.... Some highway safety groups say NHTSA needs to pay more attention to speeding. The Governors Highway Safety Association released a report Monday that found 42 states allow drivers to regularly exceed the speed limit before they are stopped.... Full story, from the Aberdeen News Full report from the NHTSA: Analysis of Speeding-Related Fatal Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes ___________________________
The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) urges you to take a few minutes to check the condition of your tires, and gives you ten important guidelines. Well-maintained tires keep your car safer, help it last longer, and save you money, too.... In addition, Drive and Stay Alive will tell you why you should ignore the legal limit for tire tread depth! ___________________________
A fatal epidemic is sweeping through our military bases -- a disturbingly high number of traffic fatalities among soldiers returning from war. Casualties of war overseas have taken their toll on the U.S. Military, but a number of deaths are occurring upon a soldier's safe return from the battle zone. A soldier's need for speed is making the roadways around our military bases a treacherous place. The U.S. Army and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released some startling statistics that impacts all of us: During the past seven months, 80 soldiers died in motor vehicle crashes- a 23 percent increase from the same period a year earlier. The majority of these deaths included soldiers who had just returned from combat zones. From October 2003 to September 2004, when troops were returning in large numbers from Iraq, 132 soldiers died in vehicle crashes - a 28 percent jump from the previous 12 months. And, two-thirds of this group was veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This trend is disturbing because soldiers who live and work on military bases are usually among the safest drivers in the nation due to their very disciplined and regulated lifestyles, which correlate to safer driving habits. Despite the recent surge, the Army's rate of vehicle crash-related deaths - almost 20 per 100,000 this year - remains below the overall U.S. rate of about 22 per 100,000. This statistic gives us hope that this frightening trend can be reversed. The correlation between soldiers returning from duty and the high traffic crash rate has been recognized by the U.S. Armed Forces, and they are taking steps to reverse it.... Full story, by , for Hernando Today, Florida.
DSA Comments The sentence in italicized bold text, above is saddening enough, but it is made much worse by the fact that it is entirely wrong! The actual, national per capita death toll for the USA (2003 figures) is around 14.7 people killed in road crashes for every 100,000 population -- nowhere near the suggested rate of 22, shown above. This correction, of course, shows that soldiers are NOT "usually among the safest drivers in the nation" irrespective of "their very disciplined and regulated lifestyles." Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
The second year of a study of traffic stops made by Pennsylvania State Police concludes that "there continues to be no consistent evidence that Pennsylvania State Troopers make stopping decisions based on drivers' race and/or ethnicity." The conclusion is included in the Police Citizen Contacts Year Two Final Report released today by State Police Commissioner Jeffrey B. Miller. The independent study was conducted by Dr. Robin S. Engel of the University of Cincinnati and a team of researchers at the request of State Police. The report is available to the public online through the Pennsylvania State Police Web site at http://www.psp.state.pa.us/ "The study was implemented voluntarily by State Police to ensure that troopers are following the department's policy specifically prohibiting bias-based policing," Miller said. Source: Pennsylvania Department of State Police
DSA Comments In many developed countries this issue is clearly a minefield for the police. As conscious as every reasonable person should be about the dreadful and unacceptable implications of racism, it is also an inescapable fact that racial-minority population groups are also frequently less wealthy as a group. In terms of vehicle safety and road safety, any experienced traffic patrol officer will tell you that poorer people, for obvious reasons, will often use badly maintained vehicles, perhaps with inoperative lights, worn tires, failing brakes, and quite possibly no insurance. So how, then, do law enforcement officers reconcile the possibility of racial accusations made against them, with the extremely desirable task of preventing road deaths by enforcing safety laws? Is there an answer? If there is, we do not pretend to know it. But surely racial issues must not be put before true road safety issues, just as road safety issues should not overwhelm racial issues, either. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
Thousands of school students in the English West Midlands will be making a bid for the record books as part of a road safety campaign. Almost 3,500 youngsters will form a "walking bus" along Redhill Road, in Hay Mills, Birmingham to urge drivers to slow down. Children will walk hand in hand in a line wearing fluorescent clothing waving placards. Six children were killed on roads in the region and 224 were hurt in 2003. The record-breaking Walking Bus attempt is part of a national campaign which will see more than 50,000 school children from across the UK join hand in hand to highlight road safety. Local police officer PC David Ingliss will act as official witness to the record attempt and road safety packs will be handed out to teachers to be used in class. Mary Williams, chief executive of Brake which is behind the scheme, said drivers should slow down in areas where children are more likely to be walking or cycling. "Brake hopes this event will help schools teach children about walking safely and raise awareness among local drivers," she added. [Source: BBC] ___________________________
Traffic police have stepped up a campaign to penalise motorists who break the seatbelt laws. Police patrols will monitor highways, shopping centres and areas frequented by young drivers. Drivers will be stopped and penalised if they were not wearing seatbelts, a General Directorate of Traffic spokesman told the GDN yesterday. The campaign is a continuation of the activities of the GCC** Traffic Week, held simultaneously in all GCC countries in March, under the theme Your Driving is the Measure of Your Character. "There has been an apparent decline in people using seatbelts on Bahrain's roads, particularly among the youth," said the spokesman.... Full story, from the Gulf Daily News
** Politically, the Arabian Peninsula consists of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Republic of Yemen. Together, these countries (excluding the Republic of Yemen) constitute the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC). Founded on 26 May 1981, the aim of this collective is to promote co-ordination between member states in all fields in order to achieve unity. ___________________________
Uganda -- When 64 people died two years ago, they treated it like a grisly accident. But when another 30 perished on the same highway, on Tuesday morning, speculation about an invisible hand was rife among the locals. The entire village is engulfed in fear as myths have started to emerge following yet another deadly accident in the area. This follows the death of 30 passengers when a bus collided with a Fuso truck at Nyakarindi on the Kabale-Katuna road at 10:30am on Tuesday. The accident, about 18km outside Kabale town, is the second in two years on the same highway. In 2003, at a place called Kyonyo, three kilometres from Tuesday's accident, a Jaguar Bus collided with a trailer, killing 64 passengers on the spot. This spot is one of the many notorious 'black spots' on our roads. Many of the spots have myths about them, but human error also plays a big part in these accidents.... Full story, via allAfrica ___________________________
At least 12 people were killed in [vehicle] accidents in different parts of Finland on Saturday and Sunday. In addition, at least 24 were injured in what police and traffic safety officials considered an exceptionally grim weekend.... One indication of the extent of the carnage of recent days is that just 18 people were killed in traffic in the whole month of April. The highway death toll for all of last year was 377.... Full story, from Helsingin Sanomat ___________________________
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Three women -- Twenty-one-year-olds Mikelle Mills of Vallejo and Jamika Newman of Fairfield and 22 year-old Tasnika Cato of Hayward died while traveling northbound on Interstate Highway 680... around 6 a.m. Sunday. Four women were riding in a 2003 Saturn when it went off the roadway, hit a Redwood tree and burst into flames, and the three women died in the fire, according to the California Highway Patrol. A 25-year-old victim was able to get out of the car. She was treated for minor injuries at Mt. Diablo Hospital, according to the CHP. Damage from the fire is making it difficult for CHP officers to determine if all of the occupants were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident, CHP Officer Cliff Kroeger said. According to Kroeger, it is "too early to tell'' if alcohol was factor in the crash. He also said there "didn't appear to be any swerving action'' immediately preceding the crash.... Full story, from the Bay City Newswire, at CBS 5 ___________________________
...... Many of us are concerned about older people who shouldn't be driving anymore. Here's information that puts the issue in perspective and suggests solutions. First, the magnitude of the problem. In 2000, there were 18.9 million licensed drivers 65 years and older in the United States, 36 percent more than a decade earlier. Now, hold onto your hat: by 2020, there will be more than 40 million older drivers on the road.... Second, older drivers are not, per se, bad drivers — most voluntarily restrict the number of miles they drive and cut back their driving during rush hour, in bad weather and at night, the most dangerous times.... It's the oldest drivers who are a danger — and endanger others. The rate of crashes per mile driven is relatively constant for all adults ages 25 to 69, then begins to rise at age 70 and increases rapidly at age 80. It's these older drivers, too, who are more likely to suffer injuries or die when involved in a car crash, primarily because of their more fragile health.... Third, each of us ages at different rates and in different ways. Although specific abilities needed to drive safely — such as vision, memory, physical strength, reaction time and flexibility — may decline as we grow older, the rate of change varies greatly across the older population. Thus, no "one-size fits all" answer works here, such as prohibiting people of a certain age from driving. [Bold text by DSA] Fourth, given our addiction to cars, most communities have failed to develop convenient public transportation systems for healthy citizens, much less alternative systems for the frail and mentally incapacitated.... In truth, we each need to prepare for the day we give up our keys. A new study comparing average life expectancy and maximum driving age for people over 70 shows that the majority of older drivers outlive their ability to drive by about 7 to 10 years.... Read this full, interesting article, from the Seattle Times ___________________________
Authorities patrolling U.S. highways tend to give motorists a cushion of up to 10 miles per hour above the speed limit before pulling them over, says a survey by a group of state traffic safety officials. This practice creates an unsafe comfort level at high speeds and is a potential safety hazard, according to the report being released Monday by the Governors Highway Safety Association. The group found that 42 states allow drivers to regularly exceed the speed limit before they are stopped. "This cushion truly exists across this country and in some cases is more than 10 mph above posted limits," said Jim Champagne, the association's chairman. "Law enforcement needs to be given the political will to enforce speed limits and the public must get the message that speeding will not be tolerated," said Champagne, who also is executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.... Full story here, from Ken Thomas - Associated Press Writer - via Yahoo! News
DSA Comments Drive and Stay Alive is a strong proponent of speed limit enforcement, but there is one very important factor which generally goes unmentioned in the USA -- speedometer error. Given that even the best speedometers -- as used by the police -- need frequent re-calibration to maintain absolute accuracy and allow for mechanical wear and tear, plus ever-changing tire-wear, it is surely only fair that some allowance be made for that error when stopping motorists for speeding. The difference in the diameter of new tires, compared to worn tires, does make a significant difference to the reading on a speedometer. In some other countries, drivers are allowed to exceed a limit by 10 percent for this very reason and may not be reported (cited) at any speed below that "limit + 10%" figure, but to counterbalance this situation the police are entitled to test a vehicle if they have reason to believe the speedometer is inaccurate to a degree greater than 10 percent or, indeed, is not working at all (either of which is a citable offence). Surely a 10 percent margin of error is fair and reasonable? This factor can, of course, also be taken into account when deciding the maximum safe speed for any particular section of road. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
and More Appropriate Use of Child Seats New plans to improve road safety through increased wearing of seatbelts and more appropriate use of child seats were outlined by UK Road Safety Minister Stephen Ladyman today.... "Making sure that children keep using booster seats until they are 4 feet 5 inches [1.35m] tall will bring real improvements to their safety. Seat belts are designed for adults and making sure our children are boosted to the right height will make them safer in the event of an accident," [he said].... In Britain, seat belt wearing has been compulsory in cars and light vans from 1983 in the front, and in the rear since 1989 for children and 1991 for adults. In other vehicles it has been compulsory in the front seats since 1993.... ___________________________
Massachusetts drivers are at greater risk of being hit and injured than anyone else in the country, yet they have one of the lowest levels of seat belt use in the nation. It's a paradox that lawmakers on Beacon Hill are struggling with as safety advocates begin yet another push for giving police the power to pull over motorists who don't wear seat belts. After two cliffhanger defeats in the last two legislative sessions, the advocates this time are saying that it not only makes common sense to give police greater enforcement powers but economic sense as well. They say greater seat belt usage would ultimately reduce auto insurance rates, trim Medicaid budgets, and possibly bring more federal transportation funds into the state. ''Each of us is hurt in the pocketbook every time a serious crash occurs," said Phil Haseltine, executive director of the Air Bag and Seat Belt Safety Campaign.... Seat belt bills trigger deep-seated emotions in Massachusetts. In 1985, the Legislature passed a law requiring drivers to buckle up, but it was repealed by referendum the following year after opponents portrayed it as a Big Brother initiative. The Legislature passed a second seat belt law in 1994, and that time it survived a ballot challenge. In 2001 and 2003, the Legislature debated bills giving police the power to pull over drivers for not buckling up. Both times the bills died in the House on extremely rare tie votes.... Under current law, police are allowed to ticket drivers for failing to buckle up but only if they have been pulled over for some other reason.... Full story here, from the Boston Globe ___________________________
A safety system is a safety system is a safety system, right? Not exactly. As car safety features become more sophisticated, they're developing subtle -- and usually invisible-to-the-eye -- differences. How's a consumer to know what kind of safety systems are at work in a new model and what to expect from it? Alas, there's no easy way. Typically, consumers have to research the vehicles they're interested in and ask persistent questions while shopping to learn the details, abstractly, about today's safety technologies. But at least one car company may be mulling a different, better approach.... I know none of us wants to think about being in a crash. But studies show American drivers average one crash every three to eight years. And 70 percent of fatal crashes "are caused by a driver-recognition error," said Seigo Kuzumaki, project general manager for vehicle safety at Toyota Motor Corp.... Full story here, from 'Wheel Woman' Ann Job at the Star-Ledger (NJ) ___________________________
.......Few manufactured products have so defined a nation as America’s automobile. Since Henry Ford’s first Model Ts rolled off a Detroit production line, the American car has been as much a feature of the landscape as skyscrapers and fast food joints. But for three decades the decline of the American car has become as much a fact of national life as was its once iconic status. The nation seems to have become inured to it. This week, General Motors announced it was laying off another 25,000 workers, the largest single motor industry redundancy in more than a decade.... Between them the Big Three US car makers — GM, Ford and Chrysler — account for just 57 per cent of US car sales, down from 75 per cent a decade ago. The most recent figures show that Toyota, the Japanese giant, has closed the gap on the smallest of the Big Three, Chrysler, to almost nothing, with just under 13 per cent of US car sales this year to Chrysler’s 13.2 per cent. It is no longer fantasy to imagine the Big Three in a decade or so, consisting of Toyota, Honda and Nissan. Yet perhaps what is most striking now about the imminent end of US car domination by US makers is that Americans seem largely resigned to it. GM’s announcement this week made the front pages, but didn’t seem to stir any fire in the American soul.... Full story from The Times U.S. Editor ___________________________
DOHA: The Al Rayyan Traffic and Patrol Department records some 80 road traffic accidents daily indicating that the various public awareness drives undertaken by the authority, had not caused any major impact on reckless driving habits, a senior official at the department told the Al Sharq daily. In a report published on Thursday, Major Mohammad Abdul Aziz Al Musallam, Director of the Al Rayyan Traffic and Patrol Department, said most of these accidents were caused because motorists flouted the traffic safety rules. He said, the previous awareness campaigns conducted by his department had apparently had little result on such motorists and more efforts were required in future.... Full story, from The Peninsula, Qatar ___________________________
A Fairbanks man was killed Thursday night in what could be the area's fourth alcohol-involved fatality in the last 18 days... Few details about [the man] or the crash were available Friday. Alaska State Troopers spokesman Greg Wilkinson said emergency personnel found alcohol at the scene. "Was he drunk?" Wilkinson said.... "We don't know. Was he speeding? Yes. Was alcohol on the scene? Yes."... Full story, from the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner ___________________________
National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Dr. Jeffrey Runge today presented vehicle safety engineering and special appreciation awards to 12 international automotive engineers and safety proponents from six countries during the 19th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles being held this week in Washington, D.C. "We are recognizing these 12 automotive engineers, researchers and advocates for their unparalleled contributions to automotive safety throughout the world," Dr. Runge said. "Technical conferences like the ESV are essential for U.S. and international highway safety experts to share research and to advance the latest technologies enhancing vehicle and traffic safety on the world’s roads," he added.... Full story, with recipients details, here. ___________________________
Connecticut -- ...A new state law that bans hand-held cell phones for adult drivers will prohibit just about all cell phone use by 16- and 17-year-olds who get behind the wheel. The new law, which passed the legislature last week and is awaiting the signature of Gov. M. Jodi Rell, allows teen drivers to use cell phones only to call 911 and other emergency numbers. The new rules would go into effect Oct. 1 Needless to say, many teens are not happy. ___________________________
Oklahomans for Safe Bridges and Roads have made a PR mistake in the form of many, little white crosses. Those crosses may cost the group the very improvements to Oklahoma bridges and roads they were seeking.... The coalition is promoting a 5-cent-a-gallon state gasoline tax increase, an initiative the group successfully got on a ballot for Sept. 13.... The coalition placed white crosses along roadways, signifying that Oklahomans are being killed by unsafe roads. The coalition claims in a Wednesday press release that "roadway design played a significant factor" in 3,000 Oklahoma highway deaths in the last seven years.... The 3,000 deaths are not alcohol- or speed-related, but just because a highway's design is two-lane without a shoulder does that make it unsafe and a significant factor? What about driver error, people text-messaging while driving and following too closely. Oklahomans for Safe Bridges and Roads has done a good job in keeping citizens aware of the substandard state roads and bringing the issue to a vote. We agree with the coalition that a gas tax increase is needed. And though this is an emotional issue, playing up emotions won't work with Oklahoma voters. In fact, we think it will backfire. Full editorial, from the Muskogee Phoenix ___________________________
If road rage is not the subject of alarmed media hype where you live, just wait. The coverage goes in cycles, usually with some shocking incident briefly capturing the attention of the press, followed by stories about how worried the citizenry has become. Is anarchy descending? Are our roads turning into danger zones? Statistics may indicate the roads are safer, but we probably have technology to thank. Cars and roads are better designed, and they are backed up by sophisticated emergency medical procedures. What is not clear is whether motorists are conducting themselves better in public. I like to think I am reformed, but there are times when the white-hot flashes return. After years of driving a delivery van, I eventually clued into a crucial truth. The roads seemed an angrier place when I was angry.... What to do with issues that break out behind the wheel? Expect more anti-rage schools to emerge -- a mixture of driving instruction and personal introspection. They may ask motorists to write poems or monitor their breathing, whatever will reveal our internal speed -- or tailgating -- demons. One school apparently suggests drivers carry a little "sorry" sign to flash out the window. Even if you're in the right, an apology could defuse rage before it escalates. There is also a company that sells digital signs for back windows. I hope the device blocks out swear words. The idea of a Sorry sign, even if it just sits there as a dashboard reminder to yourself, illuminates two things. It proves how tough humility can be -- and how invisible we are inside our automobiles. The car is our castle, and somehow it has become okay to scream and gesticulate wildly. Because an apologetic wave could be misunderstood, perhaps it's time to develop a better way of communicating on the road. Full article, from Driving.ca ___________________________
The Toyota Motor Corporation announced today that, to help promote the development of safe vehicles, it has added an active steering function to its VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management) vehicle control system and developed a two-chamber airbag aimed at lessening the impact of airbag deployment on front-seat passengers. These technologies will be offered in new models of the Lexus brand, which is due to debut in Japan this summer.... ___________________________
With tougher new P-plate laws to be announced this week to lessen the carnage of young people on the nation's roads, preventative programs such as Armidale's Arrive Alive were also an essential part of the campaign, [the] Member for Northern Tablelands said this week. He attended the opening of Arrive Alive at the Armidale Driver Education Centre where 180 young people are participating in the annual road safety program. "These young L plate drivers and those who have recently obtained their P1 plates are in the vulnerable age group," Mr Torbay said. "It has been well documented that preventative measures can be very effective when it comes to safe driving. This well structured program focuses on the stark consequences of road accidents and also the best way drivers can prevent them. "New found independence and a motor vehicle can be too potent a cocktail for many young people and it is much better for them to face sobering facts of dangerous driving in the class room than on our roads."... Arrive Alive is organised by the Australian College of Road Safety (ACRS) New England Chapter.... Local businesses provide sponsorship, and driving instructors and others in the auto industry, NSW Ambulance Service officers and Hunter New England Area Health Service personnel give their services free of charge. Full story, from the Glen Innes Examiner, NSW ___________________________
You may not have heard of telematics but it is shaping up as the automotive buzz word of the decade.... Early versions gave us car tracking and other security systems; new varieties - one of which was demonstrated by BMW Australia this week - will allow drivers (or passengers) to load schedules and destinations into the navigation system via a personal computer before leaving home or the office and to receive in-car emails and stock price updates. They will be able to locate and book restaurants or hotels online from within the car, or have a dedicated call centre do it for them while on the move. This is just the start of what engineers are talking about. Before you write telematics off as a boy's toy or a four-wheel-steering-style fad, consider one of the main benefits telematics can offer: alerting emergency services when there is an accident.... Full story, from the Sydney Morning Herald ___________________________
Hanoi – On June 8 the World Bank approved a credit of US$31.73 million to support Vietnam’s Road Safety Project to reduce the rate of accidents, injury and death associated with road transport. The project is designed to strengthen the management of road transport safety in Vietnam through physical improvement of roads and institutional improvement. A key element of the project will be the introduction of “safe highway” demonstration corridors on three sections of national roads where the highest rates of fatality and injury are currently being observed. The transport safety situation in Vietnam has been deteriorating for the past decade. With an official fatality rate in 2004 of around 8.3 persons per 10,000 registered vehicles, injury rate of 10.7 persons per 10,000 registered vehicles, and an accident rate of 12 cases per 10,000 registered vehicles, Vietnam is quickly becoming among the most dangerous road environments in East Asia. Only China (about 25-30 fatalities per 10,000 vehicles) is currently reporting rates above those observed in Vietnam. The comparable rates in OECD countries are in the range of 1-2 fatalities per 10,000 registered vehicles.... ___________________________
The webcast for this conference, which took place in Stuttgart on 30-31 May 2005, has been archived and may now be viewed here. ___________________________
Some 92,000 primary school pupils from nine countries took part in the fifth round of Renault's international "Safety for all" competition. This year's theme – "Road safety, it's a family matter" – attracted nearly 4,750 entries. Launched in 2000, Renault's international "Safety for All" programme has already helped educate over 7 million pupils. This year, 17 countries were involved. The programme for primary schools includes a full teaching kit dubbed "Kids on the Road", which is sent free-of-charge to teachers, and the international competition. The fifth round of the competition involved 92,000 pupils in nine countries – France, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey. This year, the competition theme was safety and the family. 4,750 entries in the form of posters were sent to Renault and some of the winning slogans were "Buckle up, observe the speed limit and protect your family!" and "Be extra careful behind the wheel!". The international final will be held at Disneyland Paris from June 10-12, 2005, for the 200 national finalists from nine countries, plus teachers and local partners. The "Express Yourself" operation for high school students is the other facet of the "Safety for All" programme. This year in France, 41,000 students aged 12-15 sent in 4,000 advertising posters about responsible behaviour on the road. "The road is not a video game – You have only one life" was the slogan of the winning poster produced by the Darnet high school in Saint-Yieux La Perche in central France. Website: www.safety-for-all.com
DSA Comments We have added a webpage to show the French finalists. Click here to view the results and some truly superb safety posters, produced by the students. ___________________________
During the closing speech of the "Velo-City" conference that took place in Dublin on 3 June, Jacques Barrot, Commissioner for Transport, has encouraged the use of bicycle throughout Europe. "I am responsible for all modes of transport", said Barrot, "Despite the application of the subsidiarity principle, I feel that the European Commission has a role to play in promoting bicycle use across Europe". According to Vice-President Barrot "cycling can play a bigger role in the Transport White Paper’s objective to re-balance the modes. This objective will obviously require rationalising the use of the private car – especially in cities. The Vice-President praised Dublin as an example for its investments in the transport facilities, including those for cycling. Full text here, from Europa ___________________________
The closure of the tunnel of Frejus, after a fatal truck fire on 4 June, has put attention on transalpine traffic. In addition to road safety, the dense traffic growth and damage to the environment causes anger to residents. The European Union acts on several fronts to reduce congestion in the Alps: promotion of the rail-bound transport, stabilising fair charging of the road transport infrastructure, carrying out of new rail infrastructures within the framework of the Trans-European networks, and promoting dialogue with the alpine countries including Switzerland. The full text is currently available only in French or Italian, from Europa ___________________________
On the House of Lords Hansard page, questions are shown about the numbers of deaths and serious injuries each year on Britain's motorways, and the causes of the relevant crashes. ___________________________
One of Scotland’s oldest drivers is battling to keep his driver's licence after a super-slow trip along a busy road. Retired coastguard Herbert Street, 96, was attempting to get his car, an F-registered Fiat Uno which he calls Maggie Jane as a tribute to his late wife, to a garage after engine troubles started. So much steam was coming from under the bonnet that he was forced to slow right down to 15mph, as he was having great difficulty in being able to see out of the windscreen. Motorist made frantic calls to both the police and fire services reporting a vehicle on fire and that the driver was unable to see for the alleged smoke. Approaching a roundabout he failed to give way to a lorry, causing it to brake sharply to avoid an accident. The lorry driver and another motorist who was following in the lengthy tailback of traffic gave pursuit at speeds of up to 20mph and alerted police. Mr Street, who has been driving since 1924, failed to stop for officers following him, despite them using horns and blue lights. When they attempted to stop the vehicle he mounted the verge in an attempt to get past their marked patrol vehicle.... Full story here, a special for DSA from Scottish journalist John MacInnes. ___________________________
A driving instructor and his pupil made legal history yesterday when they both received a ban [USA: license suspension] after the student failed a breath test just days before her driving test. Robert King, 42, who has two children, shared a bottle of vodka with Susan Beaton, his pupil, before embarking on a driving lesson in rural Stirlingshire. Miss Beaton, 19, a student at Glasgow University, subsequently lost control of the car and crashed it into a deer fence on a quiet road. Both instructor and pupil were charged with driving the dual-control car dangerously and carelessly at the same moment. However, the sheriff ruled that Mr King was not guilty of dangerous driving, but he was still banned for twice refusing to take a breath test. Miss Beaton, a psychology student from Balfron, was banned after being found guilty of careless driving and drink driving.... [A witness who helped the girl from the overturned car said] "She was quite distraught and saying 'It was all my fault. We've both been drinking. Rob was too drunk to drive'." At Stirling Royal infirmary Mr King refused to take a breath test without giving a reason, but a doctor there told PC Ewan Pierce that Mr King was clearly under the influence of alcohol.... Mr King was charged with driving dangerously and refusing to give a breath test. Miss Beaton was charged with driving carelessly and of driving while six per cent over the drink driving limit. They were both fined £500 each and banned from driving for a year.... Speaking outside the court, John Whitehead, general secretary of the Driving Instructors' Scottish Council, said: "It simply beggars belief that any instructor would allow a student to get behind the wheel after they had been drinking."... Full story, from The Herald ___________________________
Would American readers please note that in all of the stories from Scotland -- two above and one below -- the 'sheriff' referred to is a form of judge and not the same thing as a sheriff in the U.S.A. [In both cases, our thanks to a Scottish correspondent, John MacInnes, Esq., for bringing these stories to our attention.] ___________________________
A businessman accused of driving his car at 156mph while holding a mobile phone to his ear was cleared yesterday because of a Crown Office blunder, provoking outrage from road safety campaigners. A sheriff dismissed the case after ruling prosecutors had not served vital court papers on Ronald Klos, 37, who denied driving dangerously at more than twice the speed limit in his BMW M3 CSL. Motoring organisations and an MSP called on the lord advocate to investigate the blunder, while a senior police officer said the matter raised questions about the prosecution process involved. Mr Klos, from Markinch, Fife, was alleged to have been caught speeding at 156mph on the A92, near Kirkcaldy, in May last year by a mobile speed camera unit. He also faced charges of using a mobile phone while driving.... Sheriff Paul Arthurson, at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, found the Crown had failed to supply Mr Klos with a notice of intended prosecution, which it is legally obliged to do. He said he found the Crown witnesses credible but said he was forced by a matter of law to find Mr Klos not guilty of all charges. An appeal by the Crown to bring an alternative charge of culpable and reckless conduct under common law was rejected by the sheriff. A spokesman for the Crown Office and Procurator-Fiscal Service said: "The Crown has responsibility for checking that the notice of intention to prosecute has been served. Clearly there was an error in this case, and that is regrettable.".... Full story here, from The Herald ___________________________
Five people were killed and 33 injured in two separate accidents at Lahore-Islamabad motorway. According to police sources, a passenger bus bound for Sargodha from Lahore was overturned near Khankha Dogran killing four people.... In a separate incident, a pickup collided with police mobile near Qayampura Bridge in which one person was killed and three police officials were injured.... Full story, from the Kashar News ___________________________
All drivers aged 23 or younger would have to adhere to a zero-alcohol rule under a world-first proposal by the RACV. A survey by the motorists' club found two-thirds community support for the proposal. The RACV has also attacked the State Government for taking too long to release its proposals for young drivers. Young drivers would have to remain alcohol-free under a policy the club said had not been adopted anywhere else in the world. The rule now only applies to P-platers, most of whom are 21 or less. The RACV has also suggested:
(However) despite evidence showing it worked, the club has not supported night-time curfews for inexperienced drivers. In Victoria, about 13 per cent of drivers are aged 18 to 24, but they represent twice as many deaths. Transport Minister Peter Batchelor said curfews and passenger restrictions were not practical. Victoria had already introduced several road safety initiatives for young drivers, he said. Full story, from the Melbourne Herald Sun
DSA Comments Mr Batchelor, we beg to differ! Concerted efforts in the USA have shown that curfews and passenger restrictions are indeed practical, and can be effective. (Or did you perhaps mean that they are not practical in terms of maintaining the maximum number of votes, in the future?) Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
Kim Keller doesn't know if she can go through it again — burying one teenage son six years after she buried her first.... Codie died Wednesday when he was thrown from a car in North Fort Myers. His older brother, Michael Watson, 14, died in 1999 when he was hit by a car in North Fort Myers.... Codie was only 10 when Michael died. The teenager had volunteered to ride his bicycle to the corner store to pick up a box of spaghetti. On the way back, he was killed when Diane Retherford ran a red light at Old U.S. 41 and Bayshore Road. His mother blames [Codie's death] on a missing stop sign. At about noon, he was riding in a 1993 Ford driven by his friend, Shawn Koehn, 17, of North Fort Myers. They were heading south on Pacific Avenue just off Bayshore Road in North Fort Myers. A 1990 Nissan driven by Patrick Meaney, 42, of North Fort Myers was going east on San Bernadino Street where a stop sign was supposed to be at the intersection. However, the sign was lying on the ground. Meaney continued through the intersection and slammed into the Ford, according to FHP. Koehn, who didn't have a valid driver's license, tried to avoid the Nissan by speeding up and turning to the left. The Ford rotated and overturned on its left side. Codie, who wasn't wearing a seat belt was thrown from the car. It's unclear how long the stop sign had been down. One neighbor said it's been down since Hurricane Charley hit on Aug. 13. Others say they couldn't remember.... Full story, from The News-Press ___________________________
.......There is a controversy growing across the nation about the safety of young drivers and the best age to issue that first driver’s license. Legislators in some states are looking at steps to either raise the driving age to 17 or 18, or to put in place measures to make youthful driving safer. In Ohio, the law says a driver at 15½ can get a learner’s permit and then take a test for full driving privileges at age 16.... “I couldn’t believe it when the state lowered the permit to 15½ (about two years ago),” said Norma Schob, driving instructor for 23 years with AAA Driving School at the Frontier Shopping Center. “I think there’s merit in raising the licensing age one year. Too many teens think they can handle anything, but you pick up the newspaper and there’s an accident in every day.”.... Inexperience behind the wheel is the leading cause of teen-age crashes. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teen-agers. According to the 2003 statistics from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, 3,657 drivers age 15 to 20 died in car crashes; that age group makes up 14 percent of all driver fatalities.... Ohio is considering banning cellular phones altogether, even hands-free phones, from vehicles of teen-age drivers. Today, drivers with a permit only are prohibited from talking on a cell phone while driving. The state is even looking at legislation that would take hand-held cell phones out of the driver’s seat altogether.... Read the full article, from the Marietta Times ___________________________
Detailed new research shows that using a cell phone behind the wheel is a key cause of traffic accidents and that hand-free devices provide little safety benefit, federal officials told an international automotive safety gathering Wednesday. In a closely watched real-world study published Wednesday, a team from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration watched 100 drivers for a year, concluding that the use of electronic devices such as cell phones precipitated many crashes and near-misses. Other NHTSA researchers said devices like head sets or voice-activated dialing led to longer dialing times than for those using hand-held phones. The delays offset the potential benefit of keeping both hands on the wheel. In a nation of cell phone users, hands-free devices have been touted as a potential solution to growing driver distraction issues. New York banned drivers from using hand-held phones in 2001. New Jersey and the District of Columbia passed similar laws last year. But whether drivers use a hand-held device or not, "phone use degraded both driving performance and vehicle control," said NHTSA's Elizabeth Mazzae.... Read the full, important article, from the Detroit News ___________________________
Ramon Romero sat with no emotion as a judge sentenced him to 24 years behind bars for the drunk driving death of 19-year-old Sonja DeVries. Investigators said Romero was drunk on July 18, 2004, when he crashed his car into the car Sonja DeVries was in at a stoplight at Alameda and Holly. DeVries died soon after the crash. Romero has been convicted of drunk driving several times before. Investigators said his blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was three times the legal limit.... Full story, from News 4 Colorado ___________________________
After his son's death, Glynn contacted MADD to help him deal with his shock and grief. A trained MADD victim advocate, who was partially funded by a VOCA grant, guided him in writing a victim impact statement that helped send the convicted drunk driver to jail for the maximum fifteen years. This is just one example of the impact MADD's victims services has on those who suffer at the hands of drunk drivers. In 2004 alone, MADD served more than 31,000 victims and survivors. [Source: Mothers Against Drunk Driving] ___________________________
General Motors announced on Thursday that it will build a new rollover testing facility at its Milford Proving Ground in Michigan, the centerpiece of $33 million worth of state-of-the-art crash-testing investments to grow the automaker's global testing capability. The rollover facility, which will be adjacent to an existing crash barrier test facility, will be used to develop rollover-sensing systems for airbags and development of occupant protection systems to reduce the likelihood of ejection in a crash. More than 10,000 people are killed and more than 200,000 are injured in rollover crashes every year, accounting for about one in four highway deaths, according to federal highway fatality statistics.... ___________________________
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is appealing against a decision to clear a policeman of dangerous driving after he reached 159mph in a patrol car. Pc Mark Milton, 38, from Telford, Shropshire, was also cleared of speeding at Ludlow Magistrates' Court. The officer was captured by the vehicle's [own] video camera on the M54 in the early hours of 5 December, 2003. His defence was that he was testing a new car. The CPS have not said why they are opposed to last month's verdict. District Judge Bruce Morgan acquitted Pc Milton on 18 May, calling him [one of] the "creme de la creme" of police drivers. In reaching his verdict, Mr Morgan noted that two police officers who gave evidence for the prosecution, including West Mercia Police's senior driving instructor, had declined to classify the defendant's driving as dangerous. The verdict was met with opposition from road safety campaigners who argued that such a speed could never be justified. Full story -- CPS Appealing in 159mph PC Case -- from BBC News. ___________________________
A new phase of Summer advertising was today launched reminding drivers that it takes less that you might think to become a drink driver. In 2003, 560 people were killed [in Britain] in drink driving crashes, 2,600 were seriously injured and 16,000 were slightly injured. The THINK! campaign will help to highlight that drink driving is a year round problem and there are just as many drink drive casualties in the Summer months as there are over the Christmas period. To support the new burst of activity the department has linked with organisations including over 21,000 pubs, bars and off licences which will deliver and reinforce messages to an audience of potential drink drivers at crucial decision making moments.... Full article and additional information, here. ___________________________
The most dishonest institution in Mozambique is the police force, according to a survey undertaken in 2004 on perceptions of governance and corruption.... Runner up in this contest of dishonour was the traffic police, regarded for purposes of the survey as a separate entity... The survey was undertaken by the consultancy company Austral, on a contract for the government's Public Sector Reform Unit (UTRESP). It is regarded as providing an important research base for an anti-corruption strategy. Last year, President Joaquim Chissano announced that the survey would be published in September.... Detailed article, from the 'Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique' (Maputo), via allAfrica
DSA Comments Although not specifically a road safety article, this excerpt has been included on the DSA news page to remind readers of a major setback to the improvement of standards in many third-world and developing nations, for where there is significant police corruption road safety is itself inevitably a major casualty. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc.
In an effort to assist Israel Police attempts to enforce traffic laws, the IDF will be lending thirty soldiers to police. The soldiers are in mandatory service, and will be assigned to the police department’s traffic unit, performing the duties of traffic enforcement police. Also contributing to the war against traffic fatalities was yesterday’s dedication of 100 new police patrol vehicles. The ‘gift’ was arranged by Transportation Minister Meir Sheetrit. Officials report the 100 vehicles will double the traffic enforcement unit’s nationwide force. Source: Arutz Sheva ___________________________
On June 9, the Canada Safety Council will appear before the Standing Committee on Justice, Human Rights, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to express its concerns about Bill C-16, which proposes changes to the Criminal Code to address drug-impaired driving. President Emile Therien will urge the federal government not to proceed until the necessary groundwork is in place. “Action is needed now,” says Therien, “but the priority must be public safety and not criminal sanctions. The proposed changes are premature, and may stand in the way of more effective measures.”.... Therien concludes by calling Bill C-16 a typical quick fix. He says it ignores key factors such as enforcement of existing laws, the underlying cause of the problem, and an analysis of the situation as a whole. Full press release here, from the Canada Safety Council ___________________________
A total of 21 passengers were killed in three road accidents in south India's Andhra Pradesh Wednesday, Indo-Asian News Service reported.
Full story, from Xinhuanet ___________________________
Traffic police in Henan Province has launched a campaign to build a safer road network in the countryside by uplifting management on farmers' vehicles and drivers in rural areas, the provincial Public Security Department said today. Henan's traffic police said an increasing number of farmers bought vehicles in the last few years, spurred by their rising income and the newly-built rural roads in the province, the most populous in China.
Farmers, accounting for 70 percent of Henan's 96-million population,
owned at least 8 million vehicles, such as motorcycles, motor
tricycles and mini wagons, police said. In the first three months this year, 6,022 road accidents that claimed the lives of 1,075 were reported in the province. Farmers accounted more than half of the dead, and about one-third of farmers' vehicles were found responsible for the accidents, according to the police.... Full story, from Eastday ___________________________
An Albury driving instructor has criticised tough new laws designed to reduce the death toll among P-plate drivers. The laws, announced yesterday by NSW Police Minister Michael Costa and in force from July 11, will see probationary drivers banned from driving high-powered cars, except for work, and restricted to carrying only one passenger if they break the law. Border driver instructor Garry Brew said he thought the laws were a knee-jerk reaction by the NSW Government. “I think the restrictions on the type of car they can drive will have little impact,” he said.... Mr Brew said the emphasis should be on better driver education.... Mr Brew said police would not know drivers were limited to one passenger until that driver was stopped.... Albury highway patrol officer Sgt Peter Seidel said any change that would cut the road toll among young drivers was to be welcomed. Sgt. Costa said the changes followed discussions at the Road Users Summit in Sydney and Dubbo last year... “A 17-year-old driver with a P1 licence is about four times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than a driver aged 26 and older," he said. “These measures strike the right balance between young people's safety and their rights and responsibilities as road users.” The RTA will review the effectiveness of the laws after 12 months to ensure they are working. Full story, from the Border Mail
DSA Comments It would appear that Mr Brew needs to be more aware that road safety is commonly divided into a series of "E"s. The three most frequently quoted are 'Engineering', 'Enforcement' and 'Education', but 'Evaluation' is also critical. (As an aside, DSA always suggests that 'Example' should be included, and here we are thinking in particular of police officers and parents. Young people who see either police drivers -- when not on emergency calls -- or their own parents driving poorly will probably adjust their own attitudes based on that example.) Mr Brew may or may not be a good driving instructor, and good driver training at the outset is indeed critical to a person's subsequent skills and attitude, but none-the-less it is still just one of the essential "E"s. Engineering -- or, if you prefer, the laws of physics -- has brutally shown on many occasions that inexperienced drivers and powerful vehicles are not a good mixture; but on the other hand larger cars do offer an additional aspect of safety. Enforcement has, of course, played a huge role in reducing road deaths, not only in Australia but in all developed nations. I think one may confidently trust Sergeant Costa and his colleagues to make sure this law is put to good effect. And in a few years time, proper 'Evaluation' may well reflect that fact. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. ___________________________
P-platers will not be banned from driving at night or carrying limited passengers, despite extensive international research showing that these measures have dramatically reduced the youth road toll overseas. The Roads Minister, Michael Costa, yesterday released new restrictions for young drivers, including a ban on driving high performance cars and passenger restrictions for P-platers who commit serious driving offences. But a leading health expert, Mark Stevenson, said the Government's new bans were a watered down version of its earlier proposed measures. "I cannot see how these measures will have any ramifications at all," Professor Stevenson said. Professor Stevenson, director of the Injury Prevention and Trauma Care Division at the George Institute, said the Government had ignored wide-ranging evidence that a night time driving ban was vital for P-platers.... He said it was "extremely frustrating" that taxpayer money was spent on his area of research only for it to be dismissed by Mr Costa, who was not an expert in the field of injury prevention. Banning P-platers driving high performance cars was also not an effective way to lower the road toll, he said.... Full story, from the Sydney Morning Herald
Calls on Congress to Defend State Highway Safety Priorities Lt. Colonel Jim Champagne, chair of the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) said: "Today, I've written to the Congressional Conferees considering the NHTSA safety provisions of the transportation reauthorization bill, H.R. 3. State highway safety agencies are pleased Congress is nearing passage of this crucial legislation. However, we are concerned that Congress is moving toward promoting only national highway safety priorities, and not state needs...." ___________________________
A poll by PEMCO reveals that more than half of Washington drivers admit to speeding. Of those who break the law, nearly 9 out of 10 say they do so to keep up with the flow of traffic or because they don't pay much attention to posted speed limits.... "More than 600 people died in traffic accidents last year in Washington, and one-third of those deaths were speed related," said Jon Osterberg, PEMCO Insurance spokesperson. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, going even 5 mph over the speed limit can greatly increase a driver's risk of serious injury or death in a crash, because crash severity increases disproportionately with vehicle speed. For example, a frontal impact at 35 mph is one-third more severe than one at 30 mph.... Read the full article, with interesting additional information, here. ___________________________
The European Road Safety Action Programme 'Road safety: halving the number of road accident victims by 2010' will have its second reading in the Parliament. [Source: PACTS] ___________________________
Communications Minister Barrister Nazmul Huda said highways will be redesigned to minimise incidents of road accidents. "We are taking initiatives to change the highway designs and put up fences at the marketplaces located adjacent to the roads to reduce the fatality rate in road accidents," the minister said. He said this while inaugurating a workshop - Road Safety Public Awareness Campaign on Dhaka-Sylhet Highway: A GOB-NGO Collaboration - jointly organised by BRAC and Roads and Highways Department (RHD) at the city's BRAC Centre auditorium. "Road safety issues are now one of our most priority sectors and we are planning to compensate the victims of road accidents for the first time in Bangladesh," Huda pointed out.... Full story, from The Financial Express ___________________________
The official toll of Namibia's most deadly road accident rose by one yesterday, when the Police announced that 28 people had been killed when a lorry and a bus collided on the road between Grootfontein and Rundu, on Tuesday evening last week.... Warrant Officer James Matengu of the Police's Public Relations and Liaison Division, said that confusion over the number of victims appeared to have been caused by the horrific nature of the fatal injuries.... Full story, from the Namibian, via allAfrica ___________________________
TORONTO -- The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's Roadcheck 2005 -- the international truck and motorcoach safety event -- kicks off today throughout North America. The CVSA sponsors the annual Roadchecks with participation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, Transportation Security Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, and the Secretariat of Communication and Transportation (Mexico). The 18th annual enforcement event, which runs until Thursday, highlights the importance of safety belts, motorcoach safety and commercial vehicle security. For 72 continuous hours throughout Canada, Mexico, and the U.S., inspection sites and roving highway patrols will inspect trucks and truckers for their mechanical and driving fitness.... Full story, from Today's Trucking ___________________________
WASHINGTON (AP) - Tire manufacturers and a government watchdog Monday asked a federal appeals court to invalidate a new rule on tire pressure monitoring systems, saying the regulation gives motorists a false sense of safety. The rule was issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in April to require automakers to install tire pressure monitoring systems by the 2008 model year. Nearly 20 per cent of vehicles already have the technology. To comply, automakers would likely attach tiny sensors to each wheel that would signal if a tire falls 25 per cent below the recommended inflation pressure. If any one of the four tires is underinflated, the sensors set off a dashboard warning light. The plaintiffs include Public Citizen, the Tire Industry Association and four tire companies - the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., Pirelli Tire LLC, and Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire LLC. The group said the rule doesn't require the systems to operate with replacement tires, and the systems would only kick in when a motorist had been driving between 50 and 100 kilometres an hour continuously for 20 minutes. That would make it difficult for someone driving in a city or under other stop-go situations to know if a tire had low pressure. "With this rule, motorists may mistakenly feel safe and not believe they need to check their tires," Goodyear said in a statement. Rae Tyson, a NHTSA spokesman, said the agency had not seen the lawsuit and declined to comment.... Read the full story, from AP, via Canada.com ___________________________
Two injured women lay trapped in freezing conditions in the mangled wreck of a car alongside the body of their dead driver for nearly seven hours last night after crashing off a Bay of Plenty road.... Western Bay of Plenty emergency services staff say the cold weather could have saved the two women, particularly one in her 20s who received serious abdominal and leg injuries.... In the cold |
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Volunteers Seen as Answer to Congestion in Thailand
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