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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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A James Dean road safety pack praising the benefit of speed cameras was launched [in London] today on the 50th anniversary of the Hollywood legend's death in a head-on car crash. Organisers RoadPeace and the Slower Speeds Initiative say the controversial device may have saved the life of the Giant actor who was just 24 years of age when he was killed on his way to a race in his Porsche. London Mayor Ken Livingstone and Jenny Jones, Green Party London Assembly Member and the mayor’s road safety ambassador, say the safety pack is as an important tool in saving lives through bringing objective information to the speed camera debate. "In London, safety cameras have been responsible for reducing deaths and serious injuries by more than 20 per cent, helping us to almost meet our 2010 road safety targets a full five years early. "But 216 deaths a year is totally unacceptable and I have raised this target [from 40 per cent] to an even more challenging 50 per cent reduction. Safety cameras will play a vital role in helping us meet this." Ms Jones said: "Irresponsible driving such as speeding is responsible for more violent deaths than gun and knife crime combined. This is totally unacceptable. We must have a target of not having a single death or serious injury on our roads.... Full story, from Life Style Extra __________________________
A pilot project helping qualified motorists [to correctly teach] family or friends to drive could be extended to the public within months. Interest in a free trial scheme offered to Glasgow City Council employees exceeded the initial 10 places on offer as more than 100 employees wanted to take part. Extra courses have now been laid on. Those who have taken part in the first round of training hailed it a huge success and councillors will be asked in November to make lessons available to the public. The scheme, the first of its kind in Scotland, was set up in a bid to cut the death toll among young drivers. Last year in the city there were 488 accidents involving drivers aged 17 to 24 - one in four of all crashes. Most learner drivers take lessons with a qualified instructor but get extra lessons from a relative or friend. But often their advice conflicts with that of the professionals. Roads bosses have set out to tackle the problem, believing it will help reduce deaths on the roads.... Signing up for the course are parents teaching sons and daughters, people teaching pals and even a man teaching his mother-in-law. The course involves the learner and qualified driver attending a three-hour session together covering Highway Code, driver practice, route planning, the driving test and areas of risk. The qualified driver also attends two 90-minute sessions with a professional instructor. These include a short driving assessment, vehicle fault-finding and how to remedy a fault.... Bill Smith, senior road safety officer, said... the public would be charged for six hours of lessons but the course would be run on a non-profit basis. Full story, from the Glasgow Evening Times [SMc] __________________________
More police officers will be deployed on South Australian country and metropolitan roads this long weekend in an effort to maintain road safety. Police Superintendent Graham Lough says the emphasis will be on those who speed or drink and drive. "We just put the message out and get people who still don't get the message. So we're just going to have to increase our enforcement and make sure that ... people don't get away with it," he said. Superintendent Lough says it appears that valuable road safety lessons are not easily learned. "I'm afraid that, they're repeating themselves all the time, these bad statistics. Over 109 people have died so far this year - still more than died this time last year, so we have nothing to be complacent about," he said. [Source: ABC News] __________________________
.......Budget cuts between 2000 and 2004 have reduced the number of [state troopers in Oregon] by 36 percent, according to statistics reported Wednesday in The Register-Guard. Meanwhile, speeding citations have dropped 29 percent, driving complaints have increased 70 percent and crash complaints have increased 32 percent. Speeding may not sound like a serious offense. Yet it’s a factor in about one-third of motor vehicle fatalities, according to 2003 information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. By contrast, alcohol was the sole cause of 25 percent of traffic fatalities in Oregon in 2003, according to The Associated Press. The risks of speeding are even greater for people in their first few years of college. About 33 percent of males and about 19 percent of females ages 21 to 24 involved in fatal crashes were speeding, according to the NHTSA.... The solution to increased speeding is two-fold. Foremost, drivers must understand the risks of speeding and slow down. Oregon’s Legislature must also find ways to prioritize funding for public safety, specifically putting more troopers back on the roads.... Full article ('Pedal to the metal for public safety'), from the Oregon Daily Emerald __________________________
Disney is teaming up with the National Highway Safety Administration to make sure parents know how to properly install booster seats. Disney is releasing "Cinderella" on DVD next week, complete with a special insert containing booster seat information. Booster seats can reduce injuries by nearly 60 percent, however four out of five children who should ride in booster seats don't. Children under 4 feet, 9 inches tall should use booster seats. For more information about booster seats, visit www.boosterseat.gov [Source: News Channel 5] __________________________
In an article outlining the bad behavior of bicyclists in Portland, Oregon, quoting drivers who "have been flipped off, called names and spat on by cyclists", there are two remarkably awful confessions by cyclists: -- Admitted scofflaw John Buttrell, a 45-year-old Vancouver, Wash., resident, bikes into Portland for work and doesn’t apologize for his riding habits. “If the intersection’s clear, I’m going; I’m not waiting for the light,” he says.... -- Lynn Mutrie, an avid cyclist who coordinates the traffic safety program for the Alliance for Community Traffic Safety in Oregon, also admits to going through stop signs occasionally. “But I look at it as a choice — if I do that, I’ll take full responsibility,” she says. “Cyclists do have a right to the road. The same rights, the same responsibilities.” Police say failing to stop at a signal carries a $237 fine for bicyclists as well as for motorists.... Matt Larsen, a Multnomah County transportation planning specialist, thinks the conflicts will grow as long as more cyclists hit the streets. He leads a 12-member Bicyclist and Pedestrian Citizen Advisory Committee that frequently takes up the issue, but nothing has emerged as the silver bullet yet. “There’s a lot of animosity between the groups, and it seems to be growing,” he says. “For the most part it’s not a problem about cyclists as a whole or drivers as a whole — it’s just bad apples that give each group a bad name.” Extending courtesy to each other is the simplest thing to do, he says.... Full story, from the Portland Tribune
DSA Comments For Mr. Buttrell and Ms. Mutrie -- assuming they have been accurately quoted -- we have a joint question: How do you feel when a car or SUV driver fails to stop at a stop light or a stop sign? Your admitted "failing to stop" actions are certainly no better than those of a driver doing the same thing. As for Ms. Muttrie -- again conditional upon accuracy in the journalism -- we have to ask: How did you get your job? How does a blatant disregard for the law tie in with your work, Ms. Muttrie? "The same rights, the same responsibilities” simply aren't enough. "The same laws" are an equally vital part of the equation, especially for somebody who should be leading by example. Bicyclists have no "moral high-ground" when it comes to road safety. Of course the drivers of motor vehicles should be particularly careful when bicyclists -- or motorcycles, or pedestrians -- are around, but bad behavior by the relative few moronic drivers does not give cyclists the right to get brainless too! That is just another form of road rage. But given the vulnerability of cyclists and pedestrians, is there ever anything sensible to be gained from lying in a hospital bed (or, worse, as a lost soul hovering over one's own coffin) saying "It was my right of way!" As the old saying goes, 'discretion is the better part of valor,' but in the field of traffic safety everyone should try: "Everybody's right to life is more important than my right to get stupid!" Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. __________________________
In North Carolina, deer were involved in a state record 15,509 crashes last year, UNC's Highway Safety Research Center said on Thursday. Around the USA, it has been estimated that there may be as many as 3 million collisions involving deer each year, many of which go unreported. [DSA] __________________________
Estimated auto safety belt use nationwide is up 2 percent to a record 82 percent, the U.S. Transportation Department said on Friday. Auto safety regulators said the belt-use increase between June 2004 and June 2005 likely prevented 540 deaths and 8,000 injuries in auto crashes. The data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration came from observations of 207,000 drivers and front-seat passengers at more than 2,000 sites. The highest belt-use rate was seen in the West at 85 percent. The lowest was the Northeast at 78 percent. Gains were seen among pickup truck drivers and in rural areas where most crash deaths occur. More than 42,600 people were killed in traffic accidents last year. About a quarter of the total fatalities occurred in rollover crashes, most involving sport utility vehicles and pickups, safety figures show. Nearly two-thirds of rollover victims were not wearing seat belts. Safety advocates say higher seat belt use and better belt design would save more lives in rollovers. A new federal highway law offers financial incentives to states that adopt the toughest, or primary, belt laws. Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have primary laws, which allow police to stop drivers solely for not wearing seat belts. South Carolina's primary belt law takes effect in December. [Source: Reuters Alertnet] [SMc] __________________________
At least 11 people were killed Friday when a bus carrying 60 high school students collided with a truck in northeastern Poland and burst into flames, police said. The bus was carrying students from the city of Bialystok to Czestochowa in southern Poland, the home of the country's most sacred Roman Catholic shrine. "There was a head-on collision as the bus traveling from Bialystok hit a lorry traveling from Warsaw," said Jacek Dobrzynski, a spokesman for police in the northeastern city. Dobrzynski said more than 20 other passengers were taken to hospitals. The force of the impact turned the bus around, he added. [Source: News From Russia] [SMc] __________________________
On Thursday 29 September, the European Parliament adopted a report by Ari Vatanen on how to cut by half the number of road accident victims by 2010. Mr Vatanen is a former world rally champion from Finland, but was elected in June 2004 as an MEP from France and sits with the largest political group, the EPP-ED (European People's Party - European Democrats). During the committee debate on his report he quoted the economist John Maynard Keynes, who said: 'In the long run, we are all dead'. But, Mr Vatanen added, this need not necessarily be on the EU's roads. In the debate addressing the entire the European Parliament, Mr Vatanen said on Wednesday 28 September "The figures regarding traffic safety are as bleak and grim as the weather outside tonight. There are about 50 000 deaths per year, about 2 million people are injured. It is the main cause of death in the under-50s age group. It costs about 2% of GNP, equivalent to EUR 200 billion. But that is only money. We have to realise that what is at stake is the human suffering...."
Read the full report by Ari Vatanen who, as a child, was in the family car when it crashed and his father was killed. __________________________
On 13 June, 2005, teams started in Greece, Malta, Poland and Portugal and have since travelled a total of 40,000km [25,000 miles] across Europe before they came to Brussels as their final destination. The Road Safety Campaign has been coordinated by the British Red Cross and consisted of four teams of drivers and vehicles that have toured all of Europe to raise awareness about road safety. The aim of the campaign has been to contribute to a reduction in the number of people killed or injured in road traffic accidents through spreading important first aid and road safety messages. The teams of drivers have reached out to a large audience, both young and old, and brought the message of road safety in a wide range of settings including schools and town festivals. Sir Nicholas Young commented: “The tragedy is that the first two or three minutes are absolutely vital. If we can get somebody who knows how to save a life to a road accident quickly enough we can save at least half of those [who would otherwise die]. And don’t forget, the person lying on the road might be YOU.... One Life, Keep it.” Full story here, from the Red Cross EU Office __________________________
Chatting with a fellow carpooler, checking voicemail on a cell phone on the way into the office, and grabbing a quick bite to eat can be hazardous to an employee's health ... if done while behind the wheel. That is why AAA Chicago is teaming up with employers across the nation to promote the ninth annual Drive Safely Work Week campaign -- October 3-7. __________________________
The number of drink-driving related deaths [in Britain] increased last year, government figures have revealed. There were 590 alcohol-related road deaths in 2004, up from 580 in 2003, the Department for Transport announced. The department reacted by saying it was "extremely concerned about the increase in drink-drive deaths".... But total casualties - which include injuries as well as deaths - where drinking was involved fell from 18,990 in 2003 to around 17,000 last year. [Government] figures revealed that 3,221 people - whether drivers, passengers or pedestrians - were killed on Britain's roads in 2004 - 8% fewer than the previous year.... The figures suggested that around 12% of all road accident casualties and 21% of those who died in road accidents were pedestrians.... The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said it was "shocked" by the findings. Kevin Clinton, who heads the body, said: "We cannot understand why the government continues to oppose a reduction in the drink-drive limit when the evidence shows it would save lives."... Mr Clinton went on: "Far too many motorists think they can drink and drive without getting caught."... He praised the UK for having "one of the best road safety records in the world", before outlining the reason for successes in recent years. He said: "The key to our success over the last three decades has been publicity and enforcement and we will continue to refine and target these measures to make sure they are as effective as possible."... Full story, from BBC News [SMc]
DSA Comments Based on the above figures, drunk-driving related deaths represent 18.3 per cent of the UK road toll. As for Mr Clinton's understandable frustration at the government's failure to reduce the blood-alcohol limit, and his undoubtedly rhetorical question about why this should be the case, the one-word answer -- as we all know -- is 'votes'. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. __________________________
"Twenty-five years ago, drunk driving was the last socially acceptable form of murder in America," says Glynn Birch, MADD's first male president. "And those pioneers of MADD set out to change that." The advocacy group celebrated 25 years on Thursday with a rally on Capitol Hill, claiming to have helped save 300,000 lives. It said it aims to keep cutting the number of drunken driving deaths and will form stronger alliances with law enforcement and push for higher seat belt use. Still, the organization says it's fighting a feeling among Americans that the issue is no longer so important. "The nation has become complacent," said Birch, who became involved with the group in 1988 when his 21-month old son was killed by a drunken driver.... In 1982, more than 26,000 people were killed in drunken driving crashes, and alcohol played a role in about 60 percent of all highway fatalities. Drunken driving was punishable with fines and sometimes shrugged off by the legal system.... By 2004, the most recent data available, the number of drunken driving deaths had dropped to nearly 17,000 a year and alcohol factored into about 40 percent of all deadly crashes. The organization notes that the number of drunken driving deaths has made little downward movement in recent years. About 45 people are killed and nearly 700 are injured daily because of drunken drivers.... Full story, from The Washington Post [SMc] __________________________
The rising number of traffic fatalities on Grand Bahama streets in recent months prompted police officials and religious leaders throughout Grand Bahama to hold a forum yesterday designed to find a way to put a stop to the tragic accidents.... Chief Inspector Rahming said there have been 877 car accidents so far this year and of that number 368 resulted in serious injuries and 18 deaths.... Members of the panel offered numerous suggestion on how to begin to rectify these problems. Rev. Raymond Pinder said more police visibility is needed on the streets, noting that if people see the police cars they will automatically slow down out of fear of being written up.... In closing, Chief Inspector Rahming strongly advised motorists to obey speed limits and to slow down in areas where school age children are likely to be walking, especially the hours before 9:00 a.m. and after 3:00 p.m.".... Full story, from The Freeport News [SMc] __________________________
At least 42 people were killed and 40 injured when the passenger bus carrying them fell into a deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, police said. The bus, on its way from Gool to Anantnag in south Kashmir, skidded off a mountainous road and rolled into a gorge near Dharmkund, about 165 km north of here, at 6 pm, police said. The bus driver was negotiating a sharp curve when the accident occurred. [Source: The Hindustan Times] __________________________
India accounts for six percent of the world's total road accidents and 10 percent of the world's road deaths, an engineers' association said here, on Wednesday. Though India has less than one percent of the world's vehicle population, the accident record is the worst, said Pradeep Chaturvedi, chairman, safety and quality forum, the Institution of Engineers (India) "In India, around 300,000 road accidents take place every year, resulting in 90,000 deaths. It is really shocking that six percent of the world's total road accidents and 10 percent of the world's road deaths happen in our country," Chaturvedi told a conference on road safety here. "Faulty designs of roads and curves, encroachments on pavements, the poor lighting at night, badly maintained vehicles and the lack of good public transport system are the main reasons for the record levels of road accidents," said Raju Sarkar, a road expert. "The major cause of road accidents in Delhi and other metros is due to poor traffic culture on part of both the road user and road authorities, non-maintenance of installed traffic signals, lack of road markings, the deficiency in geomatrics at intersections," added Chaturvedi. He also said that maximum numbers of all reported fatalities are of vulnerable road users (VRU), which include pedestrians, cyclists and two-wheeler riders. Sarkar warned that the rapid growth in vehicle ownership and construction of high-speed roads might lead to more road accidents and fatalities. Experts also stressed the need of advanced traffic control technologies including Intelligent Transport System (ITS) instead of the present outdated system. [Source: New Kerala] [SMc]
DSA Comments Given that the World Health Organisation and the World Bank put the estimated number of global road deaths at 1.2 million, the 90,000 figure, above, would suggest that road deaths in India actually account for around 7.5 per cent of the global total. With a population 1,080,264,388 (July 2005 est.), the approximate 90,000 annual deaths would give India a per capita death rate of 8.33. When compared to other countries, this may seem like a low per capita rate, but this is a classic case of a country with a huge population and -- relatively speaking -- a low vehicle population in proportion to the number of people. Getting an accurate estimate of the total distance traveled, collectively, by all motor vehicles in India each year would appear to be an impossible goal, so getting a VKmT rate would appear equally impossible, but it would be most interesting to ascertain the total number of motor vehicles in the country and, from that, calculate the number of deaths for every 10,000 vehicles -- another useful measure. Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. __________________________
New South police are working with Victorian police to establish the circumstances surrounding a pedestrian who was hit on the Hume Highway near Pheasants Nest. Senior Constable Sue Thompson from police media says the driver of a landrover contacted police on Monday night to say he thought he had hit a woman standing naked in the middle of the highway during heavy rain. "He told police he went back to what he thought was the impact sight and he saw a man and a woman in a white car driving southbound," she said. "Police contacted hospitals throughout Sydney and the surrounding area but there were no admissions matching the scenario. "At about 3:00am Victorian police stopped a red Suzuki sedan at Glenrowan, police noticed a woman in the front seat who appeared to be injured.
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