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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
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On Monday, a new law will go into effect that limits when — and with
whom — a teenage motorist can drive legally.
Safety advocates say the law, one of two new measures that affect teenage
drivers, will help teens gain needed driving experience. Parents say they
generally support the measure.
The law forbids a new driver until age 17 from being on the road between
midnight and 5 a.m. Exemptions are given for agricultural work, traveling home
from a school activity or if an adult is in the car. It also prohibits teen
drivers from having friends in the car for six months, unless a licensed adult
is with them.... [Source: Deseret
News] [SMc] __________________________
Road safety education campaigns need
to be targeted at young people rather than adopting a
"one-size-fits-all" campaign for speeding and other risky
behaviour, says the RAA.
Research by the motoring body clearly
shows speeding and risky behaviour is commonplace among young drivers,
particularly males.
Young drivers say they are aware of
the risks, but the RAA says it needs to be investigated to see if
young people aren't "grossly underestimating" the impact and
consequences of such driving.
"It is very, very clear that
speeding is commonplace behaviour," said RAA Traffic and Safety
manager Chris Thomson.... Full story, from Advertiser Adelaide [SMc] __________________________
Even when they make it to the emergency room alive, car crash victims
who weren't wearing seatbelts are far more likely than belt users to
die, study findings show.
Researchers found that among nearly 24,000 car accident patients who
were brought to the ER, those who weren't wearing a seatbelt during
the crash were three times more likely to die in the hospital.
In fact, unbelted crash victims accounted for more than two-thirds of
patients who died in the ER, according to Shane Allen and colleagues
at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
In addition, the researchers found, unbelted drivers and passengers
were nearly three times more likely than belt users to require
admission to the hospital for further treatment. Only 20 percent of
unbelted patients could be successfully treated in the ER alone.... Full
story, from Reuters UK
[SMc] __________________________
Steve Howe, the relief pitcher whose promising career was derailed by
cocaine and alcohol abuse, died Friday when his pickup truck rolled
over in Coachella, Calif. He was 48.
Howe was killed at 8:55 a.m. ET about 210 kilometres east of Los
Angeles, said Dalyn Backes of the Riverside County coroner's office.
He had been in Arizona on business and was driving back to the family
home in Valencia, Calif., business partner Judy Welp said.
Toxicology tests had not yet been performed.... Full
story, from TSN
[SMc] __________________________
While new vehicles continue to sprout ever-increasing numbers of
safety features, traffic fatalities still hit a 15-year high in 2005,
notching 43,200 fatalities according to a recent release by the
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). This
represents an increase of 1.2 percent over 2004, while miles traveled
only increased by 0.03% to a jaw-dropping 2.964 trillion. The
projected death rate is still only 1.46 per 100 million miles
traveled, which is only a slight increase from the record low of 1.44
in 2004 (which suggests that most means that motorists should spend
less time worrying about automotive safety and put more effort into
improving their health).
Deaths in passenger cars fell by approximately 2 percent, while SUVs
and light trucks saw a 4 percent increase in body count. The
motorcycle death toll jumped by 7.7 percent last year and has now
doubled in less than a decade. Tellingly, two-wheelers now account for
nearly 10 percent of all traffic deaths.
Seatbelts are now used by over 80 percent of drivers, but fully 55
percent of those who died in a car crash were not using one. [Source:
Autoblog] __________________________
The last couple of years haven't been very safe for motorcycle riders
in New Hampshire, so with bikes already out of winter storage and even
more expected on the road this summer because of high gasoline prices,
safety officials want to kickstart the season on the right foot.
They plan to use a festive atmosphere at a rally and reception at the
Statehouse on Saturday to help reverse a sobering trend of rising
motorcycle deaths by promoting driver training and awareness.
In 2003, nine motorcyclists died on New Hampshire roads. The deaths
increased to 27 in 2004, and last year, even with a focus on
motorcycle safety, 42 died.
"The results don't look like we did a very good job last
year," said state Highway Safety Coordinator Peter Thomson.
"But who knows what it might have been if we didn't do
anything."... Full
story, from Boston Globe
[SMc] __________________________
A message on a driver's cellphone has
been blamed for an accident which left a 76-year-old woman with
punctured lungs and a smashed pelvis on a pedestrian crossing after
his van skidded into her.....
Riddiford, 18, was convicted by Judge Tom
Broadmore of careless driving causing injury and fined $1000 and
disqualified for six months. Half the fine was to be paid to the
victim.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Garry Wilson said
that about 8am on Sunday, January 15, this year, Riddiford was driving
north on Chapel Street in his Mitsubishi van. As he approached the
pedestrian crossing at the intersection Chapel and Jackson streets,
his cellphone beeped on the passenger's seat.
He said the defendant looked over at the
phone and when he looked back at the road, he saw an elderly woman on
the crossing... Full
story, from New Zealand
Herald
[SMc] __________________________
The number of persons killed in motor vehicle accidents jumped to 102
on the weekend, 13 fewer than for the same period last year. The
latest victim was a 29-year-old Christian, Kevin Earl Gooden. Mr.
Gooden was driving home from church on Sunday afternoon when he died
in a collision with a Toyota Hiace minibus.
According to police reports, Mr. Gooden was driving a white Suzuki
Swift motor car when, on reaching a section of Hope Road, St. Andrew,
he attempted to make a right turn and collided with the bus.... Full story, from Jamaica Gleaner [SMc] __________________________
The Spanish Traffic Department, the
Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), tried to make the Spaniards sit
up and take notice with their recent television campaign predicting
around a hundred road deaths during the Holy Week holidays. Drivers
have simply proved them right. This year’s total of 108 deaths,
three more than the previous year, not only interrupts a downward
trend but has also prompted motorists associations to attack the
DGT’s campaigns, claiming they are inefficient and of dubious taste.
Nevertheless in general terms road deaths in Spain have fallen by 22
per cent since 1986 if we take into account the number of kilometres
covered every year by Spanish drivers.... Full story, from SUR [SMc] _________________________
Gingerly walking from the critical care unit of Children's
Hospital on crutches he thankfully doesn't need, Eric Drobotij
pondered the consequences of speeding.
"This is making me think about being more cautious while
I'm driving," Drobotij, 20, of Mt. Lebanon, said.
That is precisely the goal of the Reality Education for Drivers
program, which allows young drivers to clear their records by taking
part in half a day of reflection on their actions.
Drobotij attended the program with nine other young traffic law
violators on a recent Saturday morning. Cited for speeding on Gilkeson
Road in Mt. Lebanon last year, Drobotij was assigned to use crutches
for the day to underscore what can happen to careless drivers and
their innocent victims.
The program is for young drivers -- mostly 16- to 19-year-olds
-- who have been cited for the first time for such offenses as
speeding, running stop signs and reckless driving.... Full
story, from Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review [SMc] __________________________
Although drink-driving has been the scourge of police,
motorists and pedestrians alike for many years - it seems there is a
very worrying increase in another risky practice - drug-driving.
It has been around for years but it seems that it´s becoming
more and more common amongst young drivers.
A survey carried out by the RAC Foundation and Max Power
Magazine has returned some shocking results. According to the survey,
in which 474 readers were questioned, 1 in 5 (20%) of young motorists
admitted that they take to the road every day while high on illegal
drugs.... Full
story, from MotorTorque
[SMc] __________________________
Last year is the first in almost two decades to show an
increase in the number of highway deaths.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 43,200
people died on the road in 2005.
According to the preliminary report that's up nearly 600 from
the previous year.
The fatality rate also edged up slightly to almost one and
a-half deaths per 100 million miles traveled.
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta says the national
tragedy is preventable.
He's calling for more use of seatbelts and motorcycle helmets.
Mineta criticized those who drive impaired.
The head of a Washington group called the Partnership for Safe
Driving says too many truck and bus drivers "are falling asleep
at the wheel” and she says cell phone use is a problem. [Source:
KWTX]
[SMc] __________________________
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is considering employing
foreign spokespeople to explain in different languages the importance
of road safety to immigrants in Ireland. The move follows a big
increase in the number of road accidents involving immigrants.
Of the 128 people who have died on Irish roads since the start
of the year, almost a quarter were immigrants living and working in
Ireland.
Noel Brett, the RSA’s chief executive, will this week meet
employers and unions to discuss the most effective way of educating
immigrants about road safety.... Full
story, Sunday Business Post
[SMc] __________________________
April 22, 2006: Death Toll Climbs to 15 in Tibet's Road Accident
Salvagers have retrieved two more dead bodies from a river in
southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, bringing the death toll in
Friday's road accident to 15, the local rescue headquarters confirmed
Saturday.
Rescuers said among the dead were 10 men, four women and a
one-year-old girl.
A bus carrying 24 people veered off a highway linking Tibet's
regional capital Lhasa with the Gonggar Airport at 10:00 am Friday and
plunged into the Lhasa River.
By Saturday, nine people have survived, including the driver.
The bus is owned by a private passenger transport company in
Tibet.
Investigation is going on, but the local traffic police said
the accident was probably caused by a mechanical failure. [Source:
China View] __________________________
2005 saw 43,200 vehicular deaths, the most since '90;
fatalities are up this year, too.
Despite auto safety advances, more Americans were killed in
traffic accidents in 2005 than in any year since 1990, the U.S.
government reported Thursday.
Last year, 43,200 people were killed in accidents, up 1.3
percent over the 42,636 killed in 2004 -- the highest number since
1990, when 44,559 people were killed. At the same time, the death rate
per mile traveled has dropped, as more vehicles are on the roads and
people are driving more. This year's increase in the death rate in
accidents follows two straight years of declines.... Full story, from DetNews.com [SMc] __________________________
April 21, 2006: Highway
Patrol: Underage Drinking & Driving More Common than Most Realize
We now know the 18 year old Roosevelt senior killed in a
rollover accident last Saturday was driving under the influence.
Highway patrol reports Amanda Boll's blood alcohol level was at
point one seven three at the time of the crash. While it wasn't legal
for her to drink at all, that's more than twice the legal limit for
those of drinking age. Officials are still investigating what happened
before the accident....
At this point, no charges have been filed in the case, but
officials say cases of underage drinking and driving are becoming all
too common.
In a matter of seconds, 18-year-old Boll lost her life after
losing control of her car on a stretch of gravel road near Lennox and
now authorities investigating the accident have determined alcohol was
the cause.... Full
story, from KELOLAND
TV __________________________
April 21, 2006:
Don't Drive Distracted - Study Links Inattention to
Accidents
Cameras and sensors installed in 100
cars tracked 241 drivers' behavior over about 2 million miles of
travel around Virginia and Washington, D.C., for 12 to 13 months.
Drivers ranged in age from 18 to 73. (Virginia Tech Transportation
Institute) Traffic
deaths on American roads climb
For the first time in 19 years, the
rate of fatal accidents on American roads increased as deaths in
motorcycles and light trucks rose, federal safety officials said
Thursday.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic
Safety Agency said 43,200 people died on the road in 2005, up from
42,636 in 2004. The fatality rate rose to 1.46 deaths per 100 million
miles traveled, an increase from the record low of 1.44 in 2004 and
the first such increase since 1986....
Researchers outfitted 100 vehicles
with cameras and sensors, then tracked 109 primary drivers and 241
total drivers around Virginia and Washington, D.C., for 12 to 13
months. Researchers used only six kinds of vehicles -- Chevrolet
Malibus and Cavaliers, Toyota Camrys and Corollas, and the Ford Taurus
and Explorer -- to minimize installation costs. Drivers ranged in age
from 18 to 73 years; 60% were men, 40% women. The data came from 2
million miles of driving during more than 42,300 hours.... [Source: Detroit Free Press] [SMc} __________________________
An insurance company is holding a three-month trial run for
parents of drivers at a Wisconsin high school by installing cameras in
the cars for free.
American Family Insurance is offering to install dual-direction
cameras to rearview mirrors of drivers at Edgewood High School in
Madison, Wis.
It will be triggered when the car swerves or stops suddenly,
recording the 10 seconds before and after and e-mailing it to the
driver`s parents, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
The trial will start May 19 and will last three months,
although customers of American Family Insurance will get an additional
six months.
J.T. Roach, a senior at Edgewood, said knowing his parents will
see any poor driving, let alone police, will make him a more cautious
driver.
A similar experiment at a Minnesota high school found 70
percent triggered the camera at least once. [Source:
Monsters and __________________________
April 20, 2006:
Drunk Driving Deaths on the Rise
MADD Calls Increase in Drunk Driving Fatalities Alarming; Urges the
Country to Support High Visibility Enforcement
Statement for attribution to Glynn R. Birch, National President,
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD):
Today the country received distressing news with the release of new
government statistics showing an increase in alcohol-related traffic deaths
in 2005.
According to the preliminary Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)
data released earlier today by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA), the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities
increased 1.7 percent from 16,694 in 2004 to 16,972 in 2005 -- the first
increase since 2002.
It is painfully clear that our country's complacency about drunk
driving is taking its toll in the loss of precious lives. Drunk driving is a
100% preventable crime. High visibility enforcement such as checkpoint and
roving patrols are perhaps the single best way to bring these numbers
down.... Full story, from Yahoo! News (press release) [SMc} __________________________
The European Union is to undertake a public consultation process into
road deaths.
The transport commissioner says there needs to be greater
co-operation between police and authorities throughout the EU to address
legal issues.
The Irish death toll from road accidents continues to climb, with the
worst Easter figures recorded for six years.
Among the 14 dead on both sides of the border were four
non-nationals, who died in a crash in Cork on Friday.
Independent MEP Marian Harkin says there must be legal agreements on
road safety issues across member states. [Source: UTV] [SMc} __________________________
The final tally for the number of deaths on Spain’s roads over the
Easter break this year was 108. The number is three more than last year.
In addition 60 people were seriously injured according to the numbers
from the D.G.T. traffic authority. The number is from 3pm on Friday before
Holy Week to midnight last night.
The most serious accident was on Sunday afternoon when a coach
carrying boy scouts overturned on the A-66 road in Asturias killing two
children and two adults. However six of those injured in the accident are
still in a serious condition in hospital and a seven year old girl remains
critical this morning. The cause of that accident remains unclear as the
Civil Guard say the bus was travelling at the correct 100kms/hour and the
driver tested negative for alcohol. [Source: Typically Spanish] [SMc} __________________________
Bridgestone Firestone will give winners of essay contest more than
$20,000 in prizes in exchange for ideas on how to improve driver safety
education
Sharing their unfiltered opinions can sometimes get teens in trouble,
but now it can help them pay for college. Starting this week, teens from
around the country can log on to www.SafetyScholars.com
and submit essays on various driver safety issues for an opportunity to earn
$2,500 college scholarships, new laptops, sets of Bridgestone Firestone
tires and $500 gas cards.... Full storm, from Woman Motorist [SMc} __________________________
A Bendigo motorist has been clocked at 184 kilometres an hour on
the Calder Highway, sparking fresh calls for drivers to slow down over the
Easter break.
Bendigo Traffic Management Unit said the 24-year-old male driver
was clocked at 184 kmh in a 100 kmh zone on the Calder Highway, in
Ravenswood on Good Friday.
It was the highest speed recorded by Bendigo police on the weekend,
with a further nine drivers recorded at excessive speeds.... Full
story, from Bendigo
Advertiser [SMc] __________________________
A bus carrying Mexican tourists plunged off a 650ft cliff today,
killing at least 60 people in a crash police said could have been caused
by brake failure on the steep mountainous roads.
Three people were injured in the crash that came as the bus
travelled from the western city of Guadalajara to the Gulf coast state of
Tabasco following Easter week. The number of dead could rise.... Full
story, from Ireland Online
[SMc] __________________________
Police warned motorists to slow down and drive carefully after six
deaths on Scotland's roads in four days.
The plea comes after the spate of fatal accidents over the Easter
holidays and Easter weekend.
In the most recent, a 21-year-old man died when his motorbike
collided with a car on the A96 between Keith and Huntly in Aberdeenshire
on Sunday. [Source: ic Scotland] [SMc] __________________________
Move on heels of Winnebago road workers' deaths
Less than a month after two Winnebago County highway worked died
when hit by a truck while doing road repairs, the state is erecting signs
aimed at protecting highway workers.
Yellow and white signs warning out-of-state motorists of
Wisconsin's "move over" law will be erected at main entry points
to the state at Kenosha, Genoa City, Beloit, La Crosse, Superior, Hudson
and U.S. 51 near Kieler, which is about seven miles from the
Iowa/Wisconsin border.
State law requires drivers approaching an emergency vehicle tow
truck or utility or highway construction vehicle stopped on the side of
the road with its warning lights flashing to safely move over one lane or
slow down.... Full story, from Appleton Post Crescent [SMc] __________________________
Some 14 persons were killed and 939 others injured, including 61
suffering serious injuries, in 756 road accident that occurred in the
urban perimeter on April 3 through 9.
Some 25,040 infractions were registered in the same week.
Authorities generally blame road accidents on pedestrians
inadvertence, speed excess and non-respect of road regulations.
During the last ten years, road accidents increased at a yearly
basis of 3%, causing enormous economic losses. They cost the State about
USD 1.2 billion a year, that is 2.5% of the GDP. [Source: African News Dimension] [SMc] __________________________
Young drivers have been put through their paces under an innovative
scheme aimed at cutting road deaths.
Figures show one in five accidents which result in death or serious
injury involve drivers under the age of 20 - despite the fact that they
make up just 2 per cent of driving licence holders.
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service teamed up with Warwickshire
Police and the Institute of Advanced Motorists to launch an initiative
aimed at cutting the accident toll by developing young people's driving
skills and road awareness.
The young motorists who took part in the first course were given
demonstrations in police cars on how to give themselves enough time and
space to react to hazards on the road.
After further instruction they will all be put through the advanced
driving test run by the Institute of Advanced Motorists.... Full story, from ic Coventry [SMc] __________________________
It’s a mind-boggling statistic that should have all North
Okanagan motorists sitting up and taking notice.
Since Jan. 1, there have been seven motor vehicle accident
fatalities in Vernon. It’s highly likely this is one of the worst
periods ever for such deaths.
Behind the statistics are real people, such as the elderly woman
who was crossing Alexis Park Drive on foot or the 24-year-old woman who
died Wednesday while her vehicle turned left on to Highway 97 at Bailey
Road.... Full story, from Vernon Morning Star [SMc] __________________________
Lorries carry more load than sanctioned 16 tonnes
Rampant violation of traffic and Motor Vehicle rules by tipper
lorries in the district has once again come into focus with Wednesday's
accident involving a tipper lorry and two mini-vans near Thonakkal, on
National Highway 47.
Three persons, including a 14-year-old girl, who were travelling in
a mini-vans were killed and over two dozen persons injured when a tipper
lorry rammed the mini-van while taking a sudden right turn reportedly
without giving indicator or signal to enter a petrol pump.... Full story, from The Hindu [SMc] __________________________
The rising number of traumatic injuries and deaths in automobile
accidents is a concern across the Gulf region. The World Health
Organization (WHO) predicts an average global increase in road deaths of
60 percent by 2020. This increase is projected at an astounding 80 percent
for young GCC males. Such a prospect has grave implications for Gulf
economies, health budgets, commerce and tourism. The mounting social costs
will be incalculable.
It is obvious that while government authorities have a central role
to play in improving traffic safety, other entities in society must
shoulder some of the responsibility for reducing the havoc on our roads.
One example of how the private sector can contribute to a reduction in
traffic accident casualties has been demonstrated by the nonprofit company
Al-Mustadaama (Sustainability) LLC. In Oman, Al-Mustadaama has launched a
creative web and film campaign in Arabic and English called, “Salim and
Salimah, Safe and Sound.” The campaign was prompted by the fact that 20
percent of all child deaths in Oman are caused by car accidents.... Full story, from Arab News [SMc] __________________________
At least 12 people were killed and 32 others injured as their bus
fell off a steep in central China's Hunan Province Tuesday, local
government said Wednesday.
The accident happened at about 7:50 a.m. Tuesday when a passenger
bus suddenly overturned into a 20-meter-deep ravine in Suining County of
Shaoyang City, which is about 400 km southwest to the provincial capital
of Changsha.
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April 29, 2006:
April 28, 2006: Text Message Blamed for Road Accident in New
Zealand
April 28, 2006:
April
27, 2006:
April 26, 2006:
April 23, 2006:
April 17, 2006:
