|
|||||||||
|
All contents copyright ©, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc., 2003 onwards, unless specified otherwise. All rights reserved. IMPORTANT: click here to read the DISCLAIMER
|
|||||||||
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.
If you or your organization have safety-oriented driving news for publication, click here to contact us.
Fair use notice of copyrighted material: This site contains some copyrighted material that in some cases has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance the understanding of road safety, both at a global level and by individual people such as drivers and the parents of young drivers. By doing this, we hope to help save lives. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Drive and Stay Alive, Inc., is a section 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, based in New York State, U.S.A.
|
|||||||||
Angie Ward, program manager for the Washington Traffic Safety
Commission, hands an envelope containing five dollars to Eisenhower
High School sophomore Mitchell Bex after he completed a safety survey
Wednesday. The commission collected data from about 100 teens at the
school. Christian
Gonzales says he always wears his seat belt when he drives — mostly
because he doesn't want a ticket, which would cost $101. But after
taking a survey and watching three public service announcements about
seat belt use Wednesday, he now has other reasons.... Full
story, from Yakima
Herald-Republic [SMc] __________________________
Hungary’s driving culture – if that is what you can call it
– is not user-friendly. Some 1,200 people die on the roads here each
year.
Compared to the UK, with 3,500 road deaths per year, at first
sight this might not seem so bad. Except that the UK has six times the
population, and is far more dependent on road transport than
Hungary....
As one British police driving-instructor put it last year to
the Budapest Sun, the English language weekly; “I would say that
Hungarian drivers are the most aggressive I've ever seen.”
For Magyar driving culture appears dominated by men whose
macho-based self-esteem can only be fulfilled by roaring off from
traffic lights, swerving in and out of lanes and braking at the very
last moment. Unable to bear the sight of a car in front of them, they
win bonus points in their deluded self-rankings if they do all this
holding a mobile to their ears.
Deaths, of course, are only the most obviously tragic part of
the problem.... Full
story, from HVG
[SMc] __________________________
Young drivers were given a
hard-hitting presentation by the people who are first on the scene
after a car crash.
Traffic police, paramedics
and the fire service teamed up to talk to sixth-formers at Colbayns
High School, Clacton, and urge them to drive safely.
The Ripple Effect
presentation described the effects of a serious road crash.
The teenagers were taken
through the process from the collision to the extraction of
casualties, family liaison officers informing families of deaths to
the jail terms imposed on drivers at fault.
The same presentation is
being held at Colchester Institute, Clacton, on Monday. [Source: This is Essex] [SMc] __________________________
Harrison County Sheriff's deputies
pulled over dozens of teenage drivers at D'Iberville High Wednesday
morning.
Most received tickets, but not the
kind you're thinking. It's part of an ongoing campaign to convince
students to buckle-up.
"Good morning," said school
resource officer Rena Wiggins, as student drivers converged on the
parking lot.
With so many teen traffic deaths
recently, Harrison County deputies are promoting seat belt safety.
"Good morning. I noticed this
morning you're wearing your seat belt. Is that a habit you've gotten
into? That's a great habit to be in," said Deputy Wiggins, to a
somewhat embarrassed teen behind the wheel of a truck.
"That's a courtesy citation for
wearing your belt. You take that by the office after first period and
they'll give you a gift certificate to Chili's," she
explained.... Full story, from WLOX [SMc] __________________________
More than a third of 16 to 19-year-olds have been a passenger
in a car driven by a young unlicensed motorist, a survey by a safety
campaign suggests.
The FedEx and Brake Road Safety Academy said its finding was
"startling wake-up call to parents and young people".
Someone who has not passed their driving test would also be
uninsured.
Department for Transport estimates show that unlicensed male
motorists aged 17-29 may be up to 11.6 times more likely to be crash
than other drivers.
The DfT research from 2003 also indicated they were up to 3.9
times more likely to be involved in a crash than licensed drivers of
the same age group.... Full
story, from BBC News
[SMc] __________________________
The new transport secretary is set to commit the country to a
policy of road charging and speed cameras as he outlines his plans to
improve Britain's roads.
Douglas Alexander claims he intends to take the debate on road
pricing forward, from 'why' to 'how'.
Road pricing as a means of reducing congestion on the busiest
roads is a controversial proposal, with many motorists claiming that
they have no choice but to travel on those roads at busy times.... Full
story, from Monsters
and Critics [SMc] __________________________
A joy ride ends in a crash Sunday
night after a motorcyclist lost control and severed his leg after
hitting a trash truck. INDOT is trying to prvent these collisions by
participating in "Motorcycle Safety Awareness" month. INDOT
rider safety tips include: Motrocyclists stay 2-4 seconds behind the
vehicle in front of them and wear protective clothing. INDOT driver
safety tips include: Following 2 seconds behind motorcyclists and
watch for riders that can easily be hidden in traffic. INDOT says many
accidents happen simply because drivers say they didn't see the
motorcycle on the road. Bill Hein, Victroy Motorcycles general manager
warns motorcyclists "pretend in your mind assume no one else sees
you and always drive as defensively as possible because the last thing
you want to do is assume they see you and find out at the last second
that they don't.
Motocycle accidents make up 5 percent
of highway deaths each year and they only represent 2 percent of
vehicles on the road. [Source:
WTHI]
[SMc] __________________________
A tragic head-on collision that claimed the lives of four young
women last week should act as a catalyst to improve public transport
between Hobart and Launceston, a university student group said
yesterday.
The four killed in the fiery smash on the Midland Highway last
Wednesday were all university students.
The Tasmania University Union called yesterday for better
services for students who travel between the north and south of the
state.... Full
story, from The
Mercury
[SMc] __________________________
... The authors of the review, from The George Institute for
International Health in Sydney, the University of Auckland, New
Zealand and the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico, believe
that while motorisation has enhanced the lives of many individuals and
societies, the benefits have come with a high price, highlighting a
critical need to address road traffic injuries as a public health
priority.
Professor Robyn Norton, of The George Institute for
International Health, University of Sydney, reported that: “Although
the number of lives lost in road crashes in high-income countries has
decreased in recent decades, for the majority of the world’s
population the burden of road traffic injury is increasing
dramatically in terms of societal and economic costs.”...
The authors also emphasise the importance of establishing
surveillance systems that will monitor patterns of injuries and
impacts of preventive strategies. Such surveillance systems must
capture not only deaths but also non-fatal outcomes, given the
potentially catastrophic impacts of non-fatal injuries on families and
communities who must care for these individuals.
“A continuing global commitment to address the growing
problem of road traffic injuries is required,” said Norton. “This
must recognise the disparities in the experience of road injury based
on income and social context, between and within countries.” Full
story, from Innovations-Report
[SMc] __________________________
Drivers who tailgate, cut in
and out of traffic and speed excessively on highways are responsible
for a growing number of car fatalities in California, traffic safety
officials say.
From 2002 to 2004,
aggressive driving and speeding contributed to 31 percent of the
average annual number of people killed or hurt in a car crash,
according to the California Department of Transportation.
In fact, deaths or injuries
resulting from aggressive driving outpaced deaths or injuries
resulting from accidents in which the drivers were under the influence
or very young and inexperienced. Driving under the influence
contributed to 11 percent of the deaths and injuries during that
period, while teen drivers logged 26 percent, the statistics show.
Aggressive drivers are
reckless and threatening to other motorists, officials said.
Drivers like Wayne Martinez
admits he gets hostile on the road when he becomes frustrated by
slow-moving traffic jams. "When it comes to lanes merging, I'll
make sure I pass slow people," said Martinez, who says he drives
about 80 mph commuting from Tracy to Milpitas three times a week,
where the speed limit is 65 mph. "A lot of the time, I am running
late."... Full
story, from Stockton Record
[SMc] __________________________
Ignorance, cops-owners nexus bar justice
It was a big bang, but of the entirely opposite kind, which
blotted out a family microcosmos from existence in the twinkling of an
eye.
Last year, a speeding bus crashed headlong into Abdul Kader's
car, killing his daughter, son, son's wife, and the driver on the
spot, sparing a badly maimed Kader to mourn the dead....
According to government statistics, on an average, road
accidents claim more than 10 lives a day. The official figure of
deaths in such accidents a year is about 4,000, while many more are
injured. Road accidents also cause an annual loss of over Tk 5,000
crore to the economy.... Full
story, from The Daily Star
[SMc] __________________________
Leaders of the Greenwich Safe Rides program cheered the passage
of a state bill to exempt their teenage drivers from a recently
enacted ban on teens under 18 driving after midnight.
Since the original law passed in October, Safe Rides often had
to shut down at midnight for lack of 18-year-old drivers.
The 25-year-old anti-drunk-driving program sponsored by the
Greenwich Chapter of the American Red Cross provides free,
confidential rides home for teens on Friday and Saturday nights
between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Teenagers drive the cars, but there is
always an adult at the Red Cross chapter house in case of an
emergency.
The late-night driving ban included some exceptions -- teens
traveling for employment, school or religious activities, medical
emergencies, and for teens who volunteer for fire departments, or
ambulance services -- but not for Safe Rides.
"It was just a complete omission . . . as soon as the bill
passed (Greenwich Chapter of the American Red Cross Executive
Director) Brook Urban called up and said, 'Help. We've got to do
something about this,' " said Rep. Lile Gibbons, R-150th
District.
Legislators have said the mistake had nothing to do with
criticism from anti-drinking organizations such as the Connecticut
Coalition to Stop Underage Drinking and Mothers Against Drunk
Driving.... Full
story, from Greenwich Time
[SMc] __________________________
New research showing that the death rate for young drivers in
England and Wales has doubled despite a noticeable decrease in the
number of young people taking their driving tests has prompted calls
for new measures to control young drivers....
The research has prompted the AA to suggest that harsher
measures should be introduced to control young drivers. However some
believe that any new laws would be somewhat ineffective as they would
be difficult police (cameras cannot detect the age of the driver for
example). Further suggestions include young drivers being forced to
sign a code under which they agree to a curfew preventing them from
driving between midnight and 5am, and limits on the number of
passengers they can carry until they have had at least two years’
road experience. Andrew Howard, the AA’s Head of Road Safety, claims
that breaches of the code would be taken into account if a motoring
offence was committed.
Full
story, from The
Wessex Scene __________________________
A major review published today in The Lancet has revealed the
enormous burden of road traffic injuries in countries that can least
afford to meet the health and economic costs.
The authors of the review, from the University of Auckland, the
George Institute for International Health in Sydney and the National
Institute of Public Health in Mexico, believe that while motorisation
has enhanced the lives of many individuals and societies, the benefits
have come with a high price, highlighting a critical need to address
road traffic injuries as a public health priority.... Full story, from Scoop.co.nz [SMc] __________________________
Young, inexperienced drivers are much more likely to be involved
in fatal car crashes during the deadliest four months of year, May
through August, according to Michael Geeser, AAA Nevada spokesman.
Statewide, the number of fatalities involving a teen driver
increased 60 percent from 1999 to 2003. More than half of the 187 people
killed in those accidents were passengers.
Underage drinking, often accompanying proms and graduations,
fatigue caused by driving longer distances during vacations and
overconfidence and speeding due to dry and clear roadways are some of
the reasons the number of fatal crashes among teens go up during the
summer months....
AAA recently held an anti-drunk driving slogan contest. The
winning slogan was, "There's a reason another word for drunk is
smashed." T-Shirts and pens featuring the slogan are available to
high schools by request in limited quantities. Full story, from Pahrump Valley Times [SMc] __________________________
Five people were killed and more than a dozen injured in a
traffic accident near Pretoria, South Africa, on Tuesday.
Emergency management services spokesman Johan Pieterse from
Tshwane, a city near Pretoria, said the head-on collision between a
minibus taxi and a car occurred at 1:30 p.M. local time near the
Trichardt offramp on the N14 highway southbound near Pretoria....
.... About 18,000 people are killed annually on South Africa`s
roads and the number of deaths per 100,000 people is twice that of the
world average, according to the Medical Research Council of South
Africa. Full
story, from Angola Press
[SMc] __________________________
Teenagers’ “chance ’em” mentality on the highways derives
from a youthful need for speed and risk, ignorance, inexperience and a
succumbing to peer pressure, say two King Kekaulike High School juniors,
champions of a state driver’s education competition held last month on
Oahu.
“Friends in the car, they tell you what to do,” said Kevin
Namahoe Carvalho of Haiku. “You want impress your friends.”
Some youths, like Carvalho and his teammate Solomon Hill-Burke,
understand the dangers of driving, but there are the others.
“Some, they just like chance ’em,” said Carvalho.
“I see a lot of my friends talking about racing cars . . . and
showing off,” said Hill-Burke of Makawao. “I thought about what if
one thing goes wrong, it’s all over . . . A little bit of speeding on
wet roadways, it can end your life.”
It’s this beyond-their-years, mature attitude of driving a
vehicle that led their driver’s ed instructors, Lyle Kajihara and Ron
Pisciotto, to select them for the Operation Driver Excellence
competition at Aloha Stadium sponsored by the state Department of
Education and Tesoro Hawaii.... Full story, from Maui News [SMc] __________________________
An ambitious bid to keep West Yorkshire's roads safe for a day
was hailed a success.
Monday was designated Safer Roads Day in the county by the West
Yorkshire Casualty Reduction Partnership.
There were no deaths and only two serious injuries - both
suffered in the same crash at Glasshoughton in Castleford.
Usually between six and eight people are badly hurt on the
county's roads each day.... Full
story, from ic
Huddersfield [SMc] __________________________
Over the five day holiday
weekend -the 2nd May is a public holiday in Madrid- 56 people lost their
lives in 42 fatal traffic accidents, 16 more than last year. 38 others
were seriously injured, and 26 less seriously so.
This is the fourth long holiday
weekend in a row that has seen year-on-year increases in the number of
fatalities, although this year's Constitution break was four days longer
this year than last, and so the daily average was actually lower.... Full
story, from Think
Spain [SMc] __________________________
By the end of 2007 there will be 600,000 new teenage drivers on
California roads, but the people who teach children to drive said they
won't be ready to get behind the wheel alone unless there are changes in
the way we teach our teens to drive.
Suzy Babb, 17, was an all-American girl. A competitive cheerleader,
she was recently accepted into University of California, Berkeley on a
scholarship. But all of that changed on March 16.
"The first thing I remember was waking up in the hospital and
my mom saying 'Suzy, you've been in an accident,'" Babb said.
Another 17-year-driver, traveling 70 mph in a 25 mph zone, hit
Babb's car head-on. Babb suffered two broken femurs, a shattered kneecap,
a broken jaw, a collapsed lung and numerous lacerations....
A recent youth risk survey found 20 percent of teen drivers rarely
or never use a seat belt.... Full
story, from KCRA 3
[SMc] __________________________
Eleven persons died in an accident along Akure - Owo road on Saturday
evening.
The accident, which occurred at 5.00 p.m., involved a Toyota Hiace
bus and a tipper of an Akure-based quarry company.
Our correspondent reports that the victims were mostly women, who
were returning to Akure from Ogbese market.
The mangled bodies of the victims have been deposited at the Ondo
State Specialist Hospital, Akure.
The Ondo State Sector Commander of FRSC, Malam Ahmed Hassan,
confirmed the accident, and said two passengers in the bus survived.
He said at the weekend in Akure that FRSC officials arrived at the
scene quickly, and rushed the victims to the hospital.
Hassan said the accident was caused by poor visibility because of
heavy rainfall, over- speeding, and dangerous overtaking. [Source:
The Tide]
[SMc] __________________________
The Federal Government incurred losses of RM7.4bil last year in terms
of human resource depletion and claims resulting from 328,268 road accidents
with 6,188 deaths.
The Federal Government Road Safety Department's programme and project
implementation director Nik Yusaimi Yusof said the amount was calculated based
on the World Health Organisa-tion's (WHO) assessment.
“WHO's calculation states that an average of RM1.2mil is exhausted in
terms of insurance claims and other damages every time there is a death due to
road accident,” he said after witnessing the introduction of a safety vest
by VizLife (M) Sdn Bhd in Seremban on Thursday. ... Full
story, from Malaysia Star
[SMc] __________________________
Chairman of the Road Safety Authority Gay Byrne has described as
"terribly depressing" the increase in drink-driving arrests and
continued fatalities on the roads over the May bank holiday weekend.
Commenting on figures released by the Garda last night indicating that
320 motorists were arrested for suspected drink or drug-driving over the
weekend, up nearly 20 on last year, Mr Byrne said it was "disappointing
that people are still taking a chance".... Full
story, from Irish Times
[SMc] __________________________
Many parents have talked to their teens about the dangers of drinking and
driving, a lot. And teachers are reinforcing that lesson in class.
But the Department of Transportation recently released a new survey that
suggests we ought to be talking to our teen drivers about something else -
fatigue....
The walls in this driver's education class are covered with articles
about teens who were killed in car accidents.
Simply getting enough sleep may mean fewer articles on the wall one day. Full
story, from Tampa Bay's 10
[SMc] __________________________
It's an exciting time of year for teenagers.
Summer is rapidly approaching, and youngsters are gearing up for prom,
graduation and other end-of-the-school-year activities.
But while the temperature rises and the days get longer, police turn up the heat
on safe-driving messages and warn that lengthened days could turn into shortened
lives for teen drivers if they aren't careful.
This time of year (teens) are on the road more. Instead of being home at 8 or 9
on a rainy night, theyre out until 12 or 1 in the morning, Fremont police
traffic Sgt. Robert Haffer said.
He warns teens to use common sense. Be smart and be safe.... Full
story, from Tri-Valley Herald
[SMc] ___________________________
During the European Conference of Ministers of Transport Ministers' Dublin meeting, in May, the Road Safety Group will report on progress of the Joint OECD/ECMT Transport Research Centre project for “Achieving Ambitious Road Safety Targets”. ___________________________
From May 2006, children travelling in cars in Britain will be required to use an appropriate child restraint, with few exceptions. The existing “if available” loophole will disappear. In addition, all passengers in minibuses, buses or coaches that have seatbelts fitted will also be required to wear those seatbelts, and operators will be required to notify passengers that seat belts must be used. RoSPA are holding a road safety seminar on this specific topic, in London, on March 31, 2006.
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
May 5, 2006:
May 3, 2006:
May 2, 2006:
May 2, 2006:
and