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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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Eleven and a half thousand people including 462 children died in accidents on Russia's roads in the first half of 2006, 7% fewer than in the same period of 2005, the Interior Ministry said in a statement Monday. Some 110,800 people were injured in road traffic accidents in January-June, of whom around one tenth were children, the ministry said. The head of the Federal Traffic Police, Viktor Kiryanov, said reckless and drunk driving was the main reason for Russia's poor road safety. He said the situation would not improve unless every road user became aware of their personal responsibility. According to Kiryanov, traffic rule violations, including those by intoxicated drivers, were the cause of 9,601 of the total number of road deaths registered in the period. [Source: RIA Novosti] [SMc] __________________________
"Enjoy the freedom of the open road, but do it safely" - that's the message to motorcyclists this summer, as the Highways Agency launches a new DVD safety package aimed at bikers. Called "Great Roads, Great Rides", the new DVD takes riders step by step through everything they need to know to enjoy the best and safest riding on UK roads. It has 14 chapters covering everything from advice on basic maintenance checks and what kit to wear; through to how to read and negotiate the road, how to ride safely with a group, and what to do if you're first on the scene of a crash. The DVD is designed as an essential reference tool to be kept and referred to again and again. Techniques such as aerial photography and bike-mounted cameras, together with running commentary and interviews with experts, guide riders on what to look for and how to find the safest position on the road. Read the full article here and find out how to get your copy of the DVD. [SMc] __________________________
First Deputy Premier, Interior and Defence Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah has instructed the Traffic Department to restore respect for the road, as the death and accident rate have increased lately. Traffic sources told Al-Rai Al-Aam that Sheikh Mubarak has asked for a clearly defined plan to restore law and order on the roads. The Traffic Department has begun taking steps to implement the deputy premier's instructions and orders have been issued to activate articles 207 and 209 of the traffic law, which calls for the imprisonment of traffic violators, revoking licenses and deportations. Sources pointed out that there have been a large number of violations and deaths over the past two months. Traffic authorities have also confiscated 3,800 drivers licences, 1,800 car registrations certificates and impounded 450 cars in addition to jailing offenders and deporting expats.... Full story, from Kuwait Times [SMc] __________________________
More young men are killed in road accidents in Greece, proportionately, than in any of the original 15 European Union states except Portugal, but Greece has fewer suicides, figures showed yesterday. According to Eurostat’s figures for 2001 to 2003, Greece recorded 13.8 deaths of men under 20 per 100,000 of the population. Portugal ranked top with 14.2 deaths per 100,000. The EU average is 9.1 deaths per 100,000. The survey also revealed a high proportion of deaths from cancer of the respiratory system among Greek men, with 116 deaths of men aged 45-64 per 100,000. Just 17 deaths per 100,000 were recorded for Greek women. The EU average is 105.7 deaths per 100,000. Greece has the lowest figures for breast cancer fatalities, with 38 deaths for every 100,000 women as compared to an EU average of 48 per 100,000. Greece also has the lowest rate of suicides in the EU, with five men and one woman recorded per 100,000 as compared to EU averages of 20.7 and 4.9. [Source: Kathimerini] [SMc] __________________________
Not all teenagers have the experience needed to hit the road safely after they get their license. But electronic stability controls could save some young lives. About 6,000 teenagers die in car accidents every year. Often they're single-vehicle accidents. Consumer Reports' director of auto testing says a safety feature known as electronic stability control could help prevent many of those accidents and save thousands of young lives. At the Auto Test Track engineers demonstrate the effectiveness of electronic stability control. With it turned on, a car can successfully navigate the emergency-avoidance course. But with it turned off, the driver has much less control. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says stability control is especially valuable in preventing single-vehicle accidents and can "...reduce the risk of involvement in these crashes by more than 50-percent." Stability control -- which carmakers call many different names -- is now optional or standard on more than 150 cars, SUVs, and pickups. You can get a complete list of vehicles with stability control from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Web site, safercar.gov. Another important safety consideration is how well a vehicle performs in crash tests. You can find that information in Consumer Reports' new publication the Best and Worst New Cars of 2006. [Source: KLAS-TV] [SMc] __________________________
Tasmania's Health Minister says the Government will not back down over proposed changes to road accident rescues. Ambulance officers are angry that the Government plans to shift responsibility for urban road accident rescues to the Fire Service. The Health and Community Services Union says talks with public servants have so far failed to break the impasse, and it will be meeting with members over the next few days.... Full story, from ABC Online [SMc] __________________________
Traffic fatalities on the state's six main interstates have climbed 40 percent in the year since the General Assembly voted to increase the speed limit to 70 mph, according to a newspaper analysis. Despite the increase along roads with the higher speed limit, the number of people who died on all Indiana roads decreased slightly, The Indianapolis Star reported Sunday. State police also issued 10 percent more speeding tickets along those 70 mph sections of highway, the analysis found.... Full story, from Princeton Daily Clarion [SMc] __________________________
According to General Traffic Department (DGT) figures, 135 people have died in road accidents since the driving licence points scheme came into operation at the start of July, which represents a fall of 27% compared to the same period last year. 29 people lost their lives in 24 fatal accidents last weekend, five fewer than the third weekend in July last year. 16 others were injured, 13 seriously. The DGT predicts that during the first year of the driving licence points system, which was introduced by the government to try and curb traffic mortality rates, between five to eight thousand drivers will lose their licences. The most serious accident of the weekend occurred early on Saturday morning when a car with Lithuanian registration plates came off the road to Vilanova de la Barca (Lleida), killing three people and leaving one other seriously injured. [Source: Think Spain] [SMc] __________________________
With nearly 6,000 people between the ages of 16 and 20 dying each year and almost 500,000 injured, car accidents are the main killer of young people in this country. Consumer Reports just tested devices parents can buy to encourage safe driving.... They work like the black boxes used in airplanes. But in this case instead of analyzing accidents, they're supposed to prevent them. "If the driver exceeds a pre-set speed limit or accelerates too hard or brakes too hard it sounds an alarm to let them know," said Jim Travers of Consumer Reports. The safety devices also keep a record that can be downloaded to a home computer so parents can review their teen's driving habits.... Full story, from ABC30.com [SMc] __________________________
Accidents among teens in Wisconsin are at the lowest point in a decade. That's according to a recent analysis of state department of transportation figures. In Wisconsin, more than 28,000 drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 were involved in motor vehicle crashes in 2004-- the latest year for which figures are available. That might sound high, but it's the lowest total since at least 1994. Back in 2000, Wisconsin passed a graduated driver's license law. The law restricts teen drivers on when they can get a permit and a probationary driver's license before earning a regular driver's license. [Source: WXOW] [SMc] __________________________
Eleven persons were killed and nine injured, some seriously, when a van plunged into a rain-filled roadside ditch in Nalanda district of Bihar state, today. The mishap occurred near Kosut village under Deepnagar police station of the district when the victims were on way to Rajgir from Biharsharif, PTI report said here quoting police sources. The wounded have been rushed to hospital where some of them were reported to be in critical conditions. [Source: Islamic Republic News Agency] [SMc] __________________________
A zero alcohol limit for young drivers is on the agenda amid signs that teenagers are ignoring drink-driving warnings. Road safety officials will begin a nationwide series of meetings next week about reducing the road toll, with the role of drink-driving in fatal crashes a key concern. The number of fatal crashes involving drink-driving dropped from 281 in 1990 to 103 in 1999, but has remained at a similar level since. Age is a key factor in drink-driving figures – those aged under 29 are more likely to be in an alcohol-related fatal crash than older drivers. Forty of the 101 alcohol-related fatal crashes last year involved drivers aged 15 to 24.... Full story, from Stuff.co.nz [SMc] __________________________
Vehicle Camera Systems Limited will be launching a range of cameras for recording vehicle accidents at the British Motor Show at ExCel. The TruScene Vehicle Accident Camera enables car owners, insurance companies and the police to view accidents to determine liability easily. A compact single-lens camera unit mounted on the inside of the windscreen and powered by the vehicle’s battery and connected via the ignition, the TruScene TS-1L uses GPS to log the exact location of a recorded incident, as well as the time and date. It records journey footage on a 30-second loop, which is constantly replaced as the journey continues. When a predetermined level of g-force is reached – for example, at a point of impact with another vehicle, or obvious loss of control – a sensor is activated and the device commits the latest video image to memory. The driver can also manually record footage at any time. Once recorded, the data is encrypted and digitally watermarked to eliminate tampering and fraud. The film record processing procedure begins when Truscene’s database receives an accident clip. A reference number is issued to the client; this number is then forwarded to the insurance company with their claim request. [Source: Auto Industry] [SMc] __________________________
An American road safety expert has recommended Australian state governments put more restrictions on young drivers. Allan Williams is working with the Queensland University of Technology and will meet road authorities today to promote the plan. He says the risk of a car crash is five times less if young drivers are not allowed to drive at night or with passengers. "It doesn't have to last for very long, the really critical period is the first six months of having a licence," he said. "But if you can control high risk activities during that period, we found that does make a pretty significant difference in reducing crash rates." Dr Williams says lives can be saved if there is a change in attitude from state governments. "I think the evidence that these restrictions do in fact work, they do reduce the problem, is going to make other people consider, is this worthwhile putting in place in my jurisdiction or in my country," he said. [Source: ABC Online] [SMc] __________________________
Full story, from The Baltimore Sun [SW] __________________________
Tazewell County Sheriff Bob Huston said he's alarmed, by what he sometimes finds after teens have gathered to mourn classmates who were killed in car accidents: beer cans. Tazewell County has seen 15 teenagers die in car accidents since March 2005, and he and others want that trend to stop. "We've seen the teens have impromptu wakes at the accident sites, we've seen empty alcohol containers and we've heard people say they are going to 'get wasted' in remembrance," he said. "If burying friends doesn't hit close to home with a dose of reality, we're not sure what will, but we are going to continue to try, and we don't have to do this alone."... Full story, from Bloomington Pantagraph [SMc] __________________________
Full story, from WBOC16 [SW] __________________________
Every year around 13 000 motorists are killed or seriously injured on South Africa roads because of drunk driving – the cost to the economy is around R9 billion a year. However, a chauffeur service, available nationwide is now available to help those who don't want to drive drunk. The cost to their families – eternal. A nationwide organistion has developed to assist those who are partying but don’t want to drive drunk. Good Fellas’ is an organization were carefully screened individuals with clean driver’s licences and good reputations collect individuals from office functions or parties and take them home. For a stipend citizens can become members of the organization, they inform it when they want to be transported and are taken home safely in their own cars. This eliminates the worry of leaving their car behind or having to fetch it the following morning. A number of corporates also make use of the organization and its service. Good Fellas operates in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London. [Source: African News Dimension] [SMc] __________________________
The Irish Government is coming under increasing pressure to overhaul the driving testing system in the wake of the 12 deaths on the roads in the past two days. The carnage brings to 217 the number of people killed in car crashes so far this year. Three young people from County Cork were killed in Portlaoise yesterday when an articulated truck collided with their car. The carnage brings to 217 the number of people killed in car crashes so far this year. Fine Gael`s transport spokesperson Olivia Mitchell said the government must take responsibility to ensure young drivers have been adequately trained. [Source: UTV] [SMc] __________________________
[Source: SofiaEcho] [SW] __________________________
At least 32 people have been killed and 30 injured in a train crash in the north of Bangladesh, officials say. They say that the train collided with a crowded bus at an unmanned railway crossing in the north-western district of Jaipurhat on Tuesday. Police say all the victims were passengers on board the bus. They say that the accident happened at Akkelpur, 220km (130 miles) from Dhaka, in the rush hour. An inquiry into the crash has been ordered. The authorities say that the bus was dragged along for several hundred metres by the train after the collision. They say that rescuers have now removed the wreckage of the bus from the rail tracks. The authorities also say that the railway crossing was unmanned because it was not authorised by the railways. District police chief Abdullah al-Azad Chowdhury told the BBC that at least five of those injured in the accident are in a critical condition. [Source: BBC News] [SMc] __________________________
Full story, from The Chicago Tribune [SW] __________________________
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Foreign lorries are to be the target of an extensive campaign of checks after government inspectors found that they were three times as likely as British trucks to be breaking safety rules. More than 100 inspectors will focus on channel ports and motorways, carrying out random checks as well as pulling over known rogue operators.... Romanian drivers were the worst offenders, with more than 40 per cent driving for too long. Turkish and Irish drivers also had high offending rates. Romanian trucks were also twice as likely as British lorries to have safety defects. Overall, 43 per cent of foreign lorries had mechanical problems with their trailer units, compared with 30 per cent of British lorries.... Full story, from injurywatch [SMc] __________________________
The death and injury toll on our roads is shockingly high. Hardly a week goes by without someone losing their life in a road accident in Oxfordshire, leaving a family distraught. That is why we at the Oxford Mail are fully backing the aims of 365 Alive, the new crusade by Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, to cut the number of casualties on our roads.... Full story, from Oxford Mail [SMc] __________________________
Teenage drivers are putting lives at risk and filming themselves driving at breakneck speeds along an East Lancashire lane, it was revealed today. Police are investigating claims that young drivers are racing up Hollowhead Lane, Wilpshire, Blackburn, so their cars leave the road at the brow, and jump a short distance. Residents today said that youngsters even use their mobile phone cameras to film the stunts, and the practice was slammed today. Now police officers are to increase patrols of the road where the speed limit increases from 30 to 60 mph, near the golf course. John Milligan, 42, a financial director, of Hollowhead Lane, said: "It's becoming a joke, someone will have to die before anything happens on this road.... Full story, from Lancashire Evening Telegraph [SMc] __________________________
A Renault
Megane has hit the crash barrier, leaving a mangled trail of damage...
Meanwhile
traffic police close one lane of the road, while waiting for his car to
be removed. Often a whole road is closed to protect the safety of those working at the scene but even in those situations cars can sometimes drive through endangering the lives of officers... Read the full article, from Evening Star 24 [SW] __________________________
A Road Safety
Week exhibition opens Monday in Thessaloniki, organised by the city's
traffic police, in the framework of its efforts to reduce traffic
accidents, ease traffic conditions and improve the quality of life of
the citizens. [Source: Athens News Agency] [SW] __________________________
At least seven people have died in an accident on the N1 highway in Johannesburg on Saturday, emergency services reported. Spokesperson Malcolm Midgley said the accident occurred between the 14th Avenue and Beyers Naude Drive off-ramps just before 2pm. Johannesburg metro police spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said a Toyota Venture had tried to overtake a truck when its driver lost control and crashed into the median barrier. He said the vehicle overturned and slided for about 20, on the opposite side of the highway. Minnaar said two lanes on each side of the highway would be closed while the bodies were being freed from the wreckage. Motorists were advised to use alternative routes around the area. [Source: Independent Online] [SMc] __________________________
One soon-to-be driver in New Bern thinks program helps produce confidence As Megan Mercer approached the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles office in New Bern, she was looking forward to being able to get behind the wheel of a car. Being able to give her friends rides, however, remains at least a year away. North Carolina is one of several states with a graduated license program that places restrictions on teenage drivers. “I think it helps with your confidence,” said Mercer, 15. “People I know tend to be pretty good drivers.” Graduated license programs may do more than build confidence — they could save lives. A study released Monday by Johns Hopkins School of Public Health shows that laws that establish strict criteria for teenagers seeking drivers’ licenses can reduce fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers by up to 21 percent.... Full story, from New Bern Sun Journal [SMc] __________________________
Learner and provisional drivers who break road rules will no longer automatically get their licence back at the end of the disqualification period - they will have to earn the licence again. Acting Road Safety Minister Paul Holloway said about 40,000 plate drivers would receive letters in the post early next week warning them of the changes. Under new laws, to come into effect on October 31, disqualified P-platers will have to apply for a learner's permit (no theory test required) and pass a practical driving test. A disqualified L-plater, will have to re-pass the learner's theory test and hold that permit for the full nine months.... Full story, from Advertiser Adelaide [SMc] __________________________
Slow down. Pay
attention. Buckle up. __________________________
__________________________
Few drivers who
take over-the-counter medicines appreciate the affect they can have,
says the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). Full story, from easier.com [SW] __________________________
Gov. Phil Bredesen,
the Tennessee Departments of Safety and Transportation, the Governor’s
Highway Safety Office, Tennessee Trucking Association and local law
enforcement agencies across the state on Friday kicked off a campaign to
educate drivers about the newly increased fines for violating the move
over law. __________________________
Some vehicle owners are already buying and installing black box recorders at their own expense. Manufacturers are marketing the devices to parents who want to monitor how their teenage children drive. Alarms can be programmed to sound and record if the devices detect fast acceleration, hard braking or speeds above a set limit. Parents can download the data and print a report. Car crashes are the leading cause of death in young drivers, and B.C. Automobile Association spokesman Trace Acres says the monitoring devices could help save lives.... Full story, from Burnaby Newsleader [SMc] __________________________
Auto dealers and
racecar drivers make a good teen. Teaming up to offer teenagers an
affordable, hands-on crash course in defensive driving, local experts in
driver safety will do their part to reduce the staggering crash rate
among first-time drivers - one teen at a time. From Town Online, Massachusetts.
DSA Comment:
Regrettably, research
from various countries has shown that young drivers who are given skid
training gain nothing from it other than an even more extreme opinion of
their abilities as drivers, and they have more crashes – and more
serious crashes – afterwards than young people who do not do such
training. __________________________
Twelve people, including three children, died and 15 others were injured in a road accident on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Bahubal upazila of the district yesterday. Police and locals said the accident occurred at about 2:30 pm when a Habiganj-bound microbus, carrying a bridal party, collided with a bus in Kamaichhara area, killing 11 people on the spot and injuring16 others.... Full story, from The Daily Star [SMc] __________________________
__________________________
Leonard Ramatlakane,
Western Cape minister of community safety, told City Vision at the
satellite traffic centre on the N2 he was satisfied with the operation. Full article, from CityVision [SW] __________________________
A bus carrying a marriage procession on Thursday met with an accident in Nawalparasi killing four people and injuring 40 others. The ill-fated bus carrying the procession from Danda to Bardaghat overturned at Daunne in the district this morning. "Two people died on the spot, while two others died during treatment in Butwal," police said. Among the injured, 18 are undergoing treatment in Lumbini Zonal Hospital, Butwal, 19 in Bharatpur Hospital, Chitwan and three in Kaligandaki Hospital, Kawasoti. In yet another incident, five people were injured in separate road accidents in Ilam and Biratnagar today. [Source: Kantipur Online] [SMc] __________________________
Police urged motorists to take extra care after last month's death toll on Essex roads equalled an all-time high. Fourteen people were killed in crashes, twice as many as in June last year. Only once before has the number of road deaths for one month reached 14. The number of people killed in road accidents in the county this June was more than 15 per cent of the total number of deaths in 2005, when there were 90 fatalities.... Full story, from This is Essex [SMc] __________________________
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A bus carrying 25 people collided with a truck today in central Kazakhstan, killing 15 and injuring 13 others, said the Emergencies Agency. The accident happened on a highway connecting the capital Astana with Almaty, said Emergencies Agency spokeswoman Natalia Kim. The truck, which carried a driver and two others, caught fire after the accident some 200 km south of Astana, Kim said. One on the truck, 12 bus passenger and the two drivers were killed in the collision, she said. [Source: English.EastDay.com] [SMc] __________________________ |
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July 11, 2006: Irish
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July 7, 2006: Tonga Royal Couple Die in Menlo Park Highway
Accident
July 7, 2006:
July 7, 2006: Contractors in UAE are Asked to Abide by Road
Safety Rules
