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International Road Safety News from November 2006
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November 7, 2006:
Dubai:
'Getting a Licence is Like Buying From a
Supermarket'
Getting a driving a
licence in Dubai has been very easy; it is just like buying something
from a supermarket, said a senior official.
"We are going to change the existing procedure because
we are not satisfied with it," said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the
Board and Executive Director of the RTA.
He said that the training and testing of new drivers
will be separated. While driving schools will train a new driver, the
RTA's team will conduct tests.
"I can't believe that someone can be issued a driving
licence within a week or so but it has happened here," Al Tayer said
while criticising the procedure adopted by driving schools.
Article, from Gulf
News
[SW]
__________________________
November 6, 2006:
Ohio Study
Says 17,000 U.S. Kids Hurt Annually on School Buses
About 17,000 U.S. children
are injured each year while riding school buses, an Ohio hospital-led
research team said in a report calling for renewed consideration of seat
belts or other restraints.
The figure by the Center for Injury Research and Policy
at Columbus Children's Hospital covered all bus-related injuries. The
total number of injuries cited is double the 8,500 estimated last year
by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which
counted only crash-related injuries.
Full Article, from Bloomberg.com
[SW]
__________________________
November 6, 2006 Putting
the Brakes on Crashes
It took a split second to change Donald Geddes's
life for ever. The 17-year-old, from Ullapool had only had his driving
licence for a few months when he took a corner at around 80mph, swerved
across the road and hit the crash barrier on the other side. His van
rolled over twice and eventually landed on its roof, trapping him
inside.
Today Donald will be in
Edinburgh to help launch a campaign by road safety charity Brake to cut
the number of crashes involving young drivers. Road crashes are the
biggest accidental killer of 15 to 24-year-olds and 12 young people are
killed or seriously injured every week in Scotland.
Full Story,
from The Herald
[SW]
__________________________
November 6, 2006:
After-school Hours Often Deadly
for Teen Drivers
After-school hours rival weekend nights
as the peak hours for fatal crashes involving teenage drivers, according
to a new study by AAA.
The travel club analyzed federal crash data involving 16- and
17-year-old drivers from 2002-05. It found that almost as many people
died in such crashes between 3 and 5 p.m. on weekdays as on Friday and
Saturday nights.
"The 10 hours we looked at during the week, compared to
the 10 hours most people focus on, on Friday and Saturday nights, have a
lot of young drivers on the road, coming from school, going to sports
practice, and after-school jobs and activities," said AAA President
Robert Darbelnet. "The roads are busy during that period. Some of that
time overlaps with rush hour. That period of the day may have been a
blind spot."
Story from,
Newsleader.com Missouri
[SW]
__________________________
November 1, 2006:
Speed Cameras Save Lives
Speed cameras save
lives. This was the conclusion of the House of Commons Transport
Committee’s report.
The Committee called for greater use of technology to tackle driving
offences, saying that speed cameras are proven to save lives by acting
as an effective deterrent to drivers breaking the speed limit.
In its report, Roads Policing and Technology: Getting the right balance
the Committee points to evidence which shows that 42% fewer people were
killed or seriously injured in crashes at sites which had fixed speed
cameras. The Committee wants to see more funding made available so that
more sites which meet the existing camera guidelines can also be
covered.
[Source:
e-gov monitor]
[SW]
__________________________
November 1, 2006:
Canada Post Reviews Aspects of Rural Mail Delivery
Canada Post is
committed to maintaining quality rural mail delivery. Wherever possible
delivery to rural mailboxes will continue.
Hundreds of safety concerns have been raised with
respect to mail delivery to rural mailboxes. Federal health and safety
officials and other experts have repeatedly confirmed that safety issues
are real. Canada Post is legally obligated under the Canada Labour Code
and the Criminal Code to protect the safety of its employees.
Population growth and increased traffic are making
delivery of mail to many rural mailboxes potentially hazardous for
Canada Post mail carriers and other drivers. In light of changing
workplace safety standards, Canada Post has taken steps to increase the
visibility of vehicles driven by its rural and suburban mail carriers,
equipping each with rooftop signs and flashing amber lights. But
enhanced visibility alone does not address all situations where Canada
Post employees, customers and the motoring public are at risk.
Full story, from Caledon
Citizen
[SW]
__________________________
November 1, 2006:
Strict Rules Aim to Lower Road Deaths
...
Safe drivers will be rewarded for their courtesy and driving skills
starting next week.
The five-day
Caltex RoadStar Contest, Dubai's biggest road safety campaign organised
by the Emirates Motor Sports Federation (EMSF) in association with Dubai
Police will reward safe drivers from November 5 until November 9.
Drivers who
observe basic principles of good driving such as wearing seatbelts,
using child safety seats, using indicators and hands-free mobile phone
sets, observe lane discipline and display courtesy in addition to
adhering to speed limits will be observed.
Together with
Dubai police and with support from local media partners, Radio 2 and
Gulf News, the official newspaper, Bridgestone, Jabra , Lexus and Al
Futtaim Motors, the Caltex RoadStar team will patrol the streets of
Dubai during morning and evening rush hours to spot safe drivers.
Safe drivers will
be rewarded with Dh750 each in addition to other prizes. Winners will
also receive a certificate endorsed by Dubai Police.
Full story, from Gulf News
[SMc]
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