Page 16 - road safety

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- AAA Mid-Atlantic officials say recent tests show that rear-view cameras in vehicles are helping to save lives. Backing collisions account for nearly one-quarter of crashes nationwide, however, the cameras can prevent them by allowing a driver to see behind the rear bumper and small objects in the car's blind spot.

According to AAA officials, rear-view cameras improved visibility an average of 46 percent in its recent tests. AAA researchers evaluated 17 vehicles from 11 manufacturers with factory-installed and aftermarket rear-view camera systems. They found increased visibility...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -This weekend, teens put their driving skills to the test at Bridgestone's Teens Drive Smart event.

Crews set up a safety course along Opryland Drive, which featured two defensive driving lots and even a distracted driving course.

"We got to drive BMWs and learned how to maintain control around slick curves at high speeds," teen driver Melissa Bohrman said.

"For the distracted driving course, we drove around in golf carts and attempted to text several words without hitting any cones, it was hard and showed just how dangerous texting while driving can be," she explained....

With the holidays practically upon us, many of us are deciding what to get those special people on our gift lists. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine what to get our friends and family for the holidays, but as long as we are practical, then we should have the ability to come up with the perfect gift idea for all our friends and loved ones. One gift idea that is not only practical, but that can actually save lives is a driver fatigue monitoring system. This is an especially useful gift idea if someone on your gift list works the graveyard shift and must travel quite a distance to get home...

Your son or daughter has been looking forward to this day for years, yet you have a hard time believing it has come. Like it or not, your baby is learning how to drive. To your teenager this signals a sign of fun and a move toward adulthood, but feels to you like a terrifying, daunting idea. You understand the dangers of the road and worry that you won’t be able to protect your child. You find yourself pushing an imaginary brake even as you ride alongside him or her in the passenger seat. Just the idea of driving with your teen again makes you break into a sweat. What can you do? How do you make...

People who suffer from sleep apnoea are seven times more likely to fall asleep while driving, road safety experts have warned.

With 146 people killed on the country's roads this year - one below the death toll in the same period last year - motorists are being cautioned about the impact the condition and tiredness can have on the risk of accidents.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) revealed startling statistics on how lack of sleep can lead to deaths on the roads, with fatigue said to be a factor in one-fifth of all collisions.

Prof Walter McNicholas, director of the pulmonary and sleep disorders...

DETROIT, Mich. — Honda will showcase several of its latest developments in intelligent transportation technology at the 2014 ITS World Congress in Detroit, Sept. 7 through 11. Activities include a first-ever U.S. demonstration of Honda’s automated driving technology with industry-leading capabilities such as automated freeway merging, exiting and lane changing, which will be demonstrated on actual Detroit freeways, as well as a unique vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) “virtual tow” capability for assisting a driver in distress.

Honda also will highlight other latest advancements in “V2X” technologies, including...

As the nation eases marijuana laws, road safety advocates worry that highway rules for driving under the influence of pot are lagging, which could lead to fatal crashes.

Medical marijuana is legal in 23 states and Washington, D.C.; adult recreational use is legal in Washington state and Colorado; marijuana has been decriminalized in 16 states and Washington, D.C..

"I'm very concerned, because I feel that we're painting the plane as we're flying it," says Jake Nelson, director of traffic safety, advocacy and research for AAA. "When we were at this stage of the game with alcohol, starting to...

• How Many People Are Killed Or Injured On The Road Each Year?

On average, 92 U.S. citizens die on the road each day. That’s 2,760 people injured or killed each month and 33,120 each year.

• What Is “ESC” And Does It Save Lives?

ESC stands for Electronic Stability Control. NHTSA estimates that in 2011 - 1,045 lives were saved because of vehicles with ESC (an upward trend from previous years). It is promising to see that ESC, along with other safety features in vehicles, can have a huge impact on advancements in road safety.

• How Can The Amount Of Accidents Among Young Drivers Be Reduced?

Road traffic...

Source: lipsig.com

New research released earlier this week by the AAA showed that rear view back-up cameras found in many new vehicles increased visibility of the rear blind-zone area by an average of 46 percent. Tests conducted by the group indicated that these systems, intended to improve driver awareness of the area immediately behind the vehicle in order to reduce back-over fatalities, can save lives.

“As Halloween approaches, we know that neighborhoods will be filled with small trick-or-treaters that could easily be missed when the driver turns his head to look behind the vehicle,” John Nielsen, AAA’s managing...

Road traffic injuries as a growing public health concern, here's why:
- Around the world, road traffic injuries cause 1.3 million deaths and 20-50 million injuries
each year. Some of these injuries lead to life long disability including brain and spinal
cord injury.
- Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among young people aged 15–29.
- Unless serious action is taken, road traffic deaths are expected to increase by 67% by
2020 and become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030. If this happens, road traffic
crashes will cause an estimated 1.9 million fatalities each year by 2020...

Republished from the Wall St. Journal

By BETSY MCKAY

Sept. 28, 2014

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has a new message for the developing world's metropolises: make your roads safer.

Mr. Bloomberg is expected to announce Monday that his philanthropic organization will spend $125 million during the next five years on programs to reduce traffic deaths and injuries in 10 cities in lowand middle-income countries.

Traffic fatalities are a major cause of preventable death globally—in the top 10 with killers such as heart disease and HIV/AIDS.

The World Health Organization estimates that...

As hard as winter is on us, it’s even harder on our cars. Freezing temperatures, snow and ice can cause all sorts of emergencies, from mechanical failures to car accidents. Being aware of the road safety concerns, as well as how to manage them is key to prevention. Learn how to winterize your vehicle the right way so that you, your family, and your car stay safe on the road this winter!

Check Fluid Levels

You should be monitoring fluid levels year-round, but it’s doubly important going into winter. Look at not only engine oil and antifreeze, but also transmission fluid, brake fluid and power steering...

Halloween: it’s the scariest time of year to be on the road. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ranks October 31 as one of the three deadliest days of the year for pedestrians, and the top deadliest day of the year for pedestrians between the ages of 5 and 14. Leave the thrills and chills to the trick-or-treaters and costumed partygoers with these safe driving tips!

Be Mindful of the Trick-or-Treaters

In the days leading up to Halloween, children will be out trick-or-treating all over the United States. If you have to travel during peak trick-or-treat times (between...

Mercedes-Benz believes it's built a self-driving semi-truck that could eventually help cut down on highway tragedies that kill thousands of drivers each year. The Future Truck 2025 can't navigate city streets autonomously like Google's fleet of cars, but is perfectly capable of holding its own on the open road — and that's where sleep-deprived truck drivers most often pose a threat to people driving smaller passenger vehicles. Using a combination of advanced dual cameras, radar sensors, and the latest blind-spot technology (Mercedes refers to the system as "Highway Pilot"), the Future Truck...

One in five parents of young children bend the car safety rules by allowing kids to ride without seat belts, car seats, or booster seats, says Linda Carroll of NBC News.  Even more shocking is that 61% have seen other parents bending the rules when carpooling, according to a report released this week by Safe Kids Worldwide.

Funded by the General Motors Foundation, the report was based on an online survey of 1,000 parents of kids from 4-10.  What is the exact number of carpooling parents who fail to use restraints?  That is a statistic that would be hard to come by.

“Somewhere between...

Traveling with children can be fun, but it can also be stressful as it is your responsibility to ensure the safety of your young passengers. While you may not have control over other drivers, you can make sure that children are properly protected in your own car. Click here to view simple steps to take to make sure children are safe at all times in and around vehicles.

Source:
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/08/5-ways-to-save-your-child-s-life/index.htm?EXTKEY=NS0N01409

The use of wearable technology behind the wheel has a fair few road safety groups rather hot under the collar – one of which being the respected Institute of Advanced Motorists. Apple’s first ever Smartwatch may be one of the most in-demand commodities to hit the market in years, but IAM is adamant that the device could be a serious road safety hazard.

When linked to a compatible iPhone, the Apple Watch will allow the user to take calls, read messages and keep tabs on social media – pretty much everything that’s already outlawed while driving. However, it is likely to prove much more difficult...

The speed enforcement camera stationed at the base of a Belt Parkway exit ramp near Ocean Parkway issued approximately 6,000 violations in just one day, earning the city about $300,000 in revenue, according to Councilman Chaim Deutsch.

The camera earned notoriety earlier this month when Sheepshead Bites revealed its location on Shore Parkway between Ocean Parkway and West Avenue, at the very end of a 400-foot-long exit ramp from the Belt Parkway. Locals and Councilman Mark Treyger expressed outrage at the placement, calling it a trap. But the numbers have led Councilman Chaim Deutsch, in whose...