US road deaths are climbing
U.S. highway death toll rises in 2005
Aug 23, 2006
The U.S. government said fatalities on the country`s highways rose 1.4 percent in 2005 largely due to a rise in motorcycle and pedestrian deaths.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Wednesday that 43,443 people died as a result of traffic accidents in 2005, compared to 42,836 in 2004. That represented a rate of 1.47 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, up from 1.45 in 2004.
Motorcycle fatalities rose 13 percent from 4,028 in 2004 to 4,553 in 2005, mostly as a result of not wearing helmets, the NHTSA said. The number of pedestrian fatalities increased to 4,881 in 2005 from 4,675 in 2004.
Despite these numbers, acting Transportation Secretary Maria Cino said other fatality trends were improving. She said the number of young drivers dying in car crashes declined in 2005 for the third consecutive year while the number of children killed in crashes also declined.
Katie Sparks
13.09.06
Everyone has seen it. Maybe even done it. Time constraints or plain boredom while driving may lead to poor driving habits, such as application of makeup, reading, eating and most commonly, talking on the cell phone.
Driver education courses assist teens by educating them about the necessary skills to drive on public roads to possibly curb such poor driving habits.
Terry Woith, a driving instructor at Reeder Transportation Training Center Incorporated in Bloomington, said he feels the average driver today is "okay".
"There are a lot more distractions now than there ever was before. Today, there is a lot more going on that we didn't have 20 years ago. Think about it, we didn't have cell phones like we do now," Woith said. "So many people are on the phone and that's what gets them distracted. It's one of the worst things out there," he added.
According to Woith, the increase of population coupled with traffic surges are partly responsible for driver distractions. "There is definitely more traffic these days. The population of Bloomington has increased, which leads to more accidents and more cars on the road," he said. "It's very easy to get distracted. For example, you're hungry so you go through a drive thru, order food and then eat while driving," he added.
At Reeder, Woith said the driver's education program offers students a defensive driving course complete with a five step guideline.
"It's part of our method of teaching to include various defensive techniques," Woith explained. "The driving handbook says students should have a two-second following distance. We tell our students to have at least a four-second following distance."
"This gives them more distance to stop behind the car in front of them. It allows them to see what is in front of them at all times," he added. "Also, we make sure they are paying attention to everything around them, such as their car as well as the cars around them."
Woith said students are taught to use The Lane of Least Resistance approach for a safer ride.
"For example, if you are driving on Veterans Parkway and you've entered by Fort Jesse but do not want to turn, you may want to drive in the middle lane," he said. "This way you will not have to worry about cars getting on and off or moving into your lane. By utilizing the middle lane, you are in the lane of least amount of cars," he continued.
Woith said their curriculum consists of 30 hours of classroom time, six hours of driving time and six hours of observation, which is what the state of Illinois mandates.
"This past June a new rule went into effect. Students now have to have 50 hours of driving time with their parents instead of 25," he said.
For those that are not able to go through a driver's education course at school can register at teendrivingcourse.com. The site offers various avenues for a student to learn proper driving techniques and the rules of the road.
According to Lily, a customer service rep at teendrivingcourse.com, the course is designed to teach outside of the classroom.
"It costs $150 to register on the site. For the moment, we only offer the program to those who are home schooled, not those who attend public high school," she said. "For any special circumstances, the parent has to get approval from the state to register their public schooled student," she added.
According to the website, students are able to access the course in two ways: CD and workbook. Students can register online and begin at the time they desire.
It consists of eight chapters of material including laws of the road, alcohol related issues, how to react in an emergency and driving conditions. At the end of each chapter is a quiz with a final exam at the end.
For those who choose a more hands on approach, a workbook can be mailed to prospective students where they can learn the same concepts the online course offers students.
Once a student receives their Certificate of Completion the student is then able to apply for their driver's permit.
According to Jonelle Wak, driving with a cell phone has shown her that it is a dangerous action while behind the wheel.
Some students on campus find cell phone usage while driving to be a problem, while others feel otherwise.
"People need to be careful when driving and parking when talking on the cell phone. Spots are very small in some parking lots and it makes it harder to park your car when you are on the phone," Wak said. "I've had someone almost rear end me because they weren't concentrating," she added.
Sara Stevenson, a public relations graduate student, said she finds no problem with cell phone usage while in the car."Driving with a cell phone doesn't bother me since I do it all the time," she said.
Kirk Ijams, assistant chief of police at the Normal Police Department, said there are many factors that can contribute to poor driving habits.
"Multi-tasking has proven it doesn't work. Driving with too many kids in the car, driving late at night or talking on the cell phone can cause accidents," Ijams said. "Phone usage is certainly a factor in car crashes," he continued.
According to the most recent crash data from the Illinois Department of Transportation website, as of Sept. 10, 2006, 122 vehicular accidents occurred involving alcohol that led to 126 fatalities.
In 2003 alone, approximately 104,000 accidents involved young drivers. Of that estimate, 289 accidents ended up fatal.
Ijams said drivers are encouraged to drive as safely as possible. With more driving time behind the wheel accompanied by parents and restrictions on younger drivers, the state has taken charge pertaining to everyday driving.
"Ultimately, though, it's up to the individual driver to make a conscious effort to drive safely; to say, 'Hey, I'm not going to drive because I've been drinking,'" Ijams said.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com
14.09.06
Recently, two bikers suffered life-threatening injuries when they were involved in separate traffic accidents that occurred within hours of each other in British Columbia.
The first one happened when the rider apparently ran into the back of a tractor that was mowing the grass along a major B.C. highway. The other was a little less clear-cut; some time in the wee hours of the morning, a vehicle apparently crossed over the centre line on one of the busiest and most dangerous bridges in Vancouver's Lower Mainland -- the Pattullo Bridge -- and there was a collision between the rider and a minivan.
Both riders were over 50 years old, rode Harley-Davidsons and were wearing what is popularly known as a B.C. Beanie.
A B.C. Beanie, for those unfamiliar with it, is the smallest helmet you can legally get away with. (The helmet laws were challenged in court in 1987 and, as a result, you can wear a helmet in B.C that would not be tolerated elsewhere in Canada.)
Usually made out of fibreglass, B.C. Beanies have been described as a glorified cereal bowl and offer very little in the way of head protection -- if any. Sometimes they have a lining of foam rubber inside, sometimes not. Sometimes they cover most of the riders' head, but they can be as small as a yarmulke.Either way, the authorities say they will be taking a long hard look at helmet laws in Canada, and the days of the B.C. Beanie may be numbered.
And there's no argument that helmets save lives. In the United States, the U.S. National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration estimates that more than $13-billion (U.S.) was saved in various medical and legal costs between 1984 and 1999 thanks to motorcycle helmet use.
And here's something to think about: only 2 per cent of all vehicles on the road are motorcycles, yet they account for 8 per cent of all traffic fatalities (in the United States).
In Canada, motorcycle helmet use has been compulsory everywhere since 1974. In the year before that, there were apparently 903 motorcycle fatalities nationwide. In 1997, there were just 120. Like the saying goes: motorcycles are the safest vehicles on the road -- until the moment of impact.
I don't wear a B.C. Beanie, but I do favour an open-face, half-shell-type helmet. And so do law enforcement personnel, incidentally. My problems with full-face helmets are threefold; first of all, I feel hot and claustrophobic when I have a massive piece of plastic and foam covering my entire head; secondly, I can't hear a thing when I wear a full-face helmet; and, but definitely not least, my vision is impaired -- especially peripherally.
When I'm riding, I want to take full advantage of all the sensory input I have at my command, and that includes sight and sound. More than once, I have avoided an accident because my ears told me something was coming -- even though I couldn't see it immediately.
I'm also a freedom-of-choice rider. We have enough rules and regulations in this country as it is, and I want to be able to choose my own head covering, thank you very much. It's also interesting to note that some religious groups proffer the same argument: they don't want to wear anything at all when they ride, claiming that helmets interfere with their freedom of religious expression.
I also wish authorities would put as much emphasis on educating motorists as they do chastening and scolding bikers. The two accidents mentioned in this story might not have happened altogether if there were stronger laws against stupid drivers.
I would suggest that cutting the grass on a major thoroughfare in the middle of the afternoon is asking for trouble and, if a car had shmucked into the back of the tractor, the results would have probably have been just as unfortunate.
As for the bridge accident, at time of writing, no one's sure who was at fault, but given the speeds involved, it's doubtful a Snell-approved helmet -- the standard of safety throughout the bike and motorsport industry -- would have made any difference.
Paramedics of my acquaintance, who attend traffic accidents of every kind tell me that, yes, dealing with head injuries on motorcyclists is a regular part of their job, but much more common are limb injures -- arms, legs, hands, etc. If you come off your bike at speed, or hit something, it's not just your head that is exposed to risk.
Which leads me to my last point. Why stop at legislating helmet usage? Why not make it compulsory to wear some kind of body armour? Why not make it mandatory to wear a seat belt while riding? Believe it or not, it's been suggested. How about built-in rollover protection?
But I'll tell you what: I will wear a Snell-approved, full-face helmet if the authorities institute a meaningful, nationwide program to deal with and penalize brain-dead drivers who talk on the cellphone while driving, eat lunch behind the wheel, change lanes without signalling, shoot through stop signs, turn left without signalling, speed through residential neighbourhoods, run amber lights, put on makeup, read maps, and do everything except what they're supposed to be doing -- which is drive safely and pay attention.
See also
Women drivers
Lower drink limit for young drivers
I'm safe on road - blind driver
For drivers danger on the the phone
9000 UK deaths a year caused by diesel fuel
The Teen Gene