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Traffic Talk-- May-September, 2003
September 15, 2003
August 14, 2003
August 1, 2003
June 30, 2003
June 15, 2003
May 28, 2003
May 6, 2003
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May 28, 2003
Seat Belt Legislation at the Vermont State House
Governor James Douglas has signed a tough Child Passenger Restraint bill into law. The new law mandates that all occupants of a motor vehicle through the age of 15 must be buckled up. The new law requires car seats, booster seats and seat belts for all persons up to age 16 depending on age and size. The new law also stipulates that all children up to age 1 and weighing less than 20 pounds shall be in a rear-facing car seat.
A proposal to establish a primary seat belt law for every occupant of a motor vehicle was narrowly defeated in the House by a five-vote margin.
However, despite the defeat of a primary seat belt law, it is important for everyone to know that Vermont law requires all occupants of a motor vehicle be buckled up.
New Jersey's State Assembly Transportation Committee Approves a Bill Making Careless or Distracted Driving Illegal
New Jersey's State Assembly Transportation Committee approved a bill that would make careless or distracted driving illegal. The bill would also require the use of a hands-free device when driving and talking on a wireless phone. In addition, the bill lists behaviors such as eating, reading, using fax machines, engaging in personal grooming or tending to unsecured pets as other actions which can result in citations.
Cameras Installed at Intersections Reduced Red Light Running but NHTSA & FHWA Questioned their Effectiveness this Week
Cameras installed at intersections have reduced the number of cars running red lights but the U.S. government questioned their effectiveness this week and recommended that communities try other safety steps first. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued guidance to cities and towns considering the technology, introduced over 10 years ago in New York. By the end of 2002, more than 72 communities had installed cameras at intersections where motorists frequently run red lights. When a car runs the light, a camera snaps a picture of the license plate and a ticket is mailed to the car's owner. Crashes caused by motorists ignoring red lights are generally more deadly and damaging than other types of crashes at intersections, according to safety data. For more information, visit the NHTSA website at http://www.trafficsafety.org/newsletter/www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
A General Accounting Office Report Updates Data on Factors Contributing to Vehicle Crashes
The General Accounting Office (GAO) analyzed crash data from three USDOT databases and concluded that three factors contribute to crashes: human factors, roadway environment factors, and vehicle factors. Human factors are the most prevalent factor in crash causation followed by roadway environment factors and then vehicle factors. The report, Highway Safety, Research Continues of a Variety of Factors that Contribute to motor Vehicle Crashes (GAO-03-436) can be found online at http://www.rac.co.uk/.
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May 6, 2003
Vermont Wins Second Grant to Fund Click It or Ticket Campaign
Thanks to the success of last year's Click It or Ticket campaign, Vermont has again been awarded a federal grant to repeat the program over the 2003 Memorial Day holiday period.
Click It or Ticket (CIOT) combines intensive media with a high visibility law enforcement campaign to increase seat belt use. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) created this project because the research is clear - seat belts save lives.
An estimated 45-60 percent of highway fatalities could survive a crash if they had just buckled up. In Vermont, this means that 25 more Vermonters could be alive each year if they had worn their belts, or buckled up their children properly. Seat belts also greatly reduce the severity of injuries in the event of a crash, and could prevent 60 to 75 percent of all injuries.
During last year's campaign, Vermont led the nation with an 18.9 percent increase in seat belt usage. This means that more than 115,000 additional Vermonters put their seat belts on as a result of CIOT, and this translates into lives saved. Since the average economic impact of a fatal crash is $900,000, this also translates into dollars saved.
Before the start of last year's CIOT, Vermont ranked 40th in the nation in seat belt usage, and 70 percent of our fatalities were unbuckled. After the project, Vermont ranked 5th in the nation at 85 percent, and had the highest usage rate of any state without a primary law.
However, that rate has started to slip, so the goal will again be to have an all out education effort, followed by a high visibility law enforcement campaign to remind everyone that buckling up is the law.
The purpose of the project is not to write tickets, but to remind everyone to buckle up, every trip, every time. Seat belts are the most basic safety step that can be taken for all vehicle occupants.
And while arguments are made that this is a personal choice issue, the reality is that those involved in a crash pay for about 25 percent of the associated costs, with society paying the other 75 percent. Society also pays for police, fire and rescue departments that must be staffed to deal with crashes.
In addition, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death and injury in the workplace and among the largest contributors to workers compensation losses. The list of societal impacts of car crashes goes on and on.
Hold That International Cell Phone Call
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, as of 2002, at least 25 countries prohibit or restrict using cell phones and other wireless technology in motor vehicles. Israel, Japan, Portugal, and Singapore prohibit all cell phone use while driving.
Australia, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, the Philippines, Romania, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates prohibit hand-held cell phones while driving.
Drivers in Czech Republic, France and the Netherlands may use cell phones, but can be fined if they are in a crash while doing so.
In the United Kingdom, using a cell phone while driving is listed as an example of failure to exercise proper control of the vehicle and can result in a fine.
In the United States, in recent years, all 50 states have considered some type of legislation pertaining to cell phones and driving. Most recently 24 states considered the hand-held ban similar to New York's, five have considered banning all cell phone use, and seven states considered general distracted-driving proposals. And at least 17 states require police to include information about cell phones in accident reports.
Average Cost of Driving a Car in the US Rose by the Largest Amount in Three Years
According to AAA, the average cost of driving a car in the US rose by the largest amount in three years due to higher gasoline and insurance costs.
The average costs associated with driving a new car in 2003 increased 1.5 cents per mile from a year ago to 51.7 cents per mile, the largest gain since 2000, when driving costs surged 2.1 cents to 49.1 cents per mile. Operating costs for owning a car, including gasoline, oil, maintenance and tires increased 1.3 cents from 11.8 cents to 13.1 cents per mile, mostly due to higher prices for gasoline. Cost figures were based on a composite average of three domestically built 2003 cars, including a small, mid-sized, and full-sized vehicle.
Safe Smart Women, a New Non-Profit Organization to Improve Women's Driving Safety Knowledge
Safe Smart Women, a new non-profit organization, has been created to improve women's driving safety knowledge through education, experience, and empowerment. Kristin Backstrom and Anne Sessions created the organization to ensure that young women are not left out of the "car dialogue." The organization's board of directors includes highway safety community leaders such as Peter Kissinger, president and CEO of the AAA Foundation; Heather Paul, executive director of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign; and Paul Jones, senior advisor to the administrator of NHTSA. They want women to drive with a sense of safety and confidence. The new organization plans to offer personal and car safety ideas, as well as hands-on strategies to help young women be safe drivers.
Tri-State Transportation Safety Conference
More than 150 people attended the Third Annual Tri-State Transportation Safety Conference April 17 & 18 at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, Vermont.
The highlights of the conference showcased several seminar and workshop presentations covering a wide range of transportation safety issues.
The conference opened with welcoming remarks Patricia McDonald, Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Transportation. Milt Schmidt, of the Safety Programs Division of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, delivered the keynote address.
Seminars and workshops covered such items as load securement, child passenger safety, work zone safety, emergency vehicle warning systems, PRISM & CVISN, training for youthful drivers, profitable traffic safety programs, traffic calming, reducing insurance costs, cooperative law enforcement, motor carrier safety regulations, and pedestrian and bike safety.
Next year's conference will be held in New Hampshire at a location to be determined in mid-April.
Seat Belt Legislation at the Vermont State House
The House Transportation Committee has approved a re-write of Senate Bill 25, the bill that improves Child Occupant Safety.
The bill started out in the Senate Transportation Committee as a requirement for a primary seat belt law and well as strengthening Vermont's Child Passenger Restraint law. The bill that cleared the Senate limited a primary seat belt law for everyone under the age of 18.
The bill as re-written by the House Transportation Committee strengthens the Child Passenger Restrain law, but lowers the requirement for mandatory seat belts from age 17 down to age 15.
The lower age requirement for mandatory seat belts came after the Speaker of the House, Walter Freed, at the suggestion of State Senator Mathew Dunn (D-Windsor), told the House Transportation Committee that it was his belief that the bill should not discriminate against 16 and 17 year olds. Speaker Freed also told supporters of the original bill, that a primary seat belt law should cover everyone and not just teenagers.
The bill should be on up for discussion on the House floor this week.
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June 15, 2003
OSHA Includes Motor Vehicle Crashes in New-Year Strategic Plan
Work-related motor vehicle crashes are included in the recently unveiled five-year strategic plan for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The Strategic Management Plan is based on an analysis of the current safety and health landscape, occupational trends, emerging issues and agency priorities.
According to an OSHA press statement, the plan covers issues not traditionally addressed by the agency but that nevertheless account for many work-related injuries such as work-related motor vehicle crashes. OSHA intends to use a variety of cooperative programs and outreach efforts to assist employers and employees in addressing the problem.
AAA Released Survey Revealing that Most Drivers Admit They Take Risks
Americans for the most part are lousy drivers and know it. A national poll released last week shows that most drivers admit they routinely take risks. And the worst offenders, by their own admission, are ages 26 to 44 - not teens or seniors.
"We're hurried, harried and stretched for time, and our bad driving habits show it," says Susan Pikralidas, a spokeswoman for AAA, which commissioned the poll with other highway safety advocates. The groups are pushing for drivers to voluntarily retest themselves with an online quiz and other measures. Most states require vision exams for license renewals. But far fewer test on rules, road signs or driving skills. Most motorists haven't passed a driving test since first getting a license.
* More than 70% own up to speeding. Driving 10 mph over the limit seems fine to one in five respondents.
* Almost one-third say they run red or yellow lights.
* Cell phones are used while driving by 37%. Almost 60% eat in their cars. And 14% say they think reading behind the wheel is OK.
* About three-fourths say senior citizens and teens should be required to be retested. Fifty-seven percent say raising the minimum driving age to 18 from 16 would make roads safer.
FMCSA Denies TCA Petition For Pilot Program
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) this week denied a petition of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) that proposed a pilot program to allow drivers 18 to 20 years of age to drive trucks in interstate commerce under certain conditions. Under current federal regulations, such drivers must be at least 21 years of age. The pilot program proposed by TCA on Oct. 2, 2000, would screen candidate drivers, train them at approved truck-driving schools, and provide an apprenticeship with an approved motor carrier until age 21.
FMCSA says it is denying the petition because it does not have sufficient information at this time to make a determination that the safety measures in the pilot program would achieve a level of safety at least equal to that provided by complying with the minimum 21-year age requirement operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV). The agency received 1,634 comments in response to the proposal, and more than 90 percent of the comments were opposed to the pilot program. The most common reason given by those opposed to the younger commercial driver pilot training program was that younger drivers do not have the level of maturity or the driving experience necessary to operate a CMV in interstate commerce.
FMCSA Sets New Hours of Service Regulations
An increase in driving hours and a decrease in on-duty hours for drivers of property-carrying vehicles headlines the revised hours-of-service regulations released recently by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The regulation includes the following provisions:
* 11 hours of driving time following 10 consecutive hours off duty.
* No driving after 14 hours of on-duty time (a combination of driving and all other on-duty time) following 10 consecutive hours off duty.
The proposed regulation by the FMCSA would set new on-duty and rest time guidelines for commercial motor vehicle operators for the first time since 1939. The FMCSA rule has cleared a required independent comprehensive cost-benefits analysis. It reflects components of an earlier ATA proposal by increasing the amount of rest time for professional truck drivers and promotes the body's natural 24-hour circadian rhythms, as opposed to the current rule which is based on an 18-hour day. For more information, visit the FMCSA website (http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hos/hos.htm).
NHTSA Releases Information on Teen Seat Belt Rates
NHTSA has released a fact sheet that provides information and statistics on injuries, fatalities, and economic costs due to lower seat-belt use rates among teens compared to the general population. To view the fact sheets, visit http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/airbags/buasbteens03/index.htm.
Preliminary Estimates of 2002 Highway Fatalities Released
Alcohol-related highway fatalities increased again in 2002 while the majority of passenger vehicle occupants killed were not wearing safety belts, according to preliminary estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
With overall highway fatalities also up slightly from 2001, the grim statistics underscore the need for better state laws that address the causes of the problem and stricter enforcement. In 2002, an estimated 42,850 people died on the nation's highways, up from 42,116 in 2001. It was the highest number of fatalities since 1990. To view the fact sheets, visit http://nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/airbags/buasbteens03/index.htm.
NHTSA Administrator Says the Nation Does Not Put Enough Emphasis on the Personal Responsibility of Motorists and Pedestrians
Dr. Jeffrey Runge, NHTSA Administrator says the nation puts too much emphasis on car and truck safety and not enough on the personal responsibility of motorists and pedestrians. Although Runge is not the first NHTSA Administrator to say that changing human behavior is the way to make the biggest gains in highway safety, his remarks recently were his strongest to date about the possibility that too much emphasis is placed on the need to further regulate cars and trucks, primarily by the mass media.
"One would think that if we just make vehicles safer, the problem would be solved," Runge says. "There is a false impression being created." He says he is amazed that there is not more societal outrage about the 42,000 deaths and hundreds of thousands of serious injuries each year on the nation's highways, many of them preventable with behavioral changes. "As a nation, we should be outraged over the loss of nearly 43,000 of our friends, neighbors and family members," said Runge. These remarks came in a meeting with automotive writers in Washington. At the same time, NHTSA released its preliminary estimate of U.S. highway deaths in 2002 with fatalities up slightly from 2001.
Relying on our Transportation Infrastructure
Comments by Thomas J. Donohue, President & CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
All across America, highways, bridges, waterways, airports, and public transportation systems have been neglected. Now more than ever, adequate funding to improve these and other components of America's aging transportation infrastructure is desperately needed to keep our economy and our ability to compete in global markets on track.
And it isn't getting any better. Our transportation infrastructure is ill equipped to handle the economies higher and higher volumes of freight and people and will be unable to sustain growth in the future. That's why we need to make sure that investment in our nation's infrastructure is a top national priority.
Not everyone sees it that way. In towns across the country, pockets of activists are fighting against efforts to improve or expand roadways and transportation networks, spouting the often used "not in my backyard" rationale. But if those activists expect to buy goods and services at lower prices, they'll have to recognize that better roads are a key part of that equation.
Six years ago, a measure called TEA-21 reauthorized funding for the nation's highway and transit programs. The measure is up for renewal in 2003, but a comprehensively sound bill is anything but a slam-dunk.
It should be obvious why TEA-21 renewal is necessary. Businesses rely on a growing transportation system to receive or deliver products and services and raw materials. Everything from imported apparel to fresh seafood to seasonal employees makes use of a nationwide transportation infrastructure, including highways, air transport, border patrol, and maritime infrastructure. The United States' "just-in-time" inventory system demands that we respond to the market faster than any country in the world. Our economy grew tremendously in the '90s in part because of our ability to address increased demand.
Transportation costs represent 12% of the cost of all products. Traffic and congestion can be particularly costly to small businesses that sell products and services in highly populated urban areas. In 2000 alone, traffic congestion cost motorists a staggering $67.5 billion in wasted time and fuel.
It's time to tell Congress to take action on this issue. You can join the effort to renew TEA-21 by getting involved in the Americans for Transportation Mobility (http://www.a-t-m.org) coalition to promote the link between transportation and economic productivity, prohibit or reduce revenue diversion from transportation trust funds, and gain full funding for adequate infrastructure investment.
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June 30, 2003
NTSB Calls for Ban on Cell Phone Use by Novice Drivers
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said recently that the nation's driver education courses should include warnings about the dangers of distracted driving, and novice drivers should be prohibited from using cell phones while at the wheel. These were two of the recommendations contained in the NTSB's final report on its investigation into a highway crash last year that took the lives of five persons, including a driver who was using a wireless phone at the moment she lost control of her vehicle. For the full executive summary and to view the press release, visit the NTSB website at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2003/HAR0302.htm or http://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2003/030603.htm.
With Telematics Industry Growth Projected to Grow to $20 Billion by 2010, Inattentive Drivers Becomes a Major Highway Safety Concern
Inattentive drivers are becoming a major highway safety concern due to an increasing number of potentially distracting high-tech gadgets on vehicle dashboards and more drivers using cell phones, safety officials say. The telematics industry, which makes such gadgets, is expected to grow to $20 billion a year by 2010, according to market research firms. But also growing is the concern over how cell phones, pagers, personal digital assistants and navigational systems might affect safety. Auto companies and suppliers are racing to come up with their own solutions before the federal government imposes regulations or more state governments put restrictions on a lucrative business.
From Speeding to Eating, Cell Phones to Reading the Newspaper, U.S. Motorists Admit to Bad Driving Habits
From speeding to eating, cell phones to reading the newspaper, almost all U.S. motorists admit to bad driving habits, according to a survey released last week by Drive for Life: The National Safe Driving Test and Initiative, a group that promotes driver education. Ninety-one percent of those surveyed said they engaged in at least one risky activity while driving. The national poll of more than 1,100 licensed drivers found that 56 percent identified "inattentive drivers" as the greatest threat to driving safety. Seven in 10 respondents admitted to driving a little above the speed limit occasionally, which topped the list of bad habits. Other risky practices drivers admitted to: 35 percent cross on a red or yellow light; 27 percent do not use directional signals; 13 percent admitted to aggressive driving. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Poor Condition of Urban Roads Costs Drivers $396 a Year
One-fourth of the nation's urban roads are in poor condition, costing motorists an average $396 a year in repairs, wear and reduced mileage, a new report says. Road conditions are likely to worsen as state and local governments, battling financial problems, fall behind on maintenance, according to a study to be recently released by The Road Information Program (TRIP), a research group financed by road builders, unions of construction workers and other transportation interests. The study is one of many expected in the next several weeks as industry, government and safety groups seek more money from Congress, which is debating a six-year spending bill for highways. For more information, visit the TRIP website at http://www.tripnet.org/national/nnrBumpyRoads052703.htm.
Delaware Highway Safety Office Teams Up With Employers to Discourage Alcohol Impaired Driving
The Delaware Office of Highway Safety is teaming with employers throughout the state in a safety campaign unveiled recently to discourage drivers from getting behind the wheel after they drink. The campaign, called "DUI ... when a drink costs more than you think," aims at educating the public about the financial, legal and social consequences associated with a first-time DUI offense. Not only do these offenders lose their drivers licenses for a minimum of 60 days, but they are burdened with about $4,000 combined in court costs, attorney fees and mandatory alcohol and education classes. For the offender's employer, time off from work to attend court and alcohol rehabilitation programs costs in lost productivity. Last year, 72 percent of Delaware's 5,845 DUI arrests were first-time offenders. That figure is up 5 percent from the previous year, officials said.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Announces $693 Million FHWA Discretionary Funds for Infrastructure Projects
U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced $693 million in Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) discretionary funds for infrastructure projects in 50 states and the District of Columbia. The 498 grants were provided to the states in seven categories. The categories, number of grants and the totals provided, are:
* Borders and Corridors, 129 grants in 43 states, $255 million
* Transportation and Community and System Preservation Pilot (TCSP) program, 113 grants in 37 states, $73.9 million
* Interstate Maintenance, 54 grants in 30 states, $99.4 million
* Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation, 32 grants in 25 states, $68.6 million
* Public Lands Highways, 59 grants in 29 states, $78.3 million
* Ferry Boats and Terminals, 20 grants in 13 states, $17.9 million
* Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), 91 projects in 43 states,$99.8 million.
Vermont's share amounts to: $5,495,827, divided among Corridors & Boarders, $2 million; Transportation & Community System Preservation Pilot (TCSP) program, $1 million; and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), $2,495,827.
Totals for the states and the District of Columbia are on the Internet at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/discretionary/fy03congdes.htm
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August 1, 2003
Vermont Department of Labor & Industry to Become Involved with Traffic Safety
VermontNETS will soon be collaborating with the Vermont Department of Labor & Industry regarding work zone safety issues, focusing on traffic safety.
The impact of business-related traffic crashes has a significant impact on the cost of doing business, especially affecting workers compensation rates.
The Department of Labor and Industry and VermontNETS will develop strategies for making employers aware about the benefits of effective work zone safety on business operations.
Highway Fatalities in 2002 Reach Highest Level Since 1990
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), highway fatalities in 2002 reached the highest level since 1990 while crash-related injuries hit an all-time low. As highway crashes continue to claim the lives of thousands, the grim statistics underscore the need for better state laws, stricter enforcement and safer driving behavior. Alcohol-related fatalities remained at 41 percent of the total with 17, 419 deaths in 2002, up slightly from 17,400 in 2001. For a copy of the FARS report, visit http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/Rpts/2003/Assess02.pdf
Meanwhile, in Vermont, the traffic fatality toll for the first seven months of 2003 (ending July 31 2003), is 34 deaths recorded on Vermont highways. This compares to 41 highway fatalities at the end of July 2002. In the decade from 1990 through 1999, the average death toll on Vermont highways through July of each year was 50. Traffic safety officials are pointing to both the increased public and business awareness of traffic safety messages issued by private and public traffic safety sectors.
FMCSA Proposes Rule Concerning Safety History of New Drivers
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) that would enhance the ability of prospective motor carrier employers to make sound hiring decisions and at the same time ensure commercial motor vehicle driver privacy.
This rule will apply to all motor carrier employers regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) whose employees apply to work for a motor carrier in interstate commerce.
"These drivers", said Acting FMSCA Administrator, Annette M. Sandberg, "are responsible for the safe, secure and reliable operation of commercial motor vehicles on our nation's roads and highways. Providing employers access to more information about driver safety performance history will ultimately save lives."
The SNPRM proposes a limitation on liability for those who are required to provide and use driver safety performance information, and if adopted would enable motor carriers to obtain and use more complete driver background information. Using this information, employers could better assess the potential safety risks of new employees. However, prospective employers would be required to advise driver applicants that they could review, request correction, or refute what a previous employer provided in the driver's employment history.
Under the proposal, a previous employer would, for a period of three years, be required to respond within 30 days to inquiries from prospective motor carriers about an applicant and provide at a minimum the following:
* Information verifying the driver worked for that employer and the dates of employment.
* Information indicating whether the driver was involved in any reportable accidents.
* The driver's three-year alcohol and controlled substance history.
* Information indicating whether the driver failed to complete a rehabilitation referral prescribed within the previous three years, but only if that information is recorded with the responding previous employer.
* Information indicating whether the driver illegally used alcohol and controlled substances after having completed a rehabilitation referral, but only if that information is recorded with the responding previous employer.
The supplemental proposal increases from two to three years the period during which previous employers must provide information regarding violations of the federal regulations relating to alcohol and controlled substances. This rulemaking also proposes that employers be required to retain reportable accident information for three years. They now are required to keep such information for a year.
The SNPRM is available on the Internet at . Written comments on this proposal should be sent by Sept. 2, 2003, to the USDOT Docket Facility, Attn: Docket No. FMCSA-97-2277, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590-0001. Comments may be submitted electronically at .
NHTSA Nears Completion of Two-Year Review of HID Headlights
Regulators at NHTSA are nearing completion of a two-year review of headlight glare, which could lead to new rules for brighter high-intensity discharge, or HID, headlights that are becoming increasingly popular on premium cars and light vehicles sold by Audi, BMW, Lexus and Range Rover. NHTSA is trying to strike a balance between capturing the benefits and energy savings of the new technology, and unintended consequences. The agency also is likely to lower the maximum height for SUVs and other light trucks, whose higher lamp positions can shine into a car's rearview mirrors. Visit http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosinsider/0307/20/b01-221695.htm for the full article.
10 Cheapest Cars to Insure and 25 Most Stolen Vehicles
Edmunds.com has come out with a new listing of the "The 10 Cheapest Vehicles to Insure" in their first five years. There are some surprises in the report. To see the list, visit http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insurance/Insureyourcar/P56490.asp?special=030701insure.
Another list accessible now by CCC Information Services is the "Most Stolen Vehicles in 2002". That list is available at http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insurance/Insureyourcar/P35264.asp.
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August 14, 2003
Vermont ranks 5th in the Nation in Seatbelt Use!
For the second consecutive year, more than 80% of Vermont motorists use their seatbelt when riding in a motor vehicle. Results of the recent "Click It or Ticket" campaign will show that nearly 83% of Vermonters buckled up on the highway. Last year, 84% of Vermonters used seatbelts.
Vermont now ranks fifth among all states in the use of seatbelts and leads the nation among those states that do not have a primary seatbelt law. Although Vermont law requires a person to use a seatbelt, because it is a secondary offense, a person not using a seatbelt can only be fined if they stopped for a different infraction of the law. Despite efforts of safety advocates elevating the seatbelt law to primary status have been unsuccessful in the Vermont Legislature for more than a decade.
Jeanne Johnson, State Coordinator for the Governor's Highway Safety Program said Vermont "has done an outstanding job". She said people on the highways "have responded incredibly well in getting eight out of ten people buckled up". Johnson attributed the high level of seatbelt us directly to the "Click It or Ticket" campaign. "People tend to think that seatbelts are not important, and the stepped up enforcement makes them aware that seatbelts are important to somebody, and 'I guess I better do it' is the thought that goes through their mind".
Traffic safety advocates point to the tremendous cost savings, both in terms of personal, family and business costs, of using seatbelts.
Traffic Crashes as a Cost to Society
Nearly 500 people have been killed on Vermont roadways over the past five years. An average of 70% were not buckled up according to police reports. The facts are that more than 50% of the unrestrained (unbuckled) fatalities, or about 175 people could have survived the crash if they had just used their seatbelts.
The lifetime economic cost to society for each fatality is more than $900,000, with 80% ($720,000) attributable to lost workplace and household productivity.
A traffic crash has the following is a cost to society: 50% by Private Insurers; 26% by individual crash victims; 15% by third-party uninvolved motorists delayed in traffic, plus charities and health care providers; and 9% from public funds (6% Federal, 3% State & Local funds).
Overall, those not directly involved in crashes pay for nearly three-quarters of all crash costs, primarily through insurance premiums, taxes and travel delay.
Distraction? Who's Distracted!?
The AAA Foundation issued a press release recently saying that all drivers - yes, every one of them - engage in some kind of distraction activity while they are driving. This finding is a result of research funded by the Foundation and performed by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center.
In the first such study of its kind, researchers used in-car video cameras to see how drivers behaved when they were behind the wheel of their own cars. The tapes showed that distraction is an everyday occurrence.
77% of the motorists carried on a conversation with passengers 15% of the time, while 97 of the motorists were reaching and leaning, etc., 3.8% of the time. While 91% were manipulating music or audio controls 1.4% of the time, 71% were eating and drinking nearly 5% of the time.
Peter Kissinger, President of the AAA Foundation said the study found that people do adjust their behavior to a certain extent. "They have a tendency to do potentially distracting things while their car is topped", he said. "70% of reading and writing, 34% of grooming, and 25% of cell phone use occurred while the vehicle was not moving".
Kissinger said that about a quarter of all traffic crashes are caused by distractions, which account for 1.2 million incidents every year. Kissenger said people often underestimate the seriousness of distractions because not every distraction leads to a crash. "However", Kissinger said, "if you are distracted just when someone pulls out in front of you, you lack of attention can be catastrophic".
Can You Believe It? School will be open very soon!!
Summer is over for an important segment of our Vermont citizens - our children. Most public schools open their doors later this month to students in Vermont. Students arrive on foot, on bicycles, and in school buses, on their way to and from their campuses. It's an exciting time for them - a time to meet new friends and teachers, and a new semester to learn new things in a variety of subjects. They have a lot to pay attention to as their school year begins - and so do all Vermont drivers! The beginning of school is also a time when children are at an increased risk of transportation related injuries. Motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of death for children of all ages 4-14 years old. Drivers need to be alert for children on the road. Remember, even when you can see them, they might not see you.
Employers should remind their drivers to follow the rules for back to school safety.
* Obey posted school zone speed limits.
* Give crossing guards a "brake" as they perform their very important role in prote | | | |
