Driver Safety - Featured articles:
Road crashes climb top 10 chart
Road safety experts around the world are frustrated. In 2001 the 9/11 attack took some 3000 lives in the U.S., but road crashes there took over 40,000 that same year. They're wondering how to focus public attention. More »
TV program slams Goodyear over tire
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's award-winning Fifth Estate program maintains that Goodyear knew about death-causing flaws in its LRE tires as early as 1995, but only recalled 200,000, leaving about 8 million on the roads. More »
Road-side shoulders: for emergencies only
Highway shoulders are for emergency use only and drivers should only stop there in a real emergency with no other choice. More »
Do booster seats save lives?
Ohio is the most recent US state to implement more stringent booster seat legislation for children aged between 4 and 8 years old. A booster seat is essentially a platform designed to raise a child up high enough so that an adult seat belt fits them appropriately and can therefore be effective in the event of a crash. More »
Economy down, fake crashes up
Maybe you're a defensive driver but these days it may not be enough as the down economy increases your risk of being 'crash scammed.' More »
eCall - the S.O.S. for drivers
The eCall system works by using a black box device which, when sensors are triggered in a collision, initiates a 112 call to the nearest emergency centre. If the caller is unable to speak the data connection will ensure that the necessary information (in terms of GPS location and car description) is transmitted. More »
Myths abound on correct tire inflation
Play it safe! This article discusses several myths, and proper ways to treat vehicle tires. More »
Top 3 Causes of Car Accidents in America
Speeding contributes to about a third of all car accidents in America. Slow down and give yourself ample time to get where you need to go. It's not worth saving 10 minutes for the potential of losing your life or putting another person in danger. More »
Car-jacking at your fingertips!
This week Computer Scientists at the University of Washington and the University of California, San Diego have presented a research paper which highlights the possible threats of hacking into in-car computer systems. The researchers claim they were able to remotely control braking and other functions in the cars they used in their tests, and argue that the car industry is at risk of making the same security mistakes as the PC industry. More »
Ghost bikes - a new international symbol
The Ghost Bike movement is a now international effort to change motorist behavior and force city authorities to make the streets safer for cyclists. Like all great movements, it was started by one person who was prompted into action based on his personal experience. More »
Blocking texting drivers
Txtblocker software company offers a sort of 'geofencing' service focused on drivers, workplaces, school zones and more More »
South Korean Cabbies win back their dash TVs
Taxi driver challenges rule prohibiting TV screens on the dash and wins. More »
Samoa's shift to the 'wrong' side
It's really not surprising that Samoa's shift from right side driving to left side driving on Monday went fairly smoothly, but the story is not over yet More »
Radiation and cell phone safety
I could be another argument for handsfree phone use - radiation from handsets is a concern, say researchers More »
New nav iPhone app tackles driver distraction problem
Aha Mobile, a new free traffic app for iPhone, dispenses with maps and navigation directions to deliver only essential close-up route information More »
Researchers withheld cell phone risk data
New York Times publishes 2003 study of driving and mobile phone crash risk it says was kept from public since 2003 More »
How your GPS can work against you
ABC's Good morning America shows how a car thief can use your GPS to find your house and get into it More »
Global Road Safety Crisis - U.N August 2007
The recently-released global road safety report from the U.N. says crashes are an economic threat as well as a health issue More »
SUVs and pickups not good in U.S. 2006 crash stats
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has prepared a comprehensive 149-page report on traffic fatalities and estimates of injuries for 2006. There are significant declines but SUVs did not do well More »
If cars are so smart, how come they crash?
The author argues that when reporting or describing crashes and collisions let's put the "blame" where it should truly rest: on drivers not vehicles. More »
Americans favor safety
The fourth Harris survey gauging the American public's views on crucial highway and vehicle safety concerns showed a strong desire for a number of safety-related initiatives, some of them controversial. More »
September 11: an earthquake in risk perception
Our perceptions of risk in the world around us were shattered on September 11. Now we have the daunting task of rebuilding our perceptions to accommodate the new reality. Experts in the emerging field of Risk Communication can help. More »
How fight to make America's highways safer went off course
The author argues that William Haddon and others of his era overemphasized passive safety measures in vehicles, while underestimating drivers' willingness to adopt safer habits. More »
Recommended interventions to reduce injuries and deaths
A CDC report provides recommendations about interventions that are effective at reducing motor vehicle-related injuries and deaths. More »
How safe are drivers in your city?
Survey of U.S. drivers in 2001 reveals their concern about other drivers, but they are still likely to speed, tailgate, and drive through yellow lights that are turning red. More »
Faulty tire saga picks up steam
U.S. legislators question delays in informing the public about suspected defects in millions of Firestone tires. More »
Thinking and driving: how safe?
We know drinking and driving is bad, but what about thinking and driving? Two Spanish researchers found similarities. More »
Firestone recall: certain tires may be dangerous
Heat may be the cause of some tire failures in the USA; here are the steps to take if you own these tires. More »
Where and when we crash: men and women differ
A study by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau comparing crash rates between men and women has some interesting statistics. More »
Millennium madness affects accidents?
A bizarre mishap involving a rental car, a horse and rider, a dog and its owner, and a motorcyclist. More »
Want to feel like a dummy? Try out Test Track
Describes the Test Track thrill ride at Disney World in Florida, USA. More »
The traffic crash: a system breakdown
Over the past 20 years or so, members of the traffic safety community have been lobbying to eliminate the word "accident" from their vocabulary. More »
Animal hazards on the highway
The author relates a tale of a terrible crash caused in part by an attempt to avoid hitting a deer. He argues that animals' lives should come second. More »
Ads bring down Aussie road deaths - temporarily
Australian authorities tried television commercials that focussed on the effects of crashes on others, and got good results. Read update on this article--new evidence More »