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NEWS ABOUT: road safety

NTSB Bid to Ban All Phone Use in Cars Is 'Overkill'

Why can't drivers use hand-free sets?

(Newser) - The NTSB's proposal for a nationwide ban on the use of cell phones while driving, even of the hands-free variety, "is impractical, it's overkill, and it doesn't make sense," writes Sascha Segan at PC Magazine . Authorities can and should come down hard on anyone caught... More »

NTSB: Ban Phones While Driving

Agency recommends much stricter rules across the nation

(AP) - States should ban all driver use of cell phones and other portable electronic devices, except in emergencies, the National Transportation Safety Board said today. The recommendation, unanimously agreed to by the five-member board, applies to both hands-free and hand-held phones and significantly exceeds any existing state laws restricting texting and... More »

Town Called Speed Gets New Name: Speedkills

Aussie town sick of unsafe drivers

(Newser) - The tiny Australian town of Speed has a new name—temporarily. Following a successful Facebook campaign, and plenty of encouragement from road safety officials concerned about the rising death rate on country roads, the Outback town will change its name to Speedkills for the month of March, Reuters reports. More »

10 Most Dangerous Cars Ever

Smart car? Maybe not so smart

(Newser) - Some of us lovingly referred to our first car variously as "the jalopy," "the tin can on wheels," or "the death trap." And some of us were right. Here, as per Autoshippers, are the most dangerous cars of all time:
  • 1967-1971 Ford Pinto: Had
... More »

Bike Lane's Next Detour: Fast-Food Drive-Thru

OK, McDonald's isn't on board, but there's a movement

(Newser) - With more cities making room for cyclists, advocates of the two-wheel lifestyle (no-emissions class) are taking aim at another preserve of the gas-powered set: the drive-thru window. One Oregon cyclist got local chain Burgerville to change its policy after being refused service, and a movement was born. “If it’... More »

Texting Boosts Driver Crash Risk 23 Times

Texting while driving found to be deadliest distraction

(Newser) - A first-of-its-kind study has found that sending and receiving text messages is the deadliest distraction for drivers by far, the New York Times reports. The study, which involved cameras in the cabs of long-haul trucks, found that texting raised a driver's risk of collision a whopping 23 times, putting it... More »

This Sign Is Wasting Your Money—and Killing People

(Newser) - The federal government has mandated that every road project funded by stimulus money proudly tout the association with road signs, and that really steams Tait Trussell. The signs, “designed to meticulous federally dictated standards,” go for about $1,000, Trussell writes on Front Page. “So, publicizing thousands... More »

Battle Over Big Rigs Pits Efficiency Against Safety

Measure would extended federal limits on big rigs

(Newser) - Bigger is not only better—it’s also safer and greener, say trucking-industry advocates who would like to see limits on the size and weight of big rigs on interstate highways lifted. One tells USA Today bigger trucks are more fuel-efficient and minimize pollution. But if truckers are successful, one... More »

Death Traps Vs. Gas Guzzlers Split Automakers

Are there any good choices for consumers in the car size debate?

(Newser) - In the push to curb America’s fuel intake, consumers must often make a choice between safety and fuel economy, Joseph White writes in the Wall Street Journal. The real problem, though, may be that small cars have to share the road with SUVs. “A much bigger issue is... More »

Salt Deficit May Make This Scary

States order massive amounts of salt, pinching other areas

(Newser) - City officials in the Midwest are struggling to prepare for another season of heavy snowfall as road salt supplies drop and prices surge, the Los Angeles Times reports. High demand and once-high gas charges have boosted salt prices, but the spike from $40 to $140 per ton seems exorbitant to... More »

Webcam on Board, Teen Drivers on Alert

Mom and Dad monitor kids' driving, hoping for more road safety

(Newser) - If a pilot program sees good results, teen drivers may soon find themselves under surveillance, reports the Washington Post. Parents in southern Maryland find the new webcam system, which records possible unsafe driving practices, a useful tool. Their offspring, however, aren't thrilled at the prospect of losing one of their... More »

Speed Limits Aren't Saving Lives, So Make Cars Slower

Government's priorities elsewhere, but cars that can't top 75 would save gas, too

(Newser) - Speeding contributes to 13,000 US road deaths each year, and, at 30% of traffic fatalities, places only slightly behind alcohol, at 39%, Kent A. Sepkowitz writes in the New York Times. While preventing drunk driving is a complex problem requiring cooperation of motorists, police, and educators, speeding can be... More »

Motorcycle Deaths Rise 6.6%

Overall traffic deaths down but motorbike deaths up for 10th year in a row

(Newser) - The number of motorcyclist deaths rose in 2007 for the 10th year in a row, the New York Times reports, jumping 6.6% even as the overall number of vehicle deaths continued to drop. Motorcycle deaths now account for one in eight traffic fatalities, totaling 5,154 last year—a... More »

Road Deaths Drop as Gas Price Soars

Study estimates $4 gas will prevent 1,000 deaths a month

(Newser) - The record-breaking gas prices putting the squeeze on American drivers may be a lifesaver for some, reports the AP. Experts crunched 20 years of data and discovered that auto deaths fell 2.3% for every 10% hike in gas prices. When gas went up, people drove slower and bought safer... More »

Trucking Goes High Tech

Tracking improves efficiency, safety—and kept final Harry Potter book from escaping

(Newser) - Trucking companies are adopting technologies that track vehicles, monitor trucks’ condition and drivers’ actions, and even act automatically to stop accidents, reports ComputerWorld. The systems help companies meet regulations and contract obligations. Take the company that delivered the final Harry Potter book nationwide within a three-hour window and achieved its... More »

Icy Roads? Beet Juice Just the Right Tonic

New mixture cuts salt, works colder, but side effects still unknown

(Newser) - Road workers in the Chicago area are shaking up their winter ice-busting cocktail with an odd new mixer: beet juice. Sanitation officials are pleased with the combination, which reduces the necessary rock salt (harmful to plants and water supplies) by up to 30% and is effective at temperatures far lower... More »

Cell Talkers Clogging Up Highways

Even those with hands-free devices slow driving conditions, study says

(Newser) - In addition to being distracted and erratic, drivers using cell phones also slow traffic, a study confirms. Using a simulator with virtual traffic scenes, researchers discovered that drivers using mobile phones—even ones with hands-free devices—go more slowly on highways and pass sluggish drivers less frequently. "That SOB... More »

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