Autoblog

Car accidents claim a life every 15 minutes... and other sobering car crash stats

John Neff — Thu, 06 May 2010 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety

Click above to view infographic after the jump

Car accidents are the cost of doing business for a society that can't live without its automobiles. Ever since some not so subtle prodding back in the '60s (Thanks Mr. Nader!), automakers have continued to improve the car's ability to not only protect us when accidents do occur, but also avoid them in the first place. Nevertheless, one-third of all accidental deaths in the U.S. per year still involve cars. In fact, someone in this country dies in a car accident every 15 ~~seconds~~ minutes. Sobering stats for sure, more of which can be found after the jump in our latest infographic.

[Source: Auto Insurance for Autoblog.com, Source Image: minds-eye / CC BY-SA 2.0]

Continue reading Car accidents claim a life every 15 minutes... and other sobering car crash stats

Car accidents claim a life every 15 minutes... and other sobering car crash stats originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 May 2010 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Answering the Age-Old Question: Who's the safe driver, man or woman?

Chris Shunk — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:27:00 EST

Filed under: Safety

Nice work, guys. When we're behind the wheel, we're apparently a danger to human life. The New York Times reports that a recent study by the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) says that men are 50 percent to 100 percent more likely to be behind the wheel in a fatal accident than are our female counterparts. The SIRC theorizes that the reason for the discrepancy is that men just don't like rules.

Not just any rules, mind you. We're talking driving rules. The NYT cites several studies that show men are more likely to drink and drive, run a red light, race other drivers and tailgate. Further, one study showed that men were up to four times more likely to drink and drive as women. We're more aggressive, we're three times more likely to honk the horn, and we're statistically proven to be more likely to take risks.

The authors of all these studies feel that the reason for our aggression and risk-taking has something to do with our DNA. Apparently, the hunter within each of us compels us to value speed, strength and a solid quarter mile run. But men aren't always the worst drivers. One study cited by the Times reportedly showed that women were more likely to get into accidents on a per-mile basis. We'd take a moment to celebrate our lone victory, but with the overwhelming evidence pointing out that we're more dangerous drivers than women, our hypocrisy only travels so far.

[Source: The New York Times | Image: xJasonRogersx CC 2.0]

Answering the Age-Old Question: Who's the safe driver, man or woman? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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STUDY: Majority of highway fatalities caused by deficient road conditions

Noah Joseph — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:28:00 EST

Filed under: Maintenance, Government/Legal, Safety

What would you think to be the leading contributor to fatalities in car crashes here in the States? Failure to use seat belts? Speeding? Drunk driving? Think again. According to a new study commissioned by Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE), the leading cause of highway fatalities is deficient road conditions. In fact, the study asserts, with a roadway-related crash occurring every minute on American streets, inadequate roadway infrastructure is responsible for the majority of highway fatalities in the United States and over a third of injuries incurred in non-fatal crashes as well.

Given the state of many roadways, you might think that the situation - like America's road network - is beyond repair. However, the study, entitled "On a Crash Course: The Dangers and Health Costs of Deficient Roadways," assesses the financial cost alone of crashes caused by these substandard roadways - as a whopping $217 billion annually, including medical bills, loss of productivity and property damage. That's more than three-and-a-half times the $59 billion which local, state and federal governments in the United States invest in improving America's roadways. PIRE's solution? Improving road conditions, of course, including better signage and markings, widening shoulders and removing obstacles from roadsides. Follow the jump to read more on PIRE's findings and suggested solutions for what it deems is one of the largest killers in America.

[Source: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation | Image: STR/AFP/Getty]

Continue reading STUDY: Majority of highway fatalities caused by deficient road conditions

STUDY: Majority of highway fatalities caused by deficient road conditions originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bermudavich Triangleski: inordinate number of accidents at Moscow intersection

Noah Joseph — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Click above to see 15 crashes at the Moscow intersection

Every city has at least one: a badly designed intersection with poor visibility that's prone to car accidents. But this one looks like it was laid out by Rasputin. What you see here isn't a snapshot from the set of The Bourne Ultimatum. It's a junction in the increasingly over-populated streets of Moscow where passers-by regularly observe an inordinate amount of crashes. Fortunately, the accidents look like mostly fender-benders, but we'd think that the ~~Supreme Soviet~~ Russian authorities would want to centrally plan a redesign of the intersection, or at least consider revising the signalization, especially since they don't so much have to worry about confounding European armies marching through their capital these days. Until then, more cars are bound to pile up at these crossroads, which you can see from the images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Crashes at Moscow intersection

[Source: English Russia via Jalopnik]

Bermudavich Triangleski: inordinate number of accidents at Moscow intersection originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More proof that a surprising number of Ferrari owners can't drive

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:03:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Supercars, Ferrari, Australia

It wouldn't be correct to say that all Ferrari drivers can't drive. What we can say is that a lot of Ferrari drivers are probably not short of ego, and also probably have little idea of what their cars can do when pressed. Combine a robust confidence with a watching crowd, add a high-powered and sometimes testy car, thrown in a little bit of ignorance... and a pole.. and what you get is the image above.

A man in Australia pulled out of a garage in his Ferrari 360 Spyder, took his chance to impress some gathered folks at cafes lining the street, and floored it. The car, as they say in the business, got away from him. The pole in the median did not. We're never happy to see (another) wrecked Ferrari, or to see a man carted away from his toy by the police, so to you kids with Ferraris, please learn from this and stop the madness.

Our favorite part of this picture is that, having made his boo-boo and probably realizing what he's in for, the driver is still just sitting in the car, although the guy in the blue shirt flexing in the background also gets a special mention... Thanks for the tip, Sam!

[Source: EHOWA]

More proof that a surprising number of Ferrari owners can't drive originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"Hello dad, I totaled your Ferrari - what time is dinner?"

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Supercars, Ferrari, Australia

Somewhere, a father in Melbourne weeps. There were 16 Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradales imported to Australia and New Zealand. There are now 15. A proud dad gave his son the keys to his so-rare-it's-almost-extinct Ferrari, and his son got a little too frisky with the audacious redhead. She didn't appreciate his advances, he lost control of the situation, and that little redhead introduced him to a pole... at a high rate of speed by the looks of it.

And as if that didn't beat all, the kid had to call home. While news crews watched. And filmed. Only to have newspapers and blogs spread the story around the world. No word on what his father said, but it probably rhymed with "Why I oughta @#%$*&%!"

Police say the driver was speeding, which means he must not have seen these commercials. But now, at least, he has a theme song, so sing along: "To you other kids all across the land, take it from me, parents just don't understand..." Thanks for the tip, Patrick!

[Source: Sydney Morning Herald]

"Hello dad, I totaled your Ferrari - what time is dinner?" originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 May 2008 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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