Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[STUDY: Raising national speed limit has resulted in 12,500 deaths ]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/20/study-raising-national-speed-limit-has-resulted-in-12-500-death/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/20/study-raising-national-speed-limit-has-resulted-in-12-500-death/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/20/study-raising-national-speed-limit-has-resulted-in-12-500-death/#commentsFiled under: ,



In 1995, highway speed limits increased from a nation-wide 55 mph to 65, 70 or 75 mph, depending on the state, and most Americans were thrilled. The obvious benefit of the change was people could legally get to where they wanted to go, but according to a new study, the downside has been an alarming increase in accidents and deaths.

The University of Illinois School of Public Health studied accidents from 1995 to 2005 to determine the impact on the speed increase on accidents. The study examined deaths and injuries in fatal car crashes on rural interstate highways, urban interstates and non-interstate road, and found the speed increase resulted in 2,545 deaths and an additional 36,582 injuries.

All told, the study found that deaths and injuries increased by 3.2% over the ten-year period, while rural road deaths increased by an alarming 9.1%. Lead researcher Lee S. Friedman says the easy way to solve the increases in deaths and injuries would be to drop the speed limit back to 55 mph, adding "Researchers have demonstrated that lower travel speeds and death tolls usually follow lowering of speed limits, and higher travel speeds and death tolls follow increases in speed limits."

Naturally, Friedman points out that the drop in speed would result in decreased fuel consumption and lower greenhouse gasses as well. Studies show that decreased speeds lead to higher volume capacity on freeways as well, as drivers require less distance between vehicles to safely drive.

Not all agree with Friedman's hypothesis, though. Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, says that while deaths will decrease with a lower speed limit, it'd also gum up everyone's schedule. Others point out that the bulk of the added deaths happened in areas where limits are 70 and 75 mph, and where the limits were 65, the impact was far less severe.

[Source: US News | Image Source: Ian Waldie/Getty]

STUDY: Raising national speed limit has resulted in 12,500 deaths originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto accidentauto accidentsAutoAccidentAutoAccidentscar accidentcar accidentscar crashcar crashesCarAccidentCarAccidentsCarCrashCarCrashescause of deathCauseOfDeathdeathdeficient roadwayDeficientRoadwayfatalitiesfatalityhighwayhighway maintenancehighway markingsHighwayMaintenanceHighwayMarkingsPacific Institute for Research and EvaluationPacificInstituteForResearchAndEvaluationpireroad constructionroad maintenanceroad networkroad safetyRoadConstructionRoadMaintenanceRoadNetworkRoadSafetyroadwaysafetysignagetraffic safetyTrafficSafetyThu, 02 Jul 2009 10:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Huh? IIHS says senior motorists in fewer deadly crashes]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/23/huh-iihs-says-senior-motorists-in-fewer-deadly-crashes/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/23/huh-iihs-says-senior-motorists-in-fewer-deadly-crashes/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/23/huh-iihs-says-senior-motorists-in-fewer-deadly-crashes/#commentsFiled under: ,



Seniors over the age of 70 have long been associated with unsafe driving, with death rates steadily increasing as more elderly hit the road. At least that's what we thought. A new study by IIHS shows that the death rate of elderly drivers has declined by 21% between 1997 and 2006. The decline was far greater than it was with any other age group, which is even more amazing when considering the fact that elderly drivers increased by 10% during that time. Time behind the wheel has increased as well, with seniors logging far more miles than they have in the past. Some reasons for the decline include healthier, more fit seniors and safer drivers. State governments have also been more diligent in getting unfit seniors off the road with regular skills tests. One study shows that seniors are increasingly aware of the dangers of driving, and limiting drive time at night and on the interstate.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Huh? IIHS says senior motorists in fewer deadly crashes originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crash ratingCrashRatingelderly driversElderlyDriversfatalitiessafetysenior citizenSeniorCitizenTue, 23 Dec 2008 07:01:00 EST<![CDATA[NHTSA: Back-up cameras are expensive and unreliable]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/22/nhtsa-back-up-cameras-are-expensive-and-unreliable/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/22/nhtsa-back-up-cameras-are-expensive-and-unreliable/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/22/nhtsa-back-up-cameras-are-expensive-and-unreliable/#commentsFiled under: ,

Congress asked the NHTSA to put together a report on electronic measures available in vehicles to help prevent fatalities from people being backed over. The NHTSA doesn't have exact stats on how many people are killed in these kinds of accidents because they mostly happen on private property. However, the agency does have a clear take on what it thinks of reversing cameras: they are "expensive, unreliable, and [give] drivers a false sense of security."

Some commentators have taken that to mean that there is something wrong with reversing cameras, in columns with titles like "Rear-View Cameras Not Foolproof." To put it simply: nothing is foolproof. True, there are rear view camera systems that don't provide much field-of-view or no nighttime visibility. And the gigantic backsides of some SUV's can make it difficult to get everything in the rather small screen used for the navi. Nevertheless, rear-view cameras are meant to be an aid to sound driving, not a preventive that can assure you never run over anyone when you reverse as long as you're looking at the screen.

The NHTSA is working on getting better numbers, but in the mean time it "plans to work to improve the use of detection systems to potentially help alert drivers to backovers."

[Source: Yahoo!]

NHTSA: Back-up cameras are expensive and unreliable originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Aug 2007 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentscongressfatalitiesgovernmentnhtsarear-view cameraRear-viewCamerastudiesWed, 22 Aug 2007 10:27:00 EST<![CDATA[Surprise, surprise: U.S. ranks 42nd out of 48 countries in deaths per capita]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/23/surprise-surprise-u-s-ranks-42nd-out-of-48-countries-in-death/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/23/surprise-surprise-u-s-ranks-42nd-out-of-48-countries-in-death/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/23/surprise-surprise-u-s-ranks-42nd-out-of-48-countries-in-death/#commentsFiled under: ,

When you hear that the US is 42nd out of 48 countries when it comes to number of deaths per capita, it might sound like a good thing. Until you find out that the rankings go from lowest to highest -- which means, yes, that of the measured countries, there are only six places where driving is more deadly than the Land of the Free. (Tip: you might want to avoid driving in Russia and Lithuania for a few more years.)

The posited reasons are varied and numerous, and include the brevity of driver training, lax laws, weak enforcement, no emphasis on public transport, little public awareness, and a lack of Federal legislation. Regardless of the causes, the effect is that it's riskier to get behind the wheel here than it is in the Poland or Estonia. This is despite the fact that cars have gotten exponentially safer, and the US leads the world in the adoption of electronic stability control, said to be "the greatest life-saving technology since the seat belt."

If there's any consolation, it's that the US does considerably better in the number of fatalities per mile driven, where the US comes in at number 11. Before you celebrate, in 1970 the US was number one. Which country has the lowest number of fatalities per capita? Malta.

[Source: New York Times]

Surprise, surprise: U.S. ranks 42nd out of 48 countries in deaths per capita originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentsdeathsfatalitiesrankingsstatisticstrafficMon, 23 Jul 2007 09:25:00 EST<![CDATA[GM plans to equip all models with rollover air bags]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/05/gm-plans-to-equip-all-models-with-rollover-air-bags/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/05/gm-plans-to-equip-all-models-with-rollover-air-bags/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/05/gm-plans-to-equip-all-models-with-rollover-air-bags/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Although rollovers only make up three percent of crashes in the US, they account for over a quarter of all traffic fatalities. General Motors is in the process of investing over $10 million to study the effects of rollover crashes and while doing so, has made a pledge to outfit all their vehicles with rollover-enabled airbags by 2012.

Currently, a little under half of the vehicles sold by GM are equipped with such detection and deployment systems, and although the number of rollover crashes is small in comparison when viewed amidst the majority of crashes, the General thinks that more research is necessary.

[Source: Detroit News]

GM plans to equip all models with rollover air bags originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Dec 2006 06:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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