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Don't drive like a jerk this weekend

Roads are crowded, stress is high, and bladders are full. Here's some advice that will make everyone on the road get along a little better.

Video
Luc Besson's Save Kids Lives promotes FIA child safety push

In advance of the upcoming global conference on road safety, the FIA has released this short film called Save Kids Lives, directed by French filmmaker Luc Besson of Transporter and The Fifth Element fame.

Video
Nearly a quarter of drivers test positive for drugs in NHTSA study

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is trying to better understand impaired driving in two newly released studies. The first finds the percentage of drugged drivers growing, and the second questions the effect they have on accident rates. Fewer people are driving drunk, though.

Study
US road fatalities down 25 percent over last decade

NHTSA's freshly released 2013 Fatality Analysis Reporting System study shows a total of 32,719 deaths on the roads, a drop of 3.1 percent from 2012 and a decrease of around 25 percent since 2004. However, a handful of the statistics suggest there are still a ways to go to make things more secure for everyone, especially bicyclists.

Study
Drowsy driving involved in 21 percent of fatal car accidents [w/video]

AAA Says Fatigue-Related Crashes Significantly Underreported

AAA estimates drowsy driving is responsible for 6,400 deaths a year.

Followup
Guardrail manufacturer halts sales of impaling terminals pending tests

The controversy over the ET-Plus guardrail end terminals has deepened as Texas-based Trinity Industries has now announced that it will stop selling the problematic roadway safety features.

Report
Aging, obese crash test dummies in development to replicate US population

America's well-publicized weight problem and aging population of baby boomers is collaborating to bring about a change in the humble crash test dummy, as automakers and safety regulators are attempting to build vehicles even better suited to our changing population.

Study
Berkeley findings says motorcycle lane-splitting safer than ever [w/video, poll]

The latest study seems to indicate that riders are better off splitting lanes than ever before.

Report
Colorado motorist fatalities near historic lows since marijuana legalization passed

The argument regarding the legalization of marijuana in Washington and Colorado has its fair share of both supporters and detractors. Some point to a drop in violent crimes and big bumps in tax revenue, while others will point to an increase the number of people driving under the influence. Interestingly, though, that little stat may actually add one

Report
States can't navigate red tape to secure federal highway grants

The push to make American roads safer has received its fair share of help from the federal government, thanks to a robust program of highway safety grants that allow state governments to bolster distracted-driving-prevention programs, install ignition interlocks on the vehicles of first-time drunk drivers and build a more comprehensive graduated licensing system for new drivers.

Report
NYC mayor importing traffic safety program from Sweden to end road deaths

The streets of New York City are getting a Scandinavian makeover to be safer for pedestrians. Mayor Bill De Blasio has taken inspiration from Sweden's Vision Zero law, which has as it's goal the eradication of roadway deaths. He is bringing many of its concepts to the Big Apple.

Report
Glow-in-the-dark roads put on hold due to technical glitches

Any dreams that you may have of cruising along the Netherlands' Tron-like, glow-in-the-dark roads are ruined – for now. The pilot project to test the glimmering streets fizzled because the illumination just wasn't bright enough in many situations, and it failed at times when it was needed most.

Report
Toyota Prius gets higher clearance, better suspension in Pakistan

It's been 16 years since the Toyota Prius launched in Japan. Finally, the world's most popular hybrid is becoming the first hybrid car to show up in Pakistan. This version of the Prius has been customized by Indus Motor Company (IMC) in order to deal with, well, let's just say some challenging road conditions.

Report
Smart snowplows could mean safer winter roads

With winter in full swing across a number of northern states and many Americans driving home after spending the holidays with family, the icy and snowy roads are being given no shortage of attention. But a new plan from the National Center for Atmospheric Research and funded by the US Department of Transportation is given authorities new abilities when it comes to combatting dangerous winter roads.

Report
NHTSA says road fatalities up 3.3% in 2012

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has crunched the numbers, and its data says that 2012 was a deadlier year for US motorists than 2011, with a 3.3-percent increase in road fatalities. 33,561 people were killed, with much of the blame being placed on an unseasonably warm winter that put more people behind the wheel than usual. Although 1,082 more people were killed, 72 percent were killed during the first quarter of the year, when

Study
IIHS calls out big rigs for dangerous rear underride guards [w/video]

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is always looking for new ways to make America's highways safer, and this latest test checks out the crashworthiness of one of the most overlooked vehicles on the road: tractor trailers. Pointing out design flaws inherent in semi trailers during rear-end collisions, the IIHS performed three different tests on eight of the most popular semi trailers on the market including

Report
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Netherlands getting glow-in-the-dark, color-changing Smart Highway [w/video]

Most automotive safety advancements these days are being made either through the automakers or government standards, but one group in the Netherlands is coming up with innovative ways of making the roads safer... literally. Design firm Studio Roosegaarde and Heijmans Infrastructure have teamed up to introduce ideas for a so-called "Smart Highway" which was recently named the Best Future Concept at the Dutch Design Awards.

Report
Florida to redesign license plates because traffic cameras have hard time reading them?

A lot of companies are making (or at least trying to make) money these days selling devices that improve drivers' odds of beating traffic cameras. As it turns out, though, having a Florida license plate on the back of your car could be the best defense against paying traffic fines like red light camera tickets and tol

Video
Dash cam captures MD trooper clipped by semi truck

Most states have some sort of "Move Over" law requiring drivers to change lanes or slow down when passing emergency vehicles that are stopped on the side of the road, and the reason for these laws is to prevent what happened to Maryland state trooper David Avila. He had just pulled over a Hyundai Santa Fe when a semi truck veered onto the shoulder, hit the parked police car and clipped Avila, who was standing next to the pulled-over vehicl

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