February 22, 2010
NHTSA CELL PHONE POLICY DRAFT
The wireless communications industry has grown at an extraordinary rate in recent years. There are currently more than 170 million cell phone subscribers -more than half of the US. population. According to a National Highway Trafic Safety Administration survey, 6% of daylight driving time – up fmm 4% in 2000 – involves talking on the phone.
However, NHTSA’s position is that the primary responsibility of the driver has always been to operate a motor vehicle safely. It is a task that requires full attention and focus. Statistics show that all distractions, whether associated with the use of technology or not, can increase the risk of a crash.
NHTSA estimates that driver distraction contributes to about 25 percent of all police reported traffic crashes. Though all distractions are a concern, we have seen the growth of a particular distraction, namely cell phone use while driving. While the precise impact cannot be quantified, we nevertheless have concluded that the use of cell phones while driving has contributed to an increasing number of crashes, injuries and fatalities.
A significant body of research worldwide indicates that both hand-held and hands-free cell phones increase the risk of a crash. Indeed, research has demonstrated that there is little, if any, difference between the use of hand-held and hands-free phones in contributing to the risk of a crash while driving distracted. Hands-free or hand-held, we have found that the cognitive distraction is significant enough to degrade a drivers’ performance.
We recommend that drivers not use these devices when driving, except in an emergency. Moreover, we are convinced that legislation forbidding the use of handheld cell phones while driving may not be effective in improving highway safety since it will not address the problem. In fact, such legislation may erroneously imply that hands-free phones are safe to use while driving.
February 15, 2010
Rollovers occur in One of Two ways: Tripped or Un-tripped.
http://www.safercar.gov/
TYPES OF ROLLOVERS
TRIPPED ROLLOVERS
NHTSA data show that 95% of single-vehicle rollovers are tripped . This happens when a vehicle leaves the roadway and slides sideways, digging its tires into soft soil or striking an object such as a curb or guardrail. The high tripping force applied to the tires in these situations can cause the vehicle to roll over.
Types of tripped rollovers:
Soft Soil
Tripping can also occur when a vehicle is traveling forward, typically at a high speed. If one side of the vehicle rides up on an object, like a guardrail, it may be forced to roll over.
Steep Slope
Tripping can also occur on severe slopes in off-road situations. If an incline’s slope is too steep to keep the vehicle upright, it can topple over.
One of the best ways to avoid a rollover, therefore, is to stay on the road. Electronic Stability Control is a promising new technology that will help drivers stay on the road in emergency situations.
UN-TRIPPED
Un-tripped rollovers are less common than tripped rollovers, occurring less than 5% of the time, and mostly to top-heavy vehicles. Instead of an object serving as a tripping mechanism, un-tripped rollovers usually occur during high-speed collision avoidance maneuvers.
Rollover Characteristics
Rollovers are complex crash incidents and are particularly violent in nature. Rollovers, more so than other types of crashes, reflect the interaction of the driver, road, vehicle, and environmental factors. So while vehicle type does play a significant role, other factors such as driver behavior and road and environmental conditions can also cause a vehicle to roll over.
VEHICLE TYPE
All types of vehicles can rollover. However, taller, narrower vehicles such as SUVs, pickups, and vans have higher centers of gravity, and thus are more susceptible to rollover if involved in a single-vehicle crash.
SPEED
Fatal rollover crashes are speed-related more often than fatal non-rollover crashes. Some 40% of fatal rollover crashes involved excessive speeding . Additionally, nearly ¾ of fatal rollovers took place where the posted speed limit was 55 miles per hour or higher.
ALCOHOL
Nearly half of all fatal rollover crashes involve alcohol . Impairment can result from any blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above .00 . Even a small amount of alcohol will negatively affect your judgment, muscular coordination, and vision, making you more likely to lose control of your vehicle.
LOCATION
Rural roads tend to be undivided and without barriers. They are thus more likely to be the scene of a fatal rollover. Almost ¾ of fatal rollovers occur in rural areas where the posted speed limit is typically 55 miles per hour or higher.
ROUTINE DRIVING
NHTSA data also suggest that over 90% of the vehicles in fatal, single-vehicle rollover crashes were involved in routine driving maneuvers (going straight or negotiating a curve) at the time of the crash. This further suggests that driver behavior (distraction, inattentiveness, speeding, and impaired driving) plays a significant role in rollover crashes.
SINGLE-VEHICLE CRASHES
NHTSA data show that nearly 85% of all rollover-related fatalities are the result of single-vehicle crashes. This means that the majority of rollover crashes and fatalities do not involve any other vehicle besides the one that rolled over, further suggesting that driver behavior plays a significant role in rollover crashes.
August 13, 2009
2009 Licensed Drivers by County
Florida Department of Motor Vehicles
Martin County: 126,587
St. Lucie: 213,469
Indian River: 117,550
Okeechobee: 29,139
Highway Fatalities Down in Florida: Florida ended 2008
with 2,983 traffic fatalities, the lowest the statistic has been
in eight years. The last time Florida’s total number of fatalities
was less than 3,000 was in 2000 when there were 2,999
fatalities. State traffic deaths in 2008 were down 238, a seven
percent reduction, from 2007 when 3,221 people died and
328 fewer than the five-year average of 3,311 deaths. While
the numbers of fatalities are similar for 2000 and 2008, the
Sunshine State’s population grew by more than 2.8 million,
an increase of nearly 18 percent.
Primary Safety Belt Law Passed: Senate Bill 344, the
“Dori Slosberg and Katie Marchetti Safety Belt Law” was
passed by the 2009 Legislature. The new law allows for the
primary enforcement of Florida’s safety belt requirements,
which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
estimates will prevent 142 fatalities in Florida annually. The
law, sponsored by Senator Nan Rich, Representative Rich
Glorioso, and supported by Governor Charlie Crist, took
effect June 30, 2009. According to a 2008 National Traffic
Highway Safety Administration study, states with primary
enforcement laws rank in the top five for safety belt usage
while Florida ranks 35th in the nation.
DUI Enforcement: Ten Troopers from across Florida were
recognized for their outstanding DUI enforcement efforts
in 2008. Each Trooper made over 100 DUI arrests. Trooper
Ronald Evans Jr. earned the Hurd-Smith award for his extraordinary
DUI enforcement efforts, which included 187 DUI
arrests, more than one every other day.
Aggressive Driving: FHP initiated several enforcement
initiatives to combat aggressive driving. In North Florida Operation
“Take Back 98,” intensified enforcement and awareness
on US 98, a congested route in Okaloosa and Walton
Counties, where speeding increases incidents of crashes,
injuries and deaths. In South Florida the Blitz on Aggressive
Drivers task force focused enforcement on the Interstates
running through Broward County. The task force works in
concert to save lives and reduce injuries by stopping aggressive
drivers. In the first six months the task force issued over
1,000 citations. In Southwest Florida where a high frequency
of speeding complaints, crashes and fatalities occur, Aggressive
Concentrated Enforcement Teams have issued 1,158
seatbelt citations, 263 speeding citations, and arrested 26
drivers with a suspended or no valid license.
Operation Safe Ride: A powerful unannounced concentrated
enforcement effort targeted spring-time drivers in
March and April. The effort addressed the growing concern
over speeding, aggressive driving, and other driving practices
that place motorists at higher risk for crashes. Operation
Safe Ride is part of a long-term traffic safety campaign
that focuses on hazardous violations to prevent deaths and
injuries on our roadways. Troopers issued over 22,000 traffic
citations during the combined eight day effort
