Foggy Conditions Can Cause Big Traffic Crashes

By WHSV3

"AUGUSTA COUNTY -- A pileup on Interstate 77 along the Virginia-North Carolina border has been blamed primarily on fog, but major accidents have happened in our area before.
The Shenandoah Valley sees its share of wild weather. Fog is a frequent occurrence, especially in the spring and fall months.
Sandy Myers with the Virginia Department of Transportation said fog can create especially dangerous travel conditions in notorious areas, like Afton Mountain
"Historically we have seen some multiple vehicle accidents up there," said Myers.
In April 1992, 60 vehicles crashed in heavy fog conditions and two people died.
And in April 1998, heavy fog was to blame in a 65 car pile up. Another crash involving 18 vehicles happened three weeks later.
VDOT said those major accidents along this stretch of Interstate 64 caused them to be more proactive about keeping drivers safe.
Weather systems along the interstate collect data, ranging from surface temperatures, humidity, wind and atmospheric conditions. Once a threshold is reached, an alert is sent out.
"All of those things combined are going to affect the drivers experience. Because if they're driving through snow or fog or ice, that's going to impact their vehicles performance, and their performance as well."
Fog lights are activated along the highway to help drivers see, but the best thing drivers can do is to slow down. It may save lives."

Source

Insurer Analyzes Top 10 Driving Distractions Involved in Fatal Car Crashes

"Of the more than 65,000 people in the U.S. killed in car crashes over the past two years, one in 10 were in crashes where at least one of the drivers was distracted, according to an analysis by Erie Insurance.
The Erie, Penn.-based insurer examined police report data in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), a nationwide census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Erie Insurance also consulted with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in its analysis.

“Distracted driving is any activity that takes your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel, or your mind off your primary task of driving safely,” said Doug Smith, senior vice president of personal lines at Erie Insurance.
“We looked at what law enforcement officers across the country reported when they filled out reports on fatal crashes and the results were disturbing. We hope the data will encourage people to avoid these high-risk behaviors that needlessly increase their risk of being involved in a fatal crash.”
The analysis, which looked at data from 2010 and 2011, showed police listed the majority of drivers who were distracted as “generally distracted” or “lost in thought.” Police also listed several more specific types of distractions.
Below are the top 10 distractions involved in fatal car crashes:

Erie Insurance says that because FARS data on distraction is based largely on police officers’ judgment at the time of the crash — and also because some people may be reluctant to admit they were distracted when being interviewed by police after a fatal car crash — the numbers are difficult to verify and may, in fact, under-represent the seriousness and prevalence of driving distractions.
The insurer says that the data is meaningful, however, because unlike surveys in which consumers self-report the types of distracted behaviors they engage in, the FARS data is based on actual police reports on fatal crashes.
In addition to encouraging drivers to avoid the distractions above, Erie Insurance offers the following tips to avoid cell phone distraction:
• Let incoming cell phone calls go to voice mail.
• If someone calls you while they’re driving, ask them to call you back later and hang up.
• If you must talk or text, pull over.
• Lead by example; if you want your children to drive safely, show them how it’s done."

Link to report

Driving Instructor Discusses Rise in Teen Driver Deaths.

"The Governors Highway Safety Association released a report on Tuesday which shows a 19-percent increase of teen driver deaths during the last year.
Jerry Fawley is a driving instructor at Shenandoah Valley Driving School. He said he's seen a lot of teen drivers die in crashes here in the Valley during the last year.
Fawley said most young drivers crash from speeding, inexperience and distractions. He said he tries to teach his students about these issues before they get their driving license, but that doesn't guarantee a teen's safety once he or she is driving alone.
He said the latest spike in teen deaths likely comes from distracted driving.
"That is, I think the contributing factor,” said Fawley, “We've always had inexperience and speed and then, now the distractions were before, it was just other students in the car, other teenagers in the car."
Fawley said now, the distractions aren't just having friends in the car. It's having an increase of technology, like cellphones and GPS systems that take away the attention of drivers."

Source

Link to Report

Sleepy Teens can be Dangerous Drivers.

By WHSV3

"Seven to nine hours - that's the recommended amount of sleep every teen is supposed to get. But a new study finds, more than one in five teens gets less.
"Being sleep deprived and driving is probably worse than driving drunk," guessed UVa graduate student Eric Magnuson. Well, maybe not worse, but it's certainly a concern among young drivers like Magnuson, and the people who teach them.
Richard Wharam has been helping Albemarle County students learn to drive for more than 16 years. He says exhausted drivers are dangerous.
"When we fall asleep for two, three seconds at 60 miles an hour you're traveling over a football field," Wharam said.
What happens during those couple of seconds can be deadly. Wharam says 53 percent of teen driving fatalities happen when a driver veers off of the road, and overcorrects.
he demostrates safe offroad recovery.
A new study finds more than 20 percent of young people say they don't get enough sleep, study results that don't surprise Magnuson. He says now more than ever, it's easier to lose track of time and stay up too late.
"I think with rises of things like the computer and the internet its easier to stay up and do things that are entertaining," Magnuson said..
But Wharam says, rather than staying up, teens should be staying alert.
"We need to be aware of the fact that today's traffic congestion is so bad you need to be wide awake and alert and searching and evaluating, predicting the behavior of other drivers you can't be half asleep doing that stuff," Wharam said.
The Canadian Medical Association Journal recently surveyed more than 4,000 teens. More than 800 of them said they didn't get enough sleep. The study linked sleep disturbance to a higher risk of heart disease later in life."

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Picture Source

Highway fatalities unexpectedly surge.

"After a decade of sharp declines, highway fatalities increased unexpectedly during the first quarter of 2012, according to preliminary government data – and a warm winter may catch at least some of the blame.

Traffic deaths surged a substantial 13.5% for the three-month period, according to a preliminary analysis by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  That’s a significant reversal of recent trends.  Last year, roadway fatalities fell 1.7%, to the lowest overall total in more than 60 years.  And, on a per-mile basis, it was an all-time record.

For the first quarter of this year, NHTSA says 7,360 people were called in traffic accidents, up from 6,720 the year before.  If that figure holds it would work out to about 1.10 deaths per 100 million miles driven compared to 0.98 deaths the year before.

Despite bad winter road conditions in many parts of the country, the first quarter generally sees a decline in traffic deaths because people drive less.  And, in general, American motorists have been curtailing driving, in recent years, to compensate for rising fuel prices.

But there was a 1.4% surge in the number of miles Americans drove during the first quarter of 2012, and that may have been encouraged by the unusually mild winter that brought spring and even summer-like temperatures to much of the country.

Noting the first quarter was “unseasonably warmer than usual in most areas of the country,” a NHTSA statement cautioned that, “Consequently, the fatality rate for the first quarter should not be used to make inferences for the fatality rate for the whole of 2012.”

Certainly, safety advocates hope that’s the case. The U.S. traffic death total has been plunging sharply for the last seven years.  As recently as 2005, there were 43,510 deaths on U.S. roads – a figure that includes pedestrian fatalities. But last year’s number came in at 32,310, the lowest figure since 1949. On a per-miles-driven rate it was the lowest number since the government began keeping records in 1921.

Travel also fell last year by 1.2%, year-over-year, to 2.963 trillion miles driven by American motorists.  That was the lowest figure since 2003. But Americans drove an extra 9.7 billion miles during the mild first quarter, a 1.4% increase over January to March 2011.

NHTSA’s disconcerting numbers may actually understate the problem. Using its own data the National Safety Council estimated first-quarter 2012 traffic deaths rose to 8,170, up from 7,270 a year earlier.

Whatever the final number, researchers will clearly be examining their data to determine the precise cause of, most likely, causes. Safety experts have been worried about increasing problems with driver distraction, something U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has described as an “epidemic,” responsible for as much as one in 11 fatalities on American roads."

Source

NHTSA: Traffic deaths shoot up 13.5 percent.

By 9WSYR.com

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Traffic deaths soared 13.5 percent in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period last year, and the number of deaths per miles driven also rose significantly, according to preliminary government estimates released Friday.

An estimated 7,630 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the first three months of 2012, up from 6,720 deaths in the first quarter of last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. It's not unusual for preliminary estimates to change, but revisions usually don't vary significantly.

If the estimate holds true, it would be the second largest year-to-year quarterly increase since the government began recording traffic fatalities in 1975. It would also run counter to historic declines in deaths over the past four years. In May, the safety administration, citing preliminary estimates, said total traffic deaths last year were the lowest in six decades, and the rate of deaths per miles driven was lower than at any time since 1921.

That rate was back up in the first quarter of this year at 1.1 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled compared to .98 fatalities in the first three months of 2011. Less dramatically, the number of miles driven by motorists also increased by 1.4 percent during the period.

The safety administration didn't offer any explanation for why fatalities would have risen so markedly, but safety experts said a recovering economy and unusually mild winter may have been a factor. People drive more in good weather, particularly motorcyclists, and when the economy is thriving.

"We are disappointed in the news, but not particularly surprised," Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, said. "Unprecedented gains have been made since 2006 in reducing traffic deaths. So, from that low baseline, an increase is not unexpected."

Source

July 4 Declared Deadliest Day for Teens and Americans on the Road.

By StreetInsider

"SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer is supposed to be a time of celebration for teens and their families with prom, graduation and college on the horizon. Unfortunately, new analysis of crash data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows that July 4 is the deadliest day for teens on the road and is just as deadly for the motorists that will be driving alongside them.

Nationally, car crashes are the number one cause of death for everyone ages 1-34, with teens crashing four times more often than any other age group. Based on the latest available data, IIHS reports that more than 800 people were killed on July 4 from 2006-2010. And if the projections remain true this year, an average of 140 people will lose their lives on July 4 due to car crashes. California alone lost 241 people during the month of July, 2010, due to fatal car crashes. July trends as one of deadliest months on the road for all drivers.

Teens accounted for nearly 10 percent of the U.S. fatalities that occur on July 4 and are particularly susceptible to fatal distracted driving incidents. Research from The Allstate Foundation found that 49 percent report that texting is their biggest distraction behind the wheel.

"These tragedies are compounded by the fact that many crashes are preventable," says Phil Telgenhoff, field vice president of Allstate in California. "Driver error, speeding and distractions are the main causes of crashes, and seemingly simple activities such as switching radio stations or interacting with friends can significantly impair a teen's or adult's ability to react quickly to changing traffic conditions."

"Staying focused on the road, wearing seat belts and following the speed limit and other road rules are simple steps we can all take this July 4 to make sure that we return home safely," he recommends.

Currently, legislation that would encourage the states to enact optimal teen driving laws, or Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws, is being considered by Congress as a part of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill. GDL policies have been shown to reduce traffic fatalities by as much as 40 percent in the states where they have been adopted. Additionally, recent research from The Allstate Foundation's License to Save report found that comprehensive GDL laws could save an estimated 2,000 lives and $13.6 billion annually.

Allstate and The Allstate Foundation urge Americans to do their part in making roads safer for all families during the Independence Day holiday. The Allstate Foundation's website is a great tool for additional facts and resources that can keep everyone safe on America's roads. Parents in particular can take simple steps to help their teens be safer on the road:

For Parents:

• Talk to your teen early and often. Discuss the risks and responsibilities of driving with your child at a young age and keep talking to your teen before, during and after the licensing process.
• Don't rush the training process. Just because teens have a permit or license doesn't mean they are ready for every driving condition. By easing into the training process, you'll help ensure you and your teen will be ready for any situation.
• Understand your state's laws. GDL laws are minimum standards that can help keep teens safer on the road; however, the more that parents are involved in their teen's driving experience, the more likely they will be a safer driver and passenger. To help educate parents and teens about the safety measures that keep drivers protected, The Allstate Foundation created a new free Parent-Teen Driving Agreement. The agreement can help parents and their teens make safer decisions when they get behind the wheel and when they ride as passengers with their friends.
• Practice what you preach. Be a positive role model when you're behind the wheel. Your teen is more likely to be a calm and courteous driver, wear a seat belt and follow the rules of the road if they see you do the same."

Source

100 Deadliest Days.

by Wendy Tepfer Community Parent Center 

"Spring is an exciting time for teens. It is the season for proms and graduations, the school year is ending, and summer vacation is just around the corner. The carefree days of summer can create a false sense of security for teen drivers; the fact is, they should come with a warning. Parents must talk to their teens about safe driving practices. If parents have already had this conversation with their teens, then now is a good time to reinforce the issues and their expectations. Automobile crashes are the number one killer of teenagers in the U.S., more than cancer, heart disease and AIDS combined. (statistics by AAA) Every year about 6,000 teens die in car crashes. That’s an average of 16 teenagers a day. More than 300,000 teenagers are injured every year in these crashes, and teens are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as other drivers. (Allstate Foundation)

May has been designated National Youth Traffic Safety Month (NYTSM) in an effort to raise awareness about driving issues among teenagers and their parents. NYTSM was launched by National Organization for Youth Safety (NOYS) in 2007 to encourage teens to conduct safe driving projects during the month of May. May was chosen because Memorial Day kicks off what has been dubbed "100 Deadliest Days for Teens". The 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day are historically among the deadliest for teen drivers, this is when the number of teen driving-related injuries and deaths increase dramatically. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, based on data collected between 1996 and 2006 that tracked the number of deaths in crashes involving drivers ages 15-20:

Twenty-one of the top 25 deadliest days of the year fell between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

The top three deadliest days were: June 14, July 3, and August 8

The top three deadliest months were May, July and August, -accounting for 29 percent of all deaths.

Experts say that the first year of unsupervised driving is the most dangerous, so making sure teens are safe on the road is challenging. Driver error, speeding, passengers and distractions are the main causes of teen crashes, and can significantly impair a teen's ability to react quickly to changing traffic conditions.

Parents should not take anything for granted, make no assumptions and expect the unexpected when it comes to their teens’ driving behaviors. This is a crucial time for education, awareness, and smart decision making. Allstate Foundation suggests signing a parent-teen driving contract: an agreement between teens and their parents, stating that they will abide by ten safe driving practices to promote responsible driving and the consequences for not abiding by them:

• Practice as much as possible
• Always wear seatbelts—driver and all passengers
• Limit number of passengers
• Never drink and drive
• Obey speed limits and all other posted sign, signals and markings
• Limit night-time driving
• Do not use cell phone for talking or text messaging
• Avoid distractions—no eating, drinking, adjusting the radio or climate controls
• Drive a safe vehicle
• Drive with the right attitude

The Parent Center urges parents, school districts and communities all over the Long Island re-enforce smarter and safer driving practices for our youth during these “100 deadliest days”. Automobile crashes can affect anyone, but teen drivers suffer the heaviest burden from traffic injuries, whether from tragic early death or from long term disability that may affect the rest of their lives. Driving is a privilege, not a right. When teens are handed the keys to a car, they are being given the responsibility for their safety, the safety of those who ride with them and those who share the road with them."

Source 

 

In order to highlight this issue, I will attempt to post a crash-related articles through this period of 100 days. By the end of the stretch, I hope those who view this blog will at least 100 more reasons to evaluate their driving habits, and to pay increased attention while on the road. While most campaigns that discuss "100 Deadliest Days" focus on teenagers, these blog posts will include people of all ages and from different places.