Motorists Must Stop When Pedestrians Step Into Crosswalk

In an unusual undercover operation, Officer Grace Delgado posed as a pedestrian on a busy Chicago street while fellow officers waited for drivers to race past her, in violating a law that requires drivers to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks, even if there is no stop sign.

In 2008, the Windy City joined a growing number of metropolises and small towns that are sending officers into traffic to make drivers be more aware of pedestrians.

"People, they don't care," said Delgado, wearing a bright pink baseball hat and orange blouse that made her particularly difficult to miss. "The whole mentality is 'Get out of my way.'"

Chicago police stopped 78 vehicles in just two hours to inform drivers that they'd just violated a law that's been on the books for years. Officers stopped only drivers who kept moving after Delgado had walked four or five feet into the road, otherwise that number easily could have been doubled.

Drivers came up with all kinds of explanations after they were pulled over: One driver saw the pedestrian in the crosswalk but was unaware of the law requiring him to stop. Another was familiar with the law, but didn't see the pedestrian.

According to the 2006 statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost 4,800 pedestrians were killed and 61,000 injured. In recent years, 65 Chicago pedestrians have been struck and killed annually.

Although the number of deaths has dropped, elderly pedestrian deaths remain high, and there is concern those numbers could climb again as more vehicles take to the road.

"We're beginning to see a healthy desire of older folks to remain active and go out for their daily walks," said Doug Hecox, spokesman for the Federal Highway Administration. "That, along with more cars ... is a recipe for danger."

As the economy continues to struggle, "The way gas prices are, people are rediscovering their feet," said Pam Fischer, highway traffic safety director in New Jersey. The Garden State recently launched a "Cops in the Crosswalks" program.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, most motorists were miffed to find themselves pulled over. "It was too late for me to get on the brakes," said Roland Sapitula.

Louis Ramirez, 84, said he wouldn't have stopped, even if he had seen Delgado. "There's no sign out there," he said. "I (do) not have to stop."

Officers lectured motorists about the law, and then sent drivers on their way. But according to police, the only thing more effective than a lecture from a police officer is a ticket.

"If there's really no threat of getting a ticket for it, you're not going to really pay attention," said officer Chuck Trendle, who was on duty with Delgado.

Authorities "tried the educational route for years," said Paul Loriquet, spokesman for the Essex County, N.J. prosecutor's office. "But until you hit somebody in the wallet, it doesn't stick."

Indeed, in Bellingham, Washington, after the city started a police-decoy program in 2002, the percentage of motorists who yielded to pedestrians grew at least 25 percent - even at corners where tickets were not being issued.

The results in St. Petersburg, Florida, were even more noticeable. After police began writing tickets, educating the public and installing flashing beacons, the percentage of motorists who yielded to pedestrians spiked from 2 percent in 2003 to 82 percent in 2007. Between 2005 and 2006 pedestrian crashes dropped 17 percent.

"It starts putting pedestrians on their radar," said Ron Van Houten, a Western Michigan University psychology professor who has studied pedestrian safety and trained police personnel around the nation, including Chicago.

According to police, undercover pedestrians will focus attention on crosswalk safety the same way that giving tickets for seat belt violations convinced more people to buckle up in the 1980s.

"Eventually, people get it," Trendle said.

Along with motor vehicle safety, driver education helps ensure the safety of Americans. Whether you're getting your Commercial Drivers License, your Learner's Permit, or your Motorcycle License, America's Driver's License Headquarters is TestQuestionsandAnswers.com.

New Study Reveals Reverse of Up to One-Third Annual Deaths

For some drivers, high gas prices could turn out to be a lifesaver. Professors Michael Morrisey of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and David Grabowski of Harvard Medical School say that gas prices are causing driving declines that could amount to a third fewer auto deaths each year, with the biggest drop likely to be among teen drivers.

The researchers say they found that for every 10 percent increase in gas prices there was a 2.3 percent decline in auto deaths. For those who drive between ages 15 to 17, the decline was 6 percent, and ages 18 to 21 saw a 3.2 percent decline.

Their study examined deaths from 1985 to 2006, when gas prices climbed to about $2.50 a gallon. Morrisey said he expects to see much greater drop - about 1,000 deaths a month – now that gas prices average more than $4 a gallon.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Morrisey said that annual auto deaths typically ranging from about 38,000 to 40,000 a year would drop by nearly a third, to 12,000 deaths per year.

"I think there is some silver lining here in higher gas prices in that we will see a public health gain," said Grabowski. He then cautioned that their estimated decline of 1,000 deaths a month could be offset somewhat by the recent move to smaller, lighter, more fuel-efficient cars and an increase in motorcycle and scooter use.

According to Morrisey, the study also found the "same kind of symmetry" between gas prices and auto deaths when prices go down.

"When that happens we drive more, we drive bigger cars, we drive faster and fatalities are higher," he said.

In an earlier study that covered 1983 to 2000, a nearly identical relationship was found between gas prices and auto deaths. The studies used figures compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, whose figures for 2007 have yet to be released.

In response to rising gas prices, the executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, Clarence Ditlow, said it makes sense that auto deaths would decline as driving decreases.

"There are a whole bunch of factors that are influenced by higher gasoline prices - teenagers don't have as much money, so you have the most risky drivers driving less; people are switching out of the bigger, older more dangerous vehicles, and people also know if they drive slower they're going to save gasoline," Ditlow said. "So, from a societal viewpoint, higher gasoline prices have a great number of benefits, and one of the most important benefits is fewer traffic fatalities."

However, Ditlow added that he would be "delighted and amazed" to see deaths drop by a third. He said the declines in driving, while record setting, still aren't dramatic enough to suggest such a dramatic drop is imminent.

Recently, the Department of Transportation said that Americans drove 1.4 billion fewer highway miles in April, marking the sixth month in a row that driving was down. This is a historic turnaround, after decades of annual increases in driving.

"We're out there on a limb a little bit," Morrisey admitted, "but given that we get such consistent stories across the two time periods (in both studies) with somewhat different methodology, they seem to be pretty robust estimates."

Morrisey and Grabowski’s findings were presented to a meeting of the American Society of Health Economists in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., last month. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation made the study possible.

Online courses are now available to educate drivers on the rules of the road and the latest defensive driving techniques. Try it today!

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Announces Improvements to Ratings Tests

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters recently announced that under a new plan to improve the federal government's automobile crash tests and strengthen its five-star vehicle safety rating system, consumers will have better, more complete safety information about the vehicles they want to purchase.

"Knowing how many horses a car engine has is important, but knowing how safe a car is before you even step into a dealership ought to be essential," said Secretary Peters. "We want to make sure consumers can easily take safety into consideration when choosing a new vehicle, along with price, fuel efficiency, size and the color they like best."

For the first time, under the improvements to the five-star safety rating program, vehicles beginning with model year 2010 will be given an overall safety rating that combines results from frontal, side and rollover tests. Secretary Peters said the upgraded system will also include new frontal crash tests, and a new side pole test to simulate crashing a vehicle around a tree. Female crash dummies will be added to the tests, so women and larger children are represented, and new testing for leg injuries will be done, said the Secretary.

Secretary Peters said that for the first time, a new rating on emerging advanced technologies will be added so shoppers will know whether specific crash avoidance technologies—specifically electronic stability control, lane departure warning systems and forward collision warning systems—are standard or optional features on new vehicles.

"Enhanced Government Safety Ratings are intended to further the continuous advancement of vehicle safety," said National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator, Nicole R. Nason. "In addition to providing important information to consumers, the ratings encourage vehicle manufacturers to continue to design vehicles that reach an even higher level of safety."

The NHTSA performs rollover and crash tests on new cars and trucks every year, and assigns them a safety rating available on the window label of new vehicles. For nearly 30 years, the five star safety rating system has become the starting point for major safety improvements to new vehicle design. For more information on upgrades to the Government Safety Ratings System, visit http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/DOT/NHTSA/Rulemaking/Rules/Associated%20Files/NCAP_Final_Notice_July_08.pdf.

Online courses are now available to educate drivers on the rules of the road and the latest defensive driving techniques. Try it today!

Authorities Also Place Blame on Bus Driver

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the Georgia Department of Transportation is to be blamed for an Atlanta bus crash last year that killed five college baseball players.

The NTSB said confusing highway signs were a primary cause. The board also cited driver error and a lack of safety features such as seat belts as key factors, fueling calls for tougher standards on U.S. bus operators.

Investigators said the bus driver in the March 2 tragedy believed he was staying in an HOV lane when he drove onto an elevated exit ramp, smashing through a stop sign at highway speed and hurtling from an overpass back onto the interstate below. Five members of Ohio's Bluffton University baseball team, along with the driver and his wife, perished. Another 28 people were injured in the crash.

Georgia officials altered the initial design of the exit signs after having trouble mounting them, according to NTSB investigators. The change was not in accordance with federal guidance on pairing some exit signs together to make them clearer, but it did not amount to a violation of federal regulations, which make room for some exceptions.

It was "an accident that didn't have to happen," said NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenke.

Although no fatalities were reported at the accident site in the decade years before HOV lanes were introduced in the mid-1990s, there have been three fatal wrecks in the ten years since, the board said.

"Had the appropriate investigation been done at the state level we might not be here today," added Rosenker.

In a statement, Georgia DOT Commissioner Gena Abraham said that the agency "heard quite clearly" the NTSB recommendations, which included demands for the state to further improve the Interstate 75 interchange.

"We do understand. We are going to consider every option put before us," Abraham said.

Georgia DOT has said no complaints were logged about the interchange before the crash, despite police reports claiming that three drivers who had earlier wrecks at the site said they misread signs and were not aware they had left the HOV lane before they crashed.

Recently, the NTSB advised that the Federal Highway Administration proceed with a proposal announced after the bus crash to require clearer, more consistent signs at similar traffic configurations around the country. Georgia has made some improvements at the crash site already.

The 65-year-old bus driver, Jerome Niemeyer, was also at fault, investigators said. His record was good, and he had been driving for only an hour before the early-morning crash. However his medical certificate, which is required by law, had recently expired.

The outdated certification was just one of many violations the board found at the now-defunct bus operator, Executive Coach Luxury Travel Inc., based in Ottawa, Ohio.

But they uncovered no evidence that fatigue or medical problems were factors in the crash. Instead, the driver just "missed what route guidance was available" and neglected to brake as he came up the exit ramp, despite two signs notifying drivers of a stop ahead, investigator Deborah Bruce said.

Further frustrating the NTSB were federal regulators, who have not acted on its long-standing recommendations for improved safety features on buses. The NTSB has called for seat belts or other passenger restraints such as shatterproof windows and stronger roofs since a 1968 head-on collision involving a Greyhound bus killed 19 passengers near Baker, California.

But the Transportation Department has not implemented the recommendations, and Congress has remained silent as the bus industry has invested heavily in lobbying against costly new standards.

Industry officials remain steadfast that buses are among the safest forms of travel and that further crash test data is needed before the government takes action.

But parents of the crash victims - several of whom were in attendance at the meeting in Washington - have used the accident to campaign for tougher regulations.

They are urging bipartisan legislation introduced after the wreck by Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, that would force regulators to act. Currently, the bill is stuck in committee.

John Betts, whose son, David, perished in the crash, said if the NTSB's proposals had been adopted, "our sons would be alive today."

"That's not a wish. That's not a fantasy. That's a fact," he said. "The apathy has gone on too long. These recommendations were made 40 years ago."

Along with motor vehicle safety, driver education helps ensure the safety of Americans. Whether you're getting your Commercial Drivers License, your Learner's Permit, or your Motorcycle License, America's Driver's License Headquarters is TestQuestionsandAnswers.com.

New Hands-Free Cell Law for Drivers in Effect

Recently, a new California law took effect that requires hands-free devices for those behind the wheel.

Before beginning to issue citations, law enforcement officials in San Diego and in Oceanside were giving motorists a one-month grace period, but the California Highway Patrol and other agencies were ready to write tickets for July 4th weekend.

In suburban Glendale, CHP Officer Heather Hoglund said, "No grace period. The law was passed a year-and-a-half ago. There should be no reason why somebody didn't know that today was the day that they needed to be hands-free."

For weeks, electronic information signs along freeways had been warning drivers of the new law.

CHP's Sacramento Valley Division patrolling in Auburn witnessed 47 cell phone violations between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. They issued 20 citations and let the others go with warnings to avoid further clogging traffic.

Some violators had hands-free devices but had not yet charged or figured our how to use them.

"People know about the law,” said CHP Officer Tammy DuTemple, “But just like everything else, they wait until the last minute.”

"I did not see one person holding the phone," she said, noticing a difference in motorists' behavior Tuesday.

Irvine police spokesman Lt. Rick Handfield said even he is not exempt from the new law. As he was driving recently, his phone rang while his Bluetooth headset was in his office charging.

"I had to think, 'What am I going to do with this call?'" he said. "I think I did the right thing by sending it to voicemail, but I think there will be a learning curve. I do think it'll be a paradigm shift."

Motorists were rushing out to purchase hands-free devices. Dewey Oates, a phone accessories salesman, said he has sold 50 to 75 Bluetooth wireless headsets a day (at $40 a pop) for the past week. That’s as many of the devices as he usually sells in a year, not to mention hundreds of cheaper, plug-in devices.

"From a business point of view, yes, and from a safety point of view, we enjoy it," he said.

Use of a hands-free device by drivers over 18 except in a medical or traffic emergency is required by law. Text messaging, while not specifically banned for adults, can be cited for negligence under existing laws, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Recently, a second law that took effect prohibits drivers under age 18 from using a wireless telephone, pager, laptop or any other electronic communication or mobile service device while driving. The ban includes hands-free usage and text messaging.

Although the penalty is only a minimum fine of $20 for the first ticket and $50 for subsequent ones, with court fees tacked on the real cost in Los Angeles County will run about $93 for the first ticket and $201 for the second.

While Washington, D.C. and five other states have adopted hands-free laws, the law in California could put a dent in the state's image as the driving capital of the USA. According to 2005 statistics from the Federal Highway Administration, California has nearly 22.9 million licensed drivers, far more than any other state.

Several studies have revealed that using cell phones distract drivers and may increase accidents, but there is little evidence that using a hands-free device mitigates the problem. California authorities hope the new laws will also reduce traffic accidents.

In 2001, New York became the first state to enact a hands-free law. According to the state Department of Motor Vehicles, New York state reported 1,170 crashes from 2001 through 2006 where handheld cell phones were considered a factor, versus 214 involving hands-free devices.

Mandating that motorists use hands-free devices won't eliminate the distraction of a deep conversation or heated argument, but it might reduce accidents by forcing drivers to keep at least one hand on the wheel.

At least with a hands-free cell phone, "when you're drinking your coffee and on the phone and smoking a cigarette, you're not driving with your knee any more," Hogland said.

Online courses are now available to educate drivers on the rules of the road and the latest defensive driving techniques. Try it today!

South Dakota's Largest City Earns Top Ratings for Third Straight Year

Allstate Insurance Company has again found that the safest drivers in the nation are to be found in South Dakota's largest city Sioux Falls. This is the third straight year that Sioux Falls has topped the list.

Researchers compared two years of internal crash data to determine the chance that drivers in 193 of the US's most populated cities would be involved in a crash.

According to Allstate, Sioux Falls motorists average an accident once every 14.6 years. That's 31.6 percent better than the national rate of one every 10 years.

Sioux Falls rate improved a notch from last year's average of one accident every 13.7 years.

Sioux Falls officials again credited the ranking to excellent traffic engineering and driver education programs.

Behind Sioux Falls were Fort Collins, Colo.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Sterling Heights, Mich.; Warren, Mich.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Lexington, Ky.; and Detroit.

According to the study, Washington, D.C. drivers were most at risk, averaging an accident once every 5.4 years.

Detroit ranked the best among cities with between 500,000 and 1 million people ranked 11th in population. Drivers in the Windy City are likely to experience a crash once every 12.4 years. Phoenix earned the highest safety ratings among cities with more than 1 million people with a collision likely once every 9.8 years.

Massachusetts' cities were not included, since Allstate does not write policies in the state.

To reward residents for their ranking, Allstate planned to give away free gas at a Sioux Falls filling station soon.

Along with motor vehicle safety, driver education helps ensure the safety of Americans. Whether you're getting your Commercial Drivers License, your Learner's Permit, or your Motorcycle License, America's Driver's License Headquarters is TestQuestionsandAnswers.com.

Motorcyclists Are at Risk from Other Drivers - Help Make This a Year When Motorcycle Fatalities Do Not Increase.

With warmer weather here, more motorcycles are back out on the road – and the drivers of passenger vehicles need to be alert. Here are some tips to remember:

• Motorcycles are small and drivers of other vehicles may have a hard time seeing them. Motorcycles also have a much smaller profile than other vehicles, which can make it difficult to gauge the speed and distance of an approaching bike.

• Drivers of other vehicles involved in a motorcycle crash often say they never saw the motorcyclist and were could not respond in time. A motorcyclist is much more vulnerable and in much greater danger physically than are other vehicle drivers in the event of a crash. The fact is that in 2006, per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclists were about 35 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a crash.

Motorcyclist Deaths Are On the Rise

In 2006, motorcycle rider fatalities increased for the ninth straight year, to 4,810 deaths. That means motorcyclists were involved in over one out of nine U.S. road fatalities during 2006. Fifty-five percent of 2006 motorcycle fatalities involved another vehicle in the crash besides the motorcycle.

In 2006, 93 percent of all two-vehicle crashes involving a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle in which the motorcycle operator died occurred on non-interstate roadways, while 51 percent were intersection crashes. In 40 percent of the crashes, the other vehicle was turning left when the motorcycle was going straight, passing, or overtaking the vehicle.

Sharing the Road

Motorcycles enjoy the same rights and privileges as any motor vehicle on the roadway. Try following these steps to help keep motorcyclists safe:

• Do not share the lane! It may seem like there is enough room for both an automobile and a motorcycle, but the motorcycle needs the full room to maneuver safely. Give a motorcyclist the full lane width.

• Always signal before changing lanes or merging with traffic, which allows the motorcyclist to anticipate traffic flow and find a safe lane position.

• Because of their smaller size, motorcyclists are often hidden in a vehicle’s blind spot or missed in a quick look. Always check mirrors and blind spots before entering or leaving a lane of traffic and at intersections.

• Motorcycle signals usually are not self-canceling and riders sometimes forget to turn them off. Don’t be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a motorcycle – wait to be sure the motorcycle is going to turn before you proceed.

• Road conditions which are minor annoyances to passenger vehicles pose major hazards to motor­cyclists. Remember that motorcyclists may need to change speed or adjust their position within a lane suddenly in reaction to road and traffic conditions such as potholes, gravel, wet or slippery surfaces, pavement seams, railroad crossings, and grooved pavement.

• Allow three or four seconds of distance when following a motorcycle so the biker has enough time to maneuver or stop in an emergency.

• Do not tailgate. On dry surfaces, motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars.

• Too often, the drivers of other vehicles involved in a crash say they never saw the motorcyclist and failed to respond in time. This is no excuse for lives being lost.

Along with motor vehicle safety, driver education helps ensure the safety of Americans. Whether you're getting your Commercial Drivers License, your Learner's Permit, or your Motorcycle License, America's Driver's License Headquarters is TestQuestionsandAnswers.com.