Toll plazas, too often the scene of crashes, should have design standards, safety board says
By LESLIE MILLER
18 April 2006

WASHINGTON (AP) - The most dangerous place on the highway is the toll plaza, say federal safety investigators who are urging changes to reduce accidents like one that claimed eight lives in Illinois.

Though highway safety issues such as drunken driving, seat belt use and air bag deployment are debated, studied and regulated, toll plaza safety has been virtually ignored.

"Toll plazas have been designed for 50 years without national design standards," Dan Walsh, an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, said during a Tuesday hearing on the Illinois crash.

More toll plazas are being built and old ones are being retrofitted for electronic toll collection, he said.

"The need for standards is paramount," Walsh said.

The NTSB recommended Tuesday that federal highway officials develop design standards to reduce the number of crashes at toll plazas. Those may include guidelines on signs, pavement markings, lane width or rumble strips.

The recommendations resulted from the investigation of a chain-reaction crash on Oct. 1, 2003, that killed eight people near Hampshire, Ill.

A speeding Freightliner tractor-trailer slammed into the back of a small bus that had nearly stopped at an interstate toll plaza about 50 miles west of Chicago.

The Freightliner slammed into the bus, pushing it into another truck and causing a five-vehicle pileup. Killed in the crash were eight of the 22 passengers in the bus, which carried a group returning from a garden tour.

The safety board blamed the inattentive Freightliner driver.

Investigators also said that traditional toll booths, where drivers pay attendants or throw money into an automatic coin machine, increase the danger of rear-end collisions because drivers must stop suddenly.

NTSB investigators said:

--49 percent of all interstate accidents in Illinois are at toll plazas, and three times as many people die in them as in accidents on the road itself.

--30 percent of all accidents on the Pennsylvania toll highway system happen at toll plazas.

--38 percent of all crashes on New Jersey toll highways are toll plaza accidents.

Introducing electronic toll collection lanes, though, can make the problem worse.

Mohamed Abdel-Aty, associate professor at Central Florida University's department of civil and environmental engineering, studied the Orlando-Orange County Expressway system in Florida.

Between January 1994 and June 1997, 31.6 percent of total crashes occurred at the 10 main toll plazas and 46.3 percent at the 38 toll booth ramps, Abdel-Aty found.

Introducing E-PASS electronic toll collection lanes beside the regular lanes increased the accident rate at the busy Holland-East Mainline Plaza, he found.

"It's the mixture of E-PASS lanes and other lanes -- the confusion from nonfamiliar drivers -- that's causing most of the rear-end collisions," Abdel-Aty said.

One key to preventing crashes at toll booths, he said, is separating drivers who have to stop from those who don't. Drivers also need signs and lane markings that give them enough time to get into the proper lane, he said.

The Federal Highway Administration is expected to finish a study on best practices for toll plazas this summer, NTSB investigators said.

Connecticut abolished all of its toll booths in 1989 after a crash six years earlier when a tractor-trailer rig plowed into cars at the Stratford toll plaza, killing seven and injuring many more.

"That got the legislature saying, 'We've hated these things for years,'" said Connecticut transportation department spokesman Chris Cooper. "Clearly we felt there was a safety issue."

The state, though, is considering reinstating tolls as a way of raising money for new roads and easing congestion. Connecticut has applied for federal money to study a concept in which vehicles with electronic toll cards would slow slightly as they pass under an overhead transponder system. A cash lane would be separate from the flow of traffic.

"It would be like getting off at a rest stop," Cooper said.

Thirty states have toll facilities and 20 have none, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

On the Net:
National Transportation Safety Board: http://www.ntsb.gov

Put your answers here because ill be starting tomorrow :)
You may begin

???

Just bring in electronic tolling. And not the silly kind where they just refit toll plazas with sensors but still have to make everyone slow down, since the technology has shown here that they can work with cars at any speed.

Yes, e-tags for tolling on motorways are much more convenient than the old stop-and-pay tollbooth. The technology is advanced enough so keep the potential problems (technical) with the tags to a minimum.

I remember there was an incident a few years ago where a vehicle coming off of the Gateway Bridge in Brisbane into the toll plaza crashed into one of the booths and killed a person who was working in it. It's not only dangerous for drivers if poorly layed out, but also the people working in the area.

INTELLIGENT TRAFFIC SYSTEM FOR TODAY: SAFETY WARNING SYSTEM USES RADAR DETECTORS TO TELL DRIVERS ABOUT HIGHWAY HAZARDS


Technology already widely used by American motorists is the basis for a low-cost safety warning system that would inform drivers of highway hazards such as traffic accidents, approaching emergency vehicles, construction delays or visibility problems.

With support from a consortium of consumer electronics companies, researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have developed a transmitter and messaging system capable of sending a wide range of emergency warnings to motorists using advanced radar detectors. The Safety Warning System®will also provide a general warning to the estimated 20 million drivers using older radar detectors not capable of displaying text messages. An SWS transmitter on the side of a highway transmits a warning to a dash-mounted advanced radar detector.

"Intelligent transportation systems planned for the future will improve highway safety by providing drivers with information about the hazards ahead of them, but it's going to be years before such systems are implemented," said Gene Greneker, a principal research associate in the Sensors and Electromagnetic Applications Laboratory at GTRI. "The Safety Warning System will provide a sophisticated warning capability today and serve as a stepping-stone to the systems of the future."

The key to development of the system was agreement by four leading radar detector manufacturers to use a common technique for sending emergency information and a standard set of warning messages compatible with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration guidelines.

The new generation of "smart" radar detectors includes a built-in liquid crystal display capable of displaying up to 64 characters. When such a detector receives a safety message, it first sounds a special tone to alert the driver before displaying the message. A second message can also be sent and displayed with the first, so the system could both warn of a hazard and tell the driver of a reduced speed limit.

Because the transmitter also sends out microwave signals on the K band, drivers using older radar detectors would still be alerted to a traffic hazard, though they could not be told the specific nature of it.

The consortium of electronics companies, known as RADAR, has filed a patent application to protect the technology.

Transmitters would be located on police and other emergency vehicles, and on construction equipment, bridges, existing overhead sign warning systems and other fixed sites. Portable transmitters could also be moved to locations wherever needed.


"Every police car one day will have one of these," Greneker predicted. "When the police officer turns on the blue lights or siren to begin a pursuit or respond to an emergency, the transmitter would send out a message alerting motorists. At an accident site, the officer would use the transmitter to warn oncoming cars."

GTRI has built and tested one transmitter system, and will be building others as part of larger-scale testing. RADAR, which includes manufacturers B.E.L.-Tronics, Ltd.; Sanyo Technica USA, Inc., Uniden America Corporation and Whistler Corporation, is pursuing efforts to commercialize the transmitter system. Researcher Gene Greneker with circuit board used in the Safety Warning System.

Since 1991, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has allowed use of unattended radar transmitters to trigger radar detectors and thereby warn drivers of hazards ranging from highway construction zones to road maintenance. Though these "drone" systems cannot broadcast specific warnings, they have been considered useful for improving highway safety.

"At least two studies have shown that drone transmitters capable of setting off the current generation of radar detectors are effective at slowing traffic in construction zones," said Janice Lee, president of RADAR. "We believe this technology has much untapped potential. Enhanced transmitters, when coupled with 'smart' radar detectors, will let the driver differentiate between various types of road hazards."

The transmitter system developed by Greneker, Bruce Warren and with help from the engineering staffs of each of the participating industry members, broadcasts the safety warning message using a binary encoded modulation technique that is received and displayed by the new K-band detectors.

Because the 64 standard warning messages are preprogrammed and stored in the detector's memory, the simple code is all the receiver needs to determine which message to display. The seven-bit code can be repeated as often as ten times a second, boosting reliability.

"You don't have to transmit every letter of the message, so there is plenty of opportunity to receive the warning," Greneker noted.

Customized warning messages can also be sent using a keyboard and simple computer-based menu system. Messages on unattended systems could be changed remotely through a dial-up system. Programming functions allow the system to broadcast during certain times of the day, to operate only when vehicles are approaching, or to turn themselves on only after sensing a hazard such as a bridge failure or low visibility.

RADAR has petitioned the FCC to allow higher transmitting power that would increase the range of the system and enhance the ability of moving emergency vehicles to broadcast warnings. With present power levels, the system will provide a warning at least one mile ahead of the highway hazard.

Greneker believes the technology developed for radar detectors could also be applied to other wireless communication needs, expanding the market for both transmitter and receiver manufacturers.

:)

:)

What's tochnology?

What's tochnology?
expressway technology

can you post pics of some of the accidents in your highways? just don't include the bloody scenes :lol: thanks

I've never seen an accident happen IN a highway...so I'm afraid not.

I had an accident this summer on the French A10 just north of Bordeaux.

In summer and winter holidays accidents is frequent on French motorways.
Also after midnight on Parisian freeways and motorways because of the illegal races.
But the first is more common :) .

:ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno:
http://i16.tinypic.com/33uvbqt.jpg

I've never seen an accident happen IN a highway...so I'm afraid not.

We've never seen an acident in a highway?!?
Where do you live?! Have you ever actually rode a highway??

Unfortunatly accidents are quite comon in all type's of roads, all over the world. Highways are safer roads, but also have much traffic, so they are prone to accidents too.


One of the most recent accidents on a motorway I've seen was this summer, on the French A9, getting to the Spanish border. 2 cars collided andI think at least one was uppside down, on the right lane. A truck had stoped on the right lane to give the smashed cars some proteccion and for what I could see there injured victims (at least not anything serious), which was very good! :)

In this case, the highway had a big accident!

http://www.repubblica.it/2006/05/gallerie/cronaca/incidente-catania/ansa83926832406192511_big.jpg

http://www.repubblica.it/2006/05/gallerie/cronaca/incidente-catania/reuters83923992406192514_big.jpg

(under construction Highway Catania-Siracusa, Italy, 2006)

^^Now that could be seen as an accident IN a highway;) Yes, pun intended.

We get crashes on our highways all the time. In fact I think that a couple of years ago, it came out that more people died on the Pacific Highway between Brisbane and Sydney each year than are killed by murder across all of Australia. Much of the highway has been upgraded since, but the road toll is still quite high. On the M1 which is the main highway through the Gold Coast and forms a part of the Pacific Highway, there are often crashes particularly on a 2+2 lane section between Nerang and Mudgeeraba. there are rarely any deaths, but traffic delays and congestion is terrible.

Actually I do remember last year a truck was driving towards Brisbane just before the afternoon peak hour on the M1 on the 4+4 lane section and for some reason lost control and swerved across the median strip and into the oncoming traffic. There was something like 10 cars involved. 5 of 8 lanes of traffic closed including all south-bound traffic, preventing at least 50,000 commuters from getting home and causing a traffic jam for 35Km.

I've seen some accidents on highway before. That caused a big traffic backup for miles away.

One of the accident that I saw a unsecured load come off the truck and the Honda civic tried to avoid it but lost control of the car and hit the median barrier and killed the local coffee shop owner. It was a metal shelf that came off the truck. The driver of the unsecured load was fined and jailtime, it isn't enough.

I didn't actually see it happen, but after it happened.

Living near a highway damages children's lungs: study

PARIS, Jan 26, 2007 (AFP) - What stroller-pushing mothers negotiating urban traffic jams have long suspected, a new study shows, is true: children living near major motorways run a greater risk of growing up with damaged lungs.

The link between air pollution and respiratory ailments is well established, but the eight-year study of more than 3,600 children in Los Angeles provides compelling evidence, for the first time, that small distances can make a huge difference when it comes to measuring the health hazards of vehicle exhaust.

Ten-year olds growing to adulthood within 500 meters (yards) of a freeway were far more likely to have stunted lung development than their cohorts living an additional 1000 meters distant, a team of American researchers led by W. James Gauderman of the University of Southern California conclude in a paper published Thursday in the British journal The Lancet.

"The study points to a several-fold increase (between groups) in the number of children showing substantial reduction in lung function," Dr. Thomas Sandstrom, a professor in the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the University Hospital in Umea, Sweden, commented by phone.

"What is worrisome is the heightened risk of lung disease" ranging from increased rates of asthma to more serious, potentially fatal illnesses, added Sandstom, who also wrote a commentary on the study in Lancet.

The close proximity to vehicle exhaust does not only affect those with frail lungs, the scientists said.

"Otherwise-healthy children who were non-asthmatic and non-smokers also experienced a significant decrease in lung function from traffic pollution," said Gauderman.

The study's findings also raise troubling questions about what the authors call "environmental equity" because -- even within a single community -- some children are at higher risk than others.

"The present regulatory emphasis on regional air quality might need to be modified to include considerations of local variation to air pollution," it suggests.

The study was based on the yearly testing of 3,677 children, from 12 Los Angeles communities, over an eight-year period beginning from the age of ten. Lung function was measured by seeing how much air each child could exhale -- and how quickly -- after taking a deep breath, along with other tests.

The children were divided into three groups depending on how close they lived to a freeway, as multi-lane expressways are called in California: less than 500 meters, between 500 and 1000 meters, and between 1000 and 1500 meters.

Researchers adjusted the results for other variables that could have influenced lung performance, such as smoking or asthma, as well as the weight, height and body-mass index of each child.

Also factored out were broader variations in air quality, but "even in an area with low regional pollution, children living near a major roadway are a increased risk of health effects."

Several elements in vehicle exhaust can damage lung tissue, but the most harmful are nanoparticles with organic hydrocarbon components on the surface, present in far higher concentrations near freeways.

"The study suggests that there may be something in particular about primary emissions -- fresh emissions -- that are particularly dangerous" as compared to settled pollution, said Sandstrom.

"We don't know enough about the toxic effect of primary traffic emissions," he said, adding that this paper could influence deliberations currently underway in the European Union on funding priorities for research on pollution.

Also of special interest to Europeans is the study's conclusion that diesel fuel -- far more common in Europe than the United States -- is especially hazardous because of its high concentration of particulate-matter.

it's easy; don't live near a motorway...

it's easy; don't live near a motorway...

Given the studies parameter of a half-kilometre distance around the freeway, it's not going to be at all easy to remove all residences from that large an area.

Given the studies parameter of a half-kilometre distance around the freeway, it's not going to be at all easy to remove all residences from that large an area.

Most motorways in The Netherlands are at least thirty years old. People know when they move, they're gonna live next to a motorway.

I thought this was an interesting idea. Get rid of all traffic rules and people will drive safer... This fits with my preference for simplicity rather than overcomplicated solutions, but I have serious doubts whether this is actually feasible. What are your thoughts?


CONTROLLED CHAOS

European Cities Do Away with Traffic Signs
By Matthias Schulz

Are streets without traffic signs conceivable? Seven cities and regions in Europe are giving it a try -- with good results.

Ben Behnke Drachten in the Netherlands has gotten rid of 16 of its traffic light crossings and converted the other two to roundabouts. "We reject every form of legislation," the Russian aristocrat and "father of anarchism" Mikhail Bakunin once thundered. The czar banished him to Siberia. But now it seems his ideas are being rediscovered.

European traffic planners are dreaming of streets free of rules and directives. They want drivers and pedestrians to interact in a free and humane way, as brethren -- by means of friendly gestures, nods of the head and eye contact, without the harassment of prohibitions, restrictions and warning signs.

A project implemented by the European Union is currently seeing seven cities and regions clear-cutting their forest of traffic signs. Ejby, in Denmark, is participating in the experiment, as are Ipswich in England and the Belgian town of Ostende.

The utopia has already become a reality in Makkinga, in the Dutch province of Western Frisia. A sign by the entrance to the small town (population 1,000) reads "Verkeersbordvrij" -- "free of traffic signs." Cars bumble unhurriedly over precision-trimmed granite cobblestones. Stop signs and direction signs are nowhere to be seen. There are neither parking meters nor stopping restrictions. There aren't even any lines painted on the streets.

"The many rules strip us of the most important thing: the ability to be considerate. We're losing our capacity for socially responsible behavior," says Dutch traffic guru Hans Monderman, one of the project's co-founders. "The greater the number of prescriptions, the more people's sense of personal responsibility dwindles."

Monderman could be on to something. Germany has 648 valid traffic symbols. The inner cities are crowded with a colorful thicket of metal signs. Don't park over here, watch out for passing deer over there, make sure you don't skid. The forest of signs is growing ever denser. Some 20 million traffic signs have already been set up all over the country.

Psychologists have long revealed the senselessness of such exaggerated regulation. About 70 percent of traffic signs are ignored by drivers. What's more, the glut of prohibitions is tantamount to treating the driver like a child and it also foments resentment. He may stop in front of the crosswalk, but that only makes him feel justified in preventing pedestrians from crossing the street on every other occasion. Every traffic light baits him with the promise of making it over the crossing while the light is still yellow.

"Unsafe is safe"

The result is that drivers find themselves enclosed by a corset of prescriptions, so that they develop a kind of tunnel vision: They're constantly in search of their own advantage, and their good manners go out the window.

The new traffic model's advocates believe the only way out of this vicious circle is to give drivers more liberty and encourage them to take responsibility for themselves. They demand streets like those during the Middle Ages, when horse-drawn chariots, handcarts and people scurried about in a completely unregulated fashion. The new model's proponents envision today's drivers and pedestrians blending into a colorful and peaceful traffic stream.

It may sound like chaos, but it's only the lesson drawn from one of the insights of traffic psychology: Drivers will force the accelerator down ruthlessly only in situations where everything has been fully regulated. Where the situation is unclear, they're forced to drive more carefully and cautiously.

Indeed, "Unsafe is safe" was the motto of a conference where proponents of the new roadside philosophy met in Frankfurt in mid-October.

True, many of them aren't convinced of the new approach. "German drivers are used to rules," says Michael Schreckenberg of Duisburg University. If clear directives are abandoned, domestic rush-hour traffic will turn into an Oriental-style bazaar, he warns. He believes the new vision of drivers and pedestrians interacting in a cozy, relaxed way will work, at best, only for small towns.

But one German borough is already daring to take the step into lawlessness. The town of Bohmte in Lower Saxony has 13,500 inhabitants. It's traversed by a country road and a main road. Cars approach speedily, delivery trucks stop to unload their cargo and pedestrians scurry by on elevated sidewalks.

The road will be re-furbished in early 2007, using EU funds. "The sidewalks are going to go, and the asphalt too. Everything will be covered in cobblestones," Klaus Goedejohann, the mayor, explains. "We're getting rid of the division between cars and pedestrians."

The plans derive inspiration and motivation from a large-scale experiment in the town of Drachten in the Netherlands, which has 45,000 inhabitants. There, cars have already been driving over red natural stone for years. Cyclists dutifully raise their arm when they want to make a turn, and drivers communicate by hand signs, nods and waving.

"More than half of our signs have already been scrapped," says traffic planner Koop Kerkstra. "Only two out of our original 18 traffic light crossings are left, and we've converted them to roundabouts." Now traffic is regulated by only two rules in Drachten: "Yield to the right" and "Get in someone's way and you'll be towed."

Strange as it may seem, the number of accidents has declined dramatically. Experts from Argentina and the United States have visited Drachten. Even London has expressed an interest in this new example of automobile anarchy. And the model is being tested in the British capital's Kensington neighborhood.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,448747,00.html

Rules and regulations were naturally developing and updating with the evolution of human civilisation. The key word is naturally. Now, to say that rules (traffic rules in particular) actually encourage people to drive unsafe would be an absurd. Think about it, would removing pedestrian crosswalks signs make it safer for pedestrians? Would removing signs "Give Way" and "Main Road" from an intersection with moderate to heavy traffic make it safer for drivers? I can't believe someone can seriously believe that.

You do it and here is what you get in return: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO8Cat0JGr4

I agree with Alex. It is probably true that without traffic rules people would naturally be more careful to avoid being involved in an accident, but this is in fact bringing us way backwards, because traffic rules are designed to make driving less stressful (at least that's partially the way I see it). In other words, sure, in India, for example, cars, animals, and people all move relatively quickly on a road and somehow accidents do not seem to be that common, but driving becomes a real struggle for survival. The problem with traffic rules is when a large portion of the population follows them, but breaking the rules is common. In this case, people are used to the rules generally being followed, and blindly assume that everyone else will follow them. Then, of course, accidents happen when someone breaks the rules, and the person who follows them is not used to/trained to make a quick decision.

For example, in countries where traffic lights are mostly for decoration, running a red light is probably not very dangerous, as everyone expects that this will happen. On the other hand, blindly run a red light in a more developed country, and you will likely cause a major accident, because those who have a green light assume that they can actually go through the intersection unobstructed.

Rules are important and necessary, but they should be reasonable (that of course is a subject of a lot of debate), efficient, and people should follow them.

Plus there is also the small section of the population who pit their own needs above everyone else's and endanger everyone else on the road, and where they might bow down to the threat of persecution before, they're free to do as they please now.

This is really stupid. removing traffic lights! :nuts: On busy intersections, you can never merge to the other way!

Why create some African kind of roadchaos in developed cities? That really doesn't make sense to me.

Our view on highway safety: Scrutinize older drivers
When states fail to curb dangerous seniors, results can be tragic.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/04/post_51.html?csp=34

http://blogs.usatoday.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/04/16/edgrf17.jpg

Trying to persuade Grandpa that it's time to give up his driver's license is likely to be met with an irascible, if not downright hostile, response. Seniors know that physical and cognitive abilities decline with age, but they also fiercely prize their independence. Too many are in denial about their fading driving skills and won't voluntarily release their grip from the steering wheel.

The case for that difficult intervention — if not from families then from state governments — has never been more compelling. Elderly drivers are more likely to be involved in fatal crashes at traffic intersections than are younger drivers, according to a report issued last month by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

By 2030, the number of licensed drivers ages 65 and older will nearly double to about 57 million — about one in five drivers. Yet efforts by states to evaluate the abilities of older motorists aren't nearly as stringent as new limits being placed on teens, who increasingly face restrictions on night driving, the number of passengers they can carry and other matters.

That's happening because motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15- to 19-year-olds. But drivers older than 75 are even more at risk, as you can see from the chart nearby. They deserve equal scrutiny, and according to a new study by Congress' Government Accountability Office, they aren't getting it:

*Only 16 states demand that seniors undergo more frequent license renewals than non-seniors.

*Only 10 states require older drivers to undergo extra vision assessments.

*Only five states require older drivers to renew their licenses in person.

*Only New Hampshire and Illinois require road tests for those 75 and older.

In addition, little is done to screen older drivers for dementia, a condition that's likely to affect nearly half of those 85 and older. The risk of a crash for drivers with dementia are two to eight times greater than those with no cognitive impairment.

When states fail to get dangerous senior citizens off the roads, the results can be tragic.

Almost four years ago, George Russell Weller, then 86, drove his car through a crowded farmers' market in Santa Monica, Calif., killing 10 people and injuring more than 70. He mistook the car's accelerator for the brake, his attorney said.

In Dallas, teen Katie Bolka was killed last year when a 90-year-old driver ran a red light and slammed into her car. A bill known as "Katie's Law" is being considered in the Texas Legislature to impose new restrictions, including required vision tests, for elderly drivers.

Tougher regulations would no doubt be inconvenient and perhaps insulting to older drivers. But for their own safety and the well-being of others, states and families need to act to avert preventable tragedies.

Posted at 12:21 AM/ET, April 17, 2007

Africa, Middle East top global road deaths list-WHO

GENEVA, April 19 (Reuters) - Africa's roads are by far the world's most dangerous with more than 24 in every 100,000 of the continent's population dying on them annually, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday.

The Middle East comes next with nearly 18 in every 100,000 losing their lives in traffic incidents each year, according to a report issued to mark the start of the United Nations first Global Road Safety Week.

Worldwide, the report said, nearly 1.2 million men, women and children are killed on the roads every year, and a linked forecast said the figure would double by the year 2020 unless governments took action to improve safety.

While poorer countries are the worst affected, more young people -- nearly 400,000 -- between the ages of 10 and 24 die every year in road incidents than from any other cause, including HIV-AIDS, the WHO added.

"The lack of safety on our roads has become an important obstacle to health and development," said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan in a comment issued with the report. "Our children and young adults are among the most vulnerable."

Chan rejected the use of the term "accidents". "Road traffic crashes are not 'accidents'," she declared. "We need to challenge the notion that they are unavoidable and make room for a pro-active, preventive approach."

In richer countries, where more people can afford cars, death rates are much lower than in Africa and the Middle East, according to the report. The average of deaths in western Europe, the United States and Canada is around 11 per 100,000.

MOST PREDICTABLE

The bulk of fatal road incidents are predictable and preventable, the report said. Many involve children playing on the street who could be given better leisure facilities and young pedestrians who must be better educated about dangers. The report, "Youth and Road Safety," said some 90 percent of all deaths were in middle-and lower-income countries, where pedestrians, cyclists and motor-cyclists accounted for a majority of the victims, both dead and injured.

A separate U.N. assessment issued before the report said that when surviving victims are not poor to begin with, they and their families are often plunged into poverty by the consequences of their injuries.

"Without collective action, the death toll is predicted to almost double by 2020," said the assessment, emerging from a session of a U.N. Stakeholders Forum on Global Road Safety.

The WHO report said fatal or near-fatal traffic incidents cost an estimated $518 billion globally in material damage, health and other consequences. In some countries the cost is up to 1.5 percent of GNP, more than they receive in foreign development aid.

In richer countries, lowering speed limits, campaigning against drunk driving and enforcing the use of seat belts and motorcycle helmets, as well as creating safe play areas for children, have reduced the number of road deaths and injuries.

I've noticed Western Australia seems to have a high rate of fatalities on the highway system. For just 2 million people in the state roughly, there have been something like 80 deaths already this year.

Hell, do you see how people drive in those African and Middle East countries? That is asking for problems. All those drivers looks like they wanna commit suicide or something...

It's just the general behaviour of the drivers there; overtaking left and right all the time, speeding, exiting suddenly, pedestrians crossing motorway-like roads, no traffic lights, and no police to force the rules.

And most African countries don't have a proper infrastructure, especially not in cities. Like Khartoum (Sudan), most arteries are just dust roads. And if there is a motorwaylike road, they drive 4 cars next to eachother instead of safe 2.

Heh sometimes I also think the general impatience of drivers comes as a result
of constant nervousness and a tense political situation.

Israel is probably one of few countries in the ME where driving is more or less
the same as in Western countries (infrastructure is quite good, people generally
follow traffic rules, and police presence/red light/speed cameras are very
abundant). Driver education in Israel is also much stricter than in North America
(there is a relatively high number of mandatory lessons, and the test is quite
difficult, with many people passing it only after several tries at least).
However, for some reason, accident rates in Israel are significantly higher than
in most Western countries.

I think it also partially has to do with the fact that the geography often results
in very "difficult" roads, filled with sharp curves and grades.

I've noticed Western Australia seems to have a high rate of fatalities on the highway system. For just 2 million people in the state roughly, there have been something like 80 deaths already this year.

well, that is 4/100,000. and if that is only for half the year, than 8/100,000.

Heh sometimes I also think the general impatience of drivers comes as a result
of constant nervousness and a tense political situation.

Israel is probably one of few countries in the ME where driving is more or less
the same as in Western countries (infrastructure is quite good, people generally
follow traffic rules, and police presence/red light/speed cameras are very
abundant). Driver education in Israel is also much stricter than in North America
(there is a relatively high number of mandatory lessons, and the test is quite
difficult, with many people passing it only after several tries at least).
However, for some reason, accident rates in Israel are significantly higher than
in most Western countries.

I think it also partially has to do with the fact that the geography often results
in very "difficult" roads, filled with sharp curves and grades.

Or maybe Israel is more car dependent that many European cities? After all, no Israeli cities have rapid transit.

every year, 100000 death in traffic accident in china.

Road traffic crashes leading cause of death among young people
WHO

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr17/en/index.html

Or maybe Israel is more car dependent that many European cities? After all, no Israeli cities have rapid transit.
I doubt that's the reason. Car ownership rates in most Western countries are still significantly higher than in Israel (even though the gap is becoming smaller every year). Also, don't forget that Western countries includes the US and Canada, which, despite their cities having RT systems, are quite car dependent I'd say.

Living near high traffic raises heart risks -study

DALLAS, July 16 (Reuters) - Living near a busy highway may be bad for your heart.

Long-term exposure to air pollution from a nearby freeway or busy road can raise the risk of hardening of the arteries, which can lead to heart disease and stroke, German researchers reported Monday.

"The most important finding of our study is that living close to high traffic, a major source of urban air pollution, is associated with atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries - the blood vessels that supply the heart," Dr. Barbara Hoffmann, who led the study, said in a statement.

"This is the first study to actually show a relationship between long-term traffic exposure and coronary atherosclerosis," said Hoffmann, of the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany.

The study is published in this week's issue of Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.

Previous studies have linked elevated levels of air pollution to an increased risk of heart problems, but this is the first to demonstrate that living near high traffic is associated with coronary atherosclerosis.

The study looked at 4,494 adults, aged 45 to 74, in three large cities in the industrialized Ruhr area of Germany.

Doctors examined the participants, looking especially for coronary artery calcification, which occurs when fatty plaques forming in the artery walls become calcified, or hardened.

Researchers found that compared with people who lived more than 200 meters (yards) from major traffic, the chance of high coronary artery calcification was 63 percent greater for those living within 50 meters (160 feet).

For people within 51 meters to 100 meters (164 feet to 328 feet) the chance was 34 percent higher. It was 8 percent higher for those within 100 meters to 200 meters (328 feet to 642 feet) of heavy traffic.

These percentages take into account age, gender, smoking and high blood pressure.

A five-year follow up study is set to be completed next year.

"Politicians, regulators and physicians need to be aware that living close to heavy traffic may pose an increased risk of harm to the heart. Potential harm due to proximity to heavy traffic should be considered when planning new buildings and roads," Hoffmann said.

http://www.google.com/maphp?hl=en&q=&ie=UTF8&ll=33.946244,-84.140253&spn=0.002528,0.004828&t=k&z=17&om=0

The large building was built in the 80's as a newspaper HQ, but was abandoned for years until being renovated and reopened about five years ago as a middle school, grades 6 thru 8. The adjacent freeway is 6+6,7+7 between interchanges, and carries over 250,000 vehicles per day.

OT: the surrounding area is dominated by apartments, so the student body is very transient.

This is what passes for good public policy in my community. What's especially irritating is that the even people I know who are active on education issues thought it was a great idea, a way to relieve overcrowded schools on the cheap. Amazing.

Nothing pisses me and most drivers more than people who drive slow on the fast lane and hog it up when a line of cars are tailgating and the right lane is clear. And not just on freeways, but on multi-lane arterial roads as well. What is it with the left lane that makes drivers lose logic?

I know, it sucks! Luckily here in Europe I haven't encountered it as much as in the US, but you can find asses who don't wanna move here as well..

About multi-lane arterial roads, it's funny, but here in Slovenia at least, keeping to the right is only obligatory and recommended on motorways and expressways, but not on avenues in cities, where you can drive on whichever lane you prefer, but that means you can also overtake on the right. I'm not sure why that's the case, but I guess it may be cuz of the fact that we don't have that much avenues to begin with..

What is it with the left lane that makes drivers lose logic?
I'd say lack of proper driving education? That would be the cause to begin with. Then, there is a total lack of left lane enforcement. Finally, there is no peer pressure on left-lane hogs because Americans consider light flashing and/or honking to be an overkill, so most of the time they just tailgate slow drivers hoping to force them to the right.

In Minnesota there is no "left lane passing only" law.
x_x

It's shocking here in Perth, even big slow trucks will hog the passing lane on the freeway, seemingly oblivious to the fact that there is a queue behind them crawling along at 90-95km/h.

in Croatia we mostly don't have that problem since motorway interceptors are present. anyway, it is still very possible to see some people who think that motorway is their and they are doing more then 160 in passing lane.
also, when traffic at motorway is high, everyone goes to left (fast) lane instead of slowing down for few km/h

It's a real problem here in Spain. In fact, traffic authorities broadcast radio advertisements about it. :crazy:

In what?Slow drivers hogging up or too many drivers at the left lane?At least you guys are doing something about it.

Yes. It truly is a bitch.

It's a real problem here in Spain. In fact, traffic authorities broadcast radio advertisements about it. :crazy:

I wish they'd do that here in the United States. Instead of stupid "buckle up" billboards they should post "Get out of the FUCKING LEFT LANE" billboards. Also why do people drive so slow in the freeways here in my city of Austin. It's the slow drivers that fuck things up for the rest of the highway. :mad: You can easily force 1000 cars to slow down because you slowed down but there is no way to speed up 1000 cars in front of you. :(

I want to get an extremely loud horn to put on my car so people can hear it on the freeway. I want it to be as loud as a freight train locomotive horn. :)

I thought people in Texas drive fast? MD drivers are slow(and the same can be said for NE drivers too).

should post "Get out of the FUCKING LEFT LANE" billboards.

Signs do say "KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT PASS" in the US.
But without authority enforcement like seat belt rules, it really doesn't mean anything.

problem isn't really that big here in Ontario.

Americans are brutal for it, along with their lack of signalling while changing lanes.

Heck, most people around here signal in parking lots.

The Netherlands doesnt really have that problem. We are always stuck in traffic that we cant even exercise that "right" :lol: :lol: :lol:

interesting, Spaniards are complaining about driving in left lane, but while i was in Spain, right and middle lanes were mostly full, and left not. interesting. mayba Catalans are driving better :D
and while my friend from Barcelona was here at my place, she asked me why was i driving in middle lane when right was empty :D interesting

interesting, Spaniards are complaining about driving in left lane, but while i was in Spain, right and middle lanes were mostly full, and left not. interesting. mayba Catalans are driving better :D
and while my friend from Barcelona was here at my place, she asked me why was i driving in middle lane when right was empty :D interesting

Well, the problem is when a truck driver overtakes another truck at 110 km/h in a two lane (2x2) motorway. I can't remember exactly what the advert said, but it was something like this: "you will create a traffic jam if you drive too slowly on the left lane". So I suppose the advert was made for truck drivers.

And yes, we drive better in the north of Spain, not only Catalans :D :lol:

trucks drive 110km/h in Spain?!

trucks drive 110km/h in Spain?!

130 in Croatia

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=FtKCHmbM988

to make things worse - it's a cistern :ohno: :ohno:

trucks drive 110km/h in Spain?!

I meant, if a truck drives at 95 km/h the other one overtakes at a slightly faster speed. So both trucks are almost parallel during hundreds of meters. I said 110 km/h because I didn't really know how fast a truck could overtake another :lol: Anyway, the maximum legal speed for trucks is 100 km/h in Spain.

I meant, if a truck drives at 95 km/h the other one overtakes at a slightly faster speed. So both trucks are almost parallel during hundreds of meters. I said 110 km/h because I didn't really know how fast a truck could overtake another :lol:

that reminds me when i was driving Renault 4 on a motorway and tried to overtake a truck. omg, that was really stupid :nuts:

High limits for trucks then. In the Netherlands, trucks are only allowed to drive 80km/h. I didn't know there were truck limits higher as 96km/h in Europe (UK/Ireland).

High limits for trucks then.

not high limits, it's just an idiot caught on camera.

i'mnot sure for limits here in Croatia, but i think at motorway trucks have limit 90

I'd say lack of proper driving education? That would be the cause to begin with. Then, there is a total lack of left lane enforcement. Finally, there is no peer pressure on left-lane hogs because Americans consider light flashing and/or honking to be an overkill, so most of the time they just tailgate slow drivers hoping to force them to the right.

Must be that, if you learn early on the advantages of the left lane (for service vechicles as ambulances, police...) and overturns you wont use it if not needed.

X-type:

Trucks have a 90km/h limit in Sweden too. Id say its probable that its the same down in Croatia.



Edolen1:

Its nothing unique to Slovenia, in Sweden you are also allowed to overtake on the right lane, if the speedlimit is 70km/h or lower, if there are roadmarks.

MY DAD IS A LEFT LANE HOGGER.

MY DAD IS A LEFT LANE HOGGER.
Ask him what his justification is :)

MY DAD IS A LEFT LANE HOGGER.

Telling on his own father, what a betrayer!

;)

Well I think driving in any lane on an arterial road in a city is fine as long as you drive at the speed limit. For example, sometimes if I am in an unfamiliar area and I know that I will have to turn left at some point, but not sure where exactly, I will drive in the left lane for a while. If traffic isn't very heavy and there are 3 lanes into my direction, I might drive in the middle lane. In heavy traffic, it doesn't really matter at all. In Toronto it is especially relevant, since a lot of our main streets are very wide, having 3 lanes into each direction + the middle simultaneous left turn lane.

Sometimes, I also drive in the middle or left lane on city streets even if the right lane is relatively free, because cars are frequently turning to the right, or there are large potholes or little debris close to the sidewalk.

On highways I rarely drive on the left lane, because I don't drive very fast (usually around 10-15 km/h above the limit).

Yeah, but on major arterials, there is a lot of interacting and crossing and merging traffic. I go on the left lane too, 2 miles before i have to exit, because of the heavy traffic. But on Motorways, you should stick to the right lane if possible.

well, in traffic lights areas it is not wrong to drive on left lane, especially if you're soon turning left. for instance, in Zagreb we have some kind of city fast road. it has multilevel intersections, but also some intersections with traffic lights. and i don't blame if somebody is driving at left lane (i'm allways triing to drive at right (except in case of crowds) and go to left before my turning left). but when somebody is driving at motorway in left lane - :rant:

Nothing pisses me and most drivers more than people who drive slow on the fast lane and hog it up when a line of cars are tailgating and the right lane is clear. And not just on freeways, but on multi-lane arterial roads as well. What is it with the left lane that makes drivers lose logic?
Sounds like you're plain tired of average N-American mindsets -- sounds like you're alluding to the chronic I-cannot-become-indebted-to-him/her-! N-American attitude.

It's funny, so many visitors to Quebec grumble about local motoring habits, yet praise the fact that Quebeckers readily pull over when another motorist wishes to pass her/him. This is true for Quebec's autoroutes although seldom the case on its expressways and roads.

I've done tens of thousands of Kms of road trips, and the N-American habit that I mention earlier here is what I see when I venture west or south of our provincial line.

I must declare that Cincinnati-Ohio motoring habits were ummm very European, i.e., very relaxed and comfortably orderly. A really stark contrast there when I compare it to the loads of other N-American urban and rural roadways I've driven.

Well, in Oregon (excluding the Portland area) motorists always follow the lane discipline and always indicate their lane changes. In Northern California at least half of all drivers do neither one. What differs Germans from Oregonians is that the latter will not put an enormous pressure on a left-lane bandit to force him/her to the right. Unlike in Europe, people here rarely understand what a left blinker means and if they see that you are flashing at them, then they will rather slow down even further.

^^ I'm happy to be one of those that follow lane discipline and signal. I just follow that old saying "Don't do unto others what you do not wish done to yourself" or something like that.

I personally hate hoggers, and hate people who don't signal and cut in with miniscule amounts of space. Outright dangerous.

This advertisement appeared in all Spanish magazines yesterday.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z58/ciceron00/img137peq.jpg

But they put a street instead of a highway :lol:

Being a left-lane hogger is some kind of obession around here.

I try to be courteous enough to signal when I'm making a turn way before I actually turn. But not everyone does that here.

It doesn't help that we have such a large percentage of the eldery driving their own cars. I don't want to sound stereotypical, but when I get a look at the fool who either cuts me off, hogs the left lane, or does not signal before making a turn, it's an old man or an old woman.

This advertisement appeared in all Spanish magazines yesterday.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z58/ciceron00/img137peq.jpg

But they put a street instead of a highway :lol:

Maybe you can translate it?

Maybe you can translate it?

It's like a poem but OK, I'll try:


Because, even though you have more lanes, this one is for overtaking and not for driving.


Because the correct thing is driving on this lane, the right one.
Because if you don't, you can be fined.
You cause more traffic jams, more sudden brakings.
And you can cause more accidents.
Because you get nervous.
So that the median strip barrier don't crush your body.
Because you are not alone in the road.
Because all cars in the left lane reduce the flow to a single lane: the left one.
Because you may arrive later.
Because you may not arrive.
Because the smart lane doesn't exist.
Because if everybody drives in the left lane, it's more difficult to respect a safe distance.


With everything clear, you're safe.
In roads with several lanes, you must use the right lane when it's not full.

Driving on the left lane causes more traffic jams, because the drivers reduce the flow to a single lane, the left one, and the risk increases.

Driving on the left lane when it's not necessary is forbidden and you can be penalized.


Choose your reason not to drive on the left lane in roads with several lanes.

We can't drive for you.

In Portugal, I´ve to admit the people are too inloved for the left lane.
The most annoying and dangerous type- 200km/h, light signs to the people get out of his way, and if not, attach to the rear of the car in front at very short distance.
Jail is the minimum to this guys

In Portugal, I´ve to admit the people are too inloved for the left lane.
The most annoying and dangerous type- 200km/h, light signs to the people get out of his way, and if not, attach to the rear of the car in front at very short distance.

In Germany that happens a lot. Last sunday I overtook another car with about 140 km/h, when I suddenly got signed by a BMW-driver. I hadn't seen him, even not looking in the mirrors, he was that fast.

Yeah, in Italy, especially in the South, when you drive 190km/h on the left lane, some dude wants to drive 200km/h, and get's so close to you, you can't see the plates anymore.
Absolutely no enforcement there.

Interesting topic.

In the US west, there are two kinds of left lane hogs...one type, especially in more rural areas, just don't know the protocol, and don't realize they are slowing traffic and causing frustration behind them. (These folks are usually in pre-1990 vehicles, btw).

The other kind is even more disturbing. They are not that numerous, but there are actual drivers who hold up the left lane because they don't think ANYONE should be driving faster than they are. These drivers think they are actually "calming" traffic, but in reality are creating more road rage.

It's pretty simple. If you want to drive right at the speed limit, stay right. You have no right to slow traffic in the left lane, even if those drivers are speeding. That is the job of highway patrol, not you!

Doesn't the keep-your-lane system in america allow you to drive in whatever lane you want?

Doesn't the keep-your-lane system in america allow you to drive in whatever lane you want?

There is no such system, its the stupidity,ignorance, and selfishness of American drivers.

I've been wanting to know, for ages, what are the seatbelt laws where you all live.

Here in Portugal, everybody in a car must use them.

I've been wanting to know, for ages, what are the seatbelt laws where you all live.

Here in Portugal, everybody in a car must use them.

are there supposed to be places on Earth,where they are not a must?
anyways,here,they are compulsory. along with that the cars' lights must be on all the time..even at daylight.

the cars' lights must be on all the time..even at daylight.

Really? I didn't know thst, i'm shocked! (I must sound so ignorant, which, I probably am.)

More and more countries make lights on a mandatory by daylight. Poland has introduced in recently too.

When it's not a mandatory, things differ from country to country, in Belgium and Germany, drivers usually have the lights off at daylight, while the majority of the Dutch have them on.

In Estonia, everybody in the car must wear seatbelts, except a taxi driver inside the city, passengers in a taxi, a driving instructor and when drving on an ice road. Passengers in buses don't have to wear seatbelts either, cause the majority of buses here don't even have seatbelts so it wouldn't change much.

About headlights:
C'mon, it should be clear to everyone that having headlights on 24h makes cars much more visible.

Chris-Very intersting, do you keep you're headlights on?

Rebasepoiss- Except a taxi driver indide the city... and when driving on an ice road. That Sounds strange to be honest.

When I was in South Korea most cars didn't have a seatbelt and nobody used them, there was probably a law but when most people bought cars they had the seatbelts taken out and I never saw it enforced. That was 1990-2000 so I might have changed now but it was quite different coming from UK where I always put on a seatbelt by instinct .

Chris-Very intersting, do you keep you're headlights on?

Rebasepoiss- Except a taxi driver indide the city... and when driving on an ice road. That Sounds strange to be honest.
When weather is cold enough, we have roads over frozen sea between islands and mainland. I think it's pretty obvius why wearing a seatbelt there is not so good idea.

Frog-South Korea... not suurprised.

Rebasepoiss-To get out on time if the ice breaks.

Chris-Very intersting, do you keep you're headlights on?


Usually, yes.

It's not to see, but to be seen.

Usually, yes.

It's not to see, but to be seen.

Yes, I understand

Usually, yes.

It's not to see, but to be seen.

Exactly. Mandatory in Norway. As is seatbelts, as long as they are fitted in the car/bus/lorry. AFAIK, taxi drivers may still leave them off, but that law is probably going to change. The only time you are encouraged not to wear seatbelts, is when driving on and off ferries - for obvious reasons.

I'm surpriesd you have to have them on even in the summer!

I'm surpriesd you have to have them on even in the summer!

why?

Better visibility, that's the answer.

why?

Let's say it's sunny tempreture of 24º you can see for miles and you still have to use the headlights?

No. That you can easily see oncoming traffic with headlights on. Even in summer it makes quite a difference.

Let's say it's sunny tempreture of 24º you can see for miles and you still have to use the headlights?

Traffic signs are fluorescent...maybe this makes them more visible..and yes...it makes you easier to notice.
BTW,what does temperature has to do with it?

When you want to enter a road, and take a fast peek over your shoulder, you'll easier notice cars with their headlights on.

Rawlee- It's just a example of a nice day.
Chris- I'll have a look at that in Portugal.

A couple of years ago I was almost ran over by a grey car on grey asphalt on a grey rainy day, because the driver hadn't turned headlights on.

A couple of years ago I was almost ran over by a grey car on grey asphalt on a grey rainy day, because the driver hadn't turned headlights on.

I belive that, here we put the headlights in the rain (it's very grey today).

we have big fines here in case someone doesnt put on a seat belt.
we dont use the lights during the day,only when its rainy or cloudy .

Hehe interesting discussion. In Canada, we don't have to keep lights on during the day, but there is a law that all cars imported/produced in Canada since 1994 must have daylight running lights, i.e. when you turn on the ignition, the lights automatically turn and stay on, but not at the same power level as actual headlights that are used at night.

I have almost never seen a car in Canada that does not have daylight running lights, and therefore, it is not a problem here. Virtually all cars here are visible because their headlights are always dimly lit. I am curious - is this very rare elsewhere in the world, such as in Europe?

Wearing a seatbelt here is of course mandatory, but I did find the bus remarks somewhat strange. There are actually buses with seat belts? Most of the time people have to stand anyway when the bus becomes full. This is interesting also :)

In the U.S. most states have mandatory seat belt laws, however, there are still a number of states (mostly western) where you can't be stopped for not wearing them, unless there is another violation. In other words, if you are obeying all traffic laws, then they can't pull you over for seat belt violations.

The only state that requires lights turned on during daylight is Alaska. And I believe that is on only select highways.

Here, you have to wear your seatbelt, and if the cops catch you without one, you can get a ticket and a fine.

I have almost never seen a car in Canada that does not have daylight running lights, and therefore, it is not a problem here. Virtually all cars here are visible because their headlights are always dimly lit. I am curious - is this very rare elsewhere in the world, such as in Europe?
In Europe it is not rare, more and more countries have mandatory to have headlights during the day. Even there, where it is not mandatory (like Germany) more and more people use headlights during the day.

Wearing a seatbelt here is of course mandatory, but I did find the bus remarks somewhat strange. There are actually buses with seat belts? Most of the time people have to stand anyway when the bus becomes full. This is interesting also :)Seatbelts are mounted on long distance buses and tourist buses (but not on city buses), however I doubt, that people use them a lot.

In Croatia lights have to be on all the time also. New cars are adapted to this rule. Their lights are always on so you cant forget to turn therm on.

I've been loking around in Portugal and I've not seen one car with the light's on during the day (even the one from Estonia), the Dutch ones, none.

Did you know that you can't put fog light's on here, so the car headlight hand dosen't go all the way around.

In Macedonia they are both mandatory - the seatbelts and the lights during all times.

I've been wanting to know, for ages, what are the seatbelt laws where you all live.

Here in Portugal, everybody in a car must use them.


Same in the UK.

I've been loking around in Portugal and I've not seen one car with the light's on during the day (even the one from Estonia), the Dutch ones, none.

Maybe you have fines for having lights on during the day? This was common in many parts of Europe about 20 years ago and as I've heard, Greece still punishes drivers for having lights in the day.

[QUOTE=TheCat;15046949]Hehe interesting discussion. In Canada, we don't have to keep lights on during the day, but there is a law that all cars imported/produced in Canada since 1994 must have daylight running lights, i.e. when you turn on the ignition, the lights automatically turn and stay on, but not at the same power level as actual headlights that are used at night.QUOTE]

Lights turning on with the ignition used to be the situation in Norway as well, but due to some EU regulations, we aren't allowed to do this anymore.

Israel: wearing seatbelts is compulsory front and rear

Headlights must be on during the day during the winter (Nov. 1 to April 1, I think), even if it is a bright sunny winter's day.

Maybe you have fines for having lights on during the day? This was common in many parts of Europe about 20 years ago and as I've heard, Greece still punishes drivers for having lights in the day.

No,I'm sure of that.

very strict here, australia is safety mad.......

i reckon less than 0.01% of ppl don't wear seatbelts here.

Lights turning on with the ignition used to be the situation in Norway as well, but due to some EU regulations, we aren't allowed to do this anymore.
Hm, Norway is not in EU. And in Sweden, which is in EU, cars turn lights on on igniton.
Something is wrong with your statement. ;)

:crazy:

Lights turning on with the ignition used to be the situation in Norway as well, but due to some EU regulations, we aren't allowed to do this anymore.

What? :crazy:

England and Wales

Every person aged 14 or over must wear an adult seat belt in a motor-vehicle, whether in the front or rear.

There are exceptions, such as

-when reversing
-taxi-drivers
-disabled people
-certain types of buses (such as those providing a public service in a built up area, or which is constructed/adapted for the carriage of standiong passengers and the operator permits the standing) but not buses or coaches carrying 3 or more children on an organised trip.

There is a sh*tload of legislation relating to seat belts in England and Wales, but the above are the main points.

:crazy:

What? :crazy:

simlar to Iceland, headlights come on automatically.

In the UK, we don't drive with our headlights on unless we experience inclement weather, or we are on a motorcycle, or unless it is, of course, dark.

In Croatia lights have to be on all the time also. New cars are adapted to this rule. Their lights are always on so you cant forget to turn therm on.

Yeah that's what I was talking about. In Canada, almost all cars are like that since the early 90s. However, you still need to turn on your lights when they're needed (e.g. at night). These daylight running lights are especially made for visibility, and aren't as bright as fully turned on lights.

In Hong Kong, all passenger cars must equip front and back seat seatbelt and is required to buckle for all passengers and driver. for those who doesn't buckle up, s/he will be ticketed, both passenger and driver. the driver is responsible to ensure passenger on board buckled up. same rule applies to taxi.

There is hip belt in mini-buses as well. passengers are required by law. if not, they can be fined and possible be jailed.

---------------------------------
Daytime headlight is more for other road users to see you better and be more alert, it's not for you to see others. Studies have found that daytime headlight can reduce accident occurrence.

In Hong Kong, all passenger cars must equip front and back seat seatbelt and is required to buckle for all passengers and driver. for those who doesn't buckle up, s/he will be ticketed, both passenger and driver. the driver is responsible to ensure passenger on board buckled up. same rule applies to taxi.

There is hip belt in mini-buses as well. passengers are required by law. if not, they can be fined and possible be jailed.

---------------------------------
Daytime headlight is more for other road users to see you better and be more alert, it's not for you to see others. Studies have found that daytime headlight can reduce accident occurrence.

Here the driver is only responsible is the passsenger is 12 (mabye 14 don't remeber) or less.

Here the driver is only responsible is the passsenger is 12 (mabye 14 don't remeber) or less.

Only in that case? Its the same here,as mentioned...driver responsible for all. Everybody,regardless of age,height,weight,front or back seat, should always use seatbelt.

Hm, Norway is not in EU. And in Sweden, which is in EU, cars turn lights on on igniton.
Something is wrong with your statement. ;)

For all intents and purposes, we are EU members: We're a part of the inner market through the EEA agreement (and as such, have to accept or veto EU legislation - the latter has never happened...), we're Schengen members, we're better at conforming to EU regulations than most EU countries... You get my drift, I hope.

Some years ago, an EU directive was issued which said that one couldn't force car manufacturers to include such a system and that no EU/EEA country could refuse the sale of cars without such a system. Norway chose not to fight the directive. Apparently, Sweden did and won.

The blue marked European countries in this map have laws that make the use of headlights mandatory during daytime (might be limited to certain road types):

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/de/4/41/Tagfahrlicht.png

The map was taken from wikipedia.

Russia has, but Kaliningrad hasn't such rules? Looks like a mistake to me.

Yeah, like some parts of Italy too. :)

The blue marked European countries in this map have laws that make the use of headlights mandatory during daytime (might be limited to certain road types):

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/de/4/41/Tagfahrlicht.png

The map was taken from wikipedia.


Thats wrong Portugal doesn't! (The parts of Italy are seperate countreis).

I think Russia and Lithuania don't either....

(The parts of Italy are seperate countreis).

He means Sardinia and Sicily. :)

He means Sardinia and Sicily. :)

Oh I see sorry about that.

The blue marked European countries in this map have laws that make the use of headlights mandatory during daytime (might be limited to certain road types):

...

The map was taken from wikipedia.

Bosnia and Herzegovina also has a law requiring headlights to be on at all times.

In Malaysia, only front occupants have to use the seatbelts compulsory.

In Malaysia, only front occupants have to use the seatbelts compulsory.

Interesting.

^^ Yeah, your kid will fly through the windshield in an accident. You'd never knew kids could fly eh?

And the passengers in the back seat would easily kill the ones at front when flying forward with massive energy.

And the passengers in the back seat would easily kill the ones at front when flying forward with massive energy.

Yes.

Seatbelt is mandatory for driver and front passenger only.

Seatbelt is mandatory for driver and front passenger only.

She was my old classmate...she is gorgeous.Could have been anything,even beauty queen. They had an accident on a motorway. She flew out through the windshield. Now she is paralysed from waist down,and must use wheelchair. Because she didnt wear seat belt. I wouldnt be proud of my country,if it didnt enforce seatbelts at all costs. Many people say that there are cases when people cant be saved in an accident,because of the fastened seatbelt(people here actually use this as an excuse)..I have a firefighter friend. He said that this is true..although from 100000 accidents(or more),only in one case killed the seatbelt the wearer. In the rest,it saved the passengers.

I think in New York only the front passengers are required to wear a seatbelt, as well. At least when I was there around 2 months ago, my relatives (who live there) found it strange when I fastened while sitting in the back (since in Ontario we are required to put them on no matter where we sit).

She was my old classmate...she is gorgeous.Could have been anything,even beauty queen. They had an accident on a motorway. She flew out through the windshield. Now she is paralysed from waist down,and must use wheelchair. Because she didnt wear seat belt. I wouldnt be proud of my country,if it didnt enforce seatbelts at all costs. Many people say that there are cases when people cant be saved in an accident,because of the fastened seatbelt(people here actually use this as an excuse)..I have a firefighter friend. He said that this is true..although from 100000 accidents(or more),only in one case killed the seatbelt the wearer. In the rest,it saved the passengers.

That is sad. :ohno:

TheCat- Here in Portugal they are obligatory but most people don't use them in the back.

In the first six months of 2007, there were 23 traffic deaths in Harju region, Estonia. 1 of them wore a seatbelt.

In the first six months of 2007, there were 23 traffic deaths in Harju region, Estonia. 1 of them wore a seatbelt.

Why dosen't that surprise me.

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Why dosen't that surprise me.

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Thanks!

It's a shame they broadcast such confrontating commercials...

It's a shame they broadcast such confrontating commercials...

Why
?

That's a very confronting commercial, but if it gets the job done: sure!

Many people are totally unaware what forces are in play on one's body when a car suddenly comes to a standstill... The excuse that a seatbelt would actually give less chance of survival has been used in the past by several car designers, but I'm amazed some still believe in these lies :ohno:

- Greetz Glodenox

Why
?

Because it's simply way too confrontating. Just like for instance the stuff they put on cigarettes nowadays. There are other ways to make clear wearing seatbelts is much safer. Children will also watch this. And I don't think there are much people who don't wear seatbelts that aren't aware of the bigger risks. But that's just their own fault. There's only one way to protect people better to themselves: more police control and raising fines (in Holland it's only €45).

I think it has to be confontating, to work and the fine in the US is a alot less.

You can confrontate without directly show the real result of it like in this commercials. For instance, a few weeks ago I saw in Belgium a sign with a close-up from a face of a little child with a text something like "Papa, ne roulez pas trop vite" (Daddy, don't drive too fast)

Yes but with something like that people just won't get it.

They surely do. I'm not a father, so I don't know what it is to have kids, but I got it immediatly. People who don't wear safety belts are mostly not "stupid folks". It's just a bad habit, that's all.

Here you can't be stopped for not wearing a seatbelt, and there is no daytime running light law but almost absolutely all cars have DRLs.

Spain is such a weird country for this issue. If you have your lights on during daytime, everybody will warn you about it. But man, if you forget to put them on during nightime many people will consider rude to tell it to you. There are even urban leyends about people who warned a car with its lights off at midnight and consequently the car started a chase to kill them. :D

About seatbelts, of course it's compulsory in Spain but there are still some buses without them.

i found that there are many bumpy roads in my hometown.. which are in Malaysia>Sarawak>Sibu.. it's very uncomfortable when i was driving on the road.. i will try to get some photos of the bumpy roads.. so can any one posts some pictures of the bumpy roads in your hometown??

Not that I know of...

Unless you drive into a forest or some farmers private road :)

That's the funniest question Ive read.

In the case of Qatar, the question should be "Is there any straight roads in your country??" :D

It would take years to picture all the bumby roads in Estonia. There must me thousands of km-s of bumpy road.

It would take years to picture all the bumby roads in Estonia. There most me thousands of km-s of bumpy road.

Same with Portugal.

^^ In that case, in Romania there must be TENS of thousands of bumpy roads...

Croatia could be placed high, too :D fortunately, not on the main routes

but we all now where is the place with no bumpy roads and with fantastic gorgeous ultra super fucking shiny crashbarriers and fresh ultra super black asphalt which stays fresh for 10 years!

Croatia could be placed high, too :D fortunately, not on the main routes

but we all now where is the place with no bumpy roads and with fantastic gorgeous ultra super fucking shiny crashbarriers and fresh ultra super black asphalt which stays fresh for 10 years!

Where? The only bad roads here are inside Budapest,in other major cities and in the county.:):):):nuts:

but we all now where is the place with no bumpy roads and with fantastic gorgeous ultra super fucking shiny crashbarriers and fresh ultra super black asphalt which stays fresh for 10 years!Where?:hammer: :hammer: :hammer:

Croatia could be placed high, too :D fortunately, not on the main routes

but we all now where is the place with no bumpy roads and with fantastic gorgeous ultra super fucking shiny crashbarriers and fresh ultra super black asphalt which stays fresh for 10 years!

Nepal.

but we all now where is the place with no bumpy roads and with fantastic gorgeous ultra super fucking shiny crashbarriers and fresh ultra super black asphalt which stays fresh for 10 years!Where?Nepal.
:hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer:

Nepal.

tente outra vez ;)

Is this bumpy enough?:lol:
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/7581/resizeofimg2426hv1.jpg

^^ lol actually the pavement on that road looks quite good, but rather it's the terrain that's very bumpy.

But coming back to the point, most major streets in Toronto are very cracked and bumpy, and are in a bad condition overall, although not everywhere. They are drivable and do their job relatively well, and the marking is usually in a decent condition too, but the surface at times is very very bad.

:ohno:

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd152/Victor5101/DSC02983_resize.jpg





http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd152/Victor5101/DSC00717_resize.jpg

^^ lol actually the pavement on that road looks quite good, but rather it's the terrain that's very bumpy.

The whole road,from Miskolc to the Slovak border(~50km) has been repaved last year.

In bulgaria there are bumpy roads but I promise there´s no one single bump on the E79/struma, Kulata - Sofia

This summer I drove on the Belgium N67 between Eupen and Monschau. It was the worst (and most bumpy) road I've ever seen in Western Europe. In general Belgium roads are often bad maintained. In Holland bumpy roads are really rare. We've got generally a well maintained road network. One of the famous exceptions is the ex-motorway 'de Strijp' in Eindhoven. Some urban brick roads in the city I live are quite bad too (driving them only 20 km/h in a car, even only 10km/h in a truck).

Heh, our rural roads are bumpy, but to describe the streets of Tallinn, you would need a different category, something like: "Roads where a Ferrari is slower than an Opel"

Yeah the Belgian N67 is really bad.

I'd have to bring up the old Reichsautobahnen. Especially the Polish A4 was HORRIBLE. You'd really got seasick on that road. Now that has all changed.

Well a lot of those in Greece, especially inner city roads, the fun thing is that while they are repaving the roads quite often, always the electricity/telecommunications/water companies are there to make new holes for us!Thus after they cover the holes, what remains is a bumpy road!

Countless :devil:

Bulgaria rural landroads which are not nationalroads can be bumpy, even when they are new, I do´nt know hwy, maybe they are paving over the old asphalt, the Sofia roads used to be bumpy but they are fixing them all now, nationalroads are usually fine.

This is pretty damn funny. It's a little "adult", but educational, so I'd say under 13 not allowed.:nuts::lol:

http://www.joe-ks.com/archives_apr2001/RoadSignRomance.jpg

PS: If this is a little too skybarish, feel free to move. I didn't think the people there would appreciate it as much, though.

Oh man, it has been translated into hundreds of other languages over the years ;)

I see this in Spanish :D

quite funny

Oh man, it has been translated into hundreds of other languages over the years ;)

Glad to hear it. Not very often that you can find humor that truly translates across all languages :lol:

LOL.

Interesting topic.

In the US west, there are two kinds of left lane hogs...one type, especially in more rural areas, just don't know the protocol, and don't realize they are slowing traffic and causing frustration behind them. (These folks are usually in pre-1990 vehicles, btw).

The other kind is even more disturbing. They are not that numerous, but there are actual drivers who hold up the left lane because they don't think ANYONE should be driving faster than they are. These drivers think they are actually "calming" traffic, but in reality are creating more road rage.

It's pretty simple. If you want to drive right at the speed limit, stay right. You have no right to slow traffic in the left lane, even if those drivers are speeding. That is the job of highway patrol, not you!

AMEN!

I think I'm going to keep a small tray of eggs in my car and if I catch up to a left lane hogger that won't get out of my way, I'll toss an egg at his/her car as I'm forced to pass on the right.

Or hell, I could just make a personal sign that says "LEFT LANE FOR PASSING ONLY" or "SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT" and hold that up as I pass the jackass on the right. :mad:

Is there anywhere in the US(aside from rural areas) where people know lane discipline?

that reminds me when i was driving Renault 4 on a motorway and tried to overtake a truck. omg, that was really stupid :nuts:

hahaha :hilarious

Is there anywhere in the US(aside from rural areas) where people know lane discipline?

Austin just got a new set of tollways and one thing I've noticed is that drivers on the tollway are excellent drivers. People I've encountered in the left lane have almost always pulled to the side.

Is there enough enforcement to left-lane hoggers? The fines here are quite high for it.

^^ Yeah, but the chance you get caught is minimal... :(

^^ Yeah, but the chance you get caught is minimal... :(
True, but in Europe other drivers force you pull to the right because they cannot overtake on the right. Here, left-lane hogs are cursed at, but generally people just overtake them as soon as they have a gap in the right lane. Plus, the chance you get caught in the USA is even smaller than in Europe.

Most police in the US don't give a shit about left lane hoggers or any other driver violation, even if its illegal under law. They only care about catching speeders for revenue. God, i hate US mentality sometimes.

^^ It's exactly the same, maybe even worse in Europe, especially Netherlands and the UK which are full of fixed speed traps.

At least European drivers know how to move over to the right.

I think I'm going to keep a small tray of eggs in my car and if I catch up to a left lane hogger that won't get out of my way, I'll toss an egg at his/her car as I'm forced to pass on the right.

Or hell, I could just make a personal sign that says "LEFT LANE FOR PASSING ONLY" or "SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT" and hold that up as I pass the jackass on the right. :mad:

Haha, ditto on the second part. I've been wanting to do for that longest time but never got around to it. :lol:

Most police in the US don't give a shit about left lane hoggers or any other driver violation, even if its illegal under law. They only care about catching speeders for revenue. God, i hate US mentality sometimes.

They just passed a law in Colorado that if you are hogging the left lane on a motorway with a speed limit higher than 65mph/105km/h (So any motorway outside of urban areas) they can pull you over and fine you just for that.

There are heaps of crazy drivers here in Brisbane too. One time we were going to the Gold Coast on the Pacific Mwy, and in the 110km/h section, we were doing 115 (naughty naughty :)) and heaps of cars were speeding past us at like 130 or 140km/h! It seems some people really have a death wish...

Also people drive in the overtaking lane all the time in the ICB, very annoying to be stuck behind a slow truck in the fast lane, and another stupid truck in the left lane too! No wonder car drivers hate them, remember the car crash in Melbourne last year? This car was being tailgated by a truck driver, and ended up being pushed sideways as they changed lanes... the truck kept going as they didnt see the car in front being smashed. :bash:

And in front of them just happened to be the channel 9 ACA crew who happened to be filming with their camera pointing at the cars behind... hmm

Sometimes i wish i had some kind of news ticker on my car that could say:

Speed limit is 80, not 55. (km/h). I really hate those people who are just crawling over the road. Especially in the Dutch province of Drente, were a lot of elderly people live, you see this often. :bash:

Yeah slow pokes are really annoying. I was at our local shopping centre yesterday and there was this extremely OLD frail woman driving a car, she was too short to drive IMHO as she could just see above the steering wheel. Guess who was going at like 5 km/h in the carpark... I could probably walk faster than the speed at which she was driving...

They just passed a law in Colorado that if you are hogging the left lane on a motorway with a speed limit higher than 65mph/105km/h (So any motorway outside of urban areas) they can pull you over and fine you just for that.

Too bad its not enforced.

Doesn't the keep-your-lane system in america allow you to drive in whatever lane you want?


No, everyone is taught to pass in the left and drive in the right. Outside urban areas, where there's so much congestion, the rule is almost always obeyed in the United States.

I've been coast to coast, border to border, and when in rural areas, I'd say 90%+ people in the US will drive in the right, pass in the left, and move over if someone is coming up upon them while they're in the left lane.

Of course you always get the random people who don't obey the rule, but concidering the hundreds of millions of cars and trucks in the US - it surprisingly works most of the time.

Urban areas are a whole different story....

Most police in the US don't give a shit about left lane hoggers or any other driver violation, even if its illegal under law. They only care about catching speeders for revenue. God, i hate US mentality sometimes.

You hate it SOMETIMES!? Every post you write is basically a sentence or two about how you pretty much hate Americans, all of them are selfish, and all of us go out of our way to disobey laws because we're all so horribly horribly self centered.

And most of driving is done in urban freeways. We should do something about it.

And most of driving is done in urban freeways. We should do something about it.

Most urban areas are so congested that lane discipline simply does not apply. Every lane becomes the slow lane when many cars going slow change into it to go faster. Usually, the right lane moves very slowly (due to traffic), and everyone moves to the left, not because they want to hog the left lane, but because they all want to go faster. But the problem is that people in the right lane don't go slow because they want to, but because of traffic.

Of course, in off-peak hours and on very wide freeways the left lane/lanes are still mostly used for passing, but very often the huge volume of traffic simply makes it impossible for orderly driving where everyone follows lane discipline exactly. On top of that, there is usually a lot of weaving in and out of lanes due to the close spacing of exits. This further slows down drivers in almost all lanes.

From my limited experience driving in the US, I actually agree with Chicagoago. On NY freeways (I-80 and I-81, among others) most people drove in the right lane. In fact, I found that almost all drivers more or less followed the speed limit. On the other hand, in Toronto, the left lane is often filled with drivers going 130-140km/h, and most of the time people don't hog the left lane if traffic volumes are low.

For those who don't know, rubberneckers are people who slow down and stare
at accidents that happen off road or the other side of the road(in case the other side of the freeway/motorway). Its a problem in this state, but is it a problem in you country?

Yes, all the time. Sometimes the traffic jam because of people looking might be even longer than the traffic jam behind the accident. I have seen reports of traffic jams because of watchers that can be over 20km long.

I wonder if there is a way to stop people from rubbernecking.

They developed some solutions in the Netherlands, like putting up a very large screen in the median around the accident scene. Ofcourse, this doesn't work completely, because traffic is always so heavy, the slightest disruption can cause huge backups. Like a rainy day can cause 50% more traffic jams than a dry day.

its a problem, but everyone would find the sight of crashed cars somewhat interesting.

It causes a lot of problems, but its human nature.

Some countries (like Belgium) have trees and plants in the median, this may help a little. But flashlights from police and fire trucks can always be seen. Sometimes, those green flaps are put along the center crash barriers, to reduce the headlights of upcoming traffic, this may also contribute in less sight to the accident scene.

Yes. I also slow down, but to a still normal speed. I'm not that interested.

I think everywhere in the world suffers from it. I've witnessed first hand a crash in Auckland because someone was looking too closely at another. There was a "Motorway Patrol" episode on it!

it is a problem here, but one way it has been reduced is to have flashing lights to be given the option to only light up one way so the traffic the other way does not see it.

it is easy to do with LED lights.

In NL we call those jams 'kijkersfile' Meaning something like viewers jam. Very annoying. The police has recenty started to use some sort of screens to block the view on the accident to prevent it. A better idea would be to use those green flaps, they are also very handy at night to block the lights from cars on the other side of the road.

The most famous illegal racing event is obviously Gumball3000. You probably know more or less about it so I'd not focus on that one.

Do You have any non-international races, specific for Your country?


----------------


In Poland we have Rage Race

http://www.wsbil.edu.pl/images/newsy/Rage-Race_logo.png

The idea is more or less the same as in Gumball - teams are racing through Poland and completening various tasks.

http://www.rage-race.pl/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/booom_gdansk_018.jpg

http://www.rage-race.pl/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/booom_leba_139.jpg

http://www.rage-race.pl/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/ragerace_503.jpg

http://www.rage-race.pl/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/press_02_110.jpg

http://www.rage-race.pl/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/team_41_055.jpg

yum! :)
http://www.rage-race.pl/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/booom_trasa_1_130.jpg

http://www.rage-race.pl/blog/?cat=2


SUPu2VnIvFA

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-----------------------------

@ Chriszwolle If You find this thread not very suitable here we can move it somewhere

Swedes are crazy:
Q4aDOuH65jE

Last evening the police in Almere caugt 25 guys on scooters who were going to race in such an illegal street race. The police found an anouncement on some forum for this streetrace, and they just arrived on time to stop it.

Oh this is a very common event here in BG :lol::lol:lol:

Wyoming installs more deer underpasses
28 May 2008

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - In a $4 million effort to improve highway safety for both wildlife and motorists, crews are installing six underpasses along a stretch of rural highway running through a mule deer migration route in southwestern Wyoming.

The idea of the project is to get the deer to use the underpasses and avoid collisions with vehicles on the roadway.

"It's just meant to keep the travelers safer on the road because you get people seeing a deer in the road and they swerve into the other lane and have a head-on or swerve off the road and roll their truck or something," Jennifer Hoffman, resident engineer with the Wyoming Department of Transportation, said in a telephone interview Wednesday.

The project, a cooperative effort by WYDOT and the state Game and Fish Department, includes installing 8-foot high fencing for about six miles along both sides of U.S. 30 through Nugget Canyon, which is a major migration route every spring and fall for mule deer.

Between 300 and 500 deer are killed each year along the highway, Hoffman said.

One underpass and tall fencing have already been installed along about 10 miles of the highway. Studies showed some deer used the underpass but others went around the fence.

That prompted the state to undertake the latest project, which involves installing more underpasses and fencing on the east side of the existing underpass and fencing, Hoffman said.

"We're hoping these six new ones will help with that and not push the deer so much to the end of the fence, that they'll actually go underneath the roadway instead of just pushing the problem further down the road," she said.

The project is entirely funded by the state.

Hoffman said the project is expected to be completed by Oct. 31.

In order to minimize traffic delays, two underpasses are being installed at a time and precast sections are being used to speed up the work.

"WYDOT crews use a crane to swing the underpasses into place under the highway," WYDOT technician Dave Neilson said in a statement. "Then wing-shaped fences are installed to funnel the deer into the underpass boxes. The placement of the boxes must be highly visual to the deer. There can't be any bumps at the ends of the underpasses or the deer won't use them."

Bill Rudd, Game and Fish assistant wildlife division chief, said officials have been experimenting since 1986 with ways to reduce deer-vehicle collisions in the canyon.

"We were losing large numbers of deer in the Wyoming Range mule deer herd and it seemed like the underpasses would help save this important mule deer herd," Rudd said.

Rudd said the effort is ongoing and involves many volunteers, students from the University of Wyoming, state agencies and groups such as the Mule Deer Foundation.

In Portugal we have a bridge like that. (1 bridge, just shows how sad it is, so little wildlife left that Portugal only needs 1.)

Hello, post some pics from speedcams at Highways from your countries.

I`ll start:

Switzerland

http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/4345306.jpg
HQ+GPS: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4345306

http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/7518423.jpg
GPS+HQ: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/7518423


http://static1.bareka.com/photos/medium/13668916.jpg
http://www.imgbox.de/users/public/thumbnails/s16137z21_t.gif (http://www.imgbox.de/?img=s16137z21.jpg)
GPS+HQ: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/13668916


More speedcams from Switzerland here: Speecdams (http://www.panoramio.com/user/162195/tags/Speedcam)

What happens when you drive to fast here on highways:

Allowed 120kmh:

When u drive:
130kmh: Fr. 40.- =35,90 US-Dollar
140kmh: Fr. 250.-224,40 US-Dollar
150kmh: You give away your driving license away for at least 1 month!
160kmh: You give away your driving license away for severals months!

^^ How about that so-called guard rail speed trap? I heard it was an hoax originated in Switzerland.

ANALYSIS-U.S. shift to smaller cars raises safety questions

WASHINGTON, July 23 (Reuters) - An accelerating U.S. consumer shift from sport utility vehicles and pickups to more fuel-efficient cars should reduce rollover, but safety experts worry a lighter fleet poses serious risks despite air bags, anti-collision systems and other advances.

"Shifting to smaller vehicles will make the problem worse," said Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a group that measures crash test performance that is backed by insurance companies. "You're better off in a bigger vehicle than in a smaller one."

Distressed U.S. auto giants are moving to retool plants and leverage operations in Europe, Latin America and elsewhere to get more small cars to American consumers in coming years and meet tougher federal fuel economy standards.

U.S. sales are down in 2008 with gas prices above $4 a gallon and consumers caught in a slowing economy. But sales of compacts, sedans and other cars jumped 3 percent in June compared with a 19 percent drop for less efficient SUVs and pickups, according to Ward's Automotive Group.

General Motors Corp has ramped up production of its compact Chevrolet Cobalt and the subcompact Aveo and is working on the Volt electric car. Ford Motor Co plans to introduce the Fiesta to the United States in 2010. Chrysler LLC has a partnership with Nissan for the Japanese manufacturer to build it a small car based on a Chrysler design to better compete in the market.

Popular fuel-efficient compacts and sedans are made by Japan's Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co Ltd .

More than 40,000 people are killed annually on U.S. roads in traffic-related accidents. Three-quarters of the victims are in passenger vehicles with two-thirds of them, just under 19,000, in cars. Most were killed in front or side crashes, according to 2006 federal data, the latest available.

Fewer "higher riding" truck-style SUVs and pickups driven for everyday use should reduce rollovers, which account for about a quarter of all traffic fatalities, experts agree. But some note that cars are lighter, not as stiff and have less room inside to protect occupants in collisions with other vehicles and objects, such as poles and trees.

"When they hit narrow, vertical fixed-object hazards like telephone poles, a front-end collision at higher speeds results in deep intrusion, sometimes resulting in ripping the engine from its mounts and pushing it through the firewall into the occupants," Gerald Donaldson, senior research director for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, an alliance of interests that includes insurance companies.

Donaldson said the government must toughen crash tests and finalize a rigorous roof strength standard.

BETTER CRASH PROTECTION

Rae Tyson, spokesman for the Transportation Department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said the government is aware of safety group concerns. He added it is too early to identify new trends.

NHTSA, Tyson said, is researching better crash protection as well as possible safety issues with batteries in hybrids and all-electric cars, and others that use biofuels.

Tyson said cars are well equipped and safer than during the last fuel-driven consumer shift to smaller vehicles in the 1970s when the death rate spiked.

"Back then there was a sacrifice because smaller cars being built did not match up to larger vehicles. That's not true now," Tyson said.

Jim Vondale, Ford's director of safety, said the automaker is learning more about making stronger vehicles in "smaller packages," trying to maximize energy they can absorb in crashes using higher-strength steel and other materials.

"Structural changes are some of the longest lead time changes you can make," Vondale said, noting Ford is trying to accelerate improvements in strength design, especially on models in Europe eventually headed to the U.S market.

Jake Fisher, senior automotive engineer for Consumer Reports, said automakers are "getting smarter" about design and are using more aluminum and forged alloy materials that are strong, lighter and more expensive than steel.

Smaller SUVs and cars, he reasoned, may do a better job than heavier ones of avoiding accidents in the first place because they can stop more quickly and are easier to handle.

The experts also noted benefits of greater seat belt use, front and side air bags, roll control systems, anti-lock brakes, and collision avoidance technologies.

"I don't think the sky is falling," Fisher said.

Smaller cars are not necessarily unsafer, but if half of the US still drives giant SUV's, yeah, in a collision, you're probably worse off in a smaller car. It keeps a vicious circle that way.

The Netherlands is the safest nation in road traffic, yet most of the cars are compacts or small sedans.

Yes, defensive driving in the US cannot be accomplished with a small car ... wonder why people love their SUVs so much. :)

^^Driving around in the US in a very small Chevrolet Aveo can be quite scary indeed :D Seriously, in such a car you definately have a smaller change of surviving a heavy accident than in a SUV. But if you want to stay driving 1 to 7 instead of 1 to 15, it's your choice :)

However, for some reason, accident rates in Israel are significantly higher than
in most Western countries.


Hi Cat,

According to a report by the Central Bureau of Statistics http://www1.cbs.gov.il/shnaton58/st24_21.pdf, road deaths per 100,000 people in Israel were 5.9 in 2006, and 7.1 in 2000-2006.

Accident deaths have actually been going down consistenly since they peaked (in absolute numbers) in about 1973.

Hello, just found this forum this morning!

I am looking for some information on safety and fatalities comparing US freeways to EU Motorways, in particular UK, Autobahn, and Autostrada and impacts of speed limits and lane usage (eg, left lane pass only). I've searched this forum and a few others and come up empty. I've backed in to some numbers on my own, but would prefer something better than backed in numbers (and from someone other than me).

Thanks,

This was something I was wondering about too...when I was in US I was almost shocked to see cars overtaking from both sides, I would say that is something that can increase the number of accidents on the road a lot!

You can measure traffic safety in various ways.

Common;

number of traffic deaths per 100.000 inhabitants
number of traffic deaths per x axle miles
number of traffic deaths per vehicle mileage

I think the last way is the best way to compare, since it gives an opportunity to compare by vehicle mileage. In that way, a couple of big accidents in a small country without much vehicle mileage cannot blur the statistics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate

For instance, the United States has 9 deaths per 1 billion vehicle kilometers. The Netherlands has 7.7 (one of the safest nations in the world), but I doubt if that's correct, since we had 800 traffic deaths, while we travelled 150 billion car kilometers, which would add up to 5.3 deaths per 1 billion vehicle kilometers.

Other industrialized nations like Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea have more deaths than the United States.

That isnt perfect either. In the US,most drivers are locals,so it doesnt matter who makes the accident,but here,there are a lot of foreign drivers,who might have a completely different driving culture than the locals. It might seem an irrelevant thing, but maybe a bulgarian driving style that works well in Bulgaria will end in death in Sweden...and that is neither because the locals cant drive,nor because the bulgarian couldnt drive,so not because it is not safe to drive there...

I agree. Many Dutchmen see Paris's traffic as crazy, but try to drive in Amsterdam and avoid all cyclists which swarm around you from all directions.

In Greece the major problem was the safety in roads, especially in old motorways because of many accidents causing by... stupidity of some drivers.
Now with new motorways the things are much better

Thanks all. Excellent points. The problem I'm having is getting US Interstate v. German Autobahn (v. UK Motorway v. Italian Autostrada). Which would be comparing apples to apples. I believe, and please correct me if I'm wrong, that whole country stats, even fatalities / km driven, are skewed by motorway v. non-motorway differences. For instance, in Germany it appears that a much higher percentage of fatalities are non-motorway (and a high number are single vehicle collisions with trees) v. the US which appears to have a higher percentage of motorway (interstate) fatalities.

Thanks,

I agree. Many Dutchmen see Paris's traffic as crazy, but try to drive in Amsterdam and avoid all cyclists which swarm around you from all directions.You're supposed to avoid them?

The first time I ever drove outside the US was from Paris to Amsterdam. I was fine with Paris, but Amsterdam was rather amazing. The average street name was about 95 characters, many weren't marked (I assumed they couldn't fit them on the buildings), and once I was 2 blocks from our hotel (Radisson SAS) but was given directions for a 17 block route (actually) to get there. We laugh about it now, but that night we were tired and getting frustrated.

Anyway, the numbers I'd backed in to are US Interstate: 13/billion miles driven, Autobahn: 9/billion miles driven, Autostrada 11/billion miles driven.

That isnt perfect either. In the US,most drivers are locals,so it doesnt matter who makes the accident,but here,there are a lot of foreign drivers,who might have a completely different driving culture than the locals. It might seem an irrelevant thing, but maybe a bulgarian driving style that works well in Bulgaria will end in death in Sweden...and that is neither because the locals cant drive,nor because the bulgarian couldnt drive,so not because it is not safe to drive there...

You're right, but big countries like the US and Canada also have huge variations among states/provinces. For example, the only reason Canada is higher than the US is because, due to reasons unknown to me, some provinces/territories have an insanely high rate (PEI - 25, Yukon - 24.2). Some other provinces also have pretty high rates.

But the interesting thing is that Ontario's claim of having the safest roads in North America (or at least, one of the safest) seems to be true, being only 6, lower than most European countries. NWT seems to be even lower, but its population is tiny.

Check it out here (http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tp/tp3322/2006/page5.htm).

Why is Yukon so high? Moose?

UK accident statistics are here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/tsgb/2008edition/sectioneighttransportacciden.pdf

Table 8.3 gives you data for motorways.

@Timon91: maybe drink & drive ?

^^Yes, but why only in Yukon?

UK accident statistics are here...Chris, thank you! Do you happen to know if when they've calculated the rates for motorways it is per miles driven on motorways or per total miles driven for the UK?

^^ Good question.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/tsgb/2008edition/ is the front page of that publication. Section 7, Table 7.4 shows you traffic data; in 2006 there were 99.2 billion vehicle-km on motorways in GB.

Rounding the figures, 8000 casualties from 100,000,000,000 vehicle-km is 1 casualty for every 0.00000008 vehicle-km, or 8 for every 100,000,000 vehicle-km. The definition of a casualty in the UK is anyone who needed, and got, medical attention after a collision which was reported to the police. You might want to check there are comparable methods for other countries!

So yes, it is just for motorways :)

Deaths on the roads here(in Hungary),is 83 in this August. From this,0 on motorways...even 0 in the entire year!

(only in hungarian:http://www.police.hu/statisztika/kozbiztstat/baleset0808.html)

There were 31 deadly accidents(39 death) on motorways last year in the period I-XII. Overwhelming majority is because of either speeding or not yielding.

The list isn't particularly surprising to me, and it is pretty conclusive regarding a few things. First, alcohol is a major killer on roads, and countries' attitude towards drinking and driving is a major factor. Also, based on personal driving experience in twentysomething European countries, I believe I could have placed each country fairly accurately on the list: Northern/Western European driving culture is far less aggressive than Southern/Eastern European, and even though motorways in, say, Greece or Romania are pretty straightforward, it's quite obvious that their way of driving leads to more accidents than you have in the Netherlands or Norway, for instance. Road quality matters surprisingly little, as does average age of the car park (Norway's roads are bad and we've got the oldest cars in Western Europe...). On the other hand, massive road improvements in Spain and Portugal have obviously helped in taking these countries out of the bottom section of the European statistics.

FYI:

http://cemt.org/IRTAD/IRTADPublic/we2.html

Deaths on the roads here(in Hungary),is 83 in this August. From this,0 on motorways...even 0 in the entire year!

(only in hungarian:http://www.police.hu/statisztika/kozbiztstat/baleset0808.html)

There were 31 deadly accidents(39 death) on motorways last year in the period I-XII. Overwhelming majority is because of either speeding or not yielding.

Excessive speeding? I was excepting higher because I thought Hungarian drivers are shitty.