TSS Customer Service, Author at Traffic Safety Resource Center

Week In Traffic: 5 ways the government shutdown can affect your commute

Traffic Safety

Better traffic? For years, officials at the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization in Virginia have been working to un-bottleneck one of suburban D.C’s most congested highways. Now, with furloughs effecting 15 percent of the road’s commuters, planners can study improved traffic conditions without spending extra money. The opportunity could allow them to make specific recommendations. For example, they may learn … Continue reading “Week In Traffic: 5 ways the government shutdown can affect your commute”

These 3 Government Actions Could Save Thousands Of Lives. So What’s The Hold Up?

Traffic Safety

In politics, everyone’s got an opinion: Should we subsidize school supplies? How should businesses be taxed? Should we legalize medical marijuana? These discussions seem to drag on endlessly. When it comes to traffic safety matters, however, debates can be a matter of life or death and the final decisions affect everyone. Every year, over 30,000 people die and hundreds of … Continue reading “These 3 Government Actions Could Save Thousands Of Lives. So What’s The Hold Up?”

The Week In Traffic Safety: September 27, 2013

Traffic Safety

This car sees danger so you don’t have too The Subaru Outback and Legacy recently received the highest honors from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for their auto-breaking system, “EyeSight.” During a controlled simulation, the camera-and-software enabled feature – 20 years in the making – avoided collision at a speed differential of 25 mph (the Subaru was going … Continue reading “The Week In Traffic Safety: September 27, 2013”

Law of Numbers: How Former Math Professor Jim Hedlund Helped Save Lives

Traffic Awareness

Statistician Jim Hedlund can see you while you’re driving. Well, maybe not exactly you, but a pretty good approximation. The Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) II – a study by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Hedlund consults on– has fortified the vehicles of over 3,000 subjects with advanced surveillance tools. These include lane trackers, speed recorders, … Continue reading “Law of Numbers: How Former Math Professor Jim Hedlund Helped Save Lives”

Stylish Safety Glasses

Safety Glasses

It’s always a good idea to wear safety glasses on the job in order to protect your eyes, but you need a pair that’s more suited to your personal style. Safety glasses are great when it comes to protecting your vision. Almost 1000 eye injuries occur every single day, and 70% of these injuries are caused by falling objects. Chemical … Continue reading “Stylish Safety Glasses”

Week In Traffic Safety: September 20, 2013

Traffic Safety

You’ll Find Safer Cars in Hell Of all the U.S. towns sporting odd names (Hooker, ND; Accident, MD; Blue Balls, PA), Hell, Michigan might be the most appropriately titled. The Detroit suburb with a population 72 boasts miles of rugged, winding roads. Because it’s a lot closer than North Carolina, Hell has fast become an industry favorite for test-driving – … Continue reading “Week In Traffic Safety: September 20, 2013”

The Week in Traffic Safety: September 10, 2013

Traffic Safety

Introducing, the car that reads your mind – and your heart and liver Nissan has unveiled Nismo, a “smartwatch” (i.e. automated wristband) that displays the vitals of drivers (heartbeat, body temperature, social media performance) and their car (fuel efficiency). Future incarnations of this technology could include a car-watch combo that measures the driver’s sobriety before agreeing to start the engine. … Continue reading “The Week in Traffic Safety: September 10, 2013”

Think Bike Accidents Are Inevitable? Check Out The Zebra Lane Delineator

Traffic Safety

A new European bike track is proving bikers, pedestrians and cars can safely share the road, and like it. “It almost looks as if these people are riding a race, rather than going home after work. They’re trying to outrun other traffic. It really seems like a chase. There’s a lot of cycling here despite the infrastructure, rather than because … Continue reading “Think Bike Accidents Are Inevitable? Check Out The Zebra Lane Delineator”

Eye Protection Safety Tips for Everyone

Safety Glasses

Your vision is probably one of the most important senses when it comes to your every day life. Just try to imagine a day without vision—pretty terrifying isn’t it? You want to keep your eyes intact and your vision sharp. Here are some tips to keep your vision the best it can be. Eye injuries can cost more than $300 … Continue reading “Eye Protection Safety Tips for Everyone”

This Week In Traffic Safety: September 3, 2013

Traffic Safety

If the economy is getting better, why are people driving less? Despite evidence of a recovering U.S economy, vehicle-in-use rates have continued to fall since 2008, after peaking in 2007. An independent study by Transportation Department economists Don Pickrell and David Pace also found that miles-driven-per-month among individual drivers has steadily declined since 2004 and a smaller percentage of people … Continue reading “This Week In Traffic Safety: September 3, 2013”

The Week In Traffic Safety: August 19, 2013

Traffic Safety

Keeping Cars Safe The National Highway Traffic Safety Association now requires automakers to issue a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for all new vehicles. The system—available at SaferCar.gov—allows consumers to check if their car is subject to a recall. Full article here. Source:Press Release, National Highway Safety Association Bike-Friendly Leadership from the “Big” State Texas is experiencing a statewide surge of … Continue reading “The Week In Traffic Safety: August 19, 2013”

Studies show hands-free devices are still unsafe! How your brain causes car accidents.

Traffic Safety

To learn more about cognitive distraction in drivers and how you can help visit http://www.distraction.gov We all do it. We’re late for work so we take our breakfast with us in the car. We’re stuck in gridlock so we check our reflection and fix our hair. We fumble with the dial or reset the GPS without pulling over. Drivers are … Continue reading “Studies show hands-free devices are still unsafe! How your brain causes car accidents.”

Is ‘Under 30 Minutes’ Putting Us At Risk?

Traffic Safety

Are the customer service promises of big business placing us in danger?Domino’s is one chain, known in the past for its quick delivery promises, yet they recently revised their approach, telling consumers the brand focuses on quality preparation rather than quick delivery.Especially while out there tearing around the streets to make their deliveries, likely smashing hoards of parking cones.Actually, Dominoes ended … Continue reading “Is ‘Under 30 Minutes’ Putting Us At Risk?”

Lasers on Wheels: How Mobile Terrestrial LiDar Scanning Helps Fix U.S Infrastructure

New Technology

The above image is not a photograph. It’s a set of geo-spatial data points presented on a screen. Each of these dots – and there are millions – has a corresponding location on earth. Collectively, they reveal the contours of a real-life highway and the surrounding terrain, down to a single tree branch. It’s more than a fancy graphic – … Continue reading “Lasers on Wheels: How Mobile Terrestrial LiDar Scanning Helps Fix U.S Infrastructure”