TSS Customer Service, Author at Traffic Safety Resource Center

Week In Traffic: Winter Driving Tips and New Leadership for U.S. DOT

Traffic Safety

What the Techies Can Tell Us About Safe Winter Driving People aren’t good at driving in the snow. So Wired Magazine reached out to their tech-loving readers to build a definitive list of clever, but effective tips for safe winter driving. [Wired] Michigan Roads Are Now Open for Self Driving Cars As part of an effort to re-claim their status … Continue reading “Week In Traffic: Winter Driving Tips and New Leadership for U.S. DOT”

Week In Traffic: Solving Congestion, Holiday Road Rage and the Accidents that Follow

Traffic Safety

Can a New Mayor eliminate Traffic Deaths in New York City? Bill De Blasio, New York City’s mayor-elect, has pledged to eliminate all traffic deaths by 2024. His new initiative “Vision Zero” is modeled after a campaign that was successful in Sweden. [The Villager] E-Cooridnated Traffic Signals could end Congestion in North Jersey Northern New Jersey is, no doubt, one … Continue reading “Week In Traffic: Solving Congestion, Holiday Road Rage and the Accidents that Follow”

6 Mind-Bending Ways Self-Driving Cars will Change Life as We Know It

Self Driving Cars

In 1957, Central Power and Light Company (CPLC) released an advertorial that featured the image of a cheerful nuclear family playing a board game while hurling down the highway in a dome-shaped pod. The caption read:“Electricity May Be The Driver”One day, the company claimed, travel will be safer and more enjoyable thanks to the power of electric-enabled sensors. Although CPLC … Continue reading “6 Mind-Bending Ways Self-Driving Cars will Change Life as We Know It”

Week in Traffic: Congress debates the future of driving

Traffic Safety

Driverless cars are here! Time for Congress to Wake Up. Despite what our political representatives believe, driverless cars are coming soon—possibly by the end of the decade. That was the message behind countless testimonies at a recent congressional hearing on autonomous vehicles. Whiteness from Carnegie Mellon and Nissan urged law makers to begin working towards new policies that will enable … Continue reading “Week in Traffic: Congress debates the future of driving”

Week in Traffic: More people are dying on the sidewalk. What will save them?

Pedestrian Safety

Traffic Deaths on the Rise On Thursday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that vehicular fatalities rose by 3.3 percent from 2011 to 2012. Pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists account for most of the increase. Traffic deaths continue to remain at a historical low. Read more. Source: LA Times Would You Pay $0.75 to Avoid Traffic? In an effort to … Continue reading “Week in Traffic: More people are dying on the sidewalk. What will save them?”

America’s Most Notorious Bike Path Gets a Facelift

Bicycle Safety

They’ve tried paint, signs, and $100 fines. Still, officials at Washington D.C.’s Department of Transportation (DDOT) say they can’t keep motor vehicles out of the median cycle track on Pennsylvania Avenue. So they’ve installed Zebra lane barriers (also known as zebra lane delineators). The European invention––an 8-inch-high hump of recycled PVC plastic covered in highly visible reflective “zebra” stripes––is widely used to … Continue reading “America’s Most Notorious Bike Path Gets a Facelift”

Week in Traffic: Is technology making drivers dumb?

Traffic Safety

You can’t underestimate their intelligence A recent study by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) discovered an upward trend among states battling tech-induced distracted driving. New measures focus on increasing educational programs and enforcement campaigns as well as updating laws for the changing “wireless” culture. Read more The latest culprit? Driving “selfies,” or self-portraits taken while driving, are increasingly popular … Continue reading “Week in Traffic: Is technology making drivers dumb?”

Week In Traffic: Innovation across the nation

Traffic Safety

Safety wins for D.C. cyclists with new zebra lane blockers Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC has become the first road in the U.S. to sport Zebra Delineators – innovative lane blockers available through Traffic Safety Store. These “zebra bumps” will help protect bicyclists from car collisions. After the initial testing phase, The District Department of Transportation will consider expanded use … Continue reading “Week In Traffic: Innovation across the nation”

5 things parents must do to keep teen drivers safe

Teen Driving

The number one danger facing teens in the United States is not drugs, abduction, or suicide — it’s car crashes. Over 3,000 teens die and many more are injured every year. Teen crashes happen with such regularity, in fact, the majority don’t make the news. This adds to a false sense of security among eager young drivers and their busy … Continue reading “5 things parents must do to keep teen drivers safe”

Week In Traffic: Focus on Teen Drivers

Traffic Safety

New campaign helps parents talk to teen drivers In honor of National Teen Driver Safety Week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) is launching “5 to drive” which provides parents with talking-points for discussing safe driving. The checklist focuses on five risk factors strongly correlated to teen accidents – texting/cell use while driving; teen passenger distractions; speeding; alcohol; and … Continue reading “Week In Traffic: Focus on Teen Drivers”

Despite what you’ve heard, highways are not doomed. 5 upsides for U.S. infrastructure

Infrastructure

$170 billion – That’s how much the United States needs to invest annually to save our roads and bridges, according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). If that sounds like a dead end, consider this: We currently invest $91 billion per year on highway infrastructure. An $89 billion increase is a slither of the $trillion increase in overall infrastructure spending … Continue reading “Despite what you’ve heard, highways are not doomed. 5 upsides for U.S. infrastructure”

5 ways to support National Teen Driver Safety Week

Teen Driving

National Teen Driver Safety Week — held this week through Friday, October 26th – aims to build national awareness about safe teen driving practices. Created by the Federal Congress in 2007, NTDSW engages teens, parents, and teachers throughout the country and is sponsored by over 50 organizations — including State Farm Insurance and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia – and is endorsed by the … Continue reading “5 ways to support National Teen Driver Safety Week”

Week in Traffic: Street fights, traffic monsters, and “grand-canyon” potholes

Traffic Safety

Truck drivers should pay extra to use highways, say congressional advisers The Panel on 21st Century Freight Transportation of the congressional committee on transportation met on October 10 to discuss who should help fund the future of U.S. highways. The response was resounding: Commercial truck drivers. Jack Schenendorf, who headed the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission said commercial … Continue reading “Week in Traffic: Street fights, traffic monsters, and “grand-canyon” potholes”

Winter Driving Tips to Stay Safe On The Road

Traffic Safety

Driving during the winter is dangerous. According to researchers at Berkeley, the most dangerous day of the season is when the first snowfall arrives. Because people have not yet adapted their behavior to accommodate for more dangerous conditions, fatal crashes are 14% more likely to happen on this day than on subsequent snowy ones. Every year in the United States, the poor weather … Continue reading “Winter Driving Tips to Stay Safe On The Road”

Week in Traffic: Cycle Laws, Smarter Road Signs, and The Truck Driver’s Fight For Democracy

Traffic Safety

Should cyclist be registered too? Cyclists residing in Georgia my soon need to register their bikes with the state – or get fined up to $100. The proposed licensing law — which has been gaining interest in state governments including California, Michigan, and Ohio — would be the first of its kind in the country. In addition to requiring bikes … Continue reading “Week in Traffic: Cycle Laws, Smarter Road Signs, and The Truck Driver’s Fight For Democracy”