An encouraging trend in roadway safety came to an end in the United States in 2012. After decreasing steadily for six consecutive years, motor vehicle fatalities in the United States increased in 2012, according to a new report from the National Safety Council.
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White, gray, black vehicles associated with greater risk of accidents
It’s often said vehicles of certain colors attract more speeding tickets and produce higher insurance premiums. But can paint colors also influence the likelihood of a vehicle being involved in an accident? In addition to numerous anecdotes, at least a few studies suggest vehicles of certain colors are more likely to be involved in crashes.
One in 24 drivers fell asleep at wheel last month, CDC says
Tired drivers can be just as dangerous on the roadway as impaired drivers — and apparently are more common, too. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports about 2 percent of all automobile accidents are the result of driver fatigue, with a high percentage of those accidents resulting in fatalities.
Updating test dummies could help reduce traffic injuries, expert says
Tests indicate modern vehicles are constantly becoming better equipped to protect passengers during accidents, but a few experts claim some of today’s encouraging crash test results may be flawed. While vehicle safety features are frequently evolving, the crash test dummies used to test their performance are not, and that fact reportedly may make some test results misleading.
Lit Motors’ C-1 may be the safest two-wheeled vehicle ever created
A San Francisco, California company claims it has developed the safest two-wheeled vehicle ever created. Lit Motors is now taking orders for its C-1, a fully electric, two-wheeled vehicle that combines the safety and features of a car with the size and speed of a motorcycle.
Toyota Yaris, other small vehicles have high injury rates, study says
Commercials often tell consumers which vehicles can best protect them in an accident, but which vehicles are on the opposite end of the spectrum? The Highway Loss Data Institute recently released a report identifying the models with the highest injury rates, and the research organization found there is a large discrepancy between the vehicles with the highest rates and those with the lowest.
CDC reports substantial reductions in teenage drinking and driving
Teen drinking and driving occurrences have declined sharply in the past 20 years, but there is still much work to be done. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this month released a new report that states these occurrences have dropped by 54 percent since 1991.
GPS devices to blame for many semi accidents, senator says
In the process of guiding motorists to their intended destinations, global positioning system devices are sometimes leading drivers into accidents.
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Most luxury models display inadequate protection in crash test
A new test of 2012 model year luxury vehicles indicates most would fail to adequately protect occupants in real accidents. An August report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows a majority of luxury models tested performed poorly in recent collision tests, which slammed cars’ front ends into a five-foot barrier at a speed of 40 miles per hour.
Google says its self-driving cars have yet to crash after 300k miles
Studies show driver error is to blame for 90 percent of major traffic accidents, but Google’s latest innovation could help take human mistakes out of the equation.
