Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and Practice Alert Driving

The National Sleep Foundation yesterday suggested a number of tips to increase your safety on the road this holiday weekend. They point out that the impairment resulting from lacking sleep can be deadly. Here are their suggestions:

Get a good night’s sleep before you hit the road.

Don't be too rushed to arrive at your destination.

Use the buddy system — drive in shifts.

Take a break every 100 miles or 2 hours

Avoid alcohol and medications.

Avoid driving at times when you would normally be sleeping.

Find a safe place to take a 15 to 20-minute nap.

Pack a cooler filled with caffeinated beverages or keep caffeinated gum and mints in the glove box.

Lets all do our part to make the roads a safer place to be this holiday weekend.

DOT Announces Plan to Increase Motorcoach Safety

This past Monday the Department of Transportation announced a plan to improve motorcoach safety through a variety of measures. Included in the plan are efforts to address issues such as driver fatigue and inattention, vehicle rollover, occupant ejections and oversight of unsafe carriers.

The industry is a relatively safe industry carrying a total of 750 million people annually yet only suffering 19 occupant fatalities annually. In spite of this, the DOT is considering making motorcoach seat belts mandatory, along with requiring enhanced roof strength, fire safety, and emergency egress. This number does not include pedestrian deaths nor does it include deaths suffered by occupants of other vehicles involved in collisions with motorcoaches, which the reduction of which is another goal of the program.

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood directed the DOT's agencies to "take a fresh look at motorcoach safety issues, identify actions to address outstanding safety problems, and develop an aggressive schedule to implement those actions." The plan will attempt to identify and increase oversight over high-risk drivers and implement new technologies. A specific goal of the plan is to prohibit texting and limit use of cell phones. Electronic recording devices are being discussed as a means of monitoring driver fatigue.

Press release available here.

Vice-Presidential Motorcade Strikes and Kills Pedestrian

Source: WP

Vice President Joe Biden's Secret Service motorcade struck and killed a pedestrian yesterday morning around 2:30 am while driving in the DC area. The details surrounding the accident are unclear, but the Secret Service has disclosed that the motorcade was not transporting any VIPs. The victim's name has not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.

The roads in the area were rain-slicked at the time, but the status of the traffic lights on Naylor Road where the accident occurred are unknown. An autopsy and toxicology report are being prepared to determine the pedestrian's condition at the time of the accident.

Driving armored vehicles is tricky due to the excess weight and unique steering geometry. The Secret Service reported that both of the drivers involved had passed the Secret Services' driving school for armored vehicles.

This tragic accident should certainly be a wake up call to drivers and pedestrians alike. Everyone should remember, especially when traveling at night, to practice active observation techniques to insure that you are fully aware of your surroundings. A minor mistake, failing to notice a pedestrian stepping off a curb, can mean someone's life.

DOT: Medical Marijuana Not Allowed for Transportation Employees

In response to the Department of Justice's (DOJ) new relaxed view towards medical marijuana, the Department of Transportation (DOT) released a compliance notice to make the DOT's position clear. NO MARIJUANA FOR TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEES. Well they didn't quite say it like that, but effectively they did. The notice declares that a medical marijuana prescription is no excuse for a transportation employee to fail a drug test. In other words, if you smoke medical marijuana with a prescription, don't plan on keeping your transportation job. The DOT emphasized that the reason for this policy is public safety.

The notice can be found here.

House Subcommittees Hear Testimony Regarding Cell Phone Laws

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) testified before several House Subcommittees yesterday regarding the dangers of cellphone use while driving. The IIHS demonstrated that the cumulative evidence from various types of studies points to the risk of using cellphones while driving.

Large sample research demonstrates that talking on a cellphone, either hand-held or hands-free, increases the chances of getting into an accident four fold. Seven states and the District of Columbia have banned cellphone use while driving, but the evidence is unclear as to the effect of bans on cellphone use.

Many drivers continue to use cell phones while driving, even where banned. Thus, bans may not actually reduce cellphone related accidents.

The IIHS' complete testimony may be read here.