The National Safety Commission Alerts
Safety is No Accident. Visit the National Safety Commission - America's Safety Headquarters for driver safety information, auto recalls and teen safe driver tips.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Department of Transportation Announces Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently announced a new
initiative designed to crack down on distracted driving and to encourage states
to enact stronger laws against distracted driving.
Citing figures that 3,092 people were killed in
distraction-affected crashes in 2010, Secretary LaHood called for several
measures to help end distracted driving. The plan:
- Encourages the remaining 11 states without distracted driving laws to enact and enforce this critical legislation.
- Challenges the auto industry to adopt new and future guidelines for technology to reduce the potential for distraction on devices built or brought into vehicles.
- Partners with driver education professionals to incorporate new curriculum materials to educate novice drivers of driver distraction and its consequences. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show drivers under the age of 25 are two to three times more likely than older drivers to send text messages or emails while driving.
- Provides all stakeholders with actions they can take that go beyond personal responsibility to helping end distracted driving nationwide.
Based on the success of the "Click It or Ticket" campaigns,
the Secretary announced that California and Delaware have been selected to
receive federal support for pilot projects that will that will expand the
Department's "Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other"
program and test the effect of increased law enforcement and high-profile
public education campaigns on distracted driving.
The DOT announcement coincides with the release of the
Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) 2011 National Youth Risk
Behavior Survey (YRBS) that showed, while in some areas, teen drivers are
becoming safer but when it comes to communication technology, teens are still
taking far too many risks.
The survey showed that, nationwide, one out of three students had
texted or e-mailed while driving a car or other vehicle on at least 1 day
during the 30 days before the survey. The figures are even worse for older
teens with 42.9% of 11th-graders and 58% of 12th-graders having sent an email
or text while driving in the 30 days prior to the study.
Labels: click it or ticket, distracted driving
Monday, May 21, 2012
Click It or Ticket Campaign for 2012 Starts Today
There aren’t too many times that the police will tell you where
they are going to be and what type of traffic offenses they are looking for but
this Memorial Day weekend will be one of those times. The annual “Click It orTicket” campaign begins on Monday, May 21st and will run through the
end of Memorial Day weekend. State highway patrols and local law enforcement
agencies in ALL 50 states will be participating in this campaign to keep the
roads safe for Memorial Day travelers.
Along with watching for the typical traffic infractions, the law
enforcement agencies will be on the lookout for those who aren’t wearing seat belts and will be making stops and issuing tickets. They will be especially
watchful at night.
According to the U.S. Department of
Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in
2010 nationally, 61 percent of the 10,647 passenger vehicle occupants who were
killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes overnight (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) were
not wearing their seat belts at the time of the fatal crash, compared to 42
percent during the daytime hours.
According to the Department of Transportation, “Too many drivers
and passengers on the road at night are not wearing their seat belts, and it
all too often ends in tragedy. Our goal is to save more lives, so law
enforcement agencies will be out enforcing seat belt laws around the clock.
Seat belt use saves thousands of lives across America each year
and law enforcement is helping spread the word. NHTSA statistics show that in
2010 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 12,546 lives nationwide.
Yet, too many motorists may need a tough reminder. In 2010, 22,187
passenger vehicle occupants were killed in motor vehicle crashes, according to
NHTSA, and 51 percent of them were NOT wearing seat belts at the time of their
fatal crashes.”
Labels: click it or ticket, seat belt law, seat belt safety, seat belts, vehicle crash
Monday, May 25, 2009
New Study Reveals That Greater Seat Belt Use Could Save Many Lives
"Click It or Ticket" Nationwide Seat Belt Enforcement Campaign Kicked Off on May 18
Recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released a study estimating that 1,652 lives could be saved and 22,372 serious injuries could be avoided annually on America's roads if the rate of seat belt use improved to 90 percent in all 50 states. Basing their report on 2007 data, the DOT also estimates that seat belts saved an astonishing 15,147 lives in 2007. The study's release coincided with the Department's launch of its "Click It or Ticket" nationwide enforcement campaign on May 18.
"Wearing a seat belt costs nothing and yet it's the single most effective traffic safety device ever invented," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "We want to let the American people know that by failing to wear your seat belt, you not only risk serious injury or death, you also risk getting a ticket."
From May 18 to May 31, the "Click It or Ticket" campaign will be in effect. Involving more than 10,000 police agencies, the mobilization is supported by $8 million in national advertising funds allocated by Congress and coordinated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The ads, airing in English and Spanish, promote awareness of the intensified enforcement efforts and the increased chance of receiving a ticket if you are not wearing a seat belt. The commercial spots are aired on television, radio, and the Internet.
The NHTSA's National Occupant Protection Use Survey estimates that the national seat belt use rate remained steady at 83 percent in 2008. Yet one of five Americans still does not buckle up regularly.
Secretary LaHood, in a speech before students at a suburban Virginia high school, noted the worrisome reality that seat belt use rates are comparatively low among teenagers. Of the 4,540 16-to-20 year old passenger vehicle occupants who perished in 2007, 2,502 were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. Teen belt use rates are particularly low at night. Almost two-thirds (65 percent) of the 16-to-20 year olds killed in nighttime crashes in 2007 were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.
"Young people often think they’re invincible. Yet like everyone in a passenger vehicle, they're tremendously vulnerable in the event of a crash," Secretary LaHood said.
Along with motor vehicle safety, driver education helps ensure the safety of Americans. Whether you're getting your Commercial Drivers License, your Learner's Permit, or your Motorcycle License, America's Driver's License Headquarters is TestQuestionsandAnswers.com.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released a study estimating that 1,652 lives could be saved and 22,372 serious injuries could be avoided annually on America's roads if the rate of seat belt use improved to 90 percent in all 50 states. Basing their report on 2007 data, the DOT also estimates that seat belts saved an astonishing 15,147 lives in 2007. The study's release coincided with the Department's launch of its "Click It or Ticket" nationwide enforcement campaign on May 18.
"Wearing a seat belt costs nothing and yet it's the single most effective traffic safety device ever invented," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "We want to let the American people know that by failing to wear your seat belt, you not only risk serious injury or death, you also risk getting a ticket."
From May 18 to May 31, the "Click It or Ticket" campaign will be in effect. Involving more than 10,000 police agencies, the mobilization is supported by $8 million in national advertising funds allocated by Congress and coordinated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The ads, airing in English and Spanish, promote awareness of the intensified enforcement efforts and the increased chance of receiving a ticket if you are not wearing a seat belt. The commercial spots are aired on television, radio, and the Internet.
The NHTSA's National Occupant Protection Use Survey estimates that the national seat belt use rate remained steady at 83 percent in 2008. Yet one of five Americans still does not buckle up regularly.
Secretary LaHood, in a speech before students at a suburban Virginia high school, noted the worrisome reality that seat belt use rates are comparatively low among teenagers. Of the 4,540 16-to-20 year old passenger vehicle occupants who perished in 2007, 2,502 were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. Teen belt use rates are particularly low at night. Almost two-thirds (65 percent) of the 16-to-20 year olds killed in nighttime crashes in 2007 were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.
"Young people often think they’re invincible. Yet like everyone in a passenger vehicle, they're tremendously vulnerable in the event of a crash," Secretary LaHood said.
Along with motor vehicle safety, driver education helps ensure the safety of Americans. Whether you're getting your Commercial Drivers License, your Learner's Permit, or your Motorcycle License, America's Driver's License Headquarters is TestQuestionsandAnswers.com.
Labels: click it or ticket, safety belt, seat belt
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