“Last month’s NTSB recommendation will lead state legislatures to consider a range of bills to address distracted driving during 2012,” said AAA Vice President of Public Affairs Kathleen Marvaso.  “Few states have given serious legislative consideration to full cell phone bans, but AAA expects continued progress in our campaign to pass laws banning texting while driving in all 50 states, as well as enacting full wireless bans for new teen drivers and laws that increase penalties for drivers who crash or commit violations while driving distracted.

“AAA will also continue to work with legislators and other safety advocates in statehouses across the country to pass lifesaving laws that improve teen driver licensing and increase seat belt and child safety seat requirements.”

AAA’s top traffic safety priorities in the states include:

Texting while driving bans: AAA in 2009 launched a national campaign to pass laws banning text messaging while driving in all 50 states. Five states enacted these laws in 2011, increasing the number of states to 35 with laws prohibiting all drivers from texting. AAA expects nearly every one of the 15 remaining states to consider this legislation in 2012.

Teen driver safety: The push for graduated driver licensing (GDL) for new teen drivers isn’t new, yet nearly every state still has opportunities to improve these laws that save lives and reduce crashes by easing teens into driving. While some advocates focused on Congressional legislation to incentivize states to improve GDL systems, AAA worked for significant improvements inNorth Dakota and Pennsylvania in 2011. This year presents opportunities for states to improve safety by increasing the age and requirements for getting a license, banning the use of wireless communications devices for novice drivers, and adding or improving limits on teen passengers and nighttime driving for newly licensed teens. Just six states (Delaware, Indiana,Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, and West Virginia) have GDL systems that meet AAA’s guidelines for nighttime limits, passenger limits, and practice requirements.

Booster seat laws: Despite their proven ability to reduce injuries and deaths for child passengers, three states (Arizona, Floridaand South Dakota) continue without booster seat requirements. Georgia and California increased their booster seat ages in 2011, leaving 19 states with booster seat laws that fall short of meeting safety experts’ guidelines, which include all children under age 8.

Primary seat belt laws: AAA and other safety advocates will continue to work to improve laws in the remaining 18 states without a primary belt law, as well as attempt to increase fines in some states with weak penalties and expand seat belt requirements to include back seat passengers in remaining states. Primary seat belt laws have repeatedly been shown as a low cost way for states to quickly increase belt use, reduce traffic deaths, and lower the cost of crashes.

Move over laws: Every state except Hawaii and the District of Columbia requires drivers to slow down and, if safe, “move over” when passing an emergency vehicle that is actively working on a roadway. Additionally, 45 states, including Arizona, New Yorkand Texas, which improved their laws in 2011, also require drivers to move over for tow trucks. AAA will continue to promote these laws in the remaining states.

According to the survey of nearly 2,300 eleventh and twelfth graders, when teen drivers were asked about how dangerous they feel certain events are for driving and the likelihood of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs on one of these events,New Year’s Eve topped both lists.

Holidays/Events	% of teens that view event as very/extremely dangerous to drive	% of teens that have driven under the influence of alcohol or drugs after one of these events
New Year’s Eve	49 percent	10 percent
4th of July	29 percent	8 percent
Prom Night	20 percent	6 percent
Graduation/Post Graduation	16 percent	4 percent
Homecoming	11 percent	6 percent
High School Football Games	8 percent	6 percent
Other School Dances/Events	8 percent	5 percent

The silver lining?  Passengers have a powerful influence over drivers.

The large majority of teen drivers say that they would stop driving under the influence of alcohol (94 percent) or marijuana (90 percent) if asked by a passenger. Interestingly, teen passengers say they would be significantly more likely to ask a peer to stop driving after drinking than after using marijuana (87 percent vs. 72 percent), and female passengers are more likely to speak up against either driving behavior than boys (90 percent vs. 83 percent for alcohol; 78 percent vs. 65 percent for marijuana).

“New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate both the past year and the possibilities of the year to come, yet far too often poor decisions by teens result in tragic injuries and deaths,” said Stephen Wallace, Senior Advisor for Policy, Research, and Education at SADD.  “To avoid a fatal start to the New Year, teen passengers need to use their voices if they have concerns about their friends’ behaviors. They will be heard.”

Family Driving Rules

Parents, too, can play an important role to ensure safety is top of mind on New Year’s Eve.  Liberty Mutual/SADD research shows that clear driving ground rules, with mutually agreed upon expectations, consequences and rewards, are effective in curbing unsafe driving behaviors by teens.  The Parent/Teen Contract at LibertyMutual.com/TeenDriving offers families a starting place to begin the safe driving conversation and set those rules.

“Prior to New Year’s Eve, parents need to have a conversation with their teen drivers about the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and fatigue as well as how to be a good driver and a good passenger,” said Dave Melton, a driving safety expert with Liberty Mutual and managing director of global safety.  “Teens also need to be prepared for dangerous behaviors of other drivers who will be impaired on New Year’s Eve.  Having this important conversation provides an opportunity for parents to share their concerns and determine rules and consequences that help their teen driver make healthy, safe choices for themselves and their friends, so they don’t become another headline.”

Additional helpful tools and resources about how to be a safe and responsible driver can be found atwww.LibertyMutual.com/TeenDriving.  The website provides state-by-state teen driving laws, tips on driving in inclement weather, practice permit tests, and video demonstrations of safe driving techniques, including parallel parking. Other important safety information can be found at www.sadd.org.

“New Years Day celebrations are just a few days away. This can mean big trouble for some people. Many people who drink tend to underestimate their impairment level. We hope people use our new iPhone app, intoxicheck, and use a designated driver or take a taxi to avoid being arrested for drinking and driving,” said Deb Kusmec of Innocorp, Ltd.

Excessive alcohol consumption makes both driving and walking unsafe. In 2005, the Injury Prevention reported that New Year’s Day is deadly for pedestrians. From 1986 to 2002, 410 pedestrians were killed on New Year’s Day. Fifty-eight percent of those killed had high blood-alcohol concentrations, to say nothing of passengers and motorists killed by drinking and driving.

intoxicheck gives people a reality check about how buzzed they are. The new iPhone app is  research-based and works by comparing results from a series of challenges users take while sober to results they get after drinking. There is no need to count drinks, or guess alcohol content in each drink. intoxicheck results may prove valuable in helping users make better choices, and avoid drinking and driving, based on real impairment level.

“By taking a series of reaction, judgment and memory challenges before drinking, you establish a baseline of sober performance that you can compare to your performance on those same challenges after drinking. In field tests of intoxicheck under controlled conditions, the new iPhone app provided a reasonably accurate assessment of a person’s impairment level,” said Kusmec.

HSIP, a core part of the Federal-aid highway program, was signed into law on Aug. 10, 2005 as part of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The program was established to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads through the implementation of infrastructure-related highway safety improvements. HSIP funds are typically spent on deploying lifesaving infrastructure safety measures that remain effective for years.

“The HSIP enabled states to improve roadways and install lifesaving safety features like guardrails, cable barriers, highly-reflective signage, rumble strips and other improvements,” said ATSSA President and CEO Roger Wentz. “Since its inception, the national number of fatalities has continued to decline year after year, from 42,708 in 2006, to 32,885 in 2010.”

In 2009, ATSSA commissioned Science Application International Corporation (SAIC) to assess the linkage between the HSIP and the declining fatality numbers. The study concluded that for every $1 million spent on safety, seven lives were saved, yielding a benefit to cost ratio of 42 to one.

“The study clearly illustrates that the increase in HSIP obligations provides a tremendous savings in terms of lives saved and the societal costs of traffic fatalities,” Wentz said. “The Highway Safety Improvement Program has made it possible for more people to come home safely to their families and loved ones each and every day.”

ATSSA is nationally recognized as the leader in work zone safety training. Since 1969, the Fredericksburg, Va.-based roadway safety association has represented companies and individuals in the traffic control and roadway safety industry. Over 1,600 ATSSA members provide the majority of features, services and devices used to make America’s roadways safer. These include pavement markings, road signs, work zone traffic control devices, guardrail and other roadside safety features.

“Often the difference between a cherished memory and a devastating regret is a single decision,” said Colorado injury attorney Mike McDivitt, founder of McDivitt Law Firm. “This program makes it easy for those facing that decision to make the right one.”

Curb Drunk Driving. Get a Free Ride Home.

The Safe and Sober Free Cab Ride Home program is available in Colorado Springs from 10 p.m. on Saturday, December 31, 2011, through 4 a.m., Sunday, January 1, 2012.

For a free ride home within Colorado Springs city limits, call Yellow Cab of Colorado Springs at (719) 777-7777 and tell them the ride is on McDivitt Law Firm.

The program is for adults who have been drinking or who don’t have a safe way home, and rides are provided to an individual’s residence—not to other drinking locations.

Due to the high number of ride requests on New Year’s Eve, rides cannot be guaranteed for everyone who calls; however, every attempt will be made to accommodate all requests. Patrons are reminded to tip their drivers accordingly.

Safe and Sober Free Ride Home Program

The legal professionals at McDivitt Law Firm work with clients who have lost loved ones in alcohol-related crashes. To assist in the fight against drunk driving, the firm encourages individuals to make responsible choices by providing free cab rides on St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Halloween, and New Year’s Eve. In September 2010, McDivitt Law Firm was honored by the Pikes Peak DUI Task Force for the firm’s efforts to prevent drunk driving.

The report findings are timely, as Congress readies to consider reauthorization of highway and infrastructure spending – legislation that historically has included bold public health and safety measures.

Novice teenage drivers are the most likely drivers on the road to have car accidents. In fact, 16-year-old drivers have crash rates two times greater than 18-to-19-year-old drivers and four times that of older drivers.

GDL helps new drivers gain experience under supervised and less risky conditions. The most comprehensive GDL laws include nighttime driving restrictions, passenger limits, cell phone and texting bans, mandatory behind-the-wheel driving time, minimum entry age for learner’s permit (16), and age 18 before full licensure. In some states that have enacted strong GDL laws, the incidence of teenage driving related deaths have dropped by as much as 40 percent.

“Teen driving deaths are a real public health crisis,” explained Vicky Dinges, vice president of public social responsibility, Allstate. “What’s worse is that these deaths are avoidable. We can take very simple, common sense steps that would protect young drivers across the country. Our Allstate agents see firsthand the dangers for young drivers on the road and as a company we are committed to putting an end to this epidemic.”

More than 81,000 people were killed in crashes involving drivers ages 15 to 20 in the decade from 2000 to 2009, making teen driving crashes the leading cause of teen deaths nationwide.

In addition to the lives lost, the total cost to the nation of crashes involving teen drivers in 2009 was estimated at $38.3 billion. These costs include wage and productivity losses, medical expenses, administrative expenses for public and private insurance, police and legal costs, motor vehicle damage, employers’ uninsured costs and fire losses. These costs were paid by employers, state and local governments and by citizens through taxes, fees and insurance premiums.

“Over the last 20 years, graduated driver licensing laws have saved an estimated 15,000 lives. These laws can save thousands of American lives and save billions of dollars for consumers, businesses and state and local governments,” said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “Our elected officials do not have many opportunities during their careers to take action that will save thousands of lives and billions of dollars in one legislative action. This is one of those times.”

INFINITI / G37 COUPE 2011-2012

NISSAN / 370Z 2011

Manufacturer: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. Mfr’s Report Date: NOV 03, 2011

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11V538000 NHTSA Action Number: N/A

Component: VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

Potential Number of Units Affected: 1,788

Summary:

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 AND 2012 INFINITI G37 COUPE VEHICLES AND CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 NISSAN 370Z VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 2, 2011, THROUGH AUGUST 29, 2011. DUE TO A PROGRAMMING ERROR, THE POWER WINDOW SWITCH CONTROLLER IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WAS MANUFACTURED OUT OF SPECIFICATION.

Consequence:

THE THRESHOLD FOR AUTO REVERSE ACTIVATION IS HIGHER THAN THE NISSAN SPECIFICATION. SHOULD A BODY PART BECOME TRAPPED BY A CLOSING WINDOW, A PINCH INJURY MAY RESULT.

Remedy:

NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE POWER WINDOW SWITCHES WITH NEW ONES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT NOVEMBER 28, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1800-647-7261 OR INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.

Notes:

OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .

via Recall Results | Safercar.gov | NHTSA.

HINO / ND8J 2012

HINO / NE8J 2012

HINO / NJ8J 2012

HINO / NV8J 2012

Manufacturer: HINO MOTORS SALES U.S.A., INC. Mfr’s Report Date: NOV 02, 2011

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11V537000 NHTSA Action Number: N/A

Component: POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

Potential Number of Units Affected:

Summary:

HINO IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL 2012 ND8J, NE8J, NJ8J, AND NV8J COMMERCIAL TRUCKS MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 25, 2011, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 16, 2011. DURING ASSEMBLY, THE WHEEL-END RETAINER ON THE FRONT OR REAR AXLE MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED INCORRECTLY.

Consequence:

THE WHEEL-HUB AND AXLE SHAFT CAN SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH.

Remedy:

THE MANUFACTURER IS IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A REMEDY AND A NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE FOR THIS CAMPAIGN.

Notes:

OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .

Analyzing the crashes of new drivers in North Carolina, researchers found that three common mistakes—failure to reduce speed, inattention, and failure to yield – accounted for 57 percent of all crashes in which teens were at least partially responsible during their first month of licensed driving. Additionally, when researchers looked at specific types of crashes in relation to how long the driver had been licensed, they found that some types of crashes occurred at relatively high rates at first and declined particularly quickly with experience.  For example, crashes involving left hand turns were common during the first few months of driving but declined almost immediately. The high initial rate and subsequent steep decline in certain types of crashes appeared to reflect teens’ initial inexperience followed by rapid learning.  Crash types that decline more slowly appear to result not from lack of understanding, but from failure to master certain driving skills.

“We know that young drivers’ crash rates decrease quickly as they gain experience. What our new study tells us is that there are a few specific abilities that we could do a better job of helping teens develop before they begin driving independently,” said AAA Foundation President and CEO Peter Kissinger.

A related AAA Foundation study used in-vehicle cameras to monitor teens when they were learning to drive with parents, followed by the first 6 months of licensed driving without their parents in the car.  The research found that while teens had their learner’s permits, routine trips on familiar roads under relatively easy driving conditions accounted for the bulk of the time spent behind the wheel.

The study also illustrated changes in teen behavior when a parent is no longer in the car. While the vast majority of driving caught on camera was uneventful, the study did capture a number of close calls due to simple mistakes likely attributable to inexperience, along with a few instances of texting behind the wheel, horseplay with passengers, running red lights, and other potentially distracting or dangerous behaviors.

“This research serves as a great reminder for parents to stay involved in the learning process even after the law allows teens to drive without a parent in the car,” Kissinger added. “Continued parent engagement can help teens gain needed driving experience and shape their habits for a lifetime of safe driving.”

These studies affirm AAA’s long-standing efforts to help parents prepare their teens for independent driving by practicing under a broad range of progressively more challenging conditions. Among the steps parents can take to improve teens’ safety as they start driving on their own, AAA suggests:

• Practice, practice, practice: Once teens have their actual license, continue to practice together to ensure that basic skills are mastered and to introduce varied driving conditions (snow, heavy traffic, rural roads) with an experienced driver in the passenger seat.
• Keep passengers out: Teen drivers’ crash risks multiply with teenage passengers in the vehicle. Set limits and enforce them consistently.
• Limit night driving: Reduced visibility makes night driving riskier for drivers of all ages. For inexperienced teens, it’s even harder.  Allow new teen drivers to drive at night only if truly necessary or to practice with a parent.
• Keep setting rules: Parents can – and should – set and enforce rules above and beyond their state laws. In addition to night and passenger limits, set rules for inclement weather, highways, cities, or other driving conditions in which a teen has not gained enough experience. Find a parent-teen driving agreement on TeenDriving.AAA.com that can help.

The AAA Foundation commissioned the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center to conduct both studies. Findings pertaining to the crash rates of newly-licensed drivers are based on analysis of crashes of young drivers licensed inNorth Carolina between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2008. 

“Today’s advanced embedded systems, sensors, microprocessors and control technologies have made our vehicles and roads significantly safer, but integrating them into our vehicles and roads has been a slow process,” said Dr. Azim Eskandarian, IEEE member and director of the Center for Intelligent Systems Research at The George Washington University. “However, within 10 years, as technology costs continue to fall and implementation of these technologies increases, we could see significant improvements in vehicle safety, efficiency, and energy conservation – especially in developing parts of the world where high-end cars are not yet affordable by the general public.”

Dr. Eskandarian says other challenges include market acceptance and potential liability concerns surrounding technologies that take total or partial control of the vehicle, such as collision avoidance and driver assistance programs like automatic braking. However, these technologies may follow the path of driver- and passenger-side airbags and anti-lock braking systems (ABS) or electronic stability control (ESC), initially offered as optional features but today considered proven and often standard safety measures in nearly all vehicles.

Advanced research on safety technologies is going far beyond individual vehicles. For example, Teruo Higashino, IEEE Senior Member and professor of information networking at Osaka University in Japan, has focused recently on applying wireless networking technology for vehicle-to-vehicle communication to help detect dangerous vehicles on the road – such as a car approaching a blind intersection – and warn nearby drivers, helping dramatically reduce accidents. Many of these ground-breaking innovations, including vehicle-to-vehicle communication, were discussed at the recently held IEEE ITS Conference in Washington D.C.

Dr. Alberto Broggi, President of the IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Society and professor at the Universita di Parma inItaly, says intelligent transportation technologies on the horizon, including autonomously-driven vehicles, will forever change our concept of car use. Broggi recently coordinated the successful 13,000 kilometer journey of a driverless van from Italy toChina. “These types of self-driven vehicles will be ready for use in non-urban environments within five to eight years,” said Broggi. “The same technology will also apply to agricultural equipment, including self-driven tractors and combines that will maximize land use, increase crop output and decrease injuries.”

Another expected benefit of intelligent transportation technologies is reduced fuel consumption and emissions. IEEE Senior Member Matt Barth, at the Center for Environmental Research and Technology at University of California-Riverside, predicts that fuel use and vehicle emissions can be reduced by 20 to 30 percent worldwide over the next five years using environmentally-friendly ITS technology such as “eco-routing.” This vehicle GPS system capability will allow drivers to select destination routes according to fuel efficiency.

“Many governments are establishing new emissions and fuel efficiency standards for vehicle manufacturers to meet in the next ten years,” Barth said. “The integration of ECO-ITS technologies – such as eco-routing into our vehicles – will be an important evolution in further reducing carbon emissions, achieving greater fuel efficiency, and strengthening energy independence.”

Kyongsu Yi, IEEE member and director of the Vehicle Dynamics and Control Laboratory at Seoul National University in South Korea, said the application of intelligent transportation technologies varies by setting. “There’s much more of a focus on traffic management systems for pedestrian protection in countries in Europe and Asia where cities were traditionally designed around a relatively small and defined city center,” Yi said. “In contrast, in the United States where there are more sprawling open spaces, the emphasis is on vehicle safety systems to prevent roll-overs or collisions with other fast-moving vehicles.”