Tag Archives: laws

General Safety Issues

NEW WEBSITE HIGHLIGHTS INTERNATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN ROAD SAFETY (GUEST POST)

It may not seem like the most cheerful of subjects, but a website is available that highlights just how dangerous roads can be.

Not just in America, not just in Europe and not just in Africa; roads are deadly places wherever you are in the world. This research, courtesy of The Pulitzer Centre, looks at the problem in brilliant detail – allowing you to see just how many people meet their match on the roads in a single year.

Gruesome yes, but fascinating reading none the less; as not only are you presented with an interactive map that allows you to scroll over the various nations, but also a multitude of facts and figures about the road traffic accidents that occur in that particular nation.

As well as being given a statistical breakdown of the different types of fatal accident that occurred in that country in the past 12 months, you are also presented with a final percentage of the death toll. Reasons for the fatalities are also given – such as failing to wear a seatbelt, helmet and even alcohol intake and high speed.

One thing that is startlingly obvious when looking at the figures is that the former Soviet states have certainly paid the price for higher vehicle ownership and a greater number of drivers over the past decade. The death toll on Russian roads, for example, is still about five times higher than what is seen in most European Union countries and about double the number for the United States.

This may act as a stark warning to the likes of China, who have seen sales of motor vehicles rocket in recent years.  The site also highlights that it’s not just drivers of vehicles who suffer in road accidents; pedestrians make up a large amount of the total in most counties.

In New York City for example, pedestrians account for 12 percent of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. Not a shocking amount considering the density of the population – but still a huge number. This is despite attempts by several mayors to reduce the risk of accidents by outlawing activities such as “jay walking” for example.

For all the bad news there are some pieces of good news regarding road deaths that certainly make for happier reading.

Take Sweden. The Scandinavian country had only 266 road fatalities in 2010, a rate of 3 deaths per 100,000 citizens, and the lowest among industrialized nations. Though an explanation is not given, this impressive figure can only be put down to greater road safety awareness among drivers and pedestrians.

And what about the one-time bad boys when it came to motoring offences, Australia? They have cleaned up their act too. With some of the most reckless drivers in the world and highest death rates going some 50 years ago; strict enforcement of safe driving laws has resulted in an 80 percent decline in road fatalities since.

For a little lighter relief and general road traffic trivia there are some more educational facts on display other than just what country has the most road deaths and which nations have improved.

Like who knew that in Nigeria, the Federal Road Safety Commission only recently made it compulsory for new drivers to take driving lessons and pass a test before obtaining a licence; in the past you could simply buy a licence?

Read this site at your own risk, but don’t let it put you off; driving is undoubtedly safer now than it ever was.

If nothing else, this research shows the contrast in attitudes towards motoring and road safety across the globe and how those attitudes can be changed with greater awareness and education.

Take a look for yourself at www.roadskillmap.com.

Written by journalist and blogger Matthew Crist in association with TSR Injury Law, the Minnesota auto accident attorney. For more information on TSR Injury Law please visit our website at www.tsrinjurylaw.com.

General Safety Issues

Thirty Blogs Parents of Teens Learning to Drive Must Read (Guest Post)

Sent to us by Barbara Williams of http://findababysitter.org.  We can never find too many tips on applications that help our teens realize how important the task of safe driving .  These blogs should offer insight into that responsibility.

It can be a scary time for parents when their teenagers are finally old enough to drive.  While you are in the car with her you may feel like you have some sense of control because you’re there to help her make good decisions.  However, when she takes off for her first solo drive, you probably will feel a bit anxious.  The more you can teach your teen before her first drive by herself, the better off she will be.  Here are 30 blog entries that can help the parents of teen drivers.

Cell Phones and Driving

It’s not unusual these days to find that your teen is tied to her cell phone morning, noon and night.  Because of this, it’s important that your teen knows that distracted driving is not only dangerous, but is also a leading cause of teenage accidents.  Implementing a rule regarding your teen’s cell phone use while driving is important, and could save her life.  These five blog posts will explain further.

Texting and Driving

Texting while driving is a dangerous concern for your teen, perhaps even more so than talking on the phone while driving, because you need to type on your phone. Many teenage deaths have occurred because of sending or reading a text from a friend or family member. It’s not just teens who are at risk, though; laws are being put into place to stop texting while driving for everyone.  These five blog articles will explain the reasoning behind the changes.

Proposed Law Changes

Here are five blog posts sharing some of the proposed law changes as they relate to teenage drivers.  Many have heard about cell use and texting being banned, but others are related to how many passengers you can have in the car.  Read these posts and educate yourself and your teen driver.

Driving Safely

Obviously, parents want their children to drive safely on the road, but how do you teach them everything that they need to know?  There are drivers’ education classes that you can send your child to and you can drive with your kids, but is that enough? Some people don’t think so.  Here are five blog articles that will show some other ways to teach teens to drive safely.

Winter Driving

Winter driving can be treacherous and deadly for an experienced driver, let alone a less experienced teenager.  Make sure that you practice driving with your teenager in all weather conditions.  Letting your teen know how the car could react during certain weather conditions is an important part of teaching your teen to drive.  These five blog posts will give you tips on how to teach your teen to drive safely during the winter.

Parents’ Role

At the end of the day it is up to the parents to make sure their teen is ready to get behind the wheel.  As a parent, do you know everything you need to know in order to make your teen into the best driver that he can be?  Here are five blog posts explaining what the role of the parent is in teaching teens to drive.  Maybe you will know them all, but you may also pick up a tip or two.

General Safety Issues

HOW SAFE ARE RENTAL CARS?

Do you put as much thought into the vehicle that you rent for a business or pleasure trip as you would into the car you plan to purchase?  Probably, your answer is, of course, NO.  There are some facts about rental cars that you may not know, which may change your mind about considering just how safe that rental car is, such as: 

  • There is no current law that requires rental car companies to make repairs to recalled vehicles before renting or selling them to consumers.
  • Once they have been notified of a recall by the manufacturer, auto dealers have a legal obligation not to sell a new vehicle until the defect has been remedied.
  • NHTSA does not have the legal authority to require consumers, including fleet owners like rental car companies, to have recalled vehicles fixed.
  • Rental companies receive notices at the same time car owners do. 

For the past four months, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been investigating three million rental cars that had been recalled for defects. Just recently, some automakers informed NHTSA that tens of thousands of these recalled rental cars went unrepaired for months or longer.  GM and Chrysler told NHTSA that, 30 days after a recall, 10 to 30 per cent of the recalled vehicles in rental-car fleets had been repaired.  By 90 days, the repair rate had improved to about 30 per cent, and within a year, the repair rate had increased to 50 per cent or higher.  Clarence Ditlow, Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) has noted that the Federal Trade Commission Act states that companies “shall not engage in unfair trade practices.  Not repairing a defective vehicle after it has been recalled, before renting it out, is an unfair trade practice, and is a violation of the act.”  He hopes that the investigation will lead to a more pointed law that specifically addresses this practice.  U.S. Senator, Charles Schumer, D-NY, has recently introduced the proposed Safe Car Rental Act, which would make it illegal for cars to be rented out if they are subject to a recall. 

Two young women were killed in a car wreck back in 2004, when the rental car they were driving was involved in a collision with a semi-trailer truck.  The car had been recalled due to a risk of under-hood fires, but the women were not informed of the risk.  While driving the car, it caught fire, causing a loss of steering power that led to the collision, killing the women instantly. It was noted that the vehicle had been rented at least four times after the agency received a recall notice.  Following five years of fighting a lawsuit, the rental agency admitted liability, and the parents of the sisters were awarded a damages only – $15 million verdict. 

USA TODAY’s analysis reveals that more than 95% of 167 different vehicles in rental fleets are rated “good” in head-on crashes – the most frequent type of fatal accidents.  However, in safety ratings, the side, rear, and roll-over crashes, have a large disparity.  Cars must have good ratings in these crashes, as well,  in order to avoid death or serious injury. 

The next time you plan to rent a car, do a little investigating about the safety ratings of the agency you plan to deal with.  Take a little time to check out the car before you leave the lot; make sure that  it has the right safety equipment, has been maintained properly, such as fluid levels checked, tires aired up well, and that wiper blades work.  You may have to pay a little more money for a bigger, heavier vehicle, but you will be safer than in a smaller, lighter one. 

Rental car companies have a responsibility to their customers to provide safe vehicles for use.

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

NATIONAL TEEN DRIVER SAFETY WEEK

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Since 2007, the third week of October has been designated as National Teen Driver Safety Week.  This week, October 17 through 23, to stress the importance of driving safely, schools and other organizations will be sharing information with teenagers about safe driving.  Car crashes are the #1 killer of teens.  Teaching teens that along with the privilege of driving a vehicle, there are rules that must be respected and followed.

 Research has shown that parents are the single greatest influence on their teen’s driving.  Parents must set the example early on, by buckling up every time they get behind the wheel, slowing down, and focusing on the road.   You’ve heard the old saying, “Practice makes perfect.”  This is certainly true when it comes to teen drivers.  Even though parents have busy schedules, the more time they spend letting their teens drive gives them the advantage of experience.  They need to drive in different road situations and at various times of the day with adult supervision.    Letting your child operate a motor vehicle without supervision is taking a terrible risk.  Give them as much supervised driving time as possible – thirty to fifty practice hours over a six-month period is recommended.  

Several states offer Graduated Drivers Licensing, which is a three-step plan:

  1. There is a minimum supervised learner’s period.
  2. After passing the driver’s test, they receive an intermediate license, which limits the amount of unsupervised driving time.
  3. Full privileges license after completion of previous stages.

The Centers for Disease Control make the following suggestions to parents:

  • Set rules for your teen drivers.  Set limits to keep them safe.  Be sure they know they must abide by the laws of the state, limit nighttime driving, and wear seat belt.
  • Restrict the number of passengers they may have in the car.
  •  Talk about signing a Parent-Teen Driving Contract (on the CDC website).  Discuss how important it is to follow the rules, and the consequences for breaking them.  Hang this contract on the refrigerator door as a reminder that you want him/her to stay safe, and that when the rules of safe driving are followed, greater driving privileges will result. 

Have you seen the commercial where the dad is leaning into the car, giving his little daughter all the right instructions that she must follow while driving, and then gives her the car keys?  In his mind, she is about 6 or 7 years old, but in reality, the next scene reveals she is a teen.  This serves as a reminder that in our hearts, although they are teenagers, we still think of them as little ones.  We all must emphasize safe driving to the teens in our families – children or grandchildren.  One of the most important things to help them stay safe is to tell them to forget about their cell phone and focus on the road.  If we can get teens and every other driver to ignore those electronic devices, the highways will be much safer for everyone!

Good luck to parents of new drivers.  Let’s all do our part to keep the roads safe for them.  Help them to know that not only during Teen Driving Safety Week, but all the time, they need to “handle that car with care.”

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

WE ALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW

Every American has the right to know the hazards to which they may be exposed in their daily living. Right-to-know laws provide information about possible chemical exposures. There are two forms that involve the right to know: Right to Know in the Workplace, and Right to Know in the Community.  Below is a list of some of the information that the EPA provides the public in the spirit of right to know in regard to their communities.

  • Emergency Planning
  • Toxic Substances and Releases
  • Environmental in the Community
  • Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996
  • Air Pollution
  • Water Quality
  • Lead Program
  • Hazardous Waste

The Right to Know in the workplace was established in 1985 with OSHA’s Hazardous Chemicals Standard.  Information that the workplace must have accessible to employees are:

  • Workplace Inspection Reports
  • Medical Records
  • Noise, chemicals, and other hazards workers are exposed to
  • Workers Comp claim forms and records
  • Injury and Illness Records OSHA Standards
  • Monitoring Methods
  • Accident Investigation Reports
  • MSDS– Chemical manufacturers and importers are required to assess hazards of chemicals and pass this information on to purchasers through container labels. Employers must provide information to workers through Material Safety Data Sheets.  This detailed information is to be furnished to all employees, and they must be trained to understand  the importance of the MSDS, and the risks of the chemicals their workplace may use.  These are to be accessible to employees in all work areas. 

Because of confidentiality of medical records and other personal data, different laws may apply to certain records, as applicable.  It will be interesting to research the different aspects of employees’ and citizens’ right-to-know laws.  We hope to bring more detailed information on various subjects to you in the future.

It is important that we do our part to control pollution in our country.  We want our schools, communities, homes, and workplaces to be safe havens that don’t make us sick.  If you have questions about situations in your surroundings or work environment, contact your local governmental authorities, or the Environmental Protection Agency.  It’s your Right to Know.