Showing posts with label AAAFTS. Show all posts

Holiday Spirits

Posted by Unknown in AAA Foundation, AAAFTS, do as I say not as i do, Drinking and driving, DUI, Holidays, safety culture on Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Yesterday, AAA issued its annual end-of-year travel forecast, predicting a record-setting year in the number of motorists this holiday season. While in some ways this is good news – a sign of economic recovery, perhaps, and more people having the opportunity to visit loved ones – an impaired driver can turn the holidays into a nightmare for any of the 85.8 million people who are expected to travel by road this year. And unfortunately, our latest survey data indicate that in 2013, there have been as many impaired drivers out there as ever.

It’s not that people don’t “get it.” Our latest findings from the annual Traffic Safety Culture Index survey show that 96 percent of drivers think it’s somewhat or completely unacceptable for somebody to get behind the wheel when they think they may have had too much to drink. A high number (91%) perceive social disapproval of drunk driving from others, and 93 percent say drivers who have been drinking pose a somewhat or very serious threat to their personal safety. There is even relatively strong support for countermeasures to impaired driving, such as ignition interlocks.

Yet among people who report consuming alcohol (and who are licensed drivers), roughly one-in-five admit to driving when they thought their BAC level was close to or over the legal limit, at least once in the past year. And the problem isn’t just alcohol: there is much less public concern about drugged driving (illicit or prescription), and among people who report using marijuana, more than a third (36%) said they’ve driven within an hour of doing so in the past year. This is an attitude that we’ve long described with the phrase, “Do as I say, not as I do.”

The spirit of the season may bring joy for the holidays, but the spirits – when combined with driving – can be deadly. Indeed, far too many people already mark the holidays with sadness at the loss of a loved one to an impaired driving crash. So for the sake of yourself, your family and friends, and the tens of millions of people with whom you’ll share the road this season, don’t wait until New Years to make a resolution to avoid driving impaired. By then it could be too late.

For more information about our latest impaired driving survey data, and for tips on staying safe on the road this holiday season, please check out our new fact sheet. And please, have a safe and happy holiday.

Road Safety and Drowsy Driving

Posted by Unknown in AAA Foundation, AAAFTS, do as I say not as i do, driver fatigue, drowsy driving, National Sleep Foundation, road safety, safety culture, usRAP on Thursday, November 7, 2013

Each year, Drowsy Driving Prevention Week (DDPW, Nov. 3-10, 2013) focuses national attention on the significant threat posed by motorists who get behind the wheel while extremely tired. As we’ve discussed previously on this blog, our research shows that roughly one-in-six fatal crashes involves a drowsy driver. And, according to new survey data released this week from our latest Traffic Safety Culture Index, just about everybody thinks it’s unacceptable to drive when you’re having a tough time keeping your eyes open, but a substantial number of people do so anyway.

While we generally discuss drowsy driving within the context of our safety culture research, this week presents a valuable opportunity to highlight how this priority concern relates to another of our focus areas: road safety. Within the realm of traffic safety more broadly, “road safety” refers to the engineering and design features, maintenance, and operating conditions of the road network itself, including roadways and the roadside environment. Our research on pavement edge drop-offs, which examined how the design and construction of the road edge can influence certain types of crashes, is an example of this area of study.

But how can engineering considerations and road safety relate to drowsy driving? A common road safety principle is that a roadway should be forgivingof driver error. This means that the design of a road can help mitigate crash severity, or, even better, prevent crashes from happening in the first place. Installing rumble strips, for example, can prevent a drowsy driver from having a run-off-the-road crash, as the noise and vibration they cause are designed to jolt drivers back to attention. Similarly, median barriers – such as cable guardrail or jersey walls – can serve as a last line of defense for a drowsy driver by preventing or mitigating cross-over, head-on collisions.

Our flagship effort to improve road safety across the country is the United States Road Assessment Program (usRAP), an operating program of the AAA Foundation. usRAP provides highway authorities a simple but robust way to make data-informed decisions for the safety of the motoring public. Using a video log of a roadway, for example, usRAP can analyze the engineering features of a given segment, assign a star safety rating (similar to the safety ratings commonly used for evaluating vehicles), and generate a safety investment plan to reduce the risks identified.

This week, in addition to commemorating DDPW, we were very pleased to celebrate the achievement of the Genesee County Road Commission in Michigan, which won a 2013 National Roadway Safety Award for utilizing the usRAP protocols to generate a county safety plan with an estimated benefit-cost ratio of 2.3. The Award was presented by the Federal Highway Administration and the Roadway Safety Foundation at a luncheon on Capitol Hill, with GCRC and usRAP staff in attendance.

While usRAP provides a valuable tool for the highway agencies nationwide that are responsible for building and maintaining safe roads, it is up to each of us as motorists to ensure that every time we get behind the wheel, we are prepared to use those safe roads safely. This requires being awake, alert, attentive, and sober – always. And at the AAA Foundation – which recently again received Charity Navigator’s coveted 4-Star rating – we’ll continue in our mission to provide the science and tools needed for drivers, highway authorities, and others to move Toward Zero Deaths on our roads.

License to Wait

Posted by Unknown in AAA, AAA Foundation, AAAFTS, GDL, Graduated Drivers Licensing, Learners Permits, parents and teens, Teen driving on Thursday, August 1, 2013

If you were anything like me as a teenager, you’ll likely be as surprised as I was by the findings of our latest study, just released today. When I was 16, getting my driver’s license was my top priority, and I still remember thinking that a winter storm that postponed my road test by six weeks was absolutely devastating. But a new AAA Foundation survey of 18- 20-year-olds has found that less than half (just 44%) of American teens get their license within a year of their home state’s age of eligibility, and barely half (54%) get it by the time they turn 18!

The study offers evidence supporting a general perception that teens have been voluntarily delaying licensure in recent years; it also examines what some of the reasons for this delay might be. With graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems now placing some combination of driving restrictions (such as passenger limits, late-night prohibitions, etc.) on teens in all states, a big question was whether young drivers simply wanted to wait to get their license until these provisions were lifted (generally age 18, except in New Jersey). In other words, are the three tiers of GDL (learner’s permit, restricted license, full licensure) so undesirable that teens are willing to avoid it?

It turns out that the reasons for delayed licensure generally pertain more to economic considerations, busy schedules, and simple lack of interest. In fact, the biggest reasons cited for not getting a license were not having a car (44%), an ability to get around without driving (39%), cost of gas and cost overall (36% each), and “just didn’t get around to it” (35%). Fewer than one in four cited reasons related to GDL.

Even if GDL isn’t the reason for the delay, however, it is troubling that more than a third (at least 36%) of novice drivers today get licensed outside of the protective GDL system because of the delay. A recent Foundation literature review highlighted the lifesaving achievements of graduated licensing, which has been credited with reductions of 20-40 percent in 16-year-old driver crashes, and a 6-19 percent drop in crashes of 17-year-old drivers. Yet with the three-tiered system generally “expiring” once a teen turns 18, license delay for any reason can result in a significant number of novices missing out on this highly effective system.

More research is clearly needed to investigate the effects that GDL might have on older novice driver (ages 18-20, e.g.) safety, and to examine how the age at which a teen gets licensed impacts crash rates. To this end, we’ve initiated a project to study the crash rates of teens by age at licensure in three states: North Carolina and California, which do not have comprehensive GDL for older novices, and New Jersey, which does. You can read more about this project here.

Summer is the deadliest season for teens on the road, so this is a particularly poignant time to consider the results of this study. To learn more about it, please visit the project page. And, as always, please continue to drive safely all summer long.

Putting Common Sense Back in the Driver’s Seat

Posted by Unknown in AAA Foundation, AAAFTS, distracted driving, do as I say not as i do on Thursday, March 28, 2013

Earlier this week we learned that West Virginia legislators are considering a modification to the state’s texting ban that would prohibit driver use of a “wearable computer with a head mounted display.” With growing hype surrounding Google Glass and this emerging technology, lawmakers say this is an attempt to get ahead of the curve and cover their bases with regards to distracted driving. As currently written, WV law would permit the use of virtual goggles as hands-free devices.

Legislation plays a vital role in the traffic safety equation. With the explosion in cell phones and other mobile systems, however, we know that the development of new technologies almost always outpaces legislative considerations of whether these devices belong in the vehicle. Moreover, even if West Virginia’s efforts to preemptively address emerging technologies became the new norm nationwide, our police departments and patrol officers would need substantially enhanced resources to be able to enforce such laws.

So where does this leave us? With a reminder that common sense is what truly belongs in the driver’s seat. We know distracted driving is a problem. Nearly 90 percent of us even say it’s a bigger problem today than it was three years ago. And we know that when other drivers talk on cell phones or send text messages, it feels threatening to our own personal safety. Yet many of us keep doing it ourselves.

While it is gratifying to see safety-conscious attitudes at all levels, we must remember that it is each and every one of us who is ultimately responsible for safeguarding our nation’s highways. Moreover, recognizing that legislation won’t be able to restrict every distracting technology as soon as it hits the market, it is incumbent upon us to “self-regulate” and avoid using these devices while driving. Not because it’s the law, but because it’s the right thing to do.

Popular Foundation Brochures Now Available in Spanish

Posted by Unknown in AAA Foundation, AAAFTS, Aggressive driving, distracted driving, drivers education, drowsy driving, Road Rage, Senior safety and mobility on Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Our mission at the Foundation is to “save lives through research and education,” and today we have taken an important step toward reaching a broader audience with our safety messaging. Our five most popular brochures are now available online in Spanish, and can be downloaded here free of charge.

Drawing upon the latest scientific findings of the Foundation’s research efforts, these brochures provide practical insights and tips for motorists and other road users in an effort to promote safety for all on the nation’s highways. The critical traffic safety topics addressed include:

- Distractions in Everyday Driving

- How to Avoid Drowsy Driving

- How to Avoid Headlight Glare

- The Older and Wiser Driver

- Road Rage

We are very pleased to be able to expand our Spanish language offerings, and sincerely hope that these brochures will be valuable resources for driving schools, police departments, senior centers, community groups, and all of our safety partners who are trying to save lives and mitigate injuries on our roads.

Leading by Example this Saint Patrick's Day

Posted by Unknown in AAA Foundation, AAAFTS, do as I say not as i do, Drinking and driving, DUI, Holidays, safety culture on Thursday, March 14, 2013

Earlier this year, we released the fifth installment of our annual Traffic Safety Culture Index, a nationally-representative survey of the attitudes and behaviors of the American motoring public. As in previous years, we found that a “do as I say, not as I do” attitude persists, with many people admitting to doing the very same dangerous things – such as drinking and driving – that they say are unacceptable for others to do.

Consider the following:

-- More than nine-in-ten drivers say that drunk drivers are a serious threat to safety;

-- Nearly all (97%) say it is unacceptable for people to drive when they think they may have had too much to drink;

-- Four-in-five drivers support requiring ignition interlock use by all DWI offenders; and

-- More than half of people say drunk driving is a bigger problem today than it was three years ago.

However, despite these attitudes, roughly one-in-sevendrivers admit that they drove when they thought their blood alcohol level was close to or over the legal limit, at least once in the past year. Among the biggest culprits were males, 18.1 percent of whom reported drinking and driving (vs. 10% of females), and drivers in their early 20s, more than a quarter of whom admitted to this.

Friday and Saturday nights in general see the most drunk-driving-related crashes and fatalities, and with Saint Patrick’s Day falling on a weekend this year, there could be an even bigger risk. From our safety culture survey, we know that motorists are aware of the dangers of drinking and driving. So this year, we hope that more people will turn away from a “do as I say, not as I do” stance, and instead choose to “lead by example.” How? By designating a driver this Saint Patrick’s Day, taking public transportation, or calling a cab, and by watching out for friends and always buckling up!

Is Safety on Your Syllabus?

Posted by Unknown in AAA Foundation, AAAFTS, Back to School, GDL, Graduated Drivers Licensing, Holidays, Learners Permits, parents and teens, Passenger limits, School Safety patrol on Thursday, August 30, 2012

Three-and-a-half months ago, we joined with many of our safety partners to publicize the fact that summertime is a particularly deadly period for teens on the road. Longer trips, later nights, and relaxed attitudes can all contribute to a spike in teen driving – and crash risk – during this time. The National Organizations for Youth Safety, therefore, challenged all of us to have the summer of 2012 be the “Safest Summer Ever.” We sincerely hope that for you and your family and friends, it was.

Just because the summer is winding down, however, doesn’t mean it’s time to let safety slip off the radar screen. After all, motor vehicle crashes are the leading killer of young Americans – all year long. And with kids heading back to class and family routines crystallizing again, back-to-school time provides an excellent chance to promote safety within your family.

If you drive your kids to school, that time in the car is a perfect opportunity to model safe behaviors and attitudes for them. If they see you buckling up, putting away your cell phone and other distracting items, slowing and stopping properly for school buses, and using extra caution at crosswalks, they’ll have an implicit understanding of the importance of such actions. It’s never too early to start building awareness of the responsibilities that come with being a driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist.

Promoting safety in the hours after school lets out is crucial, as well, as this is one of the deadliest times of day for teens. All too often, teens pile into cars with their friends, and the results can be deadly. AAA Foundation research has shown that the risk of teens being killed in a crash skyrockets when passengers are present, and that despite laws in most states restricting newly-licensed teens from driving with their peers, roughly 40 percent of teen drivers killed in crashes were carrying passengers. This is a good time of year, therefore, to talk with teens about the importance of obeying passenger restrictions, and to make sure alternative transportation options to sporting events, jobs, and other activities are available.

AAA and the AAA Foundation have long been engaged in addressing school- and child-related traffic safety concerns. The AAA School Safety Patrol program has turned generations of children – including Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton – into traffic safety leaders at their schools. Participating students take on the responsibility of helping move traffic and pedestrians safely and efficiently through school zones, and volunteers have saved nearly 400 lives in the program’s history. Additionally, the AAA Foundation offers a variety of instructional materials related to school safety, including videos on crossing guard training and school bus safety.

Safety may not officially be on the syllabus for your students this year, but we hope it will be taught and promoted all the same. By working together, we can make sure kids of all ages are able to come to school ready and able to learn, because they are safe.

Eyes on the Road, Hands on the Wheel, Mind on the Task

Posted by Unknown in AAAFTS, distracted driving, NYTSM, Teen driver study, teens and Passengers, texting while driving on Monday, May 14, 2012

Distracted driving is a hot topic in the traffic safety field, particularly as it relates to teen drivers. Teens are believed to be particularly susceptible to the dangers posed by distracted driving, as they are among the most avid adopters of new technologies, and they have the least experience managing risks behind the wheel.

Recently, we released the results from our naturalistic teen driver study, which is among the first to examine teen distracted driving through direct observation using in-vehicle cameras.

Electronic device use accounted for nearly one third of all the incidences of distracted driving observed in the study. Other frequent distractions included adjusting vehicle controls, personal grooming, and eating or drinking.

Interestingly, females were nearly twice as likely as males to use an electronic device while driving, and overall were nearly 10% more likely to be observed engaging in other distracted behaviors, such as reaching for an object in the vehicle and eating or drinking. Males, on the other hand, were roughly twice as likely to turn around in their seats while driving, and were also more likely to communicate with people outside of the vehicle.

Teens were twice as likely to text or type on their electronic devices as they were to make handheld calls. Recent reports suggest teens send between 3,000 to 4,000 texts per month, and with texting estimated to increase crash risk at least eight times, the findings underscore how critical it is for teens to put down their devices and pay attention to driving.

Other concerning behaviors involved teens driving with teen passengers. Loud conversation and horseplay were more than twice as likely to occur when multiple teens – instead of just one – were present. These distractions are particularly concerning, as they were found to be associated with serious incidents and high g-force events. Drivers were six times more likely to have a serious incident when there was loud conversation in the vehicle, and were more than twice as likely to have a high g-force event when there was horseplay.

As we continue with our observance of National Youth Traffic Safety Month, I urge everybody – not just teens – to remember the three simple rules of attentive driving: keep your eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, and mind on the task at hand. Put your texts and calls on hold, or the next message your friends receive may be from the hospital.

Room for One More? Nope

Posted by Unknown in AAAFTS, GDL, Passenger limits, teens, teens and Passengers on Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Last week we touched on the importance of night driving restrictions for novice teen drivers. This week we turn our attention to another key component of graduated driver licensing: passenger limits.

Today, the AAA Foundation released a new report,Teen Driver Risk in Relation to Age and Number of Passengers, detailing how much the risk of a teen driver getting into a crash is affected by the number and age of the passengers he or she is carrying. The results largely corroborate the findings of earlier studies that were conducted before many states enacted passenger restrictions as part of their GDL systems.

Compared with driving alone, a 16- or 17-year-old driver carrying one passenger younger than 21 (and with no older passengers) has a 44 percent greater chance of death per mile driven. Having two passengers younger than 21 doubles the risk of death, compared with driving alone. Carrying three or more young passengers quadruples the risk of death.

In contrast, a 16- or 17-year-old driver’s risk of death per mile driven is reduced 62 percent when driving with an adult aged 35 or older.

These startling numbers point to two things. First, they highlight how important it is that states have worked to enact passenger limits for novice teen drivers. Currently, 45 states and the District of Columbia have such restrictions in place, though many of these do allow one teen peer to be in the vehicle. Second, they serve as a strong reminder of the protective influence that adult passengers have on teen drivers, and the benefits of parents continuing to drive with their teens even after the learner’s permit phase has ended.

Other Foundation research has also touched on the issue of teens with passengers. Our recent naturalistic study of teen distracted driving found that loud conversation and horseplay were more than twice as likely to occur when teens drove with multiple teen passengers compared to when only one teen passenger was present. These were also among the riskiest distracting conditions for teen drivers: serious incidents, for example, were six times more likely to occur when there was loud conversation in the vehicle.

As teens gear up for prom, graduation, end-of-year parties, and summer vacation, the temptation to pile friends into the car and hit the open road is going to rise with the temperature. But since the risk of driver death also rises with each additional passenger, we take this opportunity to remind everybody of the importance of passenger restrictions, and the right parents have to set their own – even if their state hasn’t.

Graduated Driver Licensing and Night Driving

Posted by Unknown in AAAFTS, GDL, Graduated Drivers Licensing, Learners Permits, teens on Friday, May 4, 2012

One of the most successful innovations in the effort to reduce teen traffic fatalities has been the adoption of graduated driver licensing (GDL) in every state. Under these GDL systems, teens are not granted full driving privileges right away. Instead, they progress through stages, with restrictions gradually lifted as teens become more experienced.

While each state sets its own specific GDL provisions, the basic structure is the same almost everywhere:

1) Teens first get a learner’s permit, which allows them to drive only when a parent or other adult is in the car with them.

2) Next, teens get an intermediate license, which allows them to drive unsupervised, but with certain restrictions in place.

3) Finally, after a certain amount of time or when they reach a certain age, teens can receive a full, unrestricted license.

This tiered approach limits the risk teens are exposed to when they are first learning to drive, so that they have gained some practice and experience by the time they confront more hazardous situations.

One circumstance that nearly every state’s GDL system places restrictions on is night driving. The combination of reduced visibility, glare, fatigue, impaired drivers, and other factors makes night time particularly hazardous for teens, who are not yet accustomed to managing risks behind the wheel. In fact, driving at night doubles teens’ chances of getting in a deadly crash. And it’s not just late-night driving that’s dangerous: along with the hours right after school gets out, the most common time for teen traffic fatalities to occur is between 9 pm and midnight.

So how can we protect teens from night time crashes? It’s important to know what time your state’s night restrictions take effect. In nearly half the states, they don’t begin until midnight or later; safety experts, however, agree that teen safety would be improved greatly if restrictions kicked in at 9 or 10 pm. If you’re a parent, you can always decide to set house rules requiring your teen to be off the road earlier than state law requires.

Night driving restrictions are not the same as curfews. They are not about keeping teens out of trouble so much as they are about keeping them alive. Visit our web site, www.traffic-payout.org, to learn about our work in teen safety. For additional resources for parents and teens, visit www.teendriving.aaa.com.

National Youth Traffic Safety Month

Posted by Unknown in AAAFTS, NYTSM, Parent-teen driving agreement, teens, teens driving on Tuesday, May 1, 2012

For teens across the country, May is a special time of year. Spring sports are heating up, the school year is wrapping up, and preparations for prom and graduation are revving up.

For parents, educators, and those of us in the safety community, May is also an exciting time, as we share in the pride and enthusiasm that mark the end of a successful year and the eve of summer. But it is also a poignant time, as we recognize that the celebrations take a toll and the risk of teen crashes jumps.

National Youth Traffic Safety Month (NYTSM) serves as an important reminder that the only way for this to be a joyous time of year is for it also to be a safe one. Teens face a number of challenges on the road. Their inexperience,combined with immaturity, make them four times more likely to be involved in a crash than other drivers.

With this risk comes devastating consequences: traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers, claiming over 3,100 young lives in 2010 alone. That’s more than 3,100 families who won’t see their teens go off to college, or get their first job, or graduate, or become parents themselves. Many say this is tragic; I say it is outrageous.

All month long I’ll be posting entries here related to teen traffic safety, covering topics like graduated driver licensing, driver education, and parental involvement in the learning process. Later this month we’ll be releasing new findings regarding teen crash risk when passengers are present, and we’ll be joining with AAA and our other partners to promote the youth traffic safety message at events and in media nationwide.

I hope you’ll join us in observing NYTSM, and I wish all of you a happy, celebratory, and safe summer.

Putting Safety in the Front Seat

Posted by Unknown in AAAFTS, bus safety, FMCSA, iphone app, road safety, SaferBus on Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Travelers looking to purchase commercial bus tickets for interstate travel now have a new tool at their disposal when selecting a carrier, thanks to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) free SaferBus iPhone app.

Launched today, the app allows bus customers to access FMCSA’s safety data in a user-friendly way. After entering the name of a given bus company, app users will get information about its safety performance over the previous two years. Icons representing unsafe driving, fatigued driving, driver fitness, controlled substances/alcohol, and vehicle maintenance pop up, along with alerts if a carrier has shown deficiencies in these areas.

In the worst cases, the icons will be replaced by bold red text indicating that a given bus company is forbidden to operate. Customers can also use the app to report safety complaints directly to FMCSA.

Marketed under the banner “Look Before You Book,” this new app provides a quick, practical way to factor in a company’s safety record when selecting among carriers. It also serves as an important reminder that price and convenience are not the only two things customers should look for when purchasing a bus ticket. As always, safety should be the top priority.

Online Driver Education Programs?

Posted by Unknown in AAA Foundation, AAAFTS, driver ed, drivers education, NHTSA, Online drivers ed, parents and teens, teens, teens driving on Thursday, February 23, 2012

Driver Education is a key part of the development of young drivers, so it’s important that the advantages and disadvantages of online programs are made available to help parents choose an appropriate course for their teen.

We recently completed a report based on a study of Online Driver Education programs that was conducted for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While traditional classroom drivers ed courses remain the norm, the use of online courses has been growing across the country.

The study identified 15 states that had either approved or accepted one or more online courses in‐lieu of traditional, in‐classroom instruction. While much of the curriculum was similar across programs, great variation was found in the manner in which course content was presented. While evaluating the overall safety impact of online driver education was beyond the scope of this study, the report did analyze strong and weak program characteristics in light of existing research and established standards for online learning in general.

The strongest online courses contained:

· interactive exercises

· personal feedback from instructors

· timers to prevent skipping over lessons

· integrated behind-the-wheel components

· parental involvement

The weaker programs were said to be very text heavy, and offered little feedback, allowed quick completion, and didn’t involve parents at all.

There was also considerable variation in the degree to which states exercised oversight of online driver education, with some only approving one centralized, government-affiliated program and others allowing online courses to proliferate virtually unregulated.

In addition to the full report, the Foundation also developed a fact sheet to help educate parents on this issue and highlight the program attributes to keep in mind when considering an online driver education course.

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