Many people believe voice-control systems are a safer option for dialing a cell phone, texting, changing the radio station and performing many other tasks behind the wheel of a car. However, these hands-free technologies may not be as safe as they seem. According to a recent report from AAA, a large number of the hands-free voice controls marketed in vehicles as “safety features” are not provi…Read More
Growing awareness of the concussion danger for football players has led to stricter athlete concussion protocol, with one Michigan high school recently taking the drastic action of canceling the remainder of the varsity football season after several players suffered concussions. New research, however, shows that parents lack knowledge about mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI), which could lead to …Read More
In the wake of relaxed marijuana laws across the country – including legalization of recreational use in Colorado – states are scrambling to figure out how the law should treat impaired drivers. But initial research on how marijuana affects driving has produced mixed results, further muddying the waters for road safety advocates. “We see the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washingt…Read More
ComSonics, a Virginia-based company that provides calibration and repair services for speed-enforcement equipment, is close to production of a new radar device that can help police detect texting drivers. As the Virginian-Pilot reports, the device uses technology similar to that used by cable repairmen searching for damaged cable. According to Malcolm McIntyre of ComSonics, it is able to distingui…Read More
Speed and alcohol were believed to be factors in a recent Colorado Springs car crash that killed two high school students, left another seriously injured and could lead to the driver being charged as an adult for vehicular homicide. The one-car crash occurred early on Labor Day morning at the intersection of Hodgen Road and Roller Coaster Road. According to Fox 31 Denver, a 2009 Mini Cooper driven…Read More
For the second consecutive year and fourth year overall, Fort Collins has been declared the home of the safest drivers in the country, according to the 10th annual Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report. Allstate, which provides around 10 percent of all auto insurance policies in the United States, recently reported that drivers in Fort Collins go an average of 14.2 years between traffic acciden…Read More
Car accidents claim thousands of lives and cause even more injuries every year. What if crashes could be reduced by having cars talk to each other? It may sound like the future, but it could soon be reality. The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), after years of research, recently took a step forward in deciding to propose a plan that incorporates vehicle-to-vehicle communi…Read More
The trucking industry – the primary mover of freight transportation in the United States – is facing a driver shortage that could have implications on the economy as well as traffic safety. A Business Insider report says that the American Trucking Association (ATA) is facing a driver shortfall of 30,000. According to the report, stagnating trucker wages, new safety regulations and a lack of yo…Read More
Is more technology the answer to a problem created by technology? A San Francisco tech startup company thinks so. The problem, in this case, is using a cellphone while driving – a behavior that roughly quadruples the odds of a driver getting in a crash. And the solution, or so Navdy believes, is a heads-up display (HUD) similar to the technology used by airline pilots that projects cellphone inf…Read More
The federal government has made available millions of dollars in highway safety grant funding to help states make safer roads. There’s just one problem: the grant requirements are so stringent that hardly any states qualify. Since 2012, in fact, only five states were eligible for grant money intended to save lives through graduated licensing, ignition interlock and distracted driving prevention …Read More