Road Rules

In 1988, fewer than 50 per cent of new cars sold in the US had power windows.  According to Ward’s Automotive, in 2009, nearly 91 percent of all new vehicles sold in the US have them.  And as this feature has become more commonplace, the risks have materialized: since 1990, power windows reportedly have killed at least 50 children and inflicted brain injury and finger amputations on a large number of others—most aged three years or younger.

 

 Recently, Road Rules has reminded readers about the increased risk for both pedestrians and drivers at this time of year.  Less daylight hours and wetter weather make for invisible pedestrians—especially when dressed in dark clothing—and for blinded drivers—especially when wet nights make the roads reflective.  Downpours only add to the dangers.  Windshield wipers, one of the greatest safety features ever invented, despite their refinement from “swinging arm with a rubber blade” —they start automatically, are variable and adjustable—still have intervals.  Blinded drivers and invisible pedestrians are a recipe for disaster and, hence—our reminder and (see below) police warnings.

 

Roughly 30% of the 6 million car crashes per year in the United States are rear-end collisions. This proportion is likely similar in Canada, although at this time of year probably even higher.  Darker, wet, and possibly icy November/December road conditions are optimal for rear-end crashes.

 

 Rear-end crashes are caused by a combination of driver errors: excessive speed for the road conditions, careless inattention, and following too closely.  Skill and driving reflexes also come into play: braking has not happened quickly enough.

 

Road Rules readers will recall our references to Tom Vanderbilt’s bestselling book, Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us), published by Alfred A. Knopf in Canada.  Recently, we looked at the book’s companion blog— www.howwedrive.com.  It contains a menu of some 74 links to “Fellow Travelers” —other blogs about road safety.  These links shows “Fellow Traveler” broadly defined to include both individuals and organizations.  One of the organizations that caught our eye was the Global Road Safety Partnership or GRSP (at www.grsproadsafety.org).