Week of July 29, 2024
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Traffic Enforcement Dwindled in the Pandemic. In Many Places, It Hasn’t Come Back.
The New York TimesIn the early days of the pandemic in 2020, traffic stops by the police plummeted around the country, as fewer cars were on the road and as agencies instructed officers to avoid nonessential contact with the public.
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IIHS Finds Automation Does Little to Make Your Car Safer
EdmundsFeatures like adaptive cruise control don't do much to make driving safer, per a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
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More Than 4,000 Virginia Teens Involved in Crashes Over 100 Deadliest Days
WTKRWith school out for summer, a lot of young adults are out on road trips and at parties, which could make for some distracted drivers.
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Virginia DMV Ad Campaign Promoting Safe Driving Features Real First Responders
WRICAccording to the Virginia DMV, 335 people were killed in crashes while not wearing seatbelts in the Commonwealth in 2023 — and one in four people in Virginia do not wear a seatbelt while in a car, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Virginia Saw Increasing Crash Numbers in 2023, State DMV Statistics Show
WRICThe number of traffic-related crash incidents increased to about 4% in 2023 in Virginia compared to 2022.
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To Get Drivers to Put Down Their Phones, Make it a Game
Penn MedicineA large trial of strategies to reduce distracted driving showed that those that were “gamified” yielded a lasting reduction in handheld phone usage while driving.
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The Key to Safer Roads? Narrow the Lanes.
Route FiftyA study late last year found that the approach significantly enhanced safety for all road users. By narrowing lanes, cities can also reallocate that found space to sidewalks and bike lanes.
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Lighted Crosswalks Make Drivers More Apt to Yield to Pedestrians
IIHSIn areas with few streetlights, drivers are more than 3 times as likely to yield to pedestrians at illuminated crosswalks than at dark ones, a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows.
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As Bike and Scooter Ridership Soars, Safety Challenges Grow
Route FiftyInjuries and deaths are also soaring. Observers say helmet mandates are a good place to start.
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The Pandemic’s Tenacious Grip on Traffic Safety
AAA NewsroomResearchers at the AAA Foundation found dangerous behaviors like speeding, not using seatbelts, and impaired driving contributed to a significant rise in fatal crashes compared to pre-pandemic times.
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As Workforce Ages, So Do Drivers
Automotive FleetThe share of licensed drivers ages 70 and older has risen 30.1% in the last decade. At the same time, the portion of fatal crashes involving drivers 65 and older has also increased, from 22.8% in 2013 to 24.4% in 2022.