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#4329069 - 01/17/17 02:28 PM Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof  
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Haggart Offline
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"the NSC found a 34% increase in deaths in Georgia. The state is seeing more single vehicle crashes, lane departures, over-corrections and striking of fixed objects.
"These are characteristics of distraction, and we believe texting to be the primary [cause]," said Harris Blackwood, the director of Georgia's highway safety office"

"Highway safety officials in Illinois -- which is among the top states to see a large jump in deaths -- said a milder winter was also to blame for increasing the death toll on roads"

Can Technology Stop the Problem It Caused
http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/04/health/distracted-driving-technology-solution/?iid=EL


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#4329070 - 01/17/17 02:35 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: Haggart]  
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Interesting article. I've not read the article yet but I think this trend is mostly due to the big increase in the "Distraction" category while the other three categories haven't changed nearly as much.

I'll also find it interesting to see if cellphone bans in States like New York will actually make a difference.

Last edited by PanzerMeyer; 01/17/17 02:37 PM.

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#4329071 - 01/17/17 02:35 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: Haggart]  
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The 2nd graphic isn't worth too much since any or all could contribute to any one wreck. The first though, I suspect is due to more and more distracted driving. Mainly increased cell phone use, but other distractions as well.

Not long ago there was a piece on the news about the significant decrease in unrestrained deaths. The younger generations just buckle up without even thinking about it. It's not the issue and annoyance it is for those that were driving in the 70's and earlier. Not to mention every year more and more cars on the road have secondary restraints like airbags as older cars leave active duty. At least there's progress in some areas.


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#4329106 - 01/17/17 04:06 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: Haggart]  
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Texting and smartphone use while driving is a big problem in Georgia. I see people swerving all the time on them.

#4329107 - 01/17/17 04:07 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: Mr_Blastman]  
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Originally Posted By: Mr_Blastman
Texting and smartphone use while driving is a big problem in Georgia. I see people swerving all the time on them.


Those drivers are always easy to spot since they usually take several seconds to move after a light has gone green or they stop their car like 5 car lengths behind the car in front of them when they stop at a red light.

Last edited by PanzerMeyer; 01/17/17 04:09 PM.

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#4329108 - 01/17/17 04:10 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: Haggart]  
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The weird part is with more people buckling up, airbags, and other safety features in cars, the number of deaths dropping was expected. The recent reversal is puzzling, but it's also not given context.

Ok, so there are more fatalities. Let's say it was roughly a 10% increase between 2015 and 2016.

BUT

How many accidents were there? Did that number stay constant? Did it increase 10% as well, or was it a 50% increase? Only 10% more deaths in 100% more incidents is actually good!
In other words, while total deaths is one statistic, if deaths have dropped from say 1 in 10,000 accident to 1 in 20,000 accidents, that's good. It's not good if we've had double the accidents, but then it's purely the drivers and not the vehicles being unsafe.




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#4329139 - 01/17/17 06:01 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: Haggart]  
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What amazes me is that almost 30% of deaths were "unrestrained". I assume that means 'not wearing seat belts'. I can't imagine driving to the corner store without buckling up. Maybe it comes from my years of dirt road rallying and frequent "diversions from the route" biggrin


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#4329146 - 01/17/17 06:24 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: Haggart]  
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It seems like people are driving more and more aggressively. There seems to more of a "I own the road" attitude now. Plus, everybody is always in a big hurry.

#4329150 - 01/17/17 06:38 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: Mr_Blastman]  
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Originally Posted By: Mr_Blastman
Texting and smartphone use while driving is a big problem in Georgia. I see people swerving all the time on them.


If your caught texting while driving.
Screw fines, Banned from the road for six months that's the only way it will stop drivers from risking it.
I have had issues with people I know friends even for doing it.
Even caught my wife doing it one time.This led to a fairly big argument
Her reasoning, is she does not have to look at her phone to text this may be true in her case but she had to look at her phone to Read the message. plus both hand are not on the wheel.
Road traffic deaths here in Ireland are rising every year as well.
I do blame texting and of course drink driving/speeding

Last edited by marko1231123; 01/17/17 06:56 PM.
#4329155 - 01/17/17 06:52 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: Haggart]  
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Driving requires 100% of your concentration. The trouble is,a lot of people treat their cars as their office,kitchen etc etc. The only way is as Marko says, bans plus fines and insurance penalties. It's the only way they will learn,mess with their finances and their comfort/convenience (i.e rely on public transport).

Last edited by Chucky; 01/17/17 06:53 PM.

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#4329163 - 01/17/17 07:20 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: Haggart]  
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Not only drivers and phones I was making a left turn up my street and a college kid with earplugs in dialing or texting walked right in front of me oblivious to what was going on around him..Heck even 6 year olds are supposed to be taught to look before crossing a street


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#4329165 - 01/17/17 07:26 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: Haggart]  
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I wonder if states that have legalized marijuana are seeing any increase. Just another consideration in the mix - or not.


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#4329166 - 01/17/17 07:27 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: Haggart]  
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The main question for me is this: What is so urgent that you can't wait until you get there to answer the text? If it is urgent, cars have hands-free dialing today, and you can talk while keeping your eyes on the road and both hands on the steering wheel.

Last edited by Plainsman; 01/17/17 07:27 PM.

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#4329204 - 01/17/17 09:36 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: oldgrognard]  
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Originally Posted By: oldgrognard
I wonder if states that have legalized marijuana are seeing any increase. Just another consideration in the mix - or not.

You may be onto something there...

Fatal Road Crashes Involving Marijuana Double After State Legalizes Drug
Quote:
Fatal crashes involving drivers who recently used marijuana doubled in Washington after the state legalized the drug, according to the latest research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
  • The percentage of drivers involved in fatal crashes who recently used marijuana more than doubled from eight to 17 percent between 2013 and 2014.
  • One in six drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2014 had recently used marijuana, which is the most recent data available.



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#4329205 - 01/17/17 09:39 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: Haggart]  
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There's three big factors in my opinion:

1) We are welded to our mobile devices. All the time. "Distracted driving" doesn't begin to address this in terms of classification. It is "negligent operation". I see it all day every day as I drive my 50 mile round trip route to work and back. The mobile is more important than driving, period. It's an addiction.

2) People are not taught to drive very well in the USA. When I show folks how to adjust their mirrors so they cannot see their own car without leaning left or right, they think I'm nuts. Tailgating is SOP in every state I have visited. So is changing two or three lanes at once. I'll also toss overly timid driving into this category- people who are just not sure what to do, and who creep along darting glances this way and that, confused as to what they should do next. Not only does this present a hazard by virtue of that unpredictable driver who could literally do anything at any time, it aggravates people behind and around that driver, who are now tempted to do...things.

3) And this is my biggie, and you'll probably disagree- our 'safety features' have trained us that we don't need to pay attention so much. This is hand-in-glove with my point #2: we can't drive, so the car needs to save us from ourselves.

I don't mean crumple zones, bumpers, air bags etc. I'm talking about 'the car will take care of bad driving'. On paper, these features are great. In practice, anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control has simply allowed drivers to reduce the margins of fear. They can follow the car in front of them even closer and get away with it. They can toss an SUV onto an off-ramp at 60 mph and not feel like the vehicle will tip. They can stand on the gas in inclement weather and the car will reduce throttle input, preventing a slide, etc. Drivers are trained every time they drive whether they know it or not. The car's 'safety features' allow reinforcement of dangerous habits.I saw a woman at the supermarket two weeks ago that was damned near struck by an SUV as the SUV backed up. The SUV driver never looked left or right at all, the driver just stared intently into the backup cam, as the driver reversed and turned sharply. We are being sold technology that makes us 'safer' but which has at least as much risk attached because now the technology replaces common sense. 30 years ago and more, drivers used to get a few good scares when they did dumb things. Now they don't. If the red-hot burner on the stove never caused pain, would you learn not to touch it?


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#4329223 - 01/17/17 10:08 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: wheelsup_cavu]  
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Originally Posted By: wheelsup_cavu
Originally Posted By: oldgrognard
I wonder if states that have legalized marijuana are seeing any increase. Just another consideration in the mix - or not.

You may be onto something there...

Fatal Road Crashes Involving Marijuana Double After State Legalizes Drug
Quote:
Fatal crashes involving drivers who recently used marijuana doubled in Washington after the state legalized the drug, according to the latest research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
  • The percentage of drivers involved in fatal crashes who recently used marijuana more than doubled from eight to 17 percent between 2013 and 2014.
  • One in six drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2014 had recently used marijuana, which is the most recent data available.



Wheels


"recently used" is gonna be a crock of crap. Everybody is different and THC's presence is very persistent while it's effects are not. I'll bet the majority of those accidents involved alcohol also. The reefer madness fans let that slip by, no doubt. The agenda science sure is getting familiar.

Drinking and driving is stupid. Drinking, smoking pot and driving is even stupider.

AND how is this whole topic not PWEC?


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#4329226 - 01/17/17 10:10 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: Haggart]  
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Just think, about 60 or so years ago people thought we would be all using flying cars by now. Could you imagine that ?

#4329229 - 01/17/17 10:24 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: Haggart]  
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Could it be that these figures are skewed in a way to show exactly this problem in order to make way to self driving automobiles?


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#4329231 - 01/17/17 10:28 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: 462cid]  
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Originally Posted By: 462cid
There's three big factors in my opinion:

1) We are welded to our mobile devices. All the time. "Distracted driving" doesn't begin to address this in terms of classification. It is "negligent operation". I see it all day every day as I drive my 50 mile round trip route to work and back. The mobile is more important than driving, period. It's an addiction.

2) People are not taught to drive very well in the USA. When I show folks how to adjust their mirrors so they cannot see their own car without leaning left or right, they think I'm nuts. Tailgating is SOP in every state I have visited. So is changing two or three lanes at once. I'll also toss overly timid driving into this category- people who are just not sure what to do, and who creep along darting glances this way and that, confused as to what they should do next. Not only does this present a hazard by virtue of that unpredictable driver who could literally do anything at any time, it aggravates people behind and around that driver, who are now tempted to do...things.

3) And this is my biggie, and you'll probably disagree- our 'safety features' have trained us that we don't need to pay attention so much. This is hand-in-glove with my point #2: we can't drive, so the car needs to save us from ourselves.

I don't mean crumple zones, bumpers, air bags etc. I'm talking about 'the car will take care of bad driving'. On paper, these features are great. In practice, anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control has simply allowed drivers to reduce the margins of fear. They can follow the car in front of them even closer and get away with it. They can toss an SUV onto an off-ramp at 60 mph and not feel like the vehicle will tip. They can stand on the gas in inclement weather and the car will reduce throttle input, preventing a slide, etc. Drivers are trained every time they drive whether they know it or not. The car's 'safety features' allow reinforcement of dangerous habits.I saw a woman at the supermarket two weeks ago that was damned near struck by an SUV as the SUV backed up. The SUV driver never looked left or right at all, the driver just stared intently into the backup cam, as the driver reversed and turned sharply. We are being sold technology that makes us 'safer' but which has at least as much risk attached because now the technology replaces common sense. 30 years ago and more, drivers used to get a few good scares when they did dumb things. Now they don't. If the red-hot burner on the stove never caused pain, would you learn not to touch it?

Yep, I think your points are largely on track. I wonder if kids who grew up in the "everybody gets an award" generation just figure they can do what they want when they want, and don't want to be bothered with having to separate texting from driving.

Perhaps related to that, and also the "timid" driving, I think people are just generally more internally focused these days, and if they want to pay attention to something other than driving, they will. They'll mess with the radio, look around at buildings, get caught up in conversations, and of course text, and not really worry about what's going on around them.

Many times I've been behind someone going slow, even drifting out of the lane a little bit, and then when I get the opportunity to go around them they have to race. It's them first, everyone else second - "I want to mess with stuff other than driving, and you'll just have to deal with me, and I don't want you in front of me in case I want to go faster later."


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#4329232 - 01/17/17 10:31 PM Re: Traffic Deaths Are Going Through the Roof [Re: Haggart]  
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We used to joke that the most dangerous vehicle on the road was a minivan with two soccer moms in it that was within two miles of a Walmart. Then there were the old Dominoes pizza drivers......

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