Teen Driving Laws Empower Parents
By Kimberley Edgar

The new law protects AAA drivers.

  Each day, police, fire, rescue and roadside assistance personnel risk their lives to serve motorists who experience problems while traveling Rhode Island’s highways.
  The state’s new “Slow Down-Move Over” law will provide these first responders with a measure of protection as they’re helping the public.
  When conditions permit, motorists must slow down to a reasonable speed below the posted limit and give these workers wider berths: a full vacant lane between their automobiles and the working emergency vehicles. A violation of the law carries an $85 fine.
  AAA Southern New England worked with State Rep. Joseph M. McNamara, of Warwick, and State Sen. John J. Tassoni Jr., of Smithfield, on the legislation, aiming to prevent needless tragedies involving police, emergency and roadside-assistance workers helping people in emergency situations on busy highways.
  Rhode Island joins 43 other states that have enacted “Slow Down-Move Over,” 26 of which protect tow trucks and roadside-assistance vehicles like AAA’s. First responders — including police, fire, rescue, and roadside-assistance vehicles — aren’t the only ones who benefit from the improved highway safety. Members – and other drivers – do too.
  “It provides a measure of safety all the way around – whether someone is in an emergency situation or waiting for roadside assistance,” said Robert P. Murray, the Club’s legislative agent in Rhode Island. Several AAA drivers and AAA facility operators have been struck in recent years, including three drivers who died while working beside the highway.
  State lawmakers passed the “Slow Down-Move Over” law this summer. It was sponsored in the Senate by Sens. Tassoni, V. Susan Sosnowski, Paul W. Fogarty and Daniel J. Issa and in the House by Reps. McNamara, Peter F. Kilmartin, Peter J. Petrarca, John P. Shanley Jr. and Peter L. Lewiss.

Back to Index

Transportation Conundrum
A looming fiscal crisis sets the stage for a highway-funding showdown
By Rob Bhatt

The Zakim Bridge, a keystone of the Big Dig, has become a new signature of Boston. Looking toward future projects, Gov. Deval Patrick recently signed a $3.5 billion transportation bond bill into law.

  With motorists driving 40 million miles on Massachusetts highways each weekday, the state ranks fifth in the nation for daily traffic volume.
  And predictions are 20 percent more traffic will travel these same roads, highways and bridges by 2025, said Art Kinsman, AAA Southern New England’s Director of Government Affairs.
  Consider the dearth of funding available to fix and improve the thoroughfares, and one sees a giant traffic jam for transportation-infrastructure projects.
  “Conservative estimates place the funding shortfall for transportation projects in Massachusetts at $19 billion – and that’s just to maintain existing roads, bridges and transit and not make any improvements what­so­ever,” Mr. Kinsman said. “These roads were built in the 1950s and the 1960s. We need wider lanes, better road markings, rumble strips and things that will bring down medical and repair costs.”
  He estimates it costs the average motorist $156 a year for repairs, increased fuel consumption and tire wear for traveling on poor roads, and that more than 33 percent of the state’s roads are in fair or poor condition.
This doesn’t include the loss of productivity, and then there’s the safety issue — traffic crashes cost the state more than $6 billion annually, he said.
  In January, transportation officials from across the state attended a mobility summit to strategize ways to solve congestion problems.
And in April, state officials approved a transportation-bond bill that will infuse $3.5 billion into transportation projects throughout the state.
Two similar measures were winding their ways through the legislative process at press time.
  One – a $1.3 billion add-on to the transportation-bond bill – would help fund repairs to local roads.
  The other — a $3 billion accelerated-bridge program — would help the state restore over the next eight years hundreds of bridges that have seen decades of neglect.
  “This program will make our bridges safer,” Gov. Deval Patrick said. “By investing today, we will complete more bridge projects in less time and at a lower cost.”
  And state officials are working with their legislative delegations and national officials to ensure federal funding remains intact despite projections the Federal Highway Trust Fund will go into deficit in 2009.
  “We would be looking at $211 million cut out of a program of about $400 million, or a 50 percent reduction in federal funding,” said Bernard Cohen, Massachusetts Transportation Secretary. “It’s a great concern of ours, and obviously, it’s not just a Massachusetts issue: Every state in the union is going to be faced with a cut in federal resources if something isn’t done.”
  The $3.5 billion transportation bondbill signed into law in April aims to work in conjunction with MassHighway’s innovative plan to expedite these projects.
  “We’ve looked at every step in the process and what we can do to squeeze time out of it,” Mr. Cohen said. “We are committed to a 40 percent reduction in the time it takes to complete a project, from 10 years to just under six years.”
  The plan also increases government transparency through a new Web-based “Scorecard” that provides information on project timelines, construction costs and schedules; road and bridge conditions; and travel safety and mobility.
  And the public’s involvement is essential to ensuring the state’s transportation system remains strong, Mr. Kinsman said.
  “We take our transportation system for granted here in the United States because up until now, it’s been one of the best in the world, if not the best,” he said. “It’s not an exciting topic, but it’s something residents need to elevate as a top concern. Not only does it affect us in our pocketbooks, but also moving goods and services and people is critical to driving the economy.”
  For a look at Massachusetts’ new Scorecard, visit www.mass.gov/eot/scorecard.

Back to Index

  American motorists blame other motorists for unsafe driving, despite the fact many admit to doing the same dangerous practices themselves, according to a new report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
  For example, Americans rated drinking drivers as the most serious traffic safety issue, yet in the previous month alone, almost 10 percent of motorists admitted to driving when they thought their blood alcohol content was above the legal limit.
  “Where’s the outrage? Every 13 minutes, someone dies on America’s roads — yet the nation seems complacent about these preventable tragedies,” said AAA Foundation CEO Peter Kissinger.
  “The ‘2008 Traffic Safety Culture Index’ makes clear that while motorists are quick to blame the ‘other guy’ for deadly practices like drunk, aggressive or distracted driving, too often those pointing the finger are themselves, part of the problem.
  “When almost 10 percent of motorists admit to recently driving after drinking too much alcohol, the problem is much worse than people think. We need a big red flag to focus all stakeholders on real solutions for highway safety. Instead, we seem to be waving the white flag of surrender by largely accepting the carnage of 40,000 deaths on the road each year.”
  Traffic crashes are the leading killer of people ages of 2 to 34, with the overall death toll on U.S. roadways exceeding 40,000 every year since the early 1960s with the sole exception of 1992.
  With this in mind, the AAA Foundation launched its first survey of the driving public on a wide variety of issues.
  Following are highlights:
  • Three of four motorists be­lieved they are more careful than others behind the wheel.
  • 82 percent of motorists rated distracted driving as a serious problem, yet over half the same people admitted to talking on the phone while driving in the past month, and 14 percent admitted to reading or sending text messages while driving.
  • Over seven of 10 motorists rated redlight running as a serious problem, yet over half of those same individuals admitted to speed­ing up to get through yellow lights, and 5 percent even admitted to having run a red light on purpose in the past month.
  • Nearly three of every four motorists rated speeding as a serious problem, yet 40 percent of those same people admitted to driving 15 mph or more over speed limit on the highway in the past month, and 14 percent admitted to having driven 15 mph or more over the limit on a neighborhood street.
  "All of us should work to build a better traffic-safety culture, where more than 40,000 deaths annually is NOT considered acceptable, where in conjunction with tougher laws, safer cars and better engineering, individuals take responsibility for their own driving instead of blaming the other guy,” said Mr. Kissinger.
  “Known counter-measures could be put into practice today to cut the death toll on American’s roads in half. Buckle up, pass the keys to a sober driver, put down the cell phone or sandwich, slow down to legal speeds, be courteous and stay alert ­— it’s not rocket science, it’s common sense.”
  To read the full report, log on to the AAA Foundation’s Web site at www.aaafoundation.org.

Back to Index

Major Kevin J. Kelly

  Highway traffic usually increases during the summer as families travel to their vacation destinations. Coincidentally – and for many reasons – most highway- construction projects are scheduled for the warmer months of the year.
  Many preventable motor-vehicle crashes occur near or within highway work zones, causing death or injury to motorists and construction workers. Excessive speed has been cited as the greatest contributing factor.
  In 1999, the Massachusetts Highway Department published a manual that outlines basic requirements for supervisors who set up work zones. It says they must give drivers sufficient advance warning, provide for the protection of motorists and workers, and advise motorists of the proper path of travel.
  These guidelines ensure that each construction zone is set up in a similar manner, so motorists will be familiar with the expected traffic pattern after they have driven through a few work zones.
  For example, a stationary work site in the far left lane of a six-lane divided highway with a posted speed limit of 65 mph will have at least three advance warning signs, beginning at least a half-mile before the start of the lane reduction.
  The first sign is a warning of construction ahead. The next sign contains specific information such as “left lane closed ahead.” The third sign usually has a diagram of the lane reduction. Other signs with special instructions are sometimes added.
  Most crashes that happen upon approach to a work zone are caused by drivers who are distracted by things inside their vehicle and do not see the advance warning signs, or by drivers who try to pass as many slower moving vehicles as possible before they have to slow down and merge into the slower traffic.
  The safest way to approach a highway construction zone is to pay close attention to each sign while scanning the roadway ahead. If you have to change lanes, make sure you use your directional signals and give other motorists plenty of advance warning before you change lanes.
  Constantly scan your mirrors for vehicles that might be approaching too quickly. They are at risk of losing control and crashing. As you proceed through the work zone, continue to scan for potential problems. Watch for heavy equipment or workers that might accidentally enter the roadway.
  Some summer travelers might not have a lot of experience driving on the highway, and this can be particularly dangerous to emergency response personnel.
  Motorists must give right-of-way to fire engines, ambulances, police cars, and other emergency vehicles using a siren or flashing lights.
  Motorists should constantly check their rear-view mirrors for approaching emergency vehicles. The sound of a siren is greatly diminished at highway speeds, and you might not even hear it if you are listening to your radio.
  If you suddenly see an emergency vehicle behind you, do not panic. Do not stop in the travel lane. Activate your directional signal, so the driver of the emergency vehicle knows where you intend to go. In most cases, it is safest to move to the right.
  In some cases, emergency responders have found it is more effective for them to drive along the dotted line that divides two lanes of traffic, splitting the two lanes.
  Every second is critical to emergency responders. Please don’t delay them.
Major Kevin J. Kelly recently retired after 25 years with the Massachusetts State Police, and this is his final column in AAA Horizons.
  If you share the road with larger vehicles, everyone will be safer.
Major Kevin J. Kelly is a 25-year veteran of the Massachusetts State Police, commanding Troop A in the northeastern section of the state. His column appears quarterly in Horizons.

Back to Index

  Children through age 7 or 4 feet 9 inches tall should be strapped in booster seats when riding in the car. The Bay State should pass a “Slow Down-Move Over” law to protect emergency vehicles providing service to motorists on the highway.
  And when it comes to decreasing our country’s dependence on foreign oil, the government should require better fuel efficiency for new vehicles, spend more money on alternative-fuel research and increase public transportation options.
  Those are just some of the opinions Massachusetts residents expressed on matters of transportation and traffic safety addresased in AAA Southern New England’s recent public policy survey. The survey was mailed to 1,500 randomly selected AAA members in the commonwealth.
  Three in four members favor the new Massachusetts law requiring children up to age 8 or less than 4 feet 9 inches tall to be properly fastened in a child booster seat when riding in a motor vehicle. The law takes effect in July.
  The majority of members – 87 percent – favor the proposed “Slow Down-Move Over” law, which would require motorists, when possible, to vacate the lane closest to a stopped emergency vehicle that is providing emergency services to motorists on the highway.
  In this time of high gas prices, decreasing America’s dependence on foreign oil is a hot topic. Eighty-seven percent of Massachusetts residents surveyed believe lawmakers should require better fuel efficiency for new vehicles. Seventy percent say more research is needed on alternative fuels.   And about half of those surveyed support increasing public transportation, establishing national conservation programs, and allowing more drilling and oil exploration in North America.
  As one survey question pointed out, Massachusetts is $19 billion short of what it needs to maintain state roads, bridges, and transit systems – without beginning any new projects.
  While 46 percent of AAA members do not believe new revenue is needed, 26 percent say increasing existing tolls is the best method to pay for the shortfall. All other ideas listed – increasing the state gas tax, adding new tolls, selling or leasing roads and bridges to private companies, or creating a cents-per-mile-driven use tax – received 17 percent or less support.
  Click here for survey results.


Back to Index

  Modern life is fraught with risk — fires, floods, earthquakes, petty crimes, murders, airplane crashes, or simply falls in the bathtub. Most of us worry about these things, at least sometimes. But in most people’s daily life, driving is unquestionably the riskiest activity.
  The chance that you’ll die or be seriously injured in a car crash on any given day is, of course, small. But that risk adds up over the years. For Americans ages 4 to 34, car crashes are the leading cause of death. Think about that: the leading cause. Your lifetime risk of being killed in a motor vehicle crash is one in 88, three times greater than being the victim of a homicide — and more than 50 times greater than dying in an airplane crash.
  For all Americans, car crashes are by far the leading cause of “accidental” death. About 43,000 people are killed and 2.5 million people suffer disabling injuries every year in about 6 million car crashes.
  But the fact is most crashes aren’t accidents — they could have been prevented. You can’t control the way other motorists drive, but you can lower the chances that you’ll be involved in a car crash by avoiding certain types of highrisk driving behavior.
  What counts as risky driving behavior? Certainly, drunk driving — about 40 percent of collisions that result in death are alcohol-related. But apart from that, speeding, drowsy driving, distracted driving, and aggressive driving are commonly viewed as being among the most dangerous. Until recently, however, no one knew exactly how unsafe these four behaviors are.
  That’s no longer true. Several years ago, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety commissioned the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute to conduct an innovative study of risky driving behaviors. At the end of 2006, the institute produced a report, “How Risky Is It? An Assessment of the Relative Risk of Engaging in Potentially Unsafe Driving Behaviors.” Because the study used invehicle cameras that examined actual driving behavior, for the first time it was possible to compare what drivers did while driving with their becoming involved in a crash or near-crash. Based on the report and related studies, here’s what we know about the risks associated with some of our most dangerous driving behaviors.
  Speeding nearly triples the risk of being involved in a crash or near-crash. Driving too fast for existing driving conditions reduces your ability to steer safely, extends your stopping distance, and can prevent you from react­ing quickly enough to avoid a crash.
  Speeding is probably the single biggest cause of traffic fatalities, according to a 2004 Institute of Transport Economics report that reviewed 97 studies of the subject. The report also concluded that a 10 percent reduction in average traffic speed would likely reduce fatal traffic crashes by 34 percent.
  Drowsy driving nearly triples the risk of being involved in a crash or near-crash. About half of all adult American drivers surveyed admit to sometimes driving while drowsy, according to a 2002 National Sleep Foundation poll. What’s more, 37 percent of drivers admitted to having fallen asleep at least once while driving, according to a recent Gallup poll sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
  With numbers like these, it’s not surprising that a recent analysis of U.S. data showed that 4 percent of police-reported crashes involved drowsiness or falling asleep at the wheel as a principal cause.
  But the actual number of crashes caused by drowsy drivers is probably much higher, because drowsiness is easy for police to overlook as a cause. In the United Kingdom, studies indicate that fatigue is a factor in more than 15 percent of collisions.
  Distracted or inattentive driving nearly doubles the risk of being involved in a crash or near-crash. Distracted or inattentive drivers are less likely to be aware of what they need to know to drive safely. In some cases, drivers are completely unaware of important risks; in others, their reaction times are dangerously delayed.
  Various studies have shown how dangerous distracted and inattentive driving can be. The most recent, a 2006 NHTSA-funded study of 100 vehicles outfitted with video monitors, found that engaging in nondriving tasks and not watching the road carefully contributed to far more crashes than previously believed — 78 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes.
  Aggressive driving more than doubles the risk of being involved in a crash or near-crash. Aggressive driving can be hard to define, but drivers know it when they see it — rude gestures, verbal abuse, flashing headlights out of annoyance, aggressive tailgating, driving at excessive speeds, unsafe lane changes, or deliberately blocking other drivers from changing lanes.
  Surveys of drivers suggest that the aggressive driving problem is widespread and perhaps growing. A recent poll found that 60 percent of drivers saw unsafe driving by others as a major threat — even though more than half admitted to occasionally driving aggressively themselves.
  Risk is a regular part of American life. For most of us, driving is our most dangerous regular activity, so it’s good to know that we can control a lot of our risk in that arena — and increase our odds of getting to our destination safely.
  Steven A. Bloch has been a traffic-safety researcher and policy analyst with AAA for the past 25 years.

Back to Index