Month: September 2010

Busy Time for U.S. Department of Transportation 2010 National Distracted Driving Summit and Child Passenger Safety Week

The 2010 National Distracted Driving Summit began this past Tuesday, September 21. This week (September 19-25) is Child Passenger Safety Week. Just prior to the Distracted Driving Summit, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that distracted driving-related crashes claimed 5,474 lives and led to 448,000 traffic injuries across the U.S. in 2009.

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research, distraction-related fatalities represented 16 percent of overall traffic fatalities in 2009 the same percentage as in 2008. Transportation Secretary LaHood also announced new anti-distracted driving regulations for drivers transporting hazardous materials, commercial truck and bus drivers, and rail operators, … Read the rest

More Statistics From the National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries – Falls, Construction Workers, Minority Workers

Certain statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (B.L.S.) of the U.S. Department of Labor preliminary results of its 2009 National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries warrant more attention than in our last blog post. The study contains specific tables analyzing fatal falls by the type of falls, fatal work injuries in the private construction industry by the type of work being performed, and the demographic relationship between workers and fatalities.

Fatal falls by type of falls: From ladder – 20% From roof – 18% On same level 13% From nonmoving vehicle 12% From scaffold, staging 9% From floor, dock … Read the rest

Workplace Injuries in 2009 at Their Lowest Since Being First Compiled in 1992

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (B.L.S.) of the U.S. Department of Labor released its preliminary results of its 2009 National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries last month. A preliminary total of 4,340 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2009, down from a final count of 5,214 fatal work injuries in 2008. The 2009 total represents the smallest annual preliminary total since the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program was first conducted in 1992. The B.L.S. suggested some economic explanations rather than better safety practices for the results.

The B.L.S. noted that total hours worked fell … Read the rest

Construction Work Sites and Bicycles in Japan

We’ve returned from Japan and notice other differences concerning safety besides the seat belt requirement in motor buses.

For one thing, at every construction site there was one and sometimes two men in official looking outfits that somewhat resembled police uniforms, wearing helmets, standing on the street or on the sidewalk to direct vehicular and pedestrian traffic. They were there even if nothing going on inside the work-site appeared to be effecting the street or sidewalk. Although I’ve noticed workers on 0ccasion positioned at an entrance to a construction site, they only seem present when something directly affecting the adjacent … Read the rest

Plan for Pedestrian-Friendly New York City Streets

Last week we posted a blog concerning the NYC Pedestrian Safety Study conducted by the New York City Department of Transportation. Based on the study’s findings, the DOT has made several action plan recommendations to continue to drive down pedestrian traffic fatalities and ensure New York City truly has world class streets that are safe for everyone.

This plan includes, the installation of countdown pedestrian signals at 1,500 intersections around the city, re-engineering 60 miles of streets for greater pedestrian safety, according to corridor crash data and 20 intersections for pedestrian safety on major Manhattan two-way streets in an effort … Read the rest