Month: July 2013

We’re #46! (New York’s Highways, That Is)

Nothing to be proud of. Although moving up one notch from last year, New York’s state highway system ranked 46th in the nation, according to the 20th Annual Report on the Performance of State Highway Systems of Reason Foundation, an organization focused on policy research. The highways’ infrastructure is not impressive particularly when it comes to bridges, narrow lanes and the condition of both urban and rural roads. But there is good news when it comes to motor vehicle and highway safety: New York’s fatality rate was the 7th best in the nation.

That the overall score is so low … Read the rest

Walking While Texting, Like Driving While Texting, Puts Pedestrians at Risk of Accident, Injury or Death

Research shows that pedestrians, similar to drivers, experience reduced situation awareness, distracted attention and unsafe behavior when talking or texting on their mobile phones, as reported in a study published in the August issue of Accident Analysis & Prevention that centered on injuries related to mobile phone use among pedestrians. Using data from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission on injuries suffered in motor vehicle accidents that required treatment in hospital emergency rooms from 2004 through 2010, the study found that injuries to pedestrians using mobile phones increased in numbers and as a percentage of total pedestrian injuries from 2004 … Read the rest