DriveSmartBC

The R.C.M.P.'s collision reconstruction program in B.C. contains a research component. This video illustrates vehicle rollover testing that was conducted in Terrace, B.C. In this video, a car is dumped off a specially built platform at a right angle to its path of travel.

Are you considering the purchase of a new vehicle in 2010? This issue of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Status Report examines rollover protection and eSafety systems in new vehicles. It also lists 27 top safety picks for the 2010 model year.

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 641: Guidance for the Design and Application of Shoulder and Centerline Rumble Strips explores the design and application of shoulder and centerline rumble strips as a crash reduction measure, while minimizing adverse effects for motorcyclists,

The September 2009 edition of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Status Report is available for reading. Topics in this issue include ignition interlocks to prevent impaired driving, rear turn signals that are amber in colour are better than red and large trucks are getting better brakes.

It's amazing how complicated that it can be to decide on the best way to light a crosswalk. The design must provide illumination of pedestrians so that they can be seen at night, be easy to maintain, cost effective and not cause glare that would interfere with the driving task. This study by a group of scientists from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute examines the issue and settles on fluorescent lamps mounted in bollards at each end of the crosswalk.

Driver fatigue is an important causal factor in many highway crashes—and is of particular concern in the trucking industry where many operators undertake long haul drives with limited amounts of sleep. Previous studies suggest that fatigue can affect steering performance and speed control.

"A random survey of drivers was conducted at pre-selected locations in British Columbia from Wednesday to Saturday nights in June 2008. The purpose was to collect information on the prevalence of alcohol and drug use among nighttime drivers. Those surveyed were asked to provide a voluntary breath sample to measure their alcohol use and an oral fluid sample to be tested subsequently for the presence of drugs."

Studies have shown that older drivers have high death rates and lower rates of involvement in crashes that kill others; but most studies have not considered drivers’ responsibility for their crashes, and many have considered only one particular measure of risk. Relative to other age groups, drivers aged 85 and older face the highest risk of their own death, whereas teens pose the greatest risk to passengers, occupants of other vehicles, and non-motorists.

This report from the Oregon Department of Transportation Research Unit examines the success of systems used to detect the presence of wild animals in the vicinity of highways and activate a warning light system to alert approaching drivers.

Lloyd's TSB Insurance commissioned a study that suggests driving with a cold or the flu can impair a driver by up to 11%, comparable to having consumed a double of hard liquor. A single sneeze lasts about 2 seconds, during which the driver's eyes are closed.