Overall, military personnel are 13 percent more likely to be involved in a car accident in the first six months after returning from their military service. Incident rates were highest among Army personnel, who were 23 percent more likely to be involved in a car accident, followed by Marines at 12.5 percent, Navy personnel at three percent and Air Force airmen at two percent.
]]> Car crash experts note that the study evaluated insurance policy information for 158,000 military personnel who were deployed over the course of a three-year period from January 2007 to February 2010. Researchers noted that accident rates were influenced by the number of tours of duty served. as well as the length of the deployments.The study found that driving habits adopted during active military duty, presumably as measures to stay safe in hazardous territories, were maintained by many soldiers when they returned home. For example, some veterans would swerve to avoid potholes or speed up going through tunnels in anticipation of ambush attacks or other anti-military devices.
The study also determined a correlation between higher accident rates and lower ages of the soldiers, as well as a finding that lower-ranked personnel were involved in more accidents.
Source: Reuters, "Returning soldiers have more car crashes: study," Ben Berkowitz, April 24, 2012
]]>There is simply no way to sugar coat the message or the underling statistics concerning motorcycle accident injuries and deaths in Ohio and nationally. Following are a few of the crash-related numbers that instill an immediate appreciation of both the number of riders and the magnitude of the safety challenge facing motorcyclists.
]]>Crash-related concerns -- always acute among law enforcement agencies and emergency responders -- are especially heightened this year, for a number of reasons. For starters, the early spring in Ohio and throughout much of the rest of the country has brought riders out much earlier and in force in 2012. Additionally, the price of gas and the economic landscape in general have made a motorcycle purchase an especially attractive option for many frugal consumers.
The result in Ohio and nationally: There are many more riders out on the roads, and many of them are not particularly experienced.
Spokespersons from the OSHP remind motorists that it is a two-way street concerning motorcyclists. Non-motorcyclists need to always be aware that motorcycle riders and bikes have the same privileges as all other motorists and vehicles on roadways, and motorcyclists should be fully trained and licensed, properly outfitted and riding bikes that are mechanically sound and in good condition.
Source: WTRF, "Ohio State Highway Patrol focuses on motorcycle accidents," May 5, 2012
]]>Medical examiners who are properly trained and approved to conduct this testing will then be added into a national database tracking all physicians certified by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The new regulations will affect the health considerations of both medical physicians and drivers, serving as one step in a larger process aimed at improving commercial truck safety by reducing the risk of semi tractor-trailer accidents.
]]> Cleveland- and other Ohio-based commercial drivers will now have to seek out health and safety testing from an approved medical examiner. Testing will become more structured and stringent in hopes that the truck accident rate among drivers will decline as a result of improved health and safety considerations.The new regulations are the end result of four separate recommendations handed down from the National Transportation Safety Board.
Although the new training standards won't be enforced until May 2014, the criteria for certification of medical examiners will be made available to the public this month, giving both examiners and commercial drivers ample time to get in compliance and prepare for the new standards.
If commercial drivers are unable to pass the new regulations enforced by medical examiners and pose a high risk of being involved in a truck crash, they may have their commercial license suspended until they can pass the testing.
Source: Occupational Health & Safety, "DOT announces final rule on training for medical examiners," April 19, 2012
]]>The agency takes far too long generally -- especially when compared to other agencies -- to conduct investigations and issue rules aimed at reducing accidents, say a number of persons recently speaking before a Senate committee hearing. In the interim, workers across the country remain at risk of suffering serious and fatal injuries.
]]> "We have created barriers based on false alarms, and the need now is to lower them so that worker protection can proceed again without delay," a former OSHA director told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.On average, it takes OSHA about eight years to get a new safety rule or regulation into place. That is double the time it takes for some other agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency.
As to why that is, critics cite undue caution and too much red tape, with OSHA officials being too concerned with -- and in some cases creating -- excessive levels of procedure.
The Senate committee chairman, Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, says that the agency "is mired in bureaucracy."
Some OSHA officials call that an unfair comment, noting that they face unique pressures and litigation from business groups opposed to reform or wanting inclusion in the process leading up to rule changes.
There is no arguing with the numbers, though: Some OSHA rules take more than a decade to implement, others suffer delays of more than 20 years, and the pace of new rules established since the 1990s has slowed down greatly when compared with previously measured timeframes.
Source: Insurance Journal, "OSHA hit for taking too long to adopt workplace safety rules," Sam Hananel, April 23, 2012
]]>The technology allows nearby cars to transmit to and from one another, creating a network of communication that allows one vehicle to know the activity of the vehicles traveling around it, including lane changing and abrupt speeding up or slowing down.
]]> This communication is accomplished by information relays that occur 10 times each second. If a potentially hazardous situation develops, a car can then alert its driver through a variety of methods to take prompt action.If the driver does not respond, or if the need for action is urgent, the car can even call itself to action and engage safety procedures.
According to experts, the technology could decrease car crash fatalities by 50 percent or more, both in Ohio and throughout the rest of the country. The savings for insurance companies and car owners could also be significant, cutting millions of dollars out of medical bills and repair costs every year.
And non-fatal accidents would also be greatly reduced. Experts note that the technology would be applicable in 80 percent of all car accidents. Although it may not prevent accidents in every situation, it could help drivers avoid a high percentage of crashes and reduce the severity of other accidents.
Currently, a test of 3,000 vehicles equipped with the technology is being conducted to evaluate its efficacy and test for any bugs in the system.
Source: Washington Post, "The not-too-distant future of driving: When cars can talk, crashes may be avoided," Ashley Halsey III, April 10, 2012
]]>As to how that could possibly be, safety experts signal a false sense of security among some riders who have taken such a course, especially in lieu of going through a longer learning period under a preliminary permit. Training courses sometimes fast-track the learning process, which puts a driver on the road too quickly and before he or she is truly ready to ride a bike safely under all conditions.
]]> Safety studies bear out that a rider's risk of a motorcycle crash is highest in the first few months after getting a license. In fact, it peaks during the first month of riding, a period during which statistics show most riders being about four times more likely to suffer an accident than at any time during their second year of riding."It's most likely inexperience," says Highway Loss Data Institute vice president Matthew Moore.
The institute states that, over a recent five-year period, more than 20 percent of bike crashes involved a novice rider with an insurance policy less than one month old.
Again, many industry experts point to some training courses as the reason for that, especially when they are expedited and graduation from them confers an unconditional license.
A longer learning period under a preliminary and supervised period, followed by a road test or hands-on instruction through a course running several days, is a preferable strategy for increasing road safety, they note.
Source: The Republic, "Motorcycle crash risk drops sharply after the first month on the road," Michael Virtanen, April 15, 2012
]]>Sanoh America, headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, was already on the radar of OSHA investigators when they inspected the Findlay facility late last year pursuant to a report that fire had broken out in that plant's production area earlier in the year. Similar concerns led to the agency issuing several violations to the company in 2009 for safety infractions at its Mount Vernon facility.
]]> The visit last October resulted in investigators fining the company in excess of $80,000. Inspectors stated that, owing to a failure to isolate energy sources, conduct inspections as required and engage in safety-related work practices and periodic testing, the plant had an unacceptably high risk of equipment accidents and worker injuries.Sanoh was cited for 13 violations, with 12 of those being deemed "serious."
Magnablend Chemical was cited for seven serious violations at its Waxahachie factory in Texas in connection with an explosion and fire that occurred there last year.
An OSHA spokesperson says that, "It is fortunate that no one was injured" in the fire, which investigators say broke out because of an inadequate ventilation system.
A workplace injury, whether owing to a construction accident or other cause, can bring serious consequences. Contact an experienced injury attorney to discuss benefits, compensation and strong representation in any accident claim.
Source: HazardEx, "OSHA fines US auto parts and chemicals companies for fires and safety violations," April 2, 2012
]]>The organization's ultimate goal is to reduce the number of commercial truck accidents, particularly those resulting from driver fatigue. Sleep apnea in overweight drivers can lead to chronic fatigue that increases the risk of a truck crash significantly, putting drivers in Ohio and elsewhere in the country at risk.
]]> It should be noted that the guidelines are not hard-and-fast rules, although they may eventually be adopted as such. The guidelines are an effort to provide support to medical examiners and to try to curb the prevalence in sleep apnea in truck drivers.The key recommendation is to require any truck driver with a body mass index of 35 or greater to be evaluated for sleep apnea. Evaluations discovering sleep apnea would trigger further testing and treatment processes, including the use of a PAP machine.
Positive sleep apnea tests could result in a driver being banned from driving until he or she becomes compliant with sleep apnea treatment. Options exist, however, to grant the driver conditional certifications that would provide him or her with more time to become compliant.
Recent research has revealed that drivers with sleep apnea are at a 242 percent increased risk of being involved in an accident, in contrast to people who don't suffer from that condition..
Source: The Trucker, "FMCSA seeks to adopt sleep apnea recommendations as rule guidance," Dorothy Cox, April 19, 2012
]]>According to the research, most models of the 98 most-popular vehicles from recent years featured interior designs that made it difficult for child seats to be properly installed. The research, which was conducted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, shows that children in Ohio and elsewhere may face an increased risk of serious injury or death when they are involved in a car accident.
]]> In most cases, the fault lies not with the parents, but with the vehicles themselves.Auto makers have instituted a system called the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children, which is intended to make vehicle design more accommodating for child safety seats. Despite this safety measure, though, most auto makers don't properly apply the system to make a meaningful difference in child seat safety, according to the report.
In a study using volunteers to test how easily child seats could be installed, only 13 percent of the persons installing the seats were able to properly complete the installation in vehicles. According to the research, the lower anchors used to harness the child safety seats were often difficult to access. Other features, such as belt buckles and upholstery, got in the way of proper installation of the seats.
Source: Chicago Tribune, "Insurance group says car design hinders use of child safety seats," Jerry Hirsch, April 11, 2012
]]>Coupled with impressive growth is a byproduct that county officials are watching warily and intent on doing something about, namely this: starkly growing numbers of commercial truck accidents and other commercial vehicle crash incidents -- many of them fatal -- involving county residents.
]]> The problem is sufficiently concerning that officials have established the Delaware County Commercial Crash Task Force to probe the number, types and severity of truck crash incidents, as well as the key factors that may be involved in most of them.Careless and otherwise dangerous types of driving behaviors by truck drivers certainly contribute to a number of those accidents. What task force investigators have found to be just as apparent, though, through study of nearly 800 commercial crashes in the county over a three-year period, is that driving mistakes by non-commercial drivers are the precipitating factors in many accidents.
In fact, researchers say that things like failure to maintain a sufficient distance from a truck, improper lane changing and failure to control a vehicle by a non-commercial driver feature heavily in about 60 percent of fatal crashes in the county involving trucks.
In seeking to minimize what she calls the "terrible tragedies on our roadways," Jackie Bain, the safety coordinator at the Delaware General Health District, has announced a number of safety initiatives that the county plans to introduce.
Among other things, the county will be inviting drivers to actually hop into commercial trucks to cultivate a new perspective and think about important points like blind spots and stopping distances from the viewpoint of a trucker.
Source: Columbus Local News, "Task force studies spike in commercial vehicle crashes," Kristina Thomas, March 26, 2012
]]>The question that predominates discussion of the issue, though, also precludes arrival at any consensus on what that something might be.
In a word, that question is this: What?
]]> The Ohio House passed an anti-texting bill last year by a wide margin, but the legislation has sat since then in a Senate committee, seemingly and implacably stalled.Some people -- such as Sen. Frank LaRose, R-Copley, who is vice-chairman of the committee -- sound reasonably hopeful that a good and useful law will eventually emerge. LaRose urges proponents not to get impatient.
"We're not just trying to rush something through that's not thought out," he says.
Others sound less hopeful, noting that it is difficult to even define through statutory language what texting is. In the context of an anti-texting law that comes with enforcement reprisals, should it be confined to the sending of messages? What about searching for information? What about reading a message?
For Rep. Rex Damschroder, R-Fremont, the sponsor of the original bill, the answer is easy and unequivocal.
"Any time you take your eyes off the wheel on a cell phone, that's texting," he says.
Others disagree, though, and point further to the likely problems with enforcement. Car crash data from several studies in states with strong anti-texting laws indicate that accidents actually went up following new enforcement measures. People become aware that police officers are watching, and make more efforts to hide the activity. That is flatly dangerous and can bring occasional results far from what an anti-texting law seeks to obtain.
Others still point to Ohio's already extant reckless driving statute and say that texting while driving might fit within that.
With the multitude of opinions floating about, AAA Ohio spokeswoman Kimberly Schwind is left to simply comment that legislators "are concerned about the wording."
"Hopefully we'll start to see some movement on it soon," she says.
Source: Lancaster Eagle Gazette, "Texting/driving state ban stalls," Jessica Alaimo, April 9, 2012
]]>Not everyone agrees with that, with some truck drivers stating that a positive effect in that exaction would be reduced if the imposition applied only to truckers.
"I think we should all be regulated," says the owner of one truck company who already has speed governors set at 65 miles per hour installed on all his trucks. He notes that a problem every bit as big as speeding truckers is the use of mobile devices already banned for truckers by the rest of the driving community.
"They should look at cell phone or handheld device use that is a major factor in incidents we see on the highway today," he says.
Other truckers note that, when only trucks are going uniformly slowly on the roadways, other vehicles are traveling at highly varied speeds, which can create uncertainty and problems.
Some truckers and trucking organizations do strongly support a uniform rule and speed-limiting technology. The American Trucking Association, for example, petitioned the government several years ago to mandate speed limiters on all commercial vehicles.
"Speed kills," says Bill Graves, the organization's president.
The study will almost certainly be used as ammunition by government regulators favoring speed controls.
Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette, "Report: Make those big trucks slow down," Paula J. Owen, April 2, 2012
]]>
Last fall, Major League Baseball considered a league-wide ban of alcohol in locker rooms and clubhouses. This is a policy that MLB is still considering, and it would obviously include Ohio's two professional baseball teams, the Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds.
Aside from the starkly serious issues of accidents in general, and their sometimes tragic -- even fatal -- consequences, liability is an obvious issue for pro sports teams. A crackdown on alcohol consumption is logically focused upon that, as well as on an increased accountability that pro sports franchises believe the public is seeking of them.
Source: Los Angeles Times, "Baseball is moving toward alcohol-free clubhouses," Kevin Baxter, March 19, 2012
]]>Many of them will soon be without their wheels temporarily, as the car company has just issued a recall on multiple vehicle models that, in terms of the sheer numbers involved, approximates the total number of BMW cars sold globally all of last year.
To be precise: BMW sold 1.38 million cars worldwide last year and is presently recalling about 1.3 million vehicles. The recall is focused on potential problems in the electrical systems of 5- and 6-series models that, in the most adverse cases, could result in fires and car accidents.
]]> About a quarter of those units are being recalled in the United States, where BMW is the number-one seller of luxury vehicles.The problem that has precipitated the recall is the cars' battery cable cover, which has been shown to be improperly mounted in many cases.
"This can result in the electrical system malfunctioning, the vehicle failing to start and, in some cases, to charring or fire," says a BMW spokesperson.
No car crash has yet been reported from the potentiality, states the company, although several cases of "related defects" have been reported.
Federal regulations require car makers to report defects within five days to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a duty that the administration states BMW has failed to meet multiple times over the past couple years.
BMW denies that, but states that, nonetheless, it will agree to make internal changes in how and when it issues recalls.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, "BMW recalling 1.3 million cars to fix electrical flaw," March 26, 2012
]]>Source: CBS News, "Extreme police speeding investigated in Florida," Mark Strassmann, March 20, 2012
]]>