How bad is the road safety problem across the planet? Pretty bad. The global road death toll has already reached 1.24 million per year and is on course to triple to 3.6 million per year by 2030. In “Roads Kill,” The Washington Post joins with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting to bring stories from around the world about this neglected but easily curable public health crisis.
Police in China have tried to catch thousands of chickens after they escaped from an overturned truck on a highway. More than 3,000 of the birds got loose following the accident in south-west Guizhou Province, when the vehicle swerved after a sharp turn. Police managed to recapture around 900 of the animals from the road and nearby bushes and helped put them back into their cages.
The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has already been abuzz with so many cool innovations targeting the transportation market.. here is one of the coolest gadget and it comes with three wheels from the famed stables of a Japanese OEM.. Say hello to the Toyota i-Road concept. Check out the Verge doing a test drive of this cool two-seater around a parking lot and offer his 2 cents worth. As Josh noted, this would make for a perfect commuter vehicle, especially for those congested urban areas.
Originally debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 2013, this battery operated beauty is a hybrid between a car and a motorcycle and rolls on three wheels.. Gizmag notes that the i-Road is an electric personal mobility vehicle with two in-line seats, that leans into the corners like a motorcycle. With only five horsepower, a top speed of 45 km/h (30 mph), and a range of 50 km (30 mi), the i-Road is aimed squarely at an urban transport market.
Check out this awesome video from Streetfilms.. This compilation of changes in New York City’s transportation infrastructure documented over a period of time clearly shows that streets and public spaces designed for people, and not for cars, inspire folks to come out and enjoy the facilities, there by making the community as a whole more vibrant and lively..
I can only imagine the economic vitality this has added to the businesses in the neighborhoods as more people stepped away from their cars and instead walked/biked to the businesses. Thanks to the bold vision (and the subsequent execution) set forth by the outgoing City Transportation Commission, Janette Sadik-Khan and her boss, Mayor Bloomberg, the city has now become a model to emulate when it comes to implementing sustainable transportation solutions.
Image Courtesy: Victor Bezrukov @ http://www.victorbezrukov.com/
A beautiful capture of a busy intersection in TelAviv, Israel by photographer Victor Bezrukov that came to light when it got shared via National Geographic. His commentary “one of the most loaded but the most beautiful junctions in TelAviv. Taken from the balcony located on the floor 45 of Electra building.” A friend on Facebook had this much to say when he shared this: “Trying to solve traffic jams by widening roads is like trying to fight obesity adding holes to the belt”. There is so much truth to that profound statement. Good thing is that in the middle of this monstrous interchange you can spot a dedicated transit infrastructure (my tired eyes tell me that it is a transit rail line; or a BRT?). And the next question that popped up in my mind is how many more cars would be there in that intersection if that transit infrastructure doesn’t exist? Let’s not forget that this is just one intersection in one metropolitan city and there are many such cities with many mega intersections and now you can imagine the challenges we face from a mobility and environmental perspective.
We have added one more successful year serving the community at large. Thanks to the regular readers and occasional visitors, who kept me blogging, despite the occasional lull resulting from an overwhelming workload at my day job. Now that we are all getting ready take some much needed time off to celebrate the holidays, it is time for me to wish you all a wonderful time with your friends and families.
Take the Buzzed Driving Pledge – Image Courtesy: AdCouncil
Did you know that 137 people died in 2011 during the New Year’s holiday period in drunk driving crashes? So, before you get to open the Christmas gifts that others bought for you, you can give the best gift to yourself. Right now. Take the pledge not to drive while buzzed because you don’t want to ring in the new year with a jail sentence and a $10,000 in legal fees and fines (and not to ignore the guilt of hurting yourself and someone else on the road). Join the 14507 people who have already taken the pledge. Travel safe and celebrate responsibly.
Costs of Driving Driving – Image Courtesy: AdCouncil
Oh, don’t forget to share this with that friend of yours who likes have that one extra beer before leaving for dinner. Or that crazy uncle who like to go hard on the spiked Egg nog. Help spread the word and help us build a safer community!
I’d like to take a leaf from the AdCouncil’s buzzed driving campaign and reiterate a key safety message, just in time as the holiday season is kicking up into a higher notch. The holidays are a time to celebrate with friends and family. But it’s also a time to make sure you are keeping safe the ones you love. Whether you’re at a family holiday gathering, a New Year’s Eve bash, or driving around with your little ones, many of our social plans will involve driving.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the winter holiday season (December 26th to New Year’s Eve) has one of the highest incidences of drunk driving fatalities.
A few alarming stats:
During last year’s holiday season alone, 830 lives were lost in drunk driving crashes.
Last year, deaths in crashes involving drunk drivers increased 4.6 percent, taking 10,322 lives compared to 9,865 in 2011.
Buzzed driving can cost around $10,000 in fines, legal fees and increased insurance rates.
Ring in the New Year safely and plan ahead and designating a sober driver before they go out this year.
Be safe out on the roads. Encourage your friends and family to avoid driving buzzed.
Also, who knew that one can be fined for driving a dirty car in Russia? Oh well, there are so many such crazy driving laws around the world and Barrington Freight got 50 of them in one awesome infograph.. Check it out
Image Courtesy: Barrington Freight via Huffington Post
