2002 issues

Crash deaths exceed 40,000 a year, but society seems to respond with a collective shrug. Highway safety is a low priority when it comes to government funding and media coverage.

Drivers don't recognize the risks in their own behavior.

Programs that urge people to "drive safely" aren't effective by themselves, but a belief in them persists.

The United States has missed a lot of opportunities to improve highway safety because of a lack of political support.

Other nations are doing a better job than the U.S. when it comes to reducing highway deaths.

Active head restraints and other improved designs are reducing neck injury claim rates, a new Institute study shows.

Study finds automatic crash notifications systems would save some lives if they worked perfectly, but not very many.

The California state auditor has found that red light cameras in the state are reducing crashes but recommended more oversight of the programs.

An Institute study of stop-sign crashes shows that drivers usually stop but often proceed without seeing the other vehicle. Intersection improvements may help.

The first long-term study of graduated licensing was conducted in Nova Scotia, which adopted the system in 1994.

Adding lap belts to school buses won't make them safer, but lap and shoulder belts would help if they're not misused, NHTSA has concluded.

Death rates measured per mile and per trip during school hours are lowest on school buses. The death rate per trip is highest in passenger vehicles driven by teenagers.

Eighty-three percent of D.C. residents recently surveyed said they knew speed cameras were being used in the city. Just over half said they were in favor of the cameras.

The percentage of drivers using handheld phones dropped by more than half after New York passed a law against it.

Motor vehicle crashes cost the United States more than $230 billion in 2000, NHTSA estimates.

Most deaths of motorcyclists in South Dakota happen around the time of the annual rally in the tiny town of Sturgis.

Nearly half of teens dropped off at school by their parents weren't wearing their safety belts, an IIHS survey at 12 high schools found.

The Vehicle Research Center's new HyperG sled will be used first to compare head restraints and seats for whiplash prevention.

European truck drivers already have stricter limits on driving time than U.S. drivers. Now they're getting a shorter work week too.

In Institute review of research on red light cameras finds that some studies overestimate the benefit, while some underestimate it. Overall, the body of evidence shows cameras reduce crashes.

Speed cameras and red light cameras have been used for years in Canada, Australia and European countries.

Six months after speed cameras were deployed on seven neighborhood streets, the percentage of drivers going fast enough to get a ticket had fallen on all of them.

Current fuel economy rules favor the smallest, least protective vehicles. Changes could encourage manufacturers to adopt fuel-saving technology instead of downsizing vehicles.

Neighborhood electric vehicles are becoming more common because of environmental incentives, but it's dangerous for these glorified golf carts to mix with regular traffic.

Deaths caused by inflating airbags have declined, thanks to education and improved designs.

Bumpers on the European version of the Volkswagen New Beetle don't perform as well as the bumpers on the U.S. version.

The minivan's worst performance was in the front-into-flat-barrier test, in which the airbags unnecessarily deployed.

Little progress was made in the states in 2001 when it comes to passing new highway safety laws and strengthening the ones on the books.

Since 1975, pedestrian fatalities have fallen by half. The greatest progress is among young children.

Extended belt reminders in Ford vehicles boost belt use by five percentage points, Institute researchers have found.

African American drivers are less likely than white or Hispanic drivers to buckle up, but the difference disappears in states with primary belt use laws.

Results in the European vehicle testing program have improved since the program began.

Blacks, Hispanic men and people without a high school diploma have higher vehicle death rates per trip.

The biggest increase is among riders 40 and older, reflecting the changing demographics of motorcyclists.

Universal helmet laws are effective but face widespread opposition in the United States.

For one young man, the decision to ride without a helmet ended a successful life and made him incapable of caring for himself.