#road-safety

#road-safety

Official evaluations from National Highways, some of which had been held back by the Department for Transport (DfT) since completion in 2023, showed that a slew of big projects to convert the hard shoulder on the M1, M4, M6 and M25 were rated as poor or very poor value. The AA said the long-awaited reports revealed smart motorways had been a catastrophic waste of time, money and effort, although the government said they showed the project could allow more vehicles to travel safely.

LATEST: More homes and businesses at risk as flood threat to peak this morning Series of Status Orange and Yellow warnings in place Coast Guard has asked public to stay away from waterways and exposed coastal areas Some schools may close today as flooding may affect transport The threat of flooding is set to peak this morning, with road networks expected to bear the brunt of the deluge. However, damage to residential and commercial properties is also likely, emergency services have warned.

E-bike safety advocates like myself have long warned about "bikelash": the predictable backlash that occurs when policymakers misdiagnose the e-moto problem as an e-bike problem. The recently enacted - and extraordinarily restrictive - New Jersey law is a textbook example of bikelash unleashed. It is also a case study in legislative malpractice. The law was reportedly triggered by the tragic death of a 13-year-old riding what was described as an "e-bike" in a collision with a truck in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.

The governor's proposal guts long-standing protections for crash victims and benefits insurance companies at the expense of people harmed by negligent drivers. It would result in more denied claims, less accountability for dangerous driving, and increased blame placed on victims. It will shift financial responsibility from those responsible back onto victims. It does not prevent crashes, improve street safety or guarantee lower insurance premiums. Similar reforms in other states did not reduce insurance costs. Instead, injured pedestrians and cyclists will pay the price.

A pedestrian was killed on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu on Monday night, authorities said. The person was struck by a vehicle near Winding Way about 7:30 p.m., Lt. Aaron Jacob of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. The driver was cooperative and stayed at the scene, Jacob said. Investigators do not suspect drugs, alcohol or speeding played a role in the collision, he said. The incident is still under investigation.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said there will be a "full review" of how electric bikes and e-scooters are regulated alongside a ban on scramblers in public parks and roads.

Hundreds of preventable fatalities and more than 13 million metric tons of climate pollution would be avoided by 2045 if Congress passed legislation that answered advocates' long- time demand to require state DOTs to set declining annual fatality targets - and reallocate highway money to safety projects if they don't meet those goals, according to a new analysis from Evergreen Action.

Honda and DriveOhio have teamed up on a new road safety initiative in which Honda vehicles are being used to collect real-time data that can advise about potential issues and road deficiencies before they become a problem. Honda's Proactive Roadway Maintenance System, which has been in prototyping since 2021, uses "advanced vision and LiDAR sensors" to identify issues such as worn or obstructed road signs, damaged guardrails, rough roads and emerging potholes.

From 'teaching' cameras to the multi-function beasts that can issue tickets for eight separate driving offences, France has a wide variety of different speed cameras. France has thousands of speed cameras (known as radars) along its huge road network, and being caught by one of them can result in a fine, points, losing your licence or even - in extreme cases - jail time.

Analysis by Clean Cities of Department for Transport data has found that registrations of the most commonly sold pickup trucks have risen by 92% in just over a decade, with close to 600,000 (590,587) now on UK roads, compared with 308,103 in 2014. This is a particular problem in urban areas, where the vehicles are not suited to narrow streets, pavements and school environments.

A DRIAN CROOK, a father of five from Vancouver, has always known what danger looks like: it's a boxy stamped-metal contraption, with four wheels, a transmission, and a hood. When Crook was a teenager in the '90s, his high school friend Sheri was killed in a car crash. She was coming back from a party with three friends when the driver lost his bearings and wrapped the vehicle around a pole.

One size does not fit all.Even if Waymo's claim that its driverless cabs are involved in 80-percent fewer crashes per mile traveled is true, we still must take all necessary steps to encourage the use of AVs. Given the hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries annually in New York City, driverless cars have the potential to provide a huge safety dividend with far-reaching effects on hospitals, health, and individual finances - perhaps as much as $10 billion annually.

On Saturday morning - a day after hundreds gathered in downtown Los Angeles to protest recent nationwide immigration enforcement - another protest gained momentum. Even if almost everyone in attendance laid on the ground stock still. Road safety advocates and others, led by the group Streets Are for Everyone (SAFE), gathered on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall for a "die-in" demonstration.

As they headed toward Highway 24 from Camino Pablo, their child was strapped into her car seat, looking sleepy. Then, in a fraction of a second, something frightening happened. As Shah turned the car onto the horseshoe curve of the ramp, he said, the back passenger door next to their baby swung open violently, all 60 pounds of it, much of it "ultra-hard" stainless steel. Shah and his wife screamed out in shock, and Shah immediately pulled onto the shoulder to see what had happened.

More than 7 million UK motorists (17%) admit to breaking a road law in an emergency, with nearly a quarter (24%) confessing they would bend the rules if they thought they wouldn't get caught, according to new research by temporary car insurance provider, Tempcover. More than half of motorists (68%) believe it's 'OK' to park on double yellows, exceed the speed limit, and drive through a bus lane if it's an emergency.

The stunts and racing presents a real risk of injury and death to the people standing close to the vehicle. Many of these stunts are performed by inexperienced drivers, cheered on and encouraged by the crowd to go faster and faster. The disturbance caused to the local community is huge, the noise created by these stunts will travel considerable distances, over half a mile. The sound of the exhausts is comparable to a shotgun continuously firing in a built up area.

One in six (16 per cent) drivers have reported experiencing a near-miss with another vehicle due to faded road markings, according to a new survey. The RAC, which commissioned the poll, described the result as "frightening" and urged the government to work with councils to "rectify this situation". The survey of 1,693 drivers revealed that the issue is perceived to be worsening, with 72 per cent of respondents stating that the problem of disappearing road markings has deteriorated in the previous five years.

Prosecutors said Guy drove the wrong way on Interstate 195 East around 7:30 p.m. on May 24, 2022, colliding head-on with multiple vehicles and sending six people to the hospital. Four of the victims suffered serious injuries. First responders transported Guy to Rhode Island Hospital with serious injuries.

There was a meeting on disabilities in Kerry. I had organised it and I was very eager to be there

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

Driving with the heater on for an extended period can raise body temperature and reduce oxygen levels inside the car, causing fatigue and creating a false sense of comfort, which reduces reaction times and concentration levels. While there isn't a specific offence for drowsy driving in The Highway Code, this can be considered careless or dangerous driving, potentially resulting in an unlimited fine and three to 11 penalty points.

Had the lorry involved had autonomous braking, that collision could potentially have been avoided completely and Dev could have walked out and come home to me that night. So Dev's Law and AEB really has come from that my whole campaign has been looking at every element, every factor that's been involved in Dev's death. That was a major factor involved and I truly think it's a life-saving-based technology.

Police in the small town of Alexandria, New Hampshire, recently warned drivers to look out for moose after the latest vehicle vs. moose collision, the second within a week.

There will be the greater threat of ice on the roads," he said as the imminent cold snap is set to coincide with the reopening of schools and workplaces nationwide.

"There will be the greater threat of ice on the roads," he said as the imminent cold snap is set to coincide with the reopening of schools and workplaces nationwide. "Because much of the country will be dry, the ice won't be that lethal in places but places where there are showers, you could see black ice in places and also where there is sleet and snow.

The figures indicate a record, with about one in every 13 ­vehicles tested during 2025 assessed as ­being unroadworthy to a dangerous level by NCT inspectors. The overall pass rate for the full test also fell below 50pc for the first time in five years. It has decreased annually from its recent high of 54.3pc in 2022 to 49.2pc last year.

Temperatures between 4C and 8C are expected, before the weather gets colder for the weekend with sharp to severe frosts developing and some wintry showers mainly affecting the north and northwest. Friday will be a day of sunny spells, with some showers of sleet and snow possibly in the north. Highest temperatures will be between 3 to 7 degrees. Saturday and Sunday are set to be "very cold with wintry showers", mainly in the north and northwest.

California's current DUI laws are broken and weak and fail to protect families like ours, and it's devastating,

At least 15 people have been killed and 19 injured after a passenger bus plunged into a ravine on the Inter-American Highway in western Guatemala, local authorities say. The deaths included 11 men, three women and a minor, according to Leandro Amado, a spokesperson for local firefighters. Amado told reporters on Saturday that some 19 injured people were taken to hospitals near the scene of the accident.

Fuck, fuck, fuck I just hit somebody.

Arizona's state government is currently considering H.B. 2059, also known as the RAPID Act, a law that would remove speed limits from certain stretches of the state's roads. According to the wording of the bill, these would be "derestricted speed zone where no maximum speed limit applies to motor vehicles that are not commercial vehicles." This wouldn't be a round-the-clock condition, though - the lack of a speed limit would begin half an hour before sunrise and end half an hour after sunset.