Saliva tests allowed from 2012
On 23 September, the Dutch Ministers Hirsch Ballin (Justice) and Eurlings (Transport) put forward a concept bill that will allow using saliva tests on road users. This will enable the police to determine whether drivers have used drugs. SWOV researcher René Mathijssen commented on the use of drugs in traffic in the Radio Netherlands Worldwide programme Nieuwslijn.
Distraction in traffic
On Friday 10 September, the public information campaign Don't be distracted was started. The campaign was initiated by the Dutch Ministry of Transport, the police, the Dutch Traffic Safety Association, the Royal Dutch Touring Club ANWB, RAI Association, and the Mobility Sector Organisation BOVAG. SWOV researcher Willem Vlakveld was interviewed for an article on distraction in traffic in the daily paper Trouw and the daily paper Volkskrant paid attention to the campaign with an article in which SWOV research took an important place. Kampioen, magazine published by the Royal Dutch Touring Club ANWB, also wrote about using the mobile phone while driving. In this article SWOV researcher Divera Twisk was quoted.
Road safety: Netherlands takes world's second place
Data published by the International Transport Forum in September indicate that in 2009 there were 3.9 fatalities per 100.000 inhabitants in crashes in the Netherlands. This means that the Netherlands shares the second place in the world with Sweden, behind Great Britain. The Dutch daily paper Telegraaf asked SWOV to comment. The Dutch paper Algemeen Dagblad incorrectly named SWOV as the source of the figures.
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Serious road injuries in the Netherlands in 1993-2008: road casualties admitted to hospital with a MAIS-score of at least 2
Description and justification of the estimation method. M.C.B. Reurings. R-2010-15
Road safety policy is aimed at reducing the numbers of road fatalities and road injuries. Therefore it is important to know how may of such casualties there are per year in the Netherlands. This report only considers the serious road injuries, which are those road casualties who have been admitted to hospital with a minimum MAIS injury severity of 2. The report describes the new method for estimating the number of road injuries and estimates the numbers for the period 1993-2008.
Measuring and influencing social forgivingness
An investigation of the observability of social forgivingness in relation with behaviour in different traffic environments. A. Stelling, M. Houtenbos & R. Nägele. R-2010-17
One of the two principles that were added to the Sustainable Safety vision in 2005 is (social) forgivingness. In an exploratory report a first definition for this principle has been formulated. The present report further details social forgivingness. First, it is investigated to which extent social forgivingness can be determined on the basis of observable behaviours. Secondly, it is investigated to which extent different setting for the traffic performance influence expressions of social forgivingness.
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New acquisitions
Every day, publications are added to the library collection, both those ordered by us and those sent to us. Every month, an overview of these is placed on our website, to be consulted. You will find the overview here.
The characteristics of speed-related collisions. D. Richards, R. Cookson, S. Smith, V.Ganuand & M. Pittman - London, Department for Transport (DfT), 2010, 83 p., 12 ref.; Road Safety Research Report ; No. 117 - ISSN 1468-9138 / ISBN 978-1-84864-069-6
An understanding of the causes of road collisions is essential in formulating strategies for reducing their incidence. Speed is clearly implicated in a proportion of the collisions that occur on our roads, but it is important to understand how large this proportion is, and under what circumstances drivers make inappropriate speed choices, in order to generate suitable policy responses. This project provides a unique insight into the range and diversity of collisions of all injury severity (fatal, serious, slight and no injury) which are attributed to speed, both excessive and inappropriate.
+Intelligent speed adaptation: from trial support to public support. S. Vlassenroot, J. De Mol, K. Brookhuis, V. Marchau & F. Witlox - Diepenbeek, Steunpunt Mobiliteit en Openbare Werken, Verkeersveiligheid, 2010, 23 p., 26 ref.; Rapportnummer RA-MOW-2009-004
Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) is a beneficial Intelligent Transport System (ITS) to increase road safety. In 2002, thirty-four cars and three buses were equipped with the “active accelerator pedal.” The results showed that the pedal assisted them well in upholding the speed limits and that the system increased driving comfort. Besides the research on the effects, the trial was used to gain more support of the general public, decision and opinion makers. In this report a general research framework consisting of the social and cultural factors and the device related characteristics that influence acceptability is constructed.
Education in road safety: are we getting it right?
F. McKenna. - London, RAC Foundation, 2010, 10 p.; Report Number 10/113
If there is one thing most of us believe in, it is the benefits of education, not least when it comes to road safety. But the author of this report says there is a big lack of evaluation of road safety education and training initiatives. In a report commissioned by the RAC Foundation he says that there is little evidence to say that educational campaigns alone actually change behaviour. He suggests what education might do is create an environment where compulsion – such as the smoking ban – becomes more acceptable amongst the public.
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