Driving drowsy or while distracted
are the two biggest accident risks on the road, according to a brand-new study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The agency said:
Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event. Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use, and drowsiness.
The study adds:
- Drowsiness is a significant problem that increases a driver's risk of a crash or near-crash by at least a factor of four. But drowsy driving may be significantly under-reported in police crash investigations.
- The most common distraction for drivers is the use of cell phones. However, the number of crashes and near-crashes attributable to dialing is nearly identical to the number associated with talking or listening. Dialing is more dangerous but occurs less often than talking or listening.
- Reaching for a moving object increased the risk of a crash or near-crash by 9 times; looking at an external object by 3.7 times; reading by 3 times; applying makeup by 3 times; dialing a hand-held device (typically a cell phone) by almost 3 times; and talking or listening on a hand-held device by 1.3 times.
- Drivers who engage frequently in distracting activities are more likely to be involved in an inattention-related crash or near-crash. However, drivers are often unable to predict when it is safe to look away from the road to multi-task because the situation can change abruptly, leaving the driver no time to react, even when looking away from the forward roadway for only a brief time.
Draft Boards
Did you know that there are local military draft boards that still meet, mostly for training once a year?
The board members are unpaid and are appointed by the director of the selective service, after being recommended by a governmental body in each state. To learn more, go to the Selective Service Web site.
Shortage of Big Tires
I mentioned this on Al's Morning Meeting almost a year ago, and the problem is still growing. There is an international shortage of big tires -- the kinds used on the sort of heavy trucks that you might find in the mining industry.
These tires might be twice as tall as a person, and the cost has quadrupled in the last year to more than $40,000 per tire, The New York Times reports.
The Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News points out that the shortage comes at the same time that the mining industry is increasing production. The paper reports that the shortage is largey due to black-market activity and fraud.
[T]heir scarcity is plaguing not just mining, but the heavy construction industry as well.
The situation has gotten so bad that an international black market is growing, new trucks and earth movers are being sold without tires, buyers are paying new-tire prices for retreads, and some companies are buying used heavy equipment just to scavenge the old tires, vendors say.
"Everyone knows there's a black market out there," said Brian Hewitt, manager of Tire Distribution Systems Inc. in Fairbanks. TDS, which services many of Alaska's mines, is a national tire vendor.
"Tires are going missing from shipments," he said.
"People are paying $30,000 or $40,000 for a used tire that if it was new would cost $20,000," Hewitt added.
A Fuller Love Life for People With Mental Disabilities
The New York Times pulls the curtains back on a small -- but reportedly growing -- movement to teach those with mental disabilities to have a fuller love life, including sexual relations.
In what experts say is the latest frontier in disability rights, a small but growing number of psychologists, educators and researchers are promoting social opportunities and teaching the skills to enjoy them.
The story includes the understandable concerns of parents of these young adults. I was shocked by the statistics that followed:
The parents' fears are understandable, given an array of studies that found 50 percent to 85 percent of women with mental retardation were sexually assaulted before the age of 18, and 25 percent to 50 percent of men. Of those assaulted, 49 percent had been abused 10 times or more. Some experts think safe opportunities for sexual relations can prevent abuse, although there is no research on the subject.
To back up that paragraph in the story, I point you to a study found on psychiatrist.com [PDF].
Crocs: The Earth Shoe of 2006?
I am seeing these everywhere: Crocs. They are brightly colored rubbery shoes that look like clogs with holes in them. I was surprised to see them at the shoe store where I shopped this week. The clerk told me she is selling tons of them.
The Los Angeles Times reported:
They're rubbery. They're garish. They're a lightweight sandal-clog hybrid, and if a Niwot, Colo.-based company has its way, they're about to be omnipresent in the Southland.
On Monday, Crocs Inc. announced that it had replaced Nissan Motor Co. as the main sponsor of the Los Angeles-based AVP Pro Beach Volleyball tour, which automatically adds the shoemaker's name to the tour title. The move signals that the company, which initially hesitated to push into more heavily populated U.S. markets for fear of not being able to keep up with demand, is sharpening its focus on California.
Initially imagined for boating, Crocs have snagged a wider-than-expected following of fans, including children and chief executives. Made from a shiny resin, in colors that can be described as relentlessly cheerful, they are the rare fashion statement that can be hosed off. And weighing just 6 ounces apiece, they don't bog you down.
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Editor's Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided whenever possible. The column is fact-checked, but depends upon the accuracy and integrity of the original sources cited. Errors and inaccuracies found will be corrected.
