Security & Safety Briefs - July 7 - July 13
The Latest Headlines:
New York Passes Work-Zone Safety Measure
The New York legislature in late June approved a bill to crack down on traffic accidents in highway construction zones, the Associated Press reported.The measure's approval followed the death of three construction workers killed in a May chain-reaction crash at a work site on Interstate 81 outside Binghamton, in which police believe speeding played a role, AP said.
Under the Work Zone Safety Act, anyone convicted of two or more speeding violations in a work zone would face a 60-day license suspension.
Electronic message signs alert drivers to work in progress and a state Web site advises travelers of construction sites. The state has also worked with police to increase traffic law enforcement in work zones. Transport Topics
Insurance Study Cites Cell-Phone Safety Risks
An insurance study released Tuesday said drivers using cell phones are four times as likely to get into a crash that can cause serious injuries, the Associated Press reported.Research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also suggests that using a hands-free device instead of a hand-held phone will not necessarily improve driving safety.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that male and female drivers had the same increase in risk from using a phone.
It examined more than 400 drivers in western Australia who owned or used mobile phones and were in a crash that put them in a hospital emergency room between April 2002 and July 2004. Transport Topics
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