Pudumai Balakrishnan Balakrishnan
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dear mohan g(ji) and ganesh!
thanks mr.mohan has pointed out the right issue, which i concentrate. just i received wonderful pm from a ryze friend, abroad.his msg is:
Subject: Road Accidents and Road Safety
Date: Apr 13, 2010 1:29 am
From: Ken Hilving
Dear Sir,
Forgive me for speaking up on your local issues, where I have no first hand knowledge to speak from. Your post seems sincerely interested in improving safety and reducing accidents, and in that vein I will share some thoughts from abroad with you.
The following information comes from the US Federal Highway Administration.
1) Roadway Safety Audits
State DOTs should formalize the use of these audits, which are comprehensive evaluations of existing or planned roads or intersections to identify potential safety improvements.
2) Rumble Strips and Rumble Stripes
Used in centerline and shoulders, these cost-effective devices have shown demonstrable improvement in warning drivers of lane departure, reducing by 14 percent head-on collisions and opposite-direction sideswipe crashes. Shoulder rumble strips and stripes have shown a 38 percent reduction in run-off-road crashes on freeways, and between 13-18 percent on rural roads.
3) Median Barriers
Used to separate opposing traffic on divided highways, these barriers have a long track record of reducing cross-median collisions. States are encouraged to consider using cable median barriers where appropriate to further heighten roadway safety.
4) Safety Edge
This paving technique, giving a 30 to 35 degree slope to the road’s edge, reduces the risk to drivers if their tire inadvertently falls over an otherwise near-vertical road-edge leading to loss of vehicle control and rollover crashes. Safety Edge makes such notoriously severe crashes far less likely.
5) Roundabouts
Roundabouts have demonstrated a 60 to 87 percent reduction in crashes.
6) Turning Lanes at Stop-Controlled Intersections
At intersections with significant turning volume, turning lanes for right and left turns on major road approaches can dramatically reduce crashes — in some cases, by as much as 55 percent.
7) Yellow Change Intervals
Red-light running crashes at intersections, which too frequently result in fatalities, can be reduced by properly setting yellow-light signals. Studies show a one-second increase in the yellow signal interval can reduce red-light violations by as much as 50 percent.
8) Medians and Pedestrian Refuge Areas in Urban and Suburban Areas
Raised medians or pedestrian refuge areas at pedestrian crossings at marked crosswalks have shown a 46 percent reduction in pedestrian crashes. FHWA recommends that medians be between 4 and 8 feet wide to improve pedestrian safety.
9) Walkways
Ensuring a sidewalk or pathway exists near a roadway can reduce pedestrian crashes by as much 88 percent. FHWA recommends a pathway of at least 4 feet wide of stabilized or paved surface in areas routinely used by pedestrians.
Several communities have also reported success with improving driving by eliminating rules. The logic is that individuals rely on traffic signs rather than their own common sense, and that by removing the crutch of regulations they will adjust their behavior appropriately as a survival response. Here is a link to a Reuters article on this: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSGOR14512420070911
My personal experience as a youth leader (soccer coach, FIFA referee, Scout leader) is that people respond much better to positive reinforcement than to negative reinforcement. I wonder if a program that randomly rewarded good drivers might be more effective than giving citations for poor driving? The rewards might be as simple as a free treat, or a "smiley" sticker for placement on the vehicle. Following this line of thought, a speed actuated traffic light that "smiled" at vehicles driving at safe speeds and distances might be very effective. Everyone likes to be thanked once in awhile, and such a sign might thank thousands of drivers each day.
Best of luck with your efforts, sir.
Sincerely,
Ken
pl. follow this link to know mr.ken
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