NEW PUSH TO IMPROVE DRIVER
BEHAVIOR
STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN WORKSHOPS
ROAD 1 WORKSHOP
WITHLAWHATEE?
CERTIFIED INTERPRETIVE GUIDE TRAINING
BIKE FLORIDA 2007
THE GREAT DIVIDE RACE
JOB OPPORTUNITY
AND THEN SOME
NEW PUSH TO IMPROVE DRIVER BEHAVIOR
Despite the human and financial toll of traffic fatalities annually in
the United States – 43,000 deaths and 2.7 million injuries at a cost of
about $230 billion – such accidents are often viewed as an inevitable,
if tragic, byproduct of driving. Now a small but growing number of
safety advocates and transportation researchers want to change that
perception, partly by borrowing proven strategies from Europe and
Australia. The goal, they say, is to reduce the number of traffic deaths
– not by improving cars to limit the severity of crashes, but by
targeting human behaviors that trigger collisions in the first place.
That strategy has worked well in the Netherlands, where over the past
three decades, the annual number of traffic fatalities has declined by
75 percent from 3,200 to 800. Today, that country has one of the lowest
per capita traffic fatality rates in the world. "The perspective in our
society is that quite some proportion of all car crashes are
preventable," says Fred Wegman, director of the Netherlands Institute
for Road Safety Research, "and there is no need to accept the death
toll."
Mr. Wegman visited Washington, D.C., last month for the annual meeting
of the Transportation Research Board as an independent adviser to the US
government. Improving traffic safety is not easy, he says. "You are
famously dependent on how the population perceives the problem, and
whether you can interest politicians to take action."
Some methods used by the Netherlands to reduce road fatalities include
changing road design to limit vehicle speeds, expanding automated
enforcement and sobriety testing, and prohibiting the use of electronic
devices while driving. "Since the 1960s, safety campaigns in this
country have focused predominantly on crash mitigation, such as seat
belts and air bags," says Bob Chauncey, director of a new "traffic
justice" initiative for the National Center for Bicycling and Walking, a
nonprofit group in Bethesda, Md. "With the exception of MADD [Mothers
Against Drunk Driving], we don't look at the root cause of the crash."
The US approach to road safety is limited in scope, says David Willis, a
senior research scientist at the Texas Transportation Institute in
College Station. Forty percent of all fatal crashes in the United States
are due to speeding, he says. "But unlike almost every other civilized
society in the world, we don't focus on driver behavior – we focus on
vehicle design." In the Netherlands, says Mr. Wegman, speed limits are
very low: 25 m.p.h. in the city, and 60 m.p.h. on the freeway. Dutch
roads are also designed to encourage safe driving. Traffic-calming
strategies include extensive bicycle and pedestrian facilities, narrow
streets with medians, and roundabouts instead of intersections with
traffic signals. Roundabouts are traffic circles that force drivers to
slow down to 15 m.p.h. A strict police enforcement program, including
random sobriety checks and cameras that automatically identify speeders,
means "you have a very good chance of getting caught," says Wegman. The
legal blood-alcohol limit in the Netherlands is 0.05 percent compared
with 0.08 percent in the US. Studies conducted in London showed a 40
percent reduction in crashes that resulted in injuries after the
installation of automatic speed cameras. In Victoria, Australia, the
number of fatal crashes involving drunken drivers declined by 25 percent
after random sobriety checkpoints were set up.
In the US, 31 states have raised highway speed limits to 70 m.p.h. Only
four states – California, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey –and
Washington, D.C., have passed laws against using hand-held cell phones
while driving. Most states prohibit or restrict the use of automated
speed enforcement, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety in Arlington, Va.
"People say, 'Driving is a personal matter, government leave me alone,'
" says Steve Lind, director of the Washington State Traffic Safety
Commission. Washington State law prohibits sobriety checkpoints and bans
electronic speed enforcement except in school zones. But the benefits of
these strategies are now well documented, Mr. Lind says. "We can't be
afraid to get these tools in front of policymakers. It's up to the
people to accept them."
Legislation, enforcement, and public awareness are the key elements for
a successful traffic safety program, Wegman says. The Netherlands' ban
on hand-held cell phones while driving, for example, would not be
effective without the accompanying media campaign on distracted driving.
"The position of the press is very important," says Wegman. The "traffic
justice" initiative in the US, which is fueled by local groups, aims to
shift the national discussion from "car accidents" to "car crashes,"
says Mr. Chauncey. Americans accept limitations on personal freedoms in
exchange for airplane safety, he says. "Now we expect just conduct from
all players in the road transportation system: the planners, the
engineers, the drivers, and the car companies." Although roundabouts are
becoming more popular in the US, cities and states continue to build
roads that allow drivers to speed, traffic-justice proponents say.
"Drivers and pedestrians are victims of engineers looking at traffic
flow," says Andrea Okomski, executive director of Pedestrian InRoads, a
nonprofit in Seattle. "We know about traffic calming.... We just don't
do it."
from the February 14, 2007 edition -
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0214/p13s01-lign.html
To prevent crashes, a new push to improve driver behavior
Methods that reduced road fatalities overseas would work in the US,
advocates say.
By Linda Baker | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor
www.csmonitor.com | Copyright © 2007 The
Christian Science Monitor. All
rights reserved.
Contributed by Sue Knaup, Executive Director, Thunderhead Alliance
STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN
WORKSHOPS
The Department of Environmental Protection is planning a series of
workshops across the state to discuss the development of a new Statewide
Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan for Florida. The plan is a guide
for all outdoor recreation providers and was last developed in 2000.
If you have any questions about the workshops or the plan, please call
Patricia Evans or Marcy Wilson at (850) 245-3051.
3/1/07 at 1:00 PM
Marion County Public Library
2720 East Silver Springs Road
Ocala, Florida 34470
4/5/07 at 1:00 PM
Loxahatchee Environmental Education & Research Center
J. Dickinson State Park
16450 S.E. Federal Highway
Hobe Sound, FL
4/25/2007 at 1:00 PM
Suwannee River Water Management District, Santa Fe Room
9225 County Road 49
Live Oak, FL
5/17/2007 at 1:00 PM
FDOT District 3, Design Conference Room
1074 Highway 90
Chipley, FL
6/21/2007 at 1:00 PM
DEP, Conference Room A
Douglas Building
3900 Commonwealth Blvd.
Tallahassee, FL
ROAD 1 WORKSHOP
The next Road 1 workshop will be held March 3 at the Crandon Park
Visitors and Nature Center in Key Biscayne from 9:00 am-5:00 pm. You’ll
learn how to safely operate your bicycle in a variety of situations. The
class includes bike selection and fit, how to perform a bicycle safety
check, fixing a flat, interactive discussion, on-bike skills practice
and group ride. The $30 fee includes a student manual. Students (novice
and experienced) will gain confidence knowing that they are riding
legally and safely. The class will be taught by Laura Hallam, David
Henderson and new League Cycling Instructor Janine Feiger.
Interested parties should contact Christine Leduc, City of Miami Beach
Bicycle Program Coordinator at 305-673-7080 or
christineleduc@miamibeach.gov. Registration deadline is 3/1/07.
WITHLAWHATEE?
At forty-six miles in length, the Withlacoochee State Trail is the
longest rail-trail in Florida. Featured as the national Rails-to-Trails
Conservancy's Trail of the Month in January, the path runs from Gulf
Junction south to Trilby, in a part of the state nestled between Tampa
and Orlando. It meanders through small towns, past ranches, and into
natural areas of the Withlacoochee State Forest. Also nearby is the
Withlacoochee River Canoe Trail. For more information, visit
http://www.railtrails.org/newsandpubs/trailofthemonth/archives/0701.html
Courtesy of Bike Bits, http://www.adventurecycling.org
CERTIFIED INTERPRETIVE GUIDE TRAINING
Are you interested in becoming a certified interpretive guide? Here’s
your chance at Fort Clinch State Park, Fernandina Beach – April 10 – 13.
Instructors are all certified instructors for this training and
include:
*Pete Colverson who formerly managed the Natural Areas Training Academy
*Pete Scalco, Park Manager at Fort Clinch State Park and former Director
of Operations for the Florida Park Service
*Kathy Gross, NPS Interpreter and former Education Manager at Disney’s
Animal Kingdom
Persons who complete this training will earn a Certification from the
National Association for Interpretation as an Interpretive Guide. The
training covers all the basic information about how to do effective
personal interpretation with numerous opportunities for group
interaction and practice. For complete information on this training go
www.pandionsystems.com and select “Training Registration” on the menu .
Peter Colverson
Communications Specialist
Pandion Systems, Inc.
BIKE FLORIDA 2007
It’s not too late to register for Bike Florida 2007 to be held March
17-23. All-in-one registration includes meals and jersey options. Bike
300-400 miles during the week beginning and ending in Deland. Visit
www.bikeflorida.org for details and to register online.
THE GREAT DIVIDE RACE
Are you looking for an extreme mountain bike adventure this summer? If
so, check out http://www.greatdividerace.com:80/. The Great Divide Race
is a self-supported, solo competition following the 2,490-mile Great
Divide Mountain Bike Route. Traversing Montana, Idaho, Wyoming,
Colorado, and New Mexico, the route demands over 200,000 feet of
climbing along it's length. Competitors carry all equipment necessary to
negotiate the backcountry, restocking on food and other supplies from
the small towns along the route.
The intent of the GDR is to establish a common date and set of rules so
that those wishing to challenge the route or record may compete directly
with other athletes under equal circumstances. While anyone may
"time-trial" the GDMBR at any time, their effort will be recognized only
if they follow the rules set out here. The who, what, where is listed
below:
Friday, June 15, 2007
Race Start: High Noon
Port of Roosville, Montana
JOB OPPORTUNITY
Subject: Bicycle/Pedestrian Job Opening in the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA)
The Federal Highway Administration is advertising an opening for my
replacement. I want to alert you about this opportunity, how you can
apply, and what you may do to prepare if you think you may be
interested. I can personally attest that THIS IS A GREAT JOB. I expect
to be retiring in the next few months. If all goes as planned, I will
overlap a few weeks with the new person to help in the transition.
Please pass along this message to anyone you feel
might be interested in applying for my job.
Position Title: Transportation Specialist
This is senior staff position, including the following responsibilities:
*Serving as the technical subject matter expert for FHWA's Bicycle and
Pedestrian Program in providing technical assistance at national,
regional, and local levels
*Serving as lead staff person on bicycle and pedestrian issues in
developing program guidance and policy development for FHWA.
*Participating on FHWA's Byways, Bike-Ped, Trails and Enhancements Team
in the Office of Natural and Human Environment
Salary: $93,822 - $ 143,471
FHWA is advertising the position at the GS-14/GS-15 level (see
http://www.opm.gov/oca/07tables/pdf/DCB.pdf for the salary table). If a
candidate is selected at the GS-14 level, FHWA may promote the person to
the GS-15 level without further competition
or advertisement.
Location: Washington, DC.
FHWA's Office of Natural and Human Environment
Byways, Bike-Ped, Trails, and Enhancements Team
Who May Apply: Any U.S. citizen
How to apply:
FHWA has released the announcement(s)
here.
Thank you for considering this opportunity or for passing it along to
someone who might be interested.
AND THEN SOME
"Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several
thousand things that won't work." -Thomas Edison (2/11/1847-1937)
"You can say any fool thing to a dog, and the dog will give you this
look that says, `My God, you're RIGHT! I NEVER would've thought of
that!'" -Dave Barry
"The art of giving advice is to make the recipient believe he thought of
it himself." -Frank Tyger
"If everything is under control, you're going too slow." -Mario Andretti
"I do not participate in a sport with ambulances at the bottom of the
hill." -Erma Bombeck
For your own collection of bicycle quotes, visit
http://www.quotegarden.com/bicycling.html.