North Texans Need to Prepare For Longer Commutes Over The Next Five Years
May 16. 2011 11:08 by
If the daily commute on Interstate 635 wasn’t bad enough, North Texas commuters can expect construction delays for the next five years. HOV lanes from Central Expressway to Interstate 35 were already shutdown this weekend between Luna Road and Midway Road heading east and Midway Road and Joe Radcliff Pedestrian Walkway heading west. Additional HOV lanes will be shutdown throughout the summer for construction. The $2 billion construction project will consist of reconstructing frontage roads, rebuilding bridges, and the addition of new lanes. All too often these traffic delays result in numerous accidents due to driver inattention. Possibly the worse news for many commuters- the construction will at least partially be funded through the addition of toll lanes to I-35 and I-635. So, if our commute takes you across I-635, you may want to start planning for commuting delays followed by increased commuting expenses.
While Automobile Accidents Remain The Leading Cause Of Death For Young Americans, The Number Of Non-Fatal Injuries Are Declining
April 11. 2011 18:04 by
Car wrecks remain the leading cause of death for individuals aged five to thirty-four years of age. Car accidents also account for 2.3 million non-fatal injuries each year, which is approximately 15% of all non-fatal injuries treated in emergency rooms. There has been some improvement, however, in the number of non-fatal injuries sustained in car accidents. According to the CDC, between 2001 and 2009, there has been a 15.6% reduction in the rate of non-fatal injuries sustained in automobile accidents. This means there were approximately 231,000 less injuries in 2009 then there were in 2001. That is certainly good news.
The primary reason for the decline in non-fatal injuries: seatbelts. From 2002 to 2008, there was a self reported increase in seatbelt use of approximately 5%. To no one’s surprise, states with stronger seatbelt laws had higher rates of seatbelt use. This is important because if all states had stronger seat belt laws, nearly 450 additional lives would have been saved, 12,000 non-fatal injuries would have been prevented, and $1.6 billion in societal costs would have been saved in 2009 alone. This is just one example how smart and simple safety policies can make a big difference.
New Phone App Disables Texts, E-mails While Driving
February 13. 2011 14:23 by
Texting and driving causes 200,000 automobile accidents a year according to the National Safety Council.
But MobilLutions, a North Texas company, has created a mobile app that will help prevent car accidents.
MobiLoc will not let you read or send texts or email while your phone is in motion.
The app uses your smart phone’s GPS to detect when the phone is in motion, and if you are traveling faster than 7 mph web browsing, texts, and emails cannot be accessed.
MobileLutions is giving away a basic version of this app on their website.
To read more about the app,
click here.
