Road Warrior

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Speed bumps are no joke, except this example

Today’s Road Warrior column offers some practical tips about speed bumps and speed humps. You can learn more at http://www.ite.org/traffic/documents/AB07H1101.pdf. But if you want a hearty laugh instead, watch this speed bump spoof that had German television viewers howling.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Who ya’ gonna call? Ice Busters!

In case you haven’t noticed, the Ice Busters with badges have been busy lately. When a couple of feet of snow accumulate after a few weeks, police departments are stretched to the limit with car crashes, snowplow duty, heart attacks, etc. There’s not much time left over for chasing down cement-heads with snow flying from their roofs and hoods.

As mentioned in Sunday’s Road Warrior column, only 82 tickets were issued statewide for this violation in snowy December – less than three a day. Ice Busters with badges in some towns apparently don’t think enforcing a law that imposes only a $25-to-$75 fine is much of a priority. Passaic County cops, for example, issued only one ticket for motor vehicle statute 39:4-77.1 – the rooftop snow law. (Bergen cops led the state with more than 30 tickets.)

So, what’s the point of the law if it’s not enforced?

First of all, it’s easy to enforce. As one police chief told me: Unlike the cellphone, rooftop snow can’t be hidden as easily as a handheld cellphone. Second, police tend to find serious and minor violations when they stop flying snow violators, including stolen vehicles and drunken drivers. And third, showing drivers that they can’t drive around with white rooftop glop might keep them from endangering the rest of us the next time it snows.

But if the Ice Busters with badges aren’t interested in enforcement, how do we change their minds?

My solution: Be your own Civilian Ice Buster.

When you see these violations, call local cop shops for municipal-and-county road violations and State Police barracks for state highway violations. No, there’s little chance that they’ll be able to track down the cars and trucks you saw – even if you jot down license plate numbers. But if enough of us call on a steady basis, the chances are good that police will station a detail at a convenient location to catch these lawbreakers when other snowy-day patrol duties calm down.

As they’ve learned in towns like Teaneck and Elmwood Park, catching these violators is like shooting fish in a barrel. And the fines for this offense, as well as the tickets for drunken driving, stolen vehicles, out-of-date licenses, lost registrations and a few dozen other motor vehicle violations, tend to mount up. As anybody who has been nailed for BOTH speeding and yakking on a cellphone must know, cops just love to catch multiple offenders. It’s efficient and it produces revenue.

One more thing: If you see a well-marked commercial or government vehicle moving on a road with snow on its roof or hood, get your passenger to shoot a picture—either with a cellphone or a camera—and e-mail it to me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). If it’s clear enough, and if you include the location, your name and the time of the violation, I know a newspaper column that specializes in exposing these violations to the rest of the world in embarrassing living color.

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

We’re safer now, but by how much?

We’ve written much lately about the big reduction in New Jersey traffic fatalities this year so far – about 7 percent compared to 2009, or 29 percent compared to 2006. This record is even superior to the national road death count last year – 33,808 – which was 22 percent lower than four years earlier, and the lowest since 1950. So, at first blush, you would think that American roads are as safe as they were when our parents, grandparents and their parents were driving on them six decades ago.

But as record-keepers know, one figure rarely tells the entire story. In this case, the number of drivers in the United States has risen enormously since then and we’re driving 6.4 times more than mom, dad and their elders were driving back in 1950. This figure is expressed in vehicle miles traveled or VMT. U.S. motorists drove 2.9 billion miles last year compared to only 458 million miles 59 years ago.

Leave it to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration to keep track of these figures going back to 1921 when VMT amounted to only 55 million and the number of deaths reached 13,253. These numbers represent a rate of 24.08 deaths per 100 million VMT. To appreciate how far we’ve come, based on these numbers, the fatality rate in 2009 was a paltry 1.16 – nearly 21 times lower than the early days of the Roaring Twenties.

And compared to 1950 when VMT was 7.24, we’re 6.2 times safer than we were when our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were tooling around in cars with names like Oldsmobile, Studebaker and Packard.

Remember that when some old gent tries to regale you about the “good old days.” Those days were better only because the old gent was much younger, but they weren’t better on the roads – by a factor of 6 or more.

Monday, December 06, 2010

The autumn buildup that blocks our way

It always surprises me when somebody writes The Road Warrior column to suggest that I remind folks to do something that should not require reminding. As in: Remind people to buckle up. Or tell them to be sure to turn on their lights along with their windshield wipers when it rains. Or, as a Hillsdale reader earnestly reminded me a week ago: “At this time of year, a leaf-covered road could be as slick as a road covered in ice.”

Do people really need columnists to nag them about doing these things? Would anybody pay attention if I did include a reminder in the column?

Whenever I ask those questions, I frequently get this answer: “Well, if just one life is saved, you’ll be doing a great service.”

OK. Consider yourself reminded. And while you’re at it, don’t make cellphone calls while you’re driving and don’t drink before you climb behind the wheel. Come to a complete stop at stop signs, too. By the way, always stop for pedestrians at crosswalks. And oh yeah, always buckle up, turn on your headlamps when it rains, and don’t forget to buy gas. (If you’re a regular reader, you know I’ve covered all this before in anecdotal columns, but I guess it helps some folks to have a checklist of nagging bromides.)

Actually, I almost wrote about leaves last week after a reader called my attention to the piles that had been left on Paramus streets for several weeks despite calls to the borough Public Works Department. The reader’s elderly mother-in-law couldn’t make her way through the piles, which exceeded three feet in some cases. It would have been a good opportunity to mention the dangers of driving in wet leaves or watching for kids playing in the piles. But the DPW finally cleaned up the mess.

Paramus has a very accommodating system. The township will pick up leaves raked into the street from Oct. 15 to Nov. 30. Before and after that time, you have to bag them for pickup. It would be even more accommodating if Paramus managed to make these pick-up runs sometime before these accumulations resemble snow drifts.

An Allendale reader wants to know who’s responsible if a driver injures a child hiding in a leaf pile. The driver? The property owner or lawn contractor who placed them there? Or the municipalitiy?

I’m no lawyer, but I’m sure the answer is: All of the above. In a tragic circumstance like that, count on everybody getting sued and a judge trying to sort it all out.

So, for the record: Be extra careful when you drive along leaf-covered streets. The accommodation in places like Paramus is designed more for the convenience of homeowners, not so much for out-of-town road warriors who must negotiate these dangerous, unexpected mounds. If leaves still haven’t been removed from your street by now, expect an extra dangerous winter once snow starts mixing with these slippery obstructions.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Don’t overlook some holiday travel bonuses

As we begin the heaviest holiday travel period of the year, there are a few ways to minimize the Thanksgiving weekend rush, and most of them – but not all – involve trains and buses.

On Wednesday, for example, NJ Transit will provide additional buses around 1 p.m. for early getaway service on selected routes from the Port Authority Bus Terminal. On Thursday, customers traveling to the Macy’s Day Parade from New Jersey can take advantage of extra trains on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex and Port Jervis lines.

But if you insist on driving into the city for the parade, a car might not be such an unthinkably poor option. That’s because parking meters, alternate-side-of-the-street parking regulations and almost all other street-parking regulations are suspended. So, if you arrive early enough, you should be able to park free on any street unless an all-inclusive sign, like “No Parking Anytime,” precludes you from leaving your wheels at the curb.

On Black Friday, the heaviest shopping day of the year, NJ Transit will offer additional bus service to major New Jersey shopping destinations, including the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus and the Willowbrook Mall in Wayne.

And don’t forget NJ Transit’s Family Super Saver Fare, which allows as many as two children 11 or younger to travel free with each fare-paying adult. This bonus start at 7 p.m. Wednesday and ends at 6 a.m. Monday.

Monday, November 22, 2010

See a deer? Don’t swerve to avoid it!

As we noted in yesterday’s Road Warrior column, a driver’s chances of bumping into a deer during the current breeding season are about 1 in 183 in New Jersey – something you should go out of your way to avoid. Animal-vehicle crashes take 200 human lives in the United States each year, according to a State Farm Insurance Co. study, and the average damage costs a driver about $3,100.

But how do you avoid hitting an animal that – unlike the rest of us – does not have the benefit of driver training, air bags and an antilock braking system?

Much of the time, the answer is counter-intuitive. Unlike your reaction when a pedestrian darts in front of your bumper at the last minute, DO NOT veer away from the animal. The results could be disastrous, according to crash experts who reconstruct accident scenes. One reconstructionist – Rich Pedersen – recalled a crash he investigated in which the driver whipped her driving wheel to one side to avoid hitting a wild turkey. This maneuver caused severe injuries and crushed the roof of her Ford Explorer when it rolled over several times on the Garden State Parkway.

“I know it’s instinctual to try to avoid wild animals,” Pedersen said, “but sometimes you’re better off hitting them and saving yourself.”

The State Farm also recommends shunning car-mounted deer whistles. Reader Wal Stevens recalled a case in which a friend’s whistles attracted deer on the parkway. “The net result,” said Walt, “ was $3,000 in damage.”

The Humane Society offers these tips:

*Slow down if you see one deer. Since they travel in herds, more will likely appear.
*Be especially alert at dawn and dusk when they’re harder to spot.
*Be extra cautious on two-lane roads boarded by natural habitat – the most common places for deer-vehicle crashes.
*Avoid tossing trash from car windows, a practice which causes crashes because it attracts deer and other animals in addition to polluting the landscape.

New Jersey’s most crash-prone county is Morris where the state Department of Transportation removes more than 800 of the state’s deer carcasses from state-maintained roads each year. DOT removes about 5,400 of these carcasses annually. Other leading counties for deer crashes are Somerset, Hunterdon and Burlington.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Lost? Look for North Jersey’s half-hidden signs

Let’s face it. Bergen and Passaic counties contain too many towns – 70 in Bergen alone, some of them little better than 1 or 2 miles square. So, it’s easy to become a member of FLINJ – Frequently Lost In North Jersey. Membership is open to anyone. If you can’t find a street sign, you’re in. If the number on the door of the store you’re looking for is missing, you’re a member. If the street you’re traveling seems to change its name every six blocks or so, you’ve passed your initiation. And don’t expect to see any names on many of our landmark bridges and tunnels. Except for the Holland Tunnel, which is well-marked, New Jersey is keeping the other Hudson crossings – the George Washington Bridge and the Lincoln Tunnel – a well-hidden secret.

So, if you’re a FLINJ from Arkansas or Saskatchewan, and your GPS isn’t doing you much good when you cross from one town to another, here’s some help:

First, look for the signs. In Bergen especially, we have green markers that point in as many as four directions toward any of the four tiny towns of your choice. Heed them. “They’re a tremendous asset,” said reader Deepak Srinivasan.

No signs on your horizon? And you still can’t find Dumont or Saddle Brook? Then look for utility poles. Look about eye high. They contain little steel markers with abbreviations of their hometowns: C for Clifton, PPark for Palisades Park, etc.

If utility poles somehow fail you, check steel manhole covers. Each contains the name of the town you’re in. But don’t do your checking on a busy street. That can be dangerous.

No manhole covers? It’s time to go home. Or at least give up your car. You belong in New York on a subway, where getting lost is easier than doing what you should have done in the first place: Ask somebody for directions.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Warning: GPS has its limits

By now, you’ve probably heard about the Arizona driver whose Toyota Camry was demolished in Parsippany last week by a NJ Transit train when he turned onto the tracks from Powder Mill Road. Why would anyone turn onto railroad tracks?

His GPS unit told him to do it. At least that’s what Said Shareef told police.

Cops say this excuse has become the 21st century version of “My dog ate my homework.” Teachers haven’t bought it for the past 50 years and police aren’t buying the new version now. Typically, they hear it when they catch someone making an illegal U-turn. Indeed, Global Positioning Systems sometimes tell drivers who have overshot their destinations to make U-turns at the next – and legal – opportunities. But operation of the vehicle is the responsibility of the driver, not an otherwise reliable electronic device.

The GPS excuse also comes when some drivers are caught speeding. They sometimes tell police that GPS units told them the speed limit shown electronically was much lower than the limit that got them stopped. This excuse might have some validity, but it still won’t do you any good. Be warned: GPS units are not particularly accurate in posting current speed limits, which sometimes change.

In other words, the legal speed-limit currency is posted on road signs, not in GPS units. So, rely on old-fashioned black-on-white emblems with numbers – usually 25, 50 or 65 –  for this information, not new-fangled electronic devices. Like iPads and cellphones, they’re great, but they have their limits.

Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Cars are safer than ever—with one exception

There’s no doubt that car safety has hit an all-time peak. The vehicles we’ve been driving for the last 10 to 20 years contain much more than seat belts and air bags. They’re also equipped with antilock brakes, sophisticated child safety seats, crumple zones, traction control, electronic stability systems and much, much more. These safety features account for one of the chief reasons why traffic deaths have reached record lows recently.

So why can’t big car makers fix a nagging, low-tech safety flaw that seems to be getting worse instead of better?

That would be driver visibility. Have you noticed that the so-called “A” pillar, the foremost roof support that extends from the base of the windscreen to the roof, has been getting wider for the last six years or so? The “C” pillars where the roof falls away on either side of the rear window of many cars also are wider, too, typically for styling and aerodynamics.

In response to several reader queries, I intend to answer this question in an upcoming Wednesday Road Warrior Q&A column. The reason has to do with a competing safety reform that’s designed to save us from serious injury. Unfortunately, however, it doesn’t help us see any better on the road.

Monday, November 08, 2010

Helping seniors stay mobile without cars

If you find it hard to talk to your aging parents about their deteriorating driving skills, an insurance company has found a way to ease into the conversation. At http://www.libertymutual.com/seniordriving, you’ll find some tips for broaching this subject, as well as an alternative transportation solution that can keep seniors remain their mobility once they give up their cars and driver’s licenses.

The solution is ITN America, a non-profit organization that was featured in Friday’s Road Warrior column. This group, which began 14 years ago in the suburbs of Portland, Me., organizes low-cost rides for seniors in several communities across the country. The nearest one is in Westport, Conn., but its founder says she’s interested in starting an affiliatte in New Jersey. ITN isn’t pushy, however. The group only enters communities upon request, and requests can be made at http://www.ITNAmerica.org.

Passaic County currently runs a free ride program for seniors, as do many towns throughout Bergen and Morris counties. But with several municipalities cutting back on these arrangements, ITN’s reasonably priced concierge service might be a viable option in North Jersey where mass transit generally is scarce and inconvenient. The start-up costs for ITN affiliates are usually underwritten by local and national businesses, including Liberty Mutual and Microsoft.

Those who log onto the Liberty Mutual Web site can help finance ITN’s rides by pledging to talk to their elderly parents about their driving habits. The insurance carrier has agreed to donate the cost of one ride for every pledge it receives.