August 26, 2010 (Press-News.org) Traffic citations are not a perfect reflection of a driver's ability to navigate the roads safely. Many routinely flout traffic laws without getting caught, while others who might seem unlucky get ticketed every time they forget a turn signal or hover above the speed limit.
However, when such statistics are taken in the aggregate for a group of drivers, the results might seem at least a reasonable proxy for safe driving habits. The traffic laws are in place to ensure safety; when these laws are routinely violated, drivers are likely not traveling safely.
Accordingly, it might come as a surprise to Denver drivers that the city's Regional Transportation District (RTD), which offers public transportation throughout the metro area, does not maintain data regarding the overall number of citations its drivers receive.
Incidents in which bus drivers are cited for traffic violations are handled on an individual basis. There are no clear standards for the treatment of a driver who has received a citation, and since personnel records are generally not subject to inspection, it is difficult to know how such offenses are handled.
A spokesperson for the RTD informed The Denver Daily News that this specific information is not as important as other statistics, such as the number of accidents involving buses or the frequency of passenger complaints. Although accident rates and the types of incidents affect training, the same is not true for traffic citations.
The decision not to monitor this information is unfortunate. In failing to capture data regarding the violation of traffic laws, the RTD is missing training opportunities and the potential to address what may be widespread safety problems.
Oftentimes bus accidents are caused by someone's failure to follow the relevant traffic laws and it seems worthwhile to examine these incidents, even when accidents do not occur. Tracking accidents without tracking legal violations is essentially tracing the problem without considering the source. To protect Colorado drivers and passengers, the problems with traffic violations should be addressed and considered before these issues turn into accidents.
Article provided by The O'Connell Law Firm, P.C.
Visit us at www.coloradoinjuryattorney.net
Citation Rates Among Denver Bus Drivers Are Anyone's Guess
Perhaps surprisingly, Denver's Regional Transportation District (RTD) does not maintain data regarding the overall number of citations its drivers receive.
2010-08-26
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
California Dog Attacks Draw Attention to Dangerous Breeds
2010-08-26
Recent attacks by dogs on humans in California -- both frightening, one fatal -- underscore the importance of owner control of dangerous breeds. Both maulings involved pit bulls, and the second also involved a boxer-mastiff mix. These incidents show that aggressive dogs can do severe and sudden damage with their sharp teeth, powerful necks and tenacious jaws.
In early July, three visitors to Golden Gate Park were attacked by two apparently stray dogs, a male pit bull and a mixed-breed female mastiff. A 71-year-old woman suffered severe bite wounds, and the pit bull bit ...
California Law Protects Some Homeowners in Foreclosure or Short Sales
2010-08-26
California has been among the states hardest hit by declining real estate values. Many homeowners now find themselves "underwater," or owing more on their home than it is worth. According to a recent report from research firm First American Home CoreLogic, 37.4 percent of California home mortgages are underwater. In such cases, if homeowners cannot make their payments and the home is foreclosed, or if they are forced into a "short sale" whereby they sell the home for significantly less than the amount of their mortgage, many wonder how they can possibly pay back the bank. ...
Deadly Utah Truck Accident Takes the Lives of Pennsylvania Travelers
2010-08-26
The lives of a couple from suburban Pittsburgh ended abruptly at the beginning of a three-week vacation as they drove to Las Vegas in mid-July to look for a retirement home. Russell and Emelda Welsh were pronounced dead on the scene on I-15 near Pintura after the trailer of an oncoming semi struck their Kia SUV head on. State troopers responding to the motor vehicle accident determined that a distracted truck driver swerved toward oncoming traffic to avoid rear-ending vehicles after failing to notice a slow down where each direction of I-15 narrowed to one lane due to a ...
Teen Distracted Drivers: Does Raising Awareness Make Them Safer?
2010-08-26
The hazards of distracted driving are well known across the country. Cell phone use and texting while driving receive plenty of well deserved attention, but everything from eating to changing radio stations or talking with a carload of friends can distract a driver's focus from the road ahead and lead to serious injuries or a fatal motor vehicle accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that as many as 6,000 highway deaths each year result from distracted driving. A recent survey shows that teens are increasingly aware of the increased risks ...
Mediating the Aftermath of the BP Oil Spill
2010-08-26
The Deepwater Horizon oil well beneath the Gulf of Mexico may now be securely capped, and the potential for further environmental and economic damage may have diminished. But the process of resolving civil claims for anyone whose livelihood was harmed by the disaster has just begun.
Attorney Kenneth Feinberg was recently appointed by President Obama to administer the $20 billion fund established by BP to provide compensation for fishermen, resort owners, boat operators and other parties who sustained damages due to the millions of barrels of crude oil that spewed into ...
Disabled Workers Still Face Discrimination in the Workplace
2010-08-26
In the 20 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed, the world has advanced enormously in accommodating people with mental or physical impairments. Buildings are more accessible; offering automatic doors, wheelchair ramps and added room for maneuvering. Many businesses now offer lower countertops and employers have installed higher desks to assist disabled persons. The implementation of handicapped parking places today make it easier for disabled people to get in and out of public or commercial structures.
Unfortunately, oftentimes the physical ...
Impact of McDonald on Wisconsin Gun Laws
2010-08-26
The Supreme Court of the United States recently addressed the question of whether the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms is applicable to the States. In McDonald v. Chicago, the Court answered affirmatively, ruling that the protection applies to the states under the due process clause of the 14th Amendment.
In McDonald, the Court assessed the constitutionality of a city-wide ban on private ownership of handguns. The Court previously held, in District of Columbia v. Heller, that the Second Amendment protects the right to possess a handgun in the home for the ...
Should Cannabis Have a Place in Custody Disputes?
2010-08-26
The use of medical marijuana, legal in 14 states, is at issue in heated custody battles around the country. Parents and guardians seeking custody argue that since possessing, growing or using cannabis or any derivative thereof is still illegal under federal law, it should be considered by the court. Many family law judges (even those in states like Washington, whose medical marijuana law - section 69.51A of the Revised Code of Washington - specifically bars patients from being "penalized in any manner or denied any right or privilege") are being forced to factor in medically ...
Same-Sex Sexual Harassment Is on the Rise
2010-08-26
One image that people have when they hear the term "sexual harassment" is of a man being accused of sexually harassing a woman. However, all across the country more and more men are coming forward with claims that they have been harassed, often times by other men.
In 2008 13,867 charge receipts of sexual harassment were filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Of those, approximately 16% were filed by men, more than double the number of claims filed by men a decade earlier.
Part of the reason for the influx of claims by men is that claims of ...
npower Backs Wear Your Shirt to Work Day
2010-08-26
npower in Worcester is taking part in a nationwide 'Wear Your Shirt to Work' day to mark 100 days to go until the official decision by FIFA of who will host the World Cup in 2018.
npower is an official supporter of the England 2018 FIFA World Cup Bid, and will be urging all of its 12,000 staff to get behind the campaign. Wear Your Shirt to Work day also coincides with a tour of some of the potential host cities by a delegation from football governing body, FIFA.
Wear Your Shirt to Work day is an initiative driven by the England 2018 Bid team and involves employees ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
New strategies to enhance chiral optical signals unveiled
Cambridge research uncovers powerful virtual reality treatment for speech anxiety
2025 Gut Microbiota for Health World Summit to spotlight groundbreaking research
International survey finds that support for climate interventions is tied to being hopeful and worried about climate change
Cambridge scientist launches free VR platform that eliminates the fear of public speaking
Open-Source AI matches top proprietary model in solving tough medical cases
Good fences make good neighbors (with carnivores)
NRG Oncology trial supports radiotherapy alone following radical hysterectomy should remain the standard of care for early-stage, intermediate-risk cervical cancer
Introducing our new cohort of AGA Future Leaders
Sharks are dying at alarming rates, mostly due to fishing. Retention bans may help
Engineering excellence: Engineers with ONR ties elected to renowned scientific academy
New CRISPR-based diagnostic test detects pathogens in blood without amplification
Immunotherapy may boost KRAS-targeted therapy in pancreatic cancer
Growing solar: Optimizing agrivoltaic systems for crops and clean energy
Scientists discover how to reactivate cancer’s molecular “kill switch”
YouTube influencers: gaming’s best friend or worst enemy?
uOttawa scientists use light to unlock secret of atoms
NJIT mathematician to help map Earth's last frontier with Navy grant
NASA atmospheric wave-studying mission releases data from first 3,000 orbits
‘Microlightning’ in water droplets may have sparked life on Earth
Smoke from wildland-urban interface fires more deadly than remote wildfires
What’s your body really worth? New AI model reveals your true biological age from 5 drops of blood
Protein accidentally lassos itself, helping explain unusual refolding behavior
With bird flu in raw milk, many in U.S. still do not know risks of consuming it
University of Minnesota research team awarded $3.8 million grant to develop cell therapy to combat Alzheimer’s disease
UConn uncovers new clue on what is leading to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and ALS
Resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest – it’s how quickly it is done, rather than who does it
A closer look at biomolecular ‘silly putty’
Oxytocin system of breastfeeding affected in mothers with postnatal depression
Liquid metal-enabled synergetic cooling and charging: a leap forward for electric vehicles
[Press-News.org] Citation Rates Among Denver Bus Drivers Are Anyone's GuessPerhaps surprisingly, Denver's Regional Transportation District (RTD) does not maintain data regarding the overall number of citations its drivers receive.