All articles tagged with #traffic safety
A 76-year-old Cary woman, Soile Lazarz, was killed after being struck by a black SUV during her daily morning walk; her husband remembers her as a compassionate, Dolly Parton–like figure, and police say the crash is under investigation with no charges filed and no cause or speed factor announced yet.
A 57-year-old woman was killed after being struck by a dark pickup on outer Forest Avenue in Portland; witnesses said she was crossing the street when hit; the vehicle was last seen inbound on Forest Avenue, and police's crash reconstruction team is investigating; the victim's identity is being withheld; investigators are seeking witnesses or surveillance video at 207-874-8575; this is Portland's second pedestrian fatality of the year and sixth since the start of 2025.
A AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study of about 16,500 drivers shows 19% of Massachusetts residents classify themselves as ‘frequent speeders,’ ranking 9th nationally (National average 15%). New Mexico leads at 29% and Kansas is lowest at 7%. The findings come as speeding factors contributed to roughly 30% of 2024 traffic fatalities nationwide, with Massachusetts recording over 6,400 crashes involving speed (66 of them fatal). AAA urges drivers to choose safe speeds appropriate for conditions rather than following others.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson signs a sweeping executive order directing SDOT and partner agencies to accelerate Vision Zero safety work, fast-tracking corridor overhauls (Rainier Ave S, Aurora Ave N, S Jackson St, 4th Ave S, MLK Jr Way S), daylighting 20 intersections by next summer, expanding automated traffic enforcement (four new cameras, up to 10 by 2029), upgrading city and contractor fleets with safety features, and pursuing state changes to speed project delivery and broaden no-turn-on-red rules, with a target of 40% School Streets participation and an emphasis on faster delivery across a wide range of safety interventions.
A AAA Foundation study of 16,000 drivers finds that nearly half think keeping up with traffic is safer than the posted limit, and about a third believe no one actually drives the limit. Nationally, speeding contributed to about 30% of 2024 traffic fatalities, with Michigan logging 22,260 speed-related crashes and 177 deaths that year. The results help explain stepped-up speed enforcement and suggest education, targeted policing, and speed cameras could reduce deaths, as drivers respond most to the threat of tickets and warnings rather than safety messaging.
Omaha Public Works changed the signal timing at the 114th Street and West Center Road intersection after a July crash killed two children, making left turns on West Center Road fully protected and removing a flashing yellow left-turn signal; officials will monitor and adjust timing as needed. The crash involved a Subaru turning into an eastbound Chevrolet Malibu, killing 10-year-old Prestin Strassenburg and 5-year-old Zaiden Strassenburg. Driver Tanner Hunt faces two counts of motor vehicle homicide while driving under the influence, having been traveling about 98 mph with a BAC of 0.095. A memorial has been set up at the intersection, and officials urge slower driving and avoiding alcohol.
The Sunshine Protection Act would make daylight saving time permanent, keeping clocks one hour ahead year-round. Proponents say more daylight supports outdoor activity and the economy, but experts warn that later sunrises would push many children to school in the dark, worsen sleep and health, raise depression and obesity risks, and affect Orthodox Jewish and Muslim prayer times; darker mornings could also boost traffic accidents and medical errors.
Driving above the speed limit yields only modest time savings on typical trips while raising fuel consumption, crash risk, and penalties; the cost of speeding often outweighs any minutes gained.
MoneyGeek analyzed federal crash data from 2020–2024 to rank states by fatal crashes per 100 million miles during the July 4 weekend. North Dakota is the most dangerous, Rhode Island the safest, with Delaware, Nevada, New Mexico and Montana rounding out the top five. New York ranks 39th and New Jersey 48th in per‑mile risk. Drunk driving remains a major factor nationwide, Arkansas and South Carolina leading in share of fatal crashes. About 2,724 people died in July 4 crashes during 2020–2024, and nearly a quarter of these deaths occur between 9 p.m. and midnight.
Two people died in a head-on collision on the Queensboro Bridge after an electric stand-up scooter struck a bicycle in the bike lane; investigators say the scooter was not street-legal due to speed, highlighting safety concerns around high-speed micromobility devices in New York City. This marks the first cyclist death on the bridge since 2014.
North Carolina lawmakers back the 'Super Speeders' bill, which would require Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology for high-risk drivers who regain driving privileges after their licenses are revoked for reckless driving or extreme speeding. The move seeks to curb speed-related crashes, which killed 378 people and injured about 8,000 in 2024, with 62% of fatal crashes involving drivers more than 10 mph over the limit; NC would become the 17th state to consider ISA.
California's CHP launches a 24-hour Maximum Enforcement Period from 6 a.m. Tuesday to 5:59 a.m. Wednesday to crack down on speeding across the state, with officers enforcing speed limits and unsafe speeds for conditions; speeding is a leading cause of serious crashes, and in 2025 CHP issued over 491,000 speed-related citations, with more than 110,000 crashes and hundreds of deaths and injuries; a pilot program called FAST sends speeding citations to the DMV for potential license suspension when a driver exceeds 100 mph.
Oakland’s 35 automated speed cameras across 18 locations logged about 140,445 speeding incidents during a five-week warning period (roughly 3,600 per day); starting this Sunday, speeds of 11 mph+ over the limit will trigger mailed tickets starting at $50, with the city saying the data will inform safety improvements and future street investments.
Dense fog caused a 59-vehicle pileup on a three-mile section of Highway 99 in Tulare County, about 40 miles north of Bakersfield, closing the road for more than five hours before reopening in the afternoon; several people sustained mild to moderate injuries and were taken to a local hospital, and authorities urged travelers to avoid dense fog and not rely on automatic headlights.
Kansas City has reduced traffic fatalities by 30% in 2025 through its Vision Zero program, which includes road redesigns and safety infrastructure, but advocates emphasize the need for faster and more equitable improvements to reach zero traffic deaths by 2030.