TRAFFIC SAFETY Road debris poses risk to travel
Even small items cause trouble when drivers try to avoid them, a study said.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A hunk of tread off a tire. A bag of garbage. A chunk of scrap metal.
More than an eyesore, the debris littering roadways causes 25,000 crashes and up to 90 deaths a year in the United States and Canada, says the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a research arm of the automobile association.
"It's not an insignificant figure, especially since we believe that a majority, if not all, of these crashes are totally preventable just by exercising common sense," foundation president Peter Kissinger said in an interview Tuesday.
A report being released today by the foundation presents the first comprehensive tally of such accidents, according to AAA. Debris-related crashes could be avoided if truckers and motorists secure their loads properly and report debris they encounter on the road, the report says.
One such crash occurred in November 1998, when film director Alan J. Pakula was killed on the Long Island Expressway when a pipe that had fallen off a truck crashed through his windshield.
Pakula had directed many films, including "All The President's Men" in 1976, "Sophie's Choice" in 1982 and "The Pelican Brief" in 1993.
The study said even small objects on roads can cause serious problems because drivers traveling at highway speeds who try to avoid them sometimes lose control of their vehicles.
What's out there
The study included a survey of government transportation officials in the United States and Canada which found that tire treads were the most common form of road debris.
That was followed, in order, by: garbage from waste haulers; lumber and construction materials; gravel, soil and tree limbs; mufflers and exhaust parts.
Items improperly tied onto passenger vehicles, such as mattresses or furniture, also pose a threat to drivers.
AAA suggested better training for drivers and enforcement officials so they can recognize potential problems with loads and vehicle parts that could fall off.
It also called for stiffer penalties in the form of fines and demerit license points for those who fail to secure loads properly, and it recommended targeting specific groups, such as waste haulers and landscapers, with enforcement action.
AAA also recommended more courses in defensive driving to help motorists react better when they encounter road debris.
"If you are the person that's behind the truck when its tire rips loose, at that point, it's too late," Kissinger said. "Unfortunately, way too many people don't really appreciate that risk."