Scooters, bikes and pedestrians
We’ve all seen the increase in bicycle traffic – and now motorized scooters – on busy streets. It’s no surprise, then, that U.S. pedestrian and bicyclist deaths rose in 2018 while overall traffic deaths fell 1% in 2018, to 36,750, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The auto safety agency said it did not know the cause of the overall decline but has said a dramatic increase in traffic deaths in 2016 was the result of more people killed on foot, bicycle or motorcycle. Pedestrian deaths accounted for 16% of all U.S traffic deaths in 2017, up from 12% in 2009. The agency has been investigating the role of distracted drivers in overall U.S. traffic death figures but has found challenges in getting an accurate picture of all distracted crashes because of the unwillingness of individuals to acknowledge they were distracted.
Protected bike lanes: Do they really protect?
Bike lanes separated from the roadway by physical barriers make cyclists feel safer and encourage more people to ride. But a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that protected bike lanes vary in terms of injury risk. Factors such as the number of driveways or alleys intersecting the lanes and whether the lanes are one- or two-direction affect the likelihood of a crash or fall. Compared with a major road with no bike infrastructure, the risk of a crash or fall was much lower on two-way protected bike lanes on bridges or raised from the roadway – for example, within greenways. In contrast, the risk of a crash or fall on a two-way protected bike lane at street level was much higher than that of a major road. One-way protected bike lanes differed little from major roads in terms of injury risk. That said, the types of bicyclist crashes seen in street-level protected lanes weren’t the type that are typically most severe. Most fatal bicyclist crashes involving motor vehicles occur midblock, while cyclists in protected bike lanes in the study collided with vehicles most often at intersections or junctions with driveways and alleys. In such cases, vehicles are usually turning and traveling slowly.
Knee airbags
Airbags save lives. More airbags, one might assume, would provide even greater protection. But a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that one increasingly common type of airbag – the knee airbag – has a negligible effect on injury risk. Knee airbags usually deploy from the lower dashboard and are intended to distribute impact forces to reduce leg injuries. They may also help reduce forces on an occupant’s chest and abdomen by controlling lower body movement. In an analysis of real-world crashes, knee airbags reduced overall injury risk by half a percentage point, from 7.9 percent to 7.4 percent, but this result wasn’t statistically significant. That said, it is possible that knee airbags would help unbelted occupants in real-world crashes. But the hope is, there aren’t many unbelted occupants on today’s roads.
Is flood damage insured?
Floods are the most common natural disasters in the U.S. Does your car insurance cover flood damage? Yes, but you will need comprehensive auto coverage if you want your insurance company to pay you for damage to your flooded vehicle, according to an article in Motor Trend. Insure.com reports that the average rate for comprehensive coverage is $189 per year, which you’ll pay in addition to collision, which averages $523. If you don’t have comprehensive coverage and your car gets flooded, you’re likely out of luck. Home insurance doesn’t cover flood damage, and even if you have a flood insurance policy tacked on, it will only cover damage to personal belongings in your car. There is one recourse, though. In the event of a natural disaster, you may be eligible for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the form of a low-cost loan.