NSC: Holiday Driving Death Toll Expected to Rise
Drugs and alcohol are a big problem
In a fit of holiday cheer, The National Safety Council estimates that 798 people will be killed on American roads during the upcoming holidays; 371 during Christmas, and an additional 427 during New Year.
The NSC says more lives would be lost if not for seat belts, which the organization estimates will save more than 310 lives. If everyone buckled up, an additional 180 lives could be saved during the holidays.
With driving becoming more dangerous, there are steps you can take to ensure your safety.
A Fleet Manager’s Night Before Christmas
Editor's note: We suspect that fleet managers everywhere can relate to and enjoy Fleet Street's Steve Bender’s delightful poem:
“A Fleet Manager’s Night Before Christmas”
'Twas the night before quarter’s end and your review’s finally come.
It’s the time of year that makes a fleet manager numb.
And while you’re hoping the boss can see that you thrive,
The truth is there are no cars for your fleet to actually drive.
Your vehicle orders are hung by the assembly lines with care,
In hopes that the microchips will soon arrive there.
Your drivers are nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of accident- free miles drive through their heads.
With the supply chain in a kerfuffle, and delivery estimates a joke,
You’ve told the CFO your crystal ball is officially broke.
Ford Pro Charging Launches in North America
Ford’s commercial vehicle arm, Ford Pro, announced the launch of Ford Pro Charging, a solution for managing commercial EV fleets and charging needs. Fleet owners will receive software and commercial hardware infrastructure to support charging and energy management.
Ford Pro Charging says it aims to be part of every fleet customer’s electrification journey by consulting on the design and construction of charging sites that can scale with operations while collaborating with local utility partners on the company’s energy and infrastructure needs.
The new business unit further expects the depot charging industry to grow to nearly 900,000 full-size trucks and vans in the US by 2030. With 125,000 US fleet customers of all sizes, Ford added it was “uniquely positioned to build on these relationships as a trusted partner that can enable their transition to electric vehicles.”
Read the article at Electrive.com.
More Than 2 Million Sign Petition to Change Sentence of I-70 Truck Driver Who Caused Deadly Crash
More than 2 million people have signed an online petition calling for a change to the sentence given to the truck driver who caused a deadly, fiery crash on I-70 in April 2019.
Rogel Aguilera-Mederos was sentenced to 110 years in prison on Dec. 13 after a jury found him guilty on 42 counts, including vehicular homicide, first-degree assault, attempted first-degree assault, vehicular assault, reckless driving and careless driving. Judge A. Bruce Jones said his hands were tied when it came to sentencing because of mandatory minimum laws in the state.
“This case is so egregious,” Domingo Garcia, the national president of LULAC said. “It boggles the mind that here we are in 2021 and that somebody who was not intoxicated, not on drugs… It's an accident, the brakes went out. But here's the Latino driver, he gets charged, convicted and given 110 years of prison on his first offense.”
Read the article at The Denver Channel.
Most New Cars Have Safety Technology That Prevents Crashes, Report Shows
More than 12 major automakers equipped nearly all their 2021 vehicles with automatic emergency braking (AEB), a technology that has been proven to reduce crashes and injuries by stopping or slowing a vehicle if a collision is imminent.
That number has increased by two automakers since last year and shows that more manufacturers are on their way to meeting a voluntary commitment to equip nearly all vehicles with AEB by the production year beginning Sept. 1, 2022.
The report comes from Consumer Reports and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Overall, the IIHS estimates that if all manufacturers meet the agreement, it could prevent 42,000 crashes and 20,000 injuries by 2025.
Read the article at Consumer Reports.
