Research

Recent studies from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that bacterial contamination in the recreational waters of the US is becoming a serious problem. E. coli contamination comes from the presence of fecal matter in water. At public pools and water parks, the source of the bacteria is usually human feces. E. coli found in… read more

A recent study found that approximately 5,000 children are injured annually from falling out of windows and that younger children are at greater risk of window falls, report news sources. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, looked at data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System operated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Researchers… read more

Federal safety regulators are set to launch a real-world trial of an automobile safety network that allows motor vehicles to communicate with each other in order to improve overall safety on the road, report news sources. In August 2012, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans to start collecting data from a fleet of 3,000… read more

A recent report aimed at transportation reform highlights the top ten most dangerous cities for pedestrians and offers a progress report on pedestrian safety, report news sources. The report from non-profit coalition Transportation for America states that pedestrian safety is largely ignored in budget and resource allocation matters, noting a 27-percent decrease in motor vehicle… read more

Findings from a recent study indicate that distractions like talking on the phone, texting and listening to music put pedestrians at greater risk of being struck by a motor vehicle while crossing the street, report news outlets. The University of Alabama at Birmingham study, conducted in a virtual-environment lab, focused on quantifying the dangers of… read more

A recent study found that, at least among New Jersey motorists, drivers with longer commutes tend to engage in more unsafe behavior including talking on the phone, texting, and making rude gestures to other motorists, report news sources. The study conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind, and co-sponsored by the New Jersey’s Division of Highway… read more

Keeping your ears open is an important safety practice for bicyclists, reports one news source. Says a transportation planner, after the sense of sight, hearing is a cyclist’s most important sense as it allows riders to gauge their surroundings, especially what’s going on behind them. According to a 2009 National Highway Transportation Safety Administration report,… read more

News sources report, in a study released Wednesday, researchers discovered that a group of pregnant women in California has shown some of the highest blood levels every recorded worldwide of a toxic flame retardant chemicals. The University of California, San Francisco study tested 25 Northern and Central California women who were in their second trimester… read more

Levels of bromine, which is used in flame retardant chemicals, in car safety seats have gone down in recent years, but some advocates say the levels are still too high, report news sources. In a recent study evaluating the safety of 150 safety seats based on bromine, chlorine and lead levels, researchers found that overall… read more

A recent survey found that about 60 percent of individuals in favor of a federal law that sets minimum standards for state graduated driver licensing and that support of the law corresponds to unfavorable opinions of teenage driving ability, report news sources. The survey of 1000 American adults, sponsored by an auto insurer, showed that… read more