WebProNews

Tag: highway safety

  • DUI App Lets You Play Games to Show You How Drunk You Are

    Sometimes, a good dose of reality can help you make a better decision – especially when it’s the reality that you’re too drunk to beat a simple memory game.

    The state of Maryland is looking to crack down on DUIs with the help of a new app. It’s called ENDUI, and it’s free on both iOS and Android. The app was federally funded.

    “I think states are starting to go that route because they’re trying to reach consumers where they are and where they spend time, and everyone spends time on their phone,” Kara Macek, a spokeswoman at the Governors Highway Safety Association, told the AP. “I think we’re going to see more of that as we go forward.” A few other states are getting in on the app strategy, including Colorado, New York, and California.

    The app lets users report drunk drivers, call designated drivers, find taxis and other public transportation, and offers facts about DUI and a set of informational videos.

    But the interesting thing about the app is that it attempts to help make your decision not to drink and drive a lot easier.

    First, it offers a Blood Alcohol Content guesstimator, which uses a user’s height, weight, and sex to determine their estimated BAC after a certain number of drinks in a certain time frame.

    And the app also has a few simple games – one to test reaction time and another to test memory.

    The app is careful to warn people that the skill tests are “for information usage only and are not legal sobriety tests and should not be considered as permission to drink and drive.”

    When you can’t remember a simple sequence or you’re having a hard time tapping your phone fast enough to avoid a virtual wreck, you’ve probably has too much. Maybe an app like this can prevent one person from getting behind the wheel which intoxicated – and if it can do that then it was worth the $50,000 it cost to make it.

    Image via ENDUI, iTunes

  • Skyway Accident Manila: Speeding Bus Kills At least 22

    At least 22 people were killed Sunday morning in Manila, Philippines after a passenger bus plunged off of an elevated highway.

    After falling 32 feet below, the bus landed on a van in suburban Paranaque city.

    Although the horrific accident is still under investigation, the elevated road, also referred to as Skyway, was allegedly wet and slippery. However, there have been assumptions of the fate leading to the accident, which involves a mixture of rain, speeding and sleep.

    Eyewitness Irene Sisperes told DZMM radio that it was dark, rainy and at that time the bus was traveling 62 mph.

    Police have reported that most of the passengers of the Don Mariano commuter bus were asleep as they were on the way to La Pacita, their final destination in Novaliches, Quezon City.

    According to a report in the Manila Bulletin, the passengers weren’t the only ones sleepy. (image)

    “Yves Chiapco, special liaison to the office of Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Executive Director Roberto Cabrera, said some of the victims they interviewed revealed that the driver of the Don Mariano Bus appeared to be sleepy.”

    Accounts from survivors and witnesses said the driver was speeding when he lost control, hitting the wall of the Skyway.

    “The bus suddenly swerved along the Skyway before it lost control and plunged to the West Service Road,” said survivor Pepe Padilla.

    Rescuers arrived several minutes following the accident, scurrying to pull victims out of the dismantled bus before 6 a.m. rush hour. Most of the victims did not make it to the hospital, so the rescue team resorted to aligning the bodies on the street with covered newspapers.

    The driver of the van was killed instantly. The bus driver, Carmelo Calascas, survived and was rushed to the local hospital.

    Supt. Elizabeth Velasquez of the police’s Highway Patrol Group (HPG explained that Calascas will “face charges of reckless imprudence resulting to multiple homicide and multiple damage to properties.”

    As the ongoing investigation continues, authorities have suspended the entire fleet (78) of Don Mariano Bus Company and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has ordered that all drivers go through retraining.

    Image Credit: Youtube, ishareyoushareweshare

  • Russian Dashboard Cams Capture Some Serious Carnage on the Highways

    This next video features a series of mishaps captured by automobile dashboard cameras, which are apparently very common in Russia as a means of legal protection.

    It actually sounds like a very good idea. I can think of a number of incidents where a dashboard camera would have come in handy.

    Regardless, the montage of events shows a number of high-speed car crashes, a couple of different motorists brawling, various random impacts, and the occasional pedestrian in the street. The music is an interesting touch. It’s a wild ride. Enjoy!

    If you’re wondering why these cameras are so popular in Russia, you should take a look at this article I’m linking to. According to the author, Russia is no place to screw around, and you might want to consider a number of personal protection methods beyond just a camera if you are going to spend any great amount of time on their roadways (or in their country for that matter).