Comments on: Golf Carts Approved on Roads: This Matters

By: Fritz

Fritz — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:40:21 +0000

Dear Adriel and “Your Safety,”

I couldn’t find stats showing the how many motor vehicle deaths are from brain injury, but working backwards from:

* 57% of head injury deaths are from motor vehicle crashes.
* There are about 32,000 head injury deaths per year in the United States.
* .57 * 32,000 = (about) 18,000

18,000 is 42% of 43,000. Not quite 50%, but it’s fairly close.

By: Mauricio Babilonia

Mauricio Babilonia — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:39:54 +0000

@Rule413:
“Are you serious, 40,000 Motor Vehicle Deaths Per Year In The United States?”

As Adriel has pointed out, it usually hovers somewhere between 40,000 and 43,000 traffic fatalities per year and as many as 3.1 million injuries (2005, I think that was.) Around 800 of those are cyclists. Check out this page for a handy breakdown.

Kinda makes a person wonder how this is not viewed as some sort of public health crisis, doesn’t it?

By: Efried

Efried — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:34:19 +0000

Well, battery electric vehicles either 25 km/h or 45 km/h licensed are regular here in Europe. insurances however and SUV drivers from the hinterland are chasing them – because once upon a time those vehicles were popular amongst drinkers. This has been avoided by introducing tests but the wrong allegations remain.
In cities with mostly 30 km/h limits those vehicles should not be aliens but the norm.

By: Paul in Minneapolis

Paul in Minneapolis — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:01:06 +0000

About those motorist videos…
1km/h is .7mph
average person walks 4.2km/h or 3mph
I think most people can sprint 15km/h

By: Adriel

Adriel — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:04:11 +0000

Can you provide sources for this information?

I would like to post it somewhere if you can prove it.

By: Your safety is everybody's business

Your safety is everybody's business — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:01:19 +0000

Approximately 50% of a motor vehicle deaths are due to head injuries. I think if we made everyone in a motor vehicle and pedestrians who walk along streets/roads wear a helmet, we could significantly reduce the number of traffic fatalities.

By: Adriel

Adriel — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:42:53 +0000

The consequences of driving like an idiot are really horrifying.

I would rather a motorist be exposed to it in a video than with me plastered all over his grill. (Or in his windshield).

By: Blue

Blue — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:29:50 +0000

Those video clips are really horrifying.

By: Adriel

Adriel — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 03:12:39 +0000

well, if drivers change their habits we all win. We need to do something to make it happen.

By: Paul in Minneapolis

Paul in Minneapolis — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 03:09:06 +0000

Thank for the links Adriel. I wish like hell these were played on TV here in the US.

If golf carts are legalized across the US it won’t be good. With golf carts being bigger and harder for fast, no, speeding cars and suvs to dodge the death toll in the US may go over 100,000 a year.

I have seen cars that ran under school busses, utility trucks with signs, flagmen and flashing light get rear ended. Heck, I have seen houses with suvs drove into them. Only my bike being small and having the ability of great awareness has allowed me to move out of danger many times.