Status Report 2005

Institute announces Top Safety Picks: 10 winners, all 2006 models and all are equipped with side airbags; no minivans meet criteria for the award

Top Safety Pick Gold winners

Top Safety Pick Silver winners

Teens and parents in Guilford County, N.C. respond to stepped-up enforcement of graduated licensing provisions, but the gains are modest

Best time to consider a roundabout? When a road is being built or an intersection is scheduled for modification

Clearwater, Florida roundabout

Vail, Colorado roundabout

More evidence that teenage passengers increase the risk for teen drivers

Rollover risk for 15-passenger vans goes up as occupants are added

Institute responds to Washington Post concerning red light cameras

Speed camera programs in Australia and Britain present some useful lessons for officials in the United States

Speeders are high-risk drivers in ways other than exceeding posted limits

Adding ESC substantially reduces losses under collision coverage but not under two other insurance coverages

Weakening Florida's helmet use law has resulted in more cyclist deaths

NHTSA won't rate child restraints based on dynamic performances

Using a phone while driving raises the risk of a crash involving injuries

Effects of a ban in the District of Columbia on hand-held phone use while driving

Crash risk at midday is about three times higher when schools allow students to leave during lunch

Graduated licensing in a number of states is beefed up with new restrictions

Truckers aren't any better protected under a controversial federal rule governing their work hours; regulators angle to keep the rule despite federal court's objection

Special issue: vehicle incompatibility in crashes

In collisions with cars, SUVs are incompatible. Are SUVs that are bigger and heavier posing even more risks?

Special issue: alcohol-impaired driving

Reflecting on the alcohol-impaired driving problem worldwide and what to do about it

Head restraint geometry to improve under new federal regulation

ATA signals the end of years of opposition to onboard recorders

Change frontal NCAP, Institute advises

Side impact compliance testing could become more demanding

Enacting primary belt use laws in place of secondary ones would reduce deaths

Belts in all back seats, NHTSA rules

Electronic stability control reduces deaths, especially in single-vehicle crashes

2005 model cars and SUVs with ESC

Collisions with deer and other animals have been increasing but the human deaths can be reduced

Incompetent report on red light cameras purports to show increase in crashes, but conclusions are spurious

Nonsignificant statistical effects aren't the same as insignificant ones