Transportation
Bicyclists Who Chat, Send Messages or Listen to Music on Smartphones: Cities and States Try to Crack Down on Distracted Bicycling
Worried that bicyclists who chat, send messages or listen to music on smartphones are creating a danger, a number of cities have banned cyclists from using hand-held cellphones or texting while riding. And several states prohibit bicyclists from using headphones or earplugs. more »
How Many Distracting Systems Needed While Driving? Try Dialing, Changing Music or Sending a Text Using Voice Commands
"The massive increase in voice-activated technologies in cars and phones represents a growing safety problem for drivers," said Marshall Doney, AAA's President and CEO. "We are concerned that these new systems may invite driver distraction, even as overwhelming scientific evidence concludes that hands-free is not risk free." more »
Automatic Emergency Braking Systems Available From 10 Car Companies ... And Not Just Luxury Brands
Ten major vehicle manufacturers have committed to making automatic emergency braking (AEB) a standard feature on all new vehicles built, the US Department of Transportation, its National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) announced last week. more »
To Survive, Rural Hospitals Join Forces: What It's Like to Lose a Hospital
There are approximately 2,300 rural hospitals in the US, most of them concentrated in the Midwest and the South. For a variety of reasons, many of them are struggling to survive. In the last five years, Congress has sharply reduced spending on Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly, and the patients at rural hospitals tend to be older than those at urban or suburban ones. more »
