California Traffic Deaths Hit 42-Year Low.SACRAMENTO Sacramento, city, United States Sacramento (săkrəmĕn`tō), city (1990 pop. 369,365), state capital and seat of Sacramento co., central Calif. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 24, 1999-- Traffic deaths dropped to a 42-year low in 1998, paced by double-digit declines in motorcycle motorcycle, motor vehicle whose design is based on the bicycle. The German inventor Gottlieb Daimler is generally credited with building the first practical motorcycle in 1885. The motorcycle did not become dependable and popular, however, until after 1900. and pedestrian A pedestrian is a person travelling on foot, whether walking or running. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case historically. History Walking is the primary means of human locomotion. fatalities, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the California California (kăl'ĭfôr`nyə), most populous state in the United States, located in the Far West; bordered by Oregon (N), Nevada and, across the Colorado River, Arizona (E), Mexico (S), and the Pacific Ocean (W). Highway Patrol highway patrol n. A state law enforcement organization whose police officers patrol the public highways. (CHP CHP Chapter CHP Combined Heat and Power CHP California Highway Patrol CHP Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (Turkish: Republican People's Party) CHP Chemical Hygiene Plan (OSHA) CHP Community Health Plan ). The CHP's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS SWITRS Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (traffic collision data collected by the California Highway Patrol) ) showed that 3,459 people died in crashes on California's highways in 1998, down 5.8 percent from 1997 when there were 3,671 fatalities. Deaths were the lowest since 1955, when 3,431 people died. Motorcycle deaths dropped 15.3 percent, from 235 in 1997 to 199 in 1998. Pedestrian deaths went down 10.7 percent, from 783 in 1997 to 698 in 1998. "The California Motorcyclist Safety Program and the motorcycle helmet A motorcycle helmet is a type of protective headgear used by motorcycle riders. The primary goal of a motorcycle helmet is motorcycle safety - to protect the rider's head during impact, thus preventing or reducing head injury or saving the rider's life. law have demonstrated their effectiveness in saving lives," said Commissioner D. O. "Spike" Helmick. He noted that motorcyclist casualties have dropped for the eleventh In music or music theory an eleventh is the note eleven scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the eleventh. Since there are only seven degrees in a diatonic scale the eleventh degree is the same as the subdominant and the interval straight year since the safety program was initiated in 1987. The helmet law was enacted by the Legislature in 1992. Helmick said CHP education programs in several communities statewide have promoted pedestrian safety. "Lives are being saved by a combination of enforcement and education," Helmick said. "We're vigorously enforcing speed and DUI driving under the influence (DUI) n. commonly called "drunk driving," it refers to operating a motor vehicle while one's blood alcohol content is above the legal limit set by statute, which supposedly is the level at which a person cannot drive safely. laws at the same time we're educating motorists about slowing down and designating a driver." The 1998 statistics also highlight another milestone - a 7.8 percent drop in the mileage MILEAGE. A compensation allowed by law to officers, for their trouble and expenses in travelling on public business. 2. The mileage allowed to members of congress, is eight dollars for every twenty miles of estimated distance, by the most usual roads, from his death rate. The 6 mileage death rate is the number of fatalities per 100 million miles of vehicle travel. Despite an increase in the miles Californians drove in 1998, the mileage death rate dropped from 1.29 in 1997 to 1.19 in 1998. The 1998 figure is the lowest since the state began keeping figures in 1942. "I commend com·mend tr.v. com·mend·ed, com·mend·ing, com·mends 1. To represent as worthy, qualified, or desirable; recommend. 2. To express approval of; praise. See Synonyms at praise. 3. the California Highway Patrol, the Office of Traffic Safety, Caltrans, and local law enforcement for their efforts to make California a national leader in traffic safety," said Maria Contreras-Sweet, Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing. "Governor Davis and I are committed to making transportation safer for Californians. By implementing effective traffic safety programs -- such as our recent fight against so-called aggressive drivers -- combined with our message to buckle up and not drink and drive, I am confident the number of traffic accidents and fatalities will continue to go down," said Contreras-Sweet. -0-
CALIFORNIA COLLISION TOTALS FOR 1998
California Highway Patrol Office of Public Affairs
Percent
of
1998 1997 Change
VICTIMS
KILLED
Total 3,459 3,671 -5.8
Pedestrians 698 782 -10.7
Bicyclists 107 115 -7.0
Motorcyclists 199 235 -15.3
Moped Victims 1 --
Vehicle Occupant 2,374 2,444 -2.9
Caused by Drunk
Driving (DUI/PCF) 896 918 -2.4
Involving Alcohol (HBD) 1,072 1,100 -2.5
INJURED
Total 290,698 284,871 2.0
Pedestrians 14,660 14,988 -2.2
Bicyclists 12,152 13,441 -9.6
Motorcylists 6,273 7,340 -14.5
Moped Victims 57 76 -25.0
Vehicle Occupant 250,611 242,215 3.5
Caused by Drunk
Driving (DUI/PCF) 24,215 24,388 -0.7
Involving Alcohol (HBD) 30,985 31,189 -0.7
ACCIDENTS
FATAL
Total 3,075 3,252 -5.4
Caused by Drunk
Driving (DUI/PCF) 785 791 -0.8
Involving Alcohol (HBD) 956 971 -1.5
Involving Trucks 343 364 -5.8
Caused by Trucks 97 114 -14.9
Caused by Speed 350 421 -16.9
INJURY
Total 189,007 185,952 1.6
Caused by Drunk
Driving (DUI/PCF) 15,303 15,430 -0.8
Involving Alcohol (HBD) 19,755 19,917 -0.8
Involving Trucks 8,447 8,421 0.3
Caused by Trucks 4,058 4,110 -1.3
Caused by Speed 53,134 48,705 9.1
DRIVERS
Drivers Under Influence
of Alcohol and/or Drugs
in Fatal Accidents 716 738 -3.0
Drivers Under Influence
of Alcohol and/or Drugs
in Injury Accidents 14,168 14,273 -0.7
HBD Drivers in
Fatal Accidents 801 822 -2.6
HBD Drivers in Injury
Accidents 18,279 18,455 -1.0
MILEAGE DEATH RATE 1.19 1.29 -7.8
VEHICLE MILES OF
TRAVEL (Billions) 290.5(est) 284.8 2.0
PROPERTY DAMAGE ONLY 290,526 274,690 5.8
TOTAL ACCIDENTS 482,608 463,894 4.0
Source: Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System
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