ATVs: Deceptively Dangerous

An in-depth special report by The Oregonian explores the dangers of ATVs. "Over the past decade, the machines have soared in popularity, with 7.6 million in use. The result: Record numbers of riders end up in emergency rooms and morgues as accidents kill about 800 people a year and injure an estimated 136,700." The multimedia report includes myriad documents and video footage detailing the reality of ATV safety issues and concerns.

Sarah Okeson of Florida Today investigated Brevard County drivers involved in fatal accidents, specifically looking at drivers charged with DUI manslaughter or vehicular homicide between 2000 and 2006. She found that more than a third of them didn't have a valid license to be on the road at the time of the wreck, had a prior conviction for DUI, or had been convicted of at least five traffic violations in the three years prior to the fatal accident. The investigation also revealed problems with coordination between courts and the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in dealing with high-risk drivers.

Note: IRE and NICAR Database Library offers data from the Dept. of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, or FARS, database.

Jeff Schweers and Sarah Okeson of Florida Today looked at motorcycle fatalities in Brevard County and found that more than twice as many people were killed in 2006 as in 2000, and the county could top that this year. There are now twice as many bikers on Florida highways as there were five years ago. Contributing factors to the fatalities include speed, not wearing a helmet, and drinking.

Richard Rubin of The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer investigated how politics determine how money is allocated from a North Carolina road fund. "The $15 million contingency fund is controlled largely by legislative leaders who distribute it to their colleagues' districts, and their own, without a comprehensive analysis of traffic, safety or population, according to an Observer investigation." The structure of the fund has come under criticism by those who feel the money is unfairly distributed, while its proponents believe it is an important resource for smaller communities.

The Des Moines Register used data on driving-related offenses in Iowa to identify 78,000 people who owe at least $500 in fines. Reporter Lee Rood and data analyst Michael Corey found "The outstanding debt that all Iowans owe for everything from overdue speeding tickets to drunk driving fines to law enforcement surcharges is at a record high: $438.7 million." With stiff state penalties, the rate of sanctions against drivers' licenses have nearly doubled in 10 years. The online package also includes video and a searchable database of drivers who owe fines.

The Dallas Morning News has conducted a year-long investigation into safety issues plaguing the trucking industry in Texas. The final installment of the series focuses on felons in the workforce, harsh working conditions that make trucking a dangerous job, and the industry's political influence in shaping safety laws and regulations.

The Department of Transportation's Truck Inspection data can be obtained from the IRE and NICAR Database Library.

Steve Orr, of the (Rochester, N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle, investigates the failed project for a high-speed ferry intended to operate between Rochester and Toronto. Orr "reveals a troubling trail of political maneuvering, lax oversight and lack of follow-through" - issues that cost state taxpayers $14 million.

A watchdog report by Kimberly Kindy and Natalya Shulyakovskaya of The Orange County Register looks at how the California Department of Transportation "has repeatedly displaced property owners for highway projects that went nowhere -- from the abandoned widening of Pacific Coast Highway through Orange County to Hayward

obtained and analyzed federal and state truck inspection and investigation records, accident reports and court records to show that trucking companies rarely take blame in fatal crashes. "They hire illegal immigrants who struggle to read road signs and communicate in English with police and emergency personnel. " The investigation also found that when accidents occur, trucking companies defend their drivers and often blame the other vehicles - and in many cases the dead occupants - regardless of the evidence. They typically fight any release of information about their drivers and vehicles, and wage protracted legal battles to avoid blame.

NOTE: DOT Truck Accident, Truck Census and Truck Inspection data is available from the IRE and NICAR Database Library.

With Fourth of July revelers bound for the lakes, Marc Chase of The Times of Northwest Indiana wrote, A Times' computerized analysis of U.S. Coast Guard recreational boating accident records for Lake and Porter counties between 1995 and 2004 shows the circumstances involved in the three cases are largely the rule, not the exception, when it comes to mishaps on region waterways." He also noted a "bottleneck problem that resulted in a disporportionate number of accidents on Indiana's relatively limited coastlines. The data used in this series is available from the IRE and NICAR database library.