AAA hopes that an upcoming animated movie called “Turbo,” about a snail that dreams of becoming a race car, can be used to raise awareness about the dangers of texting while driving.  At an IndyCar race this weekend, a world famous Brazilian race car driver talked up the movie as well as sponsor AAA’s efforts to put a stop to distracted driving.  His car was emblazoned with imagery from both the movie and from AAA.  The hope is that an animated movie geared toward kids will have the sort of high profile that will allow for a wider swath of people of all ages to begin to understand the dangers of texting and driving.

Click here to learn more about the effort.

A member of the Fort Collins, Colorado branch of the Safe Routes to School program is touting the virtues of a book that aims to promote bicycle safety among children in an informative yet entertaining manner.  Known as “The Bear’s Bicycle,” the book follows the exploits of a bicyclist who happens to be a bear, and this bear apparently pilots his bicycle in a very unsafe manner.  Reading the book aloud to kid is one way the author (of the report, not the book) teaches children about cycling safety, and once he has finished reading the book to students, he typically asks them for suggestions on how to help the bear become a safer, more conscientious cyclist.

Click here to learn more.

A bicycle safety lesson will be conducted this weekend by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association in Bethesda, Maryland.  The Confident City Cycling class will offer all types of riders the opportunity to learn about how to safely execute safe riding techniques while traveling through an urban area.  The announcement of the class comes on the heels of a debate about the upcoming implementation of a Bikeshare program that some fear will compromise safety.

Click here to learn more.

Next weekend, Scotts Valley, California will be the site of a Motorcycle Safety Training Course that will demonstrate a variety of skills to riders.  The event is being put on by the Scotts Valley Police Officers Association.  To take part in the event, which will show how to safely execute controlled braking, mounting and dismounting, defensive driving, and more, riders will have to wear the necessary safety equipment.

Click here for more about the course.

The Wisconsin State Patrol is working hard to reduce distracted driving accidents by promoting a series of programs from AAA and AT & T. Currently, the program is moving through high schools in six different cities. The educational events will illustrate to teens the danger of texting and emailing while driving.  Breaching the ban currently entails a $400 fine.  A distracted driving simulator will be on hand.

Click here to learn more about this effort.

As distracted driving crashes increase in our country, many are scrambling for ways to take cellphones out of drivers’ hands.  In Maryland, Shock Trauma and the Motor Vehicle Administration have their own recipe for success: a training video.  With the video, the two entities have partnered to show what could happen when one drives without giving their full attention to the road, and the results can be eye-opening.

Click here to learn more about the video.

A new article focuses on an effort to educate high school drivers in West Hartford, Connecticut about the dangers of texting behind the wheel.  Teachers and students were welcomed by AT & T to step into a simulator that vividly shows the dangers of texting while driving. Some individuals involved were too young for learner’s permits, but they were also included in the event. It was made clear by the simulator that texting impairs driving ability, as even experienced drivers had failures.

Click here to learn more about the event.

In San Luis Obispo’s Emerson Park, students were recently able to take part in a bike rodeo meant to encourage safety among younger riders.  Various local organizations, as well as the police department and the city itself, were responsible for the event, which found volunteers providing attendees with tips on safe and lawful riding and what types of hand signals to use on the road.  McCarty BMX even provided participants with a stunt show.

Click here to learn more about the bike rodeo.

A three-year old campaign called “Respect Life, Respect the Crosswalk” is hoping to spread awareness about the importance of pedestrian safety in Brazil through a unique new video.  In the public service announcement, a car is parked in a crosswalk.  Members of the Hermann Blumenau Rotary Club then show up to pick up the car and put it in the proper place behind the white line.  Brazil has had problems with pedestrian fatalities of late, with 5.46 such deaths for every 100,000 citizens.

Click here to learn more about this campaign.

In Fort Lee, New Jersey, students are headed back to school this week, and the local police chief wants drivers to take the necessary precautions so as to avoid tragedy.  To further promote safety, crossing guards are being stationed at 43 intersections throughout the area.  In addition to police educating drivers about the need for increased vigilance, the chief also wants parents and guardians to talk to their kids about the need to be careful, as it’s impossible to always count on drivers to do the right thing.

Click here for more information.

A pastor with the Zanesville-based Rushing Wind Biker Church is warning all motorcyclists to navigate the roads as if they are unseen by other drivers.  He reports having been in a variety of near-misses and one crash, but says that the accidents haven’t dissuaded him from riding.  Most riders concur with this assessment, with one motorcyclist in particular asking motorists to heed the road signs increasingly popping up in Ohio yards that say “Look Twice–Save a Life.”

Follow this link for more information.

The state of Washington instituted a new motorcycle test at the beginning of August, and anecdotal evidence suggests that motorcyclists are having a more difficult time getting their license endorsement.  The new test is partly the result of a Motorcycle Safety Taskforce study which deduced that a motorcyclist mistakenly driving out of the lane was to blame for 60% of deaths.  Therefore, the new test places an especial focus on navigating curves while staying within the lines.

Click here to learn more about the test.

In Melton, Australia, interested motorcycle riders will be able to attend a free seminar focused on safety.  Celebrity motorcyclists will be on hand offering a variety of tips at the event, which will also give attendees a chance to buy safety gear at low prices.  Melton Shire and nearby Moorabool experienced a total of six deaths and 100 serious injuries between the years of 2007 and 2011.

For more information, click here.

A new report discusses the numerous resources at parents’ fingertips in terms of bicycle safety education in the state of California.  The sites mentioned give tips on how to set up bike rodeos, which teach students the importance of bike safety.  There’s also a program called Safe Routes to School which both encourages safety and provides children with safety tips through a number of initiatives.

Click here for more about these sites.

Last Friday, a new law went into effect in Pennsylvania requiring teenage motorcyclists in the state to enlist in a safety program before they head out on the road alone.  The new course will involve both classroom studies and real-world applications and take 15 hours to complete.  The state’s Transportation Department stresses that the move was made so that teenagers could learn more about safe riding before being allowed to drive their motorcycle.  A spokesperson cited the success of a similar automobile driving program when discussing the reasoning behind the new law.

Click here to learn more about the new requirements.

Eastern Iowa driving instructors are reminding students that they are 23 times as likely to be involved in an automobile crash if they are texting while driving.  One Drive Tek driver’s education instructor says that they treat texting while driving the same as they would intoxication behind the wheel. They also use a recent hit and run case to emphasize that the dangerous habit can lead to jail time. A young woman was sentenced to five years in prison after she allegedly hit a motorcyclist while texting and driving and then drove away without stopping.

Click here to learn more about these efforts.

Today, Johns Hopkins aims to promote pedestrian safety in a rather unique way.  Staff  and students alike will be painting yellow stripes on 3,000 pairs of shoes and then hanging them around a fence in the area.  That’s about the number of pedestrian collisions that occurred in Maryland in 2011.  The effort is meant to bring especial attention to the current distracted walking trend that’s become so prevalent.  The Road Scholar program is putting on the display.

Follow this link to learn more about the effort.

Anyone who spots a Swiss Dairy truck in the Temecula area might also be privy to a message found on the trucks that simply says, “Look Twice, Save a Life.”  The California Highway Patrol is responsible for the safety message, which which will be affixed to over 200 trucks in the area as they go about their delivery rounds.  The campaign is geared toward reducing motorcycle crashes.

Click here to learn more about this campaign.

The Nebraska State Fair, which ends on Labor Day, will have many activities and events for visitors.  One such activity will be a simulator that allows participants to see firsthand how distracted driving can be the impetus for a serious accident. The Nebraska Safety Center is providing the simulator to help people realize that the advancement of technology has increased distracted driving and that it needs to stop. There will also be an exhibit showing how to properly operate a motorcycle.

Click here for more about these events.

While crash ratings are a good source to use while picking a car, the numbers can be deceiving if you don’t know what to look for. Different crash testing programs test different situations, and even the safest cars could suffer if they come up against a much heavier vehicle, a situation that can be difficult to test.  A new report discusses deficiencies in crash testing, and compares crash test standards from around the world.

Click here for more information.