The world was in a closed bubble during the Covid-19 pandemic, the US recorded an increase in dangerous driving cases. The number of US traffic deaths surged in the first nine months of 2021 to 31,720, the government reported on February 1. The estimated figure of people dying in motor vehicle crashes from January to September 2021 was 12 percent higher than the same period in 2020.
This represents the highest percentage increase over nine months since the Transportation Department began recording fatal crash data in 1975. The tally of 31,720 deaths was the highest nine-month figure since 2006. Federal data from the department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that traffic fatalities increased during the nine months in 38 states and were flat in two states. The numbers declined in 10 states and the District of Columbia.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has pledged help and released a new national strategy last week aimed at reversing the trend, which he calls a crisis. Last week he said his department over the next two years will provide federal guidance as well as billions in grants under President Joe Biden’s new infrastructure law to spur states and localities to lower speed limits and embrace safer road design such as dedicated bike and bus lanes, better lighting and crosswalks.
Read also: Following Mahindra’s apology, the humiliated farmer receives his Bolero pickup
He cited safety benefits under the infrastructure law by building out alternative modes of travel to cars such as rail and public transit, if only because every other mode of transportation is safer.NHTSA also plans to move forward on rulemaking to require automatic emergency braking in all new passenger vehicles, and set new standards on car safety performance by emphasizing crash-avoidance features such as lane-keeping assistance, though no firm deadlines were set for action.
Traffic deaths began to spike in 2019. NHTSA has blamed reckless driving behavior for increases during the pandemic, citing behavioral research showing that speeding and traveling without a seat belt have been higher. Before 2019, the number of fatalities had fallen for three straight years.
“People make mistakes, but human mistakes don’t always have to be lethal. In a well-designed system, safety measures make sure that human fallibility does not lead to human fatalities?” Buttigieg said in a statement. “That’s what we will be doing for America’s roads with the National Roadway Safety Strategy and the safe system approach that it embraces.”
With inputs from AP
Live TV
#mute
';
$('div.listing').append(string);
}
});
},
error:function(xhr){
//console.log("Error");
//console.log("An error occured: " + xhr.status + " " + xhr.statusText);
nextload=false;
},
complete: function(){
$('div.listing').find(".loading-block").remove();;
pg +=1;
//console.log("mod" + ice%2);
nextpath="&page=" + pg;
//console.log("request complete" + nextpath);
cat = "?cat=1176363";
//console.log(nextpath);
nextload=(ice%2==0)?true:false;
}
});
}
//lastoff = last.offset();
//console.log("**" + lastoff + "**");
});*/
var maindiv = false;
var dis = 0;
var fbcontainer="";
var fbid = '';
var fb_script=document.createElement('script');
fb_script.text= "(function(d, s, id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;js.src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.9";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));";
var fmain = $(".sr2433143");
//alert(x+ "-" + url);
var fdiv = '
';
//console.log(fdiv);
//$(fb_script).appendTo(fmain);
$(fdiv).appendTo(fmain);
function fillElementWithAd($el, slotCode, size, targeting){
if (typeof targeting === 'undefined') {
targeting = {};
} else if ( Object.prototype.toString.call( targeting ) !== '[object Object]' ) {
targeting = {};
}
var elId = $el.attr('id');
//console.log("elId:" + elId);
googletag.cmd.push(function(){
var slot = googletag.defineSlot(slotCode, size, elId);
for (var t in targeting){
slot.setTargeting(t, targeting
}
slot.addService(googletag.pubads());
googletag.display(elId);
//googletag.pubads().refresh([slot]);
});
}
$(document).delegate("button[id^='mf']", "click", function(){
fbcontainer="";
fbid = '#' + $(this).attr('id');
var sr = fbid.replace("#mf", ".sr");
$(fbid).parent().children(sr).toggle();
fbcontainer = $(fbid).parent().children(sr).children(".fb-comments").attr("id");
});
function onPlayerStateChange(event){
var ing, fid;
//console.log(event + "---player");
$('iframe[id*="video-"]').each(function(){
_v = $(this).attr('id');
//console.log("_v: " + _v);
if(_v != event){
//console.log("condition match");
ing = new YT.get(_v);
if(ing.getPlayerState()=='1'){
ing.pauseVideo();
}
}
});
$('div[id*="video-"]').each(function(){
_v = $(this).attr('id');
//console.log("_v: " + _v + " event: " + event);
if(_v != event){
//jwplayer(_v).play(false);
}
});
}
function onYouTubePlay(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid){
if (typeof(YT) == 'undefined' || typeof(YT.Player) == 'undefined') {
var tag = document.createElement('script');
tag.src = "https://www.youtube.com/iframe_api";
var firstScriptTag = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
firstScriptTag.parentNode.insertBefore(tag, firstScriptTag);
window.onYouTubePlayerAPIReady = function() {
onYouTubePlayer(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid);
};
}else{onYouTubePlayer(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid);}
}
function onYouTubePlayer(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid){
//console.log(playDiv + "Get Youtue " + vid);
//$("#"+vid).find(".playvideo-"+ vx).hide();
var player = new YT.Player(playDiv , {
height: '450',
width: '100%',
videoId:code,
playerVars: {
'autoplay': 1,
'showinfo': 1,
'controls': 1
},
events: {
'onStateChange': function(event){
onPlayerStateChange(event.target.a.id);
}
}
});
$("#video-"+vid).show();
}
function kalturaPlayerAPIReady(code, playDiv,pvid){
var dt=new Date;
var nt=dt.getTime();
var vtitle = "";
var video_id_arr = code.split("https://zeenews.india.com/");
var youbora_video_id = video_id_arr[5].split(".");
var youbora_video_id = '"' + youbora_video_id[0] + '"';
pre_roll = "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x480&iu=/11440465/Zeenews_English_Video/Zeenews_English_Preroll&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&description_url="+vtitle+"&correlator="+nt;
var sources ={};
var config = {
targetId: playDiv,
provider: {
partnerId: 2504201
},
playback: {
pictureInPicture : true,
autoplay: true
},
advertising: {
adBreaks: [{
position: 0,
ads: [{
url: [pre_roll]
}]
}]
},
plugins: {
youbora: {
options: {
"content.title": "US reports 12 percent increase in motor vehicle crashes in first nine months of 2021",
"content.customDimension.1":"Zee News",
"content.customDimension.2":"https://zeenews.india.com/",
"content.customDimension.3":"2022-Feb-03 11:01:18",
"content.customDimension.4":"Pallavi Mehra",
"content.customDimension.5":"2433143",
"content.customDimension.6":"Mobility,Motor Vehicle,Motor Vehicle Crashes,US Road Deaths,Road Accidents",
"content.id":youbora_video_id,
"content.language":"English"
}
},
ima: {
adsResponse: ""
}
}
}
var kalturaPlayer = KalturaPlayer.setup(config);
if(kalturaPlayer){
kalturaPlayer.reset();
}
var videoUrl = code;
var mediaid = '"zn' + pvid + '"';
sources = {
hls: [{
id: mediaid,
url: videoUrl,
mimetype: "application/x-mpegURL"
}]
}
kalturaplayerSetup(kalturaPlayer, sources);
if (typeof kalturaPlayer !== 'undefined') {
doRegisterEvents(kalturaPlayer);
}
}
function kalturaplayerSetup(kalturaPlayer, playbackType){
kalturaPlayer.setMedia({
plugins: {},
sources: playbackType
});
}
function doRegisterEvents(kalturaPlayer) {
/* player event*/
kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.Core.PLAY, playEvent);
kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.Core.PAUSE, pauseEvent);
kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.Core.PLAYBACK_ENDED, playbackEndedEvent);
/* ad event */
kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_STARTED, adStartedEvent);
kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_COMPLETED, adCompletedEvent);
kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_SKIPPED, adSkippedEvent);
kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_CLICKED,adClicked);
}
var vlabel = "https://zeenews.india.com"+$(this).attr("video-path");
var isVideoPlayed = false;
var isAdSkippedCompleted = false;
function adStartedEvent(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag('event', 'Adstarted', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
gtag('event', 'Play', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
isVideoPlayed = true;
isAdSkippedCompleted = true;
}
function adCompletedEvent(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag('event', 'Adcompleted', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
isAdSkippedCompleted = true;
}
function adSkippedEvent(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag('event', 'Adskipped', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
isAdSkippedCompleted = true;
}
function adClicked(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag('event', 'Adclicked', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
}
function playbackEndedEvent(event){
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag('event', 'Complete', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
}
function playEvent(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
if((isVideoPlayed) && (isAdSkippedCompleted)){
isAdSkippedCompleted = false;
}else if((isVideoPlayed)){
gtag('event', 'resume', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
}else{
gtag('event', 'Play', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
isVideoPlayed = true;
}
}
function pauseEvent(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag('event', 'Pause', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
}
function AdloadEvent(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag("event", "kaltura_adloaded", { "event_category": videotype, "event_label": vlabel});
}
function AdProgressEvent(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag("event", "kaltura_adprogress", { "event_category": videotype, "event_label": vlabel});
}
function adPausedEvent(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag("event", "kaltura_adpaused", { "event_category": videotype, "event_label": vlabel});
}
/* End of Kaltura player function code */
$(document).delegate("div[id^='play']", "click", function(){
//console.log($(this).attr("id"));
//console.log($(this).attr("video-source"));
//console.log($(this).attr("video-code"));
var isyoutube = $(this).attr("video-source");
var vurl = $(this).attr("video-path");
var vid = $(this).attr("id");
$(this).hide();
var pvid = $(this).attr("newsid");
var vx = $(this).attr("id").replace('play-','');
var vC = $(this).attr("video-code");
var playDiv = "video-" + vid + "-" + pvid;
if(isyoutube =='No'){
kalturaPlayerAPIReady(vC, playDiv,pvid);
}else{
onYouTubePlay(vid, vC, playDiv,vx, pvid);
}
});
$(document).delegate("div[id^='ptop']", "click", function(){
var vid = $(this).attr("id").replace('ptop','');
$(this).hide();
var pvid = $(this).attr("newsid");
var vurl = $(this).attr("video-path");
//console.log($(this).attr("id") + "--" + vid);
//console.log($(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-source"));
//console.log($(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-code"));
var isyoutube = $(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-source");
var vC = $(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-code");
var playDiv = "mvideo-play-" + vid + "-" + pvid;
if(isyoutube =='No'){
//console.log(jwplayer($(this).attr("id")).getState());
kalturaPlayerAPIReady(vC, playDiv,pvid);
}else{
onYouTubePlay($(this).attr("id"), vC, playDiv, vid, pvid);
}
});
var nxti = 3;
var ci = 1;
var nxti_1 = 6;
var nxti_2 = 9;
var nxti_3 = 12;
if($.autopager==false){
var use_ajax = false;
/*var disqus_shortname="zeehindi";
var disqus_identifier; //made of post id and guid
var disqus_url; //post permalink
function loadDisqus(source, identifier, url, nid) {
if (window.DISQUS) {
//alert("if");
jQuery('
').insertAfter(source);
jQuery('#disqus_thread').insertAfter(source); //append the HTML after the link
//if Disqus exists, call it's reset method with new parameters
DISQUS.reset({
reload: true,
config: function () {
this.page.identifier = identifier;
this.page.url = url;
}
});
}else{
jQuery('
').insertAfter(source);
disqus_identifier = identifier; //set the identifier argument
disqus_url = url; //set the permalink argument
//append the Disqus embed script to HTML
var dsq = document.createElement('script'); dsq.type="text/javascript"; dsq.async = true;
dsq.src="http://" + disqus_shortname + '.disqus.com/embed.js';
jQuery('head').append(dsq);
}
};*/
/*$('.disqusOn').live( "click", notify );
function notify() {
identifier = $(this).attr('id');
dUrl = $(this).attr('disqus-url');
source = $(this).parent();
loadDisqus(jQuery(this), identifier, dUrl);
}*/
function loadshare(curl){
history.replaceState('' ,'', curl);
if(window.OBR){
window.OBR.extern.researchWidget();
}
//console.log("loadshare Call->" + curl);
//$('html head').find('title').text("main" + nxtTitle);
if(_up == false){
var cu_url = curl;
gtag('config', 'UA-2069755-1', {'page_path': cu_url });
if(window.COMSCORE){
window.COMSCORE.beacon({c1: "2", c2: "9254297"});
var e = Date.now();
$.ajax({
url: "/marathi/news/zscorecard.json?" + e,
success: function(e) {}
})
}
//console.log('ga:'+r);
/*(function () {
var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type="text/javascript"; ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://' : 'http://') + 'stats.g.doubleclick.net/dc.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
})();*/
//console.log("loadshare Call");
}
}
if(use_ajax==false) {
//console.log('getting');
var view_selector="div.center-section"; // + settings.view_name; + '.view-display-id-' + settings.display;
var content_selector = view_selector; // + settings.content_selector;
var items_selector = content_selector + ' > div.rep-block'; // + settings.items_selector;
var pager_selector="div.next-story-block > div.view-zn-article-mc-all-2017 > div.view-content > div.clearfix"; // + settings.pager_selector;
var next_selector="div.next-story-block > div.view-zn-article-mc-all-2017 > div.view-content > div.clearfix > a:last"; // + settings.next_selector;
var auto_selector="div.tag-block";
var img_location = view_selector + ' > div.rep-block:last';
var img_path="
"; //settings.img_path;
//var img = '
' + img_path + '
';
var img = img_path;
//$(pager_selector).hide();
//alert($(next_selector).attr('href'));
var x = 0;
var url="";
var prevLoc = window.location.pathname;
var circle = "";
var myTimer = "";
var interval = 30;
var angle = 0;
var Inverval = "";
var angle_increment = 6;
var handle = $.autopager({
appendTo: content_selector,
content: items_selector,
runscroll: maindiv,
link: next_selector,
autoLoad: false,
page: 0,
start: function(){
$(img_location).after(img);
circle = $('.center-section').find('#green-halo');
myTimer = $('.center-section').find('#myTimer');
angle = 0;
Inverval = setInterval(function (){
$(circle).attr("stroke-dasharray", angle + ", 20000");
//myTimer.innerHTML = parseInt(angle/360*100) + '%';
if (angle >= 360) {
angle = 1;
}
angle += angle_increment;
}.bind(this),interval);
},
load: function(){
$('div.loading-block').remove();
clearInterval(Inverval);
//$('.repeat-block > .row > div.main-rhs2433143').find('div.rhs2433143:first').clone().appendTo('.repeat-block >.row > div.main-rhs' + x);
$('div.rep-block > div.main-rhs2433143 > div:first').clone().appendTo('div.rep-block > div.main-rhs' + x);
$('.center-section >.row:last').before('
Next Story
');
//$(".main-rhs" + x).theiaStickySidebar();
var fb_script=document.createElement('script');
fb_script.text= "(function(d, s, id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;js.src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.9";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));";
var fmain = $(".sr"+ x);
//alert(x+ "-" + url);
var fdiv = '
';
//$(fb_script).appendTo(fmain);
$(fdiv).appendTo(fmain);
FB.XFBML.parse();
var $dfpAd = $('.center-section').children().find("#ad-"+ x);
xp = "#star"+x;
//var $dfpAdrhs = $('.main-rhs' + x).children().find('.adATF').empty().attr("id", "ad-300-" + x); //$('.content-area > .main-article > .row > .main-rhs'+x).find('#ad-300-' + x);
//var $dfpAdrhs2 = $('.main-rhs' + x).children().find('.adBTF').empty().attr("id", "ad-300-2-" + x);//$('.content-area > .main-article > .row > .main-rhs'+x).find('#ad-300-2-' + x);
//var $dfpMiddleAd = $('.content-area > .main-article > .row').find('#ar'+x).find('#ad-middle-' + x).empty();
//fillElementWithAd($dfpAdrhs, '/11440465/Zeenews_English_Web/Zeenews_English_AS_ATF_300x250', [[300, 250], [300, 600]], {});
//fillElementWithAd($dfpAdrhs2, '/11440465/Zeenews_English_Web/Zeenews_English_AS_BTF_1_300x250', [300, 250], {});
//fillElementWithAd($dfpMiddleAd, '/11440465/Zeenews_Hindi_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF', [300, 250], {});
var instagram_script=document.createElement('script');
instagram_script.defer="defer";
instagram_script.async="async";
instagram_script.src="https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js";
/*var outbrain_script=document.createElement('script');
outbrain_script.type="text/javascript";
outbrain_script.async="async";
outbrain_script.src="https://widgets.outbrain.com/outbrain.js";
var Omain = $("#outbrain-"+ x);
//alert(Omain + "--" + $(Omain).length);
$(Omain).after(outbrain_script);
var rhs = $('.main-article > .row > div.article-right-part > div.rhs2433143:first').clone();
$(rhs).find('.ad-one').attr("id", "ad-300-" + x).empty();
$(rhs).find('.ad-two').attr("id", "ad-300-2-" + x).empty();
//$('.main-article > .row > div.article-right-part > div.rhs2433143:first').clone().appendTo('.main-article > .row > div.main-rhs' + x);
$(rhs).appendTo('.main-article > .row > div.main-rhs' + x); */
setTimeout(function(){
var twit = $("div.field-name-body").find('blockquote[class^="twitter"]').length;
var insta = $("div.field-name-body").find('blockquote[class^="instagram"]').length;
if(twit==0){twit = ($("div.field-name-body").find('twitterwidget[class^="twitter"]').length);}
if(twit>0){
if (typeof (twttr) != 'undefined') {
twttr.widgets.load();
} else {
$.getScript('https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js');
}
//$(twit).addClass('tfmargin');
}
if(insta>0){
$('.content > .left-block:last').after(instagram_script);
//$(insta).addClass('tfmargin');
window.instgrm.Embeds.process();
}
}, 1500);
}
});
/*$("#loadmore").click(function(){
x=$(next_selector).attr('id');
var url = $(next_selector).attr('href');
disqus_identifier="ZNH" + x;
disqus_url = url;
handle.autopager('load');
history.pushState('' ,'', url);
setTimeout(function(){
//twttr.widgets.load();
//loadDisqus(jQuery(this), disqus_identifier, disqus_url);
}, 6000);
});*/
/*$("button[id^='mf']").live("click", disqusToggle);
function disqusToggle() {
console.log("Main id: " + $(this).attr('id'));
}*/
$(document).delegate("button[id^='mf']", "click", function(){
fbcontainer="";
fbid = '#' + $(this).attr('id');
var sr = fbid.replace("#mf", ".sr");
//console.log("Main id: " + $(this).attr('id') + "Goodbye!jQuery 1.4.3+" + sr);
$(fbid).parent().children(sr).toggle();
fbcontainer = $(fbid).parent().children(sr).children(".fb-comments").attr("id");
//console.log(fbcontainer);
//var commentsContainer = document.getElementById(fbcontainer);
//commentsContainer.innerHTML = '
';
});
/************Player Code ***********/
var title, imageUrl, description, author, shortName, identifier, timestamp, summary, newsID, nextnews;
var previousScroll = 0;
//console.log("prevLoc" + prevLoc);
$(window).scroll(function(){
var last = $(auto_selector).filter(':last');
var lastHeight = last.offset().top ;
//st = $(layout).scrollTop();
//console.log("st:" + st);
var currentScroll = $(this).scrollTop();
if (currentScroll > previousScroll){
_up = false;
} else {
_up = true;
}
previousScroll = currentScroll;
//console.log("_up" + _up);
var cutoff = $(window).scrollTop() + 64;
//console.log(cutoff + "**");
$('div[id^="row"]').each(function(){
//console.log("article" + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr("id") + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url'));
if($(this).offset().top + $(this).height() > cutoff){
//console.log("$$" + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url'));
if(prevLoc != $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url')){
prevLoc = $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url');
$('html head').find('title').text($(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-title'));
$('meta[name=description]').attr("content",$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-summary'));
$('meta[name=keywords]').attr("content",$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-keyword'));
$('meta[name=news_keywords]').attr("content",$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-keyword'));
pSUPERFLY.virtualPage(prevLoc,$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-title'));
//console.log("Summary: " + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-summary'));
//console.log("Keyword: " + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-keyword'));
//history.pushState('' ,'', prevLoc);
loadshare(prevLoc);
}
return false; // stops the iteration after the first one on screen
}
});
if(lastHeight + last.height() < $(document).scrollTop() + $(window).height()){
//console.log("**get");
url = $(next_selector).attr('href');
x=$(next_selector).attr('id');
//console.log("x:" + x);
//handle.autopager('load');
/*setTimeout(function(){
//twttr.widgets.load();
//loadDisqus(jQuery(this), disqus_identifier, disqus_url);
}, 6000);*/
}
//lastoff = last.offset();
//console.log("**" + lastoff + "**");
});
//$( ".content-area" ).click(function(event) {
// console.log(event.target.nodeName);
//});
/*$( ".comment-button" ).live("click", disqusToggle);
function disqusToggle() {
var id = $(this).attr("id");
$("#disqus_thread1" + id).toggle();
};*/
//$(".main-rhs2433143").theiaStickySidebar();
var prev_content_height = $(content_selector).height();
//$(function() {
var layout = $(content_selector);
var st = 0;
///});
}
}
});
/*}
};*/
})(jQuery);
,