VOA慢速英语--道路安全在哪里最好和最差
时间：2019-01-03 作者：英语课 分类：2018年VOA慢速英语(五)月
Where Is Road Safety the Best? And Worst?
From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
Commuting 1 is a part of life for nearly everyone.
At some point, we all need to use the roads to get to where we are going. However, in some places, commuting comes with risks. Each year, over one million people around the world die on roadways.
This number comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, in the United States. The CDC adds that "road traffic injuries are estimated to be the eighth leading cause of death globally." And they are the "leading cause of death for young people aged 2 15–29."
And, it says that by 2030, road traffic injuries could become the seventh leading cause of death around the world.
Countries with the most road deaths
Most of these deaths happen in low- and middle-income countries. In 2015, the 10 countries with the most road deaths were Libya, Thailand, Malawi, Liberia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Central African Republic, Iran, Rwanda and Mozambique.
The CDC reported in 2013 that among high-income countries, the United States has the highest number of road deaths. The National Safety Council, or NSC, says that 40,327 people died on U.S. roads in 2016. And in 2017 that number dropped to 40,100.
However, the NSC says that drop is not a sign of progress." The organization explains that 2016 and 2017 saw "the steepest two-year increase” in road deaths in more than 50 years.
The safety organization adds that speeding and texting while driving were two main causes for the increase.
Countries with the fewest road deaths
The countries with the fewest road deaths in 2015 were Micronesia, Sweden, United Kingdom, Kiribati, Switzerland, Netherlands, Maldives, Denmark, Singapore and Israel.
There are steps that governments and citizens can take to lower the number of road deaths.
South Korea is good example
For example, when people in South Korea wanted to cut road deaths, many different groups worked together. They attacked the problem from many directions.
The government changed and improved the country’s "transport safety acts, regulations and guidelines." They started using cameras to record where speeding and running of red lights were an issue.
Engineers in the country also improved the transportation infrastructure 3, the physical environments where people drive. In dangerous areas, they built new guardrails and better roads. They also built speed-control devices such as speed bumps.
Non-governmental organizations worked with governments to educate their citizens on road safety. The government updated the process of issuing driver’s licenses 5. Many groups created information campaigns aimed at teaching the public about the dangers of drunk driving, speeding and other high-risk behavior.
From 1992 to 2014, these efforts resulted in an almost 60 percent reduction of total road crash deaths in South Korea.
Among children, the reduction was much higher.
A report from the World Economic Forum 6 says that during that same 22-year period, South Korea reduced road deaths among children by "almost 97 percent." In 1992, 1,566 children under the age of 14 died in road crashes. In 2014, only 53 did.
Experts at the World Economic Forum say that they knew of no other country that had experienced such a large drop in only 22 years.
Creating "School Zones"
Road safety experts say one of the most effective measures in preventing traffic deaths among children in South Korea has been the creation of “School Zones.”
A School Zone is an area within 300 meters from the main entrance of a school. These areas have stricter rules and regulations. For example, usually the speed limit is set at under 30 kilometers per hour.
The report states that drivers caught violating traffic rules in these zones receive a more severe punishment than in other areas. If caught speeding in a School Zone, for example, a driver may have their license 4 suspended.
As of 2012, there were more than 9,000 School Zones in South Korea.
Another good example? Sweden.
Now, let’s talk about Sweden.
An article on the World Economic Forum website explains that in 1997 the government announced a plan to reduce the number of road-accident deaths to zero by 2020. Officials call it “Vision Zero.” To achieve this goal, the country made changes to the roads and created new “policies to enforce traffic laws.”
The country changed traffic patterns to make roads safer. For example, city planners increased traffic circles and reduced intersections 8. They added more pedestrian bridges over roads.
An article on the Economist 10 website states that pedestrians 11 crossing streets are protected by zebra stripes, flashing lights and speed bumps. Also, bicycles are separated from oncoming traffic.
Government officials also made the country’s drinking and driving policies much stricter. These rules have helped lower the number of people caught drinking and driving.
Since the plan began, road deaths in Sweden have been cut nearly in half. In 1996, 541 died in road crashes. In 2016, only 270 people died.
What can you do to keep yourself safer?
As governments and community groups take steps to make commuting safer, individuals can help too. Whether you are a driver or are a passenger in a vehicle, or whether you are biking or walking, there are things you can do to make your own commute 12 safer.
On its website, the CDC lists these suggestions:
Always use a seat belt in every seat. Even on very short trips, make sure to buckle 13 up.
Make sure children are always properly buckled 14 in a car seat, booster seat, or with a usual seat belt in the back seat of the car. And make sure you are using the safest seats and buckles 15 for the child based on age, height, and weight.
Do not drive after drinking alcohol or taking drugs. Help others do the same. Also, do not ride with anyone who has been drinking or taking drugs.
Obey speed limits.
Drive without distractions 17. Do not use a cell phone to send text messages while driving.
Be very careful when crossing streets. If you are traveling in another country, become familiar with its traffic laws.
Ride only in legal taxis. Try your best to only ride in ones that have seat belts.
Avoid riding in overcrowded, overweight, or top-heavy vehicles.
Check the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT) website for driving hazards or risks by country.
Links to other resources and information
Organizations and governments worldwide realize the importance of road safety. So, there are events all over the world aimed at making it safer to get to where you need to be. The organization Brake lists some of these events on its website at Brake.org.
To look at road safety conditions around the world, check out an interactive 18 map sponsored by the WHO. You can find it by going to the website or by typing “WHO Death on the Roads” into any search engine.
And that's the Health & Lifestyle report.
I'm Bryan Lynn.
And I’m Anna Matteo.
Words in This Story
commute – v. to travel back and forth 19 regularly (as between a suburb and a city) : He commutes 20 to work every day by car.
texting – v. to send a text message from one cell phone to another
regulation – n. a rule or order issued by an executive authority or regulatory agency of a government and having the force of law
infrastructure – n. the system of public works of a country, state, or region; also : the resources (such as personnel, buildings, or equipment) required for an activity
speed bump – n. a low raised ridge 9 across a roadway (as in a parking lot) to limit vehicle speed
license – n. often used to refer specifically to a driver's license
traffic circle – n. a circular area where two or more roads meet and on which all vehicles must go in the same direction
intersection 7 – n. the place where two or more streets meet or cross each other
pedestrian – n. of, relating to, or designed for walking : a pedestrian mall : a pedestrian bridge
buckle – n. a metal or plastic device that is attached to one end of a belt or strap 21 and that is used to connect it to the other end; buckle up – phrasal verb to fasten your seat belt in a car or other vehicle
distraction 16 – n. something that makes it difficult to think or pay attention
interactive – adj. designed to respond to the actions, commands, etc., of a user
- I used the commuting time to read and answer my mail. 我利用上下班在汽车中的时间来阅读和答复给我的函电。
- Noncommuting objects are as real to the mathematicians as commuting objects. 对于数学家来说，不可交换的对象与可交换的对象是一样真实的。
- He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
- He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。
- We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
- We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。
- The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
- The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。
- Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句
- They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
- The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。
- There is a stop sign at an intersection.在交叉路口处有停车标志。
- Bridges are used to avoid the intersection of a railway and a highway.桥用来避免铁路和公路直接交叉。
- Traffic lights have been placed at all major intersections. 所有重要的交叉路口都安装了交通信号灯。
- Intersections are of the greatest importance in highway design. 在道路设计中，交叉口占有最重要的地位。 来自辞典例句
- We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
- The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。
- He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
- He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。
- Several pedestrians had come to grief on the icy pavement. 几个行人在结冰的人行道上滑倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Pedestrians keep to the sidewalk [footpath]! 行人走便道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- I spend much less time on my commute to work now.我现在工作的往返时间要节省好多。
- Most office workers commute from the suburbs.很多公司的职员都是从郊外来上班的。
- The two ends buckle at the back.带子两端在背后扣起来。
- She found it hard to buckle down.她很难专心做一件事情。
- She buckled her belt. 她扣上了腰带。
- The accident buckled the wheel of my bicycle. 我自行车的轮子在事故中弄弯了。
- She gazed proudly at the shiny buckles on her shoes. 她骄傲地注视着鞋上闪亮的扣环。
- When the plate becomes unstable, it buckles laterally. 当板失去稳定时，就发生横向屈曲。
- Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
- Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。
- I find it hard to work at home because there are too many distractions. 我发觉在家里工作很难，因为使人分心的事太多。
- There are too many distractions here to work properly. 这里叫人分心的事太多，使人无法好好工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
- This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。
- The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
- He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
- She commutes from Oxford to London every day. 她每天上下班往返于牛津与伦敦之间。
- Barbara lives in Oxford and commutes. 芭芭拉住在牛津，通勤往来。