Overseas Road Safety for Australians

~ As the northern summer holiday season gets into full swing, my post today comes courtesy of the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 'Smartraveller' website... While targeted specifically at Australian’s travelling overseas, much of the information and advice is equally useful for all travellers to consider. As you read this, just substitute ‘Australian’ for your own nationality.

More than 3000 people die on the world's roads every day. Tens of millions of people are injured or disabled every year. Approximately 90 per cent of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

The World Health Organization also reports that road-crash casualties will increase by 67 per cent from now until 2020 as more cars and trucks compete for road space with pedestrians and bicyclists.

Young adults are particularly vulnerable. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among young people between 10 and 24 years. Each year nearly 400,000 people under 25 die on the world’s roads – on average more than 1000 a day. Most of these deaths occur among vulnerable road users – pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and those using public transport.

The number of Australians involved in traffic accidents overseas is likely to increase, as more Australians travel overseas. If you are not covered by travel insurance, the cost of medical treatment as a result of traffic accidents can result in long-term financial burden for you and your family.

Motorcycle accidents involving Australians are very common in South-East Asia, particularly in areas such as Bali, resort areas of Thailand and in Vietnam. Australian travellers should ensure they wear helmets and other protective clothing when riding motorcycles overseas in order to minimise the risk of injury.

Dangerous drivers in unsafe vehicles and ill-designed and poorly maintained roads make a lethal cocktail. Inadequate medical and emergency services, ineffective law enforcement and an often startling array of human and motorised traffic moving at different speeds add to the risks. In some countries, drivers flash their lights to indicate you should yield to them; in others, they don’t use them at all at night under the (mistaken) belief that turning them on will drain their batteries. Road travel, particularly at night and outside major cities, in countries with poor safety records and/or mountainous terrain can be very dangerous.

Australians should learn about their travel destination's road conditions and “traffic culture” in all travel destinations. It is important to be aware of local laws and security conditions when driving overseas. Driving under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants can have severe criminal penalties in many countries.

Ask about your tour group's safety record and follow safety precautions such as buckling up and not drinking and driving. The safety standards you might expect of transport and tour operators, including for adventure activities, are not always met. Sufficient safety equipment may not be provided and recommended maintenance standards and safety precautions may not be observed.

Avoid riding with drivers who seem to be under the influence of alcohol or medication, or appear over-tired, irrational or distracted. If you’re renting a car, before you start driving, make sure it’s equipped with appropriate safety features, and check the tyres, headlights, seatbelts and wipers before you leave the lot. If you’re using commercial transportation, avoid taxis without seatbelts and overweight or top-heavy buses, and speak up any time you feel you’re at risk.

Many countries require Australians to have an International Drivers Permit (IDP), in addition to a valid Australian driving licence, to legally drive a car in that country. An IDP is a widely recognised document that can be issued by associated members of the Australian Automobile Association (AAA), including the NRMA. Before driving overseas, Australians should contact the appropriate foreign mission in Australia for information on drivers licence requirements.

Always insure yourself to drive a vehicle overseas and carry the insurance papers with you. If driving a friend’s car overseas, check before you drive that you are appropriately covered by their insurance to drive their car.

Pedestrians should look carefully in all directions before crossing the road. Remember that in many countries traffic travels in the opposite direction to that which Australians are used to. You should not take it for granted that drivers will stop at zebra crossings. When walking along the roadside, it is recommended you face the oncoming traffic so that you can better see approaching vehicles.

For more detailed information, the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT) offers regularly updated Road Reports for approximately 150 countries. Available via e-mail or download (fees may apply), each report covers general road conditions, local driving style, and the realities of dealing with the police, public transportation and emergency situations. Other useful features include capsule summaries of especially dangerous roads and phonetic translations for use in unsafe or emergency situations.

While every care has been taken in preparing this travel information for travellers, neither the Australian Government nor its agents or employees including any member of Australia's consular staff abroad, can accept liability for injury, loss or damage arising in respect of any statement contained therein.

The Week That Was #2

~ Welcome to my weekly collection of The Odd, The Useful, and The Downright Bizarre.

The Odd: Going to The Dogs! Four Reasons Pets Shouldn’t Fly

Christopher Elliott, in a recent post on Tripso.Com reports the following story: At just two pounds, Natalie Maldonado’s teacup Chihuahua weighs less than her purse. But on a recent AirTran flight from Tampa to Atlanta, as she tucked the dog under her seat, a crewmember stopped Maldonado because the pet had been improperly tagged, she says.

“I was surrounded by four agents, a gate agent, the flight attendants and another crewmember,” she remembers. “They demanded that I pay a $70 pet carry-on fee.” Read the full article here…

The Useful: Safety Tips for Female Travellers

Evelyn Hannon, editor of Journeywoman.com is an expert on women and travel. She is the consultant to Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and the author of 'Her Own Way, A Woman's Guide to Safe and Successful Travel,' a 32-page booklet available at all Canadian Passport offices. For her creative work on behalf of female travellers, TIME magazine chose this expert, 'one of this century's 100 most innovative thinkers.' Here are Evelyn's top safety tips for female travellers learned from personal experience over the last 25 years. Read more here…

The Downright Bizarre: “Standing Room Only” on Chinese Airline?

Pinch me! Is it April Fool’s Day already? Here’s my nomination for Dumb Idea of The Month: Rick Seaney reports that four year old Spring Airlines, based in Shanghai, is looking at the idea of “standing room only” for some of its passengers. Strap-hangers of the world unite - you have nothing to lose but your seats! Read more here…

Got a few strange stories of your own? Feel free to share them via the Comments box below.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Image courtesy of ABC News…

Debunking Myths About Accessible Travel

~ Expert Debunks Myths About Accessible Travel

By Candy Harrington

With the evolution of the internet, information is just a few mouse clicks away. That includes information about accessible travel. An although the internet is a great tool for disabled travellers, there’s also a lot of misinformation circulating on-line. And that can be a very dangerous thing.

Says Candy Harrington, author of Barrier-Free Travel; A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers, “I get a lot of mail from readers who have relied on misinformation they found on-line. When all was said and done, they later discovered it was just someone’s incorrect interpretation of the law. For example, wheelchair-users don’t get automatic upgrades to first-class, nor are they always entitled to bulkhead seating on airplanes.”

In the end, just because someone types it, doesn’t mean it’s true. With that in mind, here are some examples of accessible travel misinformation that Candy recently spotted on-line.

Myth: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the law that covers air travel for disabled passengers.

Fact: The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), which actually predates the ADA, covers airline and aircraft accessibility. The ADA does not.

Myth: Companions of disabled passengers are entitled to free flights under the ACAA.

Fact: Airline personnel can require a passenger to travel with a “safety assistant” if they feel the passenger cannot adequately assist with his or her own emergency evacuation. The cabin crew however, usually designates another paying passenger or an off-duty crew member to act in this capacity.

Myth: Wheelchair-users are guaranteed bulkhead seating on airplanes.

Fact: Under the ACAA, people with a fused leg and those who travel with a service animal are the only passengers guaranteed bulkhead seating.

Myth: You don’t need to make advance arrangements for accessible rooms.

Fact: Truthfully you don’t need to make reservations for any hotel room; however that doesn’t mean you will have a room when you arrive. The same goes for accessible rooms. The only way to ensure your room will have the access features you need, is to make an advance reservation. In practice, only a small portion of hotel rooms have access features.

Myth: Making a reservation at a property assures you that the accessible room will be there when you arrive, because you have guaranteed it with your credit card.

Fact: Guaranteeing a room with your credit card only locks you in on a specific rate. Blocking a room sets aside a specific room for a specific guest on a specific date. All accessible rooms need to be blocked.

Myth: All accessible guest rooms have roll-in showers.

Fact: In the US, only hotels with over 50 rooms are required to have accessible guest rooms with roll-in showers. Those with under 50 rooms are merely required to have tub/shower combinations with grab bars.

Myth: All hotels have to have shuttles that are wheelchair-accessible.

Fact: If a hotel provides free airport transfers, they must also provide accessible transfers at no charge. They don’t have to own their own accessible vehicle though. They can contract out the service, but they cannot charge extra for it.

Myth: Cruise ships have to be accessible under the ADA.

Fact: Even though the Supreme Court ruled that the ADA applies to foreign-flagged cruise ships that call on US ports, we still don’t have any specific access guidelines for them. Those are being sorted out by the US Access Board and the Department of Transportation (DOT). For now, all the access modifications the cruise lines have made, have been completely voluntary.

Myth: The ship-sponsored shore excursions on most cruises are usually accessible.

Fact: In order to take most ship-sponsored shore excursions you have to be able to walk a few steps and climb up into a bus. Most of the ship-sponsored tours do not include accessible transportation. The exception is in Alaska, but you have to specifically request an adapted vehicle there, even on tours that are designated as “accessible”.

Myth: Theme parks let wheelchair-users go to the front of the line so they don’t have to wait.

Fact: In some cases, disabled guests are allowed to access certain attractions through the exit, because it’s more accessible. The newer rides and attractions are being built with accessible entrances, so this alternative access is no longer required. This accommodation was never meant as a line-cutting privilege, as everyone has to wait at theme parks. The goal is to have all guests access the attractions through one integrated (and accessible) entrance.

Barrier-Free Travel; A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers, is available from your favourite bookstore or at www.BarrierFreeTravel.net. Candy Harrington also blogs regularly about accessible travel issues at www.BarrierFreeTravels.com.

Image courtesy of Global Access News…