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Home My WebLink AboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1987-09-09, Page 9Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, September 9, 1987—Page 9 A rose by any other name ... A Rose by anyother name may still smell as sweet, but she's more likely to be called Ashley or Amanda. For the second year in a row, Ashley has maintained its leading position on the Top 10 name parade for newborn girls in the province of Ontario. According to the Of- fice of the Registrar General, Amanda followed closely, narrowly . beating out Sarah for the number two spot. Rose, by the way, is nowhere in sight. According to Despina Georgas (how's that for a name), Deputy Registrar General with the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations, it was no sur- prise that Micheal continues to maintain its position as front runner on the list of the most popular boys names. Indeed, Micheal has been in the number one spot for three years running with Mathew and Christopher alternately sharing second and third place. "The pattern we've noticed" said- Georgas, "is that no matter how many new and unique names come up, the biblical names for boys remain the most popular among parents in Ontario." "However," she continued, "despite a minor reshuffling this year in the 25 most popular girsl names, it is interesting to see parents remaining committed to names that have been popularized by television over the past two decades." The Office of the Registrar General, whichregisters births, deaths and mar- riages in the province, is frequently asked for the list of most popular names by pro- spective parents and groups ranging from journalists to manufacturers of babies clothes and toys trying to corner the market on popular names. Yet, not all new parents want to give their child a popular name. In fact, the of- fice says they receive many calls from parents wanting to know the most popular names in order to .choose one that is not on the list. Anyone for Fred or Ethel ? Research on cause of accidents Every week newspapers carry the disturbing results of yet another car acci- dent involving teenagers. University of Guelph psychology professor Michael Mat- thews is trying to discover why the acci- dent rate is so high for this age group and what can 6e done to improve the situation. The psychologist believes that the tenden- cy of young drivers to take greater risks may be the most important factor. According to published, mileage - adjusted, accident statistics, young men and senior citizens are at the highest risk of traffic accidents. Women under 25 have less than half the mileage -adjusted acci- dent rate of young men, and adults bet- ween 35 and 50 have the lowest rate of accidents. Research on the driving behavior of young males shows that they tend to speed more often, are involved in more rear -end collisions and approach traffic signals ,at higher speeds. They also tend to drive closer to the car ahead, pull into traffic with a shorter headway and underestimate stopping distances, Matthews says. Because their driving skills are not as well developed as more experienced drivers, they take longer to perceive and respond to potentially , dangerous traffic situations. Although factors such as the age of the car, the amount of night-time driving and alcohol consumption all influence accident rates, Matthews believes the most impor- tant factor may be the tendency of young drivers to take greater risks. People generally try to avoid risk when The International Plowing Match & Farm Machinery Show Member 15 - 19. 1987 eaford . Grey County driving. They may, however, become less cautious because they don't see the risk and the potential consequences of a par- ticular situation. In some cases, drivers are sufficiently motivated to take the risk, even though they appreciate the danger.. Matthews' research concentrated on risk perception. Drivers in the 18 to 25, 35 to 50 and 65 and over age groups looked at videotapes showing a driver's eye view of a variety of potentially risky situations. A wet, two-lane highway at night, for exam- ple, or a front tire blowout on a sharp curve, The situations involved driving judgment, reflexes and vehicle handling skills. Participants were asked to estimate the risk of each situation for themselves and their peers and to rate their own and their peers' ability in handling risky driv- ing situations. Matthews found that younger male drivers not only see a much lower risk in certain potentially hazardous situations than older, more experienced drivers do, they also overestimate their own ability to cope with such situations. They see the situations as risky for their peers, but not for themselves because they believe they have the necessary skills and abilities to avoid accidents. Both the young males and the over 65 groups believe their ability to handle a car is as good as that of a driver of35to50. Overconfidence may cause young drivers to underestimate the risks in some driving situations, says Matthews. "The distressing thing is that their perceptions are really the reverse of reality. The see their abilities high and risk low when the opposite is actually true. Matthews hopes to eventually identify countermeasures to use in driver training programs for young people to make them more aware of the limitations of their driv- ing abilities and the physical risks involv- ed in operating a vehicle. Currently, driver training programs do little to provide ap- propriate experiences to develop the perception of risk and hazard. Matthews says the problem of risk perception while driving may be part of a general lifestyle orientation. Deciding whether to purchase a house next to a nuclear hydro generation plant, selecting investments, choosing when to cross the road in heavy traffic and planning a holi- day in a foreign country in view of interna- tional terrorism are all situations where risk perception influences people's actions. Matthews has developed a questionnaire that attempts to assess how people view risk in various situations. Results demonstrate with a high degree of ac- curacy that involvement of college-age young people in traffic accidents or mov- ing violations can be predicted from overall lifestyle risk orientation and perception. Funding for the driving study came from the Gerontology Research Centre at the University of Guelph and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. B.A. McDONAGH REAL ESTATE & INSURANCE LTD. 528-2031 LUCKNOW FARMS KINLOSS TWP. —Farrow to finish, 212 acres, pit and upright silos, good 3 bedroom home, drilled well. CULROSS TWP, — 300 acres, approx. 250 workable, lbeswater loam. Mtge. available to qualified purchaser. K I NLOSS — 50 acres, approx. 30 workable, spring and fish pond, asking — 635,000. KINLOSS — 100 acres approx. 65 workable, fairly level and drained balance bush. Ask- ing '60,000. HOMES DUPLEX - close to Main Street, both hav- ing 2 bedrooms, and 3 pc. bathrooms, liv- ing room and kitchen. Asking 629,900. THREE BEDROOM, 1' 1.storey. 2 baths, large deck, good location, large lot. Asking '39,900. 3 BEDROOM — with small barn on 6-7 acres, paved drive. COUNTRY LIVING — 8 yr. old, 3 bedroom, sunken living room, fireplace, drill- ed well. 15 acres hardwood, 30,000 red & white pine trees. 3 miles from Lucknow. LUCKNOW — Handyman special on dou- ble lot on Havelock St., 200 amp service. Asking $22,000. Listings Wanted FRASER MacKINNON 528-3013 BARRY McDONAGH 528-3821 DAVID MacKINNON 395-2483 Ai THIS AD WILL DISAPPEAR IN SECONDS IF WE PUT IT ON THE RADIO SEEING IS BELIEVING reSgeritinel J) FCP OTE DRIAN KEET FAMILY COALITION PARTY v Responsible Government v Balanced Budget ',Family Farm //Small Business v Family Values ,r Adequate Day Care 1._ FCP vJob Creation -Protect ion of life from conception to natural death ,/Full Financial and emotional support for pregnant women Authorized by Adrian Keet campaign '87 Call Walkerton 881-1215