What’s New: In Brief (November 23, 2009)

There is a 10% probability that over the next 30 years a magnitude eight or nine quake will occur somewhere along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, A.M. Best reported.
In its special report, New Hazard Maps, Model Updates Could Shift Views on Quake Risk, A.M. Best points to modelling done by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The USGS “gave additional weight to the possibility of a catastrophic magnitude 8.8 to 9.2 earthquake that ruptures the entire subduction zone from Northern California to Washington, on average, every 500 years.”
On Nov. 17, 2009, a magnitude 6.6 quake struck in the Queen Charlotte Islands region of British Columbia, 411 miles from Vancouver, the USGS noted.

The Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) has released a primer, Alcohol Interlocks in Canada – From Research to Practice.
The primer is intended to inform Canadian practitioners about alcohol interlock technology, international research and program implementation in Canada.
It contains a review of international research on alcohol ignition interlocks, with an emphasis on Canadian findings, and information on how alcohol interlock technology can be utilized according to the different features of programs.
It also features information on the various alcohol interlock programs in Canada, along with excerpts of Canadian legislation. The report also addresses a variety of caveats and concerns about interlock programs.
For more information on the report or to order a copy, contact tirf@tirf.ca