Tag Archives: buckle up

General Safety Issues

NETS KICKS OFF DRIVE SAFELY WORK WEEK

October 1 – 5 is designated as Drive Safely Work Week.  This years’ campaign is “Back to Basics – Your Keys to Safe Driving” and is sponsored by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety.  (NETS) This is the perfect time for employers to look at their policies, especially those that cover issues such as mobile device and safety belt usage, and update them in order to bring more attention to their employees exhibiting safe driving behavior. 

This is the 16th year of Drive Safely Work Week – a reminder that 16 is also the age that most teenagers get to try their “wings” behind the wheel.  There is so much emphasis on distracted driving that we sometimes forget that responsible driving enforces the wide range of skills needed to be a safe, dependable driver. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 40,000 Americans die on our highways every year.  Every twelve minutes someone dies in a vehicular accident on U.S. Roads.  Every 10 seconds someone is injured and has to be taken to an Emergency Room.  It is also estimated that in addition to the 40,000 Americans who die annually, another 270,000 are hospitalized, resulting in costs to states and our nation exceeding ninety-nine billion dollars.  Even though the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration) says vehicle fatalities have declined in recent years due to newer vehicles having better safety features, and seat belt use has improved, the number of traffic deaths caused by distracted driving has increased. 

The agency reports that distracted drivers cause 4 out of 5 motor vehicle crashes in the U.S.  The main causes are cell phones and gadgets. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reports that more than 150,000 persons are injured in accidents caused by drivers either texting or talking on their cell phones each year.  

The DSWW campaign focuses on the following issues:

  •          Driving distraction-free;
  •          Safe parking and backing;
  •          Fine-tuning the fundamentals to avoid some of the most common types of crashes;
  •          Buckling up all the time and encouraging others to do the same;
  •          Recognizing and preventing fatigue-impaired driving. 

NETS furnishes a toolkit that is packed with tips and information to refresh some of the skills for drivers that may have become a bit rusty, and possibly teach some new ones.  It also has some good information for those who have a new driver in the family, which could help the driving coach.  This toolkit can be downloaded on the NETS website. 

U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, says, “Employers are able to reach up to half of the American people and their support in promoting safe driving habits both on and off the job is critical.  I applaud NETS for making this toolkit available to companies and organizations across the country, and I hope it serves as a reminder for drivers to keep their eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, and focus on driving.”

 

 

 

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General Safety Issues

Avoid the Risk – Wear Your Seatbelt! (Guest Post)

Don Elfrink is the owner and operator of AutoMatStore, an auto flooring company based out Columbia, Missouri. Before AutoMatStore, Elfrink was the operator of an automotive production site. AutoMatStore focuses on logo, carpeted, molded and all weather floor mats. 

Staying safe while on the road requires more than just ensuring that your car is in good shape and being an observant driver. It also requires that you pay attention to safety laws – one of the most important of which is to wear your seatbelt. Seatbelt use is mandatory in almost all 50 states in most situations (there are some instances where you’re not required to wear them). However, even if you don’t have to wear one, it’s still a good idea to buckle up. Why should you go through the discomfort and hassle of wearing one? Here are some pretty convincing reasons.

Don’t Become a Statistic

Wearing a seatbelt is vital to saving your life. While there are documented cases where not wearing a seatbelt has saved someone from death, those few instances are the exception, not the rule. 40,000 people every year are killed in the US because they were not wearing seatbelts. Don’t become a statistic. Buckle up.

What Happens to You

When you have an auto accident, your car impacts another vehicle (or more than one depending on the situation). Most people assume that’s pretty much the extent of things, but it’s far from the whole story. During an accident, there are two impacts – the first is your car impacting the other vehicle. The second is your body impacting the dashboard, the door or the seat in front of you. To put it in perspective, hitting an immovable object at just 30 miles per hour is the equivalent of falling three stories straight down. Wear a seatbelt and avoid that second impact.

The Faster the Speed, the Greater the Impact

As mentioned, your body reacts to an accident impact at 30 miles per hour in the same way it would if you fell three stories. Now imagine if that impact happened at 45, 50 or 60 miles per hour. Chances of survival (we’re talking whether you live or die, not injuries) are very slim at higher speeds if you are not wearing a seat belt.

Your Reasons Don’t Make Sense

Most people understand the importance of wearing a seatbelt, but they rationalize the act away with reasons that are silly at best and downright wrongheaded at worst. What are the most common reasons not to wear a seatbelt?

It’s Uncomfortable – Chances are good that you’re not wearing the seatbelt correctly if it’s not comfortable. In addition, once you have become used to wearing one, you hardly notice it at all. Most seat belts are also adjustable in different ways, allowing you to get as comfortable as if you weren’t wearing one.

My Clothes Will Wrinkle – If you’re more concerned with the state of your attire than whether you live or die, you might need to rethink your priorities. Having a few wrinkles is a pretty low price to pay in exchange for the chance to walk away from a devastating auto accident.

It’s Just a Short Trip – If you think you’re safe because you’re only driving a couple of miles, think again. Most accidents happen within just a few miles of the house (80% of fatalities occur within 25 miles of the home). Buckle up no matter how far you’re driving.

There is no better way to protect yourself during an accident than just clicking that buckle in place. Your air bag won’t help you (they’re designed to supplement your seatbelt, after all), and no matter how skilled you are at driving, there is always the chance for an accident. Keep yourself and your family safe and always wear your seatbelt.

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TIE ONE ON FOR SAFETY!

For the past 24 years, M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) have campaigned during the holiday season to make the public aware of the seriousness of driving sober and being buckled up.  Everyone knows that there are more drunk, drugged, distracted drivers on the roads during December than probably any other time.  

Originally named Project Red Ribbon, their campaign started in 1986, to heighten public awareness to drinking and driving during holidays.  Their goal was to get the public involved by tying a red ribbon to a visible place on their vehicle, such as an antenna or side mirror.  By doing so, you are pledging to drive sober and buckle up.  That is a pretty simple request; I hope to see lots of red ribbons on cars as we travel this Friday.

If you live in an area where there is a M.A.D.D. affiliate, you can pick up red ribbons – they are free!  If not, go buy some and do your part.  Anyone can promote this worthwhile cause.  There are easy ways to do so: leave a recorded phone message; display drunk driving statistics at work, distribute ribbons at meetings or parties, and most of all – be a responsible party host! 

Because this is such an important subject, I am going to re-post drunk driving statistics from an earlier article, “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest:”

Statistics from National Highway Transportation Safety Administration show that during last year, a total of 10,839 persons were killed in alcohol-related vehicle accidents (that’s one person every 48 minutes!)  Of those:

        7,281 –  (67%) of the fatalities were drivers with a BAC of .08 or more;

       1,772 –  (17%) of fatalities were passengers with the impaired drivers.

        1,119 –  (10%) of fatalities were occupants of other vehicles.

           667 –   (6%) of fatalities were pedestrians or non-occupants of the vehicles.

That represents almost 11,000 persons who lost their lives because of alcohol abuse in 2009, many of them innocent victims. 

M.A.D.D. members are comprised of many parents and others who have lost loved ones because of the selfish act of irresponsible driving.  Not only does the public have to contend with drunk drivers, but those who are under the influence of drugs, and other distractions, such as texting and talking on a cell phone while driving.  Persons need to realize that the vehicle they are driving is a big piece of machinery that can’t drive itself!  (I wonder if we would drive more carefully if we pretended that the people in every car we meet or pass were our family members?)

Do your part this year, and go get a red ribbon to attach to your side mirror.  Let others know that you are going to be sober when you get behind the wheel and that you will buckle up before you start the car.  By displaying the ribbon, you are joining law enforcement and safety advocates in supporting M.A.D.D.’s cause.  Law enforcement officers will have a Zero tolerance for drinking and driving and will be checking seatbelt use, as well.

May you have safe and happy holidays this season!