Tag Archives: cell phones

General Safety Issues

KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE WHILE AT SCHOOL (GUEST POST)

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With all the recent events surrounding schools in the news, many parents are considering pulling their children out of the public school systems and homeschooling them. While homeschooling may or may not be an option for every parent, how does one send their child to school every day and ensure their safety? Schools take every precaution to ensure the children who attend have a safe and great environment so they can learn. However; even the best establishments have flaws and there is always that chance that something detrimental can happen. Here are some tips to keep children safe when they are away at school. 

1. Educate 

There is no sure method to keep a child 100 percent safe at school, but there are some things that parents can do to help a child know what to do. For instance, teach the children about talking to stranger danger and what to do while waiting for the bus or walking home from school. A child usually knows if a person is usually in their school and if anything looks or feel suspicious, they should report it to their teachers immediately. Also, give the child a list of emergency numbers, like mom and dad’s cellular phones and grandma’s home numbers so that they may get a hold of their family should there be an issue. Most schools have payphone system or a child can call from the office if necessary to get reach a parent or guardian. 

2. Give Kids a Cellular Phone

There are some parents who are adamantly against children having a cellular phone, but many parents are so thankful that their children have had them during recent events. While kids are generally irresponsible by nature, these phones may be the only connection between the parents and child should the school be on lock-down or there be an issue. School lines can become jammed with concerned parents calling, but knowing that a parent can call a cell phone can put the mind at ease. The phones can also be used to call the police for a teacher or can be used to call an ambulance. Each school has their own policy regarding cell phones and their usage in the schools, but most will at least allow them in the lockers. 

3. Be In Contact With the School

When it comes to bullying and things of this nature, make sure to make a presence at the school. By talking with the principal and the teachers, they will know that the parent is heavily involved in their child’s life. If there is an incident that involves bullying, make sure to get to the bottom of it right away. Involve school staff and make sure that the child feels like the situation is being handled. If the situation is not rectified and bullying continues, parents have rights to protect their children at all costs. 

While the schools have certainly been in the news a great deal the past few years, they are still one of the safest places for children to be. There are some incidents that happen just because not every child is raised the same and also mental illness can play a great factor in this. Still with all the bad news, there are many good things that happen in the schools; it is all about preparing the children for the future.

About The Author:

This post is contributed by Christine Maddox. Currently she is pursuing her Master’s degree from University of Texas as well as blogging for www.4nannies.com. She loves to write anything related to parenting, kids, nanny care etc. She can be reached via email at: christine.4nannies @ gmail.com.

General Safety Issues

APRIL IS NATIONAL DISTRACTED DRIVING MONTH

Think about this: according to the new Safety in Numbers newsletter from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at any given daylight moment across the United States, about 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices behind the wheel.  With that many persons texting or talking while driving, 3,300 people were killed in distraction-related crashes in 2011, and another 387,000 were injured.  Our nation’s roadways are the center of a deadly epidemic – distracted driving. 

Is there any message or conversation worth taking the chance of having a serious accident, or causing injury to others?  Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.  Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted.  Sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes away from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds – the equivalent of driving 55 mph the length of an entire football field, blind. 

Here are other risks of using mobile communication devices while driving.

  • Driving while using a mobile phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 per cent.
  • Headset mobile phone or hands-free use is actually no safer than hand-held use. (Your mind is on the conversation, rather than driving.)
  • Of American teens surveyed, 40 per cent say they have been in a car when the driver put others in danger by using a cell phone.
  • Using a cell phone while driving, hand-held or hands-free delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of 0.08 per cent.
  • Teen drivers are more likely than other age groups to be involved in a fatal crash where distraction is reported. 

Other distractions happen, as well.  One could be so absorbed in conversation with their passenger(s), they forget to pay attention to the road.  New cars that have all the bells and whistles, computer screens, also cause distractions.  Our minds are running 24/7, and when we are behind the wheel, they need to be totally focused on the rules of the road.  

Just this week, while driving through town, a young lady crossed the street in front of me, unaware that I had the green light.  I stopped and waited, but she was so engrossed in her cell phone, probably texting, that she never saw me.  She continued her walk, and never noticed that she could have been run over.  Had I been distracted by something, I might not have seen her at all until it was too late! 

Please make up your mind every time you get behind the wheel that you plan to drive safely and will wait to retrieve your phone messages when you reach your destination.  Try it, just turn off your phone while driving.

Statistics source: NHTSA

 

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues

PROTECTING YOUR EYES FROM TECHNOLOGY (GUEST POST)

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With technology all around us, we need to keep in mind how it effects our eyes. We use technology almost all day, every day. Whether we are checking our phones, working on the computer, or watching our favorite TV show, we use some type of technology. Our eyes weren’t meant to focus on 2-deminsional objects, like computer screens and TVs, for hours on end. By focusing on technology for too long, we can develop eye strain or Computer Vision Syndrome. Recent studies have shown that people who constantly use technology have a higher risk for developing glaucoma than those who limit their usage. There are a few things you can do to prevent hurting your eyes while using different technology.

An easy way to prevent eye strain is simply giving your eyes a rest. As a general rule, you should spend 5 minutes resting your eyes for every hour you spend looking at the computer. You can easily rest your eyes by either focusing on something else in the room or by closing your eyes. This will give your eyes a nice break and reduce the risk of getting eye strain or even an accommodative spasm. An accomodative spasm is when your eyes have focused on something close, like a book or computer, long enough that when you look away you have troubles focusing on further away objects, which can lead to several different problems. Accomodative spasm can result in eyestrain, headaches, troubles concentrating, and poor comprehension when reading. However, eye strains can result in headaches, dry or watery eyes, blurry vision, sore neck or back, shoulder pain, and sensitivity to light. By simply looking away and trying to focus on something else you can reduce getting sysptoms for either eye strain or accomodative spasm. To help out even more, you can get up and walk around for a few minutes as well. If you find it difficult to remember to take a break, there are plenty of programs such as EVO.  EVO is a simple desktop notification system that runs through your webrowser to remind you to take a break from your computer.

Changing the brightness on your screen depending on the time of day and the light surrounding you makes it a lot easier on your eyes. If you are using your phone outside at the brightest time of day, your screen should also be bright. The same concept goes if you are on your laptop at home with only a few lights on, you want the screen to be darker than it would be if the room was fully lit. Most laptops can be set to change the screen brightness automatically depending on the surrounding light. This is a special feature that most Macs come with, so if you are spending your day at work using accounting software you know that your Mac will instantly change the brightness of your screen according to the lights in your office. Where as, if your brought your accounting work home, your Mac would then change for the lighting in your house.  iPhone users can set their screen to change depending on the lighting around them. To set this up, you can go to the brightness and wallpaper settings on your phone and turn the Auto-Brightness option on. If you work in an office that has windows, you might need to reduce the glare on your computer screen. You can reduce glare by simply moving it in a place where the window won’t reflect on it, or by buying an anti-glare screen protector.

Having your computer in the proper position and making sure you are sitting correctly can help reduce eye strain, especially if you spend most of your day in front of a computer. When positioning your computer, you should keep the top of the monitor at eye level and have it be tilted slightly upwards. Doing this will make your eyes look slightly downwards at your screen instead of straight on. Looking downwards means that while you are using your computer, more of your eye will be covered by your eye lid and you will unconsciously blink more often. You should also position yourself about 20 inches away from your computer screen, or at arm’s length. With your screen at the proper distance, you should be able to see everything without needing to move your head too much. If you are using a laptop, you can put it on an adjustable stand so it sits at the proper height. You should also try to always sit up straight, with your arms and legs at a 90 degree angle. 

Your eyes are very important since you use them for just about any and every activity you do on a daily basis. You can take care of your eyes in more ways than changing how you use technology. A couple ways you can are eating right, living a healthy lifestyle, and getting your annual checkups. Some doctors also encourage patients to eat raw carrots because they contain vitamin A which is helpful for your eye site. Researchers even believe that drinking red wine can help protect your eyes along with other things such as your hear. Remember to take breaks when using technology, whether it’s watching TV, using the computer, or even using your smart phone. By making these small changes, you can protect your eyes from technology on a daily basis.

Nicky Elkins is a freelance writer from Pensacola, Florida. She attended the University of West Florida and earned her Graduate degree in Creative Writing. Nicky now uses her gift for writing and her love of all things technology to help others enjoy and understand consumer electronics, social media, and the coolest new gadgets.

General Safety Issues

TEACHING YOUR CHILD PHONE ETIQUETTE (GUEST POST)

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When I first received this post from Martina Keyhill of BecomeANanny.com, I thought, what does this have to do with safety? Then I read the article, and saw that it has some very good safety advice.   As parents and grandparents, we can set the example for them by using our cell phones in a way that they will understand: please pay attention to the advice Martina shares with us.

Back when landline phones were a fixture in every household, kids were taught proper phone etiquette as a standard skill. Conversely, in 2010,  USA Today reported that one in four American homes had only wireless phones, with that figure steadily climbing. As a result, more of today’s kids are growing up in homes without landline telephones altogether, simply receiving their own mobile devices when they reach an age that their parents determine is appropriate. Teaching your children proper phone etiquette at an early age can help them understand the best ways to politely and appropriately use both the decreasingly popular landline telephone and their own cell phone, when they receive it.

Safety First

Children often have a tendency to give out more information than is strictly necessary over the phone. While these over-shares can range from mildly embarrassing to downright hilarious, that lack of discretion can be dangerous. Kids should be taught from a young age that certain information should never be shared with a stranger, which can help ensure that they never give out information that’s better kept quiet. To guarantee that your youngster understands what is considered appropriate sharing, role play a variety of hypothetical phone conversations and talk about the right way to handle certain questions. If you live in a home with a landline that is still regularly used, these conversations and exercises should start taking place before your child is allowed to answer the phone on his own.

Model Good Phone Behavior

Kids learn much about what is and is not acceptable behavior by observing parents and other trusted adults, then modeling their own behavior after those observations. You can start teaching your child good cell phone etiquette long before he ever gets his own mobile device by simply practicing good phone manners yourself. To provide your kids with a good phone-etiquette role model, don’t take non-essential calls in quiet, public settings or use alert tones that disturb others around you. If you want to raise a child who doesn’t text or talk on his cell phone while driving, it’s vital that you don’t either.

Discuss Appropriate Behavior

When it’s time for your child to get his first cell phone, it’s also a good time for you to discuss your family policy regarding accessing and sharing inappropriate content. If applicable, let your child know that his phone may be subject to random searches or that you’ve installed monitoring software to keep tabs on his phone use, and that he should never send messages or share photos that they would be embarrassed for anyone other than the intended recipient to see. Explaining that content is easily shared, both inadvertently and deliberately, and can never be retrieved may help to prevent him from sending potentially embarrassing content.

Declare “Phone Free” Time During Certain Hours

Banning cell phone use during dinner or landline use after a certain time will help your children learn that it’s not appropriate or polite to send messages or make calls at all hours of the day or night. Enforcing the rule and explaining why your family has such a policy also presents a great opportunity for discussion regarding other times and situations where using a cell phone or placing a traditional landline call might not be acceptable.

Talk About Bullying

Bullying and peer harassment is a very real problem for today’s youth, and it extends far beyond the boundaries of school property. Modern technology allows cruel kids to reach their victims through social networking sites, email and text messages for what often amounts to round-the-clock torment. Talking about cyber-bullying, how to handle it and why it’s wrong before giving your child his first cell phone can also help to open a dialogue about the subject of bullying in general, which can offer you some valuable insights. Explain to your child that even sharing a message with cruel content written by someone else is cyber-bullying, and that it’s never okay to participate in pranks that cause other people pain. It’s also wise to teach him how to deal with any cyber-bullying that he might encounter, so that he’s prepared in the event of this all-too-common occurrence.

In addition to teaching your children the rules governing public cell phone use, inappropriate content, and the basics of cyber-bullying, you should take the time to explain the proper methods for addressing someone after they answer the phone, asking to speak with a member of the household, and answering the phone in a polite, friendly manner.

General Safety Issues

SAFETY ON THE ROAD (GUEST POST)

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 This article was sent to us by Kirsty Terry, referring to U.K. road safety.  Much of the information applies to U.S. drivers, as well. Kirsty later sent me a “Texas Friendly” version of the article, as I had no idea what a lorry was. (It’s a truck!) Pat

In recent years there has been a marked increase in the investment from the Government into Road Safety campaigns. And with the on-going encouragement to get more people cycling instead of driving the need to educate road users in all areas is far greater. There are a large number of potentially fatal hazards associated with driving – so here are some ways to help you drive as safely as possible…

Driver CPC – The Driver CPC is an EU course to help improve the quality of driving for truckers through their knowledge and skills.  The deadline for lorry drivers to have completed their CPC is September 2014. New drivers since 2009 have had to complete the course to get their licence.

Alcohol – any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive. If you have had alcohol within the past few hours it is advisable to seek another way home – always have a taxi number in your phone.

Mobile Phones – using a mobile phone while driving means you’re 4 times more likely to crash. It is also illegal. If you must be on the phone while travelling then always use a hands-free.

Tiredness – an estimated 20% of accidents on trunk roads and motorways are sleep-related – all those signs you see on the roadside about take a break? They are there for a reason! Don’t drive tired!

Seatbelt – not wearing a seatbelt can be fatal both for the driver and for passengers (even if you are sitting in the back seat).

Speed – speed limits are there for a reason, getting somewhere a few minutes faster is not worth risking a life over.

Physical modifications – Trucks have limited visibility from the drivers cab but there are a few ways in which to improve it. You could add a side-guard, side sensor or mirror system to your truck.

The key thing though is Awareness. Being aware of other road users is one of the most effective ways to drive safely so here are some tips…  Indicate well in advance of turning so anyone coming up beside you knows you will soon cross their path. Pass horses and riders slow and wide on country roads. Adapt your style of driving to the weather conditions – driving when the road is icy is worlds away from how you drive in dry weather. Know the height, weight and width of your vehicle – you don’t want to be one of those people pictured with their truck stuck under a bridge….

Safety should always be a priority for truck drivers – Fact. 

Finally a little bit about Milestone…

Milestone Operations is a Recruitment company specialising primarily in LGV driving work, we also have several Industrial and Commercial opportunities. This year at the Recruiter Awards for Excellence, Milestone were voted ‘Best Temporary Recruitment Agency of the year’. The company has gone from strength to strength in the last few years, experiencing rapid growth. We also have strong links with leading names in the logistics industry including DHL, Eddie Stobart and Norbert Dentressangle. Check out http://www.milestoneops.com/jobs_by_sector/HGV/ for more information

General Safety Issues

Cell Phone Use While Driving: A Preventable Danger (Guest Post)

Sent to us by Brandy Anderson.

Texting drivers are twenty-three times more likely to be involved in an accident than non-texting drivers. They recognize the danger, too: forty per cent of teens admit that they have been passengers in a car and felt at risk of a crash while the driver used a cell phone in a hazardous manner. Despite the risk, nearly fifty per cent of teenagers admit to texting while driving, and estimates report that one million people chat or text while driving each day.

This bad habit has tragic consequences. In 2010 alone, almost 3100 people were killed and 416,000 more were injured in motor vehicle accidents that were caused by a distracted driver.

One study by Car and Driver found that texting while driving impaired reaction times significantly more than driving while drunk. Society as a whole is aware of the risk of drinking and driving and collectively condemns that behavior. It’s astounding that attitudes regarding cell phone use while driving are so dramatically different.

Many still consider this habit to be acceptable regardless of the risk. Some are reluctant to admit the danger and claim that they have the ability to multitask and drive. However, a study by Carnegie Mellon University shows that simply listening to someone speak while driving reduces cognitive functions by thirty-seven per cent. Regardless of one’s claimed ability to multitask, the fact is clear: Driving performance is drastically impaired by using a cell phone.

One tragic case involved a teen girl in Alaska who fatally hit a man early on Easter Sunday in 2011. The investigation found the girl to be texting while driving and continued to text “OMG, OMG” while leaving the scene of the accident. After hearing news of this story, Jim Wojciehowski, a physician’s assistant in Alaska decided to do something to prevent tragedies like this from occurring in the future. He came up with an idea for a smartphone app that would eliminate phone distraction while driving.

He created Silent Driver, which works by blocking all incoming calls and texts when a user is moving faster than 10 mph. It also locks the phone so that the user can’t place a text or make a call while driving. The phone allows users to include three safe numbers, so if something happens while the user is moving, they can still call for help. Parents have the option to password protect the app on their teenager’s phone to ensure responsible driving, and they receive a notification if there is any attempt to disable it.

By reducing distractions from cell phones, drivers are free from the temptation to use their phones while operating a vehicle. Download Silent Driver for your phone and commit to driving safely. By focusing on the task of driving, you avoid a preventable accident and the risk of harming yourself or others.  No text or call is worth risking your own or your loved ones’ lives. 

Author Bio:
Brandy is an MBA student at the University of Colorado Denver. She enjoys topics related to environmental issues, technology, business, and social responsibility.  Click here for Brandy’s Twitter.

General Safety Issues

EIGHT BIGGEST DISTRACTIONS FOR TEEN BABYSITTERS (GUEST POST)

By Tina Marconi    www.babysitters.net/blog

When parents are faced with the prospect of leaving their children in the care of a babysitter, one of the most worrisome aspects of the arrangement is the idea that a distracted sitter might inadvertently allow her charges to get into a dangerous situation. While there’s no surefire way to ensure that absolutely nothing will ever go wrong, there are a few steps that you can take, as a parent, to ensure the safety of your children while they’re under a sitters care. The first step to eliminating distractions is knowing what the most common ones are.

1.   Cell Phones – In the 1990′s, cell phones were large, clunky objects that most teenagers were only aware of as a result of Saved By the Bell heartthrob Zack Morris. Times have since changed, and these days almost every teenager brings her tiny, powerful mobile device everywhere she goes. No longer restricted to simply chatting away as she keeps an eye on her charges, today’s sitter can update social networking accounts, check her email, and send text messages from your couch; because all of these actions require her to keep her eyes on the screen, there’s a lot she could potentially miss.

2.   Television – While we’ve all been distracted from time to time by a television show, a babysitter whose childcare experience is likely to be limited to a few hours a week might let things get out of hand as she zones out in front of the tube. Though banning television altogether while your sitter is working might not be as effective in practice as it is in theory, it’s wise to have a discussion about both the distraction factor and the need to filter questionable, age-inappropriate content from your kids. A good sitter will understand your concerns, and will make every effort to adhere to your house rules.

3.   Visitors – Most parents make a “no visitors” rule whenever they hire a babysitter. Unfortunately, this is one of the rules that almost always begs to be broken. If your kids are old enough to be verbal, the sitter may be tempted to wait until they’re in bed to invite a pal over; before her charges are old enough to tell on her, however, all bets are off. Let her know that the neighbors will be keeping an eye on the house in the interest of safety; it’s a great way of letting your sitter know that she’s being observed without accusing her of planning to have guests over before you’ve even left the house.

4.  Homework – Teenage babysitters may have homework to attend to, especially if you’ve requested her services on a school night. Requesting that she wait until she’s put the kids to bed before she cracks open the books is one way of eliminating the potential for any distraction, but you should remember that her schoolwork is important. Calling your sitter on short notice will raise the odds of her having homework that can’t be ignored, so you should make every effort to make arrangements as early as possible.

5.  Other Children – When you have more than one child, you should understand that your sitter will be forced to pay more attention to a younger or more rambunctious child than she would an older one with a calmer temperament. When a babysitter works for a large family, the thing that’s most likely to distract her from the group as a whole is one demanding child.

6.  Meal Preparation – Leaving money for pizza or other delivery food is a time-honored tradition between parents and their babysitters, largely because providing a ready-made dinner dramatically reduces the likelihood of a child getting injured or in trouble because his sitter is focused on cooking; it also eliminates the risk of a kitchen fire stemming from a neglected stove when kids demand every ounce of a sitter’s attention. Some parents feel uneasy about allowing a delivery person to come to their home when there’s no real adult present; if this is the case, you should arrange for a pre-prepared dinner that requires minimal focus on your sitter’s part.

7.  Pets – Anyone with pets knows that they can be just as demanding as the children in the house. A barking, energetic dog that paws at the door every five minutes is a distraction for your sitter, especially if she’s not familiar with your home, the animal’s temperament, or the routine that your children are accustomed to. Relegating your pooch to a fenced yard or a designated part of the house for the duration of a sitter’s shift can reduce the potential for pet-centric distractions.

8.  Parents – It’s not altogether surprising that a babysitter’s employers can be her biggest distraction. Calling every five minutes to make sure that your kids are okay is understandable, especially if you’re leaving them in the care of a sitter for the first time or she’s never worked for your family before; still, talking on the phone and fielding your questions might take her attention away from your kids, leaving them with minimal supervision.

Life is unpredictable, so it just isn’t possible to foresee every situation that might arise to remove a babysitter’s focus away from your children. The most that any parent can do is make an effort to minimize the likelihood of the most common culprits rearing their heads, and ensure that any sitter they hire is mature, competent and reliable.

Tina, this is good advice for parents to consider when choosing a babysitter.  Thanks very much, pb

General Safety Issues

MORE DISTURBING NEWS ON DISTRACTED DRIVING

It seems there just can’t be enough discussed about the importance of stopping the use of cell phones while driving.  The Fort Worth Star-Telegram recently published an article with this byline: “He survived Iraq but was killed by a distracted driver.”   

Javier Zamora, who served in Iraq as a helicopter door gunner and lived to tell about it, was killed after returning to the United States by a driver fumbling with a cell phone.  He lost his life in 2007 in Southern California, when his car was struck head-on by one driven by a woman who was reaching between the seats for her phone.  This Thursday, his wife, Jennifer Zamora, will relate the family’s story during a Texas Distracted Driving Summit in San Antonio.  Ray LaHood, Transportation Secretary, is scheduled to speak, and experts will talk about scientific studies on distracted driving and what politicians and phone and auto manufacturers are doing to curb it. 

Ms. Zamora, who is a Lockheed Martin air traffic controller at Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, will serve on a panel of survivors who will discuss what it is like to live with the loss of a loved one – caused by a preventable accident.  USAA, a Texas-based military financial services provider, the Department of Transportation, and Shriners Hospitals for Children are presenting the summit.  In addition to LaHood’s appearance and testimony from survivors of crash victims, experts will take part in panel discussions about the latest technologies, corporate policies on mobile devices and public officials’ willingness to forge change. 

For Javier Zamora, it’s too late.  He was a “Mr. Mom” to their three children, and Jennifer’s daughter by a previous marriage.  According to his wife, he was their foundation.  He handled a more domestic role, seeing that the kids ate properly, wore nice clothes and did their schoolwork.  He served his country, yet was taken in his prime by a preventable accident.  

There are still about 54 per cent of motorists that believe that their driving ability is unchanged while they talk on the phone.  Even if one has all the hands-free devices in the world, it remains possible that just concentrating on the conversation takes away from paying attention to the road.   We continue to observe National Distracted Driving Awareness Month throughout this month, and should persist in doing so every day.  The Texas Transportation Department bought radio spots and billboard space for ads with the slogan: “Talk. Text. Crash.” 

Source: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

General Safety Issues

NATIONAL DISTRACTED DRIVING AWARENESS MONTH – PART I

Letting oneself become distracted while driving is one of the most dangerous things our highways are facing.  First, food and drink were the contributors to distracted driving.  Now, with cell phones being the main culprit, we are seeing more and more accidents being caused by not only talking on the phone while driving, but texting while behind the wheel.  New cars are being designed with technological advancements that require looking at the screen rather than the road, so it is easy to see why so many drivers today are guilty of driving distracted, often as a result of multi-tasking. 

According to studies on driving distractions, focus is placed on three major forms of distractions: physical, visual, and cognitive.  Using a cell phone while driving places cognitive demands on the user.  Talking on the phone requires concentration to listen, process and respond as opposed to just listening.  An even higher, more dangerous level of driving distraction is text messaging.  This affects all three major forms of driving distraction simultaneously.  It has been shown that hands-free phones are no safer than handheld ones. 

Almost every day we  hear a story about a child or innocent person who has been killed by someone talking on his/her cell phone, who ran a red light, or failed to see the other car.  Go to Focus Driven – Advocates for Cell-Free Driving and read some of the stories of how the use of cell phones while driving have impacted the lives of others, those who lost a child or family member.  There is no conversation that is so important that is worth taking the chance of hurting or killing someone.  It’s a simple thing to turn that cell phone off.  Your messages will be there when you arrive safely at your destination.  Just think how convenient it is to have your very own answering machine with you, taking your messages.  If you will get into the habit of turning your phone off, you will learn to appreciate a nice, quiet drive without disruption.  The experience of reading those stories has convinced me to turn my phone off while I am driving.  I have said it before, and then slipped back into the habit of setting it close by, but I don’t want to be guilty of hurting an innocent person because of some conversation with a friend, that could wait until I am out of my car. 

In the words of one of the guest bloggers on the Original Blog of Focus Driven-Advocates for Cell-Free phones: “Should connectivity be prioritized over safety?  Refraining from using a cell phone while driving may seem impossible to some.  Drivers using cell phones are four times as likely to crash.  Sending or receiving text messages increases crash risk by at least eight times.  No text, no conversation, no status update of email is worth putting your life, or another person’s life, in danger.”  This man was describing the devastation of losing his 12-year old son, who was riding with his mother when her SUV was hit on his side of the car by a woman ran a red light, talking on her cell-phone.  His son would now be 21, and, sadly,  his parents can only imagine what he would have been like at that age. 

If we are ever to change this problem, it is going to involve everyone.  If you receive a call from someone while they are driving, ask them to hang up, because you don’t want them to have an accident, and then ask them to call you when they get home.  Speak up if you are a passenger, and tell your driver to please stop texting while you are in the car.  It will take courage to tell your friends, family members and co-workers, who use their cell phones while driving, to ask them to take the pledge to drive cell-free.  Help change the social acceptance about cell phone distracted driving.  This should begin with new drivers, who need to get into the habit of not using their phones as soon as they begin driving, and of course, parents, who should have set the example for them. 

Tomorrow, we will continue with how distracted driving affects companies’ liability when their drivers use cell phones while operating company vehicles, and how they are correcting the problem.

General Safety Issues

TOP AGENCIES ARE SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT DISTRACTED DRIVING

The month of December is one of the heaviest traffic times of the year, as shoppers go about their business, and the working world carries on their daily duties.  There are more travelers, too, so the focus on preventing distracted driving is very important, at all times, but especially when there are more vehicles in city streets and on the highways.

Department of Transportation unveils ‘OMG’ PSA to warn teens about the dangers of distracted driving.

The U.S. Department of Transportation unveiled “OMG,” a new public service announcement (PSA) to warn teenagers against the dangers of distracted driving. The PSA is available on the newly redesigned Distraction.gov website, along with new materials designed especially for young drivers. The new PSA is designed to reach teenagers using imagery that relates to popular shorthand text messages such as “L8R” for “later” or “LOL” for “laugh out loud.” Two versions of the PSA will air. A version geared toward a teenage audience will run exclusively on 6,589 movie screens in 526 cinemas across the country. A more somber version will air on the 12,000 screens that top pumps at high traffic gas stations across the United States.

The human toll is tragic,” said OSHA Assistant Secretary David Michaels about the consequences of distracted driving. “The Department of Transportation reports that in 2009, more than 5,400 people died in crashes linked to distraction and thousands more were injured.

Texting while driving has become such a prominent hazard that 30 states now ban text messaging for all drivers. It is an employer’s responsibility and legal obligation to create and maintain a safe and healthful workplace, and that would include having a clear, unequivocal and enforced policy against the hazard of texting while driving.” In an Oct. 20 blog post, Michaels said, “Companies are in violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act if, by policy or practice, they require texting while driving, or create incentives that encourage or condone it, or they structure work so that texting is a practical necessity for workers to carry out their job.” 

Agencies such as OSHA, the Department of Transportation, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, are working together to ensure that companies enforce the policy that their employees who are required to drive all or part of their work shift do not text while driving.  Technology has made workers able to accomplish more by faster communications; however, there is a time and place for use of a cell phone, and it is not while driving.  These calls should be made when the driver is stopped and pulled over.  If there is an accident because of talking or texting on a cell phone, how much time is saved then?  For more information, visit OSHA’s Distracted Driving Web page. 

ONE TEXT OR CALL COULD WRECK IT ALL

Distracted driving is a dangerous epidemic on America’s roadways. As stated previously, in 2009 alone, nearly 5,500 people were killed and 450,000 more were injured in distracted driving crashes.  The U.S. Department of Transportation is leading the effort to stop texting and cell phone use behind the wheel. Since 2009, two national  distracted driving summits have been held, banned texting and cell phone use for commercial drivers, encouraged states to adopt tough laws, and launched several campaigns to raise public awareness about the issue.  Distraction.gov is your resource for learning more about distracted driving. Get the facts, get involved, and help us keep America’s roadways safe.  If you haven’t seen the videos, go to this website and see for yourself just how fast tragedy can strike.

Sources: USDOT, NHTSA, OSHA