Tag Archives: drunk driving

General Safety Issues

FOURTH OF JULY WARNINGS!

TxDot warning drivers, “No Refusal” over Fourth of July holiday

 

The Texas Department of Transportation is cracking-down on drunk-driving over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.  In 2012 alone, there were over 25,000 alcohol-related wrecks on Texas roadways. Those wrecks left 1,170 dead and 9,458 seriously injured. With these startling statistics in mind, TxDot is launching its “Faces of Drunk Driving” campaign.

The campaign is an effort to put a human face on the impact of drunk-driving. This year’s campaign will highlight nine-year-old Xitclalli “Chilli” Vasquez, who was paralyzed from the waist down after being hit by a drunk driver in Ft. Worth on July 9, 2011- just three days before her eighth birthday. Her story, along with those of over a dozen others impacted by drunk-driving, can be found on the “Faces of Drunk Driving” website. 

In addition to this campaign, TxDot wants motorists to know that law enforcement across Texas will conduct a “No Refusal” initiative over the Independence Day weekend. “No Refusal” legally requires suspected drunk drivers who have been pulled over to provide police with a breath or blood sample. Drivers who refuse to provide a breath sample will be taken to jail where they will be forced to provide a blood sample. Motorists found to be legally intoxicated will face a DWI charge. DWI penalties continue to get tougher. Penalties now include immediate arrest, a suspended license, jail time, and a fine that has increased to $17,000. They are really not kidding when they say you can’t afford it. 

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) provides tips on how to prevent drinking and driving:

Choose a designated driver- decide who’s going to be doing the driving before you go out, Hide the keys- don’t be afraid to take someone’s keys who you know should not be driving, Arrange alternate transportation- sometimes even the designated driver slips, set up a ride with a sober driver.

For those hosting a party this fourth of July, be aware that the host is responsible if an intoxicated party-goer leaves and causes a wreck. The host will face criminal charges and could possibly be forced to pay medical bills and legal fees for all involved in the wreck.

In addition to the above article shared by KLTV, Channel 7, in Tyler, Texas, others are concerned about your safety, too, during this holiday weekend.  “Lately it seems people care more about material things and their ability to social network than they do about their own health,” said Thomas Esposito, MD, MPH, chief of the Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burns in the Department of Surgery at Loyola University Medical Center. “Staging an awesome pyrotechnical display for your friends on YouTube may result in blowing off your thumb, ending for good your ability to communicate using a handheld device.”  Their Fourth of July warning theme is “No Texting for Your Life!”

The fourth of July traditionally is the biggest day for grilling food across America.  America’s firefighters want you to think about fire safety while you enjoy the holiday.  Firefighters urge folks grilling  to keep an eye on their grill at all times, and not to walk off and forget the fire.  Keep the kids and pets away from the fire.  Unattended cooking is the number one cause of house fires, and that includes outdoor grilling. Firefighters say use common sense to prevent a tragedy. 

Cook outdoors, not under an awning or carport.  Leave the grills alone to cool off for a long time.  Charcoal grills that turn over can spark house fires hours after the food is done. Firefighters say never try to throw away hot coals, and keep a barrier around the grill to prevent children from running into it. 

Hospital emergency rooms will be on stand-by, in adddition to medical response teams, fire departments, and law enforcement, who will be staffing extra personnel in order to accommodate those who are involved in any accident.  Please heed all warnings and have a safe, sober, and Happy Fourth of July!

General Safety Issues

TEN COMMON HOLIDAY ACCIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN AVOID THEM

TEN COMMON HOLIDAY ACCIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN AVOID THEM

GUEST POST

We’ve all seen holiday horror stories from fictional ones like National Lampoon or real ones like Black Fridays gone bloody.  But did you know that there are many things that can happen to the real life average American that aren’t seen on television?  To give you an idea, we have gathered the 10 most common holiday accidents to help you better avoid them.

  • Fire – It is the season where a roaring fireplace is a must.  However, that fireplace can lead to loads of injuries in damage.  In 2006, holiday fires were thought to have caused nearly one billion dollars in damage.
  • Candles – The most common source of these fires were candles.  While holiday candles are a must, so is putting them out.  It is also important to not put anything flammable near them or set the candle holder anywhere it can be easily knocked over.
  • The trees – Did you know that the elegant Christmas tree is the most likely item to catch fire when it is started?  Fresh trees look and smell beautiful but can literally be a ten foot tinderbox.  Keeping flames, including smokers away from the tree just makes good holiday sense.
  • Falls – They happen to the best of us, especially when the drinks are flowing and the room is full of people.  With thousands of people visiting the ER every year during the holiday season for falls, it makes more sense than ever to watch where you are going, where others are going, and just to take your time getting there.
  • Frying – Americans deep fry everything, and the holidays are just all the more reason to break out the fryer.  This can include everything from potatoes to turkeys.  If firing up your fryer this year, do it outdoors, on concrete, and keep an extinguisher handy if the worst happens.
  • Drunk Driving – With holiday drinks occasionally loaded with liquor, it can be easy to forget that the eggnog isn’t just made from eggs.  Keep your mind on getting home safely, not that holiday drinking.  Designated drivers are also a good idea.
  • Icy roads – You don’t want to be incapacitated by alcohol to suffer this holiday-related hazard.  Freezing rain, snow, and more can make yesterday’s safe road today’s automotive slip and slide.  Proceed with caution, and be extra careful if your car has rear wheel drive.
  • The mall – With the holiday frenzy in full swing, it can also be easy to have an accident at the mall.  Aside from the mobs associated with huge sales, there are other hazards.  Wet floors, broken escalators, and people doing the walk-and-text have led to more mall mishaps.
  • The lights – Have you spent hours untangling holiday lights?  You might just be one of the 12,000 ER visits due to holiday-related cuts, shocks, and more.  Any lights with exposed wires or cut glass should just be chucked as new lights are cheaper than a hospital visit.
  • Shocks – Need an outdoor extension cord but only have an indoor one?  What’s the harm?  With the possibility of both a serious electric shock and burning down your house, there can be considerable harm.  Using the wrong type of cords, bulbs, or products that aren’t waterproof can also cause big holiday damage.

This article was sent to us today, December 24th, by Brooke Stafford, a nursing practitioner student and also a writer for  Family Nurse Practitioner Degrees. The site helps students find the right nurse practitioner degree to fit their needs.

Thank you, Brooke, for this informative article.  The ten safety reminders that you have written about also apply after Christmas, as well, in taking down trees and decorations.  We know the malls will be packed with shoppers either exchanging gifts or looking for more bargains.  So we need to pay attention to the tips you sent us!   Please stay in touch, and good luck in your studies in the health field.

General Safety Issues

TIE ONE ON FOR M.A.D.D.!

Started in 1986, Tie One On For Safety® is MADD’s (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) longest running and most visible public awareness project. MADD asks holiday drivers to tie MADD red ribbons to visible locations on their vehicles, or place window decals on their vehicles’ windows. The red ribbons represent drivers’ pledges to drive safely, sober and buckled up, reminding other drivers and passengers to do the same.  MADD began in 1980, and has become one of the most famous non-profit organizations in U.S. and Canada.  The result of drunk-driving accidents that took the lives of their children, some of the victim’s mothers got together and started the project of saving lives by preventing these types of devastating accidents.  The Tie One On For Safety runs from November 16th through New Year’s Day, so let’s be prepared to promote this project by being diligent about the cause. 

How can the public participate in Tie One On For Safety?

This holiday season, individuals can demonstrate their commitment to eliminate drunk driving in several ways:

  • Display a red ribbon in a visible location on your vehicles. Red ribbons and red ribbon window decals are available through local MADD affiliates. 
  • Host parties responsibly by offering mock-tails and other non-alcoholic beverages, and by providing alternate transportation or accommodations for guests who have been drinking.
  • Designate a sober driver before drinking begins.

Give the Gift of a Designated Driver™

This year MADD is also offering the gift we can all give each other – the gift of a safe and sober ride home.  If you are looking for a cost effective, yet thoughtful gift to give your friends, consider downloading one of their coupons (or make your own), offering to be their DD this holiday season. 

MADD also asks the public to Tie One On For Safety in support of MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, which calls for intensive, high-visibility law enforcement efforts that include sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols; advocates that all convicted drunk drivers have an alcohol ignition interlock installed on their vehicles; supports the research of transparent, vehicle-based technologies that will prevent a drunk driver from driving drunk; and mobilizes grassroots support of all of these efforts, led by MADD.

Holiday drivers, please display a MADD red ribbon or red ribbon decal on your vehicles, or tie one to car keys to show family, friends and loved ones you support safer roads free from drunk driving. It also reminds other drivers and passengers to do the same. More than 6 million ribbons and ribbon symbols are distributed annually in the United States. Their message also includes seat belts because it is the best defense in a crash caused by a drunk driver. The holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day is when road travel is the heaviest of the year and typically drunk driving increases. 

MADD Statistics:

An average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before first arrest. 

MADD serves a victim or survivor of drunk driving every nine minutes.

This year, 10,839 people will die in drunk-driving crashes – one every 50 minutes.

One in three people will be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lifetime.

One in three 8th graders drinks alcohol.  MADD has saved 27,000 young lives through passage of groundbreaking public health laws.

One in three will be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lifetime.

Every minute, one person is injured from an alcohol-related crash.

50 to 75% of convicted drunk drivers continue to drive on a suspended license.

One in five teens binge drink. Only 1 in 100 parents believes his or her teen binge drinks.

Teen alcohol use kills about 6000 people each year, more than all illegal drugs combined.

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens and one out of three of those is alcohol related.

Kids who start drinking young are seven times more likely to be in an alcohol-related crash.

Drunk driving costs each adult in this country almost $500 per year.

High school students who use alcohol or other substances are five times more likely to drop out of school or believe good grades are not important.

Every minute, one person is injured from an alcohol-related crash.

Since 1980 MADD has nearly saved 300,000 lives …and counting.

Open your eyes and see fully the importance of driving sober.  No one wants to live with the guilt of causing an accident because they partied too much, while celebrating the holidays, or any other time of the year.  Do all you can to promote safe driving.  If you “tie one on, please let it just be a red ribbon!”

Source: M.A.D.D.

Uncategorized

DRUNK DRIVERS

Pardon the pun, but the statistics on alcohol-related accidents are truly staggering!  Of 42,000 people who die on U.S. Highways annually, more than 18,000 lives are taken due to drunk drivers.  One in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related accident in their lifetime.

A terrible accident just happened two days ago in a small Texas town.  While passing through this little town, a driver forced one man’s car off the street, kept going, only to nudge another company vehicle innocently on its way to work.  As law enforcement was notified, the driver moved on out of town.  In a matter of minutes, going at a high rate of speed, he hit another vehicle so hard that it became airborne, slamming head-on into a tree, taking an innocent person’s life.  The driver was taken to a nearby hospital, where a blood sample was obtained, resulting in an intoxicated manslaughter charge.  The accident happened around 8:30 a.m., and the driver was on his way to a deer lease.  We can never know what possessed this person to get behind the wheel in this condition.  The family of the deceased can now only grieve over their loss, caused by such thoughtlessness.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has an organized campaign to improve conditions on the roadways.  Some projects they have been able to get approved are:

  • High Visibility Drunk Driving Crackdowns – Twice yearly during high-risk periods such as Labor Day and the December Holidays.
  • Sobriety Checkpoints – Evaluating drivers for signs of alcohol or drug impairment at specific points of the roadways.  Signs may be posted in advance.  Average time of stop would be the equivalent of a traffic stoplight.
  • Smart Vehicle Technology-Within the next five years, car manufacturers may have developed DADSS (Driver Alcohol Detection Systems for Safety).
  • Ignition Interlocks – Convicted drivers have to blow into a device about the size of a cell phone that is connected to the starting circuit of the vehicle.

Designated drivers play a valuable part toward the protection of their friends who are impaired, as well as the innocent folks in the other lane.  As the saying goes, “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk!”