Tag Archives: no texting

General Safety Issues

YOUR CELL PHONE CAN BE YOUR BEST FRIEND

We hope you will find this information useful, while you are traveling for the holidays and every other day of the year.  Please stay safe.  Blog4Safety and Texas America Safety Company wish all who observe Thanksgiving Day a very happy holiday.  We are thankful for our loyal customers and those who follow our blog.  Also, I am especially thankful to all the guest authors who contribute to our safety blog.  It is an honor to hear from friends in the U.S., United Kingdom, including Australia and Scotland.  Pat

It is currently estimated in the United States that there are an additional 30,000 cellular phones in use every day.  When people use cellular phones while driving motor vehicles, particularly when dialing a number, they are often distracted and traffic accidents occur.   The following are a series of safety tips for cell phone users:

Get to know your cell phone and its features such as speed dial and redial. Carefully read your instruction manual and learn how to use the automatic redial and memory dial.  Up to ninety-nine numbers can be stored in most phones. 

Use hands free devices.  A number of hands-free cell phone accessories are readily available today.  Some experts feel that hands-free devices will help keep you safer; however, you still must have your mind on driving and not on your conversation. 

Position your phone within easy reach.  Make sure you place your cell phone within easy reach, usually the console in your car.  If it rings at a bad time, just let the voice mail answer it.  

Suspend conversation during hazardous conditions or situations. Let the person you are speaking to understand that you may have to complete the call later because of heavy traffic or hazardous weather.  Your first responsibility is to the road.  Also, if you are going through a school zone, you need to tell your friend that you are unable to talk.  Many states have laws that prevent you from using a cell phone in a school zone. 

Pay attention to the road.  Do not take notes or look up phone numbers while driving. If you are reading a text message or message on your car’s screen, you are not watching where you are going.  Use common sense and don’t get caught up in a dangerous situation because of that mistake. 

Dial sensibly and assess the traffic; if possible, place calls when you are not moving or before pulling into traffic.  Better yet, pull over.  Plan your calls before you take off and if necessary, call while you are at a stop sign or red light.  A good suggestion is to dial only a few numbers, check the road, and mirrors, and continue to complete the dial.

Do not engage in distracting conversations. Stressful or emotional conversations and driving do not mix – these can be dangerous if you allow that type of distraction while you are behind the wheel.  Tell the person that the conversation will have to wait until you are off the highways. 

Use your phone to call for help. Your cellular phone is one of the greatest tools you can own to protect yourself and your family in dangerous situations.  Remember, help is only three numbers away: 9-1-1 in case of traffic accident, road hazard, fire, accident, or medical emergencies.  It is a free call on your cell phone. 

Use your phone to help others in emergencies.  Your cellular phone provides you a perfect opportunity to be a “Good Samaritan” in your community.  Call 9-1-1 if you witness an auto accident, crime in progress, or other serious emergency where others lives are in danger.  You would want others to do this for you.

Call roadside assistance.  There are special cell phone non-emergency assistance numbers to call when necessary.  Certain situations may require attention but are not urgent enough for a 9-1-1 call.  Your cell phone can still lend a hand.  If there is a broken traffic signal, minor traffic accident with no injuries, broken-down vehicle, call roadside assistance or other special non-emergency wireless number.  You can look up your state’s roadside number and keep it in your phone.  In Texas, it is *DPS, or *377.

Reference “The Complete Campus Crime Prevention Manual” by The AEGIS Protection Group.  From the University of Texas at San Antonio Police Department, Crime Prevention.

First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues

HOLIDAY HAZARDS

The U.S. holiday season begins this week, with the observance of Thanksgiving, Thursday November 28th.  On Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, more travelers will be either on the roads or catching planes to reach their destinations of the homes of family or friends.   This time of the year brings the deadliest season of highway accidents.  From Wednesday through January 1st, motorists are asked to observe MADD’s (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) campaign, “Tie One On For Safety.”  Place a red ribbon on your car, or find one of their stickers at your local MADD office.  This will remind other drivers to be more alert than ever during this busy time of the year.  If you spot someone you suspect is drunk or under the influence of drugs, report it to the police or highway patrol.  Keep your cell phone charged and if you need to call, it’s toll-free: 9-1-1.   If you witness a non-emergent event, such as a car that has been stalled, instead of 9-1-1, call your state number for highway assistance.  Texas is *DPS or #377. These numbers are listed by states.  One source is ou.edu./oupd/highway-cell.htm.

As you begin to travel this holiday season there are a few tips you should remember to ensure a safe trip:
* Leave early in order to arrive safely without speeding
* Sleep at least seven to nine hours the night before the trip
* Stop every two hours and walk around
* Be a defensive driver and watch for fatigued or drunk drivers
* Schedule a routine maintenance check on your car before leaving (tire pressure, oil, battery,  windshield wipers, etc.)
* Pack emergency equipment including first aid kits, flashlights, water, and blankets
* Be responsible and don’t drink and drive or text and drive 

In addition to heavy traffic hazards, many parts of the country have deer and other wild animals lurking about.  Control your speed in order to avoid hitting an animal, which can cause havoc to you, the animal, and your vehicle!  Watch for them, because they don’t do a very good job of watching for you. 

One holiday mistake you might make is getting carried away at holiday parties.  Plan ahead that either you or one of your companions will be the designated driver.  Take a cab or call someone to pick you up if you are alone and unable to drive.  Remember, friends don’t let friends drive drunk.  The best idea is to make up your mind that you won’t celebrate too much.  You will thank yourself the next day. 

Highways will be full of law enforcement officers, watching for speeders and dangerous drivers.  Their work assignment is to keep our highways safe for all drivers.  Make their job easier by observing the speed limits.  You will save time for them, and save money for you. 

As you travel, remember the reason you are even driving at all is to spend time with family and friends.  They want you to arrive safely so you can spend precious time together.

Don’t be a statistic this year; be thankful you are able to enjoy the holiday season in the coming few weeks.

TEXAS AMERICA SAFETY COMPANY and BLOG4SAFETY wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and safe holiday season.

General Safety Issues

SEVEN COMMANDMENTS OF SAFE DRIVING FOR TEENAGERS (GUEST POST)

Calling the lawyer at 3 in the morning every other week because your teenager got involved in a car accident (yet again), is not an admirable scenario. This can be fatal in the long run. 

You may have probably lost more sleep than any people worrying about car accidents that your teenagers might get into. You should not blame yourself for paying for the license and the car. 

When you give them the car keys, do not bid farewell to control. They must understand the responsibilities that go with that new kind of freedom. Create a teenage driving contract with defined rules. 

These seven commandments for teenage safe driving will instill the sense of responsibility that comes with the privilege of having a car (and might also improve your sleeping habits). 

Commandment #1: If you can’t resist texting, turn your cellphone off. Minimize distractions when driving as much as possible. Teenagers could not keep their hands off their smartphones. Have them turn off their phones and gadgets while on the road. 

If they are expecting important an important message, provide them with a wireless headset so they could still make or take a call without taking their hands off the steering wheel and eyes on the traffic. 

Commandment #2: No after-party driving. No drunk driving.  Aside from setting a curfew, teenagers should not be allowed to drive whenever they go to late-night parties. Drop them off and pick them up after. Drunk driving, even for adults, is not safe. 

Tiredness and fatigue can also be a contributor too poor driving judgment, especially for inexperienced teenagers. You must also watch out for signs of alcohol and drugs whenever they come home. 

Commandment #3: Practice defensive driving.  Staying one car distance behind the car in front of you is a good practice for neophyte teenage drivers. They must also drive in slower speeds. If they want to pick up the rate, they must maintain a fairly large buffer zone. 

Commandment #4: Obey speed limits.  Nearly half of car accidents that teenager get into nowadays are linked to beating speed limits. The youngsters tend to be carefree and go beyond what is just necessary.  Every ticket for speed limit violations should be equivalent to one month of going back to public commuting. 

Commandment #5: Drive solo.  After building up certain months of guided driving experience, teenagers can now be independent. However, this does not necessarily mean that they can already have passengers, even dogs.  Until such time that they become responsible of their own lives, teenagers should drive solo.  This rule is also tantamount to saying “no carpool” yet. 

Commandment #6: Get to know thy car.  Teenagers will not pass the licensing evaluation if they don’t know the basics of driving. But, they must also get acquainted to the car that they will be using in the next two to three years.  Teenagers won’t have any problem getting accustomed to using a smart or connected car. They must learn the capacity of the vehicle, what to do when tires blow up or engines fail them in the middle of the road, what kind of fuel the car is compatible with and more.  

 Commandment #7: Pay proper dues.  Inculcate sense of responsibility and accountability early in the game. Make them pay for car damages or insurance costs whenever they get involved  in minor accidents or sanctioned for violating traffic rules. Deduct the entire cost from their regular allowance.

Parents will play the biggest part in ensuring that their teens will turn out to be safe drivers in the near future. What to do? 

  •        Provide a safe car for teens – easy to maneuver, good tires and with air bags
  •        Determine which car/s are allowed for your teens to drive
  •        Provide “passenger seat” supervision even if they don’t want to
  •        Give your teens gentle critique of their driving
  •        Set a good example – this is the most important of all 

Picking up from the last bullet, parents will have to make sure that they practice what they preach. If you beat the red signal, run 75 MPH, weave in and out of traffic, scream at other drivers, tailgate and show signs of road rage – do not expect the young fellas to be safe drivers. Avoid showing them the rules that don’t count. 

Your Thoughts Matter

Have you been involved in car accidents when you were a teenager? What driving lessons have you imparted to your kids so far?  Let’s create a safer driving environment for the young ones. Share with us your experience and stories. 

About the Author: 

A seasoned blogger and educator, Adam Prattler shares anything and everything that matter at the moment. He makes the public aware of local current events, prevalence of automobile accident in St. Petersburg, political milestones and latest technological innovations.  

Photos from State Farm Insurance

 

 

Back Safety, General Safety Issues

WATCH OUT FOR OUR SCHOOL CHILDREN!

How quickly the summer school break goes by.  It seems the schools just ended another year, and now it’s almost time to begin a new one.  There is much anticipation in the air, especially for students that will experience school for the first time, or moving up to middle school, or high school.  This is our reminder to you that our future generations are going to be either walking, on a bus, in a carpool, or riding their bikes to school.  It is our responsibility as drivers to slow down and pay close attention.

Our second reminder: be sure your kids have received all their shots that are required to go to school.  Free clinics are offering these shots, so now’s the time to take care of it.  This is as important, or more so, than all the school supplies they will be needing. 

Many states have laws that forbid drivers using cell phones in a school zone.  This is a good law, and one that persons shouldn’t mind abiding by.  Save that conversation for later, after you have stopped your car and gotten out of it.  We need to remind our teens that texting and driving don’t mix at any time, and more so when there are chances of little ones crossing the streets or getting off the school bus. 

Schools must put a stop to school bus bullying or physical encounters on buses.  Schools should have constant communication systems between the bus drivers and the main office.  In case of an incident, school officials or law enforcement should step in immediately.  We have seen incidents that have been recorded on cell phones.  The person doing the recording should be calling for help, as well.  They may be afraid of a confrontation with the bully or bullies, but school administration officials should have a zero tolerance for this type of behavior. 

Parents, go with your little ones for the first few times if they will be riding a bus.  Be sure they understand when to get off safely and never to walk in front or directly behind the bus; rather, let the bus pull away first.  If they are walking, please accompany them for a while, and if you can, find an older child that you know and trust to walk with them.  Be sure they understand to obey the school crossing guard, who is there for their safety, and only cross streets at the corner. 

Another tip for parents: don’t overload your child’s backpack.  Their little backs can only carry so much, so balance the books, pens, crayons, etc. to lighten their load as much as possible. 

For those drivers who go to work each day, leave the house a little early, to allow time to stop for school children or a school bus.  It’s better to get to work on time, if possible, so take those extra minutes to head out and pay attention to little pedestrians. 

Many of us grew up or raised our children in much more innocent times.  Our children are most precious; if you live in a neighborhood that is not completely safe, please don’t send your child out alone.  Be sure they go to school in a group.  All kids should be taught never to talk to strangers or get in a vehicle with someone they don’t know.   

These tips are reminders for all of us – drivers, parents, teenagers, teachers, bus drivers, and school administrators –  to do our best to make this a very safe year for our children.  We should commit to seeing that they are kept safe and secure at all times.