Tag Archives: taxi’s

General Safety Issues

DRINKING WITH COWORKERS: GETTING TO AND FROM WORK OUTINGS SAFELY (GUEST POST)

By Saam Banai

Meeting with coworkers after work is a common way to unwind after a hard day at the office. Sharing a few drinks with colleagues in the evening relieves stress, builds friendships, and facilitates interdepartmental communication. Some employees will meet for dinner and a couple of glasses of wine; others will hit the bars in a quest to forget the day’s troubles. Getting everyone home safely after the evening’s events can be a challenge for the unprepared, but it’s certainly worth it to save lives and prevent DUI.

Using a Designated Driver

Having a designated driver is the simplest and most highly recommended approach to ensuring that no one in the group drives home while intoxicated. Select a member of the group who will not drink for the evening and who will be responsible for driving home the rest of the partiers. If everyone in the group would like to drink, drawing straws is a classic approach to determining the designated driver. This approach usually requires a small group that carpools to the bar or restaurant due to the fact that the alternative consists of leaving vehicles at that location overnight.

This approach is not foolproof; it relies upon the designated driver to exercise fortitude and avoid drinking. Being the only sober person in a crowd of drunk people can involve substantial peer pressure to drink, regardless of whether the group has designated that person as sober. Additionally, the designated driver may have to shuttle different coworkers who live many miles apart. This takes time and effort on the part of the driver, and not all groups will have someone willing to do it.

There are professional services available for groups with too many cars to leave or too many people to realistically shuttle around all night. Some of these services are nonprofit services dedicated to making the roads a safer place; others are for-profit services that will charge a fee. These services will drop off a designated driver for the group who will shuttle everyone home. This method has the added benefit of getting everyone’s vehicles home; heading to work in the morning without a vehicle can be difficult. Some of these organizations will require the intoxicated parties to have a vehicle capable of holding a moped.

Taking a Taxi

Having a taxi shuttle everyone home is another option. Virtually any establishment that serves alcohol will have phone numbers for cab companies on hand. Especially in city areas like New York, New Jersy, and Boston, taxis are always available;  it’s good to call a NJ taxi service unless you want to have to call a  NJ DWI attorney. For coworkers who are intoxicated, who do not have a vehicle, and who need to leave separately, a taxicab can be the most efficient method to get home. Simply call a taxi, get in, and pay when getting home.

Using Public Transportation

Public transportation can be an option in urban areas. Taking a bus or train can be an economical way to get home safely. This approach requires public transportation services adjacent to the restaurant or bar that offer a destination adjacent to the traveler’s home. Additionally, anyone walking home intoxicated should beware of local laws prohibiting intoxicated pedestrians; while being drunk in public is not as serious as driving under the influence, it is still illegal in many jurisdictions.

Not all social gatherings will involve heavy drinking, but it is still important for people to think of staying off the roads after drinking. Driving home after a few drinks exposes the driver to the risk of being pulled over. If the officer smells alcohol, he or she will investigate the possibility that the motorist is intoxicated. Portable breathalyzers can malfunction and motorists who are sober can fail sobriety tests. Anyone who does take a chance on the drive home and who is accused of driving while intoxicated should consult an attorney as soon as possible. 

Saam Banai is a freelance writer, editor, and enjoys drinking with coworkers. His experience and knowledge of DWI law has made his firm nationally recognized and has led to the acquisition of multiple awards.

 

 

General Safety Issues

IT’S NATIONAL DROWSY DRIVER PREVENTION WEEK, SO WAKE UP!

Drowsy Driving Prevention Week®, November 12 through 18th, is a National Sleep Foundation public awareness campaign to educate drivers about sleep safety.  The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety released a study showing that the tragedy of drowsy driving is more pervasive than shown in previous estimates. Their study shows that drowsy driving involves:

  •          About one in six deadly crashes;
  •          One in eight crashes resulting in occupant hospitalization,
  •          One in fourteen crashes in which a vehicle was towed.
  •          These percentages are substantially higher than most previous estimates, suggesting that the contribution of drowsy driving to motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and deaths has not been fully appreciated.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving results in 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and more than 100,000 accidents each year. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety analysis of the accidents resulting from drivers falling asleep behind the wheels is cause for alarm and concern. According to the study, younger drivers age 16-24 were nearly twice as likely to be involved in a drowsy driving crash as drivers age 40-59, and about 57 percent of drowsy driving crashes involved the driver drifting into other lanes or even off the road.

The study also found that –

  • Vehicles in which the driver was accompanied by a passenger were nearly 50 percent less likely to be involved in a drowsy driving related crash.
  • More than half (55%) of those drivers who reported having fallen asleep while driving in the past year said that it occurred on a high-speed divided highway.
  • More than half (59%) of those drivers who reported having fallen asleep while driving in the past year said they had been driving for less than an hour before falling asleep; only one in five reported they had been driving for three hours or longer.
  • More than one in four drivers (26%) who reported having fallen asleep while driving in the past year reported that it had occurred between noon and 5 p.m.
  • Men (52%) were much more likely than women (30%) to report having ever fallen asleep while driving; men (14%) were also more likely than women (8%) to admit having done so in the past year.
  • Drivers age 24 and younger were most likely to report having fallen asleep in the past year, but they were least likely to report having ever fallen asleep. This is consistent with other studies that have found younger drivers to have a higher risk of falling asleep at the wheel.

According to the Foundation’s 2009 Sleep in America poll, about one-third (28%) of Americans admitted that they have fallen asleep behind the wheel within the past year, and more than half (54%) said they have driven while drowsy. The following warning signs indicate that it’s time to stop driving and find a safe place to pull over and address your condition:

  • Difficulty focusing, frequent blinking and/or heavy eyelids
  • Difficulty keeping daydreams at bay
  • Trouble keeping your head up
  • Drifting from your lane, swerving, tailgating and/or hitting rumble strips
  • Inability to clearly remember the last few miles driven
  • Missing exits or traffic signs
  • Yawning repeatedly
  • Feeling restless, irritable, or aggressive.

Sleepiness can impair drivers by causing slower reaction times, vision impairment, slips in judgment and delays in processing information. In fact, studies show that being awake for more than 20 hours results in an impairment equal to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08%, the legal limit in all states. It is also possible to fall into a 3-4 second microsleep without realizing it.  Here’s how to prevent a fall-asleep crash:

  • Get a good night’s sleep before you hit the road. You’ll want to be alert for the drive, so be sure to get adequate sleep (seven to nine hours) the night before you go.
  • Don’t be too rushed to arrive at your destination. Many drivers try to maximize the holiday weekend by driving at night or without stopping for breaks.
  • It’s better to allow the time to drive alert and arrive alive.
  • Use the buddy system. Just as you should not swim alone, avoid driving alone for long distances. A buddy who remains awake for the journey can take a turn behind the wheel and help identify the warning signs of fatigue.
  • Take a break every 100 miles or 2 hours. Do something to refresh yourself like getting a snack, switching drivers, or going for a run.
  • Take a nap—find a safe place to take a 15 to 20-minute nap, if you think you might fall asleep. Be cautious about excessive drowsiness after waking up.
  • Avoid alcohol and medications that cause drowsiness as a side-effect.
  • Avoid driving at times when you would normally be asleep.
  • Consume caffeine. The equivalent of two cups of coffee can increase alertness for several hours.

Here’s another unsettling fact: National Sleep Foundation’s 2012 Sleep in America Poll Finds sleepy pilots, train operators as well as bus, taxi, and limo drivers.  The people we trust to take us or our loved ones from place to place struggle with sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation’s (NSF) 2012 Sleep in America® poll.  It is the first poll to ask transportation professionals, including pilots, train operators, truck, bus, taxi and limo drivers about their sleep habits and work performance. Pilots and train operators are most likely to report sleep-related job performance and safety problems. 

So, people, let’s get those zzzzz’s, rest and recoup before you take to the roads, rails, or sky!

 

 

Source: National Sleep Foundation