For drivers, the most dangerous period of the year is approaching. Thanksgiving weekend is the most traveled holiday period of the year with almost 90% of those traveling doing so by car and, if previous year statistics hold true, this Thanksgiving weekend will also be the deadliest holiday period of the year.

This year, the official 102 hour Thanksgiving holiday period will start at 6:00 pm on Wednesday the 25th and run through midnight on Sunday the 29th. During the same period in 2008, nationwide, 389 occupants of passenger vehicles were killed in car crashes; thousands more were injured. To lessen your chances of becoming one of the statistic this year, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Seat Belts

Of the fatalities during the 2008 Thanksgiving weekend;

• More than two-thirds (67%) of the total fatalities did not have their seat belts fastened.


• 40 percent of the fatalities in daytime crashes were not wearing seat belts.

Most of the 2008 highway deaths and serious injuries could have been easily prevented by the simple act of wearing a seat belt. Many states have strengthened their seat belt laws over the past year and 31 states now have primary seat belt enforcement laws; meaning that the police can stop and cite you for not wearing a seat belt without having to witness any other traffic infractions. As in years past, the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) is sponsoring a nationwide "Click-It-Or Ticket" campaign. State highway patrol and local police departments throughout the nation will be on the alert for vehicle occupants who aren’t wearing seat belts and they will be giving out tickets. Keep yourself safe and ticket free by wearing a seat belt.

Speed

Speeding is the major reason for traffic crashes. Higher speeds reduce the time you have to react to an emergency situation and increase the crash forces in a collision. Along with looking for seat belt violators, the police will also be looking out for speeders. If you are doing as little as 5 mph over the speed limit, you run the risk of earning a speeding ticket.

Wednesday

Most of the travelers who are going long distances will be leaving after work on Wednesday evening. They will find that the normal rush hour delays will extend throughout the evening and far out into rural areas where traffic is normally light.

• Tired drivers who have worked all day and are now facing the frustration of being stuck in slow traffic for such a long distance may be tempted to take chances they might not otherwise take.


• Sleepy drivers may nod off at the wheel and are just as dangerous as drunk drivers.

Sunday

Most drivers will wait until Sunday afternoon to return home where they will face many of the same driving conditions that they faced on Wednesday evening. Unlike Wednesday evening, they will face additional dangers due to:

• Drivers who waited until the end of football games before hitting the road and didn't give themselves enough time.


• Drivers who are drowsy after eating big meals of left-over turkey (Turkey contains Tryptophan, which is used as an ingredient in over-the-counter sleep aids.)


• Drivers who have consumed alcohol while engaging in the above.

Take these actions to remain safe on the road:

• If you can arrange your work schedule, try to leave on Tuesday and return either on Saturday or Monday when traffic is lighter and safer.
  
• Give yourself plenty of time.
  
• Get enough rest and don't try to drive when you would normally be asleep.
  
• Swap driving duties with a companion
  
• To remain alert, stop every 2 hours or 100 miles.
  
• Don't depend on caffeine or "energy drinks" to take the place of sleep. When they wear off, you will fall asleep.
  
• Understand that traffic will be heavy and don't let your frustrations tempt you to take chances.
  
• Check for weather conditions along your route and leave earlier if necessary.
  
• Wear your seat belt!!! Seat belts are proven to save lives and prevent injuries.
  
• Make sure children are secured in an approved child safety seat.
  
• Children over 4 years of age are taken out of child seats too soon; their bodies are too small for seat belts to work effectively. Be sure any child under 4'9" in height is secured in a booster seat.
  
• Don't give into the temptation to speed. It won't get you there that much faster and it can lead to a ticket or worse, a collision.
  
• Use your cruise control to prevent speeding.
  
• Understand that driving is a complex task and it takes all your concentration.
  
• Eat light to prevent drowsiness.
  
• If you need to make a phone call, pull off the road and keep your call short.
  
• Don't answer your cell phone while driving. Let your cell phone take a message and pull off the road to answer your calls.
  
• Don't text and drive!!! Taking your eyes off the road for just a second or two can have tragic consequences.
  
• Don't consume alcohol!! Buzzed driving is the same as drunk driving.
  

Have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving.

Labels: driver safety, holiday driving, seat belt safety, thanksgiving traffic safety, traffic crashes

The chill is in the air. Orange is the dominant color and kids are beginning to think of their plans for October 31st. Before you go out shopping for costumes and buying bags of candy this year, spend a few minutes planning the night ahead.

Identify what type of celebrations will be taking place and where they will be located. Not only will it help determine your plans, it will help you be an aware driver as you travel on the roadways. If you will be attending a party, plan for a designated driver or commit to not drink. Even small amounts of alcohol can impair your judgment and driving. Driving under the influence can kill or cause trauma, be expensive and embarrassing.

When costume planning, make sure that all costumes fit appropriately and will not restrict movement or visibility, either as a pedestrian or behind the wheel. Ensure foot wear is sturdy. Tripping, falling, difficulty steering or braking can be dangerous!

Add reflective tape to costumes and replace flash light batteries to ensure you will be visible, whether escorting trick or treaters or attending an event yourself. Confirm any children you are with have flashlights, glow stick, bright candy bags, and reflective tape on costumes as well. Clear up any yard obstructions, water hoses, and overgrown vegetation to make it easier to see and maneuver for both pedestrians and vehicles.

Know your planned route, to avoid the unexpected. Plan to travel in well lighted areas. If walking, use sidewalks and crosswalks. If driving, avoid areas of heavy pedestrian traffic and park in areas with the greatest visibility. Design alternate routes that will provide the least amount of risk and the most amount of safety. Arrange to give yourself extra time to and from your destination.

Halloween is on Saturday this year, so expect the festivities to begin early in the day and prepare to be a defensive driver. If you can, avoid driving on Halloween.

Be alert for kids playing in costumes during the day, darting from house to house or in between parked cars. Pay special attention beginning at 4:30pm for the younger treat seekers. Turn your head lights on to make your vehicle more visible. Drivers need to be especially diligent driving during dusk through the night time as visibility is reduced.

Reduce distractions. Make sure your cell phone is on silent, your radio volume is low and your passengers are aware to minimize distractions and assist with being alert to the surrounding environment.

Be extra cautious as you pull into and leave driveways, parking lots and alleys for children that may dart out between cars, at roadways, medians and on curves. Be sure to check your blind spots thoroughly and maintain a search and scan of the driving environment every three seconds.

Travel well below the posted speed limit. Be extra patient with pedestrians and other vehicles and always be prepared to stop at a given moment. They may be carrying trick or treaters and be distracted. Avoid passing or going around stopped vehicles. They may have passengers entering and exiting hurriedly and carelessly.

Halloween can truly be a fun night full of great memories! Take a few steps to keep it safe and trouble free.

Labels: halloween, holiday driving, safety tips

Here it is; the last big weekend of summer. This Labor Day weekend millions of drivers will be hitting the road for one final summer getaway before everyone goes back to school and the weather turns cool. Due to the late date of Labor Day this year, it is projected that fewer travelers will be hitting the road this year than last but it is still projected to be one of the busiest holiday travel weekends of 2009. The 78 hour Labor Day weekend travel period will run from 6:00 pm Friday through midnight Monday.

Whether you are going to the beach, the mountains, or a local lake, there are some common things to watch out for:

• Crowds - Beach parking lots or small town festivals will mean big crowds. Be on the lookout for pedestrians and especially for children darting out into the street or behind your vehicle. More than 2 children a week are killed in the US when a vehicle backs up over them. Remember, no matter how small your vehicle is, you still have a large blind spot behind so be especially careful when backing out of a parking space.



• Motorcycles and Bicycles - This is the last big weekend to get out onto the road and feel the wind in your hair or to take that cross country biking trip. Drivers should be aware that motorcycles and bicycles have a right to share the road and should be treated as you would treat any other vehicle. Cyclists should also remember that they are required to follow all traffic laws just as they would in a car. Because they have a low profile, motorists often don't see a cycle until it is too late. For motorists who are entering traffic from a driveway or an intersection, remember the rule; look left, right, and then left again, before proceeding.



• Pace Yourself – A long day at the beach under the hot sun will tire you out. To prevent fatigue and dehydration make sure you eat well and don't use alcohol to satisfy your thirst. Alcohol will increase your dehydration and the hot sun combined with the dehydration will only compound the effects of the alcohol. Don't stay so long that you are totally worn out before you hit the road. If necessary, take turns driving home to avoid falling asleep behind the wheel. Don't rely on energy drinks to make up for a lack of sleep.

The most common factors leading to deaths on the road during the holiday period are lack of seat belt use and alcohol consumption.

• Alcohol - A nationwide crackdown announced by the US Secretary of Transportation will be targeting both. The campaign, known as "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest" will involve 11,000 police departments across the country in a coordinated effort to remove drunk drivers from the road. More than 40 percent of the traffic fatalities during Labor Day weekend 2008 involved a drunk driver. If you are caught drinking and driving, you will be arrested. Alcohol use is also the most common contributing factor in boating deaths. Remember you can be arrested for "BUI" (Boating Under the Influence) and the penalties are essentially the same as for DUI.



• Seat Belts - The police will also be targeting seat belt use. Most states have passed laws making seat belt use mandatory for all vehicle occupants. There are still approximately 20 percent of drivers and vehicle occupants who haven't gotten the word that seat belts are the primary piece of safety equipment in the car and they save lives. There is no guarantee that you won't be killed or injured in a traffic collision while wearing a seat belt but your chances for survival increase by 45 to 50 percent if you do.

Have a happy and enjoyable Labor Day weekend and get home safe.

Labels: driver safety, holiday driving, safety tips

John Adams, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and our second president, wrote a letter to his wife, Abigail, expressing his feelings on how the Fourth of July should be celebrated: "It should be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shews, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more."

Commemorating our Independence should be celebrated with joy and great fanfare; however, for too many Americans, this holiday will have a tragic turn. To prevent becoming a statistic on this Fourth, here are a few safety tips:

Driving - This is a holiday that requires great patience behind the wheel. Wherever crowds gather, such as at the beach and fireworks displays, there are going to be traffic issues.

A long day at the beach under the hot sun will tire you out. To prevent fatigue and dehydration, make sure you eat well, and don't use alcohol to satisfy your thirst. Alcohol will increase your dehydration, and the hot sun combined with the dehydration will only compound the effects of the alcohol. Don't stay so long that you are totally worn out before you hit the road. If necessary, take turns driving home to avoid falling asleep behind the wheel.

If you attend a fireworks display, understand that when everyone tries to leave at once, there are going to be frayed nerves. This is where your patience will be put to the test. If someone tries to fight you for a parking space or an opening to get out onto the road, let them have it. The short amount of time it will cost you isn't worth a road rage incident.

This isn't the time to step on the gas in hopes of making it through that yellow light, nor should you step on the gas as soon as the light turns green. There will be a lot of drivers on the road who have been drinking, so you need to make sure that the intersection is clear before proceeding. Watch out for and avoid drivers who are driving erratically.

Boating - US Coast Guard statistics from 2007 show that there were 5,191 boating incidents, with 3,673 injuries and 685 deaths. The Coast Guard data showed that:
•Operator inattention, careless/reckless operation, passenger/skier behavior, excessive speed, and alcohol use rank as the top five primary contributing factors in mishaps.
•Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating mishaps; it was listed as the leading factor in 21% of the deaths.
•Over two-thirds of all fatal boating accident victims drowned, and of those, ninety (90) percent were not wearing a life jacket.
•The most common types of vessels involved in reported mishaps were open motorboats (44%), personal watercraft (24%), and cabin motorboats (15%).

Fireworks - According to statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control, in 2006 eleven people died and an estimated 9,200 were treated in emergency departments for fireworks-related injuries in the United States. According to the CDC findings:
•One-third of the fireworks-related injuries involved children under 15 years of age.
•The body parts most often injured were hands (2,300 injuries), eyes (1,500 injuries), and the head, face, and ear (1,400 injuries).
•More than half of the injuries were burns. Burns were the most common injury to all body parts except the eyes and head areas, where contusions, lacerations and foreign bodies in the eye occurred more frequently.
•Firecrackers were associated with the greatest number of estimated injuries.
•Sparklers accounted for one-third of the injuries to children less than 5 years of age.
•Between 2000-2005, more than one-third of fireworks-related deaths involved professional devices that were illegally sold to consumers.

Fireworks aren't toys; they are explosive devices. Never allow children to use fireworks without close adult supervision. If you want to make fireworks a part of your Fourth of July celebration, attend a professional fireworks display.

Alcohol - Whether it be driving, boating, or fireworks, the one common thread that runs through most of holiday-related injuries and deaths is alcohol.

Boating - Remember that you can be charged with BUI (Boating Under the Influence) and the alcohol limits and penalties are essentially the same as for a DUI.

Fireworks - Alcohol and explosives don't mix.

Driving - According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2007, 34 percent of all drivers involved in traffic-related crashes during the July 4th holiday period (6 p.m. Tuesday, July 3, 2007 to 5:59 a.m. on Thursday, July 5, 2007) had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, the legal limit in all states. NHTSA suggests that before you begin your Fourth of July Celebration:
•Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin
•Before drinking, designate a sober driver and give that person your keys
•If you're impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely
•Use your community's Sober Rides program
•If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don't hesitate to contact local law enforcement

Remember that buzzed driving is driving impaired.

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July celebration!

For more information visit; http://www.stopimpaireddriving.org/

Labels: fourth of july, holiday driving, july 4th

As the fourth of July holiday weekend approaches, families and friends, retailers and law enforcement all gear up for what the celebration will bring. While everyone is making their plans, special attention needs to be given to the responsible use of alcohol.

•Be sure to limit access and take steps to prevent the use of alcohol to minors.
•Take steps to ensure that anyone who has consumed alcohol does not drink and drive.

Many people mistakenly think that if they are just slightly impaired, they are still capable of driving. Buzzed driving is drunk driving.

In 2007, 34 percent of all drivers involved in traffic-related crashes during the July 4th holiday period (6 p.m. Tuesday, July 3, 2007 to 5:59 a.m. on Thursday, July 5, 2007) had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, the legal limit in all states.

Much of the tragedy from drunk driving can be prevented with a few simple precautions before going out to celebrate:

•Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin
•Before drinking, please designate a sober driver and give that person your keys
•If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely
•Use your community's Sober Rides program
•If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don't hesitate to contact your local law enforcement

If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.

Driving impaired is simply not worth the risk, no matter the level of impairment. Alcohol not only affects each person differently, it can affect the same person differently. The effects change based on your food consumption, chemical interactions with other medications and general health.

The consequences of driving impaired are serious and real. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can be significant. Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses.

Don't let this Fourth of July blow up in your face. Remember, Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. Designate your sober driver before the parties begin.

For more information, please visit http://www.stopimpaireddriving.org/.

Labels: buzzed driving, drunk driving, holiday driving