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

Few issues have riled up motorists over the past few years as much as the issue of red light cameras. On one side are those in favor of red light cameras and on the other are those who claim the cameras are just a way for municipalities to increase their revenue and that the cameras are a violation of a motorist’s rights. There is also conflicting data on whether or not the cameras actually reduce the rate of collisions at red lights.

The Problem

One issue that is not really in dispute is the fact that red light running has grown to epidemic proportions in the U.S. According to studies cited by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS);

• 55.8 percent of Americans admit to running red lights; yet;
  
• 96 percent of drivers were afraid of being hit by a red light runner.
  
• In 2007, almost 900 people were killed and an estimated 153,000 were injured in crashes that involved red light running.
  
• About half of the deaths in red light running crashes are pedestrians and occupants in other vehicles who are hit by the red light runners.
  
• Motorists are more likely to be injured in urban crashes involving red light running than in other types of urban crashes.
  
• Occupant injuries occurred in 45 percent of red light running crashes, compared with 30 percent of other crash types.
  
• Analysis of red light violation data from 19 intersections (without red light cameras) in four states found that, per intersection, motorists ran red lights at an average rate of 3.2 per hour.
  

Red Light Cameras Increase Rather Than Reduce Collisions at Red Lights

Some have claimed that use of red light cameras actually increase the number of rear end collisions because drivers don't expect someone ahead to stop for a yellow light; however the facts don't bear that out. According to the National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running, the opposite is true. Their web site lists the following figures for some cities that operate red light cameras:

• New Orleans, LA - red light cameras led to an 85% drop in red light running and speed cameras led to an 84% drop in speeding.
  
• Montgomery County, MD - relative to comparison sites drivers traveling more than 10 mph above posted speed limits declined by about 70% at locations with both warning signs and speed camera enforcement.
  
• Council Bluffs, IA - a 90% reduction in red light running crashes.
  
• Washington, DC - red light running fatalities were reduced from 16 to 2 in the first two years of red light cameras.
  
• Fairfax, VA - a 44% reduction in red light running crashes.
  
• Oxnard, CA - a 22% reduction in red light crashes citywide.
  
• New York City - a 34% reduction in red light violations.
  

Red Light Cameras Are Just A Way for Cities to Make More Money

Some municipalities did experience an increase in revenue after installing cameras and found them to be a profitable enterprise; at first. However, after drivers realized cameras were installed and started stopping for red lights, revenues fell sharply; in some cases, costing more money than they earned. Cities that install cameras as a revenue generator are installing them for the wrong reasons and will certainly be disappointed. Cities who install the cameras to cut down on the death and injury rate at intersections find that they pay off in other ways:

• The cost of posting police officers at each intersection 24 hours a day would be prohibitive.
  
• Fewer collisions lead to lower costs for law enforcement and fire/rescue services.
  
• Fewer collisions mean fewer traffic jams and greater productivity.
  
• Fewer injuries mean lower hospital and emergency room costs for taxpayers.
  
• New Federal Highway Administration research estimates total societal cost reductions from red light cameras to be over $14 million per year, or $38,000 for each U.S. red light camera location.
  

California, recognizing that the purpose of red light cameras is to save lives, passed a law that keeps cities from installing cameras in order to generate revenue and their law could serve as a model for other states. California’s red light camera law requires that municipalities issue warning tickets only for the first 30 days that a camera is in operation. This gives motorists time to realize the camera is there and stop on their own. The law also requires that the contract between a city and a camera operator cannot provide any financial incentive to the operator to issue more tickets.

Red Lights Are an Invasion of Privacy

The Supreme Court has held that there is not a reasonable expectation of privacy when an individual is in public; someone who is breaking the law on a city street should not be able to hide behind the Fourth Amendment. Red light cameras do not run constantly and do not take pictures of every vehicle. They only take photos of cars that are running the red light. Motorists who stop for the red light don’t have to fear that the camera will take their picture.

They're Illegal

State Supreme Courts are divided on this issue with some courts deciding that use of cameras violate state law as currently written and other state courts finding that municipalities can use the cameras even if state law says nothing about the issue.

States could solve the legal issues surrounding red light camera by creating legislation and providing policy guidance to cities. The Governor's Highway Administration web site provides a lot of information on the issue along with policy and guidance for states. It's hard to calculate the cost of lives, injuries, and property damage that never happen. If this technology can save one life, it is worth the cost.

Labels: red light camera, traffic crashes, traffic laws, traffic safety, traffic violations