Driving Safety
SAFETY WEEK 2016
According to the National Safety Council every year nearly 36,000 people are killed and more than 3.5 million people are injured in a motor vehicle crashes. That means that approximately every hour 4 people are killed and 400 people are injured. There are many different things that affect safety travel on the road including, but not limited to distracted driving, seat belts, aggressive driving, impaired driving, mature driving, children, and teen driving. The following are some safety tips to keep you and your family safe while on the road:
- Distracted driving has become a major problem on the roadways. Weather talking on the cell phone, texting, eating, grooming, adjusting the radio, etc. Prepare for your trip, stop and pull over to accept calls, eat meals before or after leaving. According to the National Safety Council talking on cell phone makes you 4 times more likely to crash, while texting while driving can increase your chances 8 to 23 times.
- Seat Belts are an important safety device in vehicles, even though numbers of usage continue to increase there are still numerous fatalities each year that could have been prevented if a seat belt had been worn.
- Aggressive driving includes speeding, frequent and unnecessary lane changes, tailgating and running red or yellow lights. To decrease the risk of aggressive driving plan ahead and allow extra time. Concentrate of driving, relax, drive the speed limit and identify alternate routes. If confronted with aggressive drivers, get out of the way, put your pride aside, avoid eye contact and report aggressive drivers.
- Never drive while under the influence of prescription drug, illegal drugs or alcohol. Approximately 40 percent of vehicle crash deaths involve alcohol.
- Ensure child restraint systems are installed properly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration near 75% of parents do not properly use child restraints.
- Always do a 360⁰ walk around of your vehicle before driving. To ensure children, pets, other vehicles or objects have not moved into your path of travel.
- Never leave children unattended in vehicles. Even at an outside temperature of 70 degrees and vehicles interior temperature can rise to dangerous temperatures in just minutes when the car is not running.
Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of deaths for teens. Ensure your teen has all the training and tools necessary before sending them out on the roads.
