The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that traffic deaths across the U.S. jumped another 10 percent the first half of the year, following a seven percent increase the previous year. NHTSA and other safety groups fear the numbers will be even higher for the second half of 2016 due to increased driving and warm weather. NHTSA says we are at a crisis level that needs immediate action.
The crisis is more than statistics; it involves mothers, fathers, grandparents and children who will never again celebrate the holidays or the next family gathering. Some of these heart breaking stories include:
35 year old John T. Gordon, a law enforcement officer who was struck and killed while riding his motorcycle by a young man in a truck who was texting when he swerved into oncoming traffic
Five year old Xzavier Davis-Bilbo who was hit and killed crossing the street by a young woman who was texting and driving
61 year old Linda Doyle who was killed by a young driver talking on a cell phone who ran a red light and smashed into her vehicle
Nine year old Erica Forney who was fatally run over while riding her bike by a neighbor who had looked down at her cell phone and never saw the girl
What is surprising is that these tragedies come as new safety features – autonomous breaking, lane change warnings and rear view cameras – are now available in more vehicles. Unfortunately, human error is the cause of 94 percent of today’s crashes and it’s thought that distracted and inattentive driving continues to be a major contributor to these wrecks.
If you are a parent, that should make you shudder. That’s because motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, and drivers 15 to 19 years old are three times more likely that drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash. Teen drivers are also much more likely to be distracted by a cell phone, passengers or other electronics in the vehicle than older drivers (yet adults are catching up).
Other factors contributing to teen driving deaths are that too many don’t wear seat belts, they are less experienced behind the wheel, and they are more prone to speeding.
NHTSA has mounted a campaign to remind us of the “5 to Drive” rules we all need to observe:
No cell phones while driving
No extra passengers
No speeding
No alcohol
No driving or riding without a seat belt
California Casualty believes safe driving for teens is a year-round effort. We are a major supporter and charter member of the non-profit Impact Teen Drivers program, proactively using peer-to-peer influencing and education to prevent the tragedy of distracted teen driving.
Submitting innovative safe driving messages has paid off for students with the 2016 Fall Create Real Impact contest, presented by Impact Teen Drivers and California Casualty. After sorting through thousands of entries, awards totaling $13,000 were given for art, music, video and writing.
$1,500 Grand prizes winners are:
Carley Calfee, Toano, VA, for the poster, “You Only Have One Life”
Esteban Hiracheta, Corpus Christi, TX, for the song, “It’s Not Worth It”
Miles Kent-Pettit, Eugene, OR, for the video, “Gluv B4 U Go”
Johnathan Joyce, Madison, MS, for the poem, “Just a Passenger”
Based on the number of entries, the winning schools are Cab Calloway School of the Arts in Wilmington, DE; Beavercreek High School in Beavercreek, OH; and Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami, FL. Each of the schools received $1,500 prizes.
Twice a year, students ages 14-22 are encouraged to submit essays or poems, artwork, videos, and music to address the critical teen distracted driving danger. Winners are determined by a panel of judges and by online voting for prizes ranging from $1,500 to $500. The contest encourages peer-to-peer messages and creative expression from students to help end the number one killer of young drivers.
“The Create Real Impact contest is a creative way to empower youth to develop life-saving messaging which is both relevant and effective at reaching peers in their social media comfort zone,” said Kelly Browning, Ph.D., Executive Director, Impact Teen Drivers.
Impact Teen Drivers has reached more than two million teens since 2007 and the Create Real Impact contest began in 2009. California Casualty is a founding partner of the nonprofit and continues to provide support for the contest. California Casualty representatives will help present checks to the winning schools and awardees.
“The importance of this contest can’t be overstated,” said California Casualty CEO Beau Brown. “While insurance can replace a mangled vehicle, we can’t replace a teenager’s life. In a split second, everything for that family changes forever; it’s a terrible tragedy that no one should endure.”
Fall is a great time of year to get on a bicycle for a weekend ride or even to commute to work. The weather moderates in most parts of the country and it feels good to pedal a few miles. You’ll feel like a kid again as you cruise through neighborhoods and paths.
However, as a bicyclist, I find riding for fun or commuting to work is getting a lot more nerve-wracking.
One reason is that so many of us treat the morning drive more like a car race than a pleasant drive to work. Many of those drivers are distracted and some are out-right hostile towards a person on a bicycle. I’ve had my fair share of close calls that have forced me into potholes and curbs, had things thrown at me and verbal abuse from angry drivers. I’ve also seen way too many distracted drivers either texting, toying with some form of electronic device or putting on makeup which caused them to swerve into other people’s lanes or into the bike lane – oblivious of the danger they present.
Bicyclists are very vulnerable as they circumnavigate roads and byways. In 2015, 818 were killed on US roads, an increase of 12 percent from the previous year. Government statistics show that on average, 50,000 bicyclists are injured each year.
As more people choose to ride a bike for economic or health reasons, it struck me that a little education and courtesy could go a long way to prevent auto-bike confrontations, close calls and injuries.
For Drivers
Try your best to give cyclists room. Many states now require a three foot safety zone when drivers passing a bicyclist.
It’s a good idea to slow down when you pass a cyclist (or pedestrian). Try to imagine that person is your grandmother in a wheelchair; you wouldn’t blow by throwing dust and debris at your grandmother, would you?
Don’t honk your horn, please. Yes, we know we might be impeding you for a short distance, but honking the horn can be startling and cause a cyclist to veer into traffic or fall off their bikes. Keep in mind that most localities and states require bicyclists to ride in the street rather than the sidewalk.
Put down the phone and other devices and concentrate on driving.
Be aware of bicyclists. I know we can be hard to see, but how would you feel if you hit and injured one of us.
Look before you open your vehicle’s door. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been grazed by a door or had to veer wildly around one as I cycled past a vehicle. Many bicyclists have been killed or injured by either colliding with an open door or by being pushed into traffic.
Be extra careful when making turns or pulling out of parking lots. Cyclists may be moving faster than you think and can sometimes be hard to see.
For Bicyclists
Always wear a helmet.
Observe all traffic laws: never run a stop sign or red light, always ride on the right and never against traffic, and know bicycle turn signals.
Always wear bright or reflective clothing and use lights when riding at dusk or dark.
Don’t unnecessarily impede traffic or ride double or triple unless there is room.
Try to avoid narrow streets, roads and high-speed expressways. Side streets and bike paths are much safer and much more pleasant to ride.
Don’t engage or provoke an aggressive driver, instead, try to get a picture of video of the encounter and report it to authorities.
While the pleasant weather continues, I hope you get the chance to hop on your bike and take a ride, or even use it to commute to work. It will certainly help you understand how vulnerable being a bicyclist is, and maybe you’ll look at that two wheeled commuter in a different light.
The Fourth of July rings in a day of patriotism and pride. There will be barbeques and picnics, parades and festivals followed by fabulous fireworks displays in towns and cities across the nation.
If you are lucky enough to live in or be in Seattle or Minneapolis, you will be treated to the two best Fourth of July celebrations in the nation. WalletHub factored in 16 metrics – including the duration of the fireworks display, average gas prices and weather forecasts – to pick their 10 best Independence Day celebrations. The rest of the top ten were: New Orleans; Washington, D.C.; Portland, Oregon; St. Louis; San Diego; Milwaukee; San Francisco and Orlando.
Whether it’s on the list of or not, hopefully your community will be holding a celebration too.
If you are planning to set off fireworks in a nearby park or near your home, you are urged to be very careful or skip that part of the celebration. It would be a shame if one of your children was injured or a neighbor’s home was burned by a bottle rocket or sparkler.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the majority of fireworks injuries in 2014 occurred in the 30 days surrounding the July 4th holiday, resulting in 10,500 people treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms. Pyrotechnics also caused an estimated 18,000 fires with 11 deaths. Children five to nine years of age had the highest estimated rate of emergency department injuries from fireworks.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that even sparklers burn at nearly 2,000 degrees, hot enough to melt wood, plastics and some metals, and inflict terrible burns on mostly young people. Most of the injuries were to the hands and fingers, head, face and the eyes; caused mainly from firecrackers, bottle rockets and sparklers. The Alliance to Stop Consumer Fireworks, coordinated by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), is calling for an end of the use of personal fireworks. Their goal is to educate parents and caretakers before more people get hurt or burned. They also urge people to attend professional community displays instead of using them at home.
Realizing fireworks are still used by families; the Consumer Product Safety Commission has developed these essential safety tips:
Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks
Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that they were made for professional displays and could pose a danger to consumers
Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities.
Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse and back up a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks
Don’t try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully
Never point or throw fireworks at another person
Always keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap
Only light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly
Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers
After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire
Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them
Remember, while they may be pretty to watch, the damage from personal use of fireworks is more than just statistics or numbers; they are real victims – sons, daughters, parents and grandparents. Think before someone in your family goes to the emergency room.
High school prom and graduation season is a time for joy and preparing for the future. They are both important rites of passage for our children, but they can also be a dangerous time with many temptations.
While teens are worrying about getting the perfect dress or tux, flowers and hair style, parents are worrying about the safety of their children. These can remain joyous events if parents and children discuss responsible behavior and the repercussions of bad choices.
Communication is the key. Talk with your student about what it was like when you attended prom and graduation, and express your desire for them to have a fun and memorable time too. During your discussion lay out some ground rules about what you expect from your child including:
That they stay in contact with you and provide updates
They let you know who is driving
They inform you where they are going after the event
The agreed time they will be home
And most importantly, talk about the dangers of:
Distractions and distracted behavior (texting, eating or taking eyes off the road while driving to interact with passengers)
Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Not observing speed limits and other road rules
Getting into a vehicle with an impaired or aggressive driver
Not wearing seatbelts
Don’t be afraid to offer your child the option of calling you, with no repercussions, for help or advice if they feel unsafe. Letting your child know they can get a safe ride home, no matter what the circumstances, can save their life.
Safe driving isn’t an accident; it’s the result of strong parental involvement and setting expectations. That’s why California Casualty is a founding member and continued supporter of Impact Teen Drivers, a nonprofit that educates parents and teens about the dangers of distracted and reckless driving. Their presentations and peer-to-peer messaging saves lives.
Most of us spend at least 5 days a week driving to work on a regular basis. So if you commute an hour a day, that is 5 hours a week, 20 hours a month, and 240 hours a year driving. And that’s just driving to work, not including errands run to/from work or on days off.
With that much time in the car, it’s crucial to have good posture while driving. If any of these signs look familiar, it is time to make adjustments.
Bad Posture includes:
Poked Neck
Shoulders Hunched Forward
Upper Back Rounded forward
Pelvis slouched
If you said yes to having any of the above, odds are it came from sitting in front of the computer. These symptoms can lead to bigger issues like constant headaches, back pain, and more. Safety is a top priority, so if any of these next exercises cause more pain, please refrain from doing them.
Seat Adjustment: Keep your seat height high (as it can comfortably go). Make sure you can see complete vision of the road, and your feet can comfortably reach the pedals. If the seat is too low, it will cause slouching and result in rounded posture which is what we want to avoid.
Lumbar Support: See that the back of your seat fits comfortably with the natural arch of your lower back. If your car does not have this feature, use a rolled towel or small pillow instead. If the lumbar support is not correct, this can leave you with the tendency to round your back.
Elbow Position: Keep your elbows low and close to your body, in a comfortable position. Don’t flare them out. This keeps your shoulders safe and in a neutral place. Don’t place your elbows on the side of the window, this makes the elbows flare-ending in bad posture.
Change your Driving Position: Develop a range of different positions for driving. Sitting in the same position can cause discomfort.
As said before, safety is a main concern. Many long–term injuries can be prevented by protecting yourself and maintaining good health.
