Raise the Shields, WSR #3

It's the Weekly Safety Reminder (WSR) #3

So, when I was a kid, we were convinced that we'd all be driving flying cars by now (and of course that hot fudge sundaes would have been found to be healthy). Well, we may not live in that Jetsons world yet, but we can add a bit of Star Trek into our daily driving and make ourselves safer as a result.

I encourage drivers to raise the defensive shields around their cars as they move through traffic. No, I don't have some extra button on my instrument panel. I tell people to imagine an invisible box lowered over their vehicle. The box extends particularly far out in front of the car. This is my invisible barrier that prevents me from getting too close to vehicles in front of me, and provides an extra warning when vehicles encroach from behind and on the sides.

Once I've raised that shield I stop when it bumps up against the car waiting at the traffic light, and I back off when it touches the vehicle cruising in front of me. This is particularly useful at intersections. I never want to be so close to the "other" car that I can't even see their rear tires. I need the space provided by this barrier to give me time, space and options- three very important items to keep a driver safe.

The defensive shields that I use around my car are also variable in size. I increase the size a bit for any extra danger in the driving environment. The size gets increased for darkness. In the winter it increases a bit more. Add some fog or poor road conditions and my safety box becomes even larger. I pick the size and then stay well within it.

Sound a bit hokey? Try it. If you set up that barrier, particularly in front of you, you'll at least think a bit more about it when you come to the next stop light or are cruising on the highway. Give yourself the time and space so that you can exercise all your options.

Have a safe day.

Defending Against the "Other Driver", WSR #2

It's the Weekly Safety Reminder #2.

The Other Driver is in the opposite lane heading in your direction. They're still a ways off. You and the other driver are going about 45 MPH and so have a combined closing speed of about 90 MPH. That driver is going to cross over into your lane in 4 minutes.

He's talking to his kids in the back seat, is 16 and got his license 5 minutes ago, reaching for a water bottle behind the passenger seat, looking at the pretty birds.

He's 2 minutes away from crossing into your lane.

She's texting, eating, doesn't see the icy spot, her accelerator is about to stick, changing the radio station, answering the phone, reading the direction signs.

She's 1 minute away from crossing into your lane.

He's drunk, has the flu, is tired, just got off a 24-hour shift, is drugged, is late for work, late for school, late for soccer practice, sun is in his eyes.

You can see the other car now. It's 20 seconds away from crossing into your lane. There's plenty of time to take action.

You disengage your cruise control, put your cup of coffee down, make driving and watching the approaching car the number one activity. You ease to the right side of your lane to provide maximum time for possible defensive action.

The other driver is in your lane. You see it as soon as it happens. You're focused enough to take immediate action. No time is lost, but there is no time to stop. You steer and are able to hit the other vehicle a glancing blow on the driver side headlight. The cars spin. Everyone is frightened.

You just avoided a head-on crash sparing yourself, your passengers and all the people that shared the crash with you in the other vehicle. So, what did you do? At least for the few moments that you saw an approaching car you made driving your vehicle your number one activity.

Does poor weather cause car crashes?

Does rainy, icy, foggy, windy, snowy, dark, sandy weather cause car crashes? It does? Well then so does sunny, bright, dry, clear, calm weather. The difference is that on the next morning the daily news doesn't report "clear conditions brought on three car crashes in Scoochburough County yesterday sending four to the hospital."

Let's say that I'm driving a bit too fast for my own skill level and perhaps even manipulating a nice hot fresh caffeinated beverage at the same time. Then let's say I have a crash. What caused it? Let me help- it was daytime, the road was dry and the sky was clear. Now what caused the crash? Got your answer? I'll bet you've based it on my own dumb behavior choices, right? Makes sense.

OK, I lied- it was indeed daytime, but the road was slippery and there was dense fog. So, now you're writing the story for tonight's news coverage. What's your headline now? I'll bet that it's something like "icy roads combined with dense fog caused a Schoochburough County driver to lose control of his vehicle and blah, blah blah." Why is my behavior not an issue any more?

I make behavior choices each day when I drive. If it's a snowy day I don't say to my wife "well dear, it's snowy today. Guess I have no choice but to go have a car crash." Perhaps I decide to leave later, slow down, allow more space around me, take a different route or not go at all. Here's the reality- on a day with poor weather conditions most drivers do not have a crash, just like any other day. Not all of the non-crashers are just plain lucky and not all of the crashers are just plain unlucky. There are behavior choices involved as well.

Seems to me that this message is starting to catch on a bit. News reporting has not concentrated quite as much on the inevitability of crashing because of weather, but in many cases has chosen to focus on behavior measures that can be taken (or could have been taken) to avoid the crash. This is the message that traffic safety educators are working to get across.

Have a safe day.

Doak TC Weekly Safety Reminder (WSR) #1

The Doak TC Weekly Safety Reminders (WSR) begin today. These are reminders and not a weekly scolding like - "I told you not to run with scissors." We know this stuff already, but with so many messages and inputs competing for our attention each moment, a single friendly reminder is sometimes needed.

When I say we know this stuff already, I mean it: The only place we can have a crash with a train is at a railroad crossing. We know that, but people still have crashes there. This is why safety educators like myself say that most injury "accidents" are predictable and preventable. We know that we'll probably only poke our eyes out with scissors if we're near careless scissor use, and that all train crashes are going to take place at a railroad track. The "accident" can only really take place if we make certain choices in these situations- these situations where the danger is known.

So, WSR #1- If a distracted or careless driver is going to run a Stop sign or traffic light I know that I can only have a crash with them at an intersection. While you're driving this week remind yourself to use extra caution at intersections. That includes the intersections in your own neighborhood. Do two things: First, choose to look ahead in to the intersection that you're about to cross and see if anyone is approaching it suspiciously. Second, if you're entering an intersection from a stop, choose to look at the crossing traffic before you take off and make sure everyone is stopped. This reminder not only may save your live, but that of the distracted/careless driver and their family.

One more reminder that we know- this is good behavior to model for the young drivers in our families.

And, I probably don't have to remind you that ignoring railroad crossing signs is a poor choice.

WSR #2 will most likely appear in a week. But, I'll bet you knew that already.

Danger Served Up Twice Daily, Dangerous Traffic Photos #4

You can't say that I haven't warned you enough about student drop off and pick up around Michigan Schools. Twice daily there is a frenzy of activity involving hundreds of cars, kids, bikes and buses. In many locations this frenzy has an organization based on one guiding principle: what's most convenient for me right now. School administrators try their best to balance safety and convenience within their facility's means (both financial and physical), but even though safety is normally their primary concern convenience often wins.

Sure, this problem is rooted from the same place that allows us to convince ourselves that losing 40,000 people yearly to vehicle crashes is just a normal byproduct of the modern world. Many parents are genuinely more worried about their child contracting swine flu from their day at school than being hit by one of the cars in these photos. However, a recent national report issued from Safe Kids USA regarding distracted drivers in school zones should have parents even more worried about this twice daily dose of driving danger. The school zone is a classic case of what is called compressing the danger.

So, the message for parents picking up kids is to have them wait an extra 10 minutes after school is out and then swing by to get them. At that point 90% of the danger will have passed. For dropping off kids, find the safest time and location to drop them off away from traffic, even if it is less convenient. For bussed kids, make sure the school is providing a safe and separate location for them to load, and supervision of that loading.

By the way- the safest way to get kids to and from school? Yup: school buses. School buses are built, regulated and operated by trained drivers for one purpose and one purpose alone- to transport kids. That cannot be said for any other vehicle.

You probably already know what I'm going to tell you about Distracted Drivers in School Zones, but you're still going to find it pretty shocking. That report from Safe Kids next post.

Flipp'n Out to Reduce Crashes- Reverse Angle Parking

Yes, I know, they’re lovely photos of scenic Main Street Sand Lake, but that’s not important right now. What is important in the photos is that the vehicles are parked in the traditional angle style.

Yea, I know what you’re saying: so what? Well, what IF these cars had backed into the parking spaces instead of pulling in forward like we normally do? Can you picture it? No? Oh, go ahead and try again, I'll wait........ Have you got it now? Well, with the cars backed in you’ve got what they call Reverse Angle Parking. Hey, I just heard the term myself a couple of weeks ago and did some learn'n up about it. Seems that exiting from a parking spot by pulling forward leads to far fewer crashes than backing out into traffic as we traditionally do. Go figure. It’s really very much like parallel parking but easier since you don’t have to judge the location of that car bumper behind you by whacking it.

What does seem to be a bit daunting, though, is how you instruct drivers to back in to parking spots on a main street when the spots are configured opposite from what the drivers are used to. Well, there are cities large and small using just this system in the US and around the world, and they have developed signage to help drivers navigate properly. Go ahead, Google it and you’ll see. Some even make the parking free for a while to sweeten the deal. Seems to work well, but I probably wouldn't recommend introducing main street drivers to a new roundabout and reverse angle parking during the same summer.

I did my research on Reverse Angle Parking after being asked by a west Michigan Police Chief if I knew of any nearby Michigan communities using it. Their town is considering making this change on their own Main Street and it would appear that they are not alone. Now, some folks that I asked told me that the even safer route was to build off-street parking out back, but that the Main Street businesses aren’t as happy with that idea.

So, there’s your new crash reduction strategy for the week. OK, more Dangerous Human Tricks photos to appear here later this week.