Your Seat Belt: Don’t Be a Statistic – Wear It!

Always wear your seat belt.

In 2011, 64% of the passenger vehicle occupants ages 21 to 24 killed in traffic crashes were not using restraints—the highest percentage of all age groups.[1] Have you ever been in a car or truck as a driver or a passenger? Do you always wear a seat belt? In this article, I will talk about the importance of wearing your seat belt—whenever you are in a car, and no matter where you are sitting. While I was living in Michigan, someone I knew died in a single vehicle crash. By taking one easy action, it is very likely he would have survived. Why do I say that? He was driving a short distance, going home on a familiar road. But on the way, he hit the side of an embankment and his truck rolled over. When it happened, he was ejected from the truck and died. He was ejected because he wasn’t wearing a seat belt. As someone who has been talking about highway safety for years, including the importance of wearing a seat belt, his death particularly struck me. What could I have said that would have made a difference?

Seat Belts Save Lives

Ejection is one of the most injurious actions that can happen to someone in a crash. In 2011, 77% of people ejected from a car or truck were killed. Seat belts prevent that, and more, from happening.[2] Seat belts save lives.

In a crash, even as the vehicle absorbs the energy by changing direction and/or by a car’s crumple zones collapsing, the people and objects that are not secure continue going in the same direction—usually, for a driver or front seat passenger, into the steering wheel or front windshield. A seat belt makes sure you stay in the seat, allowing the car’s other safety features, such as the crumple zones, airbags and brakes to be effective. This includes anyone sitting in a back seat. A person in the back that is not belted in can become a projectile and hit the front seat occupants or be thrown through a window. It is critical that everyone in a car or truck wear a seat belt.

Everyone needs to be fastened with a seat belt.

The great news is that 84 percent of the people in the U.S. use a seatbelt. In 2011 almost 12,000 lives were saved because people fastened their seat belts. Over 290,000 lives have been saved since 1975.[3] Wearing a belt can reduce the risk of fatal injury in a car by 45 percent and moderate injuries by 50 percent. It is even greater for pickup trucks.[4] Recognizing the importance of seat belts, all but one state in the U.S.,[5] and a majority of the countries [6]across the globe have passed legislation mandating that drivers and usually also passenger(s) wear seat belts.

The Driving Skills of Those Around You

For those that occasionally don’t wear a seat belt, the common reasons given are:

• Just driving a short distance
• Forgetting, and
• Comfort.

For those individuals who never wear a belt the usual excuses are they don’t need one or they don’t like being told what to do.[7]

Share the message – someone cares

I think many times we believe that ‘I’m a safe driver,’ so I’ll be fine for this short trip. I don’t need to fasten the seat belt. After all, ‘I’m just going to the grocery store.’ Yet, no matter how good a driver we are, we apparently fail to recognize we have no control over, or knowledge of, the person’s driving skills in the car next to us, or the one approaching in the opposite direction. Another thought sometimes is that vehicles now have airbags. ‘That will protect me just fine.’ While air bags do save lives, it is the combination that makes a difference. Remember, air bags do not deploy in every type of crash. However, seat belts are for every situation. What can we do? Obviously, always wear a seat belt when in a car or truck. But more than that, as a driver, make sure your passengers are buckled in before going anywhere. As a parent, do you have your children buckled up, either in a child car seat, or if appropriate, in an adult seat belt? Have you talked with your children about the importance of always being buckled up? As a teen, are you making sure your parents fasten their seat belts? We all have influence with our family and friends. This is not the time to remain silent. This is not the time to fail to use a seat belt. That seat belt could save you, and those important to you. Someone I know became a statistic because he wasn’t wearing a seat belt. Don’t let that happen to you or someone you know. Always wear your seat belt. Has a seat belt saved you from injury?  Let me know your story in the comments below.

Video: Vince and Larry – You Could Learn a Lot from a Dummy

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[1] 2011 Traffic Safety Facts: Occupant Protection. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, June 2013.

[2] 2011 Traffic Safety Facts: Occupant Protection. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, June 2013.

[3] 2011 Traffic Safety Facts: Overview. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, April 2013.

[4] 2011 Traffic Safety Facts: Occupant Protection. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, June 2013.

[5] New Hampshire is the sole state without a seat belt law. Safety Belts: State Laws. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Obtained from: http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/laws/safetybeltuse?topicName=safety-belts

[6] 111 countries now have comprehensive seat belt laws for all occupants. Global Status Report on Road Safety (2013) Supporting a Decade of Action. World Health Organization. 2013.

[7] Attitudes Towards Seat Belt Use and In-Vehicle Technologies for Encouraging Belt Use. Kidd, McCartt, & Oesch. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. January 2013.

Teen Driver Safety: Parents, There Is More To Do

Are you a parent of a teen driver or someone involved with teens as they mature and start to drive? Then this article is for you.  What follows are three particular efforts designed to assist in steering teens to be safer drivers.

In today’s electronic sharing society it is almost impossible not to hear daily about a teen being killed in a car crash that involved:

• Texting, or
• Speeding, or
• Other passengers, or
• Alcohol, or
• Fatigue.

And the list continues on.

Friends and family mourn the loss and ask Why? Parents suffer intense grief wondering if more could have been done.  Having never lost a son or daughter to a traffic crash, I can only imagine the intense pain, and I know that my imagination is not sufficient.

Not So Fast: Parenting Your Teen Through the Dangers of Driving

NHTSA Infographic for 5 To Drive Campaign

Traffic crashes are the number one killer of teens ages 14-18 and if that isn’t startling enough, half of the teens killed in crashes are the drivers themselves.  In 2011 over half of the teen occupants killed in motor vehicle crashes were not wearing seat belts.[1]  Statistic after statistic demonstrates the dangers of teen driving.  In his book Not So Fast: Parenting Your Teen Through the Dangers of Driving, Tim Hollister[2] notes that: “For teens, the dangers start at “at risk” and go up from there.”[3] He points to the inexperience of teen drivers as well as a number of other factors that come into play. Mr. Hollister uses both research and his personal experience to provide great information for parents and their role in supervising a teen driver and reducing the risks.  Ultimately, it is the parent’s involvement before the teen starts driving, as well as during, which can make a significant difference.[4]

I Know Everything

Another effort to improve teen driving safety is I Know Everything, a program developed for teens and parents to sit down and talk about what they know and remind each other of the importance of safe driving.[5]  I Know Everything reminds parents that they have to be good examples when driving, that teens need reminders on what it means to be safe on the road, and that both need to sit down and talk with each other about safe driving.

5 to Drive Teen Safety Campaign by NHTSA

A third program is NHTSA’s newly announced ‘5 to Drive’ Teen Safety Campaign.  The ‘5 to Drive’ campaign looks at five critical topics for teen driving safety:

1. No cell phone use or texting while driving,
2. No extra passengers,
3. No speeding,
4. No alcohol, and
5. No driving or riding without a seat belt.

Using these safety messages, 5 to Drive encourages parents to discuss each subject with their teens.  To help parents with the conversation, NHTSA offers  “Parents Center” at www.safercar.gov.  Here, parents will find information about graduated driver’s license laws, setting ground rules, and being a good role model on safe driving.

Parents Make a Difference

What all three of these efforts have in common is the understanding that a parent’s involvement with his or her teen driver is critical for teen driver safety. [6]  It is not enough to believe that a driver’s education course is sufficient or that your teen is always responsible.  A parent has to set ground rules, possibly through a Teen Driving Agreement,[7] understand the requirements of a Graduated Driver’s License law – and possibly require more. And, ultimately, be a good role model.  A parent has to be an active voice and a participant in a teen’s learning and driving skills.  A parent has to sit down and have conversations with a teen, not just once, not just twice, but multiple times, reviewing safe driving tips. As a child grows from infancy to childhood to adolescence, parents are there to protect and support that growth and development.  That endeavor cannot stop when the teen is behind the wheel of a car.  Being a parent is a full-time job and raising a safe driver is part of that job, a job that will always mean there is more to do.  But keep in mind: the rewards that come from raising a safe teen driver who becomes a responsible adult are priceless.

Check out this NHTSA PSA video about parents being involved:

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[1] NHTSA Unveils ‘5 to Drive’ Teen Safety Campaign to Reduce High Death Rate of Teens. NHTSA Press Release.  October 22, 2013.

[2] Mr. Hollister’s 17 year-old son Reid died in a motor vehicle crash in December 2006.  Since then he has learned all he can to understand teen driving risks and what can be done to help lower those risks. His blog is at www.fromreidsdad.org

[3] Not So Fast, Parenting Your Teen Through the Dangers of Driving, 2013. Pg 18.

[4]  Not So Fast.  For more information about it, go to: http://nsfteendriving.com.

[5] For more information on I Know Everything, read the Traffic Safety Guy’s Blog, or go to IKnowEverything.org.

[6] The list is not limited to just these three examples—a large variety of programs have as a common theme: Parental involvement makes a difference.

[7] For a Model Teen Driving Agreement see: Not So Fast, Parenting Your Teen Through the Dangers of Driving

Related articles

• Teen Driving Safety: Do You Know Everything? (trafficsafetyguy.com)

Impaired Driving: Now that’s Scary

BOO!  Did I scare you?  I am fairly confident that your answer is no, I didn’t scare you at all.  But what should really scare you are the drunk drivers out during Halloween. If you are having a Halloween party, or attending one, then this article is for you.

October 31 is a day for children to go out in the evening, knock on doors and yell ”trick or treat,” hoping to receive a treat such as candy.  However, over the years, Halloween has also become a time when adults will dress-up in a wide variety of costumes and go out to a party.  Last year it was estimated that almost three-fourths of all Americans celebrated Halloween in some fashion.  At the same time, it has also become expected that any adult Halloween party will have alcohol.[1]

Halloween: It’s A Scary Night

Unfortunately, this has resulted in a greater percentage of impaired driving fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 2007-2011, 52 percent of all traffic fatalities occurring in the U.S. on Halloween night involved a drunk driver.[2] Considering that typically one-third of overall traffic fatalities involve an impaired driver – that is a dramatic increase. Young men are particularly at risk of being involved in a traffic crash as a result of “buzzed” or drunk driving.  Males, ages 21-34, comprised almost half of all drunk drivers killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes nationwide during the 2011 Halloween period.[3] For whatever reason, people are not making plans to get home safely—and that is just scary!

Tips For Hosting A Halloween Party

Law enforcement officers across the country are out in force to stop impaired drivers, but it is up to all of us to do everything that we can to stop this disaster from happening.  Are you hosting a party with alcohol? Keep your guests safe by:

• First and foremost—never serving alcohol to anyone under 21
• Making sure you have non-alcoholic drinks and food available
• Considering not serving any alcohol in the last hour of your party, and
• Taking responsibility to see that your guests get home safely, either by having access to a taxi or a sober ride.

Tips On Attending A Halloween Party

Are you attending a party with alcohol?  Before leaving home, plan to get back safely from the party by:

• Having a designated driver who drinks no alcohol, or
• Having a taxi phone number available and then using it, or
• Hiring a shuttle or limousine, or
• Arranging for a hotel, or staying with your hosts on the night of the party

If you are walking from the party, keep in mind that walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving.  Make sure to have a sober friend walk with you.

Halloween is a time for laughter and fun times.  It is can be filled with zombies, super heroes, magical creatures and people everywhere pretending to be someone or something else. However, Halloween is not the time to release our inhibitions and be a drunk driver.  Safety for ourselves and everyone else around us is still an important consideration when going out, and rule number one is: Don’t drink and drive. By following that simple statement, we can avoid a truly scary night.

Going out to a party?  What’s your costume going to be?

Here’s a short clip from NHTSA – Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving

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[1] Move Over, Kids. Halloween is for Grownups, CNN Celebrates, October 30, 2012. Found at: http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/22/world/halloween-culture-adults/index.html

[2] 2013 NHTSA Halloween Campaign, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[3] 2013 NHTSA Halloween Campaign, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Car Safety: Finding A Safer Car to Drive

Are you thinking of buying a new or used car?  If you answered yes, then this article is for you.  It provides useful tips to make sure that the car you are considering is designed as safely as possible for you, your children and your passengers.

Safety and Motor Vehicle Design

Everyone knows that not all cars are created equal.  Just look at the variety of car prices  and you’ll see a significant price range.  Examine the wide variety of vehicles and you’ll see different styles, different sizes, different shapes, and different capabilities.  But a couple of safety features are now found with all vehicles: they all have seat belts; they all have front airbags. And more safety features are being added every day, such as: side airbags (most cars have this feature as of 2008), electronic stability control (required as of the 2012 model year), and crash avoidance technologies are now being added. Car manufacturers realize the benefit of adding even more safety features in cars. After all, safety sells and it ultimately saves lives.

Cars have changed over the years. Now they are safer.

In the 50s and 60s cars were designed to be tough and rigid.  If there was a crash, the idea was that the car would not be damaged unless it was involved in a significant crash.  However, there was a major problem with that philosophy. Every crash results in the creation of significant energy, and that energy has to go somewhere.  If the car does not absorb the energy, then the only place the energy can go is into the people in the car.  Our bodies are not designed to handle that kind of energy, and the result is severe injuries or death.

Cars of today are designed with “crumple” zones.  When a car is in a collision, it collapses and absorbs the energy before it reaches the passenger compartment.  The passenger compartment is now made stronger and the structure around the compartment is designed to absorb the energy.  This change has resulted in lives being saved.  Check out the video clip below to see the differences between a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air and a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu when crashed into each other.

SaferCar Website and App

To determine which cars are safe, both the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) do actual crash tests. The NHTSA has the 5-Star Safety Rating Program, which provides information about the crash protection and rollover safety of new vehicles beyond what is required by Federal Law.  One star is the lowest rating, with five stars being the highest.  To find the ratings for your car, check out the website: SaferCar.gov.  There, you can enter the make, model, and year and get a summary of how your car did in the safety tests.

The NHTSA SaferCar App

Also, to help keep in touch with the various ratings done by NHTSA while out shopping for a new car, you can download the SaferCar app.  It is available on iTunes, with an Android version currently in development.  This app allows you to check out the various car ratings from your iPhone or iPad, see if there have been any recalls, or file a complaint. The app even provides help in installing a child safety seat.

Another great resource to determine your car’s safety is the IIHS.  While the IIHS is involved in a wide range of highway safety activities, one of the best-known aspects is their car crash testing.  Five types of crashes are done by the IIHS, with each scored separately:

• Moderate overlap front
• Small overlap front (less of the car is impacted than in the moderate overlap)
• Side
• Roof strength, and
• Head restraints.

Once a car is put through each crash test, it receives an overall rating: Poor, Marginal, Acceptable or Good.  If a vehicle receives a “Good” rating in the moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests then it is given a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS.  If the car gets “Good” in 4 out of 5 tests and “Acceptable” in the 5^th, then it gets a Top Safety Pick + (Plus).

The IIHS

IIHS Vehicle Research Center

The IIHS started doing crash testing in the early 90s with one test, the moderate overlap front.  At that time, many of the cars were rated either “Marginal” or “Poor.” Today, nearly all cars earn “Good” ratings in this crash test.  As each new crash test has been added, car manufacturers have responded, designing their cars to be safer in each attribute.  Receiving the IIHS Top Safety Pick is now a valued recognition of the work done by car manufacturers and it is often included in their car advertising.  To see the ratings of cars or trucks, go to www.IIHS.org.  The Institute also has a IIHS YouTube channel where you can watch many of the crashes. In the very near future, The Institute will also be examining and comparing a variety of the new crash avoidance technologies.

In today’s highly connected and interactive society, it is easier than ever before to determine if you are buying a safe car.  When looking, you should:

• Check out SaferCar.gov and see if the vehicle received 5 stars
• Download the SaferCar app and take it with you when you are looking, and
• Check out the ratings from IIHS to see if the vehicle being considered is a Top Safety + pick.

But, know that the overall benefit of all of this testing and individual rating is that even if you don’t look at the websites, cars are being designed with safety in mind. And that is a great benefit for everyone on the road.

50th Anniversary of the IIHS – Crashing a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air and a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu

Related articles

• Official: IIHS introduces new test for avoiding crashes, not surviving them [w/videos] (autoblog.com)
• IIHS Tests Crash Prevention Systems (newsplex.com)

Senior Drivers: To Drive or Not to Drive

Are you over 65 years old? Or maybe you have a family member over 65 and still driving a car? Then this article is for you; providing tips and information on what to do if you or someone in your family is getting up in years.

For many of us, driving is freedom; the freedom to go where we want, visit who we wish, and explore new sights.  It can be exciting, driving down the road on a new adventure, or to visit family and friends.  But as we age, it can also become challenging.  The number of drivers over age 65 is growing, and will continue to grow for many years as the baby boom generation moves into retirement.   In 2011 there were 35 million licensed older drivers, a 21 percent increase from 2002.[1]  We are living longer and healthier lives, but we need to remain alert to how we drive, and whether or not we are a potential risk to ourselves or others. Our eyesight and physical abilities change as we age; our reaction times slow down, and even our judgment can be affected by aging.  This is not to say that we should stop driving at age 65; it means that we need to be more alert to our situation and ask some crucial questions.

In 2011, 5,401 people age 65 and older were killed, with 185,000 people injured in car crashes, representing 17 percent of all traffic fatalities and 8 percent of all traffic crash injuries.[2] While fatal crash rates are the highest among drivers over 85 years old, the increased fatal crash risk is more due to medical complications, not an increased tendency to get into a crash.[3]

It is therefore crucial that we recognize our own limitations, ask the appropriate questions and take the right steps to be safe drivers.  At some point, it is important to ask yourself or your loved ones:

• Has anyone expressed concerns about your driving?
• How is your vision?
• How is your physical fitness?
• How is your attention and reaction time?

Off on another adventure

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has created the pamphlet Driving Safely While Aging Gracefully.  This publication asks these basic questions, allows you to honestly evaluate your answers, and then determine what should be done based on those answers.

Because of the dramatic increase in the number of drivers over the age of 65, the available resources have grown quickly, and include:

• Publications[4] and websites[5] on Senior Driving
• Evaluations of your driving abilities, and;
• Driving courses designed to support older drivers.

These resources can help enhance your driving skills and increase your awareness and understanding of what it means to drive when older.  In the meantime, remember a few basic tips to stay safe:

• Remain fit, and exercise to increase your strength and flexibility
• Make sure any medications don’t have any side effects that will cause problems when driving
• Get your eyes checked on a regular basis
• Drive during the day and in good weather
• Use the safest route, which does not necessarily mean the most direct way
• Take the time before you leave to plan what route you will use
• Reduce the number of distractions in your car, especially by not using a cell phone while driving—regardless if it is hands-free or not.

As you reach that age where you are free to visit family and friends, or travel across the country to see new sights, you want to be sure to arrive safe and sound. Take the time to make sure your driving skills are safe for you, those in your car, and everyone around you as you head out on your next adventure.

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[1] Traffic Safety Facts, 2011 Data – Older Population. April 2013. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  DOT HS 811 745

[2] Traffic Safety Facts, 2011 Data – Older Population. April 2013. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  DOT HS 811 745

[3] Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Fatality facts 2009: Older People. Arlington (VA): IIHS; 2010. [cited 2011 Feb 25]. Available from URL:  http://www.iihs.org/research/fatality_facts_2009/olderpeople.htm

[4] How to Understand & Influence Older Drivers, June 2006. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. DOT HS 810 633; Driving Safely While Aging Gracefully.

[5] NHTSA Older Drivers;  AAA-Senior Driving;  AARP Driver Safety