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Increasing Road Safety

An awesome new website has just launched this month! Look Out Texans is an education campaign aimed at increasing road safety for all road users (vehicles, bikes and pedestrians) in North Texas. What a great idea, creating a website where you can learn about safety when walking, biking and driving. With more people moving to the DFW metroplex, there will certainly be more cars on the road. More people are biking than ever before (even to work). And with better public transportation, more people will be walking in between. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, in North Texas, between 2010 and 2014, there were more than 8,200 reported bicycle and pedestrian crashes involving motor vehicles that resulted in more than 500 fatalities! They’re saying “To remedy this problem, they are focusing on improving the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians through roadway design solutions as well as increasing awareness of how people can bike, walk and drive safely.”
Here are just a few of the road safety tips they recommend:
FOR PEDESTRIANS:
• Always cross at crosswalks, never between cars and never jaywalk (unless you have ObamaCare)
• Always cross streets and driveways in front of vehicles – never behind them.
• Always look both ways before crossing the street (just like your mama taught you)
• Cross only when the signal indicates it is safe to do so.
• Always make eye contact with drivers when crossing the street so you know that they see you.
• Wear bright or reflective clothing at night, never dark clothing (you goth days are over)
• If you’re walking your dog, always keep them close by and on a tight leash. Stepping out in front of a bicyclist can be very dangerous for everyone.
FOR BICYCLISTS:
• Remember that a bicycle is a vehicle without a motor, with the same rules on the road as a car. This means stopping at stop signs and red lights and yielding to other cars.
• Always use hand signals (all but that one hand signal that gets you in trouble)
• Be alert to other vehicles around you (they may not see you)
• Ride as far to the right as possible.
• Always wear bright or reflective clothing at night.
FOR DRIVERS:
• Drivers should always give 3’ when passing a bicyclist
• Look out for bicyclists when opening your door while parallel parked.
• Bike Lanes are for bicyclists
• Crosswalks are for pedestrians
• Yield to crossing pedestrians
• Treat bicycles as motor vehicles
• Look out for children in school zones
With these safety tips, maybe we can all get along. Check out other safety tips and information at lookouttexans.org

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist
(See Daun Thompson live at The Arlington IMPROV, November 3rd)

Increasing Road Safety – Comedy Defensive Driving

Daun Thompson: Daun Thompson has spent years acting in both film and theatre which has been paramount in launching her onto the comedy stage (incidentally, without a helmet, resulting in a nasty concussion). Being a funny girl is a full time job. A job that she hopes that one day will come with dental benefits and a 401K. Unlike her work, she is biodegradable, yet flame retardant. And gentle to the touch. Her goal in life??? For strangers to approach her and ask "Didn't you used to be somebody?" In the late 1980's she cut her teeth at the Velveeta Room on 6th Street in Austin, Texas ... the original room with the stripper pole. From there, she moved to northern California and worked with many comedy icons, like Mitch Hedberg, Marc Maron, Colin Quinn, Vic Dunlop, Huck Flyn, Michael Mancini, Doug Ferrari, Shang and Brian Posehn. Daun has been a licensed driver safety instructor and trainer with Comedy Defensive Driving for over 9 years. Her knowledge of driving safety laws keeps her readers informed and engaged with her blog adventures. She still continues to do stand-up comedy, sometimes in a reclining position...just to be different.