Seatbelt Safety Archives - Comedy Defensive Driving®

U.S. traffic fatalities see steep increase despite less cars on the road

taylor cox — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 02:45:56 +0000

If there was ever a time to think traffic fatalities should decrease, it would be during a global pandemic where most people are staying home and driving less. Unfortunately, that was not the case for 2019-2021. In fact, traffic fatalities increased almost 19%. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) an estimated 38,680 people died in motor vehicle crashes. This is the largest projected number of fatalities since 2007. This traffic accident statistic shocked those in the highway safety industry because data shows there are much fewer vehicles on the road. In this article we will break down the NHTSA’s research and beliefs for why traffic fatalities have increased but the drive time of the average American has significantly decreased.

Less cars but faster speeds

Speed is believed to be one of the main factors as to why we are seeing more fatal crashes. Recently we wrote a blog about the large increase in speeding tickets reported by officials during early pandemic days. Not only were more drivers being pulled over for going above the speed limit, there was a very large increase in extreme speeds. Extreme speeds is defined as going 20 mph above the speed limit. Erie insurance conducted a study a found the following;

“One in 10 drivers (11%) admitted to driving at extreme speeds (20 mph or more over the speed limit) much more often than normal during the early months of the pandemic. As for what they observed about other drivers, a third (33%) said it seemed like a lot more drivers than normal were speeding and of those, nearly six in 10 (57%) said they noticed more drivers going at extreme speeds.”

Speeding itself is dangerous and a large part of traffic incidents in the US. Extreme speeding is even worse. Going 20 mph above a speed limit doesn’t allow cars enough time to slow down for a crash. The difference can be life or death. Remember to slow down while driving, it isn’t worth the extreme minutes saved.

An increase in driving while under the influence

Along with increased speeds, there has been an extremely large jump in the number of DUI’s and DWI’s. Driving under the influencer accounted for 11,654 deaths. Drunk Driving as a whole accounted for 30% of all road fatalities. According to the NHTSA this past year was one of the most deadly. We have steadily seen an increase in alcohol sales since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020. Although alcohol sales don’t seem to be slowing down, driving under the influence defiantly can! Remember to order a ride, designate a driver and don’t let your friends drive home drunk. If you see someone leaving a bar intoxicated don’t be afraid to let them know driving home is illegal and extremely dangerous.

Seatbelts

This next reason given by the NHTSA surprised us. People are not wearing their seatbelts!! There has been an increase in fatalities where the driver and/or passengers were not buckled in correctly. This is easily one of the most avoidable problems. There is no reason to not where your seatbelt. No matter what seat you are sitting in! In fact the safest spot in the car is also the most deadly. The back middle seat in a vehicle can be both depending on whether or not someone is buckled in. The reason less people are wearing their seatbelts is most likely due to less cars being on the road. This gives drivers and passengers a false sense of security. Even if the road is empty always buckle up. Make sure every one in the vehicle is properly wearing their seatbelt at all times! Don’t become a statistic.

As always we wish you safe driving, especially with the Fourth of July upon us. The Fourth of July is the most deadly day of the year for driving. Please be safe, order a ride share app if needed and buckle up!!

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OPERATION CARE

Daun Thompson — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 13:00:11 +0000

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) has been stepping up enforcement of the Move Over/Slow Down Law through Operation CARE (Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort). This provides law enforcement with information, training and a forum for discussing roadway safety issues. These issues include the improvement of public safety on our roads and highways. In 1978, every U.S. state became part of this effort in order to deter speeding, impaired driving and failure to use occupant restraints. So, originally this effort focused more on the protection of the public, rather than the protection of law enforcement.

OPERATION CARE’S ROLE IN ACCIDENT REDUCTION

State police and highway patrol agencies have joined together with the goal of reducing human suffering on our highways. And it is the only national program designed to draw ALL state level law enforcement agencies together to achieve common goals of traffic accident reduction. Their efforts created the standardized field sobriety testing and the support of mandatory seat belt use legislation back in 1984. And I do remember when a driver could have an open container in the car as well as when you did not have to wear a seat belt. Your mom’s forearm was your seat belt.

MOVE OVER/SLOW DOWN LAW

And now, efforts are also focusing on enforcement of the Move Over/Slow Down Law. Passed in 2003, this law requires motorists to move over or slow down 20mph below the posted speed limit when passing emergency vehicles or service vehicles that are stopped on the side of the road with emergency lights flashing. This includes Police, Ambulance, Fire Trucks, Tow Trucks, the Department of Transportation, etc. These workers risk their lives every day for us. And their safety is particularly vulnerable while working on the side of the road.

Today all 50 states, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec are involved in C.A.R.E.

Until next week…
Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

OPERATION CARE – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Seat Belts on School Buses

Daun Thompson — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 02:47:45 +0000

I rode a school bus with no seat belts and giant potholes in the road when I was a kid. We’d fight over who got to ride in the last two seats. Those seats were like a ticket to Six Flags. I guess in a small town, kids do what they can for entertainment. Not much has changed regarding school bus safety since I was a kid. Only six states require seat belts on school buses. Those states are California, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, New Jersey and New York.
Every year, kids are killed and thousands are injured in school bus accidents. Since I became a mother, it has always bothered me that school buses don’t have seat belts. I thought that perhaps the reason may be due to a possible fire or the bus crashing into a body of water, where small children may not be able to unbuckle their seat belts to evacuate the bus. After all, there are seat belts on airplanes. And they make darned sure you’re wearing it!
Traditional thinking is that “compartmentalization” is a good way (but not great) to keep kids safe. Since the seat back is high, it’s also padded and very close to the seat in front of it. So, if the bus is hit from the front or the back, those kids should stay within their own little “compartment.” What if the bus is hit from the side or if the bus rolls over? Well then, that is just not enough.
So, why don’t kids have seat belts in all buses? Maybe that will all change. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also says that seat belts make school buses safer. They have made a statement that, this fall, they will come out with some action.
Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Seat Belts on School Buses – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Smoking With Kids In The Car

Daun Thompson — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 05:39:36 +0000

It’s hard to believe that, not too long ago, people could smoke on airplanes. We all know from experience that there are babies on airplanes. That could be one reason why they cried back then. Most of them probably had ear tubes and were taking medication for ear infections because of our ignorance about the effects of second hand smoke. When I was a kid, our family would take long road trips, hundreds of miles, with the windows rolled up and my dad chain-smoking like there was no tomorrow. Now, smoking with kids in the car is illegal in at least eight states in the U.S. and, as of October 1st, will be illegal in the U.K.
In America, states that have banned smoking in cars when children are present include Oregon, California, Utah, Vermont, Main, Arkansas, Louisiana and Puerto Rico. And other states are considering passing a ban as well. Not only is smoking in an enclosed space hazardous for children, it is also hazardous for other passengers. In addition, preventing the driver from being distracted by the act of smoking decreases the danger of traffic accidents.
It is said that over 80% of cigarette smoke is invisible and even opening windows does not remove all of the smoke. The level of toxic air in a vehicle from one cigarette is up to 10 times greater than levels that are considered hazardous. Children with undeveloped lungs and immune systems are susceptible to serious health issues from being cooped up in a car with cigarette smoke. Child endangerment is a serious matter. Now that we have evolved regarding second hand smoke, it is likely not too far in the future that all states will implement a no smoking ban in automobiles.
Until next week…
Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Smoking With Kids In The Car – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Seat Belts In The Car

Daun Thompson — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 19:49:59 +0000

When I was a kid, you didn’t have to wear seat belts in the car. Safety was an “option.” Now, if you and your kids are not buckled up, they’ll fry you. Not just the law, but other parents won’t hesitate to let you have it if they see your kids aren’t wearing one or secured in a car seat or booster seat. The national safety belt law went into effect in 1986. Before that, we had seat belts in cars, but they were just cloth lap belts, conveniently tucked down into the seat. My mom’s arm was our seat belt. My dad used to call her “The Seat Belt.” Years later, he started calling her “The Air Bag.” I thought it was just people of my parents’ generation that didn’t wear seat belts. But now, I hear young men between 17 and 24 years of age that tell me they don’t wear a seat belt. When asked why, they say it’s just not cool. Plus it’s uncomfortable. That’s exactly what my Mom would say about the seat belt. She and my Father would drive to Texas all the way from Illinois. And they would never wear their seat belts. My Mother, much like these young guys that don’t wear their seat belts, would say that the seat belt is uncomfortable and will wrinkle her outfit. Not like going through the windshield won’t wrinkle your outfit and your head as well. So, I resort to lying to my parents when they would come to visit me. Not that I’ve never lied to my parents before, but my parents are 78 years old now. And I’m “yikes” (that’s my new age…”yikes”). If my parents are visiting, and I’m driving them around, I tell them if they don’t buckle up, I, as the driver, will get both of their tickets. Of course that is a blatant lie. In Texas, if anyone under 17 years of age (i.e. under age) is not wearing a seat belt in the car, the driver gets the citation. But, anyone 17 or older (i.e. of age) is not wearing a seat belt, they get their own citation, not the driver. I think that’s fair enough. So my parents would buckle up. They’re from Illinois, so they don’t know Texas laws.

Wearing a seat belt is just a good habit to get into. Not only for safety’s sake, but so you don’t get cited for it. I think they train the police in the academy to be able to see, even through a tinted window, if you’re wearing your seat belt or not. I also think they train them in the academy to be able to tell if you’re lying or not. Just like your parents.
Until next week…buckle up.

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist
Seat Belts In The Car – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Seat Belt Laws

Daun Thompson — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 16:45:00 +0000

I am a baby boomer, a product of the 1960’s. My Father and Mother were both from lower middle class families. Rising above, my Father’s success measured in new cars. Like that ’68 Toronado convertible with an 8-Track tape player, blasting the Ventures. One thing different about this new car is that it had seat belts. But they were cloth, lap seat belts that were always conveniently tucked down into the seat. My Mom’s arm was our seat belt, and she can still pack a wallop today! My Father used to call her the seat belt. Later in life, he would refer to her as the airbag. In fact, since 1966, laws were put in place that required automobile manufacturers to make seat belts a standard feature in all cars produced. However, federal law did not require that drivers and passengers use seat belts or assess punitive measures for those who did not. Prior to 1984, safety was an “option.” New York became the first state to pass . And later, other states followed suit. Thank you, Ralph Nader. I think I voted for you once.

Yes, we baby boomers grew up in a time of social change. It was a time of free love, countercultural values and safety actually being an “option.” Where was the logic? Prior to seat belt laws, we had steel dashboards covered in a paper-thin layer of vinyl. You could actually stand up on the seat if you were small enough. Most of my cousins wear “bangs” to cover a nasty permanent scar as a result. Heck, we would ride in the back window of the car, like a Beanie Baby.

And what safety options are there today? There are too many to list. But, to name a few, we have airbags, anti-lock brakes and sensors for tailgating, drifting, blind spots and hydroplaning. Laws require car seats and booster seats for kids as well. We’ve come a long way.

So, do the right thing. Buckle up your passengers, your kids and yourself. So you and your passengers can live to a ripe old age like the rest of we baby boomers, including George Clooney, Ricky Gervais, Sting, Madonna, Stephen Tyler and Barack Obama.

Until next week…buckle up.

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Seat Belt Laws – Comedy Defensive Driving

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