Every year around Memorial Day I see an article about the 100 deadliest travel days of the year. Evidently there are more deadly traffic accidents between Memorial Day and Labor Day than any other 100-day period. In fact, there are almost twice as many accidents during the summer than any other season. When you consider that since weather is unlikely to be a factor in almost all of those accidents, that statistic seems even more grave. What is causing all those accidents? The spike has to be attributed to vacation travel. Since people traveling on vacation would otherwise likely be driving to work, it isn't necessarily the number of cars on the road. However, those cars are driving longer distances on unfamiliar roads. Those factors increase the probability of an accident. However, there are things you can do to decrease the likelihood of your car being involved in such an accident.
1. Don't drive while sleepy! About 15 years ago, I was driving to a campout with some friends. It was late afternoon and the warm sun was making me drowsy. I was about half an hour from my destination, and was going to push on until I got there; but when I suddenly realized that my eyes had drooped closed, I knew it was past time to pull over. I saw a rest stop ahead and was getting ready to pull in when I noticed a bunch of dust billowing up just to the side of the pull-off. As I got closer, the dust started to clear and I saw an SUV lying upside down a few yards off the road. The wheels were still turning and there was the body of a 10-year old girl lying about 30 yards behind the vehicle. I pulled over and jumped out to assess the situation. First I approached the girl, but she wasn't moving. One of my friends checked her pulse and couldn't find one. She wasn't breathing either and blood was oozing out of her mouth. While he checked on her, I ran over to the vehicle. Inside I found a man and his son strapped into their seats, hanging upside down. They were both conscious and didn't appear to have any major injuries. There wasn't any gasoline leaking, so I wasn't worried about an explosion. Other cars began pulling over to help, so I took on the responsibility of calling 911. After making that call, the man, who was still trapped inside the vehicle, asked me to call his wife. That was probably the hardest phone call of my life. A man was doing CPR on her daughter, but I was pretty sure she was already dead. In response to her queries, I informed her that her daughter was receiving CPR, but avoided telling her my speculations. Emergency personnel arrived on the scene about 10 minutes after I did and took over rescue operations, but I heard the man admit that he'd fallen asleep at the wheel. I was literally trembling as I listened to him, knowing that could have easily been me. That experience has taught me to never drive drowsy, no matter how close to my destination I am.
2. Always wear a seat belt! A second lesson I learned from that experience is to make sure my passengers are wearing their seat belts. I developed the habit of buckling up a long time ago, but occasionally I notice that my passengers sometimes need a reminder. The man and the boy in the SUV were both buckled in, and only suffered minor scrapes and bruises. The girl evidently wasn't wearing her seat belt. She was thrown from the car as it rolled, receiving mortal injuries. My grandmother didn't like wearing seat belts because she knew someone who survived an accident because he wasn't wearing a seat belt. However, that was a unique circumstance. The statistics prove that seat belts save lives; so buckle up! And make sure your passengers are buckled up too! For tips on making sure young children are strapped in properly, click here.
3. Avoid distracted driving! About 23 years ago, my wife and I bought our first car together - a white Ford Tempo. Two weeks after buying the car, we were stopped at a red light and were rear-ended by another vehicle. Evidently he was fiddling with the radio, trying to find a station he liked and didn't see that we were stopped until too late. Although new cars are tricked out with features that allow you to do such tasks without your eyes leaving the road, there are more accidents caused by distracted driving today than ever before. The biggest culprit is cell phones. If you get a text or call while driving, ignore it. Your friend doesn't need you to like his or her photo this very second. It will still be there once you arrive at your destination, and you can "like" it then. If you are expecting an important call, pull over. We live in a culture of multi-tasking, but studies show that most jobs done while multi-tasking are much less effective than when they are given our full attention. This is especially true when driving.
4. Friends don't let friends drive drunk! Every 52 minutes (on average) someone in the USA dies as a result of an accident caused by alcohol-impaired driving. That is unacceptable. Despite the number of programs and organizations dedicated to ending drunk driving, this epidemic continues to plague our nation. Remember that "buzzed driving" is drunk driving. Also, driving under the influence of prescription drugs is just as dangerous as drunk driving. If you or a friend has been drinking, don't drive. It isn't worth it.
5. Avoid aggressive driving! Aggressive driving leads to accidents. Driving habits such as speeding, tailgating, cutting off cars, not signaling while changing lanes and even getting angry at other drivers' actions not only lead to a higher number of accidents, they also turn routine accidents into deadly ones. Being courteous as you drive is not only polite, it's much safer. Getting stressed leads to bad decisions; so if someone cuts you off, don't yell or get mad. That won't get you to your destination any faster. Rather, be alert. Defensive driving is the best way to get you to your destination safely.
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