Category Archives: Community Outreach

Community Outreach, Research, Safe Driving Tips, Teens

Parents Teaching Distracted Driving Habits

“The learner should realize that every careless and inattentive act on his part, not only endangers his life, but the lives of his passengers, pedestrians, and occupants of other vehicles.”

That quote comes from Amos Neyhart, from his foundational 1934 work Instruction Book on the Safe Operation of a Motor Vehicle for Teachers and Learners.  Neyhart, a professor at Penn State, originated the entire field of driver’s education.  He taught students in the classroom and behind the wheel in his own car, a 1929 Graham-Paige.  That particular car didn’t have a radio.  Neyhart himself died in 1990, a decade before cell phones and GPS devices began to transform the inside of a car and really define what modern distractions are.

The words Neyhart published 78 years ago seem more prescient than anything from Nostradamus as modern cars and modern technology tempt us to distraction more every day.  Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of today’s crashes and vehicle fatalities, and something we modern driving instructors must continually address.

Parents, you don’t seem to be helping as much as you could.  According to a new survey by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and Toyota, teens who think their parents drive distracted are 3 times as likely to drive distracted themselves.  Remember, your kids start watching your driving behavior the moment you place them in a forward-facing car seat and get behind the wheel.  Everything you do, they see, and children are wonderful mimics of parental behavior.  Click here to read more about the new study.

Parents, take the time to go on a little inquest and take a strong, objective look at your driving behavior.  If you can’t, have someone help you – solicit opinions from family and friends who often ride with you.  If you’re not sure what behaviors to model for your children, why not give us a call?  An hour with a professional instructor can reveal worlds about your driving, including dangerous habits you’re likely not even aware of yourself.

Driver education hasn’t changed much since the Neyhart days of the Great Depression.  He recognized then that distracted drivers are dangerous drivers.  What has changed is how very easily we can become distracted behind the wheel, and how much more dangerous we’ve become as drivers.

At Modern Driver Institute, we’re here to help ALL drivers, even the 87% of licensed Americans over the age of 30 who earned their driving privileges before cell phones existed and who are likely now training tomorrow’s drivers, just by modeling behaviors.

Community Outreach, Highway Safety, Safe Driving Tips

What’s Killing Our Drivers?

NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has released two interesting preliminary reports this month.

The first reveals that “an estimated 16,290 people died in motor vehicle crashes” during the first six months of 2012.  The number represents a 9% increase in traffic deaths over the prior year, while miles driven during that time only increased 1.1%.  That 9% increase is the largest in recorded history over the first six-month period of any year.

The second report shows that seat belt use among vehicle occupants is up to 86%, a record high.  So, more people are taking advantage of safety technology in their cars, and more people are being killed in their car.  Now, the hippies and anarchists in the audience will no doubt tie the two together to reinforce their belief, however delusional, that seat belts don’t protect people and they have a better chance of survival remaining unbelted.  The truth is, seat belts save lives every day, and the risk of death quadruples if you’re ejected from the car in a crash.  There’s a common quote attributed to policemen who handle traffic crashes: “I’ve never unbuckled a dead man”.

So, if more people are buckling up and more people are getting killed in crashes, what’s going wrong?  Shouldn’t fewer people die if more of us are wearing seat belts?

According to NHTSA, the majority of vehicles involved in fatal crashes were going straight when they crashed.  Did you read that right?  Going.  Straight.  That means that most people are killed trying to drive in a straight line – what we pretty much assume to be one of the easiest tasks.  Why?

It all comes down to the choices we make behind the wheel.  You know that old idiom, “To Err is Human”?  It’s true.  We are all human beings, and therefore we all make mistakes.  The thing is, if we make a mistake at the grocery store, we come home without milk.  If we make a mistake at school, we get a lower grade on the test.  But if we make a mistake behind the wheel of a car in traffic, we can DIE.  Big letters, D-I-E.  Not too many other activities in life can kill you in a heartbeat if you goof.  Drivers, especially adults, tend to forget this.  As we gain experience driving, we tend to take the entire task for granted.  Here are the most common fatal mistakes drivers tend to make:

  • SPEEDING: Far and away, one of the biggest contributors to fatal crashes is driving too fast for conditions.  This means either breaking the speed limit or not slowing down when conditions require it, like during fog, rain and in congested traffic.  According to one NHTSA report, speeding was a factor in 90% of traffic fatalities.
  • DRUGS:  Not just alcohol, but even prescription medicine, over-the-counter cold and allergy treatments, even caffeine – all of them can impact your ability to drive safely.  NHTSA estimates drugs or alcohol contributing to 85% of fatal crashes.
  • ATTENTION:  These days, our lives are busier than ever, and our driving suffers because of it.  Sleepiness was a factor in 91% of fatal crashes, and driving distractions were a factor in 78% of deaths.
  • POOR SKILLS: In 85% of fatal run-off-the-road crashes, the driver over-corrected an error.  This mistake KILLED that person.

How prepared are you to drive?  Do you ever speed?  Do you ever drive while eating, drinking, smoking, talking, looking at your GPS or using your phone?  Do you ever drive tired?  If you do any of these things, you’re courting death behind the wheel.  If it hasn’t happened yet, you’ve been lucky.  And luck is not something to bet your life on, because sooner or later it runs out.

How are your driving skills?  Did you ever take professional driving instruction?  Was it just a classroom course or did you also take behind the wheel lessons?  How long ago was it?  If you’ve been driving for more than 5 years, ask yourself honestly:  could you pass both the knowledge test and the practical driving test for your state if you took them today without studying?

The “without studying” part is important, because you won’t be studying before you drive home this afternoon.  Pennsylvania passes new laws governing how you drive on their roads every single year, and lots of them.  If you’ve had your license more than 10 years, there are dozens of laws now that didn’t exist the last time you took the knowledge test.

How many drivers are experts at driving?  The magic number of practice hours to be considered an expert seems to be 10,000.  Think about that – if you drove for an average of 30 minutes every day, 365 days a year, it would take you 50 years to gain the proficiency level of a world-class expert driver.  Most Americans drive an hour a day on average, meaning that the average driver who got their license at 16 is just reaching their 10,000 hour mark around the age of 41.  And that’s if, every single time they drive, they’re actually trying to be a better driver, to improve their performance.  If that same person spends the whole hour drinking coffee and tweeting about traffic, that hour doesn’t count.  Given this, and the frequency of things like distracted driving, fatigued driving and reckless driving, most of us are not even trying to get to the magic 10,000 hours.

So, again, be honest with yourself:  what kind of driver are you?  Are you the kind of driver who doesn’t care about performance and is headed down a path toward a fatal crash?  Or are you using every hour, every mile, behind the wheel to hone your skill as a driver and stay alive as long as you can?

It’s a simple truth – if we’re talking about the violin, your life doesn’t hang in the balance if you don’t make it to the expert level.  The same just isn’t true for driving.

Community Outreach, Highway Safety, PennDOT News, Safe Driving Tips

New Law Enforces Traffic Control Signs

A new state law imposing stiff penalties on motorists who ignore “Road Closed” or other safety warning signs and devices is now in effect.

Act 114, signed on July 5 by Governor Tom Corbett, reinforces the critical need for all drivers to obey traffic control signs. The law aims to increase safety for motorists and emergency responders in areas where flooding or other hazardous conditions exist.

“Too often, motorists decide their immediate needs outweigh the safety warning signs and they ignore them, which increases hazards for them and emergency responders,” said  PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch. “This law underscores that we take safety seriously. When motorists are confronted with emergency road closures, we urge them to use common sense and obey the signs that are placed to keep them safe.”

Under the law, motorists who drive around or through signs or traffic control devices closing a road or highway due to hazardous conditions will have two points added to their driving records and be fined up to $250.

If the violation results in a need for emergency responders to be called, the fine is increased to between $250 and $500. In addition, violators will be held liable for repaying the costs of staging the emergency response.

What do you think about this new law?

Bicycle And Pedestrian Safety, Child Passenger Safety, Community Outreach, Highway Safety, Safe Driving Tips

Bus Stop Safety

For twenty three million students nationwide, the school day begins and ends with a trip on a school bus. The greatest risk is not riding the bus, but approaching or leaving the bus. Before children go back to school or start school for the first time, it is essential that adults and children know traffic safety rules.

Drivers

  • When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch out for children walking or bicycling to school.
  • When driving in neighborhoods with school zones, watch out for young people who may be thinking about getting to school, but may not be thinking of getting there safely.
  • Slow down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in neighborhood.
  • Slow down. Watch for children playing and congregating near bus stops.
  • Be alert. Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street with out looking for traffic.
  • Learn and obey the school bus laws in your state. Learn the “flashing signal light system” that school bus drivers use to alert motorists of pending actions:
  • Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
  • Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate that the bus has stopped, and that children are getting on or off. Motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop sign is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.

Children

  • Get to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
  • When the bus approaches, stand at least three giant steps (6 feet) away from the curb, and line up away from the street.
  • Wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says that it’s okay before stepping onto the bus.
  • If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk on the sidewalk or along the side of the road to a point at least five giant steps (10 feet) ahead of the bus before you cross. Be sure that the bus driver can see you, and you can see the bus driver.
  • Use the handrails to avoids falls. When exiting the bus, be careful that clothing with drawstrings, and book bags with straps don’t get caught in the handrails or doors.
  • Never walk behind the bus.
  • Walk at least three giant steps away from the side of the bus.
  • If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver. Never try to pick it up because the driver may not be able to see you.

Parents

  • Teach children to follow these common sense practices to make school bus transportation safer.

 

Community Outreach, Highway Safety, Safe Driving Tips

Super Bowl Safe

This Sunday, February 5, the Giants take on the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.  The game starts at 6:30PM and will air live on NBC.  For those of you planning to have a few drinks during the game, or know someone who will, please make sure you’ve got a designated driver you can trust before the game starts.

In 2010, fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes accounted for 31 percent of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities.

Fans Don't Let Fans Drive DrunkIf football fans plan to drink during the Super Bowl, designating a sober driver can help increase the chance of avoiding an alcohol-impaired-driving crash.

Let’s be clear – drunk or buzzed driving is not an accident, and it certainly isn’t a victimless crime.  10,228 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2010 in which a driver had a B.A.C. over the legal limit.

There are just too many drivers out there who believe that having just a few drinks and getting behind the wheel of a vehicle is harmless. But numbers don’t lie.  Drinking and driving can result in loss of life or serious injury.  These not only affect the lives of the impaired driver but can affect other families as well.

When you choose to drink, drink responsibly, and pass your keys to a sober driver.  Driving impaired or riding with someone who is impaired is not worth the risk. If you know of someone who has been drinking and is planning to drive, please remember Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.

Community Outreach

U. S. Department of Transportation Proposes to Eliminate Deadlines for Replacing Traffic Signs

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that the Obama Administration is eliminating dozens of burdensome regulations on traffic signs which cash-strapped state and local governments expect will save them millions of dollars. The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing that communities replace traffic signs when they are worn out rather than requiring signs to be replaced by a specific deadline. The proposed changes will eliminate 46 deadlines mandated by federal traffic control regulations.

In January, President Obama called for an unprecedented government-wide review of regulations already on the books. The purpose was to identify rules that needed to be changed or removed because they were unnecessary, out-of-date, excessively burdensome or overly costly.

“A specific deadline for replacing street signs makes no sense and would have cost communities across America millions of dollars in unnecessary expenses,” said Secretary LaHood. “After speaking with local and state officials across the country, we are proposing to eliminate these burdensome regulations. It’s just plain common sense.”

Stop SignThe regulations establishing deadlines for street and traffic sign replacement came from the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which is a compilation of national standards for all pavement markings, street signs and traffic signals.  The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which has published the manual since 1971, updates it periodically to accommodate changing transportation needs and address new safety technologies, traffic control tools, and traffic management techniques.

FHWA today issued a Notice of Proposed Amendments to eliminate 46 of the deadlines in the manual.

“Local and state transportation agencies are best-equipped to determine when they need to replace signs and other items in the course of their daily work,” said FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez.  “We are proposing these changes to give them the flexibility they need to balance their many responsibilities and make the best use of taxpayer dollars.”

The deadlines requiring that certain street name signs be replaced by 2018 to meet minimum retroreflectivity standards and requiring larger lettering on those street name signs are among the series of deadlines eliminated under the amendment proposed today. The proposal would also eliminate deadlines for increasing the size of various traffic signs, such as ‘Pass With Care’ and ‘One Way,’ as well as warning signs, such as ‘Low Clearance’ and ‘Advance Grade Crossing.’  Instead, communities will be able to replace and upgrade these signs when they reach the end of their useful life.

The DOT has retained twelve deadlines for sign upgrades that are critical to public safety. These safety-critical sign upgrades include installing “ONE WAY” signs at intersections with divided highways or one-way streets and requiring STOP or YIELD signs to be added at all railroad crossings that don’t have train-activated automatic gates or flashing lights.

Last November, FHWA published a request for comments in the Federal Register on deadlines and received almost 600 comments from highway agencies, state departments of transportation, other organizations, and private citizens.  FHWA took these comments into consideration as it developed the Notice of Proposed Amendments.  FHWA is also soliciting public comments for this proposed rule for the next 60 days, and comments should be directed to http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/