Labor Day Weekend Traffic Safety Alert

Labor Day Weekend is one of the most deadly holidays for fatal alcohol-related traffic crashes. Nationally, it is estimated that hundreds of people will die in traffic crashes during the holiday period. As we approach one of the deadliest travel weekends of the year, the Evergreen Safety Council is issuing a Holiday Traffic Safety Alert.

“Chances are you will be sharing the road with intoxicated drivers during the Labor Day holiday,” said Tom Odegaard, Executive Director, Evergreen Safety Council. “We encourage the use of designated drivers and common sense to make sure everyone has a safe and fun holiday.”

Law enforcement officers from across the country will be cracking down on drunk driving over the Labor Day holiday and days leading up to it. The nation-wide crackdown, "Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over” involves concentrated sobriety checkpoints and other high-visibility enforcement efforts to keep impaired drivers off the roads.

“Even if you beat the odds and manage to walk away from an impaired-driving crash alive, the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can still destroy your life,” said Tom Odegaard.  Violators face jail time, loss of their driver licenses, or are often sentenced to use ignition interlocks or alcohol monitoring devices. Their insurance rates go up. Other financial hits include attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work, and the potential loss of job or job prospects. When family, friends and co-workers find out, violators can also face tremendous personal embarrassment and humiliation.

“Driving impaired is simply not worth all the consequences. So don’t take the chance. Remember, “Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over,” said Tom Odegaard.

The Evergreen Safety Council offers these tips for remaining safe on the road:

Wear your seat belt:
• Buckle up! Seat belts reduce your risk of fatality by 45% in a traffic accident, but must be used to work.
• Use both lap and shoulder belts whenever possible.
• Insure a proper fit for your seat belt.

Never Drink and Drive:
• Alcohol is the single largest factor involved in motor vehicle deaths.
• Have a responsible designated driver when you head out for Labor Day activities.

Be aware of drunk drivers (here are some signs):
• Drivers who turn with a wide radius.
• Drivers at speeds 10 miles below the speed limit or speeding excessively.
• Drivers who are following too closely.
• Drivers who have a slow response to traffic signals.

Use defensive driving:
• Maintain a proper following distance from other vehicles. The rule of thumb is three seconds following distance plus one additional second for each hazard, such as rain or heavy traffic.
• Scan the road environment ten to fifteen seconds ahead of your vehicle.
• Check your mirrors and your surroundings often.
• Watch for tailgaters. If someone is tailgating, slow down to increase following distance and encourage the tailgater to pass.

National Teen Driver Safety Week

Courtesy of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission

National Teen Driver Safety Week Celebrated in Washington State
October 17 – 23
Set Aside for Teens and Parents to Focus on Safe Teen Driving Behavior

Between October 17 and 23, Washington State will celebrate National Teen Driver Safety Week, focusing not only on the laws governing new drivers in Washington but also on the impacts parents have on teens by setting limits and modeling responsible driving behavior. Research shows that parents are the single greatest influence on their teens’ driving.

For the second consecutive year, State Farm® provided a grant to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission to remind parents of teens about the resources available to assist them in teaching teens to drive safely. Public service announcements emphasizing the importance of parent modeling will run on local broadcast networks throughout the week. The grant also funds a website specifically for Washington parents—a clearinghouse of useful information they can use as their teens begin the adventure of driving.

On October 4, Governor Gregoire signed a Proclamation declaring October 17 – 23 Teen Driver Safety Week in Washington State.

State Farm will kick-off the week by presenting Senator Tracey Eide with one of its Graduated Driver License Champions awards honoring lawmakers who make significant contributions to the strength of licensing systems for new drivers. Senator Eide is being lauded by the insurer for efforts on SSB 6345, which prohibits drivers who hold either a learner’s permit or intermediate license from operating any electronic devices. She is one of only six lawmakers nationwide receiving the award.

"We believe the prohibition on wireless communication devices for novice drivers is an important component of a strong Graduated Driver Licensing system," says State Farm Vice President-Operations John Bishop. "Making the law stronger and more enforceable will eventually help us give teens the strength to say ‘Not now, I’m driving.’"

Motor vehicle crashes is one of the leading causes of death among teens age 16-19 in Washington, already causing the deaths of 27 teens this year. A total of 84 teens died in 2008 and 2009 from traffic crashes. During 2009, 16-19 year-olds accounted for 4.2% of all licensed drivers, but 9.1% of all drivers in fatal crashes in Washington.

National Teen Driver Safety Week is observed the third week of October to bring attention to the number one killer of American teens: car crashes. During this week parents, young drivers, lawmakers and educators are encouraged to focus on working together to change risky teen driving behaviors and to help save lives. In order to reduce injuries and deaths from teen crashes across the country, State Farm and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia teamed up in 2007 to support a Congressional resolution designating National Teen Driver Safety Week. Working together with many other safety organizations, State Farm continues to provide leadership and advocacy toward ending this national tragedy.

Here are some of the many ways parents can help their teens become safer drivers:

• Enforce the Intermediate Driver Licensing (IDL) Law. Currently in Washington, in the first 6 months, teens cannot carry passengers under the age of 20, and in the next 6 months they can transport only three passengers at a time under the age of 20. As well, teens cannot drive between one and five in the morning. Since June 10, 2010, teens with intermediate driver licenses or learner permits may not use a wireless device at all while driving, including hands-free devices, unless they’re reporting an emergency. At age 18, a driver can get a full license without IDL laws.
• Set a good driving example. Parents have the greatest influence on their teens' driving habits, behaviors, and skills.
• Even though it may seem that teenagers ignore their parent’s behavior and advice most of the time, parents need to keep in mind that their kids learn by watching them. When driving with a teen, parents should model the behavior that they would like their teens to practice when they are behind the wheel: buckle up, slow down, and focus on the road.
• Consider establishing a teen/parent contract to clearly define driving expectations for the household. It's been shown to work.
• Schedule supervised practice driving. 50 hours is a minimum to learn the complicated skill of driving.
• Watch teens driving correctly. Praise them when they use good judgment, discipline them when needed and be honest with them about the reasons.
• Gradually introduce new privileges after a teen driver receives their license based on model driving behavior.
• Limit teen driving trips to those with a purpose and on low-speed roads during daytime hours.

For more information contacts: Angie Ward, WTSC Program Manager, 360.725.9888 or Andrew McVicar, State Farm, 253.912.7470.

Chemical Safety Board & Insurance Institute For Highway Safety

CSB
Contributed by Eric Tofte, Director of Training, Evergreen Safety Council
On November 9, 2009 the US Chemical Safety Board released a safety message video regarding improperly installed or modified pressure vessels have led to a number of serious chemical accidents.

In past dealings with hazardous materials and pressure vessels we cannot emphasize the importance of correct installing and or repair/modification to pressure vessels.

If you would like to view this video message, please following this link. If you are interested in more information, check out the Chemical Safety Board website.

IIHS
Contributed by Monty Lish, Manager, EMST
A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates that motorcycles with antilock brakes have fewer fatal crashes and lower insurance losses than bikes without antilocks. You can read the full Press Release here.

Distracted Driving and Road Constructions

By Norm Nyhuis, Trainer, Evergreen Safety Council

Road construction is a year-around proposition here in the temperate climate of the Pacific Northwest. As such we need to be aware of the road construction projects underway on the roads we frequently travel. Yes, there are various traffic controls out there to help us avoid trouble, and often there is a flagger to regulate the flow of traffic through the construction zone.

But, how often have we found ourselves reacting in a negative way to the delay caused by the construction? Worse still, when we become distracted by the pressures of the day, and perhaps have attempted to use our cell phones to salvage some productive time during the delay – further distracting us from the primary job of safely driving our vehicle? I am not sure that’s what this driver was doing, but the story goes that several lane markers and the frantic attempts to get the attention of the driver by the flagger on duty were ignored with the results being at least costly to do-over and at best very embarrassing. How’d you like to fill out the insurance claim on this event?

If your company employs flaggers for traffic control, your flaggers must have on their person, current, un-expired documentation that they have been trained. Flagger information and class schedules, as well as information on becoming a flagger instructor is available on the Evergreen Safety Council website. Get trained, don’t let something like this happen at your construction project.

Picture Source: Navy Safety Center

Calling All Traffic Safety Advocates

Because of your commitment to traffic safety, we thought you might like to know about “X THE TXT: Thumbs Up to the Safest Holiday Ever,” Allstate’s national public awareness campaign to encourage teens and their parents not to text and drive.

You can help by joining the Facebook cause at http://apps.facebook.com/causes/395301 and making a virtual pledge not to text and drive this holiday. For each person who makes the pledge, Allstate will donate $1 to the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) for safe teen driving efforts, up to $25,000.

“X THE TXT” is one of many Allstate initiatives aimed at changing driver behavior and saving teen lives. Their family pledge brochure and other teen safe driving resources can be found at http://www.allstateteendriver.com/. Please consider sharing the “X THE TXT” pledge with your safety colleagues, family and friends to help keep the roads safer for everyone this holiday season and throughout the year.

For more information you may also contact Susan Duchak, Allstate Insurance Company at 847-402-7561 or sduch@allstate.com.

Happy and Safe Holidays,

Safe Practices & Insurance Keep You Cruising This Boating Season

Boating season is here and now is the time to make sure your doing everything you can to protect yourself, your passengers and other boaters while cruising Northwest waters throughout the summer.

While thousands of boaters prepare their vessels for aquatic fun and adventures, practicing safety and having the appropriate insurance will help reduce the risk of injury and keep you financially afloat while enjoying your time on the water.
That’s why NW Insurance Council and the Evergreen Safety Council encourage all boaters to make safety a first priority, check their insurance coverage and follow all boating laws to ensure a fun and safe boating season.

“Ensure your boat has the appropriate safety items, most importantly proper Coast Guard-approved life vests for everyone on board,” said Tom Odegard, Evergreen Safety Council president. “Be sure to have a fire extinguisher. On the water is one of the worst places to experience a fire.”

Next, check to make sure you have the appropriate amount of insurance to cover damage to your boat and any damage or injuries you may cause to other boaters and passengers.

“Owners of both sailboats and powerboats need insurance coverage just like car owners need auto insurance,” said Karl Newman, NW Insurance Council president.

Insurance
Most homeowners or renters insurance policies offer limited coverage for property damage to small boats like canoes, small sailboats or powerboats with less than 25 horsepower.

Property damage coverage is typically limited to $1,000 or less, and liability coverage is subject to the limits of your Homeowners or Renters policy. For larger watercraft, a separate policy is needed to cover both damage to the boat and liability for damage caused to others due to owning and/or operating the boat.

Safety
Carelessness and inexperience are the leading causes of boating accidents and fatalities in Washington. On average, 27 people die from boat-related accidents each year in Washington, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The Evergreen Safety Council offers these tips to help you enjoy your time on the water:
*Always wear a life jacket. Most boating fatality victims are not wearing a personal floating device (PFD).
*Avoid drinking alcohol.
*Take boater education classes.
*Always operate at safe speeds.
*Have a passenger serve as a lookout in addition to the operator.
*Watch out for low water areas or submerged objects.
*Maintain at least 50 feet of distance from other boats and personal watercraft.
*Check weather forecasts before heading out onto the water.
*Always obey all marine traffic laws and understand distress signals.
*Be sure your boat’s fuel, lights and electrical and exhaust systems are working properly before launching.
*Keep a first-aid kit, additional food and water in case you are ever stranded.

For more information about insuring your boat or other watercraft, visit NW Insurance Council. NW Insurance Council is a nonprofit, public-education organization funded by member insurance companies serving Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.