Weather Related Car Crashes

Found this article which states

Join Fix The Toaster For a Twitter Conversation

Join Fix The Toaster on April 23rd from 10AM PST - 11AM. It's National Driver Distraction Awareness Month let's put it on the radar.

Use the hashtag #ddam

I really would love to have mom bloggers at the discussion their voice is lacking on this issue.

Moms For Gun Sense And What About Driving Sense?

Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense has over 150,000 likes of Facebook. Fix The Toaster has around 250.

Around 500 children die annually due to gun shot wounds.

According to the National Highway Association around 2,000 children die in America each year due to car crashes.

Car crashes are the top cause of unintentional injury and yet this can not get the attention it needs.

Of course, I'm horrified by any child dying but I'm also perplexed that more people won't and or don't start driving better and spreading the word.

Change needs to happen now. If you haven't already liked Fix The Toaster on Facebook, please do that.

CicLAVia This Sunday

CicLAVia is this Sunday!

Though I have yet to participate, my kids are pretty little and prove to be overtaking us, I hope to one day.

I know it's family friendly.

Come to the place where no cars go when CicLAvia – Iconic Wilshire Boulevard transforms one of the legendary thoroughfares of Los Angeles on April 6. CicLAvia is open to the public and free of charge. Registration is not required and there is no starting or ending point along the route. From 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., CicLAvia – Iconic Wilshire Boulevard offers six miles of car-free, open streets and participants can join the fun at any point along the route. More than 100,000 participants will have fun biking and strolling and using other alternative transportation as they connect with with businesses, outdoor exercise, diverse neighborhoods and each other. Participants can enhance their experience by listening to a podcast by architectural researcher and commentator Edward Lifson and following a pocket architectural walking guide written by Catherine Gudis.

The CicLAvia – Iconic Wilshire Boulevard route will connect One Wilshire in Downtown Los Angeles to Fairfax Avenue along Miracle Mile. These two anchor hubs will feature pedestrian zones with performers, activities sponsored by several fantastic museums, programming by some of our community partners, food trucks and more. Additional hubs along the route include MacArthur Park, Koreatown and Mid-Wilshire.

Why Aren't Car Crashes Registering on The Mom Blog Circuit?

Every day I hear about what topic is trending in the mom world.

Breast feeding vs. formula, helicopter parenting, etc. yet I still do not hear about the fact that car crashes are one of the leading cause of death to kids.

Yes, I hear about texting but mostly in regards to teens texting and driving.

Dudes.

Have you looked at the line of moms and dads on their phones in the carpool lane at school? WTF are we showing our kids? We are showing them that moms and dads are on their phones while behind the wheel. And mind you, right at a time when little people we love are close by, walking.

Most car crashes are avoidable, you can choose not to tailgate, excessively speed or use your phone. We need to make better choices. We need the mentality to switch. We aren't a fatalistic country. Well, some of us are but if you get cancer most of your aren't going to pray and count on your blessings. You go to the freaking doctor.

April is National Distracted Driver Awareness month.

Let's get this topic trending moms.

Trust

Here is a recent blog post from FTT Contributor David LIttle.

Fix The Toaster Contributor David Little

This is a story told by Fix The Toaster contributor David Little. He emailed me what happened. This "story" just happened to him last month. David survived a horrible car crash a few years back that fortunately did not kill his children, all three of them, his wife or himself. He was hit by a person texting. You should read his story here.

I appreciate his self-awareness here.

David and I share a concern for the safety of our families while we are on the road because we know the statistics. With David's permission, here is his email.

I just returned from NYC.  I was a chaperone on a middle school choir trip.  We took 3 busses full of 7th and 8th grade graders...20 hours...slept on the bus.  It was a real adventure.  We packed about 7 days of activities into 2 1/2 days.

We boarded the busses at Battery Park at 4:00 PM to head home.

Before we left, my one principal concern was that I wanted a seat up front.  I have always been a bit of a control freak when it came to road travel and even more so since our crash.  I joked  that the reason I wanted to be up front is because I want to see the crash when it happened. A bit of truth I guess, because I didn't see our crash happen since it was at night.

We picked up our overnight bus crew in Allentown, PA, and drove into the teeth of Winter Storm Wiley.  Nothing major really, by snow storm standards, but driving through 6 to 12 inches of snow was a real adventure.  Our bus drivers did great.  We travelled a 200 mile stretch of I-81 at about 30mph...Naturally, it was hard to relax, so I popped a 5 Hour Energy drink and stayed up and visited with our driver while he drove.  I just felt bad for the guy...driving in that snow while everyone slept.

 I didn't change into my comfy clothes because I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, and also wanted to be prepared just in case something happened.  If we got stranded, or slid off the road, I didn't want to be standing there in Crocs and sweatpants.

Well, we made it through the snow, and arrived at our next stop, just north of Knoxville about 3 hours late.  We switched bus crews, got some breakfast, brushed our teeth and hit the road for the final stretch home.  From Knoxville, we had about 3 hours to Huntsville.

We were the 3rd bus, in a 3 bus convoy.  We had been on the road for about 15 minutes, when a car headed north on I-75, for reasons unknown, crossed the median and hit a large freight truck hauling slabs of granite. The car hit at the rear of the truck, at the wheels on the left side. The truck flipped on its side, throwing granite everywhere and slid down the interstate. The car that crossed the median spun after hitting the truck and was was then rear ended by a minivan.

All of this is happening in front of us travelling at about 70MPH...our Hero bus driver Bill (retired Coast Guard, long haul trucker. 77 y/o) hit the brakes but did not panic...we narrowly missed another car that was stopping in front of us. Bill steered us into the median under control, and brought us to a safe stop.

I got out and ran towards the first car and dialed 911, certain the driver would be dead or nearly dead and was shocked to see a lady crawl out of the passenger side of the car, dazed and but on two feet. The van was full of a family of small kids and they too walked away.

We had a nurse and a former EMT on our bus and they began rendering aid to the lady in the first car.

I turned and began running up to the truck, expecting the worst and again was shocked to see the driver crawl out of the cab, unscathed.  By the time I got to him he had lit a cigarette.

This wreck should have killed someone. I am still shocked that everyone walked away.

The second bus in our convoy was beside the granite truck as it flipped. It swiped the bus, shattering a window. The seat was vacant...and had just been occupied. By a girl named Faith.

When everything was finally settled down, I pretty much fell to pieces. Memories of our crash came flooding back.  It was intense.  I still don't feel back to normal.  That type of trip alone is enough to throw you out of whack, and add to that the violent wreck...well, it's hard.

We tried to piece together what happened. From a few firemen, it sounded like something happened in her lanes of traffic, a blown tire from an 18 wheeler perhaps or someone cut her off.  The strange thing is that her tracks through the median are as straight as an arrow.  I would have expected them to be sideways.

Malaysian Flight Is Horrifying But So Too Should Be Car Crash Statistics

It is late and I want to make sure that this post has the amount of sensitivity it deserves but I feel like a comment I just read on Facebook it making me post this before bed time. In regards to the horrific Malaysian flight that has disappeared.

Someone just posted that this is making her scared flier or a husband even more scared to fly.

I am a scared flier. I will admit. I get it.

My brother is a pilot.

I feel awful and sick about that plane and those people, really awful.

Since the plane has gone missing, I believe one week ago from today with all of it's 239 people on board in the USA alone around 700 people have probably died in car crashes.

Because on average 110 Americans die in car crashes daily.

Worldwide since the plane went missing around 3,287 people have died EACH DAY.

So that means around 23,000 people have died in car crashes in the last 7 days in car crashes.

80% of car crashes are preventable.

So why the world waits in horror, including me, to find out what happened to that plane, let us also concentrate what is happening due to our own hands which we have more control over.

It too is catastrophic.

Here are some more stats:

• Nearly 1.3 million people die in road crashes each year, on average 3,287 deaths a day.
• An additional 20-50 million are injured or disabled.
• More than half of all road traffic deaths occur among young adults ages 15-44.
• Road traffic crashes rank as the 9th leading cause of death and account for 2.2% of all deaths globally.
• Road crashes are the leading cause of death among young people ages 15-29, and the second leading cause of death worldwide among young people ages 5-14.
• Each year nearly 400,000 people under 25 die on the world's roads, on average over 1,000 a day.
• Over 90% of all road fatalities occur in low and middle-income countries, which have less than half of the world's vehicles.
• Road crashes cost USD $518 billion globally, costing individual countries from 1-2% of their annual GDP.
• Road crashes cost low and middle-income countries USD $65 billion annually, exceeding the total amount received in developmental assistance.
• Unless action is taken, road traffic injuries are predicted to become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030.

Fix The Toaster's Friday Roundup

I have seen quite a few bloggers do weekly roundups and though I'm not want to follow the herd this seems like an easy thing to do for a mom of three who is trying to spend less time on the internet.

So here are some links to road safety articles and/or events I have noticed this week.

I just got done working out with a trainer, I bid on it last Saturday deep into a margarita and chips, at my child's school fundraiser.

The trainer, turns out, was involved in a hit and run 10 years ago.

His hip was badly injured and he was never able to run like he was, he was training for the Olympics. Yes, sickening. He's  a positive guy and doesn't dwell.

I am just sharing because hopefully someone who needs to read this will and will drive more carefully. Who knows.

Have a great weekend and drive safely.

**SXSW via CNN

**Sign up for FINISH THE RIDE all you SoCal peeps (use Toaster to save $$)

**Jake's Law, a mom battles for stricter laws against people who run over people while on their phones. Jake was her 5 year-old boy who was run over by a driver on his/her phone.

SXSW

Sickened to hear about the drunk driver who plowed into a crowd at SXSW and then ran on top of that.  

Amtrak & How To Apply For a Writer's Residency

Last week some of my favorite fellow mom writer friends around LA were lighting up Facebook with stories that Amtrak was going to be and had been giving writers free trips on their trains so they could, write. Hello exciting news.

Writing and trains are two of my favorite. Train travel is my favorite form of transportation.

From Amtrak:

Today we are happy to announce that #AmtrakResidency will allow for up to 24 writers to take long-distance trains to work on their projects. Each writer's round-trip journey will include accommodations on board a sleeper car equipped with a bed, a desk and outlets. We hope this experience will inspire creativity and most importantly fuel your sense of adventure!

The application for the Amtrak Residency is right here.

More from Amtrak:

#AmtrakResidency was designed to allow creative professionals who are passionate about train travel and writing to work on their craft in an inspiring environment. Round-trip train travel will be provided on an Amtrak long-distance route. Each resident will be given a private sleeper car, equipped with a desk, a bed and a window to watch the American countryside roll by for inspiration. Routes will be determined based on availability.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed by a panel. Up to 24 writers will be selected for the program starting March 17, 2014 through March 31, 2015.  A passion for writing and an aspiration to travel with Amtrak for inspiration are the sole criteria for selection. Both emerging and established writers will be considered.

Residencies will be anywhere from 2-5 days, with exceptions for special projects.

Universal Sign To Signal To Others to Put The Phone Down

This morning on Facebook a friend posted, "We need a universal sign to others to put their phone down while driving."

I agree.

Sometimes I just say under my breath, put your phone down f$%^ face. Obviously not effective.

Sometimes I will honk but I don't want to cause an a crash.

Sometimes I put a pretend phone up to my ear, with my hand and motion putting it down, I don't make eye contact, it's pretty passive aggressive and ridiculous.

What about a bumper sticker? I think they should make a come back like the fanny pack, at least contributor Shannon Noel says those have made a comeback.

What are you thoughts?

Special Discount for Finish The Ride

Recently I wrote about how I stumbled upon finding out about "Finish The Ride."

And thanks to the beauty of the www I emailed them and who emailed me back but Damian Kevitt, the man who was struck and drug and then left just last year in front of the LA Zoo.

Damian's leg had to be amputated but he's determined to "Finish The Ride."

http://youtu.be/KTP2eP3ji9A

Finish the Ride is the spirit of courage and determination to overcome tragedy despite apparently insurmountable odds. It’s a movement that will literally be heard around the world.  Being part of Finish the Ride means you are taking part in something that will help change the streets of LA.  Show others that you are doing something to make safe streets for bicyclists, pedestrians and everyone on the roads of LA.

Having three kids of my own, my question was, is the ride family friendly.

Since the ride is a little long make sure your little one can make the mileage otherwise they can wait at the end with a parent or friend. There will be food and music. That's what I plan on doing. If your child can make the ride, by all means go for it!

Here are some very cool things to know about just how easy this ride is:

*Bike valet is free

*Discount coupon for The Autry is for sure.

*They are working on getting discount coupon for LA Zoo.

*Bike rentals available with helmets. Should have the data on cost shortly.

*Helmets for ride is required (and legally required for under 18). There will be helmets available for purchase at a discount at the ride.

*There are three different rides of varying length which all begin at 8:20AM.

Damian has offered Fix The Toaster readers a discount to use when you register. Simply use the word "toaster" and you'll get your discount.

The site answers a lot of questions.

I am going to promote this on my Expressing Motherhood site as well as a great ExMo Meetup. So I hope to see families there.

Sweden As a Model Citizen for Road Safety

Really interesting article from the Economist as to why Sweden has such low mortality rates on the road.

I love this, they prioritize safety over speed.

Duh.

So simple, yet we don't do it. You should read the whole article.

Here are some highlights:

Planning has played the biggest part in reducing accidents. Roads in Sweden are built with safety prioritised over speed or convenience. Low urban speed-limits, pedestrian zones and barriers that separate cars from bikes and oncoming traffic have helped. Building 1,500 kilometres (900 miles) of "2+1" roads—where each lane of traffic takes turns to use a middle lane for overtaking—is reckoned to have saved around 145 lives over the first decade of Vision Zero. And 12,600 safer crossings, including pedestrian bridges and zebra-stripes flanked by flashing lights and protected with speed-bumps, are estimated to have halved the number of pedestrian deaths over the past five years. Strict policing has also helped: now less than 0.25% of drivers tested are over the alcohol limit. Road deaths of children under seven have plummeted—in 2012 only one was killed, compared with 58 in 1970.

With deaths reduced by half since 2000, they are well on their way. The next step would be to reduce human error even further, for instance through cars that warn against drink-driving via built-in breathalysers. Faster implementation of new safety systems, such as warning alerts for speeding or unbuckled seatbelts, would also help. Eventually, cars may do away with drivers altogether. This may not be as far off as it sounds: Volvo, a car manufacturer, will run a pilot programme of driverless cars in Gothenburg in 2017, in partnership with the transport ministry. Without erratic drivers, cars may finally become the safest form of transport.

Fix The Toaster is Headed to Bloggy Boot Camp

Fix The Toaster is headed to Bloggy Boot Camp in San Diego next week.

I had grand intentions of biking to a metro station and taking it to Amtrak to hop on the Surfliner but the Surfliner doesn't return on Sunday?! So TBD.

Looking forward to spreading the word to moms.

I've received lots of cycling support but I want the moms too.

A Single Moment of Inattention

David Little is the newest contributor to Fix The Toaster and I couldn't be more excited to have his voice shared here. I should be sleeping but I just read another of his posts and this explains a bit more about the crash that caused him such injury.

Here is a post copied and pasted, via his permission, from his personal site.

A Single Moment of Innattention

Posted on August 14, 2012by iamdavidlittle

A Single Moment of Inattention

A single moment of inattention can have a profound effect on the lives of many people.  On the night of December 20, 2008 a teenage driver decided to send a text message to his father, letting him know that he was on his way home from church, a reassuring message that he usually sent from the parking lot.

On this evening, he sent that text from his vehicle, as he drove down a rural two lane highway.  That one extremely brief moment in time, meant he did not notice the slowing vehicles in front of him, which he rear-ended before coming into our lane of traffic.  We collided nearly head on, at 55 MPH.

The impact pinned me between my seat and dashboard, with both knees under my chin, my feet dangling in midair. It caused a dislocated femur and fractured hip, two broken ribs, a broken collar bone, a collapsed lung and a broken nose and meant 16 days in the hospital.  It took four nurses to bathe me and to change my bed sheets at the same time.

My wife and three children were able to walk away, thankfully, but the lasting emotional scars from the accident are difficult to measure.  That single moment of inattention meant my children had to watch from roadside as I remained trapped, and wait nearly 20 minutes for emergency crews to arrive.  They watched as I was extracted by the ‘jaws of life’ and placed in an ambulance.  It meant that they would wake-up on Christmas morning without me.

The rest of my family suffered too. That single moment of inattention caused my father to initially think I was dead when my wife, who was very upset, first called him.  It meant I would need a wheel chair and then crutches for over three months and that I would have to live with my parents for eight weeks because my own home was not wheelchair accessible.

I am thankful for my many caretakers.  A wonderful man, a complete stranger, stopped to check on us, and stayed with me while my wife tended to our children.  I can still hear his voice in my head, “Hang on buddy, help’s comin’”.    Also, the best professionals an injured man could ever ask for practiced their craft on me:  The Cotaco Volunteer Fire Dept., Huntsville Hospital ER and SICU doctors and staff, TOC surgeons, and HealthSouth and Johnson and Hayes therapists, and staff.

Our family discusses “the wreck”, once a week if not more.  My children have never forgotten that night, or that time period and loud noises like screeching tires bothers all of us to this day.

I hold no ill-will towards the young man who caused the accident.  He made a mistake, owned up to it, and certainly paid a price in his own right with the knowledge of this.

We are all one event, one illness, one tragedy away from becoming advocates for a cause, and as you might guess, I support tougher laws on texting and driving.

It is my hope that after you read this, you will make a commitment to not text and drive and also talk to your children about it.  They aren’t invincible.

Every day, when I drive, I force myself to leave my phone in my console.

You can too.

Oh Jesus. This is a Good One.

Thank you for sharing this Elizabeth Aquino.

I have often wanted to joke that people who are driving like crazy and have a cross hanging from their rear view mirror are in a hurry to meet Jesus.

This just proves it.

Please Vote For Fix The Toaster

I am headed to BlogHer14 this summer.

I will be going to represent Fix The Toaster and Expressing Motherhood.

BlogHer has a Voice of The Year award where 10 chosen bloggers will read their piece, if it is chosen.

If you are eligible and have the time, please vote for this piece I'm submitting for Fix The Toastser. Anything to get people's minds to change! Even shameless self promotion.

Voting ends soon!

Thank you.

Happy Valentines Day