Mind The Gap(s)

Texting and driving is receiving a lot of attention due to AT&T leading the charge there with their wonderful anti-texting campaign.

It's great that texting is receiving this attention.

I remember a few years ago Oprah had a big lead up about how she was going to announce something huge in regards to car crashes and she announced her make your car a No Phone Zone.

I remember exhaling with some disappointment.

Now, I love Oprah like almost everyone else.

But I was waiting on baited breath for her to bring to the spotlight that car crashes, at least around 80% of them could be prevented, if we would choose to drive differently. Not only by not using our phones but by not tailgating, not excessively speeding, possibly lowering the speed limits, etc.

I understand that using your phone is accounting for a lot of crashes but tailgating actually surpasses these numbers. What about excessive speeding? How about infrastructure? How about lowering speed limits? Our roads are really a war zone.

I was hoping she was going to expose the whole, complex (yet not really that complex) situation.

Of course, I applaud her shining light on the distracted driving epidemic, I merely think that there are other issues behind the enormous amount of lives lost on our roads, globally and here in America.

Of course I do admire her greatly I was just hoping she would be the one to say, something is really wrong here.

This is an interesting video that talks about how more people die from other people tailgating.

It makes me ill when people tailgate me on the freeway. It's a habit far too many people do. All I can think about is how long it took that person's mother to carry them in their womb and them labor them into life and they are riding too close for a matter of measly minutes.

Our roads need a major overhaul and the spotlight has yet to be put on the subject.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eUgwVV5WJE

Why You Should Care About Distracted Driving Month

Today I had my kids color in free, printable pages I downloaded from AT&T's site.

They read "No Text On Board"

I taped them into the inside of my car.

Hoping someone will see and think twice. You are probably thinking, yeah right lady. Before you leave this page, hear me out.

Car crashes are the leading cause of death to people under the age of 12.

A lot of fatal car crashes are avoidable. That is what drives me mad. But that fact drives me. And it is a fact.

Adults are now texting and driving more then teenagers. What a pathetic statistic.

Look around you when you are at stop signs. People have their heads down, looking at their phones. They are probably talking or texting to people they like or perhaps love. They risk not only their own life but yours and others as well.

April is Distracted Awareness Month.

You should care.

Around 110 Americans die in car crashes every single day. And what pisses me off is that a lot of these crashes don't need to happen. They are not accidents. When you are given a diagnosis of cancer the majority seek treatment. Why are we Americans driving around pretending that "accidents" just happen and there's nothing to do to avoid them but buy a safer car? That's the big fat lie we are living by. When we are sick we take care of ourselves. We need to take care of ourselves by driving safely.

I'm talking to as many people as I can now about the dangers of texting, talking and using hands free while driving. It is not safe. Please help us spread the word.

I had printed out on the table a page that had information about a little 9 year-old girl who was run over by someone texting and driving. My 6 1/2 year-old asked who she was. I hesitated and then said, she was a little girl who got run over by and adult texting and driving and she died.

My son was quiet.

A few minutes later I heard him ask my nanny, "Where is this little girl?" My awesome nanny explained that the girl went before her time.

We talk to our kids about danger. The dangers of pools, guns, strangers. We need to talk to them about the danger of cars. But we need to stop being the danger.

We have to start driving with more care for one another.

Because who wants to die in a freaking car crash? Speeding and zipping through lanes just to get somewhere 10 minutes before others is senseless. Especially if you never get there.

There is so much that can be done so I hope you can do something in honor of Distracted Driving month for all of the people who have died in car crashes.

And in the last 10 years alone that number is over 1/2 million, in America alone.

Where are the ribbons for that cause?

Car Crashes, Looking the Facts in The Eye

When I start to talk about Fix The Toaster with people, they almost always laugh, initially.

Then I start talking about numbers.

Like that fact that about 115 Americans die daily in car crashes. Most of which are avoidable

The fact that about 40,000 Americans die annually in car crashes.

The fact that almost 1/2 million Americans die in car crashes every 10 years.

Bring this up as topic. See what kind of response you get. Let's get the wheels spinning.

Also, do you tell your kids how dangerous driving in a car is? We frighten them about pool safety, walking with scissors, wrapping things around their necks, guns but do you let them know how dangerous it is to be in a car? It is the number one killer of people under 25 in the USA. You probably don't, because you don't want to scare them.

Because we have to drive.

I think we need to really look this issue in the eye, it is scary and it needs to be fixed.

Remorse

Have you injured or killed someone in a car crash? I would love to hear from you and post your thoughts about it on my blog.

If you just read that and gave a short chuckle and said she's lost it, I'm serious. I often think about the huge remorse one must feel after hurting or killing someone. I'm sure the message might help connect with people who don't connect with my message.

"I wish my life had a rewind button..."

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-TJd4qYJ58]

Trying to Drive Safely in LA When it Rains Upsets People

It's been raining in Los Angeles.

And there is a great stereotype that people in LA don't know how to drive in the rain.

The problem with this great saying about us is that I think a lot of people think some people drive too slow when it rains. I think the other half of people think the majority drive too fast.

When I texted the CHP the last time in rained here in LA, I asked them, what piece of advice would you give fellow LA peeps in regards to how to drive when it rains?

Their response was: Slow down and leave more space between yourself and the car in front of you.

I have come to the conclusion that doing this infuriates a lot of drivers here and they react by making very sad, poor, judgements in regards to how they drive.

I tweeted today: Post to come on me attempting to drive the speed limit in the rain in LA. Angers a few people. Been passed by people who race to the red.

Gary Kavanagh from @GaryRidesBikes responded: in my experience (before giving up car) rain or shine, driving within speed limits always pisses some people off.

Well I have been passed, very dangerously and angrily twice in the last few days.

The worst was on Friday, coming back from a lovely dinner with another family. I had my 6 year-old in the back of my minivan ( and YES I think it really pisses people off that I drive the speed limit in a minivan, the car just pisses people off in general)

I was going East from Hollywood and taking surface streets Los Feliz was very very slow as it always is and then as it always does, it freed up right before the hill down into Atwater Village. The speed limit was 35. I was gearing up to go 35 when I heard an engine revving. The car behind me gunned it, crossed the double yellow line, into oncoming traffic to pass me on the left.

He then got in front of me and went into the lane next to me and he stopped at the red light.

Uhhh. OK, he loves to stop at red lights, I know there should be a club of people who love to race to red lights.

I pulled up next to him. I looked over at him and rolled down my window.

I felt like he wouldn't shoot me. I don't know, call me an optimist.

"Hey, how's it going?" he said and I could tell he was taken aback. He was a white guy, bald, not bad looking.

I stared at him and smiled and said, "What are you doing?"

"Just going with the flow of traffic," was his response.

You mean gunning it going about 45, crossing a double yellow line into oncoming traffic. BTW let me remind you I was going the speed limit and the roads were slick. The CHP, the people who will come wipe bloodied faces off of the street when people get into car accidents, have recommended to drive a bit slower and leave more room. And believe me the CHP have seen more blood and destruction due to cars then I'm sure they thought they ever would.

I smiled, "So many people die in car accidents," I responded.

"Drive safely," he said.

"I do and you should too." I responded.

The light changed and I drove and he was slower then me.  Because the person in front of him was turning.

I drove away with my heart pounding.

Why aren't people getting it?

Today I was passed very angrily on the right, again on slick roads. I was going to speed limit.

See, in LA, if the roads are somewhat clear, people want you to speed. But fuck that idea of going as fast as you can if it's clear. I was sharing the road with bikers.

I had my child in the car. I care if you have your child in the car. I care if you don't have children.

Something is really wrong when it is unsafe for us to actually drive the speed limit and not speed.

Change is needed.

A Graphic Video About Texting And Driving

Wow. I just stumbled upon this video about texting and driving. I had to pause it at 1:00 as I truly feel like I might pass out. It is graphic.

But I applaud this video.

We are killing ourselves and other people, grandparents, moms, dads, hot single young women and men, babies. Over our greedy desire to text.

Warning this video is very, very graphic.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQB5Bl_2GKI]

Some Car Crash Facts

I just Googled "unusual car crash facts" and came across an article by InfoBarrel. Here are the facts with my *thoughts. 1. About 40% of crashes that are fatal involve alcohol. If the accident takes place between midnight and 3am the percentage increases to about 75%.

***having been a waitress I can unofficially confirm that most people on the roads in the evening have been drinking. I used to be amazed at the amount of drunk or highly buzzed people getting into their cars at the valet line as I walked back to my car after my shift. So, there's my research there. Oh and just living life, I think we might be able to concur on this fact. Although MADD has done an AMAZING job at helping lower the amount of drunk drivers!

2. On average 15 pedestrian school children are killed by school buses each year. These deaths tend to take place between 3pm and 4pm on weekdays.

**This is news to me.

3. Survey's suggest that male drivers cause twice as many accidents as female drivers.

**I can say that the couple of times I have felt very unsafe have been with young male drivers. Either trying to show off for me, this was a long time ago, or show off for the other males in the car. I believe this one. Which make me wonder, ladies does a speeder turn you on or a safe driver?

4. Different types of car accidents include head on collisions, rollovers, rear enders, suicides, side impacts and more. The most deadly of these accidents are the vehicle rollovers.

**My best friend in LA died in a rollover in 2008 here. Sucks all around.

5. People between the ages of 16-20 face a higher chance of being injured or killed in a car crash over any other age group.

**disheartening, teenagers are such a different mentality. I kind of understand this one.

6. Most car accidents actually occur within 5 kilometres from home. There is a common misconception that car accidents occur while travelling to a vacation destination, but this is not the case.

**Easy to forget this one.

7. Car accidents are the most common and most deadly source of personal injury in the world.

**Hellooooooo world. Let's change this.

8. Cars that are more prone to accidents are sports cars and hatchbacks. Although cars that have a bigger engine that have the greatest chance in being in a car accident.

**Wondering what the variable is, the sports car or the driver of a sports car? Why do cars with bigger engine have the greatest chance of getting into a car accident? That requires a google or my human google machine, my spouse. OK just googled it and Freakonomics answered that. Here is what they say:

Ever since the SUV craze began in the late 1980s, we’ve all known that heavier vehicles are safer for those driving them, but more dangerous for others on the road. Which is why we all started driving them.

We show that, controlling for own-vehicle weight, being hit by a vehicle that is 1,000 pounds heavier results in a 47% increase in the baseline fatality probability. Estimation results further suggest that the fatality risk is even higher if the striking vehicle is a light truck (SUV, pickup truck, or minivan).

9. Each year, approximately 300,000 teens are injured in a car crash. In the United States alone 5,000 teens die each year. On average that equals to 14 teens a day.

**Very sad. Moms, we need to change this stat. Stat.

10. Your chances of getting into a car crash while talking on a cellphone increases by 400%.

**Get off your phone while driving. Get your friends of their phones. Get your mom off her phone and dad. Never, ever worth it.

Taking Action to Bring Attention to All These People Dying By Car Crashes

OK. So, I don't have all the answers about what to do. I'm trying to bring about discussion and awareness to the fact over 1/2 million fellow Americans have died in car crashes since 9/11.

What color ribbon do I wear for that cause? Oh wait. Nothing. We are currently accepting this statistic as a given because our roadways have become a place of battle. Literally we are killing ourselves and each other.

I did indeed put pen to paper though and wrote a letter to a local paper.

Here is it.

Chances are maybe one person will begin to think differently about the importance of driving their 5,000 vehicle close to 40 next to my 26 pound toddler next time we pass on the street.

Certainly the man who tailed me down our loverly quiet street yesterday didn't read it or doesn't really give a....

Well anyways, it's a start.

I encourage you to write your local paper. I'd love to hear about it!! Let's get this movement going.

Conversing With People About Car Crashes

More than 1,000 children and young adults are killed in car crashes. [youtube=http://youtu.be/3MKVtsLkGOc]

"She hit my daughter with her 5,000 pound SUV." That resonates.

Every day.

http://youtu.be/rr7TfwtO17I

Every single day.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/VAsBc6cswl8]

And yet we are accepting this as OK. Bring up the conversation with your family over Thanksgiving. I'm curious to hear what they'd say. Do they blame car crashes on luck, fate, other bad drivers? Ask them if they speed. Do they text and drive? Do they think everyone on the road is a jerk?

I actually like most people. I'd say I like 99.9% of people I meet.

For as many poor judgements I see taken on the road I remind myself I would probably enjoying talking to the person behind the wheel.

Let's start talking about this.

And make it so that 1,000 children and young adults are not dying every day in car crashes.

Compromising Safety for Seconds

A few days ago a woman passed me on the right, got in front of me and then got to the exit on the freeway 10 seconds before I did. She looked to be in her early 60's. I'm guessing she's a mother or a grandma.

As she sat at the light in front of me all I could think about was how she had just compromised my life, my babies and her life. For seconds.

Why are we rushing to get to the red light? Why do we rush to get somewhere, perhaps 15 minutes faster then we would if we just drove carefully and slowly.

BTW I was driving 65 MPH.

She was angry at me. Angry I wasn't going faster and she wanted to show me. The highway was quite clear, I could have been going faster. But like I have stated before I do not go above 65, I don't want to crash at high speeds. Do you?

Are we, as a society, just incredibly angry and so we get in our cars and put our aggression out here? Obviously living in LA I am in some pretty intense traffic and dealing with people who commute up to 3 hours. A day.

Perhaps, we are not meant to live this way.

Each post seems to go off onto another post but back to the title. It is not worth it, in my mind, to compromise the safety of others just so you can get somewhere faster. Like I tell people who are in my show. It's LA. There will be traffic, please do not call me and tell me you are stuck in traffic. There will probably be traffic.

A young woman visiting America was killed at the corner of Sunset Blvd. and La Brea a few years back. A man saw the light turning from yellow to red and instead of slowing down he sped ahead, ran the light and hit and killed the girl.

Every time I would head south on La Brea and see that light turning from yellow to red I could feel the manic "go, go" from the other cars but I made myself slow down. It's not worth it.

Thanksgiving is One Of the Deadliest Holidays

Sorry, that is not a very uplifting title. But is is the truth and the truth seems to be ignored or accepted and that, to me, is ridiculous.

According to an article from Forbes:

In 2008, "502 people were killed on the road that day. On a typical day, 102 people die in traffic accidents. Robert Sinclair, a spokesman for AAA, says the combined factors of more than 50% more drivers on the road and higher-than-usual alcohol consumption contribute to its danger."

502 people died on Thanksgiving!!! In their cars.

That's nuts.

Yet, we don't talk about it. When I talk about it often I'm met with smirks. But when I keep talking people usually become somber and say, yeah, yeah, it is weird.

I hope you and your loved ones have a safe and nice holiday.

The facts are a lot of people will die in the next week in car accidents. But I guess that is currently the American way. My family will be on the roads as well. It is hard for me to put us in a car, zipping along, knowing the numbers in my head. On California freeways. But I don't want my fear to cripple me or my kids. So I will put my beloved treasures out there. And just hope. While of course, driving as safely as I can.

This Person Checked Email While Driving

A good article from NPR on the distracted driving hell we are now putting ourselves in. The author admits to checking email while driving.

Look around you at stop signs and look at everyone looking down. You know what they are doing. I mean certainly they all aren't getting road, OK I won't get ahead of myself there.

The author mentions some ideas. As my great friend who emailed me this story this morning said, keeping the dialogue going is important.

Automated Cars will Save Lives, Not Before We Lose A Lot More Will This Happen

Automated cars were first introduced to me by my brainy husband. Cars that you can get in and will essentially drive us to where we need to go, no steering or foot on the pedal required.

Sound scary or weird?

Well how is this for both as David Strickland, the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, points out: human error was a factor in about 90 percent of the more than 33,000 traffic deaths in 2010.

90 percent!!!!! We have nothing to lose.

Strickland says, “We have the chance of … saving thousands and thousands of lives as” cars in use today are replaced with automated vehicles, he said.

That is hopeful.

I don't see it happening for a long time due to government sticky tape and red blooded Americans saying, I'm an American, it's my right to drive my car, dang gummit.

So let's say it passes in 10 years, we will only lose about 1/2 million more people to car crashes, because that's how many we have lost roughly in the last 10 years.

If it passes in 40 years, we will lose a mere 2 million more people to car crashes.

My anger aside, it is hopeful and you should click on the link to the article. As the article notes it will be great for the elderly, which we will probably all be by the time this passes. Sounds great to me!

I'm learning as I go and it turns out one of the inventors of the driverless cars is fueled by his passion to save lives. Google's Sebastian Thrun speaks about it here.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp9KBrH8H04]

A Post By Our Contributor Scott Marshall

This is the first post from one of our contributors, Scott Marshall of Safe Driver. Scott is father to 4, he lives in Canada. We are please to have him sharing his insight here with us. Raising my kids has taught me many things.

I always try to get them to realize that they should think of how their actions could affect anyone else. My parents raised me the same way. So far it’s worked out quite well. There’s often remorse when they do something they know is wrong.

That remorse usually means they make the proper decision before they do the action. That should keep them on the up and up as they go through life, don’t you think? Have you been raised to think about how your actions may affect someone else?

Recently while I was out driving with my son on the freeway, we came across a situation that affected my son emotionally.

While passing a slower vehicle on my left, that said driver decided to change lanes toward my vehicle. Since I teach my students at Young Drivers of Canada a technique that will allow them to notice slight movement of vehicles in a variety of directions, I was able to notice their movement quite early. Once I noticed their vehicle’s movement toward my lane markings I tapped my horn quite a few times with the hope of getting the driver’s attention and getting them to stay in their lane. It didn’t work so I ended up having to reduce speed and move partially onto the shoulder to my left to avoid the collision.

The driver who attempted to change lanes did absolutely nothing while I continued to tap my horn except continue into my lane; the space that my vehicle was occupying. A few moments later, they changed back into their original lane.

As we continued past them, my son and I glanced over to see what a driver might look like who seemed to care less about our safety.

The driver was someone probably in their mid-twenties and they were smiling as my son and I glanced at them.

Were they smiling because they were successful at cutting us off?

Were they smiling because they didn’t crash at freeway speeds?

Only they will know.

I tend to shrug those things off as I see them happen each week when I drive, but my son couldn’t do it. He started to cry. Yes, he was upset that the driver almost hit us and would have done so if I didn’t respond as I did.

He was more upset that the driver didn’t seem to have any remorse for their actions. He actually said to me, “I could have died and they didn’t care!”

Have you ever thought of how your actions could really affect other people when you drive? This careless and thoughtless driver didn’t seem to care about us and anyone else on the road, including themselves. Why not? Were they not taught these values as a child? It’s never too late to change.

The next time you’re driving, ask yourself before you make a driving choice how it could affect someone else; even the 12 year old passenger of the vehicle near them. Remember, you can mentally scar someone with your actions; not just physically injure them. It’s time to think before you act.

This article is for my friend; Lindsay Kavet. She has the passion that more people need to help make changes with road safety. – Scott Marshall The Safe Driver 

**Thanks Scott!