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How Safe Is Your School Pick-Up?

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Yesterday in Hollywood a mom was hit by a truck while walking her 9 year-old daughter to class. Her daughter was struck too. The mom died.

The daughter did not.

I know kids at that school, I have walked a child I love across that same crosswalk to her school.

I don't know what happened as details are not being released yet. But I do know that just two weeks ago I screamed out "Slow the f%^k down," at a mom who came barreling down my street with her kid in her car. I had my 7 year-old and my 3 year-0ld in the stroller.

She did slow down.

Our crosswalk guard, last year, confided in me that she was surprised no one had been killed during drop-off or pick-up. Frazzled parents, speeding parents, parents on their phones.

I am so pissed at this.

Why is it so hard to walk in this country? Seriously.

I am taking action and holding my second community meeting at my home next week. I don't know exactly what I'm doing but I do have a member from our local press coming and the PTA president was nice enough to send out an email tonight to the community.

We have got to slow down.

We have got to wake up to this epidemic.

It's pathetic.

According to CBS News

Walking is the healthy way for kids to get to school. But you might be surprised what we found out in an "Early Show" investigation: Kids could be most risk while walking to school -- in school zones.

Look, I don't know what happened with that man in Hollywood but I do know that I walk my child to school and many parents don't because they deem it us-safe!

So I'm scared but I'm angry that I can't walk him the small amount of way without people speeding by, endangering my life and my kids.

Nomiate Fix The Toaster for an IRIS Award (Please)

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In the parenting blogging world there is a new award going around called The Iris Awards. It's new and nominations for bloggers that inspire you have been opened today. Here is what they say.. Even though this is totally asking for someone to nominate me, which is so vein, what I really care about is that this cause gets nominated.

So if you have time please vote for Fix The Toaster under the Philantropic Award or which ever one you deem appropriate.

Many thanks! I would just be thrilled to get this topic on the radar and pulse of moms.

Road Crashes are A Global Epidemic

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While I do tend to talk mostly about car crashes in the USA hopefully you know that road crashes are actually a global epidemic.

 Over one million people every year are killed in road crashes, and 20-50 million are injured.

(The Doctor Will See You Now)

OVER ONE MILLION.

The real barrier to reducing road traffic injuries is fatalism — accepting road traffic injuries as inevitable, as the necessary cost of development, keeps us from addressing this devastating epidemic.

 

For every RTI death, there are four cases of severe, permanent disabilities, typically to the brain, spinal cord or lower limb joints; 10 cases requiring hospital admission and 30 requiring treatment in an ER. In the European Union alone, 150 000 people are left permanently disabled by RTIs each year.(6)Crash victims are often working-age adults, whose families are left without a primary source of financial support. A study in Bangladesh found that 70% of families experienced a decline in household income and food consumption after a road death.(7) Victims and their family members frequently experience depression, travel-related anxiety and sleep disturbance for years after a crash.

The direct global cost of road traffic crashes is over $500 billion (US) annually, while the cost to developing nations is estimated at $65 billion (US), almost double the total amount of development assistance sent to such nations every year.(2) Indirect costs to victims, families and governments — such as potential income and societal contributions lost — are not included in these calculations. The average impact of crash costs on low- and middle-income countries has been estimated at 1-1.5% of GDP.(2) Road traffic injuries are a global epidemic and the situation is only getting worse.

(The Doctor Will See You Now)

Zenani Mandela, Nelson Mandela's granddaughter has done a great job campaigning for safer roads after her daughter was struck done and killed by a driver.

Her work is fantastic but this epidemic is still not on the radar.

Car crashes are an epidemic we share with much poorer countries then us.

Though we have far more resources, money and at times education we choose to continue to drive poorly and kill ourselves.

 

Car Crashes Are Not Grabbing Headlines

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Car crashes do not grab headlines. Sure an isolated car crash might.

But no one is livid, wearing a ribbon in some color or reading about it online all the time.

Yet, car crashes are the #1 cause of death to young people. We need a big mental shift to happen. Keep this in mind when you read about some tragedy that has happened. Then read up on the statistics.

We worry about the wrong things.

Car Crash Video From Wisconsin

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http://youtu.be/CHG4sh14Zw8

Have you seen the unbelievable footage of car after car after car run into each other on a snowy Wisconsin road in December?

It's ridiculous.

To me it just backs up the fact that pile-ups are inexcusable. That we travel too fast for road conditions and too close to one another.

According to the Daily Mail, "Twelve people were injured, according to Germantown police, who said they were amazed by the number of motorists who remained standing on the road. Officer Tim Miller, who was en route to another crash, said: 'If people watch Nascar, and they watch the Daytona 500 or Talledega, where they wait for what’s called the Big Crash, where all the cars crash because they’re all so close together, that’s what this was like..."

The way our highways are currently operated, if you crash, you will more then likely be hit by someone else. We are driving at too high of speeds and too closely to one another.

This is the way we want our modern society to continue.

This video looks like we are little ants.

Why I Like This Campaign

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Why I Like This Campaign

I saw this photo on Twitter this AM.

It's a PSA by the Pakistani news site The Frontier Post.

Under the image of the keys which look like a gun it says "Take one life every 25 seconds." I think it's a powerful image and helps connect the danger that is a car with something we all associate with danger, guns.

Megs Miles

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Today a lot of people are out running in honor of Meg Menzies.

She was struck by a drunk driver just last Monday, January 13th, while out in the morning for her run.

Meg was a mom to three kids.

Her death has struck a chord and #megsmiles is trending as I type this. I just got back from my power walk in honor of Meg. I ran one stretch.

While walking cars whizzed past me and I looked up at the 25 MPH sign and couldn't help think that I hope the unity that is coming from her tragic death can ignite in moms the realization that we all have to drive more carefully. Far too many pedestrians are being killed out walking and running. My own kids want to bike so badly but it's simply, not safe.

We need to make our communities safer and we need to driver safer. Meg was killed by a drunk driver. I realize many don't drive drunk but we need to acknowledge far too many drive distracted, too fast, drowsy and tailgate.

Car crashes are the #1 cause of death to young people.

I hope that Meg's sad passing can prompt all to drive more safely.

New Year's Eve

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Yes, as always a little grim reminder from Fix The Toaster.

Turns our New Years Eve is our second most dangerous day to drive.

So please, be original, don't drive drunk. 

I hope you have a lovely evening and awake to a hopeful new year.

With an average of 140 deaths (based on statistics from 2002 to 2008), New Year's Day is the second most deadly day for drivers, according to Anne Fleming of the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety.

Pedestrians are at an elevated risk on these days as well, perhaps due to alcohol consumption and/or inclement weather.

As you might expect, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics show that, in comparison to other holidays, a higher percentage (42%) of traffic deaths over this holiday period were due to drunk driving.(Xfinity)

Moms, Still Using Your Phones While Driving? Really?

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Car crashes kill a lot of kids.

 

Image

Using your phone while driving increases your odds of crashing by a ton.

So why are moms still using their phones while driving? Why are dads? Why really are humans? Ask your family not to use their phones while driving. Better yet, moms lead by example.

I don't understand why more attention is not centered on preventing car crashes as they are the #1 cause of death to American kids. More then pool drowning and gun shot wounds.

Fear your child being abducted? Fear your child dying in a car crash more. The odds are way higher that a child will die in a car crash then be abducted.

Start changing your driving habits and ask others to do so too.

Let's go moms.

The 6 Days Around Christmas Mean Car Crashes

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More statistics on how car crashes increase around holidays.

Drive safely out there.

Research conducted by the Center for Advanced Public Safety shows that the holiday season, specifically the six days surrounding Christmas are when car crashes are most likely to occur.

Researchers analyzed crash records surrounding Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years for the past ten years and found that from Dec. 21 through Dec. 26 is the peek time for accidents to happen.

The peak time for fender-bender type accidents is between 4-7 p.m.

The safest day to travel is Christmas Day, with less cars on the road.

 

Researchers Predict Tomorrow Will Have a Lot of Crashes

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The holidays bring about a lot of car crashes.

Researches are predicting that tomorrow, Friday, will have the most car crashes within the next week.

Read below and drive safe.

 

A study released recently by the University of Alabama shows that while increased traffic throughout the holiday season raises the risk for car accidents, more crashes occur during the few days surrounding Christmas than at any other time of the year. Researchers studied the crash data recorded in our state over the past 10 years. With the increase in collisions comes the likelihood of more car crash injuries and deaths.

According to the university's Center for Advanced Public Safety, there were 18 percent more automobile wrecks last year between Dec. 21 and 26 than during a similar six-day period at Thanksgiving. Compared to the period that includes New Year's Day, there were 26 percent more. However, the accidents that occurred around all three holidays were similar in severity, with a little more than 20 percent of them resulting in injuries or fatalities. One researcher attributes the increase of accidents around Christmas to last-minute shoppers and travelers who are unfamiliar with their surroundings.

The crash data shows that fewer people are traveling on the actual holidays, making the roads safer for driving on those days. This year, with Christmas falling on a Wednesday, researchers predict that the highest risk of crashes will be the Friday before, as well as Dec. 23 and 24. As for New Year's Eve -- formerly one of the worst times for drunk driving fatalities -- researchers say that initiatives to cut down on impaired driving have decreased the number of accidents.

Paul Walker Crash: Officials Say Speed Was The Factor

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According to People Magazine:

Investigators have found no evidence that the Porsche carrying actor Paul Walker had mechanical problems before it crashed,killing the Fast & Furious star. 

The investigation also has ruled out debris or other roadway conditions as causing the car in which Walker was a passenger to slam into a light pole and tree. 

The car, a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, isnotoriously hard to handle. 

"We're looking at speed and speed alone," a law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

 

Hopefully others will think about this when they decide to speed. But I doubt it.

At least the moms in minivans who plowed past my kids walking to school tomorrow didn't.

 

 

 

A Guest Post by Safe Roads Alliance

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This is a guest post by Jeff Larson, President, of Safe Roads Alliance. I appreciate the companies passion for safer roads. It’s a sad and tragic fact that the number one cause of teen deaths in America is vehicular crashes. This is one of the primary reasons that my organization, Safe Roads Alliance, has developed The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program, and its companion mobile app, RoadReadyTM. Our goal is to help reverse this statistic by providing parents with tools to help them through the Learner’s Permit process with their teen.  Our goal is to help parents make  their teen to become a safer, smarter driver.

At times it may not seem like it, but the reality is that parents have a great influence over their teen’s behavior, specifically their teen’s driving behavior.  Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia released a study in 2012 showing that when parents are highly involved in teaching teens to drive, teens are 50% less likely to crash, 71% less likely to drive intoxicated, 2x more likely to wear seat belts, and 30% less likely to use a cell phone. Even still, we know it can be terrifying to sit in the passenger seat with a teen who is driving for the first time, even the most mature teen.

First and foremost, its our job as parents to ensure teens have lots of experience behind the wheel prior to receiving their license. Inexperience is often cited as the primary factor for high teen crash rates. In fact, to ensure teens receive more experience nearly every state now requires that parents drive with their teens before they get their license. The requirement usually ranges from 30 to 70 hours.

Our program’s FREE mobile app, RoadReady is a user-friendly tool for parents and teens to log this time and to reiterate the importance of teens encountering a wide range of driving experiences – in varying weather conditions and times of day as well as on different road types. The app, currently available on the App StoreSM with a planned Android release early in 2014, uses GPS to map your driving history and logs the time you spend together behind the wheel against your state’s daytime and nighttime driving requirements. RoadReady also provides parents with pointers to help with the learning process.

RoadReady helps to ensure you are spending the necessary time with your teen behind the wheel. In keeping a paper log, parents (and teens) tend to wildly overstate how long they have driven together. If you drive for 40 minutes, you might be tempted to log an hour. Over a 6-month time span this can lead to greatly misrepresenting the time spent and result in teens hitting the road independently with insufficient experience – putting them in greater danger. With RoadReady the time you spend together is accurately tracked - 40 minutes is 40 minutes.

As an added bonus users can log into their RoadReady account from multiple devices and if you have two teens going through the process at the same time, you can set up multiple drivers. Instead of carrying a paper log around for 6-12 months, passing it from car to car, and from one parent to the next, sometimes from one home to another, RoadReady can be used on everyone’s phone: mom, dad and junior.

Finally, when teens have met the supervised driving requirement, RoadReady generates a log that can be downloaded and presented at your local DMV to verify that your teen’s driving requirement has been met.

And don’t worry about the app being a distraction during your driving sessions – just click start, put the phone away, and focus on your teen's driving.

Now that you are logging your driving time together, you will need to know what lessons to focus on when driving. The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program is an award-winning curriculum for parents that offers suggestions, advice and a step-by-step teaching guide for when you are out on the road together. The curriculum is currently distributed at DMV licensing centers in 12 states (MA, RI, VT, ME, DE, NC, MI, NE, CO, ID,and AK) with more states working toward offering the program. The program is offered to the states, parents and teens at no cost thanks to support from Ford Motor Company and other local sponsors.

Our goal is to ensure that you as parents are correctly utilizing the state required driving hours and help your teen become a safer, smarter driver. The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program and RoadReady mobile app are tools for you and we encourage you to use them to keep your child safe on the road.

List: 5 Best Options Besides Driving Drunk

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Here it is, the infamously not famous Fix The Toaster holiday list of options besides driving drunk.

1. Pay money for a cab/Lyft ride.

2.  Call your friend of parent for a ride.

3. Get a hotel room.

4. Lay down on the sidewalk outside of the bar.

*yes, you might go to jail but it will be safer

5. Admit you are too drunk to anyone and someone will get you home.

Speeding. 10 Minutes vs. 9 Months.

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Speeding. 10 Minutes vs. 9 Months.

When people on the freeway tailgate you at high speeds you should be scared.

Tailgating accounts for about 1/3 of fatal crashes.

I don't know where this person is going that they think it is OK to threaten your life.

When you speed you might get somewhere about 15 minutes faster. When you bring life into this world you carry a baby in your body for 9 months.

First time mothers deliver around 24 hours with their first pregnancy.

You install the carseat or you have a local fireman do it.

You drive painstakingly safely home from the hospital.

When I hear of people losing their kids in car crashes it scares and saddens me to my car.

Car crashes are the #1 cause of death to kids.

We should be doing so much more to ensure their safety in vehicles then we are.

One thing you can do is to not speed or tailgate.

Life is worth respecting.