Safe Driving Tips

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Safe Driving Tips The Basics

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1 Killer

• Accidents are the 1 KILLER of Americans under
  40 years old

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Dont be a statistic

• Motor vehicle collisions are one of the leading
  causes of employee injuries
• Motor vehicle accidents are the leading killer of
  Americans at work

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Who me???

• You are responsible
• for your actions
• to work safely when at your work place
• when you are driving for your workplace

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What if your driving caused this?
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Overview

• Vehicle maintenance
• Youre Ready, Now Get Set
• Defensive Driving
• 6 Most common reasons for auto crashes

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Do you think about it?

• Do you have your vehicle maintained regularly?
• Do you check your tires on a regular basis?
• Do you tend to put off maintenance?
• Do you have an emergency kit in your vehicle?

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Close your eyes and imagine

• When was the last time I checked my tires?
• What would happen if I got a flat?
• Are my taillights working? I cant tell.
• Its drizzling, I forgot to replace my windshield
  wipers!
• What if I broke down? Id freeze to death before
  someone found me.
• Music might help calm me down, where did I put
  that CD?

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First things first

• Safe driving starts before you turn the ignition
  key.
• A well maintained vehicle is a safe vehicle
• Ensure that the vehicle you operate is properly
  maintained
• Inspect the vehicle daily
• Have defects fixed immediately

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Daily walk-around

• Things can happen overnight
• Check your tires
• Check your lights
• Check and clean windows and light covers
• Turn your windshield wipers on to assure they are
  working.
• Does the vehicle have an emergency kit?

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Your vehicle is ready, now get set

• Adjust
• Drivers seat
• Steering wheel
• Head restraints
• Rearview and side mirrors
• Assure
• You know where you are going, review, and have
  your map ready to go
• You know where the controls are (windshield
  wipers, lights, flashers, inside light, etc.)
• Lock the doors
• All car documents are updated and reachable
• Know if your car has anti-lock breaks and how to
  handle them
• Tune the radio, CDs, etc.
• AND, LAST BUT NOT LEAST

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Click It, or Ticket

• In passenger cars
• Reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat
  passenger car occupants by 45
• Reduce the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by
  50
• About 51 of people involved in fatalities in
  2006 were not wearing their seatbelts
• In light-trucks
• Reduce the risk of fatal injury by 60
• Reduce the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by
  65

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Click It, or Ticket

• In fatal crashes in 2006, 75 of passenger
  vehicle occupants who were totally ejected from
  the vehicle were killed
• 28 of all fatal crashes involved ejection from
  the vehicle
• Only 1 of the occupants reported to have been
  using restraints were totally ejected

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Worth noting

• Most accidents occur within 25 miles of home or
  work at speeds of 40 mph or less

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The Goal

• Keep your

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Defensive driving

• A way of driving where the driver takes every
  possible precautionary measure in order to
  prevent accidents or troublesome incidents from
  occurring.
• To reduce the risk of driving by proactively
  avoiding dangerous situations, despite adverse
  conditions and/or the incorrect actions of
  others.

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Six most common causes for automobile crashes

1. Distracted Drivers
2. Fatigued Drivers
3. Drunk Drivers
4. Speeding
5. Aggressive Driving
6. Weather

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Wait what am I doing, again?

• Between 25 50 of all motor vehicle crashes in
  this country have driver distraction as their
  root cause.
• Rubbernecking accounts for 16 of all
  distraction-related crashes
• Other common driver distractions include
• Driver fatigue (12)
• Looking at scenery (10)
• Other passengers or children (9)
• Adjusting the radio, cassette or CD player (7)
• Reading the newspaper, books, maps or other
  documents (less than 2)
• WAIT Theres more

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Can you hear me now?

• More than 85 percent of the estimated 100 million
  cell-phone users talk on their phone regularly
  while driving
• One study has found that driving and talking on a
  cell phone at the same time quadruples the risk
  of crashing

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Get some rest!

• Drowsy drivers account for about 100,000
  accidents every year in the United States
• The risk is greatest from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m.

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What to do?

• Take a break from driving at least every two
  hours.
• Get a good night's sleep before a long trip.
• Share the driving whenever possible.
• Avoid long drives after work.
• Avoid drinking before driving.
• Pull over and stop when drowsiness, discomfort,
  or loss of concentration occurs.
• Find out whether any medicine you are taking may
  affect your driving.

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DONT DRINK DRIVE

• In 2006, an estimated 17,602 people were killed
  in alcohol-related crashes, an average of one
  death almost every half-hour.
• Drunk drivers were also responsible
• for 278,000 injuries
• 41 of all fatal crashes involved
• alcohol

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Whats Blood Alcohol got to do with it?

• BAL of 0.10 drivers are 12 times as likely to
  be in an accident as non-drinking drivers.
• BAL of 0.15 380 times as likely
• BAL of 0.05 Still 2 times as likely
• Driving tipsy is driving drunk.

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Speed Kills

• Speeding is responsible for 30 of all fatal
  crashes.
• Over half of fatal crashes in 2006 occurred on
  roads with posted speed limits of 55 MPH or
  higher
• Speeding is the main reason 2 out of 3 fatal
  accidents occur on rural highways.

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A 3-tiered threat

• Reduces the amount of time necessary to avoid a
  crash
• Increases the risk of crashing
• Makes the crash more severe if it does happen
• when speed increases from 40 mph to 60 mph, the
  energy released in a crash more than doubles.

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Take a Chill Pill

• Aggressive drivers cause 1/3 of all traffic
  crashes
• Exactly what is an aggressive driver?
• Operates a motor vehicle in a selfish, bold or
  pushy manner, without regard for the rights or
  safety of the other users of the streets and
  highways.

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Including

• Aggressive tailgating
• Deliberately preventing another driver from
  moving their vehicle
• Disregarding traffic signals
• Changing lanes frequently or in an unsafe manner
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Aggressive or rude gestures
• Verbal abuse and/or physical assaults

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Protect yourself

• Remain calm.
• Keep your distance.
• Make every attempt to get out of their way, give
  them room.
• Do not challenge them by speeding up or
  attempting to keep up.
• Wear your seat belt.
• Be prepared for any abrupt or sporadic maneuvers
  by the aggressive driver.
• Avoid eye contact.
• Ignore gestures and refuse to acknowledge them.
• Report aggressive drivers to the appropriate
  authorities by providing vehicle and driver
  description, license number, location of
  incident, and direction of travel.

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And now for weather where you are.

• Dont panic.
• Plan ahead.
• Make sure you can see and be seen.
• Slow down.
• Be sure to leave extra room between the car in
  front of you.
• No Cruise Control on wet pavement.
• Press the brake gently.
• If necessary, pull off the road to a rest stop
  until conditions improve.
• Don't drive into standing water.

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In Summary

• Maintain your vehicle
• Make all the necessary adjustments prior to
  getting on the road
• Practice defensive driving at all times
• Remember the 6 most common causes of automobile
  crashes and avoid those actions