Welcome back to the fourth edition of the “Traffic Safety Times”!  This electronic newsletter is provided to the northern Virginia and Shenandoah Valley regions by the Center for the Advancement of Public Health at George Mason University.  Funded by a grant from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, this e-newsletter is designed to help law enforcement agencies and other organizations to offer further traffic safety information to residents of the region.

 

This edition of the e-newsletter focuses on impaired driving for all ages.  It concentrates on distracted driving, alcohol/drug-related impaired driving, and provides useful links and information to some programs that everyone can use.  Future editions will concentrate on other topics, offer resources, highlight strategies and address issues suggested by you.  Please feel free to contact us to suggest future topics.  Also, we welcome your comments or concerns.  We can be reached by phone at (703) 993-3697 or via e-mail at caph@gmu.edu.

 

 

 

 

 

DRIVE FOR LIFE

 

AAA has partnered with Volvo Cars of North America to sponsor the campaign “Drive for Life: The National Safe Driving Test & Initiative.”  The new program concentrates on improving drivers’ skills, decision-making, and awareness.  Vice President for Public Affairs at AAA National, Susan Pikrallidas, reports that “Safety requires three things: safe cars, safe roads and safe drivers.  So far, the focus has been on making cars and roads safer.  But driving is a complex task and many of us have very poor driving habits.  Fortunately, bad driving habits can be fixed and each one of us can fix our part of the problem.”

 

Findings from a poll conducted on driver attitudes and behaviors found that several respondents admitted to regularly engaging in dangerous driving practices.  Some of these finding include:

 

  • 71% of all drivers’ reported speeding
  • Approximately one in three men believe it’s OK to exceed the speed limit by 10 m.p.h.
  • 59% of drivers said they eat while they drive
  • 37% said they talk on a cell phone while they drive
  • 14% reported they read while driving

 

In addition, the poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc., revealed that despite admitting to their own careless habits, the majority of Americans believe that the problem driver is the “other” guy:  Specifically, 77% think seniors should be retested and 69% favored retesting for teens, while drivers between the ages of 26 and 44 admitted to the most dangerous behaviors while driving.

 

To read more about the Drive for Life campaign, go to the interactive web site at: www.safedrivingtest.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NONE FOR THE ROAD 

 

“None for the Road” is a year-round campaign that combats impaired driving.  Participate in Virginia’s “None for the Road for the Holidays” campaign, or use its materials and resources at any time throughout the year.  In order to help enhance local efforts, the “None for the Road” Prevention Packet can be ordered by visiting the ABC web site at: www.abc.state.va.us.  Here’s a look at a few tips from this campaign:

 

  1. Any community organization that has an interest in traffic safety or public health can create a “None for the Road” special event.  In the past, materials from this program have been used by businesses, concerned citizens, coalitions, youth groups, religious organizations, local school systems, and police departments, just to name a few.
  2. It will help to work with others to get the message across to a greater number of people.  Talk to other organizations that are already involved with reducing drunk and drugged driving, and ask them to help find others that would be interested in being part of the program.
  3. Check with a local law enforcement department to see if they are participating in Checkpoint Strikeforce, which is a five-state law enforcement campaign that works to catch and arrest drunk drivers.  Virginia State Police and local law enforcement agencies conduct at least one sobriety checkpoint every week from July 2003 to January 2004.

 

 

 

 

TEEN SMART

 

The teenSMART program allows teens to gain the driving experience they need to be safer drivers.  By using this program, teens anticipate dangerous situations and develop critical decision-making skills.  This program allows drivers to learn how to be aware of their surroundings and to “expect the unexpected.”  It achieves this in the following four ways: 1) it improves the six critical skills known to cause most of teen auto collisions, 2) it utilizes effective interactive computer based training with realistic full motion driving simulation, 3) an instructional video and workbooks provide engaging learning activities that make in-car drive times effective and meaningful, and 4) it has a behind the wheel driving practice manual that provides driving instructors, parents, and teens with over 70 in-car activities.

 

teenSMART is sponsored by the Driving School Association of the Americas.

 

 

 

 

 

DRUNK BUSTERS OF AMERICA

 

Curt Kindschuh founded the Drunk Busters of America campaign in 1995.  The goal of the program is “to provide innovative, powerful, and affordable tools to help school, law enforcement agencies, and other traffic safety organizations in their efforts to stop people from driving impaired.”  The campaign uses several types of media to help get the Drunk Busters of America’s message across.  The web site for this campaign offers an online store for purchases, presentations, testimonials, and several interesting and informative links.

 

Visit www.drunkbusters.com to view what Drunk Busters of America has to offer.

 

 

 

 

WHAT’S AHEAD IN TRAFFIC SAFETY DURING DECEMBER?

 

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Click It or Ticket Mobilization: November 17 to December 1

National Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention Month: December 1 to December 31

You Drink & Drive. You Lose. Mobilization: December 9 to January 4

Operation CARE Mobilization: December 19 to December 22

 

For more information on this and other safety topics, please visit the following websites:

 

 

The next edition of “Traffic Safety Times” will continue to focus on impaired driving.  It will look at topic areas such as driver distraction and drowsy driving.  Because the holiday season is among us and many people will be “hitting the road,” it is everyone’s responsibility to drive safely and responsibly.

 

 

 

George Mason University

Center for the Advancement of Public Health

4400 University Dr., MS 1F5

North PE Module G, Room 23

Fairfax, VA 22030-4444

 

Phone: 703.993.3697

Fax: 703.993.3763

E-mail: caph@gmu.edu

Web: www.caph.gmu.edu