I was recently chosen to chair the Distracted Driving sub-committee of the Transportation Specialty Practice of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE).  I fell strongly this is an important issue.  Little did I know how much national attention this issue is generating during the past several months.

First, Harris Interactive and HealthDay conducted a poll of almost 3000 drivers and some of the results are listed below.

Second, on December 13, the National Transportation Safety Board announced a recommendation on Distracted Driving, to ban all electronic devices when driving a motor vehicle.

Adult drivers engage in activities such as texting, eating, watching videos and surfing the Internet while driving, according to a new online poll, conducted by market research firm Harris Interactive and HealthDay, a producer of health news.

In the poll, conducted between Nov. 10 and 14, 2,810 adults older than 18 who drive regularly were asked whether they have ever or have often or sometimes engaged in certain distracting activities while driving. Among the poll’s results, drivers reported performing the following behaviors:

• 86 percent ate or drank, with 57 percent doing it “often/sometimes.”
• 44 percent drove while feeling drowsy or momentarily fell asleep while driving, with 12 percent doing it “often/sometimes.”
• One-fourth drove after consuming two or more alcohol-based drinks, with 7 percent doing it “often/sometimes.”
• 41 percent set or changed their GPS, with 21 percent doing it “often/sometimes.”
• 37 percent sent or read text messages, with 18 percent doing it “often/sometimes.”

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a recommendation to the 50 states, and D.C., to ban driver use of all portable electronic devices in a vehicle, including hands-free devices. The NTSB’s Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman addressed the press regarding the issue and some of the specifics about the recommendation.

“According to NHTSA, more than 3,000 people lost their lives last year in distraction-related accidents,” said Hersman. “It is time for all of us to stand up for safety by turning off electronic devices when driving. No call, no text, no update, is worth a human life.”

Has this ever happened to you?  Picture yourself sitting in front of your TV watching your favorite show or maybe a sporting event, and the phone rings.  You pick up the phone and start talking to your good friend while watching the TV.  You talk for about 15 minutes, then hang up and look at the TV and realize the score of the event has changed and you don’t know what happened, or the show has ended and you don’t remember what happened.

If your answer is yes, you have just experience inattention blindness.  Inattention blindness is the brain’s inability to process more than 1 task or function at a time.  You concentrated on your conversation, and you did not really see the TV.  Regardless of what you might think, your brain cannot multitask.  It can switch back and forth between tasks, but when it does you lose focus on the first task.  Where are we going with this?

This is one of the main reasons why distracted driving has become the 2^nd leading cause of motor vehicle collisions in the past 5 years.  Cell phone use (hands free or holding a cell phone), eating/drinking, playing a CD or adjusting the radio, grooming, reading a map or anything else that takes your focus off the task of driving is growing as the main cause of motor vehicle incidents.

Vision is the most important sense we use when we drive. Driving distracted narrows our vision by as much as 50%.

There are many collisions that investigators have found the driver never saw the other half of the collision.

In addition to inattention blindness, studies have shown that drivers talking on cell phones (hand free or hand held) have a reduced reaction time.  Similar to those who blood alcohol rate is 0.08.

With reduced vision and reduced reaction time, sooner or later you will experience a motor vehicle collision.

Remember driving is most dangerous thing you do every day of your life.   Think of someone important to you.  Do you think they might want to see you today or you might want to see them.

Drive Safely for you and everyone around you.

What do think NETS is?  A tennis game, Part of the NBA, a new reality show?  Not really, NETS stands for Network of Employers for Traffic Safety.  So, have you ever heard of NETS?  Probably not.

Do you have any employees who drive for your business or organization?   Maybe you have some employees who drive to and from work.  NETS is dedicated to improving the health and safety of employees, their families and the community by preventing traffic crashes that occur both on- and off-the-job.  Why should we be so concerned about employees who drive?  Because Motor Vehicle Collisions are the #1 cause of employee/worker death and injury in the US.  Nothing is even close. It is also the most costly injury to any company/organization according to the National Safety Council”s Injury and Facts publication.

The Board members of NETS include:

Abbott

AmeriFleet Transportation

Chubb Group of Insurance Companies

The Coca-Cola Company

Johnson & Johnson

Liberty Mutual Insurance Group

Monsanto

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company

UPS

In just over a month NETS will be sponsoring National Drive Safely Work Week, October 3-7.

Focus 360° – Getting there safely is everyone’s responsibility.

The 2011 campaign is focused on the dangers of distracted driving— but not just from the position of the driver. The new materials also help consider the roles and responsibilities of being a safe passenger, pedestrian and cyclist in preventing distracted driving-related incidents. If you want more information, go to NETS website.

RAIN IS blamed for thousands of accidents each year and driving on wet roads is particularly hazardous. While it is impossible to completely eliminate the risks, it is entirely possible to reduce the factors that lead to accidents by understanding the difference between driving in fair and foul weather.

Speeding is one of the primary factors leading to vehicle crashes. In 2008, 31% of all fatal crashes were speeding-related. The estimated economic cost to society for speeding related crashes is $40.4 billion per year.

Driving at higher speeds reduces the ability of drivers to avoid obstacles or react to sudden changes in the roadway environment and increases crash severity. The pervasiveness of speeding behavior is reflected in a recent national survey that showed that approximately 75% of all drivers reported speeding in the past month. Since most drivers often do not see speeding as risky or dangerous behavior, it is imperative that

NHTSA gain a better understanding of the motivations for speeding behaviors in order to develop and refine effective interventions and countermeasures.

NHTSA proposes to conduct follow-up focus groups with 72 participants from an earlier on-road instrumented vehicle data collection conducted in Seattle, WA and College Station, TX.

Focus group recruitment will be based on participants’ speeding patterns in the on-road data. The focus groups will contribute to a better understanding of speeding and speeders, a more accurate taxonomy of high/low speed driver subgroups, and a better understanding of the motives, attitudes and habits of these subgroups. The focus groups will explore speed choices and speeding behaviors and the factors that influence them, beliefs and attitudes toward speeding, reactions to and discussions about specific driving scenarios, and individual/group responses to various speeding countermeasures. The focus groups are expected to provide data relevant to descriptions of key motivations, attitudes, normative commitment to law, driving habits relevant to speeding and speeding

countermeasures; descriptions of countermeasures with the greatest likely benefits; implementation issues and concerns associated with the countermeasures; and key advantages and disadvantages associated with various countermeasures.

Affected Public: NHTSA plans to conduct six focus group sessions, three in Seattle, WA and three in College Station, TX. Each focus group will consist of 8–12 participants and last approximately 80 minutes. Participants will be recruited by e-mail or telephone based on their driving behaviors in the earlier on-road phase of the study and their demographic characteristics. Participation by all respondents would be voluntary and confidential.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: The total estimated annual burden is between 64 and 96 hours, depending on the number of participants (range 8–12) in each group. The respondents would not incur any reporting cost from the information collection. The respondents also would not incur any record keeping burden or record keeping cost from the information collection.

Comments are invited on the following:

(i) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(ii) The accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection;

(iii) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(iv) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

A comment to OMB is most effective if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication.

Winter is almost here.  Some places have already experienced snowfall and hazardous roads.  Here are some winter driving tips for you to consider.

Tip #1: First, check to make sure your vehicle is mechanically ready for the winter.

• Make sure your windshield wipers work properly. For some, snow blades may be a better choice than the all season blades. Visibility is key for driving in not-so-good weather conditions

• Take your vehicle in for a mechanical check up on anti-freeze/coolant, oil changes, windshield wiper fluid, and take care of any major vehicle issues that could possibly become hazardous during the winter season.

• Also, check to make sure that your tires are properly inflated, under or over inflation can reduce the gripping action of the tires due to the tread not meeting the road surface which may cause or increase your chances of getting into an accident.

• Keep your gas tank at least half full. More fuel in your tank will help reduce moisture problems and also helps to add weight.

• For RWD vehicles, extra weight may be necessary. Make sure it is distributed evenly and securely fastened. Bags of sand or kitty litter are great choices and help provide traction in case you go into the ditch or become stuck.

Tip #2: During snowy winter months, set your alarm clock to an earlier time leaving you with plenty of time to get to work in case of accidents and traffic back-ups.

Tip #3: Start your vehicle 10 minutes before leaving to get the vehicle warmed up. Also make sure that you fully brush off your windshield, all windows, mirrors, brake lights and headlights. Do not brush off little patches, you want to be noticed when your driving down the road and it can become very dangerous.

Tip #4: Always wear your seatbelt!

Tip #5: Choose the best route for work. Avoid hills, crowded areas and bridges.

Tip #6: Do not use a cell phone while driving in the snow or on ice. Concentrate on driving not the conversation. Your life could depend on it. (Note: See blog “Is Texting While Driving Deadly?”)

Tip #7: Drive with caution, be aware of posted speed limits and leave enough room for the driver in front of you in case you have to stop abruptly. Be advised that during serious weather conditions, it is best to slow down even in posted areas to help prevent accidents.

Tip # 8: Importantly, stay alert to the actions of other drivers. You do not know what their next move could be. Anticipate vehicles from side streets, in front of you, as well as behind you.

Tip #9: Keep your vehicle stocked with simple emergency equipment in case you do get into an accident or stall. Consider having these essentials tucked away in your vehicle:

• Blankets

• A small shovel

• Tow rope

• Bag of sand or kitty litter for traction

• Long jumper cables

• Flashlights

• Flares or neon sticks

• A cell phone, C.B. Radio or ham radio

• A windshield scraper and brush

• Snacks (it’s best if you leave energy or snack bars in a place like your glove compartment or center council compared to a backpack or storage place where they could ultimately be left for a period of time and could stale.)

• Non-alcoholic beverages (also should be left up front where could be visibly seen. You don’t want to drink anything that’s been sitting for a while.)

• Candles and matches

• An extra or old pair of winter boots

• Gloves, hats, scarf’s, etc (you wouldn’t want to be outside in a harsh winter with just your work cloths on.)

• And anything else you may consider to be part of your emergency kit.

Tip #10: Use Common Sense. If you feel that you pose a danger while driving or feel that you could be in danger, stay home, its not worth losing your life over it.

Keep you and other drivers safe for the winter season by using these tips.

On January 1, 2009, Illinois will become the 4th state to require 1st time DUI convicted drivers to get have a breath analyzer device installed in their car.  This device will require the driver to have a blood alcohol level of below 0.024 or their vehicle engine will not start.  Illinois had 1249 vehicle deaths in 2007 of which, a little over 40% or 508 deaths were attributed to DUI.

This will be one of the toughest DUI laws in the US.  Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) help get the bill sponsored and passed in 2007.  There will be a cost to rent, install and monitor the device, from the State of Illinois.  First time DUI convicted drivers will have to use the device for 5 months, anyone refusing a breath analyzer test and then convicted of a DUI will have to use the device for 11 months. 
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-dui-lawdec29,0,1167021.story

What do these numbers have in common?   41,059…..2.49 million…..230.6 billion?

Ok, your best guess. 

As a DDC-4 instructor I talk about these number in my classes.  The 41,059 are the number of fatalities in the US in 2007 from motor vehicle collisions (about 10 times the number of deaths in the whole Iraq war).  You might guess the next number.  The number of injured from motor vehicle collisions in 2007.  The third number represents the amount of insurance money paid out in 2007.  Finally, a statistic that is hard to print.  Speed is the #1 killer of people ages 1-33 is motor vehicle accidents and the #4 of people over 33.

Do these numbers open your eyes?  They do mine.  We are out there hurting and killing ourselves and others.  Yet this article will probably not change the driving habits of many or any people.  Here are a couple of other questions you might not know the answers to.

1. What is the number 1 cause of traffic collisions?
2. What is the number 1 cause of drive distraction?

Think you got it right?  You might have the first question correct, but I am guessing not the second. 

(more…)

Driver compensation is usually measured in terms of an hourly wage or a rate based on travelled distances, but an array of additional incentives can play an important role in helping your fleet retain workers, lower fuel bills, and reduce accident claims.

In a recent study, for example, the US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) concluded that safety incentives helped studied fleets reduce insurance claims, workers’ compensation claims and crashes by 65%.

“Incentive programs that offer progressively increasing safety bonuses for longer periods of crash-free operation would give drivers a material reason for staying with their employers rather than moving to another place of work, where they would have to start again to accumulate safety credits,” the administration added.

Traditionally, fleets pay safety bonuses equivalent to a cent per mile, but some will pay more than two or three cents, says Ray Barton, co-author of Incentive Programs for Enhancing Truck Safety and Productivity, a Canadian study into the issue.

“The companies that felt the strongest about their safety programs, they had both the financial incentives as well as the recognition incentives,” he adds. “The younger drivers prefer the idea of the money. People in the business a little longer, they liked the idea of the recognition.”

Barton points to his own wall of honours as proof, and a proudly displayed coffee cup that was offered for giving a presentation. “It doesn’t have to be a very expensive prize that goes with it. Just something that people can put up on their wall at home and the family can look at and be proud of,” he says.

In comparison, a financial incentive disappears once it’s spent. Financial rewards that are included in such a program should also be paid quarterly, the consultant says, noting that a driver can quickly become discouraged if a January accident shuts him out of a safety initiative for the rest of the year. “This way, if you do get into an accident, you get right back in the program quickly.”

Bonus cheques should also be kept separate from traditional pay, he adds. “Then drivers [become] more aware of it.”

Consider issuing incentives just before Christmas, or the beginning of the school year, when extra cash will be particularly appreciated.

The same approach can be effective when looking to achieve other measurable targets, such as improved fuel economy.

“If you put a fuel economy incentive in place, and you pay half the savings to the drivers, then you’re money ahead and the driver’s money ahead,” he suggests.

A fixed schedule of incentives can also play a role in reducing driver turnover.

“One of the firms, they paid their new drivers two cents a mile less than drivers who had been around a while. They had a huge turnover in the first six months,” Barton says, referring to research in his study. But it then added a safety incentive that accumulated for six months before it was paid out, and the turnover rate dropped to 20% from a traditional level of 70%.

Another company combined an array of incentives, including driver appreciation days, along with training that showed managers how to treat drivers with respect. That fleet’s annual turnover dropped to 30% from 100%.

“If you improve driver retention, you’ll reduce your accident costs,” Barton adds. “I’m not talking the spectacular, fiery crash.” But a driver more aware of a route will be less likely to dent fenders, snap mirrors or jump curbs.

Fleets, meanwhile, will enjoy another benefit. “In order to pay out the incentives, you have to keep good records, and that’s one of the great bonuses of an incentive program,” Barton says.

Of course, a program’s launch will be smoothest if you’ve already established a “baseline” of statistics from which to measure results, but that isn’t always possible.

“It’s great if you can have the before stuff,” he says, “but if you think you have a problem, you’re not going to sit around three years and measure data.”

A copy of Incentive Programs for Enhancing Truck Safety and Productivity can be downloaded from http://www.safety-council.org/news/sc/1999/incentive.htm.