SPEED KILLS

WRECK-LESS DRIVING ©
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

SPEED KILLS
ROANOKE, VA: Automobile safety expert, Tom Glickman, gave us these terrifying speed statistics from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and from NHTSA:

*38% of drivers involved in speed related fatal crashes were ages 15 to 34.

*29% of male drivers in fatal crashes were speeding, also 18 % of the females.

*37% of drivers in speed-related crashes had alcohol in their systems.

*94% of speed-related deaths happened on roads posted for 55 mph or less.

*33% of fatal crashes in construction/maintenance areas were speed-related.

*30% of all fatal crashes in VA and in the US had speeding involvement.

*Vehicles moving 10 mph or more over the limit had 600% more crashes.

*Crashes caused by speed cost all of us in the USA $23 billion a year.

*65% of US drivers involved in speed-related fatals were not using safety belts.

*88% of all speed-related deaths were on non-interstate highways.

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE. Make Sure You Are Not The Next Statistic!
GHD90 all rights reserved. wellnessebooks.com/ebookstore.asp

SPEED REINFORCEMENT

WRECK-LESS DRIVING ©
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

SPEED REINFORCEMENT
DARTMOUTH, NS: An avid believer in driver behavior modification by use of reward, feedback and reinforcement rather than fear and punishment is the Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Police Department. In the nineteen eighties it ran a very successful multi-year speeding reduction experiment. A hidden, unmarked car and a radar gun in a trash can were stationed in several locations to randomly sample highway speeds. The weekly results were displayed on large roadway signs, for example, "Drivers Not Speeding Last Week 90%. Best Record 95%."

Speeding was reduced by 50%, crashes by 42%, injuries by over 66%, and damage costs by 38%. In comparison, marked car surveillance and citations reduced speeding by only 8%.

Speeding is a self-regulating behavior which is affected by how we are treated. Feedback (the weekly record of how well drivers are doing) and positive reinforcement (the sign's recognition that the drivers can do it) and the goal to surpass (Best Record) worked together to cause most drivers to do more of the same. There was created in the drivers a desire to be in the group being recognized by the large highway sign. These are well-known ways to obtain willing quality performance in any human task. They are widely used in industry and business and also very successful where used in schools.

In Dartmouth the reduction in speeding continued for many years as long as the sign program was maintained. The Police authorities stated that these postings cost much less and were more effective than the punishment methods of patrolling and ticketing. Also police public relations were much improved in other authority related situations. Asheville, NC has used a stationary roadside sign “praise” program to improve the use of safety belts.

Why then is this “reward” system not used everywhere?
GHD89 all rights reserved. wellnessebooks.com/ebookstore.asp

BLIND SPOTS GO AWAY

WRECK-LESS DRIVING ©
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

BLIND SPOTS GO AWAY
FLINT, MI.: E-mail from heavyfoot@?.org: "Last week you said that side mirrors can be adjusted to minimize the blind-spots. Tell us how."

First let me say that the blind-spots cannot be eliminated totally with the currently known mirror systems. When you believe that you have reached that perfection have someone walk slowly around your vehicle and be certain you can see at least a portion of her at all times. It is important that we minimize the blind-spots as 13 to 15 percent of all collisions can be traced to not being able to see the rear approaching vehicle.

For now, though, the auto safety experts suggest this almost perfect setting: Assume your natural driving position, lean your upper body left to almost touch the window, adjust the driver side mirror so that you can just barely see the side of your vehicle. Then lean right into the center of the auto and adjust the passenger side mirror likewise. Now when you are on the highway you should see an approaching vehicle in the rearview mirror until a portion of it appears in the side mirror. Before it leaves your side mirror entirely you should see a portion of it in the corner of your eyes. Thus you have eliminated most of the blind spot for ordinary sized road vehicles. This does not however work for small objects such as pedestrians. or cyclists.

All these years we have been accustomed to using the side-mirrors as additional rearview mirrors. But that is not their function. It will take a few miles to get used to the new mirror settings. Once you do you will not want to go back.

While getting used to this setting be extra careful as you will be putting more attention on proving to yourself that it really works than you will on being fully aware of what is in front of your moving vehicle. This mirror setting also keeps the headlights of cars behind yours from bouncing into your eyes.

Remember that however the mirrors are set, before changing lanes turn your head (and shoulder if necessary) to be more certain about the safety of that move.
GHD88 all rights reserved. wellnessebooks.com/ebookstore.asp