DRIVE-IT-YOURSELF VEHICLES ARE SAFE

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


DRIVE-IT-YOURSELF VEHICLES ARE SAFE

PHOENIX, AZ: Honey S. writes that she gets very nervous when driving near the many do-it-yourself moving trucks and trailers that can be found on all the major roads. My friend, Pat Crahan, a Director of U-Haul International, told me why U-Haul customers drive safely and why Honey need not be more wary of them than of other highway vehicles.


A National Safety Council National Fleet Safety Contest annually compares the safety record of professionals such as bus and truck drivers, mail carriers, and police officers. Recently the professional drivers averaged 10.97 crashes for each million miles driven .U-Haul records show that their average citizen customers won “by a mile” with a mere 2.79 crashes per million miles. In fact in 10 of 11 years the renter customers had by far a safer highway record than the professionals.


But why are these drivers so safe with vehicles which they do not ordinarily operate? Pat Crahan gave me these many reasons:
• They realize they are not professionals and make an effort to be more conservative on the road.
• Many are in the midst of a major change in their lives (moving to a new home location) and they focus on arriving safely.
• Their life’s belongings are in the vehicle (as may be their loved ones) and they want to keep them safe and sound.
• They realize that being under the influence of drugs and alcohol endangers their prized possessions and loved ones as well as self.
• Unlike professional drivers, Joe Citizen usually allows more time to complete the trip and drives at a leisurely, attentive speed.
• The rental vehicles are built especially to haul household goods and are designed for safe use by occasional drivers.
• U-Haul, especially, uses highly visible colors and graphics which make other drivers more aware of these utility vehicles.
•

So Honey, not to worry anymore. You are a lot safer than you thought you were.
GHD127 all rights reserved

POOR DRIVERS AT ALL AGES

WRECK-LESS DRIVING
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

POOR DRIVERS AT ALL AGES
WASHINGTON, DC: Three million persons turned age 50 in 1996. Then in the next 18 years another 75 million become 50. Here comes once more the perennial suggestion that all drivers above an arbitrary age be road-tested every year or so. Foggy Bottom resident Clyde says he is age 71 and wonders whether he should give up his license.
A big NO! Age is not the determining factor. To be sure, our physical acuities decline with age. However there is no single age at which all of us suddenly are unfit for anything but the rocking chair. The decline is at a different rate for each of us. This column, and defensive driving classes exist to help older persons compensate for these physical changes. With improved skills we can remain independent and self-sufficient for many more years.

There are some safe drivers in their late eighties but also too many dangerous drivers of ALL ages. The difference is that most of the older ones want to learn how to compensate for their decline and thus be safe and remain independent longer. They recognize that there are some things that go more slowly for them.

Fairer and safer would be retesting of all drivers. But as a practical matter, the state auto driver license bureaus do not have the vast additional funds needed to do an expanded retesting program, even for a limited age group. Some taxpayers may wish for an age based scrutiny of older drivers but they are not willing to pay more taxes for it. Quite likely, when they themselves reach that age they will no longer be in favor of such repeated testing.

The best answer is to particepate in voluntary driver safety classes and an insurance premium reduction as an inducement to do so.
GHD207 all rights reserved

LOOK OUT FOR KIDS IN PARKING LOTS

WRECK-LESS DRIVING
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

LOOK OUT FOR KIDS IN PARKING LOTS
CODY, WY: Resident Knox says that driving in shopping and business areas gets more hazardous continually. Here are some of the things for which he says we need to be alert: Traffic signs and lane markings. Changes in speed limits. Parking lot entrances and exits. Controlled intersections. Heavy traffic with quick stops. Trucks and large RVs. And the ever-present reckless drivers. In these areas there may be more pedestrians who are distracted by the busy surroundings or intent on their errands rather than on their safety.

For older drivers all these simultaneous inputs can be overwhelming and thus require extra alertness to potential danger. Mall and superstore parking lots seem to have an abundance of playful children who are unmindful of the traffic, especially on weekends. Be alert to their sudden change of direction and to their parents who may be more absorbed in remembering where they parked than in their child's safety.
GHD 126 all rights reserved

SENIORS IMBIBE LESS ALCOHOL

WRECK-LESS DRIVING FOR SENIORS
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

SENIORS IMBIBE LESS ALCOHOL
THIEF RIVER FALLS, MN: Skip R., age 64, writes that when he does drink alcohol he parks and walks. Safe driving experts say good for him, but he should be extra careful crossing the streets or walking along highways. More than one-third of pedestrians killed by cars are legally drunk according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

If you drink alcohol, better to park and sit. Cities, where a large number of seasonal tourists visit, have a greater problem with drunks. Perhaps this is because the "party" atmosphere may relax our usual personal standards of conduct. And, of course, it remains the legal duty of all drivers to be alert to persons who may be a hazard to themselves or to others for whatever reason.

An interesting observation at dances, parties, and the like; older persons seem to be drinking less alcoholic beverages than did that same age group of ten years ago. Must be the message is getting through to the older role models. And that’s good because there are a lot more seniors now and a real big bunch coming up right behind them.
GHD125 all rights reserved