It's May...and that means Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month! It's been so cool & rainy around Topeka until this past weekend that I haven't seen as many bikers out as usual. However, with warmer temps the past few days, I saw lots of them hitting the roads.  

Unfortunately, "hitting the roads" can mean something much more tragic to motorcyclists than the phrase means to the rest of the motoring public. This past month, I've had two acquaintances involved in crashes. Thankfully, neither of them was seriously injured, but both crashes served as a reminder to me of how precious life is...and how quickly a relaxing ride on a sunny day COULD have turned tragic.

The first of the crashes involved a good friend, an experienced rider who was wearing his helmet, leather jacket, jeans & boots. He pulled out in front of a pickup that had just turned left. In this case, my friend made the error of not looking twice before pulling out. Neither vehicle was going very fast, but the pickup hit the bike in the saddle bag area, pitching the bags, the seat, and my friend to the pavement. Thankfully, the helmet served its purpose - although the bill is now crumpled, my friend's forehead was not! And, although he is still pretty stiff & sore, he had no broken bones or road rash from hitting the pavement, thanks to the protective clothing.

The second crash happened just last Friday, involving a 28-year-old who is also an experienced rider.  In this instance, a car pulled out from a stop sign on a busy highway without yielding to the motorcyclist. Although I don't have all the details from that crash, I have heard that the young man hit the car, flew off the bike, and after taking a bounce on the pavement, was able to run to the ditch to avoid oncoming traffic.  Again, thankfully, this young rider's injuries were not severe.  

My message is this: "Sharing the road" goes both ways. Too many times I hear motorcyclists blame the other guy for unsafe lane changes, not yielding to them, yapping on cell phones, etc. Other drivers often blame bikers for weaving in & out of traffic, driving too fast, etc. Can't we ALL take responsibility for safe driving/riding behavior???  

The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a press release today, announcing "federal guidance to expressly prohibit texting by drivers of commercial vehicles such as large trucks and buses." This action follows the Executive Order from President Obama directing all federal employees to refrain from text messaging when driving government-owned vehicles, driving private vehicles on government business, or using government-issued electronic devices while driving at any time.

Neither of these actions came as a big surprise. It's too bad that it has taken special research, graphic PSAs and videos on you-tube, emotional testimony on shows such as Oprah, and countless deaths and injuries before getting the full attention of the DOT, the Legislature, the President, and the Media. It's also a shame we have to legislate what should come as common sense...but as with many issues, the risk of a fine seems to be the only way to get some peoples' attention.

One of the most interesting quotes in today's announcement, however, really disappointed me: "Drivers who text while driving are more than 20 times more likely to get in an accident than non-distracted drivers." When writing press releases from our office, we are careful not to use what we refer to as "the A word." They are crashes, not accidents. Although most people don't premeditate being involved in a crash, research shows us that most crashes are totally preventable. Distracted driving, drunk driving, travelling too fast for conditions, and passing unsafely are all actions that can be avoided.

No matter what anyone else may call them, I call the loss of life & limb tragedies. Hopefully these tragedies will be brought to a screeching halt with the attention recently given to...inattention.

I'm sure the folks who drive the snowplows & salt trucks will shudder at the title for this blog...but I actually do love the white stuff coming down today!  Actually, I'd like it even more if I could have just stayed home & snuggled down in front of the fireplace, but since I'm here at work, I guess I should take this opportunity to remind everyone that there are some important "winter driving tips" that need to be heeded.

You'll find these tips on just about every news organization or traffic-related website today, and they are also posted on the KDOT 511 page.  However, the single most important driving tip, no matter WHAT the weather, is often overlooked. That tip is to simply BUCKLE UP - it's your best protection against serious injury or death if you are involved in a crash.  Yes, slow down, allow more room between you & the other vehicles, use your headlights, turn off the cruise control, and of course, keep emergency supplies in your car.  But just think how senseless it would be if you couldn't use those emergency supplies because you hit the windshield of your car when you slid into the ditch...or because you were thrown into the snowbank when your car rolled.

Unfortunately, there have been several fatality crashes over the past few days in Kansas. Of the ones reported on the KHP website, 6 of the 9 killed were NOT wearing seatbelts. One of the saddest ones I've read showed four people in a Suburban wearing their seatbelts, and one 4-year-old not restrained who died when the driver of the vehicle lost control, entered the ditch & rolled. On the report, it asks if family was notified...the answer was "Yes".  By who?  "Mother on scene."  How tragic, and how sad that mother must be to know that she could possibly have spent Christmas with her little boy, if he'd been in the proper child safety seat.

Yes, the sign says "Ice & Snow - Take it Slow" - but I'm still saying that if you want to spend Christmas with your family & friends, instead of them visiting you in the hospital or cemetery, the smartest thing you can do is to buckle up.

This morning, NBC news aired a story regarding a very graphic British PSA which has now hit YouTube. One question they pose is one we ask frequently: Do PSAs such as this really change behavior? Will teens (or other texters) who watch this stop texting while driving, or will they continue to have the "It won't happen to me" attitude?

Ask teens you know, ask friends who text while driving, and then let me know.  I welcome your comments on this one!!!

Well, folks, 'tis the season...for the national Click It. Or Ticket. campaign!  We're excited about our new ads for this, which can be found at: www.dontbebubba.com  We hope you'll get a chuckle out of the TV spot, which was actually produced by Texas DOT (so very low cost to us), and that you'll pass this along to all your friends via email! We think humor is a great way to reach our target audience of young male drivers, and hope they will take the advice given.  The radio ad was created by our media contractor to complement the video, and again, we think it is a fun way to reach those 18-34 year old males in Kansas who think they are invincible.  Heck, my pick-up-drivin' 27 year old son even laughed at the reference to beef jerky...and if he'll laugh at it, I consider it to be a success! Last night, he came by to drive me to the hardware store to pick up a few things that wouldn't fit in my little car. As we were backing out of my driveway, he pointed to the blinking light on his dash, and as he reached for his seat belt, he said, "See, Mom? That's my reminder from you every time I get in my truck!"  Hooray - maybe I'm finally getting through to SOMEONE!

As the warm weather is hitting, more and more motorcycle riders are hitting the roads throughout the country.   Unfortunately, that usually means an increase in motorcycle crashes – and because riders are more vulnerable than passenger vehicle occupants, that also means an increase in motorcyclist injuries and fatalities.

In fact, research shows that per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclists are about 37 times more likely than a passenger car occupant to die in a traffic crash. (See NHTSA and click on "Traffic Safety Facts 2007: Motorcycle")  That is why the Kansas Department of Transportation is joining with other federal, state, and local highway safety, law enforcement, and motorcycle organizations in proclaiming May 2009 as “Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.”   All motorists are reminded to safely share the road with motorcycles, and riders are reminded to make themselves visible to other motorists.

According to KDOT statistics, motorcycle fatalities have decreased slightly in the past two years, after seeing a steady rise from 17 deaths in 1997 to 64 deaths in 2006.   In 2007, 46 motorcyclist fatalities were recorded in Kansas.   However, nationwide, there was a seven percent increase in fatalities from 4,837 in 2006, to 5,154 in 2007.   To combat this national trend, KDOT has worked with law enforcement, rider organizations, and other safety advocates to bring education and awareness of motorcyclist issues to the attention of the general motoring public.

It’s crucial that motorists always make a visual check for motorcycles by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or leaving a lane of traffic and at intersections.   However, motorcyclists have responsibilities, too.   They should follow the rules of the roadway, be alert to other drivers, and always wear a DOT-compliant helmet and other protective gear.

Motorcyclists can increase their safety by:

• Avoiding rides in poor weather conditions;
• Taking an approved motorcycle rider education course;
• Always following the posted speed limits and making adjustments for road hazards;
• Wearing brightly colored protective gear and a DOT-compliant helmet;
• Using turn signals for every turn or lane change;
• Combining hand and turn signals to draw more attention to themselves;
• Using reflective tape and stickers to increase conspicuity;
• Positioning themselves in the lane where they will be most visible to other drivers;
• NEVER mixing alcohol and riding.

Remember, as motorcyclists, you must carry a Class M driver’s license.

Finally, be safe, be seen, and keep it shiny side up!

“Hey, I was only going a LITTLE over the speed limit. Give me a break! Don’t you guys have anything better to do than pull over a little old lady? What, you didn’t reach your quota of citations yet this month? Why don’t you go catch some REAL criminals?”

Before working in the traffic safety field, those words may not have actually come out of my mouth, but I admit they did go through my mind a time or two. The time that REALLY irritated me was when I got a speeding ticket as I was hurriedly leaving the small town where I taught school. Come on, there was nobody else driving on that little-used state highway, and I was going to be late picking up my daughter from her Brownies meeting 10 miles away! To add insult to injury, when I got to my destination, I found there was a new little girl in my daughter’s class who was going to have to walk home, so I offered her a ride…only to discover that she was the daughter of the trooper who had just issued me a citation (Thanks, Captain W)! Small towns – gotta love ‘em!

What I didn’t consider 20 years ago was that law enforcement officers have a job to do – and that is to keep our citizens safe. I hadn’t thought about the fact that traffic enforcement was not just about passing out fines to speeders. Yes, I knew that officers occasionally found drugs in cars, but I hadn’t thought about how many other criminals had been caught on “routine” traffic stops who otherwise might still be terrorizing our neighborhoods - criminals such as the bomber of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, whose crime was vindicated as a result of a license tag violation.

This concept was brought to me on a personal level a few years ago when an officer attempted to stop a car for an equipment violation. The driver led the officer on a high speed chase, but was eventually stopped, and the driver was found to be intoxicated. The passenger was arrested also, on several outstanding traffic warrants. Just a few hours later, the same officer who had earlier stopped the two young men responded to a call for a murder - my 23-year old niece’s body had been found in an alley garbage container, with her clothing stripped off, except for one shoe. The officer remembered seeing the matching shoe in the vehicle he’d stopped. If it hadn’t been for the traffic stop, it is unlikely that my niece’s murder would have been solved, as the act turned out to be a totally random one.

Putting the “heinous criminal” aspect of traffic enforcement aside, however, I wonder how many lives have been saved as a result of a traffic stop. When I was the recipient of a speeding citation, my behavior changed. At that time, I didn’t think of this change of behavior as a “life-saving” technique; I simply did not want to pay another fine, and didn’t want my insurance rates to go up. However, now that I see fatality crash reports on an almost-daily basis, and see how many of them involve speed as a factor (about 25%), I am thankful to that trooper for getting my attention.

When anyone from my office talks to law enforcement about the importance of conducting traffic stops, we try to stress the concept of saving lives, one stop at a time. Giving a person a citation for violation of a seatbelt law may save the officer from having to make a visit to notify that person’s family that their loved one was ejected and killed in a traffic crash. Making a stop for failure to signal a lane change may result in saving a life by getting a drunk driver off the road. Hopefully you won’t ever deserve a citation. However, if you do get stopped for some reason, be thankful for a lesson learned, instead of being angry at an officer for “picking on you.” That lesson might just save your life…down the road.

To any officers out there - thanks for doing a job that doesn’t usually bring smiles from those you see every day. Keep up the good work, because you ARE making a difference, by saving lives…one stop at a time!

I just glanced at my friend for a second.

I just didn’t see that stop sign.

I just reached for my cell phone.

I just needed to check the map quickly.

I just didn’t see that motorcycle.

I just had “one more” for the road.

I just went a little over the speed limit.

I just reached over to switch radio stations.

I just didn’t see the construction worker.

I just took a quick sip of my coffee.

I just didn’t see the school crossing.

I just put on a little lipstick.

I just didn’t notice the flashing lights.

I just had a couple of beers.

I just forgot to use my turn signal.

I just wanted to change the CD.

I just didn’t see the icy spot.

I just nodded off for a second.

I just sent a quick text message to my friend.

I just didn’t see that pedestrian.

I just forgot to check my rear-view mirror.

I just blew my nose.

I just didn’t hear the sirens.

I just dipped my fries in some ketchup.

I just reached across to close the vent.

How many of these things have you said to yourself as you jerked your steering wheel or stomped on your brakes to avoid a crash?   How would your statement sound in a court of law, when you are being charged with vehicular homicide? Remember, it can happen in the blink of an eye. Think about it: two hands on the wheel, buckle up…and just drive!

                     I See…Crosses

(Thanks to KDOT Law Enforcement Liaison Dave Corp for inspiration on this article)

As a native Kansan, I love nothing better than a long drive through our state.   From the winding roads in Eastern Kansas, down through the Flint Hills, across the Gyp Hills, and over the High Plains of Western Kansas, you can see a variety of geological formations, farm and ranch operations, wildlife, lakes, and wonderful small towns.

Unfortunately, I’ve seen something else lining our streets and highways:   little white crosses.   I can’t drive very far without seeing them, and as I drive by them, I wonder what happened.   Did the person who died there suffer?   Did they experience fear, or think of their loved ones in their final moments of life?   I have no way of knowing.

One thing I do know is that someone who is alive today is hurting or thinking about that loved one.   You only have to take a quick glance to understand that fact.   The crosses are usually decorated with flowers, and often something more personal, such as a picture or a child’s favorite stuffed animal.   Someone is grieving over the loss of a friend or family member, and that lost one can never be brought back.

  I also wonder if this tragedy could have been prevented.   Sadly, in almost all instances, the answer is YES.   The difference between life and death could have been made by driving at a speed appropriate for conditions, using a designated driver, not being distracted by talking or texting on the cell phone, and all too often, a seatbelt could have prevented a person from being ejected and killed.

What can be done to prevent the “planting” of any new crosses along the roadsides in your community?   First of all, follow the traffic laws; they are written and enforced for good reason!   Arriving at your destination a few minutes late is better than not arriving at all.   Secondly, remember tragedies occur in the blink of an eye, so if you are driving, pay attention to that task, and avoid distractions.   Most importantly, remember the one thing that has been proven to prevent death and serious injury only takes a couple of seconds: fasten your seat belt, and make sure everyone in your car is safely buckled.

Enjoy your drives through our beautiful state, but always be aware of the little white crosses.   Make it your responsibility to prevent new crosses from being planted.

Buckle Up – Every Trip, Every Time!