Archive for Other
Ski Helmet Bill Should Become Law? What Do You Think?
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Given the fact most kids wear helmets while bike riding, it probably seems surprising to some that wearing a helmet while skiing is not required in New Jersey for teenages.
A bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco, R-Boonton, is trying to change that. The bill, which was released from committee last week, would require anyone under the age of 18 to wear a helmet while skiing or snowboarding.
A recent study by…read more…
Just a moment.
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Seconds before impact…
Yep. Just a moment, that’s all you need to slip out that quick reply on your phone. By now, there’s even a good chance that you feel yourself so adept at texting that you can punch out all your words within the space of a couple seconds; little enough time that you can type, finish, and look back up at the road while you’re driving and keep yourself on course. If you’re driving steadily and all you’re doing is pressing out a quick message, your elbows or even maybe one hand still on the wheel while you concentrate on your phone and perhaps looking up every so often to scan the road, you should be fine, right? It’s just a moment.
Unfortunately, that’s also just about enough time for your car to travel about 50, 100, 200, feet. Just those few seconds that your concentrations away from the road, and you could swerve across the center line, into the side of the road, or straight across a turn.
But some people will protest at that. Yes, there is the chance of swerving but if you’re good enough at driving, how much chance is there of losing control? Maybe you’re not a teenager, you’ve been driving for a while, and you can mostly keep control of the wheel while you text. Or, perhaps you are still 16, 17, 18, 19, but you’re good enough to keep control. Well, keep control? Not all the time, but, there is the chance. Be prepared for any sudden obstacles in the road like cars running the stop sign or red light, confused animals, or pedestrians? Not likely, at all. But that’s just how long it takes.
Sure, you need to reply to a text. Or you’re in a rush and you need to notify someone out there about something. Or, maybe, your phone is as much a part of you as your hand, and you just can’t keep off of it. Well then please, stop off the road. It’s just not worth the drastic and likely consequences taking your concentration off the road can easily result in. It’s actually a true fact that thousands die every year from phone-related car crashes. And they’re not very pretty deaths at all.
Want proof? Check out www.ugotbrains.com/too-true-texting.htm for actual pictures of a texting-related accident. If you don’t have a strong stomach, I wouldn’t look at the graphic labeled pictures, though. Looking at pictures of two pieces of a guy and his entrails spilled out onto the road can definitely unsettle plenty of people.
~Jenni K.
Banning the Deadly Witch’s Brew
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Ever heard of Four Loko? If you haven’t, then sigh in relief that you’ve never been introduced to this blend of alcohol and caffeine—a blend that has been labeled “toxic” by New York Senator Charles Schumer.
We all know the terrible effects and consequences of drinking while driving; however, many don’t know that being caffeinated can be just as bad while driving. Hyper-alert, aggressive, and mentally tired despite being physically awake, caffeine has a shocking history of deadly crashes. (Especially with all those teens who rely on a Red Bull or a Starbucks frapp to get them through the day after staying up late, most likely on the computer.)
Well, try multiplying the effects of alcohol and caffeine together, and then squaring that answer, and then shooting it straight into hyperspace. That’s approximately the extent of the effects of this cleverly disguised poison. Mixing alcohol and caffeine creates the kind of explosion in your mind that shaking up a bottle of coke, stuffing mentos into your mouth, and then pouring that coke down your throat, does. But so, so much worse. Can you even imagine what state you’ll be in after drinking one of those, especially if you’re trying to drive? Not pretty. Even for adults who can legally drink alcohol.
So it’s no wonder that several states in the U.S. have decided to ban such evil drinks. Not only are states such as New York, Michigan, Oklahoma, Utah, and Washington banning such drinks, but many college campuses are as well. Smart move, really. Especially considering brands such as Four Loko contain as much caffeine as three cups of coffee and as much alcohol as three cans of beer in a single 23.5 ounce can. Wow.
Traveling for Thanksgiving? | You can loosen your belt, but not your seatbelt!
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Before you buckle your seatbelt and drive to meet your families this holiday season you should take a few steps to ensure your families safety. Funds are tight this year and many travelers have chosen to hit the pavement instead of flying to greet their loved ones. That means that many people have left early in hopes of arriving on time with little traffic.
Some Things To Consider Before You Leave:
- Regular car maintenance: When was the last time you checked the tread on your tires? Air pressure? An oil change? Have a solid spare in the trunk? Please make sure your vehicle is good to go.
- Plan ahead and have an alternate route: These days you can find just about anything online. Know where you are going and different ways to get there.
- Expect bumper-to-bumper traffic: AAA estimates that 36 million of us (over 86% of all holiday travelers) will travel 50 or more miles from home during Thanksgiving holiday.
- Be well rested and prepared for a stressful drive: Everyone wants to get out of their cars just as quickly as you do and aggressive drivers are in abundance these days…
- Bring along some soothing music: To take your mind off of the Great Sea of Combustion you are currently in.
- Make sure all passengers AND child safety seats are property restrained/installed.
- Speeding, distracted driving, fatigue, etc. are all contributing factors in motor vehicle crashes. Remember that we all share the same road.
- Remember that the left lane is only for passing: Many crashes happen because drivers are forced to pass on the right because the passing lane is being blocked, illegally.
- If alcohol is going to be a part of your holiday celebrations, work out who will be driving home sober before the festivities begin.
Before You Head Back Home:
- With a Thanksgiving feast comes fatigue: Get plenty of rest the night before if you can, leaving a little earlier (AKA “beat the traffic”), and traveling in daylight hours will all help manage the risk of fatigue. Remember, turkey does have a natural sedative in it, known as “Tryptophan”, which will contribute to your feast-induced drowsiness. Here is an interesting article on how carbohydrates also add to this chemical reactions inside your body.
- If alcohol was part of your holiday celebrations please do not drive under the influence. One day when we each have our very own road we can do whatever we like.
REMINDER TO AGGRESSIVE DRIVERS: Many vehicles on the road will have entire families in them. So please be extra careful and put that road rage aside and be thankful that you live to drive another day… and still have a license.
Have a safe trip and Happy Thanksgiving!
We recommend
- The Pregnant Woman’s Guide to Buckling Up
- Child Safety: 4 Easy Steps to Protect our Children
- Occupant Protection Facts
- The top 5 things you should know about buckling up
- 10 Driving Dangers Posed by Thanksgiving Football Games
- If you are just trying to figure out how to deep-fry a turkey
Deer Me…Watch for Animals Crossing the Roads!
Posted by: | CommentsDeer Me…Watch for Animals Crossing the Roads!
Last week, while I was driving early on a rainy morning, a deer jumped out in front of my car. Without thinking, I slammed on my brakes, skidded on the slick roadway and prayed that the driver in the car behind me would not hit me! Unfortunately, this is an all too common occurrence and almost every driver has their own hair-razing story about near misses or colliding with animals as they dart in front of our cars.
With the days getting shorter, and the white-tail deer entering their mating season, officials with the Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife are cautioning drivers to be especially alert while driving to avoid collisions with the animals.
While deer may cross roads at any time, they are most active during the dawn and dusk hours. Once daylight-saving time ends, many of us are commuting during peak deer activity. Deer are unpredictable. They typically move in family groups and cross single-file. In many instances, deer will wander closer to roads and may stop in the middle of a road, cross over and then re-cross. If you spot a deer, slow down and pay attention to sudden movement. If the deer doesn’t move, don’t go around it. Wait until the road is clear. And, if you spot one deer, be alert for others.
If you are traveling after dark, use high beams where there is no on-coming traffic. High beams will illuminate the eyes of the deer near the roads and provide you with more time to react.
Most of us can’t stand the thought of hitting an animal, but it is important to know that you shouldn’t swerve to avoid impact with a deer. Brake firmly, but stay in your lane. You are more likely to be killed or injured when you swerve to avoid a deer and instead collide with oncoming traffic or obstacles on the side of the road.
For more information about deer in New Jersey, visit the DEP’s Fish and Wildlife Web site: www.njfishandwildlife.com
CALLING ALL HIGH SCHOOLS!!!!!
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CALLING ALL HIGH SCHOOLS!!!!!
The “U Got Brains Champion Schools Project” challenges students and staff of New Jersey High Schools to develop campaigns to address teen driving safety in the community. All New Jersey High Schools are being invited to participate.
Students and faculty may choose any type of creative projects that will make an impact on the student community. A maximum of 10 finalists or “Champion Schools” will be chosen throughout the state and will receive a stipend of $1,000 to help implement their project. First place will receive a driving simulator for their high school donated by the New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company. The simulator, model NDX306, offers the most realistic driving experience available. An overall winner will be crowned in May 2011.
Applications may be filled out online at http://www.ugotbrains.com
For more information about the U Got Brains Champion School Program, contact us at championschool@bianj.org.
Please visit the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey’s prevention websites @ www.ugotbrains.com, www.njteendriving.com, and www.njdrivereducation.com.
National Teen Driver Safety Week is October 17–24
Everyone knows that young people are the future of the Nation, but
it’s becoming increasingly clear that the future of young people on the
Nation’s highways isn’t quite so rosy. This is particularly true with
the growth in popularity of all manner of electronic devices that are
vying for the attention of young drivers over the act of driving itself.
First, the bad news: According to the U. S Department of
Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
in 2008, more than 3,750 teens ages 15 through 19 died in automobile
crashes of all types, and almost 660, or 18 percent, of those were
killed in crashes involving some form of distracted driving.
All told, 4,457 teen drivers ages 15 to 19 were involved in fatal
crashes in 2008, and 16 percent (692) were distracted at the time of the
crash.
And while distracted driving comes in many forms, from texting and
talking on a cell phone, to eating and playing with a radio, CD player,
or MP3 device, all too often the result is tragic. In 2008, that
tragedy was played out nearly 800 times on America’s highways—that’s the
number of people killed in crashes that involved a distracted teen
driver.
While no one is exempt from driving distractions offered by the
electronic gizmos they are bringing with them into their vehicles, teens
seem to be particularly susceptible to the siren call of texting.
A study by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project
reported that nearly half of the teens interviewed reported that they
had been in a vehicle while the driver texted. All told, one in three
teens told Pew researchers that they had texted while driving.
Now for the good news: Overall, teen driving deaths and involvement in
fatal crashes have been declining over the last decade. In 2008,
according to figures from NHTSA, 15– to 20-year-old drivers involved in
fatal crashes dropped 27 percent compared to 1998. Driver fatalities
for this age group also dropped by 20 percent over the same 10-year
period.
While it is impossible to pinpoint a single reason for these declines,
youth driving programs like Graduated Driver Licensing are certainly
having a profound and positive effect on saving young lives on the
highways. Also, NHTSA anticipates that anti-texting laws and strong
police enforcement may also contribute to helping save teen lives. In
the first six months of 2010, no fewer than 30 States have passed
legislation outlawing texting while driving.
In addition, awareness programs like National Teen Driver Safety Week
are helping to educate both parents and teens alike about this important
safety issue nationwide. This year, National Teen Driver Safety Week is
October 17–24.
For more information about teen driving safety, please visit
www.ugotbrains.com and www.njteendriving.com
You cant make this stuff up!
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A husband and wife were arrested Sunday and charged with driving while intoxicated after the vehicle their child in was stopped at a checkpoint, East Fishkill Police said.
Officers at a checkpoint operated between midnight and 5 a.m. Sunday stopped a vehicle after observing marijuana paraphenalia inside, police said. The vehicle was occupied by two 18-year-old boys and two 15-year-old girls, all of whom live in Hopewell Junction
Parents of all four teens were called to pick up their children, but the 46-year-old mother of one of them was observed to be intoxicated upon her arrival, police said. The 46-year-old was arrested and the teen-ager was released to another adult at the scene, police said.
Two hours later, the same child’s father, a 45-year-old Hopewell Junction resident, drove through the checkpoint and was observed to be intoxicated, police said.
He was arrested and both parents were charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, police said.
reposted from article on NJ.com
Kathleen O’Brien/The Star-Ledger
Amanda Brown/The Star-Ledger
Christopher Erd walked to school in Cresskill as a boy. Kerry Useche did as well, in New Providence.
Yet both Branchburg parents are adamant their own children won’t do the same now their school district has cut so-called “courtesy” busing.
Christopher Erd’s two children Wesley, 9, left, and Jennie, 7, don’t have a school bus to ride to their elementary school in Branchburg. The family falls within the two mile limit for the town’s courtesy busing, but the part of the route the children must take has no sidewalks and is very narrow and curvy.
It’s simply too dangerous, they say. Useche’s third-grader would have to cross Route 202 without the aid of a crossing guard — the town won’t add one. Erd’s 7– and 9-year-old would have to walk down a narrow country road with no shoulders.
Across the state, dozens of districts are scrambling to tackle safety and money issues raised when they cut courtesy busing after last spring’s abrupt drop in state aid.
In some districts, busing was simply eliminated for elementary and middle students who live within two miles of school and high-school students who live within 2.5 miles. (Those who live farther away must be bused.) In other districts, parents within that radius can buy a seat at prices ranging from $200 to $750 a year.
If this conjures up notions of children happily walking to school, think again: Officials expect most of the kids who lost free busing will be chauffeured by parents or carpools. That has them worried about traffic at school: Fully half of students struck by a car near school were hit by a parent driving another child, according to the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration.
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Charging parents for a service the entire community used to fund is a sign of the times, says Boonton Township Superintendent Roseann Humphrey. When her district proposed a similar cut in busing about six years ago, everyone — parents and retirees alike — objected. “There are no sidewalks, there are no streetlights, so it’s really hazardous. It’s unwalkable,” she said.
Yet this year, when the $180,000 busing tab was put on the ballot, it lost by two votes.
“It must be the economy,” she said. “Nowadays, they’re not so generous, whereas in the past, they’d say, ‘Let’s share the cost and keep everyone safe.’”
Since courtesy busing isn’t mandatory, it was an obvious place to shave costs. Districts have opted to make cutbacks in different ways.
In Sparta, consolidating bus routes meant giving the middle and high schools the same start times. Only a fifth of the 800 students who lost free busing have purchased a “subscription” bus seat at a price of about $500, said Warren Ceurvels, assistant superintendent for business. No crossing guards will be added, he said, noting the township has its own budget problems.
“I’ve had parents say, ‘I’m holding you responsible for my kid’s safety if anything happens to him.’ Well, no. It’s the parent’s responsibility to get the kid to school,” he said. “What’s been a courtesy before, the school district can no longer afford.”
Livingston is charging $750 per student, but families can select morning– or afternoon-only trips for $375.
Branchburg parents were facing a $500 fee per child until the township committee hired five bus drivers at a lower salary with no health benefits. That move reduces the fee to $125 for the first half of the school year, with a family cap of $200.
“For many people, $500 would be a monster tax increase. Let’s call it what it is,” said Greg Bonin, township administrator. The innovative arrangement gives the school some breathing room to renegotiate driver salaries and district health insurance costs.
It also gives added urgency to the town’s plan to connect major housing developments with sidewalks. “Right now, Branchburg’s not a walkable community,” Bonin said.
At West Morris Regional High School District, only 10 percent of students have signed up for $610 bus seats. That may mean traffic lines at school. “We’re not sure what’s going to happen, said Anthony DiBattista, superintendent. “It’s uncharted territory.”
Neighboring Mount Olive is offering $200 courtesy busing, with slightly more than half of the impacted families opting to pay, said Superintendent Larrie Reynolds.
At Boonton Township’s elementary school, children who ride the bus will be dismissed first, while the kids who were driven will wait in their classrooms. That gives time for the buses to depart to make way for all the cars. All students will have to get in and out of cars on the passenger side only for safety’s sake.
Despite all the cutbacks, educators expect few children will end up walking to school.
Stony Brook Road in Branchburg is a narrow, winding road and has sidewalks only part of the way. Christopher Erd’s two children Wesley, age 9, and Jennie, age 7, will have to walk this road to the elementary school because they no longer qualify for courtesy busing.
All those foggy memories — and jokes — about parents who walked three miles in the snow to get to school contain a grain of truth: In 1969, 42 percent of children walked or biked to school, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By 2001, that had dropped to 16 percent.
Those who walked to school know it offers children a rare slice of unsupervised freedom. As chronicled by Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn to “The Karate Kid,” it can bring adventure, romance, or perhaps a bully.
“There’s so much fun on the way to school, ” said Lenore Skenazy, author of “Free-Range Kids: How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children (Without Going Nuts with Worry.)” “There are sights, sounds and smells.” You could find an acorn, teach yourself to whistle, meet a friend. “It’s not the back of the car, for God’s sake.”
Yet even she votes thumbs-down to walking where the route simply isn’t safe.
“These are suburbs that were built without a thought of any human being traveling in anything besides a car,” she said.
Newer developments were constructed without sidewalks — whether to save money, or to adhere to a faux-rural aesthetic. In addition, newer schools are often built on the outskirts of town, instead of a central location, making walking even more problematic.
In many cases, subscription busing fees come atop other new fees — the “pay-to-play” charges for everything from the football team to the marching band to the spring musical. Schools can’t allow parents to pay bus fees in installments, either; they bid busing contracts and need the money upfront.
Families with incomes low enough to qualify for reduced or free school lunches cannot be charged for subscription busing where it is offered.
That doesn’t solve the problem for everybody, though.
Kerry Useche’s husband lost his contract job as a mail carrier, and is being redeployed to Afghanistan as a member of the Air Force in January. Money is tight. Her third-grader’s 1.79-mile route to school would include incomplete sidewalks, a road used as a shortcut by Pennsylvania commuters, and Route 202.
Yet when she complained that the township wasn’t providing a safe passage to school, as they were obliged to by law, she said the answer was, “Yeah, we are. Pay for it.”
My Story About Teen Driving
Posted by: | CommentsHello my name is Donna Weeks, thank you for letting me share my story with you today and hopefully this information will help you and your family and friends.
On December 21, 2006 I lost my incredible daughter, Kyleigh Lauren D’Alessio, who was killed in a horrible preventable car accident. The newly 17 year old driver also died in the accident. He just received his Graduate Drivers Licenses and had multiple passengers in the car. I didn’t know much at that time about the Graduate Drivers License/Provisional Drivers License because Kyleigh was only 16 years old and was my oldest child.
After the accident I looked up the GDL and other websites for teen drivers. With the information I was finding I thought. “Why isn’t this crucial information given to parents about the laws of the GDL?” When their teen receives their permit and provisional license.
After Kyleigh’s accident, there were fatal car accidents every week for the next 5 weeks. We lost 11 teens at that time all GDL drivers with multiple passengers. I thought, “Why aren’t these cars marked?” “Why isn’t information given to parents about the Graduated Driver’s License Laws (GDL)?” With the information I found on teen drivers I could no longer do nothing. We are losing to many precious lives because of crucial information not provide and the GDL not enforceable.
Teen Driving Awareness
• The #1 Killer of teens – car crashes — nationwide
• The number of teens that are killed in car accidents should no longer be accepted.
• The biggest threat to teens is parked just outside your home.
• Preventable car accidents caused by teen drivers are the leading cause of death for teens in America today.
The Tragic Facts
• Nearly 5,000 teenagers die in car crashes every year.
• Another 300,000 plus are injured in car crashes each year.
• Our children are irreplaceable and if we could share some extremely important information for parents and teens to help them make better choices, believe me its worth every second
Awareness — Think Smart
• Making Teens More Aware of the Dangers of Teen Driving
• You have the power to protect you and your friend’s lives.
• If you were aware that one decision that you made while driving could increase the likelihood that you could get into a crash, wouldn’t you make the choice to prevent it? Be aware! Save your life and the people you love.
• These statistics should be unacceptable to you as teenagers because most of these accidents are preventable:
- Texting on a cell phone will raise your chances by 88%.
- Talking on a cell phone will raise your chances by 79%.
- Being tired will raise your chances by 59%.
- Driving in bad weather will raise your chances by 55%.
- Having just ONE FRIEND in the car will raise your chances by 50% — with 3 or more the risk is nearly 4 times greater.
Research has shown that the first 6 months of a newly GDL/provisional driver is the most dangerous, and being a passenger is also dangerous, and sometimes fatal.
I am sure that most parents are unaware of the fact that research shows that 3 out of 4 teens state that their parents have the biggest influence on their driving.
Knowing the laws (and statistic) in your state for newly teen drivers is empowering. As a parent that was not provided with this necessary information, at the most critical time of my daughter’s life, I feel is extremely important for providing parents with the understanding and knowledge of many statistics of the dangers of teen driving.
A simple question like, “can I ride to school with Johnny this morning”, Johnny being the 17 year old neighbor who has just received his GDL/Provisional license last week. Without the parents receiving the information this simple question has turned into a life threatening one and could possibly be the last decision this parent may make for their child.
It is time we start to make a difference, knowing now after so much recent research that a high percentage of these accidents are preventable.
I hope this generation of teen drivers as they are educated and are more aware of the dangerous against them – is the generation that will accept these changes for themselves and their friends and start the turning point of statistics against them.
I know what it feels like to loss an incredible child and I don’t want another family to have to live though the pain that my family and friends will for the rest of our lives.
Kyleigh’s incredible spirit and energy for life and love for life is what gave us strength. If I only had to use one word to describe her, the word would be JOY just pure JOY. We miss everything about her.
Websites I found that were informational:
- ProtectTeenDrivers.com
- UGotBrains.com
- TeensDriversSource.com
- NationalSafetyCouncil.org