BEEFS and PEAVES (1st QTR '09)

Well, we have gathered the information you provided and the data we acquired from our clients. You are about to see what is eatin' at ya' when it comes to bad drivers and their lesser desirable habits. We were not too shocked at this quarters results and found that some of the habits have changed positions on the list. Harmony on the Highways does this fun poll to help all drivers know how bad they really are, in other drivers eyes. It is more than just humorous. It keeps you aware that bad habits, create bad drivers and some of these "offenses" can cause some really ugly confrontations. Please, if you find yourself a "victim" of one these bad habits, handle it with care and tact. Not all injuries from traffic incidents come from the collision of the cars, some come from a hand to face collision. We at Harmony discourage this behavior because of the obvious outcome. If you witness or think you may be a victim of road rage, contact authorities immediately, your safety is at risk. If you are involved in a collision and are uninjured, please respect the other driver involved and peacefully provide the information required, as well as contact police if necessary. If you witness an incident, please render aid, (it is a law in many states) provide a witness statement if required and remember someones life was just interrupted and possibly permanently changed due this event. Now let's get to that list.

What is bugging you on the road

1. Drivers who stay in left lane(s) and drive too slow or refuse to vacate the lane.
2. Drivers on cellphones. (There was no indicator that hands-free was "ok")
3. Foreign drivers. (This will be a future post)
4. Drivers eating while driving.
5. Drivers texting while driving. (This is surprisingly low on the list, but it is moving up!)
6. Drivers exiting or turning from the wrong lane.*
7. Drivers whose children are NOT in car seats or seat belts.
8. Drivers who tailgate.
9. Drivers that change lanes suddenly or frequently.
10. Drivers who do NOT use signals.
11. Drivers who brake frequently.
12. Drivers that do NOT show courtesy.*
13. Drivers who change lanes at an intersection.
14. Teen drivers.
15. Elderly drivers. (Not uncommon for these two to be close)
16. Motorcycle riders who lane split or ride on shoulder.
17. Drivers who do NOT turn right at a red light. (You should first, be sure it legal, to do so)
18. Drivers who apply make-up, while driving.
19. Drivers who read, while driving.
20. Drivers who just drive too slow.
* indicates a new entry into the top 20.

Anything in there that surprised you? We actually could have posted over 40 items but these 20 had high numbers on the poll. We will do this again for the 2nd quarter of '09, so please keep telling us what is happening on the roads where you are. Harmony on the Highways, will be posting in a series, next month, on the topic of Why we drive the way we do (and what it says about us). This comes from a book titled "Traffic, why we drive the way we do" (Tom Vanderbilt). It was very interesting reading, so if you can grab a copy, do so. It is in most Borders Books and on Amazon. You may be surprised what your driving is telling others.

Harmony thanks you for reading and please remember if you don't see a bad driver around you, the bad driver may be YOU.

Just wrap us in bubble wrap!

Trucking 101.biz here! Welcome to our post and thanks again to harmony for allowing us to keep the motoring public informed by using their blog space. It is our combined efforts, that are helping motorist, become more aware and safer drivers. Trucking 101.biz, wants you to be well educated, when it comes to sharing the road with trucks and large vehicles.

Take a look at the truck pictured. Notice the small black "dot" on the lower fairing (just behind the steps) and the "black box" mounted on the front bumper. These are collision avoidance devices and are becoming more and more prevalent on today's trucks. Safety concerns in the industry, has become a growing issue over the last 10 years and for good cause. Truck incidents are dramatic events, due the size of the vehicle involved, not to mention the cost of clean up. Cars involved in collisions with trucks are usually the loser and insurance claims for these incidents are staggering in monetary value. The survival rate of persons involved in serious collisions with trucks is low, about 23%. So, it simply makes sense, to equip these large vehicles with all the warning systems available. OR DOES IT?

We would agree to an extent, however, the trucks themselves are not the cause. Driver error is almost always the cause. Remember, these machines require a human to operate them. Sure, having some type of warning system, monitoring the blind spots of large vehicles is a great help, but if a driver is tired or distracted he may not heed the warnings (audible or visual) and still be involved in a collision. Are you thinking, there is no solution? Drivers good or bad are just at the mercy of the circumstances before them. Well, not exactly. We believe that the root cause, to a major majority of the truck collisions, is the industry's pay structure. Drivers are generally paid by the mile or a % of the revenue a truck earns. Some LTL carriers or "local" drivers can be compensated by the hour. With federal regulations getting stiffer all the time, drivers paid by mileage, will begin seeing decreases in pay. The answer, in our opinion, is structured salary. The details are complicated, however, it is fair to the driver, transportation company and shipping entities. We will post the basic idea of this at a later time or you can contact us directly for details.

The safety devices being employed on trucks today are great additions to the overall improvement of safety for the industry. Some of the devices used are:

VORAD- Vehicle on board Radar (like in the photo) more info here
Backing Cameras and audible alerts
Smart Cruise Control
Drowsy Driver Alerts
GPS
Speed Limiters
Animal deterrent devices
Improved lighting
Black Box recorders

see video here(media player required)

These devices, when used properly, do what they are designed for. There is some grumbling, from skeptical drivers, that these devices are being used to monitor the driver more than the traffic or the truck itself. The Black box recorders are primarily used for incident re-creation and investigations. The Speed limiters, or governors, are used for safety and fuel efficiency and the smart cruises are used to help drivers maintain a safe following distance. All good uses of these devices. The reality is, transportation companies, ARE using the real-time features on some of these gadgets to monitor drivers and "build a case" against them. One large company, located in UTAH, uses the trucks recording device, to inform drivers that they are displaying some improper driving techniques, such as hard braking, missed shifts, speeding, over revving, or excessive engine idle time. Again, all good information, if used properly.

Trucking 101.biz knows drivers and the industry. We expect drivers to be professionals at all times while on-duty. Driving with adequate rest, conducting the required pre and post trip inspections, backing safely and using guides, keeping fit and eating properly, operating with-in the limits set forth by law and sharing the roads responsibly. SAFETY begins with the human element. Mistakes can be devastatingly costly and tragic. The industry is taking measures to help keep all drivers safe but there is no substitute for education and information. We hope we have done our part. For more trucking information and to access professionals for your questions, please visit us at trucking 101.biz.

Thanks for reading and look for the warning signs or devices on the big rigs. They care about your safety.

In your pocket in the name of safety

Image via Wikipedia

The red light cameras, being used by many municipalities today, are coming under fire by some states. Texas, Virginia and California are the leaders in reviewing their use of the devices. This is significant, since these states are law "trend setters." Many motorist have been disgusted with these devices since their inception as an enforcement tool. The majority of drivers believe that these devices are strictly used for revenue rather than the advertised improved safety claims. Well, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has been keeping a close eye on this and have released results of an on-going study in Virginia and California that has some interesting findings. (More info here) Here are a few issues and subjects under current reviews by the states government.

Issue 1- Devices being used as a source of revenue.

ARGUMENT-The objective of photo enforcement is to deter violators, not to catch them. Signs and publicity campaigns typically warn drivers that photo enforcement is in use. Revenue is generated from fines paid by drivers who continue to run red lights, but this is a fundamental component of all traffic enforcement programs. Independent audits of red light camera enforcement have found that these programs generally do not generate excess revenue.

Issue 2- Do they increase safety?

ARGUMENT- Cameras have been shown to substantially reduce red light violations. In addition to reducing red light violations, cameras have been shown to reduce intersection crashes, indicating community-wide changes in driver behavior. Some studies have reported that while red light cameras reduce front-into-side collisions and overall injury crashes, they can increase rear-end crashes.

Issue 3- Are they enforceable infractions?

ARGUMENT- Before cameras may be used for law enforcement, laws must authorize enforcement agencies to cite red light violators by mail. The legislation must make the vehicle owner responsible for the ticket, establishing a presumption that the registered owner is the vehicle driver at the time of the offense. Depending on state law, violations photographed by red light cameras are commonly treated in one of two ways — as traffic violations or as the equivalent of parking tickets. The law can make registered vehicle owners responsible without regard to who was driving at the time of the offense.

Harmony on the Highways wanted you, the motoring public, to know this because of the reality that red light cameras are the rising cause of rear-end, with injury, collisions. This is because drivers are slamming on brakes to avoid a ticket! if you are aware of this happening then you can adjust your driving habits. Get to know your driving environment and pay closer attention to the red light camera locations in your city. Until the legislation is changed or amended, the probability of increased, enforced intersection collisions, will continue to rise. Harmony has our points of view to both sides of the argument but believes the best solution to all of it is becoming a more AWARE driver. To get more perspectives on this topic visit these links.

National Motorist Association
Ride Lust
ARS


Thanks for reading and SMILE you may have just had your photo taken!

Inexperience is a disease

The TEEN DRIVER. Knows everything, is indestructible, fearless, cool, some are obedient, some not so much and yet for all their attributes (good or bad), when it comes to driving, they lack one big ticket item. EXPERIENCE. As a parent, you try everything you know to give them the skills they need to succeed in life. What if they don't make it that far? what if the one thing you skimped on detail was teaching them how to drive? I know it takes a lot ( x10) of patience and can be time consuming but your teen driver deserves the best training available, be it by you or a qualified driving academy. Parents, the statistics for teen driving fatalities is staggering. More shocking, is the number of teen traffic incidents involving alcohol. Active parents have said that, the one thing they wished they had more time for was driving instruction of their teen. Harmony says MAKE TIME! Below are the stats for teen driving incidents as of a 2006 study by the NHTSA.

National Teen Driving Statistics

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers.
• 16 year-olds have higher crash rates than drivers of any other age.
• 16-year-olds are three times more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash than the average of all drivers.
• 3,490 drivers age 15-20 died in car crashes in 2006, up slightly from 2005.
• Drivers age 15-20 accounted for 12.9 percent of all the drivers involved in fatal crashes and 16 percent of all the drivers involved in police-reported crashes in 2006.
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates the economic impact of auto accidents involving 15-20 year old drivers is over $40 billion.
• A recent report by AAA estimates the cost of crashes involving 15-17 year olds to be $34 billion.
• Graduated drivers license programs appear to be making a difference. Fatal crashes involving 15- to 20-year olds in 2005 were down 6.5 percent from 7,979 in 1995, to the lowest level in ten years.
• Fewer 16-year-olds are driving. In 2006 only 30 percent of 16-year-olds had their driver's licenses compared to 40% in 1998 according to the Federal Highway Administration.
  
• According to a 2005 survey of 1,000 people ages 15 and 17, conducted by the Allstate Foundation
  • More than half (56 percent) of young drivers use cell phones while driving,
  • 69 percent said that they speed to keep up with traffic
  • 64 percent said they speed to go through a yellow light.
  • 47 percent said that passengers sometimes distract them.
  • Nearly half said they believed that most crashes involving teens result from drunk driving.
• 31 percent of teen drivers killed in 2006 had been drinking, according to NHTSA. 25 percent had a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.
  
• Statistics show that 16 and 17-year-old driver death rates increase with each additional passenger (IIHS).

Moms and Dads, how do you feel now? The estimates for the 2007 study suggest an increase in deaths in 17-21 year-olds, an increase of about 4% in teen alcohol related incidents and more traffic related issues occurring close to home. (within 20 mins). Steps are being taken by insurance companies, big media, and believe it or not, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), to aggressively address this issue. No matter who is providing the information to you, it is your responsibility as a parent to get that information to your teen. States have begun implementing Graduated Drivers License (GDL), so check with your DMV to see what the laws are. Your insurance provider can be of great value in this matter, since they are in the business of protecting your property, they have a genuine stake in your teens safety.

When driving errors are responsible for 82% of all teen driving incidents, it is obviously an inexperience issue. We are in the business of teaching improved driving habits to drivers of all ages and disciplines of driving, however, we have a real concern for getting it right when it comes to our teen courses. We teach them like they are our own and send them out knowing they only retained about half of what they just learned. It is frightening from that moment on. We contact each parent and provide them other resources of helpful information. As a reader of this blog, we will tell you that the Internet is full great advice and some not so great. You can also learn of tragedies experienced by parents and some really funny driving tales about teens. So take the time and learn for yourself how to prepare for the task of teaching a teen to drive.

We will be praying for you.

MAY IS NATIONAL YOUTH TRAFFIC SAFETY MONTH and Harmony on the Highways wants you get to involved with your teen driver. please visit these links and learn more.

CDC
Teen driving.com
NOYS.org
Century Council

Thanks for reading and keep your children safe.

Blue Hair Blues and giving them the news

Harmony on the Highways is committed to safer US highways. One growing concern is the aging driver. Can you read the signs in the picture on the left? Does it seem blurry or askew? Maybe YOU should be screened for YOUR driving ability. (Easy, we altered the clip for this purpose) Had we not distorted the picture, would you have been concerned about your ability to drive? These are just two factors, sight and perception. As we get older, many things begin to give way and deteriorate in our bodies, making the task of driving more difficult. As a whole, elderly drivers are safe, however, when do they need to be told, enough is enough. That is one area that, elderly with no families, may have a difficult time accepting and may not believe themselves to be too old to drive. On the other side, the family members or caregivers of elderly, may find this to be a very difficult discussion to have with the aged drivers. Fortunately, there is help out there. Solutions for Seniors, an elderly care service finder and information provider, has developed a helpful checklist.

Watch for telltale signs of decline in the elderly person's driving abilities. Do they:

• Drive at inappropriate speeds, either too fast or too slow?

• Ask passengers to help check if it is clear to pass or turn?

• Respond slowly to or not notice pedestrians, bicyclists and other drivers?

• Ignore, disobey or misinterpret street signs and traffic lights?

• Fail to yield to other cars or pedestrians who have the right-of-way?

• Fail to judge distances between cars correctly?

• Become easily frustrated and angry?

• Appear drowsy, confused or frightened?

• Have one or more near accidents or near misses?

• Drift across lane markings or bump into curbs?

• Forget to turn on headlights after dusk?

• Have difficulty with glare from oncoming headlights, streetlights, or other bright or shiny objects, especially at dawn, dusk and at night?

• Have difficulty turning their head, neck, shoulders or body while driving or parking?

• Ignore signs of mechanical problems, including under inflated tires? (one in 4 cars has at least one tire that is under inflated by 8 pounds or more; low tire pressure is a major cause of accidents.)

• Have too little strength to turn the wheel quickly in an emergency such as a tire failure, a child darting into traffic, etc.?

• Get lost repeatedly, even in familiar areas?
  

If the answer to one or more of these questions is "yes," you should explore whether medical issues are affecting their driving skills. For more information click here

In the next 20 years, the number of elderly drivers (70+), is expected to triple. Elderly make up about 9% of the population but accounted for 14% of all traffic fatalities, 82% of which happened in the daytime. The fatality rate for drivers 85 and older is 9 times as high as for drivers 25-69.
What can we do about this? Well, education is the key. Research the warning signs and monitor your aging driver in the family. Remember, the loss of independence is difficult and coming to terms that you are "too old" is a harsh reality. Making the call to take them off the road may require a trusted friend, a family doctor, the DMV or a good ole intervention. Make the experience for the elder driver a positive and reasonable choice. We suggest using agencies that are adept in dealing with the aged and become an active part of the alternative solution.
Keeping Grandma safe from herself, will keep countless others safe from her. After a long and joyous relationship with your elderly family members, it would be a shame to end it, with an avoidable tradegy.

Thanks for reading and remember we are going to be "too old" one day.