It’s almost summer time. For many youth the summer months herald in the sweet taste of freedom from school, long weekend nights, and big events like prom and graduation. The increasingly nice weather will also result in the highways and roads being more congested with driving youth. That’s why this May, before the start of the busy summer season, the National Organization for Youth Safety (NOYS) is hosting Global Youth Traffic Safety Month.
Road crashes are the number one cause of death for young people in our nation. In 2011, almost 2000 youth between the ages of 15 to 20 were killed in motor vehicle crashes, and the summer months are when the majority of crashes occur. NOYS has found that in the summer months, there may be as many as 42 young people killed in crashes every weekend.
This May and all summer long, help spread awareness and make the summer safe for our youth by sharing the following tips:
- Never drive when distracted. Put away your phone and save talking and texting for when you are parked.
- Buckle up. In the event of a crash, your seat belt may save your life.
- Choose the safest route to get from point A to point B. If you don’t feel comfortable driving on busy highways or through congested intersections, choose a different road.
- Never get in a vehicle with someone who you don’t feel safe with. If you feel the need to leave the vehicle, ask to get out and make the driver pull over.
- Don’t drink until age 21, and never get into a vehicle with someone you suspect has been drinking.
Daytime, nighttime, anytime – when you are behind the wheel of a vehicle, buckling up your seat belt has been proven to reduce your risk of injury or death while in a crash. Starting on May 20th and running until June 2nd, law enforcement in the U.S. will be out in full force to promote seat belt safety and ensure that everyone on the road knows that seat belts save lives.
May 14th, 1988 will go down in history as the first time many people in the USA really took a good, long look at the consequences of drunk driving accidents. As a bus load of children and a few adults cruised down Highway 1-71 in Radcliff, Kentucky after a fun day at a local amusement park, a drunk driver in a pickup truck was driving on the wrong side of the road and heading straight for them. The impact of the crash caused the front door to jam, and as the occupants were rushing to the back door of the bus to get out, it burst into flames.
With so many cars, trucks, vans, and motorcycles on the road, it’s easy to forget about the other drivers who share the side roads and highways. Bicyclists are actually considered vehicles on the road just like cars and trucks, and they deserve the same consideration and mutual respect you’d give to any passing driver. To grow awareness for bicycle safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and AAA have teamed up and designated May as Bicycle Safety Month.
Big changes are happening in North Dakota this week as a bill set to improve the state’s DUI laws has passed the House and Senate and is now heading to the Governor’s office. The new bill improves upon the current North Dakota DUI laws and ensures that those who are caught drinking and driving will be forced to face more severe consequences than ever before.
After US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s son was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, it became glaringly obvious that Rhode Island had some work to do with regard to their DUI laws. An effort is now being made by several Senators to tighten up a DUI loophole that allows drivers under the age of 21 to have a slightly higher blood alcohol content than individuals who are legal drinking age.
