Did You Know s5

DID YOU KNOW???

BUCKLE UP, SLOW DOWN, PAY ATTENTION, ARRIVE ALIVE!

Does this headline sound like just another safety tip, just like all the ones you get constantly from so many sources? Perhaps it does, but read further. This headline is from an article written by H.P. Stawinski III, Deputy Chief, Prince George’s County, Maryland, in the October issue of “The Police Chief” magazine. Although this article is directed to enforcement throughout the nation, as is the magazine itself, it is applicable to every driver everywhere and at all times. The jest of this article targets police officers driving their cruisers on patrol. While the officers may be protected with weapons and body armor, the realistic danger they face daily is a motor vehicle crash. Stawinski explains that cops often drive at excessive speeds when responding to non-life-threatening events such as motor vehicle collisions, which gets them there only a few short minutes sooner, but endangers the officer and other drivers along the way. They do this because it is expected, in our society, that responding officers will be prompt. He classified this as “over response”, which is characterized by driving too quickly to less urgent calls for service. Stawinski explains that cops must control the things they can – their driving, for instance. He noted that rate of seatbelt use is low for police officers (they are exempt in New York and likely in most all states). Despite departmental orders mandating seat belt usage, many officers didn’t do so for fear of being at a tactical disadvantage in a confrontation, even though the risk of this is miniscule compared to the risk of injury in a crash, especially while not wearing seatbelts. If they wear body armor, then why not wear seatbelts? Don’t we all – cops and all of us – tend to marginalize the dangers of driving because we all do it so often? Isn’t it true that we think crashes, injuries and fatalities will happen to other people but not us? In a frank discussion with officers, they were asked, “Based on your experience, which do you believe more likely; you will walk out of in-service this afternoon and be involved in an armed confrontation, or you will drive a car?” Can’t we apply this rationale, not just to cops, but to all of us as drivers? Why wouldn’t we wear our seatbelts? Give me just one good reason. Why do we think we must drive so fast all the time? We’re not responding to an emergency – we’re just going from point A to point B. And, even if it was an emergency, isn’t it better to get there a few minutes late than to not get there at all? Let’s throw in another thing to consider. Even if you drive stupidly and crash into a tree or guide rail, or hit another car, it’s not all about you – consider what an injury or death to you would do to your family, friends, co-workers, the people and loved ones of those you injure if you hit someone else. We’re all in this together; don’t ever forget that. As the headline says, buckle up, slow down, pay attention, and, most importantly, ARRIVE ALIVE! Can you do that? Will you at least try? For more articles on Vehicle and Traffic Law and traffic safety, visit the Traffic Safety Board’s website at: www.franklincony.org/ and click on the Traffic Safety Board from the pull-down menu under departments. “Like” us on Facebook as well. Call me at 483-1882 or send an email to me at: [email protected].

Buckle Up, Slow Down, Pay Attention, Arrive Alive! December 3, 2014