Spring 2010 ................................. ................................. ................................. In this Issue Distracted Driving Creates Dangerous Situations Distracted Driving Creates 1 Dangerous Situations New England APWA Chapter Update 3 Work Zone Safety Awareness Week 3 Driving large municipal trucks and special purpose vehicles, including cars, can be Work Zone Safety Guidebooks 3 challenging enough even when full attention is given to the road and potential hazards. Green Up Time 4 It only takes a second for a crash to happen. Distractions occur when drivers Technology Transfer Center 5 concentrate on something other than operat- 2010 Spring Calendar ing their vehicles—such as engaging in cell phone conversations. NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Help for Local Governments 5 Administration) estimates that 25% of all crashes involve some form of in Complying with New Federal driver distractions. Requirements for Signs National surveys show that most drivers at least occasionally engage in behaviors that draw some of their attention away from their driving task. Safety Performance Measure Primer 6 The most common of these behaviors include such general activities as; Earth Day Turns 40! 6 • Talking or texting on a cell phone; • Talking with passengers; Traffic Safety Primer 7 • Changing radio stations or CD’s for Local Elected Officials • Eating or drinking while driving Technology Transfer Center 8 Operating municipal trucks is unique. The fact that most of the trucks Request Form have special equipment requires more attention to detail, leaving no room for distractions. see Distracted on page 2 ... ... ... ... ... ... .......................................... ... ... ... ... ... DO NOT BECOME A ... ... ... ... DISTRACTED DRIVER ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... This publication is published by the ... ... Connecticut Transportation Institute ... ... ... Technology Transfer Center ... ... ... ... ... Phone: (860) 486-5400 ... ... Fax: (860) 486-2399 ... ... Web: www.t2center.uconn.edu ... ... ... ... ... Supported through a cooperative effort ... distractions. There clearly is ample ... ... of the Connecticut Department of Distracted continued information to believe a distracted driver ... ... Transportation and the Federal Highway ... Driving is a full-time job, and is at an increased risk of a crash. ... Administration’s Local Technical ... operating snowplows, trash pick-up Your complete attention to driving is ... ... Assistance Program (LTAP) to provide trucks, fire engines, etc. while using a cell not only in the best interest of you and ... ... information on the latest transportation ... phone, reading a road map, or talking to your passengers but can clearly save lives ... ... technology to Connecticut’s state and fellow employees is potentially dangerous. as well as reduce serious injuries. ... ... local government officials. ... ... ... • Make adjustments to vehicle controls TEXTING IS A ... ... Donna Shea such as radios, air conditioning, MAJOR DISTRACTER ... ... PROGRAM DIRECTOR ... or mirrors before beginning to ... ... [email protected] drive or after the vehicle is no longer The National Safety Council estimates ... ... in motion; ... that 80% of Americans admit to using ... Mary McCarthy ... • Don’t reach down or behind the cell phones, and 20% admit to texting, ... ... TRAINING SPECIALIST driver’s seat, pick up items from the while driving. That amounts to about ... ... [email protected] ... floor, open the glove compartment, 100 million drivers. ... ... clean the inside windows, or perform Driving while using a cell phone incurs ... ... Shelly Desjardin personal grooming while driving; ... a 4 times greater risk of crashing, which is ... PROGRAM ASSISTANT ... • You should not eat or drink while equivalent to driving while drunk (with a ... ... [email protected] driving, but if you do, get something 0.08 blood-alcohol level.) For texters, ... ... ... that is not messy and that you can the risk is eight times greater. ... ... Vivian Castelli hold in one hand. Set your food up Talking on a cell phone while driving ... ... PROGRAM AIDE next to you before you take off and ... slows down the reaction time of even the ... [email protected] ... make sure you use a cup holder for most experienced driver. ... ... your drink. All drivers of municipal vehicles must ... ... ... • Know where you are going and how be committed to reducing serious injuries ... ... to get there before you start out. and deaths on our roadways. ... ... ... ... ... For more than 10 years studies have THIS ALL STARTS WITH YOUR ... ... been conducted which focus on the COMMITMENT TO NOT BECOME ... ... ... risks associated with various types of A DISTRACTED DRIVER. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... A LIST OF COMMON DISTRACTERS: ... ... ... ... • Use of cell phones • In-car information screens ... ... • Eating/drinking/smoking • Adjusting mirrors/heat/AC ... ... • Texting and e-mailing • Searching for items ... ... • Personal hygiene • GPS ... ... ... • Changing radio stations/CD’s/DVD’s, • Unsecured objects ... ... Sight Seeing/gawking • Reading maps/directions/books/ ... ... • iPods magazines/newspapers ... ... ... ... Such distractions may not only cause you to lose control of your ... ... vehicle, they may cost someone, including you….your life. ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 www.t2center.uconn.edu ... ... ... ... ... ... ............................................................................ ............................................................................ ............................................................................ ............................................................................ New England APWA Chapter Update Planning for the August 14th thru 18th The 2010 National Public Works Week APWA Congress and Equipment Show Luncheon will be held in Foxborough, MA has reached its peak as the Chapter (right next to Patriot Place) this spring prepares to host the many Public Works on May 19th. This event attracts over practitioners that will come to Boston in 400 public works officials every year … mid-August to both participate in the and this year you can combine the trip Congress and enjoy the wonderful City of with a visit to the new Patriot Place— Public Works Boston. Volunteers for helping to run the right next to Gillette Stadium. Congress and its many meetings will be More information on all New England Week recruited off the Chapter’s web page Chapter events is available from any of May 16-22, 2010 beginning in March. Please go to the Connecticut Directors: http://newengland.apwa.net and click on the Congress Volunteer sign-up section WALT VESELKA (Bristol) National Public Works Week (NPWW) is a to reserve your time slot. [email protected] celebration of the tens of thousands of men Despite the Congress planning effort, and women in North America who provide the New England Chapter will still be PETE LOZIS (New Haven) and maintain the infrastructure and services conducting its Spring Meeting here in [email protected] collectively known as public works. CT on April 14th, its Spring Mechanics Instituted as a public education campaign Workshop on April 8th (in Natick, MA), GORDON DARING (VHB-Middletown) by the American Public Works Association a one-day workshop on Effective Utility [email protected] (APWA) in 1960, Management on April 20th (Co-sponsored NPWW calls BILL MURPHY by the EPA), and its Western Regional (AI Engineers-Middletown) attention to the [email protected] Meeting on May 5th, most likely in importance of Sturbridge. Check the Chapter’s web site public works in SECRETARY TREASURER LON HULTGREN (at the above URL) for meeting details, community life. The Week seeks to enhance (Mansfield) the prestige of the often—unsung heroes times and locations. [email protected] of our society—the professionals who ............................................................................ serve the public good every day with quiet dedication. APWA encourages public works agencies Work Zone Safety and professionals to take the opportunity to make their stories known in their Awareness Week communities. April 19-23, 2010 For more information about Public Works Week, please visit the American Pubic Works Association at: For more information visit: www.workzonesafety.org/ www.apwa.net/About/NPWW/ Work Zone Safety Guidebooks The T2 Center has received a new ................................................................................................................................................................. shipment of the Work Zone Safety Field Guidebooks. Please order your free copies by contacting Vivian Castelli at (860) 486-5400 or via e-mail at: [email protected] Technology Transfer Center 3 Green Up Time Spring is just around the corner! And with the season comes the “greening” of turf as towns prepare for the many different team sports held on municipal recreation fields. Traditionally “greening up” refers to applications of conventional fertilizers that produce a rapid color change of turf from dull brown to bright green. But is there a “greener” way to manage playing fields? A number of Connecticut municipalities have said “yes.” They are greening their fields with organic techniques, avoiding toxic chemicals like pesticides, and relying on non-petroleum sources of nutrients, like leaf compost. The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has been providing towns with information and assistance