Continue the efforts to put the brakes on fatalities

By Kim Stich

Yesterday was the official Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day. We’ve had a lot of great activities in Kansas in the last couple months to highlight this national safety campaign that started in Kansas 10 years ago thanks to KDOT retiree Larry Emig. He had a goal of a fatality-free day and turned it into a national campaign to raise safety awareness.

Some of the Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day activities we have had in Kansas included:

• Our second annual 20-day series of safety blogs on KTOC with a great group of bloggers that culminated on October 8 with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.

• Promoting our activities and events through Facebook, Twitter and other types of social media.

• Nearly 800 Kansas kids ages 5-13 participating in a safety poster contest with 18 kids receiving regional and statewide recognition.

• Distributing 20,000 safety brochures as well as various statewide releases, bookmarks, public service announcements and posters throughout Kansas.

• Gov. Mark Parkinson signing a proclamation designating Oct. 10, 2010, as Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day in Kansas.

Unfortunately there were fatality crashes that happened across the United States yesterday. We may never achieve the goal of a fatality-free day. But what’s most important is that we never give up working together, raising awareness, improving safety and striving to do everything we can to try and reach that goal. That’s where the real success lies.

I’d like to thank all of our partners and members of the Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day committee for all your hard work. These activities take a lot time, and I appreciate your efforts. There wouldn’t be a safety campaign in Kansas without you.

Buckle up, slow down, pay attention and we’ll see you next year for another great round of safety blogs!

For more information about Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day, go http://www.brakesonfatalities.org/, or you can call KDOT’s Bureau of Transportation Information at 785-296-3585.

Kim Stich is a Program Consultant for KDOT.