2015 Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day series

Check back soon here for our annual Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day safety blog series that will begin on Monday, Sept. 14, 2015, and run each weekday until Oct. 9.

For a variety of transportation-related articles, please check our other KDOT blog site that posts stories and photos several times each week – it's at http://kansastransportation.blogspot.com/

WRECKS ARE UGLY

By Joe Palic

Work zone fatalities are usually broken down into two categories; those from occupational accidents involving highway workers, and those from vehicle crashes involving motorists traveling through the work zone.

I don’t mean to trivialize the risks to highway workers because ours is an extremely dangerous occupation, but FHWA statistics consistently show that nearly 90% of all work zone fatalities involve motorists rather than highway workers. My experience closely reflects the FHWA statistics. I can only recall 2 fatalities involving highway workers, but well over a dozen involving motorists.

The most common work zone crash I’m familiar with is where a driver runs into the back of a vehicle that has either slowed or stopped in the work zone. In many of these crashes the driver will claim to have not seen either the entire series of advance road work signs, or the vehicle in the middle of the road that they hit.

It’s sobering to realize that these drivers had not been focused on driving for some distance, and I believe they would very likely have hit anything that was in front of them during that time. It’s also sad that the work zone usually catches the blame for their crash.

I’ve had up-close looks at many work zone crashes. So far I’ve been very fortunate that the crash survivors have always been extricated from the wreckage and moved from the scene before I’ve arrived. However, there have been times where I’ve experienced the unpleasantness of watching the Jaws of Life cut vehicles completely apart to recover bodies. Wrecks are ugly.

I wish all motorists were more aware of how dangerous driving can be. If they were, I’d bet they would stay more focused on the task of driving, especially while in a work zone. It might just save their life.

Joe Palic is the KDOT Area Engineer in Marion

Approach work zone safety as if your own life is on the line

By Alan Farrington

As a young Construction Engineer working for the Kansas DOT back in 1987, I experienced a job site incident that would forever change my outlook on the importance of everything related to work zone safety and traffic control.

Contacted by the Kansas Highway Patrol at 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning, I was informed that there had been a double fatality on one of my projects. I was asked to come to the project site immediately. With little detail provided, and not thinking of asking after having been woken up in the middle of the night, I got dressed and headed out. The project had only begun a few days before, so there wasn’t much of a chance for the traffic control signing and devices to have fallen into disrepair. Driving to the site, I wondered what could have happened.

The project involved the reconstruction of an urban 4-lane divided Interstate, so traffic was carried head-to-head on one half, separated by concrete safety barrier, while construction took place on other half. Soon after traffic was diverted to one side, construction began on the replacement of a large triple barrel concrete box culvert running under the half being reconstructed.

As I approached the sea of emergency vehicles’ flashing lights, I realized the incident was on the closed section of the roadway at the culvert excavation. The excavation was about 75 feet across at the top and 15 feet deep. There were three vehicles in the hole; two that appeared to have tried to stop and dropped in on the near side and a third that had almost made it across the excavation, crashing into the far side a few feet below grade. It was that third one that resulted in the fatalities.

As I was briefed by the KHP Sergeant as to the events that led them to find the vehicles and I inquired about the fatalities, he pointed to the ground. I saw that I was nearly standing on the body bag of one of the victims. The other had been taken by ambulance but expired shortly thereafter. I realized immediately this was REAL. The seriousness of the situation was reiterated in the hours and days after when I was bombarded with inquiries by the Highway Patrol, local media, national media, District staff, Headquarters staff and attorneys.

Because proper traffic control was in place, yet the unfortunate parties decided they’d have a little “fun” on the closed highway (alcohol was also a factor), this incident fortunately didn’t result in any law suits. However, the experience instilled vigilance in my approach to traffic control setup, maintenance, inspection and documentation that I’ve maintained ever since; even after leaving KDOT to work on the contracting side of the work. You can never idiot-proof every possible circumstance, but as long as you approach work zone safety as if your own life is on the line, you’re likely to give it a little more attention and thought.

Alan is with Wildcat Construction Co., Inc. in Wichita

TOO MANY TRAFFIC CONTROL ISSUES

By Delane Newkirk

Having worked at KDOT for almost 34 years, I can say I have seen a lot traffic control issues.

From near misses, to did you not see the road work signs, to what in the world are they doing. I have seen people drive through freshly shot oil, drive completely around the work zone on the grass shoulder, stop and turn around at the work zone and go back the other direction. I could go on and on.

When I first started flagging, it seemed like the people you had to watch out for was some of the elderly. They would sometimes drive a car length or more past you and then stop. When you walked up to the vehicle to speak to them, they were just sitting there still looking over the steering wheel straight ahead. Did you see me standing back there with the stop and slow sign? Most would say yes, but you had to wonder why they drove clear past you before they stopped.

Later when flagging, it seemed like there were always those people you would get stopped in the work zone who didn’t have enough time to be stopped. They were running late, or had an appointment they had to be on time for, or just simply, I don’t have time to be waiting here. It will just be a few minutes, you would say, and they would act like you had just ruined their day.

Lastly, in more recent times I have to say that the most distracted drivers are the ones that are using their cell phones as they come into our work zones. When you get them stopped, some are still on the phone. Gee, is our work zone disturbing your phone call? May I have your attention for a minute?

We can put up all the road work signs, cones and arrow boards according to our work zone policy and have it all measured out to the nearest foot. But all of that sometimes does not get the attention of a distracted motorist. It all comes down to that person who is behind the steering wheel. They have to concentrate on their driving and be aware as they come into our work zones.

At the end of the day, I want to see all of my people back to the shop safely. The traveling motorists need to help us make sure that happens.

Delane Newkirk is the KDOT Subarea Supervisor at Great Bend

WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?

By Casey Simoneau

I was on duty a few years back and had just gotten in my patrol car when I heard a highway worker had been struck and killed. I went to the location of the crash and tried to assist where needed. It was an extremely difficult scene to view.

Any event where a person has been killed is difficult to work. The difficulty is compounded when someone is killed while doing their job on the side of the road. Troopers and highway workers are at the mercy of the traffic that is surrounding them. Highway workers depend on signs, cones, law enforcement and other personnel to keep their work area safe around them. On this particular day none of those safety measures worked.

While at the scene of an incident like this you find yourself wondering “why did this happen?” “What if a law enforcement officer would have been in the area to stop this person?” “How can this be avoided next time?” These are all questions that are constantly running through every law enforcement officer’s mind as well as highway workers.

When a person is killed along the side of a highway, the aftermath is felt all over the local community, the law enforcement community, and also with their co-workers. But even more so, it is even harder for the families of those involved. Many people do not believe that an incident of this capacity could ever happen to you, however the fact is that it could happen to anyone. Due to the profession that we chose, law enforcement and road workers have a greater chance of being killed on the side of the road than anyone else.

What happened on that day will never be forgotten by the many personnel that were working that day. It will never be forgotten by the community, nor will it be forgotten by the workers in the construction zone that day. That incident not only directly impacted his family, but it also affected numerous communities. Each day, I drive by the area and I see the flowers sitting in the ditch next to the area of where the road workers lost their life. It is a constant reminder of that tragic day and I always hope that an incident like that never happens again.

With this said I would like to remind people to be cautious of the highway workers working on the roadways. People tend to get frustrated with work zones and all the signs, cones and equipment that come with them, but the workers are there to make your highways safer for you and me.

Please slow down and be mindful that each of the highway workers is doing their jobs and they have families that they would like to go home to at the end of their shift. Through these great people, we as Kansans get the opportunity to enjoy one of the best roadway systems in all of the Unites States. The Kansas Highway Patrol would like to say THANK YOU.

Casey Simoneau is a Technical Trooper with the Kansas Highway Patrol

STRIVE FOR SAFETY

By Rex E. Flinn

KDOT work zone set-ups have become safer through the years with the advent of the high intensity sheeting on signs, the use of cones to separate the traffic from the work zone and crash attenuators to protect the work area. This being said, it is still the responsibility of both the traveling public and the highway workers to be aware of what is happening around them.

The traveling public needs to realize with the coming of spring, the road work signs and workers will become more prominent on the highways. This is also the season for travel and farm work to become more noticeable. We as state highway workers try our best to not disrupt travel schedules by keeping delays to a minimum. We have all heard before how we don’t do any work on this road until harvest time. This is where they need to realize that their busy time also coincides with the best time for us and contractors to be working. Nobody can get much done when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

I remember two close calls I have had while flagging in work zones. The first happened on a clear morning while an overlay on the road was in progress. While flagging, I had a semi-truck and trailer approach blowing their air horn and not appearing to slow down. Fortunately, I had no other traffic held at the time as I stepped out of the lane of traffic. The truck blew by my stop sign and another quarter-mile down the road through the tack oil we had on the road preparing for overlay. The truck at this time turned out of the oil and proceeded to the other end where he stopped at the flagman and told him the reason he didn’t stop was because he didn’t have any brakes. Don’t you think this would be something to check before they were needed?

The second was again while flagging on an overlay project. I had two vehicles stopped when I saw another vehicle approaching at a high rate of speed. I began waving my stop/slow paddle over my head in an attempt to gain their attention. As they kept coming, I was trying to figure out which was going to be the safest escape route when they suddenly swerved around the traffic I had stopped. The car (I still remember it was from Ohio) turned a complete circle in the road as it went by where I was standing, coming to a stop facing me. As they drove back by me, the comment that was made was they must have been sleeping because they hadn’t seen any signs or the traffic that was stopped until they noticed the wildly waving of the sign.

The next time you are approaching a work zone, be thinking – what can I do to make this a safe working environment for the workers because we are out there to make the highway a safer place for you.

As we begin a new season, let’s all strive to make it a safe and enjoyable one for all. This can sometimes be accomplished with a smile and a friendly greeting. Come to work with a positive outlook and you will be surprised how many nice people you may meet.

Here’s wishing everyone a safe and productive construction and maintenance season.

Rex E. Flinn is the KDOT Area Superintendent at Mankato

Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day

by Ray LaHood

I’d like to thank the folks at KDOT, not just for inviting me to write another blog post, but for making such a strong commitment to road safety through this 20-day run-up to Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day.

Safety is our number one priority at DOT, and events like Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day are a great way to remind everyone of the simple steps they can take to make our roadways safer for everyone who uses them.

Fortunately, people are listening. In 2010, traffic fatalities dropped to the lowest levels since 1949, and that’s in spite of Americans driving 21 billion more miles than they did last year. In the region covering Kansas as well as Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska, fatalities dropped by 2.6% from 2009.

But, as anyone who has lost a loved one in a traffic crash can tell you, any number of fatalities other than zero is too high. If one of the 33,000 people killed on the road last year was one of your friends or family members, then you know all too well that we cannot rest on our laurels.

Other writers on this blog have talked about common-sense ways that you can keep yourself safe while on the road. Candice Breshears and Bill Self talked about the importance of wearing a seat belt. Rick Heinrich talked about not drinking and driving. We’ve tried to echo this with national awareness campaigns like “Click It or Ticket” and “Over the Limit, Under Arrest.”

I’d like to focus on the epidemic of distracted driving. Whether it’s visual (taking your eyes off the road), manual (taking your hands off the wheel) or cognitive (taking your mind off what you’re doing), distracted driving slows your reflexes and puts you at much greater risk for a crash.

In fact, almost 5,500 people were killed and 500,000 more were injured in distracted driving crashes in 2009. And those aren't just statistics--they're parents, children, neighbors, and friends.

Our ongoing series, “Faces of Distracted Driving,” shares some of their stories. The videos feature families from all across America who have been injured or lost loved ones because a driver was texting or talking on a cell phone behind the wheel. These people are proof that distracted driving can have tragic consequences for entire communities.

But the speakers in these videos don’t just want to share their stories and be done with it. They’re committed to reducing the number of traffic fatalities to as low a number as we can get. Many people--like Amanda Umscheid of Manhattan, Kan.--have used these tragedies as springboards to action, encouraging young drivers to put their devices away, urging their communities to sign pledges, or testifying in state legislatures on behalf of distracted driving bans.

While we've made significant progress on road safety issues over the years, we still have plenty of work ahead of us. That's why we need the dedicated folks who are part of Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day to keep up this terrific effort to remind people to drive as safely as possible on October 10, and every day.

Ray LaHood is the United States Secretary of Transportation.

Reducing Fatalities One Person at a Time

by Phyllis Marotta

Okay, I admit it: I’m a safety nerd. You know, the grandma who makes sure the kiddos are safely buckled into the correct carseat. The person who gives you the “buckle up” gesture at the red light when she sees you aren’t wearing your seatbelt. The one who reminds you to have a SOBER designated driver for the night. The woman who promotes the graduated drivers license law for teens, which gives them lots of supervised experience behind the wheel. The gal who dons a helmet when she gets on the back of a motorcycle. The one who tells you to put down the phone when you aren’t paying attention to the green turn arrow. So, was I born this way, or am I a product of my environment?

I am definitely a product of my environment. At one time, I was the teen who rolled a car on a country road because I was not experienced enough to know that if you hit the brakes on gravel, you’d lose control. I was also the woman who was always nodding off at the wheel because I didn’t know I had mild narcolepsy. I’m the driver who admits to having a lead foot--but I’m working on correcting that habit because I know speed kills.

Wearing a helmet did not come naturally to me--I loved feeling my hair blow in the wind! Child safety seats? C’mon, I was the little girl sitting on the tailgate of the family station wagon in the 1950s; my brothers thought it was great fun to give me a little shove and then yell at Dad to slow down so I could run and hop back on. Riding inside the car, my mom was my seatbelt, throwing out her arm to protect me when she slammed on the brakes. As for modern technology--weren’t cell phones invented to keep me alert, especially on a long trip?

So when did my habits and attitudes start changing? Forty years ago, a close friend fell asleep at the wheel, hit a culvert, and was killed. Nearly twenty years ago, some friends were hit by a drunk driver the weekend before their baby was due, killing their beautiful baby girl. Twelve years ago, a woman from our small town fell asleep and drove under a semi, killing herself and her two sons. Ten years ago, a friend and I were the first ones to discover a rollover crash, where I found the driver facedown in a ditch, ejected from his pickup and killed, and the area strewn with empty beer cans. Even after experiencing those tragedies, I wasn’t the safety advocate that I am today.

For the past 7 years, I have worked in KDOT’s Traffic Safety Section. Within the first month on the job, my son lost one of his friends due to driving drunk and not wearing a seatbelt. Just a couple of weeks later, a friend of mine driving a grain truck failed to stop at the stop sign at a rural intersection less than a mile from his home, was hit by another truck, was not wearing his seatbelt, and was killed. I have read too many fatal crash reports, and have studied enough stats to make my head spin.

I have worked with law enforcement officers, and have watched them detect and arrest drunk drivers. I have mourned the loss of a close friend who was the victim of a drunk driver. I have seen a friend loaded into an ambulance because he pulled out on his motorcycle in front of a pickup. I have seen many close calls where drivers were focusing on phones (or other distractions) instead of driving. I have pleaded with friends and family members, and argued with them about whether it should be their “choice” or the law to wear their seatbelts/helmets.

On the flip side, I have seen our adult seatbelt rate go from 68% to 83%. I’ve seen many life-saving improvements in our laws. I’ve seen children leave a parking lot more safely than they arrived, because parents were taught how to install car seats. I’ve heard stories from teens about surviving crashes because they made the choice to buckle up after going through the S.A.F.E. (Seatbelts Are For Everyone) program. I’ve seen drivers, including myself, change behaviors due to dangers that have been brought to our attention.

Sometimes I get discouraged with the ones who don’t get the message, but I’m still determined to try to “Put the Brakes on Fatalities” by reaching one person at a time!

Phyllis Marotta is in KDOT’s Transportation Safety and Technology Bureau

Importance of Safety Messages Seen Firsthand

by Chris Herrick

I started my first career at NCR Corporation as a sales representative. My job was to sell retail applications to businesses that helped them control their inventory and provided them with an audit trail of business transactions. While working at NCR, I always felt like I was trying to sell someone something that I had very little personal experience with and never used myself. For the last 20 years I have worked for KDOT, and have listened to all of our safety campaigns over the years “Click it or Ticket,” “Drunk Driving: Over the Limit, Under Arrest” etc.

Three years ago I really realized how important our campaigns are and how seat belts do save lives. Three years ago my in-laws came to visit us so they could attend a school band concert that my youngest son was playing in. My in-laws, who were in their 70s, lived in Wichita and traveled to Topeka for the concert. After the concert was over they decided to drive back to Wichita even though it was raining. We didn’t like the idea of them driving in the rain but they had commitments the next day that they couldn’t miss.

On their drive back to Wichita, it started raining hard. Just outside of Emporia my father-in-law started hydroplaning and hit the middle concrete barrier on the Turnpike. He tried to regain control of his car but he was unable to and their car careened out of control down a steep embankment. Their car ended up in a creek that was quickly filling up with water.

Luckily, a car behind them saw what had happened and stopped to help them. Both of my in-laws were able to walk up the embankment with help from the people who stopped to help. Both of my in-laws were wearing seat belts which minimized their injuries. Their car was mangled but somehow they were able to walk away from the crash. Without their seat belts, I don’t believe that they would have survived the crash. My mother-in-law sustained a crushed vertebra and my father-in-law suffered a head trauma that later caused a brain bleed.

Unfortunately for us, my father-in-law was on a blood thinner and later suffered a fatal brain bleed due to the head trauma and passed away. It was really difficult for me to lose a person I looked up to and considered one of my best friends. But I am convinced, if he wouldn’t have been wearing a seat belt, he probably wouldn’t have survived the immediate crash. My mother-in-law survived the crash and is doing fine, which is a blessing.

It took a personal experience like this to drive home the point of how important our safety promotions are and how important it is to wear your seat belt. Seat belts save lives, so PLEASE buckle up!

Chris Herrick is the KDOT Director of Planning and Development.

All the Things He was Supposed to Do

by Steve Swartz

I was in 8th grade, home on Christmas vacation and still in bed when I heard my mother answer the phone about 8 a.m. It was her brother calling from Denver to tell us that their oldest brother, Jack, had died a few hours earlier when the long-haul truck he was driving plowed into the back of another truck parked on the side of a foggy Pennsylvania highway. Then I heard my mother, needing more verification, call the trucking company to find out if her brother had really been killed.

There had been no mistake.

It’s more than 40 years since we got that call, but I believe that every Dec. 27th since I’ve thought about that morning. Uncle Jack was my roommate for about five months between the time he took a job in Kansas City and when his family moved out from California to join him. By the time he moved out of the house, we were pretty good friends.

When I think about that morning, it’s not so much about how I’ve always missed him, but more about all the things that never happened because he didn’t come home from that trip. He didn’t come close to reaching retirement when he could leave the road for the last time and enjoy living at home for more than just a few days at a time. He didn’t get to attend graduations, weddings or the births of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He didn’t get to give advice or be a joker to his kids or me or any of us.

He didn’t get to hold the hand of his wife, my oh-so-fun aunt with the goofy name of Snooky, when she became confused with Alzheimer’s disease. Nor did he get to comfort my cousins Kathy and John through their health crises.

I’m not sure I ever knew what caused the crash. Was the parked truck pulled all the way off the road? Did the fog make it hard to see? Was Jack tired? It doesn’t matter.

If my old roommate could talk to me today, he might tell me how he regrets not getting to do all the things he was supposed to do. And he might tell me to think about that every time I get into a car.

Steve Swartz is the Public Information Officer for KDOT

Be a Winner On and Off the Field

by Turner Gill

Impaired driving continues to be a problem not only in Kansas, but nationwide. In Kansas, more than 100 persons annually lose their lives due to impaired driving. All of us can do our part to reduce this unnecessary carnage on our roadways. Designate a sober driver before you begin your activity. Sober does not mean, pick the friend that has had the least amount to drink, it means someone who has not consumed alcohol that evening. Other transportation alternatives are public transportation or call a cab.

On average, an arrest for a DUI will cost the offender about $5,000. These costs include fines, court costs, attorney fees, increased insurance premiums, lost wages and fees associated with an ignition interlock. These costs don’t include the potential expenses associated with a crash. An impaired driver in a crash could be facing the additional costs of hospital bills, vehicle replacement costs and the potential loss of life to another person.

As the head coach of a football team, I am tasked with not only preparing my players for the game of football, but the game of life. One of those lessons is to never drive impaired and don’t let your friends drive impaired. It can affect not only your life, but that of someone else you care about.

I am pleased to be a part of the effort to reduce senseless fatalities on our public roadways and would encourage not only my players, but all drivers to “Put the Brakes on Fatalities.”

Turner Gill is the football head coach at the University of Kansas.

The Dreaded Phone Call No Parent Wants To Get

by Julie Breitenstein

It was early on December 4, 2009, around 2AM, when that phone call happened to us. I remember answering the phone and hearing a man’s voice ask for Mr. Larry Breitenstein. I handed the phone to my husband and heard the man on the phone ask Larry if he was the father of Austin Breitenstein. At that moment, I knew there was something that had happened to my son.

 I remember laying back the covers, getting out of bed, and heading to the closet to get dressed while listening to the phone call. Larry hung up the phone and my question to him was, "Where is he? He is either in jail or he is in the hospital! Where is he?" Larry very calmly told me we needed to go to St. Francis Hospital.

I didn't panic until we got to the hospital where we were met by a Chaplain. I remember thinking, “Austin is dead! He is not alive!” Finally, the Chaplain took us upstairs to SICU and put us in a private room. We waited for another 20 minutes. A doctor came in and told us that Austin had been in a severe car accident and she did not know if he would survive. She told us he was still having CT scans done. Her next words were bone-chilling. She said Austin had received a brain injury, a fracture to his C2 and C3 vertebrae, a bruised lung and lots of road rash. Only time would tell if he would survive.

We called our daughter and she got to the hospital around 6:30 AM. A post was made on Facebook by 7:30, and by noon, there were so many kids at the hospital you could hardly get up and down the halls. The nurse we had was fantastic, she let every kid in to see Austin. They went in four at a time in 3 to 4-minute intervals. It was very important to me that every kid see him! I felt that if I could help just one kid from making the same mistake, I had done my job.

What I didn't know was the cause of the accident. Our very good friend (who was our insurance agent) asked if he could go to Austin's truck and get anything salvageable. We weren't sure what would be left since he had rolled it several times. I remember asking Wes to find his cell phone. I was on a mission to know what had contributed to his accident, and the cell phone told me what I needed to know. Austin had been texting!

I know this because of the time the last text came in and the time 911 was called. Austin was reading a text when he veered off the highway, and his reflex was to over-correct. Unfortunately, Austin had not buckled his seatbelt, so when the over-correction happened, he rolled his truck, which also catapulted him through the front windshield. Austin landed on his head!

Because of the impact to the back of his head, his brain ricocheted to the front left lobe of his brain causing severe damage. Austin ended up with a bi-lateral craniectomy (bone flaps on each side of his brain being removed) so his brain could swell. Austin should not have survived! Austin eventually was put on a ventilator to help him breathe, and later received a tracheotomy in SICU. Over a period of 26 days, Austin's heart failed him 3-4 times.

We are now almost 22 months out from when his accident happened, and I can tell you as a mom I would not wish this nightmare on anyone. Austin has had to re-learn everything. I mean everything - swallowing, eating, drinking from a straw, toileting, and walking! Austin continues to learn something new each day. He has days that are good, and he has days that can be extremely overwhelming. He does his best to make each day a new day and works very hard on trying to get his life back together. Austin was 19 when his accident happened; he is now 21.

There is nothing so important to be said in a text to give your life for. The next time you text behind the wheel of a 2,000 lb. vehicle, know you just may kill someone or even yourself! You may end up with a traumatic brain injury like Austin, or a spinal cord injury that will put you in a wheel chair for the rest of your life! 

Watch out for motorcyclists!

by J.L. Riedel

“These daytime running lights are so wonderful; they make my vehicle so much more visible to other motorists.”

“I just love my new car, it is so air tight and quiet; kind of makes me feel like I’m the only one on the road.”

“OMG, this thing is loaded with technology; I think my new car could practically drive itself.”

“I mean really; all I’d have to do is sit down with my cup of coffee and cell phone and let the car take care of the rest.”

If you have talked to or been around someone who has purchased a new vehicle recently, the above comments may sound familiar. And speaking from the standpoint of someone who is issued a new company car every couple of years, I’d have to agree with them. Today’s cars and trucks are superior to vehicles from years past.

Daytime running lights, although not required on vehicles in the United States, are pretty standard and do make vehicles more visible. I also like how quiet new cars are. I have a 40-year-old Pontiac that I’ve restored; and even with new weather stripping, the wind noise at highway speeds will give you a headache. And when it comes to technology, I’m not sure where to start. I mean really, there are cars out there that will park themselves. (Come on, man: if I had to learn to parallel park, shouldn’t everyone?) Ok, parking aside, we have cars that are loaded with technological features that require less and less input from the driver.

So far, so good, right? Well, not if you are a motorcyclist. Approximately 20 years before daytime running lights started to show up on vehicles in the United States, motorcycles were required to be manufactured with a “steady burning headlight and tail light” in an effort to make them more visible to the LARGER traffic in which they shared the roads. Now that these lights are commonplace, motorcyclists seem to blend in with other traffic and don’t stand out like they used to.

I like quiet. With two little kids at home quiet is something that is sparse, but quiet isn’t necessarily a good thing when it comes to driving. How about honking horns, the siren from an emergency vehicle, squealing tires, screeching brakes, or the sound of a motorcycle’s exhaust?

As a motorist, we gather a lot of important information about our driving environment from the sounds we hear. If our car is airtight and quiet, the radio turned up, or if we are so shut off from the world outside of our car; what are we missing, could it be a motorcyclist?

Finally, let’s talk TECHNOLOGY. No matter how technologically advanced our vehicle’s become, when it comes to safety, the driver is the most important safety feature the vehicle has. It is truly up to the driver to take an active part in the safety of the trip; whether across town, or across country.

So as a motorist and motorcyclist, I am greatly concerned when I see driver’s putting all their faith in their high-tech modern vehicles and not in their own driving skills.

Look twice, save a life, motorcycles are everywhere.

J.L. Riedel is a Technical Trooper with the Kansas Highway Patrol 

Close Call

by Robert Turner

The day started out as any other day in September 2004. As an Equipment Operator for the Kansas Department of Transportation in the Kansas City metro area, my duties were to operate equipment and be the lead worker on my crew.

At about 10:30 that night after a normal day at work, I was called by my supervisor to assist the Kansas Highway Patrol with traffic control for a serious injury accident. My duties were to close a ramp at the interchange of two major interstates. After setting my equipment up to close the ramp everything seemed to be going well.

After about an hour I noticed a vehicle not wanting to obey all the traffic control. After a few moments, I determined that the driver was not going to stop and they crashed through my cones. I dove out of the way and the vehicle struck my legs as I was in mid flight, catching the inside of my left leg with his front passenger side fender.

The vehicle continued up the ramp almost striking several patrol officers. After a short chase, they were able to catch the driver. He was very drunk, almost twice the legal limit.

I was not seriously hurt, just some bumps and bruises, but it was very scary. It just shows the level of safety we must all take when working on or near the roadway.

I have told this story many times, but if I can get one person to not drink and drive, it will be all worth it.

Robert Turner is the Highway Maintenance Supervisor in Olathe

Truck drivers - the road is their office

by Bill Graves

For most Americans, including Kansans, our roads and highways are the space between our homes and the stores where we shop, the places we work or the friends and family we love. However, for America's 3.2 million professional truck drivers, the road is their office and for much of the time, their home.

Truck drivers, as much as anyone, appreciate the need to be safe on the road - to follow at safe distances and travel at safe speeds etc. - but our industry is aware of the need to do more.

We at the American Trucking Associations have led the charge for all trucks to be electronically governed at 65 miles per hour, and for there to be a national speed limit of 65 for all vehicles. We've asked the government to set crashworthiness standards for large trucks and we've supported efforts to require that driver's hours-of-service be monitored electronically to combat fatigued driving.

Beyond that, we spend a lot of our time trying to educate the public about how to share the road with large trucks. We understand that drivers of smaller vehicles may be intimidated by the tractor trailer in the next lane, so through our Share the Road and America's Road Team programs we try to put people at ease, telling them to avoid a truck's blind spots and how to responsibly pass a rig that takes a lot longer to stop than the car that just zipped in front of it.

The good news is, these efforts appear to be working. Based on the most recent federal statistics, truck-involved crashes and fatalities have fallen to historic lows. This is good news, not just for the industry, but for all motorists. This isn't to say that more can't be done - responsible members of the industry are pushing federal government to do more to keep unsafe drivers and companies off our roads, and every day, fleets are doing all they can to avoid crashes and improve their safety record.

Through those efforts, and the efforts of law enforcement at the state and federal level, we can all look forward to a day when we've put the brakes on fatalities and our roads are a safer place for all of us.

Bill Graves is the President and CEO of the American Trucking Associations 

Safety Message for Everyone

Coaches from Wichita State University are big supporters of traffic safety efforts to reduce fatalities on our roadways. They expect the best from their players during every game as well as every time they get behind the wheel.

Following are some safety messages WSU coaches want everyone to keep in mind.

Nobody likes to celebrate a Shocker victory as much as my team and me, but celebrating a win should not include drinking and driving. We love seeing you at Charles Koch Arena and want to see you for years to come, so please don’t drink and drive.

Coach Greg Marshall, men’s head basketball coach at Wichita State University

I would never let a player step in the batter’s box without wearing his batting helmet. Not wearing your seatbelt when you drive or ride in a car is just as dangerous. Remember, in Kansas, it’s click it or ticket.

Coach Gene Stephenson, head baseball coach at Wichita State University

I expect my players to focus hard every time they hit the court and I expect them to focus just as hard when they are behind the wheel. Texting while driving is illegal and extremely dangerous, so keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.

Coach Chris Lamb, head volleyball coach at Wichita State University

My players go through hours and hours of practice before they see the court in a game. Your teen needs just as much practice behind the wheel with parental guidance before they are ready to hit the streets on their own. Make sure your kids have plenty of practice driving before they get behind the wheel.

Coach Jody Adams is the head women’s basketball coach at Wichita State University. 

Scanning For Animals Helps Avoid Collisions

by Mike Miller

When I was a boy, it wasn’t uncommon for the whole family to jump in the car and take a Sunday afternoon drive through the back roads of Kiowa County. While it was a way to relax and see the countryside for the rest of the family, my goal was to see wildlife. I was specifically looking for pheasants and scouting for the coming fall hunting season. As I got older and began hunting with high school friends, we always had a running competition to see who would be first to spot wildlife. Unfortunately, one of my friends had eyes like an eagle, and he usually won, but I kept trying.

I believe my habit of keeping an eye out for wildlife has helped me avoid countless vehicle collisions. I’ve had some close calls, but I’ve never hit a deer or other large critter while driving. I’m always scanning the roadsides ahead, pointing out any deer, turkeys, pheasants, or other wildlife I see to my wife, who humors me and pretends to be pleased with my sightings.

Watching for wildlife is a good habit to learn. While I’m sure my vision has probably deteriorated some, my ability to see wildlife has actually improved. I’ve learned that it wasn’t as much my friend’s 20/15 vision that helped him spot critters as it was his technique. He saw color, movement or reflection, and focusing in on that spot often revealed an animal. I’ve also learned to be extra-alert in certain areas such as stream crossings, tree lines, feed fields and water sources. And I know if I see deer in an area, I’ll likely see deer there again.

At night, I use my bright lights as much as possible. Headlamps on recent model vehicles provide an amazing amount of peripheral light along the road ahead. Deer eyes are highly reflective, especially if you have your brights on. If I see even the tiniest glint of a reflection, I let off the gas, slow down and scan the area more carefully.

I have no doubt that my wildlife watching habit has also helped me avoid accidents with other vehicles. You have to scan far ahead if you want to be first to spot a critter, and this habit gives me more time to react if I see a problem.

Try it next time you drive. Propose a friendly wildlife spotting competition with whoever is in the car with you. Not only will you be more alert, you’ll likely avoid an accident and keep wildlife alive. A dead critter on the shoulder is such a waste. And besides, watching for and keeping track of the wildlife you see will make any long drive go by more quickly.

Mike Miller is Chief of the Information Production Section for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

DUI 2011: A Matter of Public Safety

By Sen. Tim Owens

No matter how the public might perceive the issue of DUI, it can be summed up as a public safety issue.

Approximately five years ago, it became apparent that the DUI program in Kansas was broken and needed to be fixed. The journey to Senate Bill 6, which passed with 100% of the vote in both houses of the Kansas Legislature in May of this year, began with a report done by the Substance Abuse Policy Board (SAPB). The SAPB was formed after it became apparent that too many people were driving on the roadways in Kansas with multiple DUIs on their record but had had little or no corrective or rehabilitative action taken to cause them to alter their behavior.

When the public became aware of such incidents as the one in Wichita where a mother and her daughter were killed by a driver who had had over a half-dozen DUI convictions and was still driving, pressure mounted on the legislature to take action. The SAPB report was scathing in its condemnation of the manner in which DUIs in Kansas were handled. In response, I was appointed as vice-chair of the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee to chair a subcommittee to explore legislative measures to address the concerns of the SAPB.

Valuable information was received from a variety of disciplines that dealt in some manner with the DUI offenders. From those committee hearings came a decision three years ago to form a Blue Ribbon DUI Commission which was to do an extensive investigation into the problems and recommend potential solutions to improve public safety by reducing the numbers of DUI offenders on Kansas roadways. That task was accomplished with the recommendations that resulted in the passage of Senate Bill 6 in the 2011 session.

The major accomplishments in Senate Bill 6 were those that addressed some of the core needs for rehabilitating the weak DUI system in Kansas and are major accomplishments in their own right toward strengthening public safety. Two primary achievements of the new law, which went into effect July 1, 2011, are:

● Thanks in no small part to the Secretary Deb Miller of the Kansas Department of Transportation, coming to the financial rescue of the issues surrounding the implementation of a Central Repository through a Memorandum of Understanding with the KBI, that repository will be implemented. It will be the central resource that allows prosecutors and courts to have a clearer idea of how many DUI’s an individual offender may have so that appropriate prosecution and sentencing may ensue. It is the hope that through this program and the requirements of Senate Bill 6, there will be a uniform application of the law and sentencing across the state in every jurisdiction and in every court, whether District or Municipal.

● The new law addresses the issue of public safety by requiring all DUI offenders to have an ignition interlock device installed on their own vehicle and no offender will be allowed to drive any vehicle that does not have an interlock devise installed.

It is the sincere hope of the DUI Commission and the Legislature that the changes brought about by Senate Bill 6 as a result of the extensive work done by the DUI Commission will put the State of Kansas back on the road to safer highways and a reduction in the number of DUI’s.

Tim Owens is the Kansas Senator for the 8th District

Have a perfect record with buckling up

by Bill Self

Young people need encouragement and guidance to help them along the path to a successful future. Whether it’s in school, on the court or in a vehicle, there are basic rules that can help you accomplish your goals.

When you’re in a vehicle, buckling up is such a simple thing, but it can truly be the difference between life and death.

We’ve all gotten much better about buckling up in the last 30 years or so. I remember when I was growing up in Oklahoma, the importance of wearing them just wasn’t stressed yet. We didn’t think much about wearing seat belts in those days.

Unfortunately, wearing a seat belt is still not a habit for everyone. Some adults still do not buckle up, but what’s even more frustrating is that even more young people don’t wear seat belts. When you’re on the court, you always go for the best shot. And when you are in a vehicle, your best shot at surviving a crash is buckling up.

The good news is that over time, more people are changing their behaviors and making buckling up a habit. It’s important that we as adults set good examples and that we never stop providing guidance and setting boundaries on what’s acceptable.

There aren’t many things in life for which we can have a perfect record. We can’t make every shot, we can’t win every game, but we certainly can buckle up 100 percent of the time.

Bill Self is the men’s head basketball coach at the University of Kansas

Seat Belts Save Lives!

By Candice Breshears

The Kansas Highway Patrol has always been concerned with seatbelt usage and occupant protection in motor vehicles. In fact, it is one of the primary missions of the Patrol to keep motorists in Kansas safe by making sure that they are properly restrained. Troopers not only make sure that vehicle occupants are wearing their safety belts, but they always wear them as well.

Most of you have heard this message from a young age--from your parents, news media, your driver’s education instructor or law enforcement: “The first thing you should do when you get in a vehicle is buckle your safety belts.” It has been the law for over 20 years and now is a primary law, meaning you could be stopped simply for not wearing your safety belts.

Everyone tells you to buckle your seatbelt when you are driving down the road, but what about when you are stopped on the shoulder? What if your car breaks down, you have a flat tire, run out of gas, have been involved in a collision, and are on the shoulder, or you are simply stopped making a phone call? Should you still wear your seatbelt while you are parked? My answer to this question is yes!

Let me tell you a story about seat belts saving my life on January 10, 2011.

January 10, 2011, was a miserable day to be working the KC Metro area. It was snowing heavily most of the day, and the roadways were snow and slush-covered. I was parked on the northbound shoulder of I-35 near Olathe in Johnson County working a one-vehicle traffic crash. The driver involved in the crash and I were sitting in my patrol car while I completed the crash report and waited on a tow truck to arrive for his vehicle. I was wearing my seatbelt.

As a Trooper, we are trained to be aware of our surroundings. As we sat in my patrol car, I looked in my rear view mirror, and observed a van in the center lane attempting to pass a semi truck that was in the left lane (this is a six-lane highway, three-lanes each north and southbound). The semi truck was a fully-loaded car hauler. As I watched, the van lost control and began to slide towards the semi truck on the slick roads. The van struck the semi truck, which caused the semi truck to lose control and slide straight towards my patrol car. A crash was imminent!

I placed my car in drive, and tried to drive away from the impending collision. I was able to move my car about 5-6 feet before the impact. The semi truck, traveling a normal highway speed, struck the left rear of my patrol car. The trunk of my car was pushed into the rear seat area, with the sharp corner of the trunk lid only a few inches behind my head. My car struck the vehicle I had been working the original crash scene on, then spun several times. The semi truck overturned right behind where my vehicle stopped spinning in the ditch. My passenger and I received only minor injuries. I know for a fact--seat belts save lives!

There are lessons to be learned here:

1.) Wear your seat belts!

2.) Be aware of your surroundings!

3.) Be prepared to react!

4.) When driving in inclement weather, SLOW DOWN!

5.) Always move left and slow down when you approach a law enforcement officer on the side of the road! (They are doing a dangerous job, with the safety of all motorists being their main concern.)

Candice Breshears is a Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper