Traffic Safety – Maintaining the Status Quo

Traffic safety is everyone’s business. We all must accomplish the same goal: get from point A to point B without getting hurt or creating a hazard for other drivers.

One easy way to do this is to think outside of the box, or rather, outside of your immediate world. Whether you are driving solo or transporting half of the Girl Scout troop or Pee Wee football team, if you create a context of safety where every driver, passenger, pedestrian, bicyclist, or motorcyclist has a place and a responsibility, then you have entered a larger world where safety becomes that balloon around you that you simply do not want to pop. For just a moment forget about the errand you are running or the email you are drafting in your head or the funny comment you absolutely must respond to on your social media page and concentrate strictly on the task at hand: driving.

Distractions and complacency are all around us. Minimize (or better yet, eliminate) your distractions. Put the phone down and do not pick it up again until you reach your destination. Ensure that your young passengers are sufficiently occupied before leaving so that they do not distract you while you are driving. Stick to driving and pay attention to the mundane tasks you take for granted (easily forgotten things such as using your turn signal when making a turn to warn other motorists of your intentions), especially in areas that are familiar to you. Statistics show that the likelihood of becoming involved in a crash increases the closer you are to familiar surroundings, such as your home area or place of employment. A new route you take for the first time because the GPS is rerouting you to avoid a traffic jam will likely result in extra attention paid to your driving, surroundings, and the direction in which you are headed.

But all these strategies are pointless if you do not make the concerted effort to drive safely. You expect the same of other motorists sharing the road with you. If you make the decision to drive safely, and others fall in line as well, then you will most certainly achieve your goal. It’s like a domino-effect; it’s like a hive or collective that is working together for the common good. Remember, traffic safety is everyone’s business.

Happy driving! Drive Safely!