August: Deadliest Month

It's true August is the deadliest month on the road. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, going back to 1994 more Americans die in the month of August from car crashes than any other month of the year. In 2009 the agency says an average of 93 people die each day from motor vehicle crashes. That is one death every 16 minutes. However, the number of people killed in August 2009 dropped by almost 400 from 2008. August leads as the deadliest month, with September following in second, July is third and March as the safest.

Deadliest days of the week are weekends by no surprise. That is when Americans tend to run extra errands, visit family and when drunk driving increases. Saturdays are the deadliest day of the week averaging 123 deaths with Sundays coming in second with 107 deaths and Fridays following in third with 102 deaths on average. The safest day of the week are Tuesdays with an average of 69 deaths. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has also narrowed down the deadliest hours between 6 pm and 8:59 pm where they report more than four people die an hour.

Of course we do not advise for everyone to stay off of the road for the month of August. Nor do we think no one should drive on the weekends or during rush hour. We give this information so you can be aware and remember that more people are on the road during these times which means more distracted driving, more people not paying attention and more people in a hurry to get somewhere. Focus on the only on the road and solely on driving only when you are behind the wheel.

At CIS we understand that accidents DO happen. That is why it is important to be properly protected and have a company that looks out for you, your loved ones and your vehicle. Get a free no obligation quote today. We are not just insurance agents, we are specialists. www.cisforyou.com

DNT TXT N DRV

Those of you that know how to text, tweet, fb & email on your mobile phone are probably guilty of distractive driving. It is easy to think you can send a quick text, check your email inbox or tweet what you are doing while stopped at a light or sitting in traffic. Truth is, texting while driving can be just as dangerous as driving under the influence.

Car and Driver Magazine conducted a study to see which distraction influences the reaction time to braking while driving a vehicle. They rigged a car with a red light in the windshield to act like a brake light for a vehicle in front of them. When driving 70 mph it took .54 seconds for the unimpaired driver with no distractions to brake. When legally drunk (.08) it added an extra 4 feet, while reading an email it added 36 feet and when sending a text it added 70 feet!

America averages over 75 billion text messages a year. Over 50 percent of teen drivers admit to texting while driving and 40 percent of crashes in urban areas are related to distractive driving. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over 515,000 people have been injured because of distracted drivers and a startling 5,800 people were killed in 2008. Fatality Accident Reporting System concludes that between 2001 & 2007, 16,141 lives were taken because of cell phone use while driving.

Colorado State law prohibits drivers under age of 18 to use hand held cell phones at all. It is also a crime for any driver to text, email or tweet while driving. Governor Bill Ritter signed the bill in 2009 and assigned a $50 fine for first time offenders and $100 fine for second time offenders. It is important for parents to preach to their teen drivers about the dangers of distractive driving and of course lead by example. If you absolutely need to text, tweet, email or fb pull over and come to a complete stop before reaching for your hand held device. Also, those with Blackberries and Android phones can download an application that restricts you from texting while driving.

A text, tweet and email can wait so do not let your smart phone allow you to do something stupid. In one single second your whole life could change for the worse. A BRB, LOL & TTYL can wait.

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Work Cited

Chester, S. (2010, September 24). Texting while driving responsible for 16,000 deaths in 6 years [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://techcrunch.com/2010/09/24/study-texting-while-driving-responsible-for-16000-deaths-in-6-years

Genachowskis, J. Federal Communications Commission, Testimony to Senate Commerce Committee. (2009). Texting while driving Washington, DC: Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved from http://www.fcc.gov/guides/texting-while-driving

 LeBeau, P. (2009, June 25). Texting and driving worse than drinking and driving [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.cnbc.com/id/31545004/site/14081545

Pay Attention



Can You See the Motorcycle?



Now You Can!



 The Honda Crotch Rocket was traveling 85 mph. The VW driver was talking on a cell phone when she pulled out of a side street and did not see the motorcycle. The vehicle had two passengers and the bike rider was found INSIDE the vehicle. All three were killed instantly. The VW actually flipped 20 feet from where the collision took place because of the impact. This demonstration was placed at the Motorcycle  Fair by policy and Road Safety Department. We all know that accidents DO happen but this one could have been prevented. The driver was making a phone call on her brand new cell phone and did not have her full attention on driving. The motorcyclist was obviously going way too fast and in a split second 3 lives were taken. Please pass this photo on to all young drivers, motorcycle riders and people who use a cell phone while driving.

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What to do in case of an accident

With the roads covered in snow and accidents more likely to happen, it is important to remember what to do when involved in an accident. Listed below are things you should immediately do after an accident:

* Remain at the scene of the accident.
* Take steps to prevent further accidents-park safely, turn on emergency flashers.
* Call the police or ask someone to call for you.
*Give the other driver(s) your name, insurance company phone number, the vehicle's license plate number and your drivers license number.
*Obtain the same information from all other parties involved and witnesses.
* Do not admit fault. Discuss the specifics of the accident only with the police.
* If you have a digital camera or camera phone, take photos of the accident scene and vehicles if it is safe to do so.
* Call your insurance carrier toll-free hot line immediately. It is important to call right away so they can get to work settling your claim fast, fair and hassle-free.

It is important to remain calm, make sure you are not injured and get as much information as possible from all parties involved.

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