tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769Thu, 29 Aug 2024 03:24:04 +0000driving skillstrafficchild safetydefensive drivingcar seatsdistracted drivingsafetyvehicle safetycrashmotorcycleKingsportangelschild restraint lawdogstraffic accidentLATCHalcoholismangry driversbooster seatbottleneckburglaryduiroad rageseatbeltteen driversConsumer ReportsGodNHTSAairplanesboatingcell phonedesignated driverdomestic violencedrinkingfire planfire safetyflight travelhealthhealthyheatholidayinfant seatsinfantsjokeobesitystreetswimmingvideoweightTanya Davis Logan has been a traffic columnist in Kingsport, TN since 2005. She rants regularly about drivers and other public safety threats. She attempts to inject a little humor and education into her work in an effort to improve our nation of bad drivers. If you don't care for sarcasm or don't understand it -- you probably don't wan to be here! To add comments, please click the "comments" button below the post, or email tdavis@timesnews.nethttp://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)Blogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-4275411282648599013Tue, 28 Aug 2012 23:45:00 +00002012-08-28T18:45:53.440-05:00 Today on Facebook I asked whether it bothered bicyclists for other cyclists to break the laws/rules, ride recklessly etc. Rick Heppert's answer was too good to miss. Here it is: Depends on the law and circumstances. If there is lots of traffic around, everyone fares best when all are following the predictable rules. There are a number of laws designed for largely for MOTOR vehicles that http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2012/08/bicyclists-driving-recklessly.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-8347425236230745192Fri, 20 Jul 2012 23:26:00 +00002012-07-20T18:27:06.815-05:00airplanesflight travelsafetyI spent the last few days with my daughter in Philly. Silly me, I thought by flying I could save some time and energy. I'm one of those people who gets worn out by driving. But after flight delays, plane changes, mechanical failures (twice) and a cancellation, I'm pretty sure driving would have been a lot less stressful.  Hanging around the airports, though, taught me a lot about safety. http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2012/07/flying-doesnt-always-mean-getting-there.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-3959578986228700376Tue, 10 Jul 2012 20:31:00 +00002012-07-10T15:31:49.651-05:00booster seatcar seatsdistracted drivingdogsIf you are a pet owner, at some point you've probably had to go on a shopping trip for a pet safety device for your car. The choices on the market these days are bewildering. Years ago, you simply put your dog in a crate and loaded up. Now there are not only hard crates, but soft-sided crates, booster seats for dogs that buckle in like child safety seats, and harnesses. Since our pets will http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2012/07/pet-restraint-safety-right-behind.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-4296691808433739700Sat, 30 Jun 2012 20:36:00 +00002012-07-10T15:36:39.448-05:00dogsheatsafetyWhile trying to stay cool this week in the record heat, don't forget about your pets. Keeping pets safe in times of sweltering summer heat is difficult – especially if you have a dog that lives outside and you’re at work the bulk of daylight hours. The problem is, dogs do not sweat, so they don't have a way to cool down like we do. If you go outside and start working in the yard sweating begins http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2012/06/while-trying-to-stay-cool-this-week-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-545672323179071996Wed, 20 Jun 2012 20:40:00 +00002012-07-10T15:41:09.677-05:00healthhealthyobesityweightObesity is rampant in our country, so much so that experts say it's even threatening our future food security. A study has come out that calculated the weight of the world – the population that is – at 316 million tons. Recently, sugary sodas have come under attack. I once talked to a man who had lost 40 pounds simply by cutting out the 6 soft drinks per day he had been consuming. But in a sense,http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2012/06/obesity-new-me.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-1599339330478897910Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:18:00 +00002011-09-27T13:18:12.807-05:00fire planfire safetysafetyWinter hasn't arrived yet, but we've passed the official first day of autumn. The leaves are beginning to tinge with color. The temperature, thank goodness, is a little lower at night. But that means we'll need to turn on the heat soon, and during cold winter months we usually see a rise in the number of fires because of increased use in secondary heating sources -- fireplaces, wood stoves and http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2011/09/fire-safety-involves-whole-family.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-273275639385336058Tue, 09 Aug 2011 18:03:00 +00002011-08-09T13:03:40.262-05:00crashdefensive drivingdistracted drivingduiDefensive driver: (noun) "a driver who drives to save lives, time, and money, in spite of the conditions around him and the actions of others. " I had a note from a reader the other day. "Perhaps one day you'll be the one behind a car that stops suddenly; then what will you do?" he asked. Ah, but that's exactly why I started writing this column in 2005. I hover on the line between good defensive http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2011/08/whats-defensive-driver-really.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-1649194550687176823Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:53:00 +00002011-08-04T13:53:21.522-05:00bottleneckchild safetydefensive drivingdistracted drivingsafetyseatbelttraffic accidentSchool zone safety – don’t be the one who blows it Tanya Davis It’s that time of year again. School is starting back, and that means school zones and warning signs and traffic backups. Motorists seem to drive with less and less care, and school zones are no exception. You’d think it would be only the uninformed, the ones with no children, and the ones with no brain who would be oblivious to http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2011/08/school-zone-safety-2011.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-2182794528177031783Tue, 05 Jul 2011 21:02:00 +00002011-07-05T16:02:17.437-05:00boatingsafetyThis week's topic is Boater safety. I actually thought boating was pretty straightforward, but it's not. There is equipment to manage, other people on your boat to watch out for. There are other boats in every direction -- not like in your car where they're only coming from 2 directions. There could be swimmers in the water. You have to know signals that could be done with lights, sounds, or http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2011/07/boater-safety-begins-with-education.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-7387856700171813114Thu, 23 Jun 2011 02:41:00 +00002011-06-22T21:41:01.205-05:00defensive drivingdogsswimmingtrafficHow's that for an eclectic title? *grin* Letters, I get letters…. I hate to ignore my readers.... sharing a few comments here.... A few weeks ago I quoted a saying I'd heard, that Corgis and pigs can't swim. New Kingsport resident Kim said, "My 10 year old Cardigan [Welsh Corgi] has been swimming and he is not a fan, either!" But Lym Hyman had a different view. "As for Corgis and pigs, I must http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2011/06/driving-swimming-corgis-and-reader.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-8845597974210220346Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:04:00 +00002010-11-16T13:06:59.989-05:00distracted drivingDistracted driver: one who is talking on the phone, texting, drunk, or otherwise avoiding placing their entire focus on driving the vehicle.I adore US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. For one thing, he makes my job as a safety columnist so easy because he always provides me with fodder for my column. The other thing is that he’s, excuse the expression, hell bent on solving some of our http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2010/11/distracted-driver-one-who-is-talking-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-4648816168483417467Sat, 02 Oct 2010 18:09:00 +00002010-11-16T13:11:54.605-05:00domestic violenceOctober is domestic violence awareness month. A great many people live a wonderfully sheltered life, where domestic violence –or even raised voices—are not a part of life. If you’re one of those, I give you a hearty thumbs up! But for many people, violence is a way of life. Because I’ve worked in the field of domestic violence for so many years as a shelter manager, court advocate, and board http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2010/10/uncovering-myths-about-domestic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-9144207491428714204Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:19:00 +00002010-07-13T19:37:31.034-05:00booster seatThis week's Times-News column pertains to the use of child booster seats. Tennessee, Ohio, and Wyoming are the states with the strictest laws, requiring restraint seats up to age 8. (For comparison, Florida only requires restraints for children up to age 3) Most other states have laws applying to children up to seven years old. Seems to me that there is no question about the use of boosters for http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/booster-seat-or-car-seat-belt.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-5202101665369012103Sat, 04 Apr 2009 17:55:00 +00002009-04-04T12:59:29.387-05:00alcoholismA few weeks ago this column touched on domestic violence, and it seemed to be familiar to many local families. Soon after, our community had its own encounter with the vilest of home violence; a mother shot her adult son, then herself.I do not know this family nor their circumstance. Whenever a crime occurs, rumors fly, and I have no way of knowing where the truth lies. The mother was quoted as http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2009/04/help-is-available-for-families-of_04.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-2869524570251612847Thu, 02 Apr 2009 02:01:00 +00002009-04-01T21:13:52.122-05:00alcoholismdrinkingteen driversA few weeks ago this column touched on domestic violence, and it seemed to be familiar to many local families. Soon after, our community had its own encounter with the vilest of home violence; a mother shot her adult son, then herself. I do not know this family nor their circumstance. Whenever a crime occurs, rumors fly, and I have no way of knowing where the truth lies. The mother was quoted ashttp://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2009/04/help-is-available-for-families-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-2042197328858014502Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:54:00 +00002008-06-10T17:56:27.793-05:00driving skillsmotorcyclevehicle safetyHere's a great Harvard study on inattentional blindness, the phenomenon where we don't notice objects because we're too intent on something else. I'm really relieved to know there's a name for it; I must be the reigning queen. I can't tell you how many times somebody's told me they blew their horn, waved at me, or tried to get my attention some other way and I never even noticed.There's a video http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2008/06/why-cant-we-pay-attention.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-3546420244659796837Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:43:00 +00002008-06-05T06:43:00.914-05:00The other day I updated my email client. I use Thunderbird -- if you aren't familiar with it, it works a lot like Outlook. Only to me it has more options.Anyway, Thunderbird is supposed to do an automatic update, and apparently it did. Usually my Times News account downloads one or 5 or 6 letters. 10 if I'm lucky. Sometimes I don't even get one.This time it went nearly to 2,000.I had emails from http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2008/06/big-apology.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-4006576518970592448Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:38:00 +00002008-06-03T21:42:54.945-05:00Whew. Looks like the motorcyclists get a break for awhile; this week's Times News column is about gas prices, and consumers' reactions to them.For example, this Nielsen study shows that we're tightening our budgets in response to higher gas prices. And Fox News said that many travelers changed their Memorial Day plans because of the costs.Many motorcyclists wrote over the past month to tell me http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2008/06/gas-prices-desperate-times-desperate.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-2345171134243794986Wed, 28 May 2008 20:46:00 +00002008-05-28T15:49:30.094-05:00motorcyclevehicle safetyA big thank you to everyone who answered the poll questions. Hopefully tomorrow's column will reflect your thoughts. There were too many comments sent via email, websites and this blog to cover everything in that one bottom-of-the page article, so I'll continue to talk about giving motorcycles room on the road in the weeks ahead.Tanyahttp://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2008/05/thank-you.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-6749461594614061432Tue, 13 May 2008 19:07:00 +00002008-05-13T14:26:29.999-05:00motorcycle Tdtable.voto { font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: #666666; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: solid 1px #E2E5F9; vertical-align: top; text-align: left; width: 150px; border-collapse: collapse; } table.voto tbody { border: none; } table.voto tr { http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2008/05/poll-for-you.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-354895778290656295Mon, 12 May 2008 19:21:00 +00002008-12-11T19:54:28.441-05:00motorcycleThis month I've been focusing on Motorcycle Awareness Month. It's not about the people riding the bikes -- it's about the people driving cars sharing the road. A couple of motorcyclists have recommended a great book that shows motorcyclists how to create a "space cushion," countersteer, counterweight, and a bunch of other things that simply serve to remind me why I don't ride a bike! :DMy May 15 http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2008/05/this-month-ive-been-focusing-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-3023158277911891880Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:28:00 +00002008-01-24T15:32:12.458-05:00burglaryToday’s column was about four kinds of burglars:The carpe diemThe smash-and-dashThe prowlerThe professionalI’d like to talk about some of the ways burglars get in, and how we can deter them.Burglars look for signs of neglect or absence. That means lawns that haven’t been mowed, mailboxes that have more than one day’s mail, lights that remain on for days, and darkened houses. So the first thing tohttp://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2008/01/more-ways-to-deter-burglars.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-4564066424003757141Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:44:00 +00002008-01-24T15:39:27.197-05:00burglaryFor the past two weeks, I have been writing about ways to prevent your home from being burglarized. I wanted to share a letter I received from a reader. He's a certified locksmith, and I only quoted a small part of his letter in my Times-News column:I read your article. Thank You! As an FBI cleared Locksmith 11/04/1987 I am aware Certified Locksmiths have generally neglected the Residential and http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2008/01/home-safety.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-4146103898083392130Mon, 31 Dec 2007 18:47:00 +00002008-01-23T13:50:32.260-05:00My column has not changed -- the scope has just broadened. Instead of writing about traffic safety all the time, I will try to hit on some of the bigger public safety issues. If you have ideas, by all means share. In the meantime, everyone seems to enjoy the traffic videos:Watch the latest traffic videos on YouTube.comhttp://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2007/12/video-anyone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13484769.post-6053298901836657432Mon, 24 Dec 2007 13:15:00 +00002008-12-11T19:54:28.807-05:00angelsIf you missed the stories of William's angel and Kevin's God experience, they've been posted at Make Mine Christian. click on "Angel Stories."Merry Christmas to all!http://tanyadavis.blogspot.com/2007/12/if-you-missed-stories-of-williams-angel.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tanya Davis Logan)0