• It’s much easier to lose a cyclist in your rearview blind spot than another car. So don’t simultaneously look and turn, something we are prone to do when not focusing on the task at hand.

• You should never tailgate any vehicle on the road, but give a little extra space between you and a motorcyclist in front of you.

• While it may feel great to have the wind in your hair, it’s much better to keep your head on your shoulders. Wear a helmet when you ride. Protective clothing and eyewear are also a good way to minimize injuries.

• Knowing that you will always lose the head-on battle between motorcycle and car, do your best to not put yourself in harm’s way. Avoid drivers’ blind spots as much as possible and use your turn signals.

• A third of those surveyed admitted to reading text messages while driving.

• Two-thirds of them believe they are “very safe” drivers, but only half of them say their parents agree with them on the matter.

• One-in-four surveyed do not believe talking on the phone while driving is dangerous

• Young females engage in distracted driving much more than boys. 

• When asked, those surveyed said their parents engage in distracted driving more than they do.

The researchers examined 30 years of data and found 6,783 traffic-related deaths on Tax Day, or 226 on average. That compares with 213 on average for other days in April. Drivers happen to be slightly less likely than passengers or pedestrians to be killed.

Lead researcher Dr. Donald Redelmeier also revealed the monetary cost associated with the extra deaths: $40 million each year due to loss of life, injury and property damage costs. No word on whether the researchers considered the legal awards associated with

So, are these results merely coincidental, or is there a cause and effect? Some experts feel the reason for the correlation is unknown, while others consider a few obvious potential connections. For instance, Tax Day is one of the more stressful days for people, particularly those who find themselves owing money rather than expecting a check back from Uncle Sam. Hence, a stressed driver is a less attentive driver.

The study period was 1980 to 2009. Interestingly, electronic filing has grown in popularity since the mid ‘80s, but had no effect on the death rate. One explanation is that electronic filing may promote procrastination and hence more stress fighting the deadline. About 75 percent of all Americans filed taxes electronically last year.

While death and taxes are the two famously unavoidable facts of life, dying on Tax Day does not have to be. If you’re reading this, you obviously survived it in more ways than one.

The National Safety Council wants the business community to understand that they can be held liable for “large damage awards” if they have employees who use cell phones while behind the wheel.

According to a statement from the National Safety Council’s website:

“Employers are responsible for ensuring their employees adhere to applicable federal agency regulations and federal, state and municipal laws. However, what is often not understood is that simply following the applicable laws and regulations is often not sufficient to protect your business and employees from liability and large damage awards in a cell phone crash.”

As part of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the NSC is holding a webinar on April 25 from 1 to 2 pm CST to discuss the legal liability that businesses are exposed to if they do not properly address distracted driving with their employees. Included in the presentation will be how employers should have a comprehensive cell phone policy in place and what steps they need to take to protect the safety of their employees, the public as a whole and their own financial interest.

While having a company policy in regards to cell phone use while driving on company time is necessary, it’s just the beginning. It’s not going to wipe away liability exposure. That’s why technological solutions should be explored, ways to monitor and even block cell phone use while the employee is behind the wheel.

Every avenue should be explored to not just minimize legal exposure, but also reduce traffic-related injuries and deaths.

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) and its network of state affiliates took their cause to Capitol Hill on March 21. The campaign is important for the obvious health effects of brain injuries, but it’s just as important for the hidden effects. Sometimes the symptoms may not show up for weeks after the head trauma occurs.

According to the National Institutes of Health, half of all traumatic brain injuries are caused by vehicle collisions, including cars, motorcycles and bicycles. According to data from the BIAA, 1.7 million Americans experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every year, with a startling 3.1 million experiencing lifelong disabilities as a result of a TBI. Completing a scary trifecta, TBI is a contributing factor in about a third of all injury-related deaths.

If you have experienced head trauma, look out for the following symptoms:

- Headache or pressure in the head
- Loss of consciousness, even briefly, during the trauma
- Feeling confused
- Memory loss
- Dizziness or seeing “stars” after a head trauma
- Vomiting or nausea after the trauma
- Tinnitus, which is a ringing sound in the ears

None of these apply? If you have been in a car accident or have experienced a head trauma for any other reason, it’s always good to err on the side of caution and see your doctor to avoid further problems down the road. According to Dr. Brent Masel, National Medical Director for the BIAA, having access to comprehensive rehabilitation and ongoing disease management eases medical complications, permanent disability, job loss and even the possibility of suicide.

While the OSP is determined to continue educating the public about the dangers of distracted driving, in the two years since Oregon’s hands-free legislation was passed our citizens haven’t gotten off to a very good start.

Last year, State Police pulled over 3,782 drivers suspected of texting or talking on a handheld phone, up seven percent from 2010. State Troopers also issued 1,423 tickets statewide, a 39 percent increase over the year before. Only warnings issued saw a decrease, down eight percent to 2,359.

Laws governing cell phone use while driving may take some time to sink in, since many people are still unaware of the real dangers it poses. In the meantime, people continue to lose their lives.

If you can’t reach people through their brain, it may be more effective through the heart. Not even the most dispassionate person can’t resist the powerful emotional impact of tragic distracted driving stories.

Oregonian commuting columnist Joseph Rose recently spotlighted the tragic tale of French Canadian Mathieu Fortin and his girlfriend’s final text message. Fortin posted 20-year-old Emy Brochu’s last text messages behind the wheel on a Facebook memorial page:

Emy: “I love you too and I’ll try to make you happy.”

Mathieu: “I have a meeting at 12:30. I would have liked to hear your beautiful voice before but…we’ll talk tonight before 6:00…good day at school bb and I kiss you all over .”

After a few minutes pass and he gets no response. Then he texted her again: “Is all well my heart? I’m a little worried here.”

Fortins says on his girlfriend’s memorial Facebook page that he hopes this will make others think twice before texting and driving. How couldn’t it?

There are also safety provisions specific to the trucking industry, including a mandate for electronic onboard recorders, a clearinghouse for drug and alcohol test results and a written proficiency exam for new truckers.

Another safety provision gives the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) authority to bar truck drivers who do not meet safety standards. The agency is empowered to write a rule that sets safety requirements for drivers based on inspections, traffic offenses and trucking accidents. Drivers who do not meet the requirements can be barred up to a year.

The federal government can also create a notification system so trucking employers can be notified of drivers’ traffic infractions.

In deliberations, the Senate added a number of amendments to the bill. One gives an exemption from the hours-of-service rules for drivers hauling agricultural goods within 100 air-miles of the farm during planting and harvest seasons. The exemption also would apply to carrying farm supplies from or between retail or wholesale distribution points and the farm.

While there is still some partisan squabbling over details, reaction in the trucking industry has been generally positive:

“This bill advances the cause of highway safety and takes a number of important steps toward reforming our transportation system, two accomplishments that the committee chairmen and ranking members – Senators Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., James Inhofe, R. Okla., Max Baucus, D-Mont., Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Kay Hutchison, R-Texas – are to be commended for,” said Bill Graves, president and CEO of American Trucking Associations.

Many professionals admit to sleep being a problem. About 25 percent of pilots and train operators say their performance is affected at least once a week by lack of sleep. One in six train operators and truck drivers say that sleepiness caused a “near miss.”

“The results of the NSF poll should serve as a literal ‘wake-up call’,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman.  “Inadequate sleep puts lives at risk – we see this over and over in our accident investigations. Improving the quantity and quality of sleep can improve safety and ultimately save lives.”

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) wants to bring attention to the dangers of sleep-impaired driving, and that it can be just as dangerous as drinking and driving. Hersman took the opportunity to address professional drivers when we all lose an hour to daylight savings.

“While alcohol is often associated with impairment, operating a vehicle while fatigued can be just as deadly,” said Hersman. “As we move the clocks forward an hour this weekend, transportation operators need to plan for adequate sleep on Sunday night and every other night to safeguard the traveling public.”

The National Transportation Safety Board has issued almost 200 fatigue-related recommendations to address issues such as: hours-of-service requirements, scheduling policies, education and training, diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders, research, and vehicle technologies.

The groups claim that the federal rule for truck driver hours of service still falls short of the needed improvements regarding tired truckers and should be subjected to judicial review. Those involved in sending this message include Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Public Citizen, the Truck Safety Coalition, and two truck drivers who have filed a lawsuit challenging the new rule.

In the truckers’ lawsuit, filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, they are looking for a judicial review of the final HOS rule issued on December 16, 2011 by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

The groups say the new HOS rule not only doesn’t address driver fatigue, but it doesn’t reduce the 11-hour limit for consecutive driving hours to 10 hours, even though the agency issued a statement that says “the 10-hour rule is currently FMCSA’s preferred option because it would be most effective in reducing driver fatigue.”

The groups also claim the FMCSA had no data to support its decision to adopt the 11-hour limit in 2004 and that the new rule also does not eliminate the 34-hour restart provision, which the groups say encourages cumulative fatigue and allows drivers to exceed weekly driving limits.

In related news, The American Trucking Associations has just announced it is suing over the rules as well.