Showing posts with label Drinking and driving. Show all posts
The Deadliest Day?
Posted by Unknown in AAA Foundation, do as I say not as i do, Drinking and driving, Driving and medications, Holidays, marijuana and driving, Roadwise RX on Wednesday, July 2, 2014
This week, AAA predicts that 41 million Americans will venture 50+ miles from home for the Independence Day holiday weekend, with more than 80% of these travelers doing so by car -- the highest number since 2007. While in many respects this may be good news -- a boon for travel and tourism industries, and a sign of economic recovery -- a AAA Foundation analysis of 10 years of crash data found that July 4th ranks as the deadliest day of the year on the roads, with more than 40 percent of fatalities due to drunk driving.There is a twist, however. Day of the week affects traffic crashes and fatalities much more than specific dates do, with any given Saturday or Sunday generally deadlier than a major holiday that falls on, say, a Wednesday. For example, in 2006, when July 4 fell on a Tuesday, it was the 94th deadliest day of the year -- behind every other weekend in June, July, and August. It's only when you look at years of data that account for dates falling on each day of the week that July 4 emerges as the deadliest over time.
Given that Independence Day falls on a Friday this year and creates a long holiday weekend, we have great reason to be concerned. Friday, July 4, 2008 saw 80 alcohol-involved traffic fatalities, making it the 22nd deadliest day that year, and Saturday, July 4, 2009 had 90, making it the 2nd deadliest day, behind only the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.
Sadly, our latest Traffic Safety Culture Index found that many drivers continue to hold a “Do as I say, not as I do” attitude about impaired driving. While 96% of American drivers believe it’s unacceptable for someone to drive when they believe they’ve had too much to drink, and 52% of Americans believe drunk driving is a bigger issue today than it was three years ago, 1 in 8 drivers admit to driving under the influence of alcohol, and 1 in 10 say they did so more than once in the past year.
Troubling as this is, alcohol is not the only cause of impaired driving. Drugged driving is also a serious issue, though one about which there appears to be less public concern. 61% of surveyed drivers said that people driving after using illegal drugs were a very serious threat, and just 32% said this about prescription drugs. Marijuana, a major news item given recent pushes toward legalization in several jurisdictions, still seems to be considered a "gray area" by many drivers. Only 59% say they think marijuana increases crash risk, and more than 1 in 3 drivers who report using marijuana in the past year say they drove within an hour of doing so.
So, what are some things you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones this weekend?Remember:
- Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Period.
- Never get into a vehicle with a driver you suspect has been drinking or using drugs.
- Call 911 if you spot a motorist you believe may be under the influence. Actions such as drifting in and out of the lane, failing to maintain a consistent speed or disobeying traffic signs may all be indicators of an impaired driver.
- Make transportation arrangements before heading out to events, and consider options like designated drivers, taxis, and public transit.
- Take a look at the AAA Foundation’s Roadwise Rx tool (roadwiserx.com) to see what possible effects your prescriptions may have on driving (side effects as well as drug interactions).
- Always buckle up!
Have a safe and Happy Fourth!
Holiday Spirits
Posted by Unknown in AAA Foundation, AAAFTS, do as I say not as i do, Drinking and driving, DUI, Holidays, safety culture on Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Yesterday, AAA issued its annual end-of-year travel forecast, predicting a record-setting year in the number of motorists this holiday season. While in some ways this is good news – a sign of economic recovery, perhaps, and more people having the opportunity to visit loved ones – an impaired driver can turn the holidays into a nightmare for any of the 85.8 million people who are expected to travel by road this year. And unfortunately, our latest survey data indicate that in 2013, there have been as many impaired drivers out there as ever.
It’s not that people don’t “get it.” Our latest findings from the annual Traffic Safety Culture Index survey show that 96 percent of drivers think it’s somewhat or completely unacceptable for somebody to get behind the wheel when they think they may have had too much to drink. A high number (91%) perceive social disapproval of drunk driving from others, and 93 percent say drivers who have been drinking pose a somewhat or very serious threat to their personal safety. There is even relatively strong support for countermeasures to impaired driving, such as ignition interlocks.
Yet among people who report consuming alcohol (and who are licensed drivers), roughly one-in-five admit to driving when they thought their BAC level was close to or over the legal limit, at least once in the past year. And the problem isn’t just alcohol: there is much less public concern about drugged driving (illicit or prescription), and among people who report using marijuana, more than a third (36%) said they’ve driven within an hour of doing so in the past year. This is an attitude that we’ve long described with the phrase, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
The spirit of the season may bring joy for the holidays, but the spirits – when combined with driving – can be deadly. Indeed, far too many people already mark the holidays with sadness at the loss of a loved one to an impaired driving crash. So for the sake of yourself, your family and friends, and the tens of millions of people with whom you’ll share the road this season, don’t wait until New Years to make a resolution to avoid driving impaired. By then it could be too late.
For more information about our latest impaired driving survey data, and for tips on staying safe on the road this holiday season, please check out our new fact sheet. And please, have a safe and happy holiday.
It’s not that people don’t “get it.” Our latest findings from the annual Traffic Safety Culture Index survey show that 96 percent of drivers think it’s somewhat or completely unacceptable for somebody to get behind the wheel when they think they may have had too much to drink. A high number (91%) perceive social disapproval of drunk driving from others, and 93 percent say drivers who have been drinking pose a somewhat or very serious threat to their personal safety. There is even relatively strong support for countermeasures to impaired driving, such as ignition interlocks.
Yet among people who report consuming alcohol (and who are licensed drivers), roughly one-in-five admit to driving when they thought their BAC level was close to or over the legal limit, at least once in the past year. And the problem isn’t just alcohol: there is much less public concern about drugged driving (illicit or prescription), and among people who report using marijuana, more than a third (36%) said they’ve driven within an hour of doing so in the past year. This is an attitude that we’ve long described with the phrase, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
The spirit of the season may bring joy for the holidays, but the spirits – when combined with driving – can be deadly. Indeed, far too many people already mark the holidays with sadness at the loss of a loved one to an impaired driving crash. So for the sake of yourself, your family and friends, and the tens of millions of people with whom you’ll share the road this season, don’t wait until New Years to make a resolution to avoid driving impaired. By then it could be too late.
For more information about our latest impaired driving survey data, and for tips on staying safe on the road this holiday season, please check out our new fact sheet. And please, have a safe and happy holiday.
No Time for Complacency
Posted by Unknown in AAA Foundation, distracted driving, do as I say not as i do, Drinking and driving, drowsy driving, fatal car crashes, safety culture on Thursday, August 22, 2013
Readers familiar with our work will doubtlessly know what a strong emphasis we place on understanding and improving traffic safety culture in the United States. Starting with the 2007 publication of a compendium of articles by noted scholars, professionals, and advocates, we have since conducted annual surveys of the American public in order to measure and analyze the extent to which the nation’s motorists value and actively pursue safety on our roadways. Now, for the first time, we’ve taken a multi-year look at our Safety Culture Index surveys in order to analyze trends over time.
Troublingly, our new analysis appears to show that Americans have grown less concerned about key traffic safety hazards, such as impaired, drowsy, or distracted drivers. In 2009, for example, 90 percent of our survey respondents said they believed drivers operating a vehicle after consuming alcohol posed a very serious threat to their safety. This percentage has fallen every year since, however, reaching a low of 69 percent in 2012. For drowsy driving, these respective figures fell from 71 percent in 2009 to 46 percent in 2012.
Admittedly, we can’t determine from the survey data whether people believe these dangers pose less of a threat today because they think Americans have improved their driving behaviors overall, or because fewer people think the behaviors themselves are inherently dangerous. However, with 2012 showing a 5.3 percent increase in traffic fatalities over 2011 – the first annual increase in seven years – it’s clear that now is not the time for complacency, regardless of the reasoning.To keep pushing the needle on safety culture, the Transportation Research Board has just concluded a two-day National Roadway Safety Culture Summit, which was sponsored by the AAA Foundation and attended by about 100 members of the traffic safety community. The Summit’s goal was to identify research needs in this area and “next steps” that can be implemented in communities nationwide. The findings will ultimately inform the Toward Zero Deaths – a National Strategy on Highway Safety effort that is being developed by the traffic safety community.
We will of course continue our research and education in the area of safety culture, with our immediate next step being to complete and publish the 2013 Traffic Safety Culture Index. As in recent years, certain issue-specific findings will be available in the fall, and the full survey will be released in January. To learn more about our trends report, please click here. For information about the AAA Foundation-sponsored TRB summit, please visit this page.
Leading by Example this Saint Patrick's Day
Posted by Unknown in AAA Foundation, AAAFTS, do as I say not as i do, Drinking and driving, DUI, Holidays, safety culture on Thursday, March 14, 2013
Earlier this year, we released the fifth installment of our annual Traffic Safety Culture Index, a nationally-representative survey of the attitudes and behaviors of the American motoring public. As in previous years, we found that a “do as I say, not as I do” attitude persists, with many people admitting to doing the very same dangerous things – such as drinking and driving – that they say are unacceptable for others to do.Consider the following:
-- More than nine-in-ten drivers say that drunk drivers are a serious threat to safety;
-- Nearly all (97%) say it is unacceptable for people to drive when they think they may have had too much to drink;
-- Four-in-five drivers support requiring ignition interlock use by all DWI offenders; and
-- More than half of people say drunk driving is a bigger problem today than it was three years ago.
However, despite these attitudes, roughly one-in-sevendrivers admit that they drove when they thought their blood alcohol level was close to or over the legal limit, at least once in the past year. Among the biggest culprits were males, 18.1 percent of whom reported drinking and driving (vs. 10% of females), and drivers in their early 20s, more than a quarter of whom admitted to this.
Friday and Saturday nights in general see the most drunk-driving-related crashes and fatalities, and with Saint Patrick’s Day falling on a weekend this year, there could be an even bigger risk. From our safety culture survey, we know that motorists are aware of the dangers of drinking and driving. So this year, we hope that more people will turn away from a “do as I say, not as I do” stance, and instead choose to “lead by example.” How? By designating a driver this Saint Patrick’s Day, taking public transportation, or calling a cab, and by watching out for friends and always buckling up!
Keep the Party off the Road
Posted by Unknown in Drinking and driving, drinking driving safety culture fatal car crashes, Holidays on Monday, July 2, 2012
When members of the Congress approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, they knew that sacrifice, bloodshed, and loss of life would follow, as our fledgling nation sought to make the document’s revered language a political reality. To this day, Americans – and none more so than the members of our military and their families – continue to make sacrifices to safeguard the freedom and independence that we have cherished for more than two centuries, and that we celebrate every Independence Day.
What Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, and the 53 other signers of the Declaration of Independence could not foresee, of course, is that more than 230 years after the ink had dried on their signatures, more Americans would die each July 4th in traffic crashes involving alcohol than signed the Declaration. On July 4, 2006, we lost 65 people due to crashes in which a driver or pedestrian had alcohol in their system. On July 4, 2007, we lost another 84 people this way, and another 80 in 2008, 90 in 2009, and 62 in 2010.
When countless Americans have made and continue to make the ultimate sacrifice in service of the creation and preservation of our country, why do we seem to accept that each year additional fatalities will result from the celebration of it? Our 2011 Traffic Safety Culture Index found that while 97 percent of Americans view drinking and driving to be “somewhat” or “completely” unacceptable, one-in-seven admit to doing so at least once in the past year.
If all of us do our part, crashes due to impaired driving are highly preventable. If possible, leave the car at home and walk or take public transportation to the festivities. If driving is necessary, designate a sober driver or plan to spend the night. If all else fails and you find yourself stuck at the end of the evening with a car you can’t drive home safely, find out if your local AAA Club is offering a free towing service for the holiday, or call a cab and get the car in the morning. And, since you can’t control the actions of other drivers on the road, protect yourself by always buckling up and remaining alert and attentive behind the wheel.
I know it may not seem like much, but one of the best ways we can honor the sacrifice of our nation’s heroes is to make responsible choices that safeguard the people and communities they have fought and died for. Let’s look out for our fellow Americans this July 4th, and every day, so that we can continue to celebrate together for many years to come.
Drinking and Driving: A Preventable Cause of Death
Posted by Unknown in do as I say not as i do, Drinking and driving, drinking driving safety culture fatal car crashes, driving safety, DUI on Tuesday, January 17, 2012
The Washington Post's Letter to the Editor on Monday featured findings from our 2011 Traffic Safety Culture Index relating to drinking and driving. In that survey, we found that ‘Almost everyone said that drinking and driving was unacceptable, yet 14 percent said that within the year they had driven with an alcohol level probably near or above the legal limit’.
This means there are people out on our roads who find drinking and driving to be acceptable, and again shows the ‘do as I say, not as I do’ attitude that exists among drivers. With all the progress we have made in this country towards increasing awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence, it’s clear we have a long road ahead when it comes to changing people’s attitudes and behaviors.
It is my hope that every year we publish this index, we will see the percentage of people who put their lives and others at risk by drinking and driving decrease, and finally put a stop to this easily preventable cause of death on our roads.
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