Chances are...
Chances are, you're not going to be killed in a car accident today. Chances are, you are not going to injure or kill someone else today either. Chances are, if you speed today you will not be stopped by the police for a ticket or even issued a warning. Chances are, if you run a stop sign or pass on the shoulder, nothing will happen to you. Sounds ridiculous right! Not necessarily.
If you knew that you were going to be killed or injured when you left the house in your car, would you drive? The answer is no. If you knew that within the week, you would be involved in a crash that would injure someone or yourself, you probably wouldn't drive either. We assume nothing will happen based on our values and attitude. In terms of traffic safety, values describe laws that direct how we should behave. Values suggest that when you approach a stop sign, that you will "STOP" or if the speed limit is posted for 25 mph, that you will drive 25 mph. Unfortunately, we must rely on other drivers to accept the same values that we do. As you drive the roadway, do you really know anything about the other drivers? The answer is "NO". You may formulate a conclusion based on the make of vehicle, race, sex, how they look, etc.. However, you don't know if they have been drinking, taking medication, have been up all night or if they are depressed, angry or distracted. You're assuming the other driver has accepted the same values and will obay the laws as you do...and that's a bet.
Sometimes we are driving aggressive because we are late, distracted, tired, day-dreaming, drunk, impatient, or there is a legitimate emergency. If your son was cut on the playground and was bleeding profusely, I would expect you to speed tothe hospital; if your wife was pregnant and having a baby, I would expect you to speed; if you had to go to the bathroom, you might speed ( this one I have heard many times before). Despite the ligitimate emergency, aggressive driving and inattention accounts for nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes.
According to a preliminary report from the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 43,200 died on the nations's highways in 2005. Driving is the most dangerous thing you willever do. It's more dangerous than war, skydiving, or even alligator wrestling. I suggested that chances are nothing will happen to you today. Chances are nothing will. However, considering the average motorest travels 50,000-60,000 trips during their lifetime, chances are you will have an accident at sometime or another. Statistically, you or someone in your family will be injured in a vehicle accident. Someone you know will be killed in a vechicle accident and nearly every driver today will be involved in some form of vehicle accident during their lifetime.
Ask yourself when was the last time you were speeding because your son cut his arm on the playground, your wife was pregnant, or you had to go to the bathroom? Most of the time we speed because it's easier, everyone else is doing it, we are late, distracted, or maybe it's fun...and that's a bet too.
Driving for some people is like going to a casino and playing a slot machine. Throw a quarter in the machine and watch the wheels spin to see what the payoff will be. If we don't win, we keep throwing coings in because we know we are close and the machine plays on our intelligence. The slot machine displays bars, fruits, and dollar signs to let you know how close you are to the payoff. However; if I told you that when you spin that wheel and get an apple, you would have a property damage only accident, would you pull that lever? If I told you that on your next spin, if two bells are displayed, you are going to be in an injury accident in which you or someone else would be injured today, would you pull that lever? If gold bars show up, you will be killed today, would you pull that lever?
We tell ourselves that we can win on the slot machine, just like we tell ourselves nothing will happen if we speed because we are late, distracted, or it's just easier. Chances are it will happen. Please don't take that chance. Drive safely and be aware of the other drivers.
Speed Safety Facts:
Speeding reduces the driver's ability to steer safely around curves and avoid objects on the road.
Speed affects the stopping distance of a vehicle. At 55 MPH, with a vehicle in proper working condition, the stopping distance is 217 feet. At 70 MPH the stopping distance is 351 feet. Can you judge between 217 feet and 351 feet when driving your vehicle.
Speeding increases the distance youe vehicle will travel before you can comprehend there is an emergency and react. Each MPH you travel equates to 1.5 feet per second. A vehicle going 55 MPH will travel 80 feet each second.
A simple way to figure how many feet per second your car is going is by adding half your speed to your speed. The next time you are behind the wheel of a 3,000 pound vehicle, think of your speed in feet per second. 60 MPH is approximately 90 feet per second. Think about how fast you can react!
Think speeding will get you there faster!
The Minnesota Safety Council had two drivers travel over the same 1,000 mile route in similar vehicles at diferent speeds. The faster driver passed 2,000 cars, braked 1,339 times and covered the distance in 20 hours and 12 minutes. The slower driver flowed with the traffic, passed only 13 cars, braked only 652 times, and covered the distance in 20 hours and 43 minutes. The faster car used 10 gallons more gas and the drivers pulse rose because of the tension and risks he had taken. Was it realy worth traveling at that faster speed?
Lieutenant Dave Marshak
Jefferson County Sheriffs Department
South Zone - www.jcsd.org
