Category: Safety Tips

The Stromsoe Insurance Agency Total Protection Team would like to wish all of our friends and family a Safe and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

St. Patrick’s Day has become a big night out for many Americans. But it is also a very dangerous night out due to impaired drivers. This St. Patrick’s Day designate a sober driver before the parties begins.

– Americans who drive while impaired on St. Patrick’s Day make it a high-risk evening on the nation’s roadways.

– According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 32 percent of all traffic fatalities on the nation’s highways around St. Patrick’s Day in 2003 were the result of impaired drivers with blood alcohol content levels of 0.08 percent and above.

But much of this tragedy can be prevented by reminding all drivers of a few simple precautions. Whether you are just meeting a few friends at the corner pub or attending the big local parade or party, if you plan on using alcohol to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day:

1. Designate your sober driver before the party begins and give that person your car keys;

2. Don’t starve yourself before or during the party. Enjoy the food as well as the drink;

3. Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself – eat, take breaks, alternate with non-alcoholic drinks;

4. If impaired, don’t even think about getting behind the wheel. Ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend or family member to come and get you, call your local sober rides program, use mass transit, or stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober;

5. And remember, Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk. Take the keys and never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while impaired.

If you are hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party:

1. Serve lots of food — particularly high-protein dishes – and be sure to include lots of non-alcoholic beverages, desserts and coffee;

2. Be sure all of your guests designate their drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with sober drivers; and

3. Keep the numbers for local cab companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.

Most of all, have a great holiday and be safe…

Thankful to be able to protect you…please pass this on to anyone you know.

On average, there are more than six million auto accidents on U.S. roads every year. Sadly, 34,017 of these crashes proved to be fatal in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Based on these shocking statistics, it might seem inevitable that we’ll all suffer from an auto accident at some point. However, there are numerous precautions you can take when you’re behind the wheel to reduce your risk of having an accident. Auto insurance experts implore drivers to wear their seatbelts, drive defensively, closely follow driving laws and be considerate to other drivers. Read on for more driving safety tips that will help you steer clear of auto accidents.

Keep your eyes on the road. When you’re behind the wheel, it’s extremely important to stay focused on the road at all times. The NHTSA reports that driving distractions cause up to 4,300 accidents every day in the U.S. That’s why you shouldn’t take your eyes off the road for even a moment, whether you’re changing radio stations or dialing a number on your cell phone. Safety experts say you should pull over to a safe place on the side of the road if you need to do any of the following:

• Pick up an item you dropped
• Change CDs
• Look at a map
• Eat or drink
• Change radio stations
• Dial a number, talk on the phone, or send a text message
• Read a newspaper
• Apply makeup, comb your hair, or take care of any other personal grooming

Just say no to road rage. Safety experts say drivers should also avoid aggressive driving. Be courteous to other cars on the road, and control your road rage. Although it might be tempting to yell and gesture at another driver who cuts you off on the highway, try to keep your cool. If you antagonize an aggressive driver, the situation could escalate quickly. If you fear that another driver is putting you at risk, call the police immediately.

Try to remain polite on the road. There seems to be a common phenomenon where people who are generally well-mannered in every day life lose their sense of common courtesy when they’re behind the wheel. You probably see it every day during your commute. For example, when you turn on your signal to switch lanes, the driver in the next lane speeds up and blocks you in. Although it can be easy to lose your temper in this situation, you’re better off letting them pass than trying to cut them off. After all, countless accidents occur every day because of aggressive driving.

Top 10 safety tips. Follow these top 10 safety tips to reduce your risk of having an auto accident:

1. Never drive after you drink alcohol, even if you’ve just had one or two drinks.

2. Don’t give in to distractions, such as playing with your iPod, reading a text message, or picking up a toy your child dropped in the backseat.

3. Avoid road rage. If you come across an aggressive driver, don’t antagonize or encourage them. Keep your cool and call the police if the driver is putting other motorists at risk.

4. Keep a safe distance between your car and the vehicle in front of you. For every 10 miles per hour of your driving speed, leave at least one car length between your car and the car in front of you.

5. Try to maintain a consistent speed. Don’t continually slow down and speed up unless the posted speed limit changes.

6. Keep your car in tip-top shape. Get regular oil changes and tune ups and check the condition of your tires at least once a month.

7. Stay alert when you drive through intersections. Most accidents occur in intersections, so be sure to look left, then right, then left again to make sure it is safe to pass through.

8. Keep your side mirrors and rear-view mirrors adjusted properly. As you drive, check your side and rear-view mirrors every 15 seconds to make sure you’re in the clear.

9. Be aware of road conditions and react appropriately. For example, turn on your lights if you’re driving at dusk or dawn or in the rain. If the roads are wet, snowy or icy and you feel your car starting to hydroplane, don’t brake suddenly or turn the steering wheel. This could send you into a skid. Instead, ease off the gas pedal slowly and steer straight until you feel your tires regain traction.

10. Sign up for a defensive driving class. With the proper training, you’ll be able to react more quickly to potential accidents on the road.

Let us know what you think, please share any safety or defensive driving secrets you have learned. Please drive safely this holiday season.

When I recently packed the grandkids into their vehicle to send them home, it reminded me of the most important thing you can do for your children is to make sure they are properly secured in their seat belts. Safe adult drivers begin as safe child passengers. Teach your kids safe habits before they learn unsafe ones from someone else.

The National Highway Safety Administration has created some important guidelines every parent should follow when securing their children in the car. As a general rule, children 12 and younger should always sit in the back seat where they are away from active air bags. Air bags are made for adults and the force of the deployment can injure a young child seriously.

Infants from birth to 20-22 pounds and at least one year old have special guidelines for safety. Adults should make sure to use a rear-facing infant seat or a rear-facing convertible seat when securing a child in the back seat. If you have a car that seats only two, the air bag should be deactivated before placing the child in the passenger seat. The harness straps should be snug and placed in the lower slots at or below shoulder level. The top of the harness clip should be at armpit level. And the child passenger restraint should be installed at no greater than a 45-degree angle.

The switch to a forward-facing car seat can be made for toddlers 20-40 pounds and older than one year of age. Again, secure harness straps snugly in the appropriate reinforced slots at or above shoulder level and fasten the harness clip at armpit level.

Once your child has exceeded 40 pounds, is between ages four and eight, and is up to 4’ 9” tall, they may use a booster seat. Secure the booster seat much the same way as the child seat. Using a lap and shoulder belt, make sure to place the shoulder strap over the shoulder of your child and across their chest. The shoulder strap should never go across the neck, face, or arm of your child. Place the lap belt low and snug on the hips — never over the stomach. If the shoulder or lap belt is in the wrong place during an accident, it could cause serious abdominal injury.

At eight years of age and 4’ 9” or taller, your child has graduated to an adult restraint system. As with the booster seat, use a lap and shoulder belt to secure your child, taking care not to have the belts cross the stomach, neck, or arms. Children should learn that they cannot place the shoulder belt behind their back or under their arms, as this defeats the purpose of being restrained.

For general information on the proper use of child restraint devices, always consult the instructions that come with your child safety seat, as well as the information provided by your vehicle’s owner’s manual.