Everything Traffic Safety
Q: Is it legal for two motorcycle police officers to ride side by side down a city street?
A: Yes, and that is not an exception granted only to police officers. In section 46.61.608 of the Revised Code of Washington it states that “Motorcycles shall not be operated more than two abreast in a single lane.” Officers or not, two motorcycles riding side by side is okay according to our state law. Continue reading “Riding Side By Side and Other Motorcycle Rules”
Q: Now that we’ve had a few years of legalized marijuana, do we know what impact that has had on impaired driving?
A: Before I answer that, I’ll point out that understanding traffic data is complex and we can’t always draw accurate conclusions from one set of data. But let’s look at one set of data anyway, because it’s pretty compelling. This chart covers traffic fatalities involving marijuana impaired drivers from 2011 to 2016. That gives us three years prior to legalization and three years since legalization. Continue reading “Getting High, Getting a DUI, Getting Help”
Sex and intoxication. Did that get your attention? If so, this article is probably not what you think it is. We’re focusing on the less salacious but still very important issue of a person’s biological sex as a significant factor in alcohol impairment; a big deal when it comes to impaired driving. Rather than responding to a single question, this article is prompted by conversations I’ve had with people about impairment levels and driving. Continue reading “Sex and Intoxication”
Seattle PD put this PSA together after an officer encountered a man snorting cocaine during a traffic stop. Hard to believe, I know. The officer can hardly believe it either. Take a look:
This PSA comes from Australia, where they tend not to hold back on tragedy in their messaging. It’s part of the Bloody Idiot campaign from a few years ago, and is more tame than some of the others in the campaign (like this one). Not too long ago, I posted the “Bloody Legend” PSA; that one was from New Zealand. Noticing a “bloody” theme from the Australia/New Zealand contingent of traffic safety professionals. Don’t worry, this one doesn’t actually have any blood in it. (But it is sad.)
For many people the end of the year is a time to take stock of our lives and see if we’re achieving our goals. This week, instead of answering one of your questions, I’d like to propose one of my own: How are we doing in our goal to eliminate fatal and serious injury crashes on our roads? Continue reading “The Good News, The Bad News and The Worse News in Traffic Safety”
It’s the holiday season, and in the world of traffic safety that coincides with extra emphasis patrols for impaired drivers. DUI patrols are happening all across the state, so I thought I’d share one of the PSAs that we’re using right now to get out the message that DUI is not just for alcohol. Impairment includes legal drugs, illegal drugs and prescription medications. If you’re just high on life, you’re still good to drive. That’ll make more sense after you watch the video.
Ziad Youssef at MyTrafficMan.net is a local attorney who focuses, as you may have guessed from his website name, on traffic law. He’s also the attorney that connected me with Rochelle, the first person featured in the Real Driving Stories series. Ziad has put out a radio spot for the holidays, and his message of keeping your holiday season great by not getting a DUI is right on, so I’m sharing it here:
I know this section of the website is for PSAs, and this straddles the line between PSA and commercial, so I’m counting it. I appreciate when local businesses spread safe driving messages. Which brings me to my next point: If you’re a local business and you have a radio or TV spot or a print add for your business that encourages people to drive safe, I’ll gladly feature it here at TheWiseDrive. We can all work together for safe driving in our community.
Every year during the holidays we launch our impaired driving emphasis patrols and remind everyone of the dangers of impaired driving. Rather than hearing it from me, I thought it would be better to let someone who has experienced a DUI arrest tell her story:
I want to publicly thank Rochelle for her willingness to tell her story. It takes courage, and courageous people change lives. Thanks also to Ziad at MyTrafficMan.net for collaborating on this project.
When it comes to impaired driving, how are we doing? Since the 1970’s, the message has consistently been, “If you drink, don’t drive,” and “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” The laws have become stricter, the penalties have become steeper. But has it worked?
A few years ago I could have confidently answered yes, or at least had an optimistic outlook. We were on track, with fewer fatalities from impaired driving every year. But then the situation changed. What happened? The answer is pretty simple: Continue reading “Disturbing Trends in Impaired Driving”