Join the Movement

Join the Movement to End Texting and Driving

Drivers who read or send texts while behind the wheel are more likely to cause crashes – often leading to life changing injuries and deaths. To put an end to texting and driving, AT&T launched the It Can Wait campaign, which Florida/United Safety Council is proud to be a part of.

We’re excited to help take the It Can Wait movement one step further with “Drive 4 Pledges Day” on September 19, 2013. On this day, It Can Wait advocates will be asking every driver to join us in making a personal commitment not to text and drive – and recruiting others to do the same. To succeed in making texting and driving a thing of the past, we’re going to need everybody’s help. 

There are many easy ways to get involved. Once you take the pledge online, ask four other people to vow never to text and drive, or simply share your pledge and what it means to you through your social media channels.

Here is a sample post:

·      No text is worth a life. Join me and @ATT to Drive 4 Pledges against texting while driving. soc.att.com/15W2Ust #ItCanWait

               

For more ideas on how to get involved and information about texting and driving, visit ItCanWait.com.

Driving Personalities Behind the Wheel!

We all have our “moments” behind the wheel; 

which driving style do you impersonate the most? 

Driving Personality 1:

- Guilty of eating fast food while on the road, you can’t wait another second to eat those nuggets!   

- You’re a social butterfly, talking on the phone is a must for those long car rides.  

- In your car you’re always ready for your “close-up”; you do your best work in the rear-view mirror.

 Driving Personality 2: 
- Merge, Smerge.... They can get out of your way!

- Driving under the speed limit doesn't bother you, just everyone else. After all, you don’t know where you’re going! 

   

- You miss your exit, and instead of taking the next one, you pull over and reverse back.    

- Turn signal? What’s that?  

 Driving Personality 3: 

- A speed limit is a guideline... “70 mph” to them means “80 mph” to me.

- I look at the road like a race, passing cars till I reach 1st place.

- If you’re in front of me and only going 5mph over, I’ll speed around you to do 7mph over.  

Driving Personality 4:

-I’m late to work; stop signs mean “roll” signs to me!

- When I’m running behind, I have the right away in every situation.

- I turn my blinker on, but the other car won’t let me in, so I move over anyways.

  

Driving Personality 5: 

- Driving is not my thing... I’m very cautious on the road.

- I don’t like to make the first move... when it comes to driving. I’ll let everyone else pass me.

- My foot proudly stays right over the brake! I’m not trying to get into an accident today, or any day!

- My Mom said turn right... but I think I’m supposed to go left? Should I get off here? ....Where are we going again?

Tips On How to Improve Your Driving Style!

Driving Personality 1: 

If your traits are similar to the ones above, then you are most like “The Multi-Tasker”

Ways to Improve:

• Leave 10-15 minutes before if you need to stop and get food! That way you can eat there instead of on the road, and your car doesn’t get dirty with ketchup or taco sauce, bonus!
• Instead of talking to your friends for long car rides, make a couple mixtape CD’s that will keep you busy listening to the lyrics!
• Do your makeup at home, or when you get to the office, so your eyes stay on the road.

Driving Personality 2: 

Finding yourself in these situations? You’re suffering from “Lost Tourist Syndrome”

Ways to Improve:

• When merging into lanes, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to make the switch, so you’re not rushing over to your exit from three lanes of traffic.
• When driving under the speed limit, stay to the right! The left lane is specifically used for the “fast” drivers, so it’s really dangerous to be doing 5 under, when they’re doing the speed limit, and more! A new law has been passed for drivers who are going under the speed limit in this lane, and can result in a ticket. Click Here for more info!
• Using your turning signal can save you from being in an accident! If another driver doesn’t see your signal, they may merge into the same lane you’re going into, and then collide with each other.

Driving Personality 3: 

If the need for speed is on your side, you’re definitely a “Led Foot Larry”

Ways to Improve:

• If you have to speed, you’re running late. Simply leave your house 10 minutes earlier, and you’ll won’t have to! This also saves you gas money from revving your engine less.
• Don’t be the person that cuts people off just to do the same speed limit in front of them, be patient and save yourself an accident. 

Driving Personality 4:

You need to slow down! You’re driving style is “In a Hurry”

Ways to Improve:

• Rolling through a stop sign can not only result in a ticket, but can also cause a collision! Red light cameras are also catching onto this trend of “rolling” through a red light to turn right on red. Make a full and complete STOP to avoid a ticket, and an accident.
• If you’re always running behind in the morning, resulting in crazy driving stunts to get there, try this tip; set your clocks in your house 10 minutes ahead of time. You’ll eventually forget you did, and once you’re in your car, you’ll see you have extra time!
• You can’t change how other people drive, especially when you’re trying to get in front of them. As annoying as they can be, make sure you’re in the lane you need to be in way before you have to be in it, that way, you’re not scrambling to get into the lane, and not cramming yourself in between two other vehicles (who probably don’t want you there).

Driving Personality 5:

Chances are you’re a little scaredy cat on the road... you’re relateable to “The Intimidated Driver”.

Ways to Improve:

• When you’re nervous on the road and hover over the break, it’s confusing to other drivers, because they’re not sure what move you’re going to make. I suggest you use a GPS, so you know exactly where to go, and don’t have to second guess yourself.
• Don’t be afraid to get on the highway, get up to speed with the other drivers, and then merge over using your blinker. More often than not, when a driver approaches an in-ramp to the highway, they will move over so others can get in. Be confident! Not cautious.

How to avoid bad car accidents!

Traffic Jams.... 

          Welcome back! As you read in my last post, I commute from Daytona to Orlando twice a week for my internship. I also do this during the school semester, so I spend a lot of time driving and being on the road... And although it has its perks (such as singing "Wild One's" by Sia really, really loud...) it does have some of it's downfalls.

Last week I got stuck in a traffic jam on my way to the Florida Safety Council. It took me TWO HOURS to get to work, when it normally takes me just over an hour to get here. I've come to realize that I-4 is notorious for it's awful traffic. With millions of visitors coming here every year, I can imagine why... however, a lot of people aren't paying attention when the traffic is starting to slow down, and is creating MORE accidents in the midst of it all! I'm not looking to get rear-ended (again...) so here's my rant for the week;

When on a busy highway or street, such as I-4, it's best to keep a safe distance away from the car in front of you. So if they do slam on you're breaks, you'll have enough time to react to the car slowing down! I always try to keep a safe distance away, and then two more cars will jump in front of me, leaving no space cushion in the event of an accident. If the leading car were to slam on it's brakes? All 4 of us would be in a collision... And I'm not looking to break my legs anytime soon :) The rule is count "One 1000, Two 1000" when you're behind a car, please utilize this little trick to keep you and you're car safe!


Secondly, PAY ATTENTION! These drivers are on their phone, listening to the radio, talking to their fellow passengers, and coming to a sudden stop, almost running into the car in front of them! This is a serious matter. When your'e not paying attention, you're endangering the drivers around you, and yourself! So don't be selfish, just pay attention... please!

I hope to see the roads a little more clearly now after this post, spread the word! And be safe :)

Meet the newest Intern at FSC! :)

Hello there!

My name is Brittany Moore, and I'm the newest Intern at Florida Safety Council! I look forward to utilizing this to speak on topics that are concerning to me in my every day life.

A little about myself, I live in Daytona Beach, Florida. Roughly an hour from where I'm interning. I commute twice a week to my internship, here, at the FSC! So far I'm really happy with where I work, and the projects I get to work on, but the traffic could use some improvement on I-4.... *sigh*.

Currently I'm working on different projects; such as our newsletters and event planning! We have a luncheon coming up that I will be attending on Emergency Preparedness in the community! And an OSHA representative will be there to speak on the subject! If you'd like to come, and you're in the Orlando area, email me for more information, and I'll post the pretty little flyer I made so you can see my work!

If you haven't already, you should subscribe via email to our monthly newsletters! Look at the website for more information at occsafety.com/safety-newsletter.asp ! This is what I will be focusing on here at the FSC.

If you have any topics you'd like me to discuss, then feel free to email me! I'll look into it further and see what I can do as far as answering your concerns and improving the safety in our world. :)


And now; our beautiful luncheon flyer! Made by moi! I bet it makes you hungry :)

Get A Better Night's Sleep

Since it’s National SleepAwareness Week this week’s blog posts are following a theme. My last post was about drowsy driving and how you can stay alert behind the wheel when you don’t get enough sleep. This post discusses how you can actually catch those elusive ZZZ’s.

I’m not a sleep expert but I have some great credentials! I sleep every day! I kid, but I’ve actually developed some great habits over the years and am sharing them with you in hopes one might help. I’m in my fourth year as a full-time college student and have always held one to three jobs in addition to school. I used to toss and turn at night but now I’m out as soon as my head hits the pillow thanks to breaking some bad habits and making some good ones.

Everyone is unique and has different schedules and their bodies react differently so don’t worry if everything I list doesn’t work for you. Pick what does and stick with it! You’ll feel the results in a surprisingly short amount of time.

1.    Establish a regular bedtime routine.

Before bed I have a system. First I change into my PJs to get into that bedtime mindset. Then I have to wash up, brush my teeth, and so on. The trick here is to do things in the same order every time and try to get ready at the same time every day. Your body gets used to your system and as you’re going through the motions it triggers an “oh, it’s almost bedtime” response.

2.    Keep a regular bedtime and wake-up schedule.

This semester is the first time where I have to wake up within a half hour window five days a week. In the past I would wake up early twice a week to go to work but then sleep in the rest of the week because my classes were much later. Having this regular routine makes me feel great! I was never an early riser but you get used to it. And now I get tired around the same time daily so I spend less time lying awake in bed.

3.    Exercise regularly.

Because we eat food regularly our bodies create energy. If you sit for long periods of the day and aren’t active then you probably created more energy than you used. Exercise helps burn that extra energy and helps you clear your mind, that way when you’re lying in bed at night your thoughts aren't racing. Just be sure not to exercise too close to your bedtime because getting your heart rate up could keep you up longer. On average you shouldn’t exercise within three hours before they want to go to sleep.

4.    Watch the caffeine and sugar!

Caffeine affects everyone differently. I can drink two cups of coffee and then fall asleep no problem but others need at least four hours of no caffeine if they want to fall asleep at night. On the other hand I can’t have any sugar after 8 p.m. if I want to go to sleep. I don’t know the science behind it but if you drink soda around dinner time or have extremely sugary desserts try going a few days without it and see if you fall asleep more easily.

5.    Avoid the television, e-readers and smart phones before bedtime.

The light that the TV, e-readers and smart phones project affects your brain the same way that sunlight does. Even if you know it is dark outside your body thinks the sun is still up and that it’s not bedtime. Shut the TV at least an hour before bedtime and wind down some other way. Read a real book or turn off the backlight on your e-reader and avoid your smart phone.

6.    If you can’t sleep then get up!

One of the worst things to do if you can’t fall asleep is to continue lying in bed. After 20-30 minutes of restlessness you need to get up and do some monotonous task like fold laundry or make a to-do list. When you’re in bed for that long you get mad that you can’t fall asleep and that’s all your brain thinks about which, ironically, keeps you awake longer. Get up for 15 minutes, relax a bit, and then try again. You’ll be surprised that the 15 minutes of extra activity will help you fall asleep quicker.

I hope some of this helps! Getting a good night’s sleep is extremely important and can result in you having a more productive day, studying better, being a safer driver and more! Have a good night = )

Drowsy Driving

March 3-10 is National Sleep Awareness Week, an annual campaign to celebrate the health benefits of sleep. In honor of this week-long awareness program and the upcoming Daylight Savings Time change on March 10, the Florida Safety Council is educating its followers on the dangers of drowsy driving and how to avoid it. 

The Facts

According to the most recent National Sleep Foundation's poll, over 60% of adult drivers admitted  to driving while feeling drowsy in the past year, and 37% have actually fallen asleep at the wheel! Furthermore,  4% – approximately eleven million drivers – were involved in a crash or near miss because they dozed off or were too tired to drive.

Can you see why this is an issue?! 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue each year. This results in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and $12.5 billion in monetary losses annually. Since it is difficult to attribute crashes to sleepiness these statistics could be the tip of the iceberg.

Avoiding Drowsy Driving

To protect yourself, your passengers, and other drivers on the road the Florida Safety Council has compiled a list of tips so that you can avoid driving drowsy! Of course there is no substitute for a full night's sleep but these options can help keep you more alert on the road. 

1. Drink caffeinated beverages:

Coffee and energy drinks are very popular options when one doesn't get enough sleep however, they could be deadly if you have a heart condition. Be sure to read labels and look up information about the product before you consume it. 

2. Listen to music:

Turn up that radio and sing along! Getting your blood pumping will help keep you alert on the road. My only recommendations are that you avoid dancing (I know, it's hard!) so that you can keep both hands on the wheel and don't flip through stations unless you're at a red light. 

3. Bring a passenger:

Having someone to talk to while you're driving will keep you from dozing off. It's also helpful to have a second pair of eyes on the road and you will have the option to let them drive if you feel unfit. When my sister and I were driving home for winter break I gladly handed her my keys when I realized how exhausted I was. Just make sure you trust the driver!

Remember, a good night's sleep is your best defense against drowsy driving! Many factors come into play when determining how long you should sleep for, but the recommended amount is 6-8 hours every night. Keep this in mind this Sunday, March 10 when we lose an hour from Daylight Savings Time. Go to bed an hour earlier than usual so the time change won't affect you and lead to drowsy driving!

Carbon Monoxide, the "Silent Killer"

Invest in a Carbon Monoxide Detector!

A recent post about space heaters mentioned one risk associated with using space heaters is carbon monoxide poisoning. After doing more research about the topic I decided to share what I've learned in hopes that the information can help you protect your most valuable assets; your life and the lives of your loved ones!

What is carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas that is difficult to detect as it is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and initially non-irritating. It’s commonly referred to as the “silent killer” because it’s virtually undetectable without the use of technology and the symptoms are commonly mistaken for influenza.

What is carbon monoxide poisoning?

Two factors that determine how dangerous carbon monoxide is to humans are the amount of CO present and the length of the exposure. Large concentrations of carbon monoxide will affect you faster but smaller concentrations can have the same harmful effects over longer periods of time.

Breathing in carbon monoxide displaces the oxygen in your blood which deprives your vital organs (heart, brain, etc.) of oxygen. Luckily these issues can be reversed if caught in time but even if you do recover it may result in permanent damage to parts of your body that require lots of oxygen to function. Carbon monoxide poisoning also poses a special risk to fetuses and can result in significant reproductive risk.

Some signs of carbon monoxide poisoning:

How to protect yourself:

A CO detector will put your mind at ease by alerting you if that headache is natural or has a deadly cause. You can purchase a carbon monoxide detector at most hardware stores such as Home Depot and Lowe’s. You can also buy them online from a variety of websites.

Carbon monoxide detectors come in a variety of forms. They are designed to measure carbon monoxide levels over a series of time and sound an alarm before dangerous levels accumulate, which gives you time to evacuate or safely ventilate the area. Some detectors plug into standard electrical outlets and others are sold as a dual smoke/CO detector. Do your research to make sure you get the best product to suit your needs.

*This is just some general information I've compiled about carbon monoxide poisoning. View this OSHA Fact Sheet for more details about who it affects, occupations that are more at risk for exposure, how employers can prevent exposure, and more.

Space Heaters

The Weather is Cooling Down,

Do You Know How to Heat It Up Safely?

The United Safety Council is aware that most people located in northern states where cold weather is inevitable have a general knowledge of how to use space heaters properly and safely. However, as the Safety Council's main offices are Florida-based, we feel some of our clients may need this reminder. We recommend anyone interested in using a space heater read on. Also, although you may think you know everything about the topic, non-Floridians feel free to keep reading to brush up on your space heater safety knowledge!

What are space heaters?

This may seem like an odd question but some people honestly don’t know because they've never used one.

When the weather gets cooler, instead of turning up the heat in your home you can purchase a space heater to warm a small space. They can be portable or wall mounted and can be electric or run off of natural gas or propane. The former is recommended as there are many safety hazards associated with the others which will be discussed shortly.

Safety Issues Related to Space Heaters

The two primary health risks from space heaters are the risk of fire and the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. In 2006, an estimated 19,400 reported home structure fires involving stationary or portable space heaters resulted in 390 deaths, 820 injured persons and $478 million in direct property damage.  

If you smell gas at any time, inside or outside of your home:

    1. NO FLAMES OR SPARKS! Extinguish all smoking materials & open flames. Don’t operate 

        lights, appliances, telephones or cell phones. Flames or sparks from these sources can 

        trigger an explosion or a fire.

    2. LEAVE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY! Get everyone out of the building or area where you 

        suspect gas is leaking.

    3. SHUT OFF THE GAS. Turn off the main gas supply valve on your propane tank if it is safe 

        to do so. To close the valve, turn it to the right (righty tighty!).

    4. REPORT THE LEAK. From a neighbor’s home or other building away from the suspected 

        gas leak, call your propane retailer right away. If you can’t reach them call 911.

    5. DON’T RETURN TO THE BUILDING OR AREA until your propane retailer, emergency 

        responder, or a qualified service technician determines that it is safe to do so.

    6. GET YOUR SYSTEM CHECKED. Before you attempt to use your propane appliances,  a 

        qualified service technician must check your entire system to ensure that it's leak-free.

Preventative Measures

• Use the right kind of heater. Some are designed only for indoor use and some are only outdoor use. Make sure you keep them in their designated area. 
• When selecting a heater, look for one that has been tested and certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.
• Read your space heater manual. It may seem like common sense but it explains how to set up and operate your space heater safely. Follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions and keep it in a convenient place to refer to.
• ALWAYS keep children and pets away from space heaters! Some heaters have very hot surfaces.
• Children should NEVER be permitted to adjust or move the space heater. 
• ALWAYS place heaters at least three feet away from objects such as bedding, furniture, and drapes.
• NEVER use heaters to dry clothes or shoes.
• NEVER place heaters where towels or objects could fall onto it and start a fire.
• NEVER leave a heater on when you sleep or leave the area.
• NEVER use or store flammable liquids around a space heater. The flammable vapors can flow from one part of the room to another and be ignited by an open flame or electric spark.