Celebrations and Safety

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...” 
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go!

It’s that time of year again. The time of year when you see teens dressed in tuxedos and elegant dresses at your local Applebee’s and hear high school bands playing “Pomp and Circumstance” which will remain in your head for the following week. The season of emotional parents, embarrassed teens, and so many pictures your camera is likely to call in the extra help of your cell phone.

Prom and Graduation are major events in the lives of the American teen and their family. While the valedictorian is likely to quote the Dr. Seuss classic “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” It is up to you to make sure that the places your teen will go won’t end on those momentous nights.

Talking to teens can at times seem like asking for an argument. I won’t say that you shouldn't expect the classic exaggerated eye roll, or even the annoyed “I know!” over and over as a response. Regardless of these inevitable reactions it is important to talk with your teen about safety.

Tips For Parents 

• Know and discuss the school code of conduct before the prom with your student. 
• Know who your daughter or son is attending the prom with and discuss the events for pre and post prom parties with other parents. 
• Talk with your student about the dangers of club drugs, warning signs and who to notify for assistance. 
• Discuss responses  he or she can use to get out of uncomfortable situations. (e.g., offered alcohol, intoxicated driver, unwanted sexual advances, etc.) 
• Discuss guidelines and a curfew. Discuss the consequences of violating these rules. 
• Discuss travel plans, use a reputable limousine service that will not allow a person to bring, serve or introduce alcohol into the vehicle. 
• Know who is driving to the prom and who will be a passenger. Limit the number of passengers to increase safety and reduce driver distractions. 
• Know the location of post prom parties and who is sponsoring them. 
• Talk to your teenager about the serious dangers and consequences of drinking and driving. 

Remember that Missouri has a Zero Tolerance Law.  If you are under 21, your license will be suspended if you’re caught driving with even a trace of alcohol in your system.

Consider some of the consequences if you choose to drive impaired:

• If you cause a fatal crash while intoxicated, you can be charged with involuntary manslaughter, a felony resulting in up to seven years of prison time, a $5,000 fine or both. 
• Your license can be suspended for 90 days on your first conviction. You could be fined up to $500 and spend up to 6 months in jail.
• A second conviction results in a yearlong revocation of your license. You could be fined up to $1,000 and spend up to one year in jail. 
• Any person guilty of a second or subsequent intoxication-related traffic offense will be required to install an ignition interlock device on their car before reinstating driving privileges.
• Minors may additionally be subject to a Minor in Possession citation resulting in license suspension for 90 days for first offense. This is in addition to any suspension resulting from point assessment on an alcohol conviction.
• If you refuse a sobriety test, you can lose your license on the spot and have your car impounded.

Talk to your teen about the importance of safety. While prom and graduation are momentous occasions in their lives, they are just the start of many more to come over the years. Make sure they know all they need to know so they can go places they will go.

Work Zone Safety - Why It's a Big Deal

April 15-19 is Work Zone Awareness Week for 2013.

We tend to think EVERY week is Work Zone Awareness Week at MoDOT. Just like everyone else, we want to get home safe at the end of our workday. We'll do whatever it takes to help make that happen.

In our work, we see too many times what happens when someone behaves in an unsafe manner. We've been called to thousands of crash scenes to help direct traffic while emergency crews and law enforcement assist injured motorists.

We've been the first to respond when a car or truck slams into one of our dump trucks. We've called 911 or *55 when an inattentive driver plows into the back of someone observing a slower work zone speed limit. We've held the hands of our dying coworkers and promised to relay their messages of love to their spouses and families.

That's why it's a big deal.

Now that you know the impact of unsafe behavior, we hope you make safe driving in work zones - and everywhere else - a big deal.

Designed to Be Destroyed

You know that MoDOT takes its workers' safety seriously.

Did you realize that just as much attention is given to the safety of motorists who travel in work zones?

Why else would MoDOT buy a piece of equipment which is designed to be destroyed?

MoDOT uses truck-mounted attenuators because its vehicles tend to be struck from behind in work zones. Attenuators are like giant, crushable shock absorbers. Mounted to the end of the truck and transported and folded into active position in work zones, the equipment serves as a sacrificial item to protect lives and equipment.

Say a driver is not paying attention or is forced out of his or her lane and is set to collide with a dump truck or other vehicle in a 55 mph work zone. Instead of crashing into metal vehicle, the driver hits an attenuator which  crumples, absorbing momentum and reducing the force of the impact. Damage to the driver and vehicles involved is lessened.

Sometimes, drivers walk away from these crashes. As they do so, MoDOT is able to call out for another attenuator and continue using the same dump truck.

So while all drivers are urged to pay close attention and operate safely in work zones, know that attenuators are on the job to help keep you safe...just in case.

Note: The day after this blog was posted, a commercial truck traveling on I-70 struck the TMA mounted on a MoDOT truck that was part of a crew painting stripes on the interstate. Both drivers escaped the crash with only minor injuries.

Winter Won't Wait

For me, this year has flown! I did a double-take this morning when I realized it's actually the last month of the year, the month winter officially begins. I've really been in denial about the cold coming, still occasionally going out without my coat, staring longingly at my sandals.

But experience has taught me that no matter what schedule I'm on, winter won't wait.

The last thing I want is to be stranded with a car that I didn't prepare for winter. If I'm cold now, I can imagine how I'd feel stuck in a snowstorm.

This video is a good reminder to get my vehicle in shape for the snow ahead. Hope it helps you too! Let us know if you have any tips to add for safe winter travel.

How to Save a Life

We are so glad Missouri teen Heidi Turner took the few seconds to buckle up. As her car slid on a rainy day and rolled two times, the seat belt kept her in place. When all other items in the car flew out the window, she didn't.

Heidi now knows how to save a life, just by clicking a simple seat belt.
Read the full story here.

If you don't buckle up for yourself, do it for your family. Do it for someone who loves you. This is why:

Heidi landed upside down and was able to crawl out the window to safety, thanks to her seat belt.

The seat belt made sure that the only passenger casualties were Heidi's purse and backpack.

Play Nice!

Remember the game Red Rover? You know, when two teams would form on the playground and one team would call out, “Red Rover, Red Rover, send Wanda on over!” and Wanda would take off running, trying to choose a point where she thought she could break through the line of hand-holding opponents.

If you wanted your team to win, you never tried to run between Greg and Eric. It’s not that they were mean. It was because even by third-grade standards, those guys were big. There’s no way you’d take them on if you wanted to avoid a bruise.

I think of Greg and Eric when I drive my car near a commercial truck. Like them, truck drivers are mostly gentle giants. Still, I will always choose to respect that size and adapt my driving strategy so I’m more visible to the driver and less likely to cause them any concern.

That’s the point of Operation Safe Driver Week – October 16-22 – drivers of big trucks and passenger vehicles respecting each other, paying attention and avoiding unsafe behavior that could result in a crash.

And Eric, if you are still driving that gas tanker, just put on the blinker and come on over. Just like back then, I’m not going to try and stop you!

Car Seat Check Saturday

It's National Car Seat Check Saturday! Check www.savemolives.com today for a list of where you can have your car seat checked by a certified technician.

Three out of four seats are not installed correctly -- make sure the seat carrying your most precious cargo is not one of them.