We interrupt our normal weekly blog schedule…
Sometimes, folks, things come just too close to home.
A friend of mine alerted me a few hours ago to a tragic, terrible accident that occurred in my hometown of Staten Island on Sunday evening. One of the victims was a young man who happened to be a freshman at my former high school when I was a senior.
He and his four friends were in a car that was traveling way too fast down a Staten Island road, infamous for being riddled with potholes. Two people were killed in the crash and the other four remain in the hospital, but are in stable condition.
You can read the full story at the Staten Island Advance.
As a Staten Islander and St. Joseph by the Sea alumna, I would like to give my sincerest condolences to the families and friends of those young adults.
To all of you Driver Seat Blog readers, PLEASE – I’m begging you here – PLEASE learn something from this tragedy and the thousands like this that happen every year. Observe the speed limit, don’t drive drowsy and respect the drinking age.
Until next time…
Accidents can be avoided…
I moved into my new apartment this weekend, and since I don’t have my Internet or cable hooked up yet, I was sort of forced to watch one of the movies I have downloaded on iTunes. My movie of choice? Hot Fuzz, a satirical cop drama, starring the guy from Shawn of the Dead and Run Fat Boy Run. He also played Scotty in the recent Star Trek movie. I can’t think of his name right now, but the name of his hysterical, law enforcement-obsessed character is Sergeant Nicholas Angel.
In the movie, there is a “traffic collision” that Sergeant Angel’s partner, Officer Butterman, refers to as an “accident.” Sergeant Angel quickly corrects him and says, “Official vocab guidelines state that we now call these occurrences ‘collisions.’”
Officer Butterman asks, “Why is that?”
To which, Sergeant Angel replies: “Because ‘accident’ implies there is no one to blame.”
This comes to mind for me today because I came across the most frightening video on YouTube this weekend.
The driver in the video below is a 19-year-old in Beavercreek, Ohio.He decided it would be a good idea to travel at speeds over 100 mph down I-765. ABC Action News reports that he then lost control of his car, struck a culvert and then went airborne careening into a concrete bridge support. The force of the crash broke his Firebird into three pieces. The video you see below is courtesy of a law enforcement officer’s dashboard camera.
Amazingly, he survived, but is in critical condition.
HIS CAR BROKE INTO THREE PIECES?! And he is STILL BREATHING!
Does he know how LUCKY he is? Do the drivers around him know how lucky they are? What if there had been heavy traffic that day and one of the pieces of car hit another driver?!
It’s not an accident when you do something intentionally. He could have avoided this by keeping to the speed limit.
It is important to remember that you hold not only your own life, but the lives of others in your hands when you get behind the wheel. If he had killed another person because of his recklessness, and he survived, he would have to live with that for the rest of his life, and so would his family and the other families involved.
Arriving somewhere 20 minutes faster because you drove more than 100 mph isn’t worth your life or the lives of others. You’re hauling precious cargo. Remember that next time you put your foot on the gas pedal.
Tire Safety at a Concert
My sister and I recently attended an outdoor Paramore concert that we had been planning on going to for more than two months. The plan was to leave early and get there before the doors opened so we could get a good spot. My sister said she would drive, so we met at her place, jumped into the car and got on our way.
But you know plans. They just don’t always work out they way you think they will.
First, we were running late. Then, we hit traffic; and then - the cherry on top - we got a flat tire!
There are some much-needed silver linings in this story, though. After we got out of the way of traffic to check out the flat, we realized that we were 20 yards away from the entrance of the concert venue. Then, after a brief panic attack, we saw that there was a car care center right around the corner from where we were parked! SWEETNESS!!!
The car center saved the day and fitted the car with a new tire and, they even threw in a spare. Side note: apparently we weren’t the only ones who got a flat tire that day. Three other groups came in with tire trouble before us.
I know it’s not National Tire Safety Week, but we all learned a lesson that night: check your tires regularly and make sure you have a spare!
It is a basic vehicle safety tip that we didn't follow, don’t let it do the same to you! Make sure your tire pressure and tire tread is properly maintained. You should always be prepared for anything and everything! You may not always have a car center around the corner to save the day.
And for those who want to know how the night ended…
We literally got to the concert when Paramore hit the stage. Talk about perfect timing. The night ended up being better than we ever expected. They played my favorite song, Misery Business!
I love happy endings and tire safety.
Mad Drivers
Slowly but surely some of my friends and I are making our way through the first three seasons of the AMC series “Mad Men.” If you haven’t seen it, it’s mainly about advertising in the 60s and the lives of the “ad men” as they “really” lived in during that time period.
While each of the employees at this fictional advertising agency have many vices, one of these vices stands out most to this Teens Drive Smart blogger: their abysmal driving behaviors.
Now, let me just say, I really enjoy working on this blog and working on the Teens Drive Smart program in general, but it takes over my mind after a while, which is good, I think. My friends, on the other hand, hate driving with me because I’ve become the annoyingly informed nag in the bucket seat barking remarks at my friends, such as “don’t text and drive, I’ll do it for you,” “stop searching through your iPod, pass it to me and I’ll find the song,” and “hey, did you know that at the speed your going, that by checking your text you just traveled the length of a football field… blind?” They get annoyed, but they put the phone away, so at least we’re all safe.
But because of my outbursts during the driving scenes while we’re all watching Mad Men, I’ve been officially banned from group viewings. I am now forced to watch the episodes on my own in my apartment where I can’
t bother anyone.
I don’t mind watching the show on my own, but what is really troubling is the fact that people drove so irresponsibly back in the day. I’m just glad we have the knowledge and resources to educate ourselves about driver safety. I also wonder a bit about what people will say about our driving behaviors in the next 50 or 60 years. Imagine what kind of cars and safety features will be around in the future that keep us safer on the roads? Will teens and young people face some new driving threat as we create even more mobile technology?
I suppose it’s best to focus on the clear and present dangers and use the knowledge we have now. I guess if we learn anything from Mad Men, aside from stellar advertising skills, it’s that it is never okay to let children drive, drive while drunk or drinking, or to engage in any (ahem) distracted driving behaviors behind the wheel.
How does your state rank?
One thing that I have always observed about Americans is that we all have an extraordinary amount of state pride. We are all proud to be American, but we always try go above and beyond to represent our state when we get together.
I would like to do my part and show how much I “heart” NY by sharing with you some findings from US News and World Report that ranks the best states for teen drivers. What I like most about this study is that it breaks down the number of teens with licenses and evaluates not only the number of accidents, but also the toughness of the state’s driving and safety laws, as well as road conditions.
New York State ranks 14 out of 51 states (that’s all the states plus the District of Columbia, which ranks #1, incidentally), with an overall score of 69.73 out of 100.
Here are some of the teen driving stats for New York according to this report:
Percent of teen population with licenses (10-year average): 26.0%
Teen driver deaths per year (10-year average): 185.7
Percent of teen driver deaths involving alcohol/drugs (10-year average): 0.2%
As I mentioned above, US World and News Report also evaluated the teen driver and safety laws for each state, which affected the overall ranking. Here’s how it went for New York:
Teen driver's license laws: Insufficient
Motorcycle helmet laws: Excellent
Safety belt use laws: Satisfactory
DUI/DWI laws: Excellent
Distracted driving/texting while driving laws: Failing
Red light and speeding camera laws: Inadequate
Percent of roads in state rated good/very good: 30.0%
I can say, with full confidence that Staten Island’s many potholes contributed to the road ranking. Many a suspension has been broken or damaged on Staten Island roads because of all these tricky potholes scattered around the Island. Maybe this will be the nudge the City needs to get them fixed!?
Which is the worst state on the list? Well funny enough, the North and South Dakotas ranked numbers 50 and 51, respectively, on the list. Sorry, Dakotas. How about you all take this as an opportunity as well? We’re hoping for a big jump next year. We're rooting for you!
Also, I thought I would let you know that our friends in Iowa came in at number 49. I suspect the Deer Magnet has something to do with this…
To find out where your state ranked, check out the report in its entirety here.
In completely unrelated news, I went to Medieval Times this weekend. The last time I went was for my birthday when I was little, and I completely forgot how disheartening it is when your knight looses. Despite the loss, it was a lot of fun. I would like to send a special shout out to the Red and Yellow Knight. I know you really wanted to joust in my honor, and you had to give your flag to the little girl celebrating her 11th birthday because it would have hurt your feelings if you didn't. I completely understand. No hard feelings.
I also played the “Who Has the Worst Driver’s License Photo Game,” and once again, emerged victorious.
Until next time…
Seatbelt!
When I first started driver’s ed, the instructor would scream “SEATBELT!!!!” at the top of his lungs if we failed to put on our seatbelts on before starting the engine. While frightening, it did work – every time I get into my car the first thing I do is strap myself in. I don’t want Mr. Driver’s Ed Teacher jumping up from the back seat of the car yelling “SEATBELT!!!!” in my ear.
Not everyone in my family has this happy(?) memory to refer back to, though.
My mother is notorious for not putting her seatbelt on as soon as she gets in the car. And few things annoy my mom more than the seatbelt alert beeping at her (unless it’s me telling her to put her seatbelt on along with the beeping noise). The best is when I’m driving and she doesn’t put her seatbelt on right away, and I have to say something like, “I’m not going to start this car until you buckle up!”
So empowering, you should try it some time.
By the way, hi mom! Thanks for reading the blog!
While it’s always fun to push my mom’s buttons, it’s also a little frightening that we’ve become so lax about wearing seatbelts that car manufactures have installed an annoying, yet lifesaving, alarm system to remind us to buckle up.
A 2010 Allstate Foundation found that “92 percent of teens report wearing their seatbelt and only 88 percent report that their parents wear seatbelts.”
Really, parents?
Teens get most of their driving behaviors from their parents. This means that we’re watching you when you’re behind the wheel. If you’re not careful to show us the ways of proper driver safety, we will emulate all your bad habits.
Maybe instead of annoying beeping noises car manufacturers should recruit my old driver’s ed teacher to record himself yelling “SEATBELT!!!!” Maybe everyone would then take a second and strap themselves in.
Update: Apartment Watch 2010
It’s official: I have found a new apartment. I’m sure it has been keeping you up at night, so I thought I would ease your troubles and give you some details about my new digs.
It’s a lovely, open studio with high ceilings and a balcony. As if that wasn’t awesome enough, it has a FULL oven, stove, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer, AND a full bath.
Some of you still live at home and are probably like, “Big deal. I have a washer and dryer in my house, too.” But here is the sad truth my friends: most affordable apartments don’t have those things. Most of them make you schlep to the laundry room where you have to pay $1.25 (all in quarters) a load and if you’re not there to pick up your stuff at the exact time the cycle is over, you run the risk of some stranger picking out your things and sticking them on top of the machine for all to see. Never cool, exactly like texting and driving. Don’t do it.
In short, I am in appliance heaven.
I hope you will all come visit and if you’ve got some laundry or dishes to wash, please do not hesitate to bring them along. I got you covered.
Until next time!
A Picture Says 1,000 Words
You want to know my favorite game? Of course you do. My absolute, all-time, favorite game is the “Who has the worst driver’s license photo?” game. You know why? Because I ALWAYS win. Always, hands down. No one has yet to defeat my title and that’s because, as you might have guessed, I have the world’s worst-ever driver’s license photo.
Here is a brief description of how this game usually goes down: someone decides to say they always look bad in photographs, someone else jumps in and says, “Oh yeah?! Then you definitely haven’t seen my driver’s license picture. It’s a mess!” and then the other person replies, “Whatever, mine is the worst!” Then the group begins fumbling through their wallets to pull out their licenses for comparison. For your reference, I’m sort of sitting in the background, waiting for my cue.
Eventually they come to a consensus about who in the group actually has the worst picture and they all giggle and the person chosen takes the ridicule in stride. Then I make my move.
“Wait,” I say. “You haven’t seen mine yet.”
And I show them.
And looks of abject horror followed by stunned surprise come over them.
Then I get laughed at for a while, but I don’t mind – I’ve won the game.
You’ll find as life goes on, the littlest things can make you happy.
You see, when I was 16, I had glasses, braces and more freckles then I care to admit. No one told me that the same day you go to take the written part of your driver’s test that they take your picture. Convenient, right?! If you pass the test, you don’t have to go back and take your picture.
Yea, it makes sense, but no one thought it would be a good idea to tell me.
So I went, with wet hair up in a bun and a baggy white hooded sweatshirt, to take my exam.
After I handed the exam to the um, very nice(?) lady behind the counter, she said, “Go sit down over there to have your picture taken.”
Even my mom, who is supposed to think I’m beautiful no matter what, looked at me and immediately starting barking suggestions on how I could make myself look better for this unexpected photo shoot.
Despite her efforts, some weeks later, I got my license in the mail and it was… well… judge for yourself.
No, it’s not your computer. In the actual photo, my nose does look like Gonzo’s from the Muppets, I do look like a drowned fish, and my mouth does look silver and rectangle shaped from my braces.
Now, you might ask, “Why didn’t you just go retake it?”
Well, in high school, I ran track all the time and skipping practice to take a new driver’s license picture wasn’t going to fly with my coach. Then, I just got used to it. When I was away at college and turned 21, I had to get it renewed through the mail. Now, I work during the day in D.C. and can’t make it back to New York when the DMV is open.
So, for now, that’s what I’m stuck with, and I don’t really mind it anymore to be honest. If anything, it’s always a good conversation starter and it’s nice to know I’ll always win at something!
Moral of the story: be prepared for anything and everything. Or end up with a picture like mine, and learn to live with it.
FYI: Apartment Hunting Sucks
Lauren Fun Fact: I have lived in a different apartment for each of the past six years. Yes, friends, each year, since I left home for college, I have packed, moved, unpacked, reorganized, redecorated and have gone crazy each time.
And so, it is that time of year again. Time to pack up all of my belongings into one big “Lauren on the Move” road show and find a brand-spanking new apartment to call home – for at least a year.
This weekend, a very nice friend of mine offered to drive me around to various apartments that I had found online and made appointments to see. Before I rehash, I would like to set the tone and share an analogy that perfectly describes my apartment hunting experience: it was kind of like war – vast stretches of boredom punctuated by pure terror.
Here’s how it played out: Drive to the apartment (sometimes to areas neither of us had ever been), get lost, navigate using my iPhone, arrive at a cringe-worthy location, run back to the car and drive away. Repeat once. Repeat twice. And repeat a third time.
Okay, here’s a news flash: if you place an ad on an online site that most people use for finding apartments, there really is no point in lying about the property. You see, I’m going to go to the apartment and see that it’s in a basement that is in no way “English style,” that the windows look like one strong breeze might be the end of them, that the appliances are from the 1800’s (English/ Colonial style?) and that the “steps from the train” walk you described measures out to a mile and half.
There was one particular gem that I must mention. In one, shall we say, up-and-coming area of D.C., my friend witnessed a cat chasing a pair of particularly frisky rats from the apartment window. Where was I? I was drilling the building’s leasing agent with questions about the bad reviews I’d read about the building online. The agent was telling me that those reports came from disgruntled past tenants who were just mad that they had gotten evicted. Right.
So, a really big thank you to my friend for a) driving me around, and b) telling me about the rats.
And if any of you have heard about a sunny studio apartment available in D.C., please let me know.
Until next time…
It’s working!
I’m a geek about a lot of things. And while I never really got into SciFi movies, I watch them for one key, climactic part: the scenes when some technical thing has gone wrong (i.e. the thermal-coupler is loose) and then after a daring escape or detailed montage the main character starts up the engines and exclaims in triumph, “It’s working! It’s working!”
Well, after I read through some news articles about states recently reporting a decline in teen driver fatalities, I wanted to shout out to the office at large, “It’s working! Our teen driver safety efforts are working!”
All of our efforts here at Teens Drive Smart and other programs nationwide seem to, for the moment, be having a lasting effect on teen drivers!
The North Carolina Highway Patrol reported on July 26 that it has “investigated the deaths of 28 teen drivers so far this year. That compares with 47 such fatalities through the same period in 2009.”
In Colorado, teen-driving deaths decreased by 44 percent, and in Connecticut, “crashes in which 16- and 17-year-old drivers were found to be at fault, dropped by 16.6 percent for 2008, fatalities were down by 20 percent, and injuries dropped by 21 percent.”
All of these stories echo other reports that I have heard, and I think they are SO fantastic, but I don’t think we should allow ourselves to become complacent. While the numbers appear to be dropping they are still way too high. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that in 2008, about 3,500 teens in the United States aged 15–19 were killed and more than 350,000 were treated in emergency rooms for injuries suffered in motor-vehicle crashes.
Constant vigilance, my friends!
I know we’ve come so far, but we still have a long way to go! Keep up those great school awareness campaigns, stick to the laws of your Graduated Driver’s License (GDL), don’t text and drive, and don’t forget about all the great resources we have for you here at Teens Drive Smart.com!
