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Panorama
Promoting Family Safety
Panorama
Promoting Family Safety
T R A F F I C
I S S U E
2 0 1 4
Driver fatigue is a serious problem and can seriously affect and impair driver
concentration and awareness. Tragically, its impact on safe driving is often
seriously underestimated by drivers.
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Distracting Darlings
Passengers are ranked by drivers as among the most
frequent causes of distraction. Young children are four times
as distracting as adults, while infants can be eight times
more distracting; and it takes only a fraction of a second for
an unexpected hazard to cause a disastrous accident.
9 Not by Accident
13
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Asleep at the
Wheel?
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Pa n o ra m a
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Special Traffic Issue 2014
A refreshing start
No one needs to start a car
journey tired. Follow our Journey
Planner on page 5:
Plan your journey to include
a 15-minute break every two
hours.
Dont start a long trip if youre
already tired.
Remember the risks if you have
to get up unusually early to
start a long drive.
A person who has OSA will suffer during the day due to their lack of refreshing sleep at night. The
person wakes up feeling tired and may have a headache. Daytime sleepiness is very common with OSA
adults falling asleep at meetings, watching TV, even during conversations. But the most alarming fact
is that they can also do so while driving.
If you experience excessive daytime tiredness and are falling asleep during the day, you could suffer
from OSA. There is now increasing awareness of the relationship between OSA and falling asleep
during driving, particularly on long, straight roads. Consult your doctor about possible OSA and
treatment for it.
Pa n o ra m a
Journey
Planner
Do you have
to drive?
No
Yes
Be well rested
before you start.
Avoid heavy meals.
Book an overnight
stop if necessary.
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Special Traffic Issue 2014
Distracting
Darlings
Pa n o ra m a
How to prepare
It is tempting to discuss, argue, threaten and
otherwise get involved with the children, but all of
these are distracting and dangerous for a driver.
A little beforehand driving preparation can make the
journey smoother and more pleasant for everyone.
On the road
Be a role model. Always wear your seat belt and
drive defensively.
Keep your eyes forward. Resist the urge to reach
back or take your eyes off the road even when
youre stopped. It only takes a second for an
accident to occur.
Do not use mirrors. Your rearview and side view
mirrors need to be used for checking the road.
They should not be adjusted to view children.
Do use special mirrors. If your children are in
rear-facing car seats, attach a mirror to the head
restraint to be able to monitor them.
Make them wait: Tell your kids that you cannot
help because you are driving and that they will
need to wait until you can pull over or until you
get to your destination. You may have to listen to
a tantrum, but at least the child is restrained in a
seat and cannot get hurt or hurt anyone else.
Pull over. If you cannot deal with screaming and
need to tend to your child immediately, pull over
to a safe spot. Its safer to get off the road and
go into a gas station than move to the side of the
road where you could face other hazards such
as the possibility of getting struck by another
vehicle.
Distract your children. Engage them in a song
or game. Childrens music in the CD player or a
DVD of a favorite program can help. Pointing out
buses, fire trucks, and traffic lights can help the
children focus on whats outside the vehicle and
forget whats bothering them inside the vehicle.
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Special Traffic Issue 2014
Pa n o ra m a
Night Rider
Players: 2 or more
Not by
Accident
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Avoid distractions
Never allow distractions to take your eyes
and concentration away from the road.
Distractions while driving can take many
forms: adjusting the radio/CD player/
MP3 player, using a DVD player, smoking,
grooming, using a GPS, talking/searching/
texting on a mobile
phone, eating and
drinking, talking to
passengers, and dealing
with noisy children.
One common element
among these things
is that they take our
attention away from
your primary task of
driving safely. So keep
your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel
as Jim Morrison (rock musician) sang. Be mindful
of other drivers who may be using a mobile phone,
eating, drinking or otherwise distracted. They can
make sudden and unpredictable moves.
Be well rested
You may think that a few yawns while you
are driving are nothing to be concerned
about. But research has shown that being
just a little drowsy increases your risk of
being involved in a traffic collision. A tired
drivers responses
can be anything from
nodding off for a few
seconds to simply
losing consciousness.
This progression
can happen without
warning. When
travelling at any speed,
but especially highway
speeds, nodding off can be fatal. If you begin to
feel drowsy, pull off to the side of the road well
away from traffic and rest until you are feeling more
alert or ask a passenger to take over while you rest.
Remember the best advice is to get a good nights
sleep (for at least 8 hours) on a regular basis. For
more information, refer to the article Asleep at the
Wheel on page 2.
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Special Traffic Issue 2014
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The Boundaries
of Parking
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Pedestrian factors
Being a pedestrian also demands that you steer yourself in
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Pa n o ra m a
No
Yes
No
Avoid parking at the end of an aisle where there is the additional exposure from vehicles
turning.
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Take your time backing out of your parking spot. Check the rearview and side mirrors,
and look over both shoulders.
Yes
No
Yes
No
Use your turn signals to communicate your intentions to the other drivers.
Yes
No
Look for a parking space where you dont have to back out.
Yes
No
Yes
No
Pedestrian Checklist
No
Wear light-colored or reflective outer wear, if youre walking after dark so that you will
be seen by drivers.
Yes
No
Watch where you are going and be alert for obstacles such as curbs and broken
pavement. If you are carrying items, make sure you can see over the load.
Yes
No
Use extra caution as you walk to your vehicle in conditions such as rain, dust, ice or
darkness.
Yes
No
Avoid texting, conversations or other things that might distract you from scanning the
parking area and being constantly alert for moving vehicles and machinery.
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Special Traffic Issue 2014
Yes
Parking Etiquette
Here are some suggestions on how drivers and pedestrians can improve their parking manners:
Double parking is a no-no. No one likes to be blocked in by a stranger. The offending car can,
and should, be towed.
First come, first served. The universal rule is that the first person waiting for a parking space is
to be the recipient of that parking space. To swoop in and take it is tantamount to theft.
Use your turn signals to indicate your intentions to others. You may also communicate your
intentions with eye contact, as well as appropriate hand gestures if needed.
Pedestrians should resist obstructing traffic by walking in the center of a parking lane. Use a
sidewalk if possible and avoid using your mobile phone until you are out of congested parking
areas.
Keep your children close to you in parking lots have them hold your hand and stay near
them. Drivers should also watch for families with children, since little ones have a tendency to
jump out and run around at any given moment.
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Traffic Safety
Challenges
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Special Traffic Issue 2014
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