October 6th - 10th marks the 12th annual Drive Safely Work Week, a national campaign sponsored by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) and the Broome County Traffic Safety Board. This campaign promotes safe driving practices across the nation in support of this lifesaving campaign to protect you and members of your family while on the roadway.

Traffic crashes cause over 42,000 deaths and over 3 million injuries each year. Many of these incidents are preventable and by participating in the campaign, you are demonstrating your commitment to safe driving.

Participation is easy! Next week, daily road safety materials from the Share the Road Study Guide will be available on the Broome County website to promote awareness of the shared responsibility for road safety among all users of the roadway. Whether you're traveling on four wheels or sixteen, two wheels or two feet, we all have something in common; we are on this road together. All you have to do is log onto www.goBroomeCounty.com each day and learn important traffic safety tips. Learn more about how to drive safely around pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles or large trucks and more! At the end of the week, pledge your commitment to safe driving.

Remember, safe driving is up to you so make the commitment!

Christine Muss
Traffic Safety Coordinator
Broome County Health Department

Sharing the road safely requires mutual respect by road users. You share the road with drivers of various ages, skill levels, personalities and habits. You also share the road with pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and vehicles of varying sizes. Be aware of and accommodate the special needs and limitations of all road users.

Pedestrians
Without a vehicle or protective equipment, pedestrians are the roadway users most at risk. Poor visibility puts them at a major disadvantage when crossing streets, intersections and standing on corners. Most pedestrian fatalities occur in urban areas, at non-intersection locations and at night.

Bicyclists
On most roadways, bicyclists share the same rights and responsibilities as other drivers. Intersections and driveways are where three-fourths of crashes occur. Cyclists are solely at-fault in half of the crashes. Contributing factors include: failure to yield, riding against traffic and stop sign violations.

Motorcyclists
Motorcycling is increasingly popular, event though riders face unusual dangers because they are hard to see and have no protection in a crash. Motorcyclists are vulnerable to the hazards of weather, traffic and road conditions that can require a rider to change speed or lane position abruptly.

Trucks
Large trucks have blind spots, around the front, back and sides of the truck so that smaller vehicles can momentarily "disappear" from the truck driver's sight. Because of their size and weight, trucks need more distance to stop and require additional lanes when making wide turns at intersections.

Older Drivers
Older drivers have years of experience on the road, but as people age, specific functions related to their driving skills may be affected. These challenges include: losses in vision and hearing, physical impairments, and cognitive motor abilities. Driving reaction time decreases by almost 40 percent from age 35 to 65.

Young Drivers
Roadway crashes are the leading cause of death among teens. These crashes often involved speed, run off the road incidents, and rollovers. Beginning drivers are more likely to make mistakes, use poor judgment, or have trouble reacting to sudden changes in road conditions.

You may be alone in your vehicle, but you're never alone on the road. Be respectful of your roadway companions.

Pedestrians
Always yield the right-of-way to people walking, jogging and running. Be attentive at crosswalks, intersections, bus stops, school zones, playgrounds, parks and schools.
Reduce speed in these areas. Allow older pedestrians time to cross the street.
Watch in neighborhoods for children to dart into the street.

Bicyclists
Scan for bicycles on roadways and at intersections. When following a bicyclist, leave plenty of room and be prepared to stop quickly. When passing a bike, drivers should do so slowly, leaving at least three feet of passing space. Children on bikes are unpredictable-expect the unexpected, and slow down

Motorcyclists
Watch out! Motorcycles are hard to see. It's difficult to judge their distance and speed.
Drivers turning left in front of oncoming motorcycles cause a large number of crashes.
Allow motorcycles to occupy the full lane on the road. Be aware that bad weather and wet roads are dangerous for riders. Make allowances for them. Leave plenty of space between your vehicle and a motorcycle.

Trucks
Be cautious when driving near large trucks. Pass trucks quickly. Blind spots around the front, back and sides of the truck make you invisible to the driver. Pay attention to truck signals. Leave room for them to maneuver. Keep a safety cushion around trucks. Leave 10 car lengths in front of a truck and 20-25 car lengths behind a truck.
Following a truck too closely obscures your view.

Older Drivers
Many older drivers reduce their driving at night, in bad weather and in heavy traffic to avoid what they consider to be high risk periods. Be aware that older drivers can have difficulty at intersections and in performing complex traffic maneuvers such as making left turns. These tasks can be difficult due to range of motion limitations and in judging other vehicles' speed and distance. Give them time and space to maneuver.

Young Drivers
Recognize that teen drivers are inexperienced in dealing with emergency situations.
In-vehicle distractions such as music, friends, eating or drinking are common. Be alert to risky driving behaviors like speeding and aggressive maneuvers such as weaving, ignoring traffic signals, and frequent lane changing without checking blind spots. Give these new drivers extra space.

Since you cannot control the actions of other road users, you must rely on your own driving skills and experience. Following these ten rules ensures that your driving is safe and courteous to all who share the road with you.

1. Plan Your Route: Know where you’re going ahead of time. Tune into a local media source to be well-informed about weather and road conditions or traffic activity on your route. Then you can avoid delays or allow extra drive time. For longer trips, include a rest stop every two hours. Stop sooner if you are tired.

2. Maintain Your Vehicle: Read your vehicle’s owner’s manual and follow the recommended schedule for maintenance service. Conduct your own routine check-ups on: tires, brakes, lights, wipers, and fluid levels. For good visibility make sure your mirrors, windows and outside lights are clean. Secure any loose items or cargo that could become a hazard.

3. Focus Your Attention: Being a safe driver means being both physically and mentally prepared to drive. Being well rested, alert and attentive enables you to respond quickly when other drivers do not make that choice. Take a break if you have difficulty focusing. Remain calm—don’t let your temper or frustration cause you to act recklessly.

4. Minimize Your Distractions: Taking your hands off the wheel, your eyes off the road or your mind off of the driving task puts you and others at risk. People, objects, or events inside and outside your vehicle can distract you. Driving demands total concentration.

5. Know Your Surroundings: Look out for trouble. Scan the roadway continually for hazards. Keep your eyes moving, looking from one side to the other. Know what is happening well ahead of you, watch for taillights. Know what is to the rear and sides of your vehicle. Use the mirrors to keep an eye on traffic behind you.

6. Share Your Space: Many crashes could be prevented if drivers behaved courteously to other road users. You share the road with drivers of various ages and skill levels. You also share the road with pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and vehicles of varying sizes. Be aware of special needs and limitations of other drivers and roadway users.

7. Watch Your Speed: Posted maximum speeds are for ideal driving conditions. Adjust your speed for traffic, road and visibility conditions or when not operating at your best. Higher speeds magnify your errors and provide less time to identify and react to a hazard - stopping distances are longer and crashes are more severe.

8. Keep Your Distance: Give yourself room to maneuver. You’ll need it in a crisis. To protect yourself, keep a large “safety cushion” around your vehicle. This will enable you to change lanes safely and give you room to take evasive action in emergencies. Keeping a safe distance between vehicles increases your ability to see and to be seen by other drivers.

9. Signal YOUR Intentions: Driving can be a stressful business. Be courteous and signal your intentions so other road users know what you plan to do next. Be predictable. Don’t hesitate to use your horn or headlights to establish eye contact, when needed. Remember to express your thanks, by a wave of the hand or a flash of your lights.

10. Always Wear YOUR Seat Belt: Seat belts are your best defense in a crash. Being properly secured keeps you in control of your vehicle and ready to react to a hazardous situation. So buckle up ... and that includes your children and other passengers in front and rear seats.

Escalating gas prices, increasing traffic congestion, concern for the environment and physical fitness are all factors in the increasing number of pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists sharing the road today. For motorists seeking some relief at the gas pumps, the good news is that the safe driving practices that are integral in sharing the road can improve your fuel economy. So you may save more than gas money. Use the suggestions below to see if you can reduce your fuel costs.

Drive Safely & Efficiently

• Avoid Aggressive Driving: Speeding, rapid acceleration and braking wastes gas. Think “slow and steady” around town to lower your gas mileage by 5%. On the highway, every 5 mph you drive over 65 mph represents a 7% decrease in fuel economy.
• Remove Unnecessary Weight: Avoid keeping heavy items in your vehicle. Carrying an extra 100 pounds could reduce your miles per gallon (MPG) by up to 2%.
• Avoid Excessive Idling: Cars with larger engines waste more gas when idling than cars with smaller engines. It is more efficient to turn the engine off while waiting and then restart the car.
• Keep windows closed when traveling at highway speeds: Open windows cause drag, reducing your mileage by 10%.
• Use Cruise Control, Selectively: Using cruise control on a flat roadway can improve your gas mileage by maintaining a steady speed but when driving in hilly terrain your vehicle tends to speed up faster than if you were operating the accelerator.
• Use the Highest Gear Possible: When you are cruising at a steady speed, use the highest gear possible to save gas and reduce engine wear.

Keep Your Vehicle Well-Maintained

• Keep Your Engine Properly Tuned: Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4%.
• Check & Replace Air Filters Regularly: Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car’s gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.
• Keep Tires Properly Inflated: You can improve your gas mileage by about 3.3% by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure.
• Use the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil: You can improve your gas mileage by 1-2% by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil.

Plan Your Trips Carefully

• Combining errands into one trip can saves time and money. Cold engines use more fuel so several short trips can use twice as much fuel as a longer multipurpose trip covering the same distance.
• If possible, stagger your work hours to avoid peak rush hours, you’ll spend less time sitting in traffic and consume less fuel.
• A loaded roof rack can decrease fuel economy by 5%. Reduce the aerodynamic drag by placing items inside the trunk whenever possible.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy

This year’s campaign theme, “Take the High Road. Share the Road...It Belongs to Everyone,” addresses the special needs and considerations of all roadway users. As motorists, we share the road with drivers of various ages, skill levels, personalities and habits. We also share the road with pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and vehicles of varying sizes. While we may be alone in our vehicles, we are never alone on the road. Understanding the unique limitations and challenges of the various road users we encounter every day will enable us to be more respectful and considerate of our roadway companions. Since you cannot control the actions of other road users, you have to take responsibility for the impact of your own driving decisions. Safe driving is up to you. Recognize the risks you face and the risks other road users face—and do all you can to ensure your own safety and the safety of others.