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     Sharing the Road

YOU’RE NOT ALONE

You may be alone in your vehicle, but you're never alone on the road. You share that little strip of pavement with a multitude of vehicles-cars, pickups, bicycles, 18-wheelers, motorcycles, school buses and emergency vehicles.

You also share it with animals and a multitude of people and their various personalities, preferences, habits and idiosyncrasies. Some forgot their glasses and aren't seeing too well that day; others had three or four drinks at dinner and are driving under the influence; still others may have smoked marijuana or snorted some cocaine before they got behind the wheel. You just never know. Maybe the woman next to you lost her job this morning, and the man in front of you just had a fight with his son. The teenager in the car on your right has been driving for only two weeks, while the 85-year-old man behind you has been driving for 70 years.

All these people are out there with you, and their ability to drive is affected by numerous factors-physical and emotional. Let's take a closer look at some of your roadway companions.

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SENIOR CITIZENS

People age 65 and older are among the fastest growing segments of our population. It's only logical that there will be increasing numbers of older drivers on the roads in the years ahead.

Most older drivers do an excellent job. However, as we age, certain physical changes occur. Sometimes it happens so gradually we hardly notice...whether those changes are in ourselves or in others.

Deterioration of vision, hearing or reaction time occurs almost unnoticed...until we find ourselves in a crucial situation we can no longer handle. The result: a crash the driver could have easily avoided a few years earlier.

This physical deterioration helps explain why the crash rate of drivers 65 and older, in terms of miles traveled, is exceeded only by drivers under the age of 24. Frequently reported mistakes by older drivers include inattention, failure to drive in the proper lane, failure to signal or to observe "Stop" signs and signals and unreasonably slow driving on busy highways.

Consider some of the challenges an older driver faces:

• With age, hearing and eyesight diminish.
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• Reaction time slows. It takes longer to perceive various traffic situations and make the appropriate decisions.
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• Physical dexterity diminishes. Older people can't act with speed and decisiveness in an emergency.
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• Older drivers are more susceptible to injury and death. What may have been a minor accident a few years ago could result in injury or death today.

If you find yourself in traffic with an older driver, try to be patient and understanding of the above factors. Don't follow too closely or honk at them to speed up. Give them time and space to maneuver. If their driving frustrates you, simply wait for a safe opportunity to pass.

If you ARE an older driver, please do:

• Talk candidly with your physician about your driving ability AND about the effect any of your medications may have on your ability to drive safely.
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• Keep informed about traffic laws by checking with your local police or the Kansas Highway Patrol.
• Always wear your safety belt.
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• Be especially alert at the wheel. Try to anticipate unexpected behavior by other drivers and watch carefully for pedestrians and cyclists.
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• Try not to drive too slowly. It's actually unsafe, as you can obstruct traffic behind you.
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• Avoid driving busy streets and highways during morning or evening rush periods. Try to plan your appointments and errands at less-heavily traveled times.
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• Keep your vehicle in tip-top shape. Have your tires, belts and fluid levels checked regularly.
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• Avoid driving at night, if possible, as the ability to see the roadway at night becomes more difficult. Also, glare from oncoming head lights, as well as other light sources, also increases with age.

 

TEEN DRIVERS

Like any skill, driving improves with experience. It is that very lack of experience that gets some teens into unfortunate situations. While young people age 15 to 20 make up 6.7 percent of the total driving population, they are involved in 15 percent of all fatal crashes or more than 8,000 crashes each year, according to figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In the United States, one teenager is killed every hour in an auto crash! An astounding 65 percent of teen passenger deaths occur when another teenager is driving.

These tragic figures are mostly the result of one thing: driver error. Driver error among teens stems from:

• Inexperience
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• Risk Taking
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• Immaturity

Perhaps more than any other age group, teenager drivers are likely to be distracted by music, friends, eating, drinking and smoking in their vehicle. They are also more likely to engage in dangerous behaviors like speeding, weaving, frequent lane changing, drag racing and hill-jumping. Be aware of these factors and when you find yourself sharing the road with teen drivers, give them a little extra space.

If you ARE a teen driver, please consider these tips:

• Wear your seat belt. On average, more than 11,000 lives are saved annually when people use their seat belts.
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• Obey all traffic signals. Never run red lights or stop signs.
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• Resist the urge to race, hill-jump and otherwise compete with other vehicles on the road. The consequences aren't worth it.
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• Don't drink and drive.
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• If you must use a cell phone, pull into a safe spot and stop.
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• Keep your music at a volume that allows you to hear sirens or the horns of other motorists; don't adjust your radio/CD controls while your is moving.
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• When you're driving, focus on your driving. No eating, hair combing, applying make up or horsing around.
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• Don't do anything that will cause other drivers to have to slam on their brakes or swerve to avoid you (like cutting in front of someone or swerving into their lane).

 

BICYCLES

Expect to encounter bicycles on all state and local roadways in Kansas, except on the Interstate system where they are prohibited. Do be considerate of bicyclists who have the same rights to the roadway as you do. While bicycle riders are expected to obey all traffic laws and regulations, be prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt, whether the rider is operating lawfully or not.

Because a bicycle is a slow-moving and extremely vulnerable vehicle, almost any type of collision will result in injury or death to the rider. Keep the following safety tips in mind when you encounter a cyclist:

• Be especially careful when passing a bicycle. Allow plenty of room and be prepared for a quick stop as the rider may make an unexpected maneuver.
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• Remember, sometimes it's hard to see a bicycle amid all the other traffic, especially when it's dark or when visibility is poor. Be extra watchful for cyclists along the road or at intersections. Adjust your driving to allow for any turns cyclists may make without signaling.
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• If you're preparing to turn right and a cyclist is riding between you and the side of the road, be sure the rider knows your intention and is not in your path. If the rider is riding along the right edge of the roadway, as he should, you must wait until he either slows down to allow you to turn in front of him or proceeds through the turning area before you turn.
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• Expect a rider to be near the right edge of the road or curb. When passing, be extremely cautious; pass at least four feet to the left of the cyclist.

If you ARE the bicyclist:

• Wear a proper-fitting helmet. It will greatly reduce the potential for head injuries.
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• Check your brakes and tires before riding and carry a tire patch kit.
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• Ride near the curb and travel in the same direction as the traffic.
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• Keep your hands on the handlebars.
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• Have a reflector on the back of your bicycle and a headlight on the front so you can be seen when riding at night.
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• Use proper hand and arm signals when you stop or turn.

 

MOTORCYCLES

The number of motorcycles on Kansas streets and highways is increasing. Nationwide in 1999, motorcycles accounted for only two percent of all motor vehicles on the road, yet they're involved in nearly 6 percent of all traffic deaths. Sadly, in many motorcycle crashes, it's the drivers of other vehicles who are at fault.

Motorcycles are hard to see in traffic. Even when drivers do see them, it's difficult for many to judge how far away motorcycles are or how fast they're moving. Being alert to this perceptual problem can help avoid a tragedy. Motorcyclists have the same rights and responsibilities on the road as other drivers: they are entitled to a full lane on the road. And you should exercise the two-second rule when following a motorcycle. Also be aware that certain situations can cause special problems for motorcycles: Bad weather and wet roads can reduce the rider's control over the motorcycle. High winds can actually blow a motorcycle out of its lane. Sand and gravel in construction zones also can pose a hazard. Be aware of these conditions when you are driving near a motorcycle and make allowances for them.

Drivers turning left in front of oncoming motorcycles cause a big percentage of car/cycle crashes. Drivers often fail to see the cyclist or inaccurately judge the speed of the oncoming cycle. Motorcycles can accelerate much more quickly than a passenger car or truck. A good rule of thumb: look once, then again. Make sure you see the motorcycle and know its speed before you make a left turn. Something else you should know: turn signals do not turn off automatically on most motorcycles. So, before you turn in front of a motorcycle, be sure the rider is turning and not continuing straight into your path with a forgotten turn signal still blinking.

If you ARE a motorcycle rider:

• Wear a helmet. It's Kansas law if you're under the age of 18.
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• Wear goggles to protect your eyes.
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• Use your turn signals. All turn signal laws apply to motorcycles.
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• Make sure you have a working headlight and a red taillight.

 

TRUCKS

Unlike motorcycles, large trucks are easy for you to see in traffic, but sometimes it's difficult for trucks to see you. Trucks have many limitations, both in their ability to see smaller vehicles and in their ability to maneuver.

A tractor-trailer loaded with freight and traveling 55 miles an hour requires a minimum of 290 feet to come to a complete stop. That's nearly the length of an entire football field! And remember, in eight out of ten fatal crashes between cars and trucks, it's the occupants of the car who are killed.

Some states post separate speed limits for trucks, but in Kansas, trucks follow the posted speed limit.

A few tips about trucks

• Give trucks a "wide berth" and know a trucker driver's "blind spots." The blind spots around a truck are the areas where cars are invisible to truck drivers. If you can't see the driver's side-view mirror, the driver can't see you.
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• Trucks cannot see cars directly behind them, so avoid tailgating.
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• When passing, wait until you can see both truck headlights in your rear view mirror before you pull back into the same lane of traffic the truck is in.
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• Never cross behind a truck that is backing up.

 

BUSES

Buses travel at lower speeds, and like trucks, buses have large blind spots. They also make wide turns and need extra room to maneuver.

School Buses

There are several things to remember about these special buses.

• School buses move more slowly. By law, speed limits for school buses are 55 m.p.h. on hard-surfaced roads and 45 m.p.h. on dirt, sand or gravel roads.
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• School buses are required to stop at railroad crossings.
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• State law requires all vehicles traveling in both directions to stop no less than 25 feet away from any school bus that has red lights flashing, stop sign extended and is loading or unloading students. (On a divided highway, on-coming traffic is not required to stop.)
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• When driving in neighborhoods with school zones, watch out for children who may be thinking about getting to school or back home, but not about safety.

 

EMERGENCY VEHICLES

When an emergency vehicle is flashing its red lights and/or sounding its siren, all other vehicles must pull over to the right and come to a stop-regardless of whether the emergency vehicle is coming toward you or approaching from behind.

When approaching an emergency vehicle that is stopped ahead with its lights flashing, do so cautiously. Motorists are required by Kansas law to change lanes away from the emergency vehicle if they are on a multi-lane highway and can do so safely. If drivers can't change lanes safely, or they are on a two-lane highway, they must slow down while maintaining a safe speed so as not to impede other traffic.

 

SLOW-MOVING VEHICLES (SMV’s)

When you see a triangular sign with a red border and an orange center on a vehicle, it means that vehicle is traveling slower than 25 miles per hour. By day, the emblem appears as a bright orange triangle bordered in red. At night, the reflective border of the SMV emblem shows brightly in the headlights of approaching vehicles, forming a hollow red triangle. Some examples of SMV’s include:

Farm Equipment

Tractors and other forms of farm equipment occasionally use public roadways. They display an SMV (slow moving vehicle) emblem on their back end to warn approaching motorists of their slow speed. Slow down and use special caution whenever you see the SMV sign.

Horse Drawn Buggies

Though a relatively rare sight, you may occasionally find yourself sharing the road with a horse-drawn vehicle. These vehicles, which travel at 25 miles per hour or less, are required by law to display the standard triangular "Slow Moving Vehicle Sign." Use special care when approaching or passing these vehicles. Horses can sometimes be easily "spooked," and passengers riding in an open buggy have little protection if they are involved in a crash.

 

ANIMALS

We encounter our four-footed friends as we're driving, requiring us to share the road. Unfortunately, they are not too knowledgeable about traffic regulations. It's up to us to watch out for them.

Dogs, cats, opossum, skunks, rabbits, squirrels and other domestic and wild animals all feel compelled to cross the road, and many end up losers in their race with an on-coming vehicle. When confronted by an animal in the road, our first instinct is to swerve to avoid it or to slam on our brakes. Both actions can cause the car to skid or slide out of control, resulting in severe injury to the driver and other car occupants.

Larger animals, like deer, cause even more serious problems. They can do thousands of dollars of damage to a vehicle. And if deer should come up onto the hood and through the windshield, their razor-sharp hooves can severely injure, or even kill, vehicle occupants.

Encounters with deer account for almost 50 percent of crashes on rural roads. By their nature, deer can often jump onto the road so quickly that a driver has little or no time to react. So, the best protection against deer is defensive driving.

Reduce your chance of having a crash with a deer:

• Where "Deer Crossing" signs are posted, be especially careful. These areas have been associated with a high number of car/deer crashes.
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• Vehicle speed is a key factor in deer-related accidents, so slow down, and make sure you are properly buckled up.
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• Most deer-related accidents occur at dawn and dusk. Be on the lookout for deer during those times.
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• Forty-four percent of deer-related crashes occur during a three-month period each year. Use extra-caution during October, November and December-which is mating season.
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• If you see deer (or other animals) ahead, stay in your lane and decelerate carefully. Swerving to avoid them can do more harm than good, because you can easily lose control of your vehicle. Running off the road and colliding with stationary objects like trees or poles, or tumbling into a ditch, can cause worse damage than actually hitting the animal.

Passive vehicle devices, like deer whistles, should not be relied upon as an alternative to defensive driving. While devices like infrared-laser night vision systems may someday help drivers detect deer at greater distances, safe driving still requires that motorists recognize the potential hazard and take appropriate action to avoid an accident.

 

PEDESTRIANS

Then, of course, there are our two-footed friends. They, too, generally lose in a collision with a vehicle.

It's true pedestrians sometimes do thoughtless or foolish things...like crossing a street on a red light, jaywalking or darting into traffic. The two groups most likely to be pedestrian accident victims:

1. The elderly-who may have hearing or visual impairments.
2. Children-who just don't think before running into the street or jumping out from between parked cars.

Drivers' Responsibilities:

• Pedestrians always have the right of way within a crosswalk. If there are no traffic signals, drivers must slow down or stop for pedestrians within a marked or unmarked crosswalk and make every effort to avoid injuring pedestrians.
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• Drivers making a right or left turn at an intersection must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians.
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• Drivers must also yield the right-of-way to pedestrians:
• • After coming to a complete stop at a stop sign.
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  • After the light turns green if there are pedestrians still in the crosswalk.
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  • When entering a street from an alley or driveway.

Pedestrian's Responsibilities:

• Don't be a jaywalker. Always cross at intersections.
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• Stay on the sidewalk. On a road without sidewalks, always walk facing traffic.
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• Although pedestrians have the right-of-way in crosswalks, pedestrians must yield to vehicles if they are crossing a road at a place other than within a marked crosswalk.
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• Obey the "WALK", "FLASHING DON'T WALK" and "DON'T WALK" indications at signalized intersections. Research reveals that only fifteen percent of the public know the meaning of a "WALK" and "FLASHING DON'T WALK" signal.
• • "WALK" means "Watch for vehicles and start crossing" (usually lasts seven seconds).
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  • "FLASHING DON'T WALK" means "Don't start crossing, but finish crossing if started" (offers enough time to get across the street if you start crossing when this indication is shown).
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  • "DON'T WALK" means "don't cross."

When crossing, watch for drivers turning right-on-red, or turning left from the parallel street.

 

THE AGGRESSIVE DRIVER

One of our most dangerous encounters on the road is with the aggressive driver. Governed either by a lack of courtesy and common sense, or by a physical (drugs or alcohol) or emotional situation, this driver puts you in jeopardy.

Unfortunately, most of us have encountered this driver. His or her behavior includes:

• Running stop signs and red lights.
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• Speeding, tailgating and weaving between lanes.
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• Cutting in front of other drivers.
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• Passing on the right shoulder.
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• Making inappropriate hand and facial gestures.
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• Screaming, honking the horn and flashing headlights.

How To Handle An Aggressive Driver:

• The smartest thing to do: move out of the aggressive driver's way.
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• Do not challenge an aggressive driver by speeding up or attempting to "hold your own" in the travel lane.
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• Avoid eye contact.
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• Ignore gestures and refuse to return them.
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• Report aggressive drivers to the appropriate authorities by providing a vehicle description, license number, location and direction of travel.
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• If you have a cell phone, call the police. In Kansas, you can contact the Highway Patrol by dialing 47 on your cell phone or KTA if you're on the Kansas Turnpike.
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• If an aggressive driver is involved in a crash farther down the road, stop at a safe distance from the scene, wait for police to arrive and report the driving behavior you witnessed earlier.