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Get Up and Get Out with the Outdoor Program

Hello All,

My name is Linda and this is my first blog for the Department of Recreation and Wellness. The Outdoor Program has a lot of awesome trips planned out for Spring 2017. First off this semester, a Survival Skills Workshop. The Outdoor Program staff are not going to show you how to fight off a bear, but you can learn some useful tips and tricks for functioning effectively on outdoor hiking or camping trips.

The workshop takes place Thursday, January 26 from 7 PM to 9 PM at the Student Recreation Center Climbing Wall and is only $5. Deadline to register is Friday,  January 20. Check out the Trips page for more information on this and other scheduled outings.

winter backpacking

 

Seat Belts Save Lives

Seat belts are the most effective traffic safety feature ever invented and have helped save thousands of lives. Unfortunately, one in five Americans fail to regularly wear a seat belt when driving or riding in a motor vehicle. The Click It or Ticket campaign focuses on safety education, strong laws, and law enforcement officers saving lives. The annual safety campaign is designed to urge all occupants to always buckle safety belts while riding in vehicles on America’s roadways. Thousands of Americans are alive today because a seat belt saved them during a crash. In 2015, the use of seat belts in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 13,941 lives of occupants ages 5 and older.

“We have made enormous progress as a nation in increasing seat belt use, but far too many people are still dying because they are not buckled up during crashes,” said National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Administrator Mark Rosekind. “Before you even turn the key, make sure that everyone in your car has their seat belt on, every trip, day and night.”

Last year in Ohio, seat belt use was recorded at 83.9%. This is down 1.1% from 2014, which was recorded at 85.0%. While these numbers are great, Safe Communities would like to remind everyone to wear seat belts, every time, in order to save lives.

For More Information:

  • William Bowers, Ohio State Highway Patrol: 419-352-2481
  • Sandy Wiechman, Safe Communities Coordinator: 419-372-9353 or swiechm@bgsu.edu

Thanksgiving Crash Statistics

Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year, with more people on the road increasing the likelihood of a crash. During the 2014 Thanksgiving weekend 341 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes nationwide, with 50 percent not wearing  seat belts at the time of the fatal crash. Thanksgiving weekend crashes that occurred at night, the percentage of unbuckled occupants killed jumped to 58 percent. In Wood County there were 52 crashes in 2015’s Thanksgiving period including one fatal crash.

With the excitement of holiday parties and celebrations, drivers may be tempted to take the roadways after drinking. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that any decision to drive while impaired can have serious and even deadly consequences. Nationally in 2015, 35,092 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes, and 29 percent (10,265) died in crashes where the driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over the legal limit of .08. In the entire state of Ohio, there were 4,007 total crashes in the same Thanksgiving period, resulting in nine fatalities, four of which were alcohol related.

Safe Communities of Wood County extends a friendly reminder to stay safe this upcoming holiday season by buckling up, driving sober, and staying attentive on the roadways.

Daylight Saving Traffic Safety

Daylight Saving Time has passed, bringing with it an earlier start to darkness. According to Time, “the loss of an hour of afternoon sunlight when it (DST) ends may increase the likelihood of traffic accidents.” Better light equals better safety, therefore the need for increased attentiveness while driving increases as Daylight Saving Time ends. According to CBC News, “People walking during rush hour in the first few weeks after the clocks fall back in the autumn were more than three times as likely to be fatally struck by cars than before the change.”  

There have been a reported 10 fatal crashes to date in Wood County this year, down from 24 at this time in 2015. This decrease in fatal accidents could be attributed to the  95% of people who reported regularly wearing their seatbelts this year, post Click It or Ticket survey. According to the AAA Foundation, “seat belts are the single most effective means of reducing the risk of death in a crash and have saved nearly 300,000 lives since 1975 in the U.S. alone.”

Another contribution to the decrease of fatal accidents this year could be the promotion of drunk driving advocacy and the decrease in alcohol related fatal crashes. 2015 saw a 9.2% decrease in fatal crashes that were alcohol related in Wood County in two years. Remember, buzzed driving is drunk driving.

For More Information:
* Lt. William Bowers, Ohio State Highway Patrol: 419-352-2481
* Sandy Wiechman, Safe Communities Coordinator:
419-372-9353 or swiechm@bgsu.edu

Halloween Traffic Safety Tips

Safe Communities of Wood County announced today that the annual safe driving Halloween National Mobilization is October 31 and November 12016.

Halloween means parties, and parties can encourage alcohol consumption. Because of this, Safe Communities of Wood County is partnering with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for The Halloween National Mobilization.

Plan Before You Party to Get Home Safely

You can stay safe and protect your neighbors by following these tips:

  • Plan a safe way to get home before you party because alcohol impairs judgement. You’re not going to make smart and safe choices if you’ve been drinking.
  • Designate a sober driver, call a taxi, or a call a sober friend of family member to get you home.
  • Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. There’s no such thing as “I only had a couple.” If you’ve been drinking you shouldn’t be driving.
  • If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement when it is safe to do so.
  • If you see someone you think is about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them get home safely.
  • If you’re caught drinking and driving you could face jail time, the loss of your driver’s license, and pay around $10,000 due to higher insurance rates, attorney fees, court costs, car towing and repairs, and lost wages due to time off from work.
  • Some people mistakenly think they can avoid a DUI by refusing to take a breath test. In many jurisdictions a refusal to take a breath test results in the loss of your driver’s license on the spot and the impoundment of your vehicle.
  • Walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home. In 2013, 26 percent of all pedestrian fatalities on Halloween night involved a drunk driver.

Remember, Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. Stay safe and protect your neighbors by making a plan to get home without getting behind the wheel on Halloween Night if you’ve been drinking.

For More Information:

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