Tips for Dealing with Tailgaters 

Tailgaters suck! While changing motorists’ driving behavior is unlikely, there are steps you can take towards a safer driving experience. First, always remember to stay cool, and do not let their poor behavior affect your judgment and ability to drive safely –– your life is worth more than road rage.

When you are being tailgated, maintain a safe and steady speed, and let the tailgater pass if possible. It may be necessary to find a safe place to pull over. In this case, signaling early is important to let the tailgater know you are letting them pass. To prevent a close call or potential collision, increase your following distance, communicate your intentions early, and use smart lane positioning. Increasing your following distance by at least 3 seconds allows ample time to react and slow down if necessary.

To learn more about traffic safety, visit the Traffic Safety Website.

Lt. William N. Bowers, Commander
Bowling Green Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol

We all know the slogans: Click It or Ticket,” “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” “Stay Alive, Don’t Text and Drive,” and “Watch Out for Motorcycles.” We hear them every day, but do we really take them to heart? Do we honestly follow these messages every day?

The messages are simple and catchy, but only 81% of all drivers in Wood County wear their seat belt. In 2016, seat belts were worn in only 31% of fatal crashes, 13% of fatal crashes involved alcohol, 5% of all crashes involved some type of distraction, and 34 crashes involved motorcycles. These numbers are disturbing to me as well as my staff as we strive to keep you save on Wood County roads.

We all need to do our part to make Wood County a safer place to live and travel in. Look twice at each stop sign you stop at every day. Follow the speed limit, both in town and on the interstate. Buckling up is the most important safety measure you can take to protect yourself in a crash as it helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle. Seat belts are also the best defense against impaired, aggressive, and distracted drivers. Put your phone on vibrate, place it out of reach, and give 100% of your attention to driving.

Lastly, be an example to those in your car. Your children are watching every move you make, and you are grooming them for their habits as drivers. Parents often subscribe to a “do as I say, not as I do” mentality, but studies show parents are unknowingly sabotaging their teen drivers by not practicing what they preach. Parents figuratively beat teens over the head with the “never text and drive” message, yet many do it on a regular basis. Some 47% of teenagers have witnessed their parents driving without wearing seat belts. Let’s practice what we preach!

Guest Columnists Welcome 

This article showcases just a sample of the great programs and research conducted by Safe Communities colaition partners! Our goal is to reduce the number of traffic related deaths and injuries in Wood County through analysis of problem areas, promotion, and education of proper safety. This could not be done without collaboration from the community. Help us continue to spread awareness by writing a guest column.

Submit an Article 

Have an article that is related to traffic safety and would benefit the community? We would be happy to share it in our monthly newsletter!

To submit an article or write a guest column, contact Sandy Wiechman: swiechm@bgsu.edu or 419.372.9353 

To learn more about traffic safety, visit the Traffic Safety Website.

Upcoming Event

Towards Zero Deaths Safety Network 

Safe Communities of Wood County is hosting the quarterly Towards Zero Deaths Safety Meeting on April 11 in the Bowling Green State University Bowen-Thompson Student Union Theater. Join us for a presentation by Dr. Paul Atchley, professor   and associate dean for academic innovation and student   success at The University of Kansas. Dr. Atchley has been  conducting research and educating people about the cognitive factors related to driving for more than twenty-five years, and his work has been highlighted by national and international media outlets including the BBC, NPR, “Katie” with Katie Couric, Rock Center, and the New York Times.

This month Safe Communities of Wood County is highlighting Thayer Chevrolet. Since joining the coalition in 2013, Thayer Chevrolet has been extremely active behind the scenes. From helping to ensure that the “Swallow Your Pride, Call for a Ride” campaign is operational, to hosting press events, Katie Beakas and the Thayer Chevrolet staff are always there with a smile and encouragement.

When you are out and about, stop and thank Katie Beakas, Tony Lake, Trevor Newby, and Brett Kime of Thayer Chevrolet for their commitment to supporting Safe Communities of Wood County.

This meeting provides attendees an opportunity to build relationships with various disciplines involved in traffic safety, foster professional development on topics related to traffic safety, and recognize outstanding work by safety professionals across Ohio. Reservations are required.

For more information, contact Sandy Wiechman at 419.372.9353 or swiechm@bgsu.edu.

Event Recap

Swallow Your Pride, Call for a Ride | New Year’s Eve Recap 

The 2016-17 New Year’s Eve “Swallow Your Pride, Call for a Ride” campaign event was a success. Safe Communities of Wood County began offering rides at 11 PM on December 31, and concluded the event at 4 AM on January 1. The event served a total of 147 people, which is down from 200 people served the previous year. We also saw a reduction in the number of volunteers in addition to the number of vans, which was reduced from 4 last year to only 3 this year.

Safe Communities always enjoys working alongside local organizations and businesses to benefit our community, and we are grateful to the community members who help make this event possible every year. Thank you to all the volunteers who donated their time to spread the message of driving sober. This continues to be a very welcome and rewarding program for the City of Bowling Green.

For more information on traffic safety and our upcoming events, visit our Traffic Safety Website.