The International Walk to School Day started back in 1997 and since then millions of people across the globe have come together to help reduce the risks of pedestrian accidents in Maine and elsewhere each October. In 2002, the largest number of participants was recorded at approximately 3 million for the event.There are many reasons to participate in this year’s events. Walking promotes a healthy lifestyle, it helps to reduce the amount of pollutants let off by motor vehicles and it helps to raise awareness about the need for more accessible sidewalks, pathways and safer intersections.

Our Portland pedestrian accident attorneys understand that pedestrian safety has been a frequent topic of conversation among safety advocates. Back in 2005, legislation was passed to help everyone understand the importance of safe pedestrian travel. Through this legislation and through the Safe Routes to School program, federal funding is distributed to states for safe traveling programs and for the construction of safer roadways. However, none of the contributions mean anything without the cooperation of motorists and pedestrians across the nation. This event helps to gain the cooperation from individuals across the state.

Schools that are participating in this year’s event include:

-Hichborn Middle School

-Troy Central Elementary School

-Monroe Elementary School

-Morse Memorial Elementary School

-Walker Elementary School

-Mt. View Elementary School

-Mt. View Middle School

-My. View High School

-Madison Elementary School

-Atwood Primary School

-Blue Point School

-Brown Elementary School

-RSU 3

-Mount Desert Elementary School

-Mahoney Middle School

Each school is participating in different ways. Some schools are hosting mile long walks/runs during school hours. Others are dropping school bus riders off a mile away from school and having everyone walk to school together. Others have simply applied for some of the federal funding so that students can have safe ways to make it to school.

Approximately 11,500 schools across the county have already received federal funding to help create safer routes to school. Maine is hoping to receive some of this funding during the 2011 campaign. Safe sidewalks and crosswalks could be constructed at a number of our local roadways to help keep our school-aged pedestrians safe. The truth of the matter is that far too little funding is spent on pedestrian safety.

“Enabling and encouraging safe walking and biking to school is important for transportation, health, and safety in communities throughout the State,” said Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) Commissioner David Cole.

The MaineDOTsencourages you join this year’s events to:

-Help to reduce traffic congestion and speed limits near schools and in school zones.

-Help to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by reducing vehicular traffic.

-To help to improve classroom performance and behavior.

-To improve socials networks amongst students and to increase the bond between students and teachers.

-To teach children safe pedestrian and bicycling behavior and habits.

-To help build students’ self-confidence and independence.

-To help reclaim the streets for safer walking and biking instead of for speedy vehicularstraffic.

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Distracted driving car accidents in Portland and elsewhere are becoming a top concern for officials as more drivers than ever are taking their eyes off the road. To help combat the problem and to save some lives along the way, the National Safety Council (NSC) has released a new video series, “Understanding Distracted Driving,” to help drivers to fully understand the dangers and the consequences of the dangerous driving behavior.Our Maine car accident attorneys understand that state officials have yet to enact a ban on cell phone use by drivers. Currently, novice drivers in Maine are the only ones who are covered under a ban of cell phone use for both hand-held and hands-free devices. As of September 28th, no driver in our state is allowed to text while operating a motor vehicle. Unfortunately, not all motorists will abide by these laws and will continue to put other driver’s lives in danger.

Throughout the NSC’s new video series, the Senior Director of Transportation Initiatives at the NSC, David Teater, addresses a dozen popular questions regarding the dangerous habit, including just how severe distractions can be, why cell phones prove to be such a dangerous distraction and how employers can create an effective and beneficial cell phone policy for all employees.

Teater has chosen to conduct these videos because he and the NSC saw him as a good fit. Teater lost his 12-year-old son in a motor-vehicle accident that involved a distracted driver in 2004.

“Cell phone use and driving are a dangerous, and oftentimes deadly, combination,” Teater said.

The NSC isn’t the only one targeting distracted drivers. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is at it, too. The NTSB recently made a proposal to ban all commercial truck drivers from using a cell phone and texting while driving.

The most recent proposal comes after a hearing that addressed a driver that was involved in a fatal accident just seconds after hanging up his cell phone. The accident took the lives of 11 people and sent local shops crumbling to the ground, according to FOX News.

According to the U. . Department of Transportation, there is a rule in place that bans truck drivers in Maine and nationwide from using texting while driving. The NTSB is trying to build on this rule by asking that the ban cover both truck and bus drivers and to prohibit both cell phone use and texting by these drivers.

“This is the most comprehensive recommendation we’ve made,” said the NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman.

The NTSB doesn’t have the authority to make something like this a federal law, so the proposal has been sent to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and each of the 50 states. This ban could potentially regulate the driving habits of nearly 3 million truck drivers in the United States and help to save thousands of lives on our roadways.

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics released new preliminary data calculating the total number of work injuries in Maine and elsewhere in 2010. The Bureau estimates that nearly 4,550 employees were the victim of a fatal work accident in 2010. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) reported that there was a final count of 4,551 on-the-job fatalities recorded in 2009.

The number of fatal work-related injuries in the United States totaled about 3.5 deaths for every 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers. This is the exact same rate that 2009 produced. Final data for the 2010 year will be released in the Spring of 2012.Our Portland injury attorneys understand that there are many unseen factors that go into the risks of a work accident, including the total number of hours worked and the status of the economy/unemployment rate. The number of hours worked was up in 2010 in comparison to both 2008 and 2009. Industries that are typically high-risk however, were fortunate enough to experience a decline in the number of fatal accidents. These industries also experienced a slow increase in the number of worked hours.

The primarily findings from the 2010 Bureau’s Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries:

-Self-employed workers: Experienced a decline in the number of fatal work injuries by about 6 percent. Less than 1,000 workers died in this industry during the year.

-Private mining industry: Increased of almost 75 percent in the number of fatal work accidents from 2009 to 2010. Nearly 175 workers died in this industry throughout the year giving it a death rate of 19.9 per 100,000 FTEs.

-Private construction industry: Experienced a decrease of roughly 10 percent in 2010. The number of fatal construction-related work accidents has declined by 40 percent since 2006.

-Fatal Injuries caused by fires:sThese incidents have more than doubled from since the previous year. More than 100 fatal work injuries were caused by fires in 2010, which is the highest number recorded since 2003.

-Homicides: Decreased by nearly 10 percent 2010. This is the lowest number that the Bureau has ever recorded. In this category, homicide involving women increased by nearly 13 percent, however.

-Race:sAfrican-American and non-Hispanic workers experienced a 9 percent decline in 2010 in the number of fatal work injuries. Fatal work-related injuries experienced by white workers increase by about 2 percent. Hispanic or Latino workers experienced a decrease of about 4 percent.

-Police officers:sExperienced an increase of about 40 percent, more than 130 law enforcement officers died in 2010.

Employers have a responsibility to keep workers safe. Federal regulations are in place to ensure than these individuals are taking all of the proper precautions to help keep employees safe. Failure to comply with federal recommendations can result in legal consequences, fines, violations, lawsuit or potential shut down.

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It was a horrendous Labor Day holiday weekend for those traveling on Maine roadways with five fatal accidents and many more resulting in injuries.

Portland car accident attorneys remind us that school resuming, fall tourist season, upcoming holidays, and winter weather will all make the next few months especially dangerous. Common causes of Bangor car accidents include distracted driving, speeding, aggressive driving, drunk driving and accidents involving teen drivers.The Saturday of the Labor Day weekend, in Yarmouth, a one car accident left a motorist dead. A 36-year-old man driving his pickup left the road due to unknown causes, crashed into a tree stump and then flipped his vehicle. The victim was ejected from the vehicle which caused the fatal injuries.

That same day, a two-car crash in Mars Hill caused the death of one man and injured three others.

On Sunday, a resident of Mars Hill was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence that resulted in a fatal two-car crash that caused the death of a Medway man. The suspect also had in his possession methamphetamine, according to police. The 51-year-old Medway man was a passenger in his son’s vehicle when it was hit head-on on Route 1 in the accident, killing him instantly. The impact was so severe it sent the victim’s vehicle rolling into a ditch and ending up on its side. There was another passenger in the car that sustained life-threatening injuries. All occupants were trapped in their vehicles and rescue workers had to use the Jaws of Life to extricate them.

Also that Sunday, in Lamoine, police discovered the body of a woman inside a car that apparently had driven into the ocean. According to police, the roof of the vehicle was spotted in the water by a passer-by. The incident happened at the end of Route 184 that leads to the ocean’s edge. The 48-year-old victim was from Florida and was returning to her hotel after attending a family wedding. Authorities believe she got lost in her unfamiliar surroundings.

Also on Labor Day Sunday, a man was killed when he was ejected from a pickup in Hudson. The crash on Route 43 killed a 19-year-old male, when, after missing a turn, his pickup truck overturned into a field and ejected him into the woods. Police are still investigating the crash and it remains unknown if the victim was the driver or the passenger of the truck. Thus far it appears that alcohol and speed contributed to the crash.

Police in an early morning Labor Day Sunday incident in Turner found a car on fire with someone inside. It is unclear what caused the one-car crash that happened around 3 a.m. There has been a tentative ID of the victim but the name is not being released until family has been notified.

As you can see, many people were affected by these terrible accidents — both the victims themselves, but also many friends and family. Don’t mix alcohol and driving and always avoid aggressive driving, which can lead to accidents.

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A man involved in a Bangor construction accident has died. The young man was reportedly working on a natural gas line project when he was crushed by a backhoe on Odlin Road, according to Bangor Daily News.

The 23-year-old was working for Bowdoin Excavation out of North Yarmouth and was working on a line extension project for Bangor Gas., according to WABI 5.Our Maine workers’ compensation lawyers understand the high risk construction workers face around heavy equipment. Accidents that involve these heavy machines can oftentimes be fatal. When a backhoe runs into a ditch, a stump or a hole, it can overturn or cause the operator to fall off and be run over. It is not uncommon for inexperienced driver to run into fellow workers either. This is why federal job safety standards require that operators of industrial lift-type trucks be thoroughly trained on how to operate the equipment before jumping in the driver’s seat. Under these federal standards, all workers that are under the age of 18 are prohibited from driving or operating the machinery.

“OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), the Attorney General’s office, would be involved in something like this because it’s an unattended death. A medical examiner would be involved because of the nature of the incident and everybody has their part to do. We’ll at some point find out exactly what happened,” says Sgt. Chip Hodges from the Bangor Police Department.

Federal statistics report that more than 5,000 employees died at work in the United State in 2008 alone. Construction equipment operators were among the categories of workers with the highest number of fatalities during that same year, according to OSHA.

Tips for site workers to avoid an accident with a backhoe or any other hydraulic excavator:

-All workers should be trained to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions. They should also be required to execute safe work practices that apply to their specific work environments.

-All workers on the work site should be aware of the machines’ established swing areas and blind spots. Employers should keep workers on foot outside of these areas by marking them off with rope, tape or other barriers.

-Before beginning a work shift, go over and confirm communication signals between machine operators and surrounding workers.

-Workers should be prohibited from standing under suspended loads or suspended machine components such as the boom, arm or bucket.

-Workers on foot should not be allowed to approach the hydraulic excavator or backhoe loader until they receive the go-ahead signal from the operator.

-Workers should never ride in or work from excavator or backhoe loader buckets.

-All workers should have appropriate personal protective equipment. Employers should make sure that workers use and maintain this equipment.

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Amtrak has filed a lawsuit against the Massachusetts company that owned the truck hit by the Downeaster passenger train last month in North Berwick, Maine. That truck is owned by Triumvirate Environmental Inc. of Somerville, Massachusetts.

The driver of the 18-wheeler truck was killed in the Maine car accident that happened on July 11th, according to boston.com.

The truck was carrying more than 50,000 pounds of trash to a local incinerator. Police are conducting an ongoing investigation into the accident.The Amtrak driver is accusing the big rig driver of ignoring the railroad crossing controls and warnings while he was crossing the railroad tracks. Four passengers aboard the Amtrak train suffered injuries in the collision. Amtrak isn’t seeking specific damages, but they are reportedly seeking compensation for subsequent service disruption costs of $3 million. The suit was recently filed in federal court in Massachusetts.

Our Portland personal injury attorneys understand that the court filings for this case state that the crossing warnings were activated as the truck proceeded through the crossing. They also state that the truck driver “failed to heed the warnings” and drove his tractor-trailer around the lowered crossing gates and caused the accident. This case is important to bring up because accidents near railroad crossings can be oftentimes produce deadly results if the proper safety measures are not taken and if warning signals are ignored.

“Once we get it all done, we’ll release what our finding was,” says Police Chief Stephen Peasley, estimating it could be another couple of weeks.

The suit was filed on August 8th at the U. . District Court of Massachusetts by John Bonistalli, the attorney representing National Railroad Passenger Corporation.

It is estimated that a person or a vehicle is hit by a train every 115 minutes. It is also estimated that about half of these railroad accidents occur at railroad crossings when automatic warning devices, like flashing lights and gates, are present and are properly activated and working.

According to the U. . Department of Transportation, there are approximately 5,800 vehicle-train accidents each year in the United States. A majority of these accidents occur at railroad crossings. These accidents result in an average of 600 fatalities each year. These accidents also injure about 2,300 people yearly.

Common injuries of a train and car accident can include brain trauma, spinal cord injuries, concussions, other head injuries, sprains, fractures, abrasions, burn injuries and internal and various soft tissue injuries. Many of these injures can be life threatening.

Railroad accidents most oftentimes include these scenarios:

-Derailment of a train.

-Train-train collisions.
-Train-car collisions.
-Train-person collisions.
-Damage to property.

Accidents that involve a train can be very complex and difficult for the victims, especially when fighting for deserved compensation. That is why it is critical for you to contact an attorney immediately following a train wreck or railroad accident.

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Our Maine personal injury attorneys would like to wish you a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday weekend. We would also like to ask you to be extra cautious, no matter what your plans are, as many residents are exposed to an increased risk for accidents and injuries.Residents and visitors are more likely to experience an injury in Maine during this holiday weekend, whether you’re celebrating on the water, at the pool or lighting off fireworks. With the proper safety precautions, residents can help to keep themselves and their loved ones safe and injury-free this Independence Day weekend.

Celebrating the weekend on the water?sBe sure you follow these safety tips, provided by Discover Boating, to help keep you and other boaters safe:

-Check the weather reports before venturing out. If you’re out on a boat and you see bad weather approaching, play it safe and get to land. It is encouraged that you get off the water if you notice darkening clouds, volatile and rough changing winds or sudden drops in temperature.

-Be sure to operate at a safe speed all the time, especially in crowded areas.

-Stay away from large vessels that can be restricted in their ability to stop or turn.

-Be respectful of buoys and other navigational aids. These signals have been placed there to help ensure your boating safety.

-Make sure more than one person on board knows every aspect of your boat’s handling, operations and other boating safety tips.

-Make sure that everyone on board has a life jacket. A majority of drowning victims were the result ofsboating accidents in which passengers were found to not be wearing a life jacket.

-Never boat and drive. You’re twice as likely to be involved in a boating accident when alcohol is involved.

-Get a free vessel safety check. The US Coast Guard offers free boat examinations to verify the presence and condition of certain safety equipment required by state and federal regulations.What’s the Fourth of July without fireworks? Using fireworks is as traditional as Independence Day parades and barbecues. According to the National Council on Firework Safety, there were approximately 5,900 fireworks-related injuries during the Fourth of July season in 2009. Dr. John Steinberg, a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council on Firework Safety, suggests that everyone uses a little common sense to reduce the risks of injury this year.

The Council offers these tips to help keep residents safe this Fourth of July:

-Always supervise teens when they are using fireworks.

-Do not allow children to handle fireworks.

-Only use fireworks outdoors.

-Always have water ready. You should keep a bucket of water or a hose nearby.

-Do not drink alcohol and light off fireworks. Always have a designated lighter.

-Make sure you’re wearing safety glasses whenever lighting off fireworks.

-Do not attempt to relight a dud firework. Instead, let it sit for 20 minutes and then soak it in water.

-Do not combine or alter fireworks in any way. Only use them as instructed.

As summer provides perfect weather for outdoor celebrations, many residents will be relaxing poolside and barbecuing with family and friends, but with the pool comes great risks for injuries — and death.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 10 people die every day from unintentional drowning. Two of these deaths that occur every day occur to children that are under the age of 15. As a matter of fact, drowning is the sixth leading cause of unintentional injury death for people of all ages. It is the second leading cause of death for children ages 14 and younger.

There were nearly 3,500 fatal unintentional drownings in 2007 alone. These were non-boating related drownings. More than half of the drowning victims were taken to and treated in emergency rooms and eventually were transferred to higher levels or care of hospitalized. Many times, injuries from nonfatal drownings can be sever and life altering. A victim can suffer brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities. These disabilities can include memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functioning.

The CDC offers these safety tips to help ensure everyone’s safety this holiday weekend at the pool:

-Supervise children around water at all times.

-Always use the buddy system. Never swim, or let anyone swim, alone.

-Do not use air-filled or foam toys in place of life jackets. These toys are not designed to keep swimmers safe.

-Avoid drinking alcohol before or during swimming.

-Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). In the time it might take for paramedics to arrive, your CPR skills could help to save someone’s life.

Again, have a safe and fun Independence Day and remember to practice all safety tips, regardless of your weekend plans.

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June is National Safety Month in Maine and throughout the country. In order to raise awareness, the National Safety Council is urging communities and businesses to practice safe behaviors at work and home to reduce the number of preventable injuries and car accidents in Maine and elsewhere.

Our Bangor accident attorneys know that safety is important, but it is often someone else’s irresponsible behaviors that can cause serious injury, so be prepared to take action if you are the victim of negligence.

The NSC has dedicated each week of the month to different safety topics. The first week, June 1-4, is dedicated to summertime safety. Numerous Safety & Health Fact Sheets are provided with a concentration on distracted driving, teen driving, workplace safety and home safety.

The focal point of week two, June 5-11, is preventing overexertion. Injuries in the lower back, sprains and strains, are the most prominent example of overexertion injuries. Overexertion is the third-leading cause of preventable injuries that are treated in a hospital emergency room.

June 12-18 is dedicated to teen driving safety. Creating awareness is critical in keeping roadways safe since 5,500 people are killed yearly in accidents with a teen driver involved.

The fourth week, June 19-25 focuses on preventing slips and fall accidents. Falls are a common cause for a trip to the emergency room, especially in older adults (55 and up).

The final week, June 26-30, places attention on driving and cell phone use. It is estimated that 23 percent of car accidents are caused by drivers distracted by cell phones.

A national observance of unintentional injuries and deaths is needed because the number of accidents is escalating to undesirable levels. In 2009, there were more than 128,000 unintentional deaths – a 47 percent increase since 1992. In comparison, the 1992 total (86,777) matched the lowest estimated total since 1924; the 2009 total was the highest estimated total ever recorded.

Each year, families throughout the country spend roughly $5,900 on medical expenses for unintentional injuries and trips to the hospital. These injuries cost Americans and their employers almost $700 billion a year.

As part of overexertion recognition week, the NSC offers the following safety and health tips:

-Keep your home and work environment clutter-free. Store things in a closet or cabinet.

-Refrain from using rolling chairs as a ladder to reach things.

-Stack heavy items near the bottom to avoid them falling on you or straining your back to lift them.

-Make routine visits to the eye doctor to check your vision. Make sure prescription eyeglasses are used when needed.

-Make sure outlets are not overloaded with cords to reduce the risk of a fire hazard.
Visit the website for more safety tips that can be used at work.

Maine residents can reduce the risk of unintentional injuries by being safe drivers, maintaining a safe home and work environment and using a little common sense when it comes to proper safety procedures.

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Speeding is a common cause of car accidents in Maine and throughout the country. Yet, state officials are proposing a bill to increase the speed limit on a stretch of highway in Northern Maine, reports the Bangor Daily News. Our car accident attorneys in Bangor and Portland hope the state considers this bill carefully before they pass it, considering that 38 percent of traffic fatalities in Maine for 2009 were caused by a speed-related crash.

A unanimous vote by a legislative committee is in favor of passing LD 1557, a bill that would permit the state’s commissioner to raise the speed limit to 75 mph on a 100-mile stretch of highway from Old Town to Houlton. The current speed limit for that stretch of Interstate 95 is set at 65 mph. The bill would allow the commissioner to use discretion on parts of the highway that should remain at 65 for safety reasons. The issue came up during his campaign when 10 percent of the public doors he knocked on asked the question “When are we going to be able to legally drive 75 on the highway?”

The fact is, motorists already take their chances on this solitary stretch of highway, often driving above the permitted speed limit. With very few cars and even fewer exits, motorists and state officials feel the risks of a car accident related to speed is minimal.

“The motorists on this section of I-95 are traveling at speeds at which they feel comfortable regardless of the posted speed limit,” Nina Fisher, the DOT’s legislative liaison, said in testimony to the committee. “Past data has proven that a driver’s level of comfort does not increase as a function of posted speed limit but as a function of the drivability of the road.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 61 of the 159 traffic fatalities in 2009 were in speed-related crashes. During 2005-2009, speed was a factor in a high percentage of traffic fatalities in Maine. The highest percentage reported during that period was in 2005 when speed played a role in 51 percent of Maine traffic fatalities for that year.

The next step for LD 1557 is presentation to the House and Senate for deliberation.
Speed tips to consider on Maine roadways this summer:

-Maintain the legal speed limit on unfamiliar or rural roads. Curves in the roadway or unknown obstacles like groundhogs or moose can appear from nowhere and make it difficult to avoid at high travel speeds.

-Pass slower moving vehicles on the left-hand side. Passing on the right could cause an accident with merging vehicles that may not see your vehicle.

-Slow down on exit ramps or sharp corners to avoid a rollover accident or collision with another vehicle.

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Maine is going to be hit with a double whammy this Memorial Day holiday weekend as not will we see an increase in traffic because of the kickoff weekend to the summer season but construction season gets into full swing as well. Enforcement officers will set out in full force on our roadways to reduce risks of car accidents in Maine caused by speeding, drunk driving, aggressive driving and other poor driving habits.The National Safety Council recently released their yearly estimates for the number of traffic accidents for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend. This weekend is marked as the time between 6:00 p.m. on Friday and 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The Council estimates that there will be more than 400 traffic fatalities and another 39,400 injuries requiring medical attention just over the celebratory weekend because of motor vehicle collisions.

Our Maine personal injury lawyers would like residents to be extra careful on our roadways this holiday weekend as we will have the added dangers of construction zones. According to NBC 2, areas in Maine will be seeing a ton of construction as new bridges and other construction projects are underway. Drivers are urged to be extra cautious in these areas as risks for an accident are greatly increased when workers and road work is present. The city is trying to get all of the work done before all of the visitors flock to the area.

In an attempt to keep motorists safe this holiday weekend, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be running its “Click It or Ticket” campaign. The campaign began last week and will be running through the first week of June. The “Click It or Ticket” is the most successful seat belt enforcement campaign ever. It has been proven to contribute to the highest national seat belt usage rate of more than 90 percent. Law enforcement everywhere will enact a zero-tolerance enforcement practice of seat belt laws nationwide throughout the campaign.

Over the last past six years, the long Memorial Day holiday weekend has seen an average of more than 12 percent increase in traffic fatalities than similar non-holiday periods. Many contribute this increase to the increase in the amount of travel by Americans.


Motorists are urged to follow these safety tips to help ensure road safety during the Memorial Day weekend and through high construction areas:

-Put away all distractions while your car is in motion.

-Be sure that all of your passengers are wearing a seat belt and all children are placed in an appropriate child safety seat.

-Be sure that you leave for your destination with time to spare and leave prepared with directions and routes already planned out.

-Drive defensively. Use caution and abide be all road signs and signals, especially in construction areas with frequent lane changes.

-Avoid driving while drowsy. Rest up before you venture out on to the roadways so that you can place your full attention on the road.

-Do not drink and drive. Any amount on alcohol consumption can impair your judgment and reaction time behind the wheel.

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