Are you and your family riding safely? Are you buying a new vehicle? Please check this Web Site first: www.safercar.gov it’s from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This site includes crash tests and roll-over ratings, defects and recalls, and FAQs about air bags (including side air bags). Check this site regularly!

My question – “Are you and your family buckled up safely???”

Don’t be fooled – know the dangers of “METH” – click on the following informative website:

METH website from the United State Department of Justice

WHAT IS METHAMPHETAMINE?

Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant drug that dramatically affects the central nervous system. It is usually illegally produced and distributed.

Meth comes in several forms, including powder, crystal, rocks, and tablets. When it comes in the crystal form it is called “crystal meth.”

Wide Disparity in Treatment of Adults Who Leave Kids to Die in Hot Cars

Antonio Balta points to photos of his daughter, Veronica, during an interview at the Florida Dept. of Corrections Desoto Annex May 23, 2007 in Arcadia, Fla. Balta left his daughter in his car while he gambled, and the little girl died from heat exhaustion. The tattoo on his hand reads “Real Lyfe.” (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

07-28-2007, 8:05 PM – By ALLEN G. BREED, AP National WriterMANASSAS, Va.

(Associated Press) — Kevin Kelly is a law-abiding citizen who, much distracted, left his beloved 21-month-old daughter in a sweltering van for seven hours. Frances Kelly had probably been dead for more than four hours by the time a neighbor noticed her strapped in her car seat; when rescue personnel removed the girl from the vehicle, her skin was red and blistered, her fine, carrot-colored hair matted with sweat. Two hours later, her body temperature was still nearly 106 degrees.What is the appropriate punishment for a doting parent responsible for his child’s death?

A judge eventually spared Kelly a lengthy term in prison. Still, it is a question that is asked dozens of times each year.Since the mid-1990s, the number of children who died of heat exhaustion while trapped inside vehicles has risen dramatically, totaling around 340 in the past 10 years.

Read More

Teen Loses 4 Fingers When Firework Explodes

Boy Found Firework In Closet

July 4, 2007

LOS ANGELES — A 13-year-old boy lost four of his fingers on his left hand following the explosion of what was described as as “cylindrical firework” at his South Los Angeles home, a city fire spokesperson said Wednesday.

Fire personnel were dispatched to the scene of the explosion at 6914 1/2 S. Main St. Tuesday at 9:08 p.m., said Los Angeles city fire spokesperson Brian Humphrey.

The teenager told firefighters that he had seen an adult in his home put a “cylindrical firework” in a closet and then leave, Humphrey said.

Mistaking the device for a “Roman Candle,” which is limited to producing sparks, the boy took the firework outside and lit the fuse.

Humphrey said the high-powered explosion that occurred in the boy’s left hand destroyed four his fingers beyond recovery, but spared him other obvious physical impairment.

“Firefighter-paramedics cleaned and dressed the boy’s painful wounds while their colleagues fruitlessly searched the vicinity for remnants of his fingers,” he said.

The boy was accompanied by his mother to Harbor/University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center for further medical treatment.

Blind spots are a deadly flaw for most SUVs

‘There’s actually an epidemic going on right now,’ safety activist warns

By Herb Weisbaum
Updated: 9:58 a.m. PT May 22, 2007

How many kids can sit behind an SUV without being seen by the driver in the rearview mirrors? This is not a trick question. In fact, knowing the answer could save a child’s life.

According to the consumer group Kids and Cars, as many as 62 children could be in that blind zone and you’d never know it. And that’s a huge problem.

Your driveway is the last place you’d expect a child to get hit by a car. But Janette Fennell, president of Kids and Cars, says at least 100 children are killed there each year in backover accidents. Another 2,400 children are seriously injured this way each year.

It happened just last week in Covington, Wash., near Seattle. Mariana Lopez, an 18-month old girl, was accidentally run over as her aunt backed up her Ford F-150 pickup — a half-ton vehicle with a huge rear blind zone. The aunt couldn’t see the toddler, who was no higher than the tire.

“People need to understand that there’s actually an epidemic going on right now,” Fennell says. “Two children every week are dying because they can’t be seen behind these larger vehicles that we’re driving.”

Like Mariana, most of the victims are toddlers 12 to 23 months old. They have just learned to walk and often try to follow mom, dad or some other relative to the vehicle. They have no concept of the danger involved.

The fact that it’s usually a family member behind the wheel makes this a tragedy within a tragedy.

Bigger cars are taking a tragic toll
“The problem has gotten worse with the increased popularity of SUVs, pickup trucks and minivans as family vehicles,” says Mike Quincy, an automotive expert with Consumer Reports. “Some of the blind spots are incredible.”

During the last few years, Consumer Reports measured the blind zones behind hundreds of vehicles using both short and tall drivers. Here’s the range they found for each category:

Sedans: 12 feet to 24 feet
Minivans: 15 feet to 26 feet
Sport Utility Vehicles: 13 feet to 29 feet
Pickup trucks: 23 feet to 35 feet
With some of these large pickups, the blind zone can be longer than the driveway.

The 2006 Jeep Commander Limited had the biggest blind spot of any vehicle Consumer Reports tested – a stunning 69 feet with a short driver. With an optional backup camera, that huge blind spot is nearly eliminated.

Is federal action needed to cut the tragic toll?
This may surprise you, but there is no federal standard for rear visibility. Last week, the “Kids Transportation Safety Act of 2007” (S.694) passed the Senate Commerce Committee and is now headed to the full Senate for a vote.

The bill, which covers a number of automotive safety issues, would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to create rules that would expand the required field of vision behind a vehicle.

The bill does not say how this would be accomplished; that would be worked out in the rulemaking process. But it does list some possible options, including additional mirrors, sensors and cameras.

S.694 would also require the Department of Transportation to establish a database of injuries and deaths caused by non-traffic, not-crash accidents. Currently, no federal agency tracks them.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents nine of the major car companies, supports the bill.

“We think it advances safety,” says spokeswoman Gloria Bergquist. “It’s good public policy and good for children. We think all of this makes a lot of sense.”

There’s no need to wait for Congress
Backup cameras are now available — standard or as options — on a number of large vehicles. With that camera the big blind spot in the rear disappears. Some of the safety systems also have sensors that set off an alarm if something is back there.

Janette Fennell, the Kansas mom who founded Kids and Cars, drives an SUV with a built-in backup camera. “I’d never drive a car that doesn’t have it,” she told me.

As soon as she puts her car in reverse the camera comes on and automatically shows what’s behind her vehicle in the dashboard navigation screen.

You can also get aftermarket cameras and sensors. Consumer Reports recently tested the VR3 from Virtual Reality Video Labs (under $150). The editors say the wireless unit is easy to install. “Its effective enough to be an alternative to factory systems,” they say.

According to Kids and Cars, 60 children were killed last year in frontover accidents. That’s more than one child every week.

Many people who know about the rear blind spot back their vehicles into the driveway. They figure they’ll be able to see anything in front of them as they pull forward. But backing into the driveway does not eliminate the danger.

“Some of the vehicles are so large and you’re so high off the ground that you can’t see little ones in front of the vehicle,” Fennell warns.

That’s what happened to 8-year old Douglas Bransom one year ago this week.

“Douglas was the cautious one,” his father, Phil Bransom, told me. “He would always ask if he could cross the street.”

Douglas was walking home on the sidewalk in a quiet neighborhood in West Linn, Oregon. Phil Bransom thinks his son dropped a toy at the top of a neighbor’s driveway and bent down to pick it up, just as the neighbor was moving his SUV forward.

Douglas was hit and dragged into the street. He died at the scene.

“It happens so fast,” Douglas Bransom’s dad says. “It only takes a second for your life to change forever.”

Phil Bransom says technology alone won’t solve this problem. He says people need to know where their children are when they get into their car.

“Just take the time to slow down,” he says. “Take time to think about your child being in or around the car.”

Bransom always walks around his vehicle and looks around for neighborhood kids before getting behind the wheel. He knows what can happen if he doesn’t.

Here is an excellent list of resources in regards to Child Safety:

Child Safety Resource List

News from the Grossmont Healthcare District

The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD), a public agency that supports health-related community programs and services in San Diego’s East County region, has honored five East County residents with a 2007 Healthcare Hero Award.

The honorees were recognized for their efforts to advance the delivery of quality healthcare by volunteering their time beyond normal job responsibilities, according to Bob Yarris, GHD board member who conceived the awards program and also serves on the board’s Public Relations & Outreach Committee, which coordinates the annual awards program.

“We are proud to honor these unsung healthcare heroes for their inspirational, extraordinary care and selfless dedication who go the extra mile in volunteer service,” said Yarris. “In measurable outcomes, their efforts have improved the quality of life for all East County residents, and for that we are very grateful.”

Among those receiving a Grossmont Healthcare District 2007 Healthcare Hero Award:

*Monica Zech of La Mesa extends her job as public information officer and safety educator for the City of El Cajon with frequent appearances to community groups during her off-hours; nights, weekends and even using her vacation days to lecture in the East County and throughout San Diego County. Monica lectures on injury prevention such as fire safety – traffic safety and disaster preparedness…”safety” is Monica’s passion!

East County residents were invited to submit names of possible award recipients and more than 40 nominations were received, according to Gloria Chadwick, GHD board member who serves as chair of the Public Relations & Outreach Committee.

“We were very impressed with every nominee, which made the selection process difficult and challenging,” Chadwick said. “We are looking forward to next year when we will again ask local residents for additional names of volunteers deserving this highly coveted recognition, as more people become aware of this annual awards program.”

Sponsors of the 2007 awards program included Grossmont Healthcare District, Sycuan Resort, Sharp Grossmont Hospital and SDG&E. Both award recipients and nominees were honored at a luncheon held on April 18, 2007, at Sycuan Resort. Carol LeBeau, KGTV-TV anchor and health reporter, served as emcee at the event.

The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD), formed in 1952 to build and operate Grossmont Hospital, serves as landlord of the hospital, including ownership of the property and buildings on behalf of local taxpayers. The District is governed by a five-member board of directors, each elected to four-year terms, who represent nearly 500,000 people residing within the District’s 750 square miles in San Diego’s East County. In 1991, the District leased the hospital’s operation to Sharp HealthCare under a 30-year lease that runs through the year 2021. For more information about GHD, visit www.grossmonthealthcare.org.

Read More

A serious act: Gory details aim to deter students from driving while drunk by
Joshua Palmer
The Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho
April 27, 2007

Apr. 27 – TWIN FALLS – He was too drunk to walk, let alone drive.

But Marcus Schaal, a senior at Twin Falls High School, didn’t realize his mistake until it was too late.

When he regained consciousness he noticed that Matt Hanchey, who was riding in the passenger seat, had been thrown through the windshield and onto the hood of the car. He was covered in blood and Schaal couldn’t get him to wake up.

When Schaal lumbered out ofhis vehicle he saw two girls sitting motionless inside the car he had slammed into.

It was a nightmare, but fortunately it was only an act.

The act was part of an event Thursday afternoon at Twin Falls High School to remind students about the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol.

“Each year we do something called “Every 15 Minutes, “which is recognized all over Idaho and other states to remind us that basically every 15 minutes someone is killed in a drunk-driving accident, ” said Abby McNeley, student body vice president. “But this year we decided to do something different and show students how fast drinking and driving can take someone’s life.”

The scene was acted out by Twin Falls High School seniors as well as Twin Falls police and fire departments. A Life Flight helicopter was even called in to carry away one of the ‘injured’ passengers.

Despite the real-life props andspecial effects, nobody could overlook the gruesome detail of the scene.

“That was intentional because, in a way, we want this to have some shock value,” said Staff Sgt. Dennis Pullin. “Senior graduation is coming up soon, and we hope that they will know how real this can be.”

For some students, the sight of a peer lying ‘dead’ on the hood of a car seemed a little exaggerated, but for others it was an awakening to the dangers of driving while under the influence. However, most students seemed to grasp the significance of the scene when Schaal was handcuffed and driven away in the back of a police car.

“It definitely changed the way I thought about things like this,” said Chelsea Abramowski, a senior at Twin Falls High school. “I think it was really a good experience for us — especially because we will have prom soon and it might change some people’s minds about drinking and driving.”

Times-News writer Joshua Palmer covers education. He can be reached at jpalmer@magicvalley.com or at (208) 420-0526.