A montage of real, some re-enacted situations that have lead to the tragic traffic collisions we respond to daily!  From reckless driving, speeding, distracted, impaired driving – we see first hand in EMS (emergency medical field) – please drive carefully. Your life and the lives of others depend on it.

Yes – “distracted driving” is a nation-wide problem!  It injures and kills motorists and pedestrians every day!!! 

I talk about distracted driving in my driving safety lectures, but I’ve also been the victim of distracted drivers (3) times in my driving career.  First, I was hit by someone who flew into a parking where I was, while he was looking down at paperwork and talking on a cell phone – I was able to hit the gas and clear my drivers’ side to avoid certain death.  Second,  I was on a freeway - when a driver was busy looking to his right talking to his passenger and failed to notice stopped traffic ahead, he rear-ended traffic while jumping in front of me.  The third, and hopefully the last,  a motorist ran a STOP sign by “two” car lengths coming off a freeway to a surface street, she was in a hurry and busy talking to her young daughter, she looked to her right and “failed” to look to her left as I approached from her left side with the “right of way” – jumping into my path…”that” crash almost paralyzed me.  I’ve got the scar from my $65-thousand neck surgery as lasting proof… so “yes” I know this problem all too well.  (By the way my alertness and seat-belt saved me in all three incidents.)  But sadly, I also respond to these incidents almost daily as a spokesperson for a police and fire department!

Please take a look at the following two websites, the second is Oprah’s “NO PHONE ZONE” campaign – please take the pledge, and have your family, friends, school, workplace, and civic groups “take the pledge!”  It is a matter of Life and Death!

www.distraction.gov  

Take the pledge:

http://www.oprah.com/questionaire/ipledge.html?id=4

Thank you and stay safe!

Monica Zech

Safe Driving Educator

monicazech@cox.net

An amazing video on the dangers of texting and driving.  A must see for everyone – especially teens.  It’s against the law in California to text and drive, but you still see people doing this – and we still see the collisions as a result…just like in this video.

Getting Around As Safely As Possible…the following links can help!

Since leaving the world of traffic reporting, I rarely hear any traffic reporter give “alternate routes”…or, they’ll say “it’s the usual slowdown” with no detailed information! The following web sites can give you the full picture on traffic, weather – even earthquake activity!

Please get in the habit of checking these traffic sites before heading out the door, so you’ll know what’s really happening out there – and most important – the areas to avoid. Good planning can save you time – and reduce tragedies! Always buckle-up and follow laws made for our safety!

Note: On this site, you’ll also find where’s the cheapest gas, a good car buying site and other helpful information.

TRAFFIC Information & more!

• Traffic Speeds! Click here to see the estimated speeds of traffic on our local freeways: Current San Diego Freeway Speeds – great to check before leaving for your destination or work – be your own traffic reporter! “Know before you go!“
• CHP Traffic Info? Check here for major freeway, and some surface street problems click here: CHP Commute Problem Information - in the upper left hand corner make sure it’s the city you need…but if you’re traveling out of San Diego, you can check other cities as well.
• You can also call 5-1-1 for traffic information.
• Caltrans web site to help you calculate your travel time and the best route to take – Travel Time Calculator the icon is in the upper right corner.
• Weather? Latest weather information – click here: San Diego Weather Forecast
• More weather information from the Local Weather from National Weather Service
• Traveling? National Weather Service – - click here: Nat’l Wx Service
• Need Gas? Looking for the cheapest gas?
  Fueltracker
• Looking to buy a fuel efficient vehicle? Check here: Fuel Economic Buying
• Alternate forms of transportation. To reduce congestion and stress, check this site: San Diego Transit Commute Information
• Power Outage Information from S.D.G.& E. and other useful information.
• Problems In Dealing With Stress? At Home, at work, on the road or in life: Stress Management
• Looking for certain health or disaster help organizations, especially following firestorm or earthquake – call 2-1-1.

*Make it a SAFE ride – no cell phone use behind the wheel – unless it’s an emergency!

Earthquake?

• Did we just have an earthquake? Click here: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqscanv/
  • SanDag – San Diego Association of Governments – SAN DAG -This group watches over San Diego’s growth and design.

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