STRAIGHT FROM THE SENATE

CRASH COURSE IN

10 DEADLY HABITS

STATEHOUSE – No doubt we’ve all heard someone complain after receiving a traffic ticket that law enforcement officers could make better use of their time focusing on violent offenders than on lead-footed drivers. Yet, statistics show Hoosiers face much greater threat of being killed at the hands of a driver than a murderer. That’s something to keep in mind this summer as more students are on the road and families venture out on vacations.

According to reports filed by the Criminal Justice Institute and the FBI, traffic deaths continue to occur at more than twice the rate of homicides here in Indiana. In 2007, there were 898 traffic fatalities and 333 homicides in Indiana. In 2008, both numbers decreased, with 814 traffic fatalities compared to 306 homicides – but they still showed 508 more dying on the highway than at the hands of homicidal felons.

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Even though progress in highway safety has been made, law enforcement officials tell us there is still a death related to a crash in the U.S. every 12 minutes. That adds up to nearly 44,000 deaths a year.

Here at the Indiana General Assembly, we’ve tried to do our part to make Hoosier highways safer. In recent years, lawmakers have passed new seatbelt and child restraint laws, created legislation to better prepare teenagers to become responsible motorists and cracked down on those who drink and drive. We’ve also enacted laws to protect teens from the dangers of using a cell phone while driving and allow the criminal justice system to better monitor former habitual traffic offenders who receive the ability to drive again.

But there are some problems legislation alone can’t solve. Officials with the Indiana State Police have identified ten “top causes” of crashes on Indiana roadways. It’s a list worthy of review as our seasonal weather improves and driving increases:

•Driving while impaired;

•Following too closely;

•Failure to yield;

•Unsafe lane movement;

•Driving too fast for weather conditions;

•Running off the roadway;

•Over-steering or over-correcting;

•Driving at unsafe speeds;

•Falling asleep at the wheel; and

•Drivers being distracted.

Many of these issues increase in importance when motorists come to an intersection. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has identified intersection safety as the number one high-risk for drivers.

According to the FHWA, each year more than 2.8 million intersection-related collisions occur in the U.S., representing nearly half of all reported crashes. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports more than 900 people a year die and nearly 2,000 are injured due to drivers running red lights.

About half of these deaths are pedestrians and occupants in other vehicles who are hit by drivers who disregard traffic signals. The most widely used excuse for red-light running? “I was in a hurry,” police report.

A study released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) showed 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved one of these forms of driver distraction.

•cell phone use;

•reaching for a moving object inside the vehicle;

•looking at an object or event outside the vehicle;

•reading; and

•applying makeup.

Officials with the NHTSA also report drowsiness or fatigue is the principal cause of up to 100,000 police-reported passenger vehicle crashes every year, killing at least 1,500 people and injuring 71,000.

Last year, Indiana experienced its lowest number of traffic fatalities since 1925, thanks in part to legislative efforts on drunken driving, seat belt usage and other highway issues. Even more recently, officials announced motorcycle deaths in our state declined by more than 14 percentage points. Yet, there were still nearly 700 people killed on Hoosier roads.

Improving highway safety is literally a two-way street. We will continue to explore ways to make our motorists safer in future sessions of the Indiana General Assembly. In the meantime, please be careful as you travel on our Hoosier highways and byways.

Sen. David Long (R-Fort Wayne) is President Pro Tem of the Indiana Senate. He serves District 16, which includes portions of Fort Wayne.