Safety Programs and Tips

Aggressive Driving

Airbags

Bicycle Safety

Car Seats

Drinking and Driving

Mature Driving Safety

Motor Carrier Safety

Motorcycle Safety

Pedestrian Safety

School Bus Safety

Seat Belts

Teen Driver Safety

Teen Driver Restrictions

Safety Quick Tips

Buckle Up:
If you don't wear a seat belt, your chances of dying or being injured in a vehicle crash are much higher.  In Virginia, 452 unrestrained people died in car crashes and 6,549 unbelted motorists were injured in 2007.

Don't Drink and Drive:
Driving while buzzed or drunk will most assuredly have one of three results -- arrest, injury or death.  In Virginia, 28,787 people were convicted of DUI, 7,130 were injured and 378 people died in alcohol-related crashes in 2007.

Motorcycle 411:
Experience and knowledge are the keys to safe motorcycle travel.  Rider behavior contributed to 80 percent of the 126 motorcycle deaths on Virginia's roads in 2007.  The top three reasons were failure to maintain control, following too closely and exceeding the speed limit.

Slow Down:
By speeding, you won't reach your destination any faster, and you may not reach it at all.  In 2007, there were 434 speed-related deaths and 15,719 speed-related injuries on Virginia's roadways.

Don't Be a Distracted Driver:
As of July 2009 it is illegal to text while driving.  Virginia House Bill 1876 prohibits the operation of a motor vehicle on the highways in Virginia while using any hand-held personal communications device to manually enter multiple letters or text or to read a text message.

Please take a moment to check out this YouTube video on Distracted Driving.

It may help you discuss the dangers of teens texting while driving.  It’s graphic and may make you a little queasy so “viewer discretion is advised” but it’s guaranteed to hit home. 

As you know, most traffic crashes are caused by driver error.  Think about how much more likely are you to make an error while driving distracted – you may not even see it coming.  Talking on your cell, texting, and emailing on your Blackberry all take your eyes and mind off the road, with potentially fatal consequences.  Take a few seconds to pull into a parking lot to take or make a call.  It could make all the difference in the world.

Home