We’ve pushed back from our Thanksgiving tables and awakened to Black Friday – the day known as the official start of the Christmas shopping season. You can almost hear the “cha-ching” of cash registers on the busiest and most chaotic deal day of the year. Unfortunately, the Thanksgiving holiday period is also known for something that’s far less jolly. Nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities during this holiday week involve impaired drivers according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
We’ve all lived this driving experience: you’re cruising along and up ahead you spot a stalled vehicle on the shoulder. Maybe the emergency hazards are on, but maybe not. You have precious seconds to assess the situation and take action. What do you do? You should slow down or move over as soon as safely possible. Crowding a stalled or working vehicle, or failing to let other drivers change lanes, can create the perfect storm for collisions.
You’re going about your day when out of nowhere a robotic voice chimes “I’m sorry, I didn’t get that.” Sound familiar? If you’ve ever found yourself driving and answering – or possibly even telling Siri – to chill out, you’re not alone. Voice assistants are much like that overly eager friend who has good intentions to help you but lacks a good sense for timing. Announcing calls and responding to our conversations unprompted, can actually be a distraction when we’re behind the wheel.
“Grease is the time, is the place, is the motion…it’s got groove, it’s got meaning.” These Frankie Valli lyrics from the 70s hit movie “Grease” lend inspiration for today’s Roadside Chat reminding us that deer are in motion…they’ve got hooves and they’ve got meaning.
Deer have given significant meaning to today’s date – November 8. What may seem like an average autumn day is statistically Iowa’s most dangerous traffic safety day for drivers and wildlife. When the month of November collides with the eighth day, Iowa DOT crash data shows that it ranks as the No. 1 date for animal crashes in our state over the past decade. Equally important to know, the top 10 dates of animal crashes occur within the first half of the month.
If deer dispensed driving advice right now, they’d warn us that they’re distracted, unpredictable, and pursuing (or being pursued) because of the annual rut. They’d also scold us that we’re too often distracted behind the wheel and not working to avoid them on our travels. Most importantly, they’d tell us to put our biggest distraction – phones – down and get our gaze back on the road.