A Day Without Collisions: Drive Nice Day in Washington State (05/27/10)

The Law Offices of Michael L. Jacobs attorneys and staff believe that every day should be a "Drive Nice Day" in Washington and encourage all drivers to exercise the utmost care and regard when operating any vehicle.

The following Seattle Times news article was written by Seattle Times staff columnist Jerry Large (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrylarge/2011938597_jdl24.html):

Thursday (05/27/10) is Drive Nice Day in Washington.

The name is cute, but the goal is to avoid the bitter tragedies that can come when people don't drive with awareness, courtesy and consideration.  In 2009, 492 people died as a result of collisions on public roads in Washington state, and thousands were injured. We can do better.  "There are no accidents," the Drive Nice website says. In 80 percent of collisions and near collisions, inattention is a factor. 

This year the focus of Drive Nice Day is on teenage drivers and on cellphone use by teen and adult drivers.  Traffic fatalities have declined for years. It would be a shame to let cellphone use move us backward.  June 10 a new state law will make it a primary offense to talk on a cellphone while driving if you are holding the phone.  No one can fully concentrate on driving and deal with a phone at the same time. Attention goes back and forth and it takes only a fraction of a second for a crash to happen. 

Texting while driving will also be illegal. Pitiful that we needed a law to tell us that's not a good idea.You wouldn't read a book or knit while driving, would you? That line comes from a video made by some students at Newport High School.  They're competing with teens from several area high schools for best public-service announcement about driving.  Each year, there's a Puget Sound-area safe-driving competition for teens.  Each year, the competition's judges watch drivers in Tacoma and Seattle and decide which city has the best drivers. This year judges will also rate young people arriving at a couple of high schools.

Safe driving is about good habits, which is why there is such an emphasis on young people in the fifth year of Drive Nice Day.  Arthur Van Dyke is an instructor and driver-training manager for Swerve, a regional driving school that got the day started, along with the Washington State Patrol, the Department of Licensing and the state Traffic Safety Commission. 

"Sometimes adult drivers have formed more bad habits," he said. "What's nice with teenagers is that they are just forming habits, and we can build good ones."  He tells his young students to get in the habit of turning the phone off when they get into their cars. He said friends should offer to take the phone from a driver who's talking or texting: Let me help you with that. 

Van Dyke cautions all drivers against following too closely. It's easy for drivers to keep shrinking the distance they feel comfortable with, but it doesn't feel good if you're the one being tailgated, and it's dangerous.  Also, he said, think about smoothness, slowing and speeding up gradually. "It's more predictable to other drivers, you get better gas mileage and passengers will appreciate the smoother ride."  Van Dyke said, "How you control your car tells people about you." What statement do you make about yourself behind the wheel?  "I hope that everyone looks at this day and is open to improving their driving," he said. "Think about driving as a life skill and try to improve it."

There are driving tips and other information at driveniceday.org, where you can also watch student videos.

Be nice. You might save a life.