Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe

Doug Herbert

By Doug Herbert

Pop quiz: What’s the number-one cause of death among teens in the U.S.?

Hint: It kills more young people every day than cancer, suicide or murder.

Answer: Car crashes.

Every year, thousands of teens die in car crashes and hundreds of thousands more are taken to the hospital with serious injuries. This statistic became a reality for me in January of 2008 when my two boys, Jon and James, ages 17 and 12, were killed in a car crash. One bad decision led to the death of my beautiful boys and brought to light for me a major epidemic in our country. I learned that car crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers, and it was obvious to me that something had to be done. This realization was the impetus behind our creation of B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe).

In that first year, with the help of other racers, we created an advanced driver training program to prepare my son Jon’s friends for the kinds of situations drivers face every day – skidding on an off-ramp, panic braking, emergency lane changes, etc. – scenarios that are often deadly for new drivers due to lack of experience. Jon’s classmates came up with the acronym B.R.A.K.E.S., and a mission was born.

Doug with his children, Jon, James

and Jessie, at Christmas in 2007.

Nine years later, B.R.A.K.E.S. has trained more than 25,000 teens from 43 different states and five countries. When you add in their parents, who are required to attend the training alongside their teen, that’s nearly 50,000 safer drivers on the road. This year, B.R.A.K.E.S. will host more than 40 weekend schools, visiting more than 20 different cities.

Often teens arrive for training somewhat surly, a bit resentful that their weekend time has been committed to what they think is going to be some sort of “Driver’s Ed school-thing.” Many have already been driving for months or even longer, and they think there’s nothing more to learn. But usually a little more than an hour later, the students are fully engaged, intently listening to their instructors and nervously laughing when it’s their turn to get behind the wheel and try something they’ve never done before. By the end of the four-hour session, graduation certificate in hand, the students are usually all smiles, and on the walk back to the car, many hugs are exchanged between parent and teen as both share a genuine moment of connection and common experience.

Evidence of B.R.A.K.E.S.’ efficacy goes beyond anecdotes, however. A study conducted by University of North Carolina, Charlotte, Professor Emeritus Dr. Paul Friday, compared driving records from five years’ worth of B.R.A.K.E.S. graduates with non-graduate peers, and the results were staggering: Teens without the B.R.A.K.E.S. training were more than twice as likely to experience a crash in the first three years of driving. Said another way, B.R.A.K.E.S. training reduced the likelihood of a crash by 64 percent – which is incredible when you consider that statistics show half of all teenagers will experience a crash before they graduate from high school.

The B.R.A.K.E.S. program is our way of preventing injuries and saving lives, and as a father, it’s important to me that this charity ensures that Jon and James will live on in memory and make a difference.

Doug Herbert is a legend in the drag racing world and has won 10 NHRA National Event Championships, 20 IHRA National Event Championships and four Top Fuel World Championships.

 

We were lucky

By Mary Jane King
Last summer I went with my husband and a friend to Fort Smith, Arkansas, to visit family and enjoy the three-day Biker’s Blues and BBQ motorcycle rally in Fayetteville. My favorite motorcycle ride is one filled with tree-lined switchbacks. I love the slower pace, and waiting for the next surprise to be glimpsed through the trees. So I was excited to start our ride from Fort Smith to Eureka Springs.

Highway 23, also known as the Pig Trail, is a remote, two-lane road curling and twisting its way through the scenic Ozark Mountains just like a pig’s tail. It is so beautiful that it has become one of the top 10 recommended motorcycle rides in America.

A very severe leg break.

We were on the Pig Trail only 20 minutes before we had trouble navigating a sharp left turn. We later found out that we hit a flattened armadillo carcass. It was so flat that we didn’t see it, but it was slick enough to cause the front tire to slide. My husband had only 20 feet to make a decision; either lay the motorcycle down in the road, or take the grass-lined ditch. Since neither of us were wearing a helmet, the ditch seemed to be the safer option.

We don’t remember much about those first few moments after leaving the road. I woke up laying in a deep ditch next to the totaled motorcycle, and my husband was 15 feet away with a severely broken leg.

Within minutes, two off-duty first responders pulled up to the scene. Thankfully, they were able to save my husband’s leg. Due to the remote location of our accident, it took almost an hour and a half before we arrived at the hospital. Our injuries were not necessarily minor. But things could have been worse, much worse. Only by the grace of God did neither of us receive a head injury from being thrown from the motorcycle.

Everyone has their own reasons as to why they do or don’t wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle, but I will always encourage others to make a safer decision than we did.  Wear a helmet, it could keep your life from changing.

Mary Jane King is a Graphic Designer Specialist at the Kansas Highway Patrol.

 

 

I will try again tomorrow

By Jacob Mansch

On September 29, 2015, I became a Kansas traffic statistic. I was a passenger in a vehicle and became a victim of distracted driving. The driver was using his cell phone.

Jacob Mansch

After we hit a concrete bridge on a rural county road in Sumner County, I have little recollection of the events of that afternoon – indeed I have a sketchy memory of the next several months.

Thankfully the skills and knowledge of the first responders, the ambulance EMTs and the awesome doctors and nurses who cared for me, I survived to tell my story. I know my journey is not yet over but I have been blessed with incredible faith and a truly loving, supportive family, without whom I could not have survived. Through the continued prayers of my family and my huge community of friends, my successes have been celebrated and my journey continues.

From a young age my parents taught me perseverance and determination in the face of adversity. I was born with Spina Bifida, but with hard work and courage, I graduated high school with my class. I had a full life of friends, activities and events. I had a job I truly loved and lived independently in my own home with my awesome service dog – a German Shepherd whose name was (appropriately) Angel. That all changed the day I became a statistic. I was told that in the time following the wreck, Angel stayed by my side and helped me stay conscious despite my extremely severe injuries. Angel stayed with me over the next five months in the hospital.  I lost her July 15, 2016.

Angel

After being intubated for an extended period of time, I had to work hard to breathe on my own, then relearn how to swallow, to talk and to eat. My right leg was amputated at the pelvic bone. I had to learn to balance so I could sit, then to use my wheelchair again. Through determination and perseverance, I was able to do all these things.

Because of continued severe trauma and infections, I contracted myopathy and neuropathy of my upper extremities. My hands and arms began to curl up into my torso.  I began to do the “T- Rex” - what my family called this condition. With their continued faith, their constant sense of hope, and our gift of humor, this became just another step on my journey. My brother and my sister-in-law stopped by the hospital each night with words of encouragement and praises for each day’s “win.” They are one of the reasons I never lost hope. Each day they eased the long day of recovery and dreaded rehabilitation. My doctors and nurses knew them by name. Roy and I watched Cubs baseball and Husker football (none of which I remember), and Jayhawk basketball (some fleeting memories). Our Bears football was a lost season that year.

Just this month I have returned to the job I love so much. My Dad keeps his watch over me from heaven, and my Angel is now watching from doggie heaven. I have a lot of work to do to become fully independent. I still need help dressing and transferring from bed to wheelchair. I need help when my hands don’t cooperate. My school district has been awesome in working with me when I get too tired and worn out to work. The dreams still haunt me and I need someone to stay with me at night. Mom told me one day, “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow.”

And so I will persevere, thankful for each day - whatever it brings - and I will try again tomorrow.

Jacob Mansch is a para at Belle Plaine High School.

 

The importance of seat belts

By Alice Laizure

Alice Laizure

The majority of us do it every day. It is just part of our daily routine. Getting in to our car and driving, to work, school, activities, etc.

Recently, on Aug. 6 at 12:15 p.m. to be exact, I learned the hard way just how important seat belts are in our everyday commuting.

As I was exiting I-470 on the Fairlawn Street ramp in Topeka, I was going straight across Fairlawn to the second light, so I could turn left and go west on to 29^th Street.  I saw no cars, anywhere in site, when suddenly to my right, out of nowhere there was a black vehicle heading south on Fairlawn. There was no time to react; all I could think was, where did that car come from?  And BOOM, a strong hit on my passenger side, and I began rolling. Holding on for dear life, and praying. My head banging over and over on my left side. My car had rolled three times, before coming to rest on its side. When my car stopped rolling, I was hanging in my car by my seat belt. 

Alice's vehicle after it rolled three times.

Fortunately, for me, my seat belt had saved my life. The Fire Department arrived, extracted me from my car and I was whisked away in an ambulance to the hospital. At the hospital scans were taken, and I had no broken bones or internal injuries.  The doctor at the Emergency Room told me I was very, very lucky to not have sustained very serious injuries from my accident. The doctor said I had entire body whiplash. I consider myself very lucky to have walked away the same day, bruised, battered and in a lot of pain, but not critically injured.

Today I still feel a bit out of it (probably a concussion), and have pain from bruised ribs and back pain.  Luckily, my face is no longer black and blue, and I went back to work two weeks later, working half days.

My message to everyone is, never drive your car without first making sure you and everyone in your car is buckled up.  Please, buckle up without thinking twice about it, because the simple act of buckling up can mean the difference between life and death.

Drive safely.

Alice Laizure works for the Kansas Department of Corrections in Topeka.

 

 

These crashes are not accidents

Karen Wittman

Anyone who knows me would say I am not a perfectionist, not a person who insists on exactness. But I do have one thing that I must insist on - stop calling impaired driving crashes “accidents.”

Hello, my name is Karen Wittman. I currently am Deputy District Attorney in the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s office, and I specialize in traffic prosecution.  Prior to coming to Wyandotte County, I was the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor for the state.

Read about any crash online or in print media and the headlines state: 

“Son dies in second drunk driving accident”

“Drunk driver kills couple in accident”

“One paralyzed in accident with drunk driver”

“Driver impaired in accident killing baby” 

This is wrong!  It is inaccurate! If you look up in Webster’s dictionary “accident,” it is defined as, “an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally;” or better yet, “an event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or deliberate cause.” 

An impaired driving crash is foreseeable, expected, intentional and NOT by chance.

I have made it a point to go out on all fatal crashes in which someone could possibly be charged with a crime. I work closely with law enforcement to determine if a crash involves criminal behavior. I remember one night specifically.  On that night, I received a call from my husband.  He was bringing our kids home from soccer practice.  He was wondering if I knew why the traffic was so backed up.  I told him I did not know.  As soon as I hung up, I received a call from dispatch. There was a crash and they were requesting me to come out.  I called my husband back and told him he may be there awhile. 

When I got there, it was obvious how the crash occurred. A vehicle had travelled the wrong way and hit a car head on. There was debris all over the roadway. I asked about the person who was driving the correct way. I was told he was still alive but that he probably would not make it. I asked about the other driver and was told she was not hurt but was being transported to the hospital to get checked out. The cops on the scene indicated they could smell alcohol coming from her and that there was an open container of alcohol in the vehicle. The driver who was driving the right way died three days later.

After further investigation and a blood test, the wrong way driver’s blood alcohol level was 0.24! The legal limit is 0.08. I charged the driver with involuntary manslaughter while Driving Under the Influence, a felony.

While working the case, I met the victim’s wife and 4-year-old son. They were devastated by what happened. I found out the victim was coming home from college where he attended night classes to make a better life for his family. His wife was about four months pregnant with their second child. The victim’s mother and father were in constant contact with me - they lived out of state. They wanted answers!  I did not have any. Why did this person do this? How did she get so disoriented to be going the wrong way on that stretch of highway? The only answer I could tell them is she was impaired.

In the end, the wrong way driver went to prison. She pleaded not to go. She wanted to be with her daughter who was young at the time. She begged the judge to allow her to be with her family. I told the judge my victim had no chance to beg for more time with his family. My victim wished he could have one more day, one more minute, one more moment with his family and that was all taken away from her selfish act.

Months passed and I received a card in the mail. It was a birth announcement-- a baby girl was born. A girl who would never know a father that wanted her life to be better than his. A father that would not walk her down the aisle, or give her advice or bring her home from soccer practice. Then it hit me … my family was on that road that night.

This crash and all other impaired driving cases are preventable! These crashes are foreseeable, they are not by chance … these crashes are NOT accidents. 

 

 

Treat all motorists with respect

By Todd Murray

Waving my arms while riding down the middle of the right lane of the two- lane county road, I was trying to do everything I could to get the attention of the box truck driver pulling out to pass the car in front of him. I had nowhere to go on the narrow blacktop but the ditch.

Todd Murray and his wife, Debbie, biking in Cottonwood Falls.

I will never forget the sound of the driver accelerating his truck or the sight of him coming directly at me. I had his attention, and he knew exactly what he was doing. “Get off MY road or you are dead!” I used my only option, the ditch, just yards before what would have been sure death for me.

I will never forget how angry I was that day. Someone had intentionally put my life in danger, virtually attempted murder! I was not an opossum crossing the road, I am a real life human being, a son, a husband, a father with a family that depended on me. Just because I chose to ride a bike to work for exercise and to save money on gas does not make me a “road hazard.”

Even though that incident happened nearly 30 years ago, I would love to say it was an isolated incident, but it wasn’t. I meet thousands of cars every year while riding my bike, and that scenario has replayed itself a handful of times since that fateful day. Sometimes more respectful drivers pull out, then pull back over allowing me to continue on before passing.

What makes one driver pull back in, while another comes at you bent on destruction? Attitude and respect for life.

Every person on a road, whether in a car, a truck, a motorcycle, on a bike, walking or running is a real life human being. We are all sons and daughters, we all have families and friends. Every person has a right to be on the public roads, they are not owned by any one person.

They are not a nuisance that slows you down, they are not obstacles, are not disposable. Sure, everybody out there does things they shouldn’t do. They break traffic laws and do less than smart things sometimes. I see it all the time whether it is a cyclist or runner or driver.

But in our hurry up, distracted, self centered world anything and anyone that dares get in our way or slow us up for a few seconds will often get to experience our wrath. Shaking fists, gesturing fingers, blaring horns and super close passes are the result. We have a problem, and the problem is us.

Take a good look in the mirror. How do you want to be treated? Do you respect others how you want to be treated? What if it we’re your husband or wife, your son or daughter that was treated that way? How would you feel then?

Leave two minutes earlier and the 10 seconds you lose slowing down to get around a bike rider won’t be a problem. Respect others and you will be a happier person.

Todd Murray is from Hutchinson and owns Bikes and More.

Wild driving

Abbie Wisdom-Williams and her pet skunk.

I am Abbie Wisdom-Williams, a KDOT employee since February 2017 and a wildlife advocate and rehabilitator for almost 20 years. As most animal protectors go, we could probably be classified as clinically insane as to the lengths we go to ensure the safety of critters, both domestic and wild. A friend of mine was killed while trying to rescue a possum from a railroad track (not joking).

I was born with an overly developed sense of self-preservation so I try to be hyper aware of my surroundings when trying to rescue an animal. Sometimes it’s almost impossible to see everything. A very dear friend and fellow rescuer had a very close call this summer. We had a call of three baby raccoons in a ditch after a heavy rain. I was too far away so Jana drove out to pick them up. It was dark so she put on her flashers and started searching.  All three were found safe and sound and placed in a carrier.  Jana put the carrier in the back seat of her car, started around to the driver’s side when a car hydroplaned, slamming into the rear of her SUV. Jana was too focused on the condition of the raccoons and didn’t see or hear the vehicle. She was lucky, and the raccoons survived although they had to be cut out of the back of the car.

I don’t proclaim myself an expert (I’ve probably done some really stupid things), but I thought I might offer some tips as to sharing the roadways with the fuzzy, scaly and slimy things. 

Above all else, use common sense!  Don’t assume someone will see you picking up that turtle. Is there a chance you might chase that puppy into traffic instead of away from it?  Will that injured raccoon bite? If you don’t think you can help without the possibility of someone getting hurt, don’t do it. Call for backup, have someone watch traffic for you or call a professional (believe it or not, 911 is an option). Remember that an injured animal can be panicked, in pain and will lash out because he probably doesn’t know you are trying to help unless you are Dr. Dolittle.

Do you know why you see more dead armadillos than live ones?  It’s because they jump straight up when startled. A great tip to make wildlife aware that you are there is to randomly change the brightness of your headlights. A deer can see the lights but has no comprehension of the fact that they are attached to a proverbial brick wall. Changing the brightness draws their attention and can save their life, your car and maybe your life as well. Of course, follow the rules of the road when changing the brightness of your headlights, and dim appropriately when facing oncoming traffic.

Lastly, get to know the animals that live around you, their behavior, their habits, the environment as they see it. Understanding them may mean they will be less of a target for you.

Abbie Wisdom-Williams is a Senior Administrative Assistant for KDOT in Hutchinson  

 

Dedication

By Cindy Landgraf

Cindy Landgraf

If I had to choose one word to describe Jeff it would be dedication. Like most people, he was dedicated to his family, his friends, and his job. But for Jeff it was much more. As an EMT, he chose a career that was dedicated to taking care of others no matter what the cost. And like most EMTs, his co-workers were his family. They shared life-changing experiences every day. Experiences that can only be understood by others dealing with the same type of experiences every day. Experiences that bound them together like a family.

Jeff became an EMT in 1988 and went on to become a paramedic and a registered nurse. He had a passion for emergency response services - whether it was working as a paramedic and shift supervisor for Finney County EMS or an RN/Paramedic for EagleMed. But serving the community wasn’t enough. He wanted to help others interested in becoming EMTs, so he became an instructor certified to teach every aspect of EMS.  He especially enjoyed teaching EMT classes and mentoring others as they joined the emergency responder ranks.

On April 18, 2011, his EMS brother in Scott County needed help teaching a class.  Jeff happily answered the call, especially delighted because it was a fairly warm night for April so he was able to ride his motorcycle to Scott City.

At 10:30 p.m. that night, my daughter woke me up worried that Jeff wasn’t home yet.  She had seen on Facebook that Highway 83 was closed due to a traffic accident. I didn’t think anything about it. Jeff was teaching, taking as long as needed to help the students and the instructor.  After all, he was the one that saved lives.

With that thought still in my head, I heard a knock at my front door. There at my front door was a high school friend who is also the Captain of the KHP. I heard the words but didn’t understand. There was an accident. Jeff was gone. Nothing could be done to save him. Save him…. isn’t that what his EMS family was supposed to do – save him? Wasn’t that what he was teaching them to do? When I finally got some of my mind back, I looked up. There on my lawn stood almost the entire staff of the Finney County EMS, our EMS family, ready and waiting to support me and the children in our most difficult time.

Over the next few days, the details of the accident came clear. Jeff was headed home (south on Highway 83). Just outside of the Scott City limits, a pickup driver, thinking he had time to make the turn, turned onto Highway 83 in front of Jeff causing him to lay the motorcycle over. A few minutes later, a car failed to stop or even yield right of way to the pedestrian trying to wave him down. They continued through the accident scene hitting Jeff.

Jeff left behind a teenage daughter, young son, parents, brother, his extended family and a large emergency response family. In Jeff’s honor, we are all “boldly going forward."

Our daughter and I have both become EMTs.  Our son is like his father-  he loves to hunt, shoot and enjoy the outdoors. He is old enough to drive this year, and as a mom, a widow and an EMT, I remind him daily to be extra careful. 

Be aware of your surroundings, and if in doubt stop or slow down. It’s always better to arrive late than never.  

Cindy Landgraf is an EMT for both Lane and Scott County EMS.

 

 

Being a good driver doesn't always matter

Logan O'Dea

I always thought of myself as a good driver; I recently found out that doesn’t always matter.

My name is Logan O’Dea; I graduated from Kansas State in December. I played football for five years while there, so I figured that I could handle whatever the real world threw at me. That was before my first wreck.

It was early summer. I had just started my first job a couple of months prior, one that required me to commute from Topeka to Kansas City. The drive on Kansas Turnpike was one I was very used to at that point. It had rained hard the night before, but by that morning it had calmed to a light drizzle. I had never had any problem with rain while driving, so I didn’t pay it much mind. It had been pounded into my head by my KDOT aunt never to use cruise control while the roads are wet, but I still drove at my normal speed.

Just east of Lawrence, next to a rest stop, I changed to the left lane to pass a car. That was the point when I hit the standing water. I immediately lost control; my tires had no traction, so steering and brakes could do nothing as my car went off the road. As soon as I was off the road, I looked up and saw trees and thought, “I’m not going to miss those.” The weight of my engine caused my car to pivot 180 degrees, so now I was going backwards, which ended up saving my life. I collided with one of the trees, probably still going faster than 70 mph.

Logan's vehicle after the crash.

Miraculously, I walked away. A visit to the hospital following showed no injuries whatsoever besides soreness and a few scrapes. I know the biggest reason I walked away was I was wearing my seat belt (another thing my aunt always made sure I did); if I hadn’t been, my body would have been with the back-window glass they found flung 50 feet away from the car.

Looking back, I marvel at all the ways I was lucky that day. If the collision had happened anywhere but the rear of the car, I wouldn’t be here. The fact that there was level ground next to the road rather than a drop off also saved me. When I saw the wreckage that night, the rear tire was now pushing the driver’s side seat forward; I was told if the tire had gone any farther forward, both my legs would have shattered.

Through the ordeal and all the things that have followed, I always try to remember how lucky I am to be alive, let alone walking around. I know I have taken a few lessons from this, and I hope that others might as well. It doesn’t matter how good you think you are at driving, something can always happen. Hydroplaning is a very real danger.

And most importantly always wear your seat belt.

Avoiding potentially tragic situations

By Carter Smith

Carter Smith

I’ve only been working at the Turnpike for a year now, and in that short period of time, I’ve already been hit by a driver once and had three other close calls. In just one year. When I was struck, it was the first time I was snow plowing by myself. I had finished half a pass of plowing when a brand-new SUV hit my rear right tire and bumper. The person behind the wheel was driving well above what they should have been in the wintry, low visibility conditions, and was definitely not paying attention. It’s lucky they weren’t hurt, but the SUV was totaled.

Plus, it’s not just on the Turnpike where I see the consequences of bad decision while driving. I’ve been a volunteer fire fighter for four years now, and I’ve had to work my fair share of major crashes, including the fatality ones. I’ve seen people not wearing their seat belt and ejected from the vehicle. I’ve seen wrecks with teenagers as a result from drug and/or alcohol impairment. When you see a wreck that kills a 19-year-old that was clearly from distracted or impaired driving, it sticks with you. I mean, there were no skid marks that even suggested she tried braking.

Those really hit home since I have a 17-year-old sister. One of my first thoughts during those types of wrecks is, “What if it had been her?”

It feels really good to help other people. I like to think it makes a difference. But ultimately, people have become so distracted on the road, or make a stupid decision to drink and drive or not wear a seat belt. It’s simple actions we can do to avoid a potentially tragic situation, so please, drive smart.

Carter Smith is an Equipment Operator for the Kansas Turnpike Authority and also a volunteer fire fighter.

I was lucky

By Ciro Chavez

As an EMT and a KDOT employee, I’m usually the one providing care and assistance to others. I never thought there would be a time that I would be calling 911.

Ciro Chavez

As I traveled home in the early hours on a foggy December morning, I was surprised by a Toyota Corolla that crossed the center line and crashed head-on into my ‘97 Ford pick-up. 

After being transported to St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, I was air lifted to a Denver area hospital. I was in an induced coma for 10 days. During this time, I had three facial surgeries and one extensive leg surgery. After two and a half weeks, I moved to a rehab center and was there until Feb. 8. Once I came home, I continued physical therapy until May of this year. 

After five months of recovery, I was finally able to return to my job as an Equipment Operator at KDOT, and it was good to be back.  At this time, I’m not able to return to my part-time position as an EMT due to my leg injury.

I was lucky. I was wearing my seat belt and it saved my life. When you get in the car, I want you and your families to remember me and remember to buckle up. It’s what saved my life and it can save yours. 

And if it starts to get foggy, pull over and wait it out. It’s better to be safe than sorry. 

Ciro Chavez began with KDOT as an Equipment Operator Trainee at the Lakin Subarea in southwest Kansas in October 2015.

Do you drive with the idea that people’s lives are at risk?

By Anthony Cruz
Whether you consider yourself a safe driver or you know that you’re driving could use some improvement, it always comes down to making a personal choice. We all make choices with our driving and each choice has positive and negative results.

Anthony Cruz

As a defensive driving instructor, I have the opportunity to meet hundreds of people who share their daily driving experiences, frustrations and bad habits.  When asked, most know National Safety Council’s six most unsafe driving behaviors that cause or contribute to fatal collisions.

1. Improper speed
2. Violating right of way
3. Driving left of center
4. Turning improperly
5. Passing improperly
6. Following too closely

Yet, many have the illusion of control and they overestimate their ability to control events. So they send out that text or have that one drink, believing bad things only happen to other people.  What I have learned is the majority of those who attend my defensive driving class are willing to hear about ways to avoid collisions, eager to adopt change and willing to create personal policies with their driving behaviors regarding texting and driving or driving without a seat belt.  However, there is that percentage of people who think they will be the only one affected if they are killed in an accident and feel that using personal protective devices and speeding is their choice, and making the choice should be left up to the individual and not the government. 
People think they will be the only affected if they are killed in an accident. I really wish this were true, but sadly it’s not. Part of my job duties include monitoring radio traffic at the law enforcement center, so I hear first-hand the number of resources that are used during an accident. It can be quite expensive and that is only the financial part of the equation. The emotional toll it takes on families can be lifelong. The first questions I ask before I start each class and the questions we should always ask ourselves when we get behind the wheel are:

• How would my family be affected if I were killed or injured in a traffic collision?
• What if one of the important people in my life were killed or injured in a traffic collision?
• What if the accident was preventable?

If you answer these questions honestly, you will realize it’s not just about you.  Driving is a full-time job and needs your full attention, because your life and the life of those you love depend on it. 

Anthony Cruz has been with Finney County Emergency Management for three years, and is a Kansas Certified Emergency Manager.  He has been teaching defensive driving three years, twice a month and issued more than 400 certificates.  

 

One of many near-misses

By Kevin Crain

Working in a highway work zone can be a dangerous job, and being a flag person is one of the most important jobs in the work zone. As a flagger you bear a lot of responsibility for the safety of your coworkers and the traveling public.

Kevin Crain

I remember an incident that occurred on a U.S. 169 patching operation. The work zone included all the required signs, and each flagger wore a high visibility vest and orange hat. At that time, KDOT did not place lead-in cones on the centerline as we now do. I had just cleared my traffic and was watching a car coming at me at a high rate of speed. I was beginning to wonder if the driver even saw me standing there holding the flagging paddle. As the car came closer, it still was not slowing down so I started moving the paddle, hoping to get the driver’s attention.

An experienced coworker once told me that a flag person needs to take control of a potentially dangerous situation. My colleague said that people in the vehicles could be like sharks in that if they sense fear they will not respect you. I also thought about the crew operating the patching equipment and realized that I was the only defense between them and this car.

I just stood there waving the flagging paddle, hoping I would get this car to stop before it hit me. At the last moment, the car did stop about five feet from where I stood. The driver rolled down the window and stated that he could not see me standing in the roadway. That was hard to believe. I asked if he had seen the signs telling him there was roadwork ahead and he responded that he had not. Then I requested that he look into his rearview mirror – and finally, he could see the signs.

He wanted to know what was going on. These folks were not happy about being stopped, but I explained to the driver that we were doing road repairs and that they would have to wait a few minutes before they could proceed. Once we cleared the traffic from the other end of the work zone, I turned my flagging paddle to SLOW and let them go on their way.

This is one of many near-misses that I have witnessed throughout my nearly 20 years of working at KDOT. I ask people to pay attention to their surroundings while driving. People in work zones also have families that we want to go home to every day.

Kevin Crain is the Supervisor at the KDOT Altamont Subarea office.

Two of my worst crashes

     My name is Gene F. Winkler and I am an EMT for Marion County in Kansas. I started my service with the Marion County EMS in August 1972.

Gene Winkler

     I would like to tell you about, what I consider the worst two crashes of my career after 44 years of service. It was a nice summer day, clear and sunny, on June 28, 2004. I was working rescue as first response when there was a vehicle crash. The page came out to respond to two semi-trailers and one pickup crash at the intersection of Highway 50 and Sunflower Road.  While in route we were told it was at a highway construction site. I climbed into the rescue truck and started toward the scene, which was about 10 minutes south of Marion.
     When I arrived on the scene I found a semi had stopped for the construction zone flagger and a small Dodge pickup, which was on fire, also had stopped. Then the second semi had run into the pickup pushing it under the first semi. The second semi driver said he fell asleep.
     When the fire was put out by the fire department, we removed two young men out of the truck. Both were charred and pronounced DOA at the scene.
     The next day June 29, 2004, in the afternoon the page came out to respond to the same location for another crash. We all thought this could not be happening on back to back days.
     Again, I responded in the rescue truck not knowing for sure what I was going to find today, especially after we had just had two fatalities the day before.
     When I arrived on scene, I could not believe the mess we all were about to undertake. There was a semi that stopped at the construction zone flagman, which was loaded with rock. Two cars had stopped also, the first car had a man and wife, the second car had three people. Then came the second semi. It plowed into the two cars, pushing them under the truck with the rock. This caused all the rock to come back onto and cover the two cars. The second semi then ran on top of the two cars.
     When we started assessing the scene we found that the three people in one car and two people in the other car were badly dismembered and all five were pronounced DOA. Seeing lots of children’s things in the back seat, we feared that they also had a child in the back seat, and we could not get to the backseat. After checking with family members, the child had been dropped off at their house and was not in the car at the time of the accident. At this point I had been an EMT for 32 years and I never want to go thru this again.

Roundabouts save lives

In Marion County, we had two intersections where numerous crashes occurred. The first is at Florence. It is where Highway 77 runs north and south and crosses Highway 50.  We were continually paged out for people running together. Most often it was the fault of people coming off Highway 77 and either hitting or being hit by a car on Highway 50.  On Sept. 7, 2006, the new roundabout was opened. Since then there has been zero fatalities.
     The second intersection, also on Highway 77, Highway 50 and K-150. KDOT installed rumble strips, a lighted stop sign and signs saying Highway 77 traffic does not stop, but nothing seemed to stop the crashes. People in the community wanted a roundabout at that intersection as well and were glad when it opened on Dec. 23, 2015. To date there has been zero fatalities.
     If you recall, throughout this story I do not call these accidents. These are car or vehicle crashes. Crashes can be prevented – here are a few tips:
uKeep your mind on the road.
uDo not text and drive.
uStop every so often for breaks.
uWhen you stop at a stop sign look to the right, look to the left and then look back to the right.
uDon’t look past the cars coming in the other lanes.
uDon’t automatically think that the other car is going to stop.
     Please remember, no matter how careful you drive, you always have to be aware of the other driver.