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For Immediate Release
December 13, 2007
CONTACT:
Colleen Greer
Phone: 717-787-6801
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Weekly Column: Wishes for a Safe & Healthy Holiday Season
I would like to take this time to share my best wishes and hope that every
day of this holiday season and New Year brings you health, happiness, and the
richest of life's blessings.
The holidays can be a real challenge to motorists. With the season now before
us, I would like to remind motorists to drive safely and plan extra travel time
over the coming days. In anticipation of heavier-than normal traffic and slowing
down in highway-improvement work zones, it's important that we take the proper
precautions to drive carefully at this time of year.
Motorists should plan ahead for the upcoming holiday by driving according to
traffic and weather conditions. It is essential for each of us to observe posted
speed limits, refuse to drink and drive, and make sure that everyone in the
vehicle is appropriately using a seatbelt. Increasing the use of seatbelts will
significantly help to reduce the number of deaths and injuries on our highways.
The combination of alcohol and driving often leads to tragedy. Knowing the
facts about drinking and driving could save lives on Pennsylvania's roads this
holiday season. Before you or someone you know puts the key in the ignition,
know the driver is sober.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT),
suggestions to improve driving safety include:
- Planning extra time to get to your destination;
- Taking frequent breaks and rotating drivers if possible;
- Buckling up;
- Following the posted speed limit;
- Maintaining a safe distance between vehicles;
- Using turn signals; and
- Refusing to drink and drive.
In addition to driving safely during the holiday season, motorists need to
take extra precautions during the winter months. Safety tips for winter driving
include:
- Keeping your gas tank full;
- Using your headlights;
- Using extra caution on bridges and ramps where ice can often form without
warning;
- Heeding to roads that may look wet but are actually frozen, often referred
to as "black ice;"
- Avoiding to park or abandon your vehicle on snow emergency routes; and
- Packing an emergency kit including a heavy blanket, salt or sand,
flashlight, water, and non-perishable food.
While motorists travel to spend time with family and friends this holiday
season, everyone is encouraged to exercise caution behind the wheel. Before our
travels, we also need to remember to lock all doors and windows. ‘Tis the season
for giving and for taking:' that's why we should take some security precautions
to protect our homes from break-ins and ensure an intruder doesn't dampen the
holiday.
I offer my best wishes for a safe and healthy season and urge all
Pennsylvanians who will be traveling to buckle up, slow down, and stay sober. |
