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| Dates, times and
places of upcoming panels. |
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| Minnesotans For
Safe Driving has a crash car program designed to enlighten
the public. |
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| What is happening
in the halls of Minnesota's Governing body! |
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| MFSD volunteer
news and opportunities. |
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| MFSD Members care
about what is happening on our roadways. Join MFSD Today! |
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Check Out
Court Cases in Your Neighborhood
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Hennepin County Attorney's
web site publishes information on some of the criminal cases
pending in our courts today. Check it out...
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How do drugs affect driving?
Whether
prescription, over the counter or illegal drugs,
they can impair driving skills including vision,
reaction time, judgment, hearing, and simultaneous
task processing/accomplishments. Driving requires
other cognitive skills such as information
processing and psychomotor skills, which may also be
impaired by the use of drugs. When drugs are mixed
with alcohol, the results can be devastating.
Alcohol
alters the mind, affects thinking, judgment, slows
reaction time and interferes with coordination.
Tasks requiring divided attention are most sensitive
to alcohol effects. The more a person drinks the
more likely that person is to drive. Alcohol and
other drug involvement are much more likely in
nighttime crashes.
Marijuana is also mind altering. Thinking
and reflexes are slowed, causing difficulty in
responding to sudden unexpected events. A driver’s
ability to “track” or stay in his lane, to brake
quickly, and to maintain the correct distance
between cars is affected.
Cocaine is a brain stimulant that causes anxiety,
delusions, seizures, and lack of concentration, memory
problems and blackouts. There is an increase in impulsive
behavior with tendencies to take more risks and create
confusion within the user. A person using cocaine maintains
the illusions of being alert and stimulated although
physical reactions are impaired. The most dramatic effects
of cocaine and driving are on vision. Cocaine may cause
higher sensitively to light, halos around bright objects,
and difficulty focusing.
Tranquilizers and Barbiturates are
particularly dangerous in conjunction with alcohol because
the mixture increases the accident risk beyond that found
with anyone on drugs alone. Particularly strong is the
interaction between alcohol and diazepam (Valium).
Over the counter medications Alcohol can enhance
some of the dangerous side effects of the medications so to
make driving dangerous. Most drugs for colds, hay fever,
allergy, or to calm nerves can make a person drowsy when
alcohol is consumed.
With stimulant-based drugs, a driver would actually
feel that they were a better driver while they were under
its influence, but they would become much more likely to
drive recklessly and dangerously.
With depressant-based drugs, the driver would lose any real
anxiety about the dangers on the road and would not be able
to react quickly to changing driving conditions.
With hallucinogenic drugs reaction time will be
altered and the driver’s ability to operate the vehicle will
become erratic.
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“Don’t let
the two minutes you “save” on the road be the last two minutes of
someone’s life.”
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Adapted from David Townsend
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Traffic safety is
why we are Minnesotans For Safe Driving. Most
of our members have experienced firsthand what happens when
the driving public doesn’t put traffic safety first.
We developed this website to bring “up close and personal”
the
stories of how drunk driving and careless driving
destroy lives; whether to the victim and their family or the
family of the driver who caused the crash.
You'll find recent
drunk driving statistics
and many
drunken driving facts
to prove why choosing to drink and then drive is so
dangerous. It will help you understand the workings of the
court
system, what rights
victims have in
the courts,
teen issues,
pending
legislative issues
and many more informational articles, facts, programs and
links to related websites.
We hope that after visiting our site, you have learned some
very important drunk driving and careless driving facts that
will reinforce your commitment to drive “Safe and Sober”.
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Finally, a special license
plate is available that will benefit public safety. As of
August 2010, a plate will be available which displays a
broken heart with “Remembering Victims of Impaired Drivers”
encircling it. This plate was designed by Barbara Degnan who
lost her 20 year old son on Christmas Eve of 1992 to an
impaired driver. It is her hope that the plates will remind
drivers not to drive while impaired and prevent the
heartache that families experience from loved ones dying or
being severely injured at the hands of impaired drivers.
Any new special license plates in the State of Minnesota
must be enacted by the legislature and signed by the
governor. Barb Degnan and her husband John began this
process five years ago with the help of Senators Geoff
Michel and Steve Murphy and Representative Keith Downey,
along with the continual support of Sharon Gehrman-Driscoll,
Executive Director of Minnesotans For Safe Driving. It was
finally passed into law this session. Since then the
Department of Public Safety has been of great assistance in
making the design a reality.
Reflecting on the importance of this new license plate,
Nancy Johnson, President of Minnesotans For Safe Driving,
said “hopefully, the symbol and the words will remind the
driving public that driving is very dangerous and every
driver needs to focus 100% on their driving. Driving with
any impairment can be deadly“.
The plates are not only intended to honor those who have
suffered a loss from an impaired driver, but to advocate
safe driving. The plates can be purchased at any license
bureau or ordered on line through the Department of Public
Safety. The additional cost for the plate is only an
additional $10, which goes to the State of Minnesota. If
processing by email, you may download the application
through the DPS site and mail it with your check to: Driver
and Vehicle Services, 445 Minnesota Street, St. Paul, MN
55101-5164. |
click here for Dan's story |
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DISTRACTIVE DRIVING-- ARE YOU AT FAULT?
By Nancy Johnson, Pres. MSD
Talking on your cell phone,
texting, eating, putting on makeup, looking away from the road,
etc., etc., etc., THESE ARE ALL FORMS OF DISTRACTIVE DRIVING and
they are becoming the leading cause of death and injuries on our
roadways. Right now Minnesota has a law against texting by ANY driver and all cell
phone use is against the law for those on a provisional license.
The other forms of distractive driving are not against the law
except when a crash happens. BUT, is a life worth picking up that CD
from the floor, putting on your makeup, communicating or texting
while driving!!! Do you want to be in the position to have to
apologize to the victim’s family in court or cause suffering to your
family when they are notified of your death or the suffering you may
have to go through because of the serious injury that you caused
yourself.
Society now believes that
impaired driving is unacceptable but driving impaired is not just
driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it is driving while
you are over stressed, distracted, or overly tired. Driving has
become a habit and a “secondary” activity. This is wrong. Driving
must always be your number one priority.
A lot of talk surrounds the
issue of cell phone use while driving. Many people think that hands-
free cell phone use is the answer. According to every study I have
seen, the problem is with the intensity of the conversation not how
the phone is being held. Of course looking down to dial a number is
distractive as is anytime your eyes leave the road. All of us over
the age of 25 managed just fine for our entire adult life not being
available for contact 24/7. Of course it is helpful to be able to
use that time in the car, which seems like wasted time, to do our
work and family calls, but lives are at risk, and no call is worth a
life.
Minnesotans For Safe
Driving is against the use of cell phones for calls or texting and
all forms of distraction while driving.
Keeping your eyes on the road isn’t enough unless your attention is
also on the road. Drive like your life depends on it because it
does.
For more
information on distractive driving, look at these websites
www.distraction.gov
and
www.focusdriven.org
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IGNITION INTERLOCK BILL
Signed by the Governor
Sharon Driscoll, Nancy Johnson and Jon
Cummings, board members of Minnesotans For Safe Driving, are among
those pictured in the Governor's Office for the signing of the
legislation to require Ignition Interlock for convicted drunk
drivers
After
2 years of a pilot program in Hennepin and Beltrami counties, the
use of Ignition Interlock will be available all over the state and
mandated for most DWI offender after July 1, 2011. The Ignition
Interlock is a device connected to the ignition on a vehicle which
makes it not possible to start the car if the driver has been
drinking alcohol.
more on the story >
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As of
February 2010, 41 cities or counties in Minnesota have passed Social
Host Ordinances. A social host ordinance does not make it against
the law to furnish alcohol to individuals under age 21, IT IS
ALREADY ILLEGAL. The ordinance make it unlawful to provide an
environment where underage drinking takes place.
Read
more about social host ordinances at
http://docs.sumn.org/socialhostordinancesFAQ.pdf
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ARE DRUNK DRIVERS GETTING A BARGAIN
MSD saw this article in the
Northfield News (Minnesota). We thought it was such an
excellent article that we wanted to share it with others.
Permission was given by the author.
JACI SMITH, Regional Editor
Posted: Tuesday, May 11, 2010
10:47 pm
In September
2004, Peter James Rappe, then 24, was driving down the 100
block of Woodley Street when he was pulled over by a
Northfield police officer who had reason to believe Rappe
was driving drunk. Tests on the scene and a Breathalyzer
result confirmed the officer’s suspicions — Rappe blew over
the legal limit of .08 percent blood alcohol content.
The
officer gave Rappe a notice of revocation, which instantly
removed his driving privileges, and issued an incident
report that would later go to the city prosecutor as a
recommendation Rappe be formally charged with DWI — driving
while intoxicated. The city prosecutor offered Rappe a deal:
probation for a year, random testing, and the license
revocation in exchange for a careless driving conviction.
Rappe agreed. That’s how he became part of a little known
statistic in Rice County’s battle against drunk driving.
the story continues >
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WHY DO PEOPLE CONTINUE T0 DRINK AND DRIVE?
One
evening about 6:30pm a Trooper responded to a
driving compliant on a vehicle WB on 394. The caller
stated a Mercedes was weaving all over the road and
almost hit the center median wall. Trooper….was in
the area and quickly located the correct vehicle and
after noticing some additional driving conduct made
the traffic stop. The Trooper made a passenger side
approach and had
to knock on
the window to get
the driver’s attention-the driver then tried to roll
the window down by hitting the “up” button twice
before finally
figuring it out.
Trooper….immediately noticed the odor of an
alcoholic beverage and also noticed a pile of ashes
from the drivers cigarette piled up on his/her lap.
After the Standard Field Sobriety tests the person
was offered the
Preliminary Breath Test but couldn’t figure how to
blow into it and
just kept sticking
his/her tongue into the mouthpiece. The
individual was placed under arrest fro DWI and
eventually tested.24. The
driving record shows
prior DWI conviction in 2003 & 2005 and his 2000
Mercedes was seized for forfeiture.
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As you travel across the
country laws are very different as to the use of cell
phones and texting.
Check out this website for info on the states, cities
and their laws.
www.iihs.org/laws/cellphonelaws.aspx
Remember that cell phone use is a
big distraction and one that should not be used while
driving. |
KEY FACTS
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Half of the 42,000 crash-related
fatalities in the US
each year occur on two-lane
rural roads
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Sixty-two percent of all
alcohol-related fatalities
Involving passenger vehicles
occur on rural roads
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Crash victims are five to seven
times more likely to die if
arrival
to a hospital exceeds 30
minutes. The average time
between a crash and hospital
arrival is 52 minutes in rural
areas.
Information taken from
www.saferoads.org |
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Adult / Teen Victim Impact Panels
and volunteer opportunities
call 952-238-0970
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2010 Legislative Report
Most of the changes made in this session involve DWIs, vehicles
and traffic.
- Ignition Interlock
- DWI Blood Draw
- Special Victim Plates
- Forfeiture Laws
- Bicycle Red Light
- Vehicle Impounds
- Enhanced Driver's License
- Provisional Driver's License
- Insurance for Minors
- Glazed Windows
- Expungement
(click
here
for more details) |
Volunteers Help Make Minnesota Roads
Safer!
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SPECIAL
THANKS!
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To Ecreativeworks for their continuing support of our
organization by donating server space for the hosting
of the Minnesotans for safe driving web site.
www.ecreativeworks.com
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2010 …..Our Latest DVDs
"Repercussions of Drunk Driving"
Sometimes it’s difficult to understand and
sympathize with someone who has made a certain choices
in their life. These choices have resulted in horrible
repercussions that impact their life and the lives of
others. As the saying goes “walk a mile in my shoes” and
maybe you will understand; but hopefully you will never
have to experience the terrible consequences. That is
the goal of Minnesotans For Safe Driving’s latest
version of “Repercussions of Drunk Driving 2010” and
“Impaired and Distracted Driving 2010”. These DVDs contain
compelling and emotional stories told by the offenders
and the victims involved in fatal traffic crashes.
Our latest version of Repercussions of Drunk Driving,
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Crash Dynamics
During a motor vehicle crash, three collisions happen:
The Vehicle Collision. This is what happens at the point of impact, whether it comes from the front, back or side. The vehicle begins stopping as soon as it collides with an object such as another vehicle, wall or tree.
The Human Collision. At the moment of impact (whether you are driving or not), you will be moving at the same speed as the car. If you are unbelted, whatever is in front of you (ie. steering wheel, windshield, front seat, another person, etc.) will stop you from moving. The human collision is the one that causes injury.
The Human Body’s Internal Collision. Even after you have come to a complete stop, your internal organs continue moving forward. Suddenly, these organs collide with other organs. This collision can cause considerable and potentially fatal injury. With any of these collisions, you and your passengers have the best chance of reducing or avoiding injury if everyone is buckled up.
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