Mudflaps?

I am having a hard time finding some information about MUDFLAPS! (crazy i know it!) It was brought to my attention that mudflaps are not required by certain states across the union ... hummm ... how much do they play into safe that can easily avoid the splash back from large tractor trailers - hummmm - i see how this can be a safety issues. Anyone have some insight??? Record of laws??? Let me know. Bsafe.

Skitching?

Ok, I am trying not to assume the role of an over protective safetygirl that doesn't let anybody have fun ... but maybe taking the harsh cruel role of "let natural selection take its course" isnt the best attitude either. I know the behavior, but didnt know the title - Skitching it is ... and it will start to inch its way up on the list of injury related deaths for young people. I can't help but feel a little cynical about a behavior that I think is stupid - but I have to recall that I use to think it was a good idea to lay in the sun on the trampoline wearing babyoil. But that is another blog post ... Bsafe. (and my most sincere condolences to the Ralston Valley HS student's family.)

Safety Has A New Color

I am 35 years old and in the past 9 months, two girlfriends (near my age) have been diagnosed with breast cancer and have faced the journey forward with a double mastectomy. The question remains for me, as I know it does for them, why? It might be a stretch for me to directly relate this topic back to safety ... but in its purest sense - my passion for safety steams back to healthy people and healthy communities. Maybe it is awareness? early detection? prevention measures? I hope but (but it doesn't make it any easier) so - I will celebrate public health for bringing the issue of breast cancer to the forefront. And challenge us all to stay on top of this. There are endless groups on Facebook, the amazing Susan G. Komen for the Cure site, and countless other sites to keep us engaged in this conversation. Baware, Binvolved, and Bsafe.

Is It Murder?

Not sure what to say about this one ... CBS's 60 Minutes aired a story about drunk driving and asks if people who choose to drive drunk should be charged with murder in the event that a life is lost due to the crash. More importantly, the question is asked of Nassau County's District Attorney, Kathleen Rice, "Do you think that charging someone who's driving drunk and kills someone with murder is a deterrent?" With my training in public health/behavior change AND with my very personal and intimate experience in this topic - I was far from convinced by Kathleen's reply of why this is her solution to this problem. As of today almost 600 comments have been posted to this article - some with very thought provoking solutions. Maybe someday, I'll have a lot more to say about that. Bsafe.

The iPhone is Testing Me

Ok ... my iPhone could be putting me (and everyone else for that matter) at risk! Even when it is freezing cold outside, and I have my gloves on, and I am DRIVING ... I am sooo tempted to pull my glove off just to take a peek at my easy to access gmail, outlook, facebook, linkedin, skype ... FOR SHAME!! So - I will work to resist the urge ... as I shake my finger at those driving texters ... I'll desperately try not to be a driving iPhoner! Bsafe! (a subliminal message for myself!)

Stay Off the Roof

The TV is on tonight (strange for me) and I was flipping channels landing on my local PBS station and I heard a man (Dr.Daniel Amen) say "Stay off the roof! One of the leading causes of brain injury for men over the age of 40 is caused by falling off the roof." It reminded me of my own father's fascination with climbing on latters - and I cringe every time. As someone that focuses her career on behavior change ... I dont believe I have made much headway on this topic. Maybe some man out there that is over the age of 40 will give me a hint! Bsafe.

It's Not the Mouthguard ... It's What the Mouthguard Represents

Saturday night brought us to BLADIUM sports arena to watch the Rollergirls do their thing. Oh the fun we had ... and of course the topic of "roller derby safety" wasn't far from my lips! (And of course, they also promote safety with the Party Bus!) Andrea is hesitant to try out next week because the requirement of a mouthguard implies that the hard work she put into her smile might be undone ... but ... that's the reason for the guard! So, this SafetyGirl says "Go for it Andrea!" Bsafe.

Don't Ruin My Fun

Standing in front of the house today - there came the rumble (or more like buzzzzz) of a "mini-motorcyle" down the street. Miles said to me, "Don't look!" so, of course, I look and immediately freak out to see a youngster (maybe 4 years old) with a helmet on riding in front of dad on the motorbike. So - I sit hear thinking - was it all that bad? Is it okay to go at slow speeeds, with a helmet on a residential street? My "rigid safety" bone says NO WAY but my "try to have some fun" bone says what's wrong with that? HUMMMM - not making a decision either way right now. But a thought to ponder. Bsafe.

Pumpkin Safety

I have slacked in providing safety messages lately. So, as we strapped in our pumpkins for optimum safety - it occurred to me that seat belts have not been top of mind lately. Just a fact "41,000+ people die each year in car crashes, the leading cause of death for people age of 6 through 33. Safety belts can prevent death in about half of these crashes." So each time I take Alex to the train station, I will ALWAYS force him to put on his safety belt. Break the bad habit of not wearing it. Bsafe.

Does It Work?

Not much else to say! Bsafe.

Did You Know?

I need to raise my right hand and confess - SafetyGirl got a speeding ticket in Florida this summer. Not so safe. So, to pay my dues, I took 4 hours worth of online traffic school and I was kindly reminded of safety guidelines and actually learned some new ones! Did you know: 80% of traffic fatalities occur within 25 miles of home and at under 40 miles an hour? This was in the lesson about seat belts - sorry, no excuse NOT to wear one. By the way, Larry's grandpa was right about the most dangerous time on the road when it is raining, is at the very beginning AND i got 39 out of 40 on the test!

Going Commando

Music and safety - hummm, could it exist? Yep - recently Miles, who faithfully follows the blog of Neil Peart of Rush, brought to my attention some thought provoking words that this drummer published about motorcycle helmets. His words of wisdom "When you place yourself in harm’s way, you might as well protect yourself as best you can." Check out his July post for more about the debate of riding without a helmet. Bsafe!

Safety Signs of the UK

Just a few of the Safety Signs we saw on our vacation in Scotland/London ...

Safety Myths

Yes, its true, there are SOME myths about safety. (I know, hard to believe.) Found one today. A a frequent traveler, I have heard that your 'Identity Safety' is at risk because the magnetic strip on hotel key card contain personal information - including your credit card. So, I did some checking ... according to Snopes, this is FALSE. But it does bring up the issue of identity theft and the need to Bsafe with your personal information. So - Bsafe.

Big Brother

Personal safety ... or is it security? Saw a news story highlighting Surveillance Cameras being posted in Denver for security reasons during the DNC and the ACLU was concerned about personal privacy. It raised another thought about the Clear locations in airports across the country and the questions about how much privacy we REALLY have from 'the man'. But - I'll ask the confrontational question - if your not doing anything wrong, who cares who is watching?

#1 Concern

It's nice to know safety is not just my concern! Good ole RTD cares. Save gas, ride the train. And, Bsafe.

Bsafe

Its quite a phrase "Be Safe" ... it can mean so many things. So often, it is me saying to others as we depart but just the other day ... someone said it to me. And I stopped to smile. Maybe, just maybe - my obsessiveness might have made a difference in thinking twice about their choices. On another note, I saw a pretty compelling ad campaign while at the Social Marketing Conference in Clearwater, FL ... in my eyes, it disputes those that say scare tactics are effective. The Irish Seat Belt makes you think. Bsafe.

Learning From Grandpa

There was a slight mist - a true sign of spring in Colorado - while I was driving down the highway with Larry last night. He 'politely' mentioned to me that going slow when driving in a mist is best because it is MORE dangerous than when rain is heavy. He read my mind as I was thinking "who told you THAT?" ... well, it was Grandpa who told him. Just a reminder to us all - Grandpa's are smart. (Edmonds confirmed it for me too - note the 1st bullet point in the article!) Bsafe.

Can You Operate A Motor Vehicle?

Ok - a hot button. DUI. CNN posted this morning "DUI gizzmo might have been wrong 2 years." Is this another technicality that can be one more reason for us to not take this topic seriously? Now, laws vary by state on level of BAC, but the question remains - if we have altered our perceptions (aka: one of the reasons we drink alcohol) are we of right mind to operate a motor vehicle? Bsafe.

Living Life

This does not have much to do with safety ... but yet the importance of how we live life. It's a bit longer than I generally watch, but it is worth it. Bsafe (and live).