Little Deeds do Indeed Keep Kids Alive!

I recently came across an essay entitled "Little Seeds, Little Deeds" by Margaret Silf. She shares the story of a 6-year-old girl who heard the prime minister of England speaking of the belt-tightening necessary to help bring the country out of recession. The girl had just lost a baby tooth and had received a pound coin (about $1.60) from the tooth fairy.

Touched by the prime minister's words of concern she taped her coin to a letter and sent it to David Cameron with the request to use it "to make the country better and pay for jobs." Not only had the little girl been touched, but her action touched many deeply. Cameron sent the coin back inviting her to spend it on something nice for herself.

Silf goes on to note, "this story touches a deep truth. A 6-year-old gives away all she has so that someone else might benefit. She has it completely right. Miracles happen when we put the common good before our own personal gratification."

What does this have to do with safe driving?

Every little thing, if we are honest.

The miracle today, or any day, can be a life saved simply because we each choose to do a little deed. A little deed can be:

• Stopping at a stop sign (200 pedestrian deaths and 17,000 injuries are attributed to running stop signs)
• Observing the speed limit (33% of all traffic deaths are directly caused by speeding)
• Not tailgating (29% of crashes are the result of following too close)
• Not drinking and driving, driving while intexticated or using a cell phone in any way, or any behaviors that take our eyes of the road, our hands off the wheel, or impair our judgment in any way
• Making sure we and all our passengers are buckled up (deaths from traffic incidents could be reduced by 60% or more if only all drivers and passengers were buckled up)

As this holiday season unfolds, be part of a miracle. Engage in one or more little deeds behind the wheel that helps keep the miracle of life alive for your family, for friends, for neighbors, and for people you may never meet wherever you travel.

"Don't let the 2 minutes you 'save' be the last 2 minutes of someone's life." David Townsend (Tia's dad)

In safety,
Tom Everson
Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 - A Non-Profit "For Action" Organization 501(c)(3)
402-334-1391
www.KeepKidsAliveDrive25.org

A License to Live - Keep Kids Alive Drive 25

Dear Friends in Traffic Safety,

When you look at your driver's license, what do you see?

Is it simply a license to drive? Or, could it be a license to live?

Viewing it as a license to live opens up all sorts of possibilities about what we each can do to ensure that all our passengers, and all other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and kids at play we encounter on or around roadways continue to experience the gift of life at the end of each day.

What does a license to live look like? It looks like:

• Buckling up, and making sure all passengers are buckled up, each and every trip - no matter how short or how long. Buckling up increases the likelihood of surviving a crash by more than 60%. Seat Belts- FASTENATING!^®.
• Putting aside distractions - cell phones, personal grooming items, food, reading materials, etc. Make driving the sole focus and purpose for being behind the wheel.
• Observing the speed limit - or go slower in the presence of pedestrians, cyclists, kids at play, or due to bad weather. Be Aware! Drive With Care^®
• Stopping at each and every stop-light and stop-sign. Stop! Take 3 To See^® - make sure the coast really is clear before proceeding. 200 pedestrians deaths and 17,000 injuries each year are the result of drivers running stop signs.
• Not tailgating - leave 3 seconds distance between yourself and the vehicle ahead of you. Remember, "It’s Not A Race! Create Space™." 29% of crashes are a result of poor space management.
• Taking the message "Don't Drink and Drive!" seriously. Even with the emphasis on this message for decades, still we read about alcohol-involved fatalities every day. We cannot stress this message enough.

Each day will present you with hundreds of opportunities to exercise your license to live. The life saved may be your own or someone you love.

Remember, “Don’t let the 2 minutes you ‘save’ be the last 2 minutes of someone’s life.” David Townsend (Tia’s dad – Tia died at age 11, when struck by a motorist who chose to go around the stopped car in front of him while she and a friend were walking across the street in a marked crosswalk.)

In safety,
Tom EversonKeep Kids Alive Drive 25 - A Non-Profit "For Action" Organization 501(c)(3)
402-334-1391

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Keep Kids Alive during the dark months ahead

Dear Friends in Traffic Safety,

Children face greater risk during fall and winter. As 2010 draws to an end, more motorists will find themselves driving to and from work in darkened conditions, both in the morning and the evening. Sadly, tragic news involving children will soon fill local newspaper headlines and television broadcasts. As fall fades into winter, the season is right for drivers to exercise extra caution during throughout residential areas and their daily commute.

Statistics show that children are at greater risk of being in a serious traffic accident after 3 p.m. during the fall and winter months. Extra-curricular activities often end near sundown and darkness can reduce perfect vision to just 20/50. The probability of a fatal crash is three times higher between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m., researchers say.

Do your part to Keep Kids Alive during the dark months ahead. Drivers should inspect their vehicle to ensure that headlights are in proper working order, and keep windshields clear of debris that could limit visibility. Parents can remind their children to walk in groups, use sidewalks whenever possible and to cross the street only at a crosswalk.

By following these simple steps, you're doing your part to keep children out of accident news today and into 2011."

Learn more at Find My Accident

In safety,
Tom Everson
Keep Kids Alive Drive 25
www.KeepKidsAliveDrive25.org