safety

KN, p. 140 “On the Road – Avoiding Accidents”

Hi from middle America!  Sheila and I are on our way to Texas to visit Bridget on an extended Spring Break. The weather has been great – mostly sunny and dry all the way and even a bit warmer than we’ve been used to lately. Not a snow drift in sight, although we’ve seen many bent and broken evergreens along the highways. There were so many fallen trees in one section of Tennessee that the tops of the trees that interfered with traffic had been sawed off, leaving the rest for later haul away.

The road crews are busy fixing the potholes created by all the snow and ice freezing and thawing the roadbeds. We’ve had a few delays in Tennessee and Arkansas, but the Highway Patrols are doing a great job of letting us know when to merge into one lane. They use some overhead signs and those portable digital signs. Big flashing letters, nice and easy to read from a distance.

It’s about a 1400 mile trip this time, and while most drivers are doing a good job of sharing the road, I think a few of them need to have their licenses revoked. I had a few choice words to say this afternoon while watching some of the idiots, so I thought I’d share a tip or two on how to make the roads safer for the rest of us.

Kerrian’s Handy Driving Tips:

  • When you pull out to pass a truck, remember that he cannot see your much lower car unless you can see his head reflected in his side view mirror. He has no idea you are trying to pass him if he can’t see you.

  • And, it is not okay to cut off a 16 wheeler. Next time you get that close, he just might roll right over you. Your pretty Lexus might get squashed.
  • Tip to keep in mind before moving in front of the car you just passed: You should be able to see their entire car in your rear view mirror. The side view mirror is misleading in terms of distance and makes the car seem much further away than it actually is.
  • In most states, if there is an emergency/law enforcement vehicle with flashing lights stopped along the side of the road, you are required by law to move over a lane – away from the flashing lights. You will be ticketed if you violate this rule. In addition, in some states, you must also slow down while passing that vehicle. In Texas, you must drop your speed by 20 mph while passing that stopped vehicle. That means, if the speed limit is only 35, you must drop your speed to 15 mph while passing that stopped vehicle.
  • It is not okay to drive to within 5 feet of somebody’s rear bumper at speeds of 75 mph. We’re not playing bumper cars out here.

 

  • It is not okay to weave in and out of traffic, going from lane to lane, while trying to create a third lane out of two. We’re not playing the supporting roles in a James Bond/Jason Statham/Vin Diesel movie.
  • We saw three, count ‘em 3, tractor trailers jackknifed on the highway today. One was being hauled out of a ditch. It was still upright, but had tried to avoid a car that cut him off. The truck driver went off the road to avoid killing anyone. That’s what the cop said as we stopped, waiting for the tow truck to maneuver. The driver was fine, but the side of the truck was damaged and he was really annoyed. Further on down the road, the car involved had been caught and that driver was being ticketed.
  • Quit texting on your cell phone while you are driving. If the message is that important, pull off the road to text. Better yet, de-stress and turn the phone off.
  • Unless you have hands-free capability for your cell phone, if you’re driving, DO NOT ANSWER IT.  Some states are moving toward completely banning the use cell phones while driving. In most states, if you’re under the age of 18, it’s illegal to talk and drive.
  • Click on the link below to see which states prohibit cell phone use and under what circumstances.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrictions_on_cell_phone_use_while_driving_in_the_United_States

  • If you are hauling an open trailer, please tie down whatever you’ve got piled up. Great big bales of fabric/clothes that come flying off the truck and land on somebody’s windshield or on the roadway are not any fun at all to deal with. Flying missiles coming at you at more than 70 mph? Not to mention all the cars now trying to avoid the swerving traffic dodging said junk? Then we get into bumper car territory.  With real damage involved.

 

  • Lock up your car when you leave it to get a cup of coffee. Your vacation stuff can be seen thru the windows and while you are waiting in line, thieves can steal not only your iPad, etc. but the car itself. Expensive cup of coffee.  In case you thought your possessions in the car are covered by insurance, think again. Most of it isn’t. At all. Check with your car insurance company.

Other Tips for a happier driving experience

Before you get on the road, check the tires for air pressure. Properly inflated tires can actually increase gas mileage.

Join AAA. No, I’m not a paid advertiser for them. But, as a part of their service, they provide free maps and route suggestions and hotel discounts. If your car breaks down along the way, they can usually provide help in under an hour.

If you have a long drive ahead of you like we did, stop every two or three hours. Plan the trip so that you split up the stops for food and gas and bathroom breaks, etc. We used to do all the necessary things at the same stop, but found that we were exhausted at the end of each day. The body needs to move to function at top form. That means getting out of the car to stretch periodically.

Legs cramping up while driving on a long trip? That probably means that you are dehydrated. Take along a case of bottled water for that long drive. An adult should drink about 4 of the 16 oz bottles of water during the day. Trust me, since we’ve changed our car travel routine, we feel pretty good at the end of our 7-9 hours on the road each day, rather than exhausted and cranky.

Take snacks. Exits with access to food can be few and far between in middle America. We drove through a section of mountains the other day that had almost no exits and therefore, limited food or coffee, for almost 100 miles.

Road trips can be great fun. Just use some common sense and think about that risk you take when trying to save a minute or two. Is it worth it? Or would you rather arrive at your destination in one piece?

Most of all, enjoy the ride.  🙂

 

*Photos by Patti Phillips

*Kerrian is a fictional character, but everything mentioned in this post actually happened during a three-day period of our road trip to Texas during March, 2015.

 

 

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KN, p. 252 “Tasers and Stun Guns”

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TASER devices and stun guns each have slightly different functions, but the common purpose is to shock the aggressor and allow time to move strategically for improved control over the situation, without using lethal force. A TASER can be shot from a distance, and a stun gun requires direct contact with the attacker.

 

Stun Gun

 

This stun gun has sharp points which might pierce clothing and will even set off an electric charge if somebody tries to grab it.

 

Other stun guns resemble cellphones, while another type looks just like a mag light. Neither has great power, so in order to get close enough to use it effectively, an attacker may be able to get the upper hand against an untrained civilian. Some stun guns are in the shape and length of a baton (12-19 inches) allowing the user to be a step or two away, rather than just at arm’s length.

 

In many states, law enforcement groups have been using stun guns to subdue targets for years. Pepper spray occasionally blows back at the user, so private citizens sometimes opt for using a stun gun as a self-defense tool.

 

Designed in the 1960s for use in tight spaces (inside airplanes) when firing a gun would be especially dangerous, a Taser is considered a safer (non-lethal) alternative to a handgun if used correctly. Concerned about a rise in gun-related injuries during arrests or captures, some law enforcement jurisdictions around the country have required that Tasers and/or stun guns be added to their officers’ equipment belts, giving the officer a choice in tense or escalating situations.

 

Taser and cartridge

How does a Taser work? The cartridge contains 15-20 foot wires with probes attached at the end. The wires shoot out when the weapon is used. When the probes reach the target, they deliver a shock as well as pain, but this will only happen if both probes insert into the person’s body. In general, the person loses muscle control when hit with the probes, making an arrest easier or allowing the officer to stop an ongoing attack.

 

There are a variety of Tasers on the market, some of which guarantee contact even through clothing. Some recent Taser models also include the stun gun feature so that the prongs don’t have to be fired during every use.

 

One criticism of some Tasers is that they can misfire, causing real problems for the officer during an attack. The LATimes ran an article about the issue, comparing effective use in successive years:

 

https://www.latimes.com/local/crime/la-me-lapd-tasers-20160401-story.html?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com&fbclid=IwAR17l2SVeCW7idV6PJVIm3nzh-U-jkmIh0bqVSfcFi_UoZlIp7xFXTwtaKs

 

Less critical, but potentially disturbing to a civilian Taser owner, is that storage in the home might become an issue. A curious friend or neighbor happening upon the Taser might fire it ‘just to see what it does.’ If it happens to misfire accidentally, somebody could get hurt. Burn marks on floors and ceilings from mis-firing have been reported by Kerrian followers, even when the Tasers have been handled properly. (True story)

 

Expense is a factor. Stun guns usually cost between $10 and $30. TASER devices have a lot more power and are a lot pricier because of that – running anywhere between $450 to $1,100. If the department in a town of 100,00 people has 180 officers working in the field and the units cost a minimum of $450 each – do the math. That’s an initial hit to the city budget of $81,000 and that’s before the replacement cartridges, etc. Each time the Taser is fired, it needs to be recharged and in some cases, a new cartridge must be inserted – at a cost of between $25 to $35 each.

 

Need to replace the Kevlar vests this year (a necessity every five years) or get that new million dollar fire truck the city needs so badly? Even if the Taser (or stun gun) is a great idea, the budget may not be able to handle it. So, if your town’s officers would like to have that option available to them, grants and donations from local law enforcement supporters may need to be sought out.

 

Legality

As of 2018, four states required background checks for Taser ownership.

  • Illinois
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Minnesota


Two (2) states where Tasers and stun guns are completely banned for use for anyone other than law enforcement:

  • Hawaii
  • Rhode Island


But, most states do not regulate the purchase of Tasers or stun guns. That means no training requirements, background checks, or paperwork. Anyone in those states can buy and use them for self-defense. In many states, it is illegal to carry a concealed stun gun outside of your own home, and specifically illegal to carry it on school property. In some jurisdictions, stun guns are considered dangerous or deadly weapons, and as such, fall under those laws. Deadly weapons are generally banned from:

  • parades
  • funerals
  • public demonstrations
  • government buildings


It’s important to note about ownership of either a stun gun or a Taser or a combo of the two:

 

If someone falls and suffers a heart attack or other injury during the commission of a crime after being shocked with a stun gun or Taser, there are serious consequences. Instead of seeing its non-lethal purpose, the court may conclude that the tragic result came from the use, not the intent. i.e. the person might not have had the heart attack if not for being Tasered. If that happens, we now have a deadly weapon, and the legal concerns change under the law.

 

*Photos from Amazon

 

 

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KN, p. 177 “Did she die of heatstroke?”

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FrontSlopeShovelDSC_1154

It’s no secret that we’ve been doing a LOT of digging in the gardens this summer. The work can get hot and steamy, so we tend to start early in the morning. It’s not as humid and the bugs aren’t swarming in full force yet. Yesterday, I was delayed getting out there, so before I realized it, the sun was high in the sky, it was 95 degrees, I was really hot, and I was sweating something fierce.

And, suddenly thirsty. I was even a little dizzy and felt a headache coming on. As soon as I figured out what was happening, I dropped the tools and got myself inside. Sheila saw me ditch the shovel and headed in as well. I grabbed a cold, wet towel for my neck and she handed me some water. There was some scowling, but the crisis was averted.

What had happened? The heat got too much for me and I needed a tall, cool glass of water. I had left my golf cap inside, along with my bottle of water and my golf bandana, and I was paying for it. It didn’t get as far as heatstroke, but if I’d been at the golf course or the beach, and not 15 seconds from help, it could have.

 

The Mayo Clinic defines heatstroke:

“Heatstroke is a condition caused by your body overheating, usually as a result of prolonged exposure to or physical exertion in high temperatures. This most serious form of heat injury, heatstroke can occur if your body temperature rises to 104 F (40 C) or higher. Heatstroke requires emergency treatment.”

In the summertime, when temperatures reach in the high 90s on a regular basis, we will normally feel hot outdoors, so how do we know that there is a problem? Athletes, moms, dads, dogs, babies – everyone is vulnerable to heat stroke and we need to be aware of the symptoms.

Symptoms of Heat Stroke  Nobody I know carries around a thermometer, so aside from the high body core temp, symptoms can include:

  • Nasty headache
  • Dizziness
  • Lack of sweating
  • Red, hot, and dry skin
  • Muscle weakness or cramps
  • Nausea
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Trouble breathing
  • Disorientation, or staggering

How do we prevent things from getting to that point? Especially if you or your friends are planning to be out hiking, working, or camping in the heat, far away from speedy help?

WaterBottleIMG_5643

Preventing Heat Stroke

  • Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing, and a hat.
  • Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or more.
  • Drink water – a half ounce for each pound of body weight – if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be drinking 75 ounces of water – and that’s on a regular day with no exercise or extra heat involved.
  • Increase that amount if it’s hot outside or you are working/exercising outside.
  • Drink an extra bottle of water an hour before exercise, then during exercise, drink another 8 ounces of water every half hour, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
  • Shift your outdoor activities to the coolest times of the day, either early morning or after the sun goes down if you can. If not, make sure to follow the rest of the suggestions.

People die from heat stroke. That’s why we are warned not to leave children and pets in hot cars. When it’s hot outside, the heat in the car gets magnified by the windows, resulting in temperatures that can be 30 degrees hotter inside the car – a disaster waiting to happen.

Sporting events are times where people get caught up in the competition and forget to hydrate, sometimes with tragic consequences. At the time the article below was published, the softball player’s death was unexplained, but later pointed to heatstroke. What do you think?

http://weartv.com/news/local/questions-of-heat-stroke-raised-after-preteens-death

I always pack a bandana or ‘cold collar’ in my golf bag, wear a hat on the course, and take plenty of water with me. I got careless at the house, but that won’t happen again.

For additional information:

https://www.drugs.com/health-guide/heat-stroke-hyperthermia.html

 

*Photos by Patti Phillips

 

 

 

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KN, p. 177 “Did she die of heatstroke?” Read More »