Press

Officials urge slower speeds, car-seat checks
By Sara Reed

Slow down, be alert and stay patient.

That's what local law-enforcement officials are saying to residents as they hit the road this summer.

Americans will drive more than 1 trillion miles between Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

In Colorado, that means people will be piling into cars and perhaps heading for the mountains.

Accident rates increase slightly in the summer, with about one-third of accidents occurring June through August, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

These accidents are often a result of speed, following too closely and drivers not paying attention.

"Speed and not paying attention are the two biggest factors in accidents in the mountains," said Colorado State Patrol Trooper Jason Bachman. "Speed and following too closely are the two biggest factors in accidents on the interstate."

Bachman said residents should be patient when driving, especially in the mountains.

"Locals get impatient because they know the roads like the back of their hand," Bachman said. "Not only do visitors not know the roads, they're going to be looking around and driving slower."

Local drivers should not let themselves give in to road rage, especially while driving in the mountains, said Larimer County sheriff's Maj. Bill Nelson, who oversees patrol deputies.

"You're going to get there - it just might take you 10 or 15 minutes longer," Nelson said.

Speeds especially need to be kept down while traveling through small mountain communities, such as Poudre Park, Nelson said, and drivers need to be alert for children playing.

Drivers also need to be aware of cyclists while on the road, Nelson said

Jennifer Brooks, co-owner of Fort Collins bicycle shop The Cycologist, has some tips for both motorists and cyclists on how to safely share the road.

Cyclists should keep in mind that, according to Colorado law, they must ride single-file if there is a car approaching within 300 feet, Brooks said. On the same note, when passing a bicycle, motorists should act as though they’re passing a car.

“Don’t be afraid to cross the center line and give about a five-foot berth,” she said. “It’s scary when someone leaves only six inches.”

Cyclists should realize that drivers are afraid of hitting them, and motorists should realize cyclists are keeping as far to the right as they can, Brooks said.

“Sometimes there are obstacles drivers can’t see,” she said. “Loose gravel, glass, even the ‘rumble strips’ (grooves to alert drivers if they’ve left their lane) … but Colorado drivers are very respectful of bikers.”

Bachman, who was a trooper in Summit County before being transferred to Larimer County, said he’s seen a lot of accidents involving animals — elk, deer, moose, mountain lions and deer — and said although it might be first instinct to try to avoid a collision, that’s not always the safest move.

“That’s when people jerk the wheel, overcompensate and wind up in the river,” Bachman said. “We tell people to drive through it.”

Dawn and dusk are two of the times motorists need to be most alert for animals, Bachman said, not only because that’s when the animals are likely to be active, but also because visibility is not always the best.

“You could be driving into the sun or going from light to shadow to light,” he said.

Buckling up and making sure children use properly installed car or booster seats are crucial when hitting the road, said Kristi Meyer, a child passenger safety technician with Thompson Valley Emergency Medical Services.

“The device is made to absorb the crash forces,” Meyer said. “It comes down to safety and preventing injury.”

Automobile accident injuries are the leading cause of death for people ages 1 to 34, Meyer said.

To keep kids safe in the car, it’s best to keep children under 12 in the back seat, Meyer said, or disable passenger-side airbags if children are going to sit in the front.

Infants must be in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat until they are 1 year old and have reached 20 pounds, must be in a car seat until they reach 40 pounds and must use a booster seat until they are 6 years old or 4½ feet tall, Meyer said.

Car seats should be inspected to ensure proper installation, Meyer said.

About 79 percent of Colorado adults wear seat belts, and about 83 percent of children under age 5 are put in car seats, according to CDOT. Of the approximately 600 car seats inspected by Poudre Fire Authority, about 75 percent were incorrectly installed, said spokesman Jason Mantas.

Getting kids in the habit of buckling up early is key, Meyers said.

“If you start training them early, it will become a habit,” she said. “Make a rule that the car doesn’t go until everyone is buckled up.”

Originally published June 27, 2005
The Coloradoan, www.coloradoan.com