penandpatience

Writers Words: Better a thousand times careful than one time dead. — Proverb

FEBRUARY 2016 MONTHLY MUSING

 ARE YOU AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN?

(Take the Pen & Patience Safety Quiz)

Safety is not a warm and fuzzy topic that draws enthusiastic attention and often mandatory safety protocols, newsletters, procedures and information are absorbed with half an ear. Until an accident happens!  

A former human resources professional, I can attest historically and still today many Human Resources Managers wear the safety hat. Often the responsibility for organizational and employee safety falls within their bailiwick as it did mine through many years and three different employers. Initially, I can’t say I was enamored of spearheading safety responsibilities that fell into my job jars but because it did, over time I developed greater safety awareness and safety practices that, subliminally, became ingrained in me. To this day I catch myself advising family, friends and colleagues when traveling anywhere to “Be Safe.”

Many individuals are creatures of habit and follow daily routines traveling from homes to workplaces, stopping for morning java, dropping off the kiddies at pre-school and fighting rush hour travel until arrival at work or home. Unfortunately, additional and unexpected distractions occur along these frustrating and time consuming jaunts. Peter Kissinger, president and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety said, “The lasting effects of mental distraction pose a hidden and pervasive danger that would likely come as a surprise to most drivers. The results indicate that motorists could miss stop signs, pedestrians and other vehicles while the mind is readjusting to the task of driving.” It would be a daunting task to cover all distractions in one blog post but one of the most current and potentially dangerous distractions is a cell phone.

We’ve all noticed individuals of all ages walking with heads down looking at some item on the phone, sending a text, checking a Facebook page, calling a friend, etc.  They walk off curbs into busy streets without looking up, bump into others and often careen into obstacles causing various injuries to themselves and innocent bystanders. Visualize these same distractions if you’re behind the wheel of a car. A cell phone should be stowed in a briefcase or purse while driving not bouncing along on the seat of the car for easy access.

Communications, including those considered urgent, should wait until you safely parked in a lot or off-road location. Although many states have enacted cell phone safety laws with stiff penalties, I believe the most important deterrent is to live another day instead of family members praying and crying while they bury your corpse in the cemetery plot. Tell me in the brief quiz below how safe are YOU?

PEN AND PATIENCE SAFETY QUIZ-February 2016

1. HAVE YOU EVER RUN A RED LIGHT LATE AT NIGHT WHEN NO OTHER CARS ARE AT THE INTERSECTION?   (YES)         (NO)
2. DO YOU LISTEN TO THE AIRLINE STEWARDESS SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS EVERY TIME YOU FLY? (YES) (NO)
3. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ARRESTED OR CONVICTED OF A DWI OR OTHER DRINKING WHILE DRIVING OFFENSE? (YES) (NO)
4. HAVE YOU EVER PARTICIPATED IN THE A.A.R.P., A.A.A (OR OTHER) DRIVER SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAM? (YES) (NO) ( many auto insurance companies offer a premium discount for participation in these programs)
5. DO YOU AGREE WITH SAFETY PROFESSIONALS’ STATEMENT THAT “ALL ACCIDENTS ARE PREVENTABLE?” (YES)   (NO)

QUIZ ANSWERS: You should have answered YES to Questions 1, 2, 4 and 5 to be considered a Super Safe person. The answer to Question 3 should be NO. If you answered YES to Question 3 you flunked the quiz and need to reread two of my previous posts: “Do It Yourself Obituary” posted March 2014 and “Do It Yourself Funeral”   posted February 2015.

Hey Readers! I care about you. Add a scoop of safety awareness to your daily diet—Be Safe!