Slip Sliding Away

Safety Never Takes A Vacation. I added a few accident photos to the song called Slip Sliding Away in hopes you will learn from others mistakes and that you will have a Safe Day!

Don't slip when carrying your breakfast – you’ll end up with egg on your face

If everything comes your way, you are in the wrong lane

Your Wife Will Spend Your 401K; If You Get Killed At Work Today.

While on a ladder, never step back to admire your work

If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown too?

Work Zones

The 10th and final Andrew York Memorial Lineman Rodeo is today in Wenatchee. The Rodeo honors a Chelan County PUD lineman who died in 2000 from injuries suffered on the job when he was hit by a drunken driver in a work zone. Work Zone accidents happen because of Inattention, Impatience, Drinking/Drugs, Cell Phones,  Speed, or  just plain stupidity.  Just last week a car decided to pass the string of cars even though I was standing in the lane adjacent to my truck with lights going- One would normally think cars passing look ahead; but coming within 2 feet of someone not expecting you at 70 mph is kinda stupid. We see the same on striper truck, passing with cars coming toward them. We have people passing on the right, some will even take frontage roads hoping to get around us. They do not seem to care fines double in work zones- I guess you can't fix stupid. To those who do slow down and care about safety- my hats off to you. Sorry Mr. Andrew York cannot be here today.

•Ignoring a warning can cause much mourning.

You already know to move over for law enforcement, fire vehicles and ambulances. But did you know Delaware’s “Move Over Law” has recently been extended to include DelDOT vehicles and tow trucks as well? It’s easy to recognize which vehicles you need to move over for, just look for flashing blue, red, white or amber emergency lights. And this applies not only to highway work zones, but any time these lights are flashing – for example when a law enforcement officer has pulled a vehicle over for speeding, or when a tow truck is at the scene of an accident. Motorists who break the law and end up hurting an emergency worker may be committing a felony and may face up to four years in prison.

  
Chance takers are accident maker

•Safety comes before Schedule only in the dictionary.
•Macho does not prove mucho. Do it safely.
•Working safely each day will keep the doctor away.
•Flesh and Bone are no match for a grinding stone.
•Those precious fingers don’t ignore. . . Or they could end up on the floor.
•While on a ladder, never step back to admire your work
•Safety is something you learn from the start – Being accident free is doing your part.
•Falling objects can be brutal if you don’t protect your noodle.
•Safety slogans are nifty – Give me my fifty.
•Safety doesn’t slow the job down but mishaps do.
•Put safety into action – the wishbone will never replace the backbone.
•Protect only the fingers you WANT to keep!
•Safety… You will regret if you forget.
•Open the Door to Safety: Awareness is the Key
•Protect your hands, you need them to pick up your pay check
•10 fingers. 10 toes, if you are not safe – who knows?
•Don’t count on your coworker to be the smart one. You know him too well for that.

Thursday, June 23, 2016
Another work-zone crash highlights need to slow down, focus
By Mike Allende
Road crews on Interstate 5 had a bad scare Wednesday night, June 22 in a scene that's becoming all too common in our work zones.
A contractor crew was setting up traffic control devices on a paving project north of Stanwood. At 8:40 p.m., a pickup slammed into a truck mounted attenuator on the project. The crew escaped major injury, but workers were so shaken by the crash – and driver injuries – that work was cancelled for the night.


The crash also blocked all of northbound I-5 for about one hour and caused a significant backup headed into Mt. Vernon.
Thankfully the TMA – a giant, accordion-like buffer between work crews and drivers -- did its job and shielded the workers. But even with this safety device two people were sent to the hospital: the attenuator driver and the pickup driver, who was transported by emergency helicopter.


We wish this was a rare occurrence, but the danger in our work zones is very real. We average 916 work zone injuries a year on state roads. In 2015, nine people died in Washington work zone crashes. And most often, it isn't the workers who are at the most risk. The fact is, 96 percent of people hurt in work zone crashes in our state are drivers, their passengers or passing pedestrians.

It's vital for drivers to slow down and be focused on the road at all times -- for the safety of highway workers but also for themselves and their fellow travelers.

Drivers on the Phone

Several years ago I made this video called Drivers on the Phone. The problem has gotten worse, and people think it is ok to take their eyes off the road for 4 or 5 seconds- a lot can happen in those seconds. Please do not text or talk on the cell phone while you are driving- especially to me. I would hate to see your last call was to me after they discover the phone at accident scene.

(from a Newspaper- true story)

On April 5th, a young Eastern Washington University student was returning to Cheney following the Easter weekend at home with her family in Portland. She had been driving for some time when she reached the area west of Davenport. Based on previously-sent text messages, she was apparently frustrated by the inclement weather (snow) and consequential slow traffic. In fact, she had passed a car a few miles back, traveling at an estimated 20 mph over the posted 60 mph speed limit.

While driving in line between 2 Whitney Fuel tanker trucks, her small Chevrolet Aveo vehicle drifted over the centerline, was over-corrected and spun 180 degrees when it was impacted at an estimated combined speed of 100 mph by an oncoming GMC Yukon. Being hit from the rear, her vehicle provided almost no protection, and the young woman died at the scene. When her body was removed from the vehicle, she was still grasping the cell phone upon which she had typed 1 letter of her next text message. (The driver of the Yukon was transported to the Davenport Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.) When WSP investigators finalized their report, they concluded that although weather was a minor factor, distracted driving (texting) was the root cause of this fatal accident.

Because of its inherent danger, driving deserves undivided attention. While we can’t control other drivers, let’s make sure we give it that attention and do what we can to influence those we love to do the same. ( I did not post the photo of car- I think you can get the idea)

Although Police may be exempt from talking on cell phone laws- it still is unsafe.

Q:  How does the brain communicate with the nerves?
A:  With a Cell phone!

Q: Why are there so many Jones's in the phone book?
A: Because they all have phones.

Summer Workzone Safety

:

This is Work Zone Safety Week. On Washington’s state and local roads, 46 drivers, passengers and roadway workers were killed and close to 4,000 injured in work zones from 2005-2009. Since 1950, 57 Washington State Department of Transportation employees have lost their lives in work zone-related activities. In 2012, the most recent year for which data are available, 609 people died in highway work zone crashes nationwide – an increase of 19 fatalities compared to 2011.  In 2012, 132 fatal crashes occurred in work zones involving large trucks and buses. I wish to thank those who take time to slow down in our work zones- it only takes a second as you can see in todays video. We too want to get home to our families at the end of each day. Please remember to slow down- your car is like a Weapon....Yesterday someone could have lost a life in a workzone traffic accident near Vantage- Please slow down in work zones.

April 9th, 2014.  GRANT COUNTY, Wash. -- Westbound traffic on Interstate 90 near the Vantage Bridge was stopped for about four hours Wednesday morning after a truck carrying a load of hay crashed into equipment in a work zone.

Washington State Patrol says the driver of the truck, Ricardo Reyes Lopez of Moses Lake, lost control just after 7:30 a.m. and hit an unoccupied street sweeper parked in the right lane, which was closed to traffic due to construction. The truck then sideswiped a Cadillac sedan and hit a pickup truck from behind.

The truck overturned, spilling hay onto the roadway and blocking the westbound lanes.

The driver of the truck was not injured. The other two drivers, Juana Rangel Alvarado of Mattawa and Eric Brindle of Quincy, were taken to Quincy Valley Medical Center for treatment.

Crews were able to clear the roadway around noon.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation. WSP says it does not believe alcohol or drugs played a factor.

Changing Tires Can Be Dangerous

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I once applied for a safety officer job and the final question was for me to explain how to change a tire? I never got that job, so must not have been that good at explaining. Perhaps I should have told them how not to change a flat tire instead, as in this video?  I have changed lots of tires, but always do it safely. Make sure you watch out for traffic- in fact having a spotter is good if you are along a busy highway. (just be sure you don't point your arms toward traffic)  I thought this video was cute and brings home a point.

Yesterday, I had a flat tire on the interstate. So I eased my car over to the shoulder of the road, carefully got out of the car and opened the trunk.

I took out two cardboard men, unfolded them and stood them at the rear of my car facing on-coming traffic. They looked so life like you wouldn't believe it! They're dressed in open trench coats that exposed their nude bodies and private parts to the approaching drivers.

But to my surprise, cars started slowing down to look at my lifelike men. And, of course, traffic began backing up. Everybody tooted their horns and waved like crazy. It wasn't long before a state trooper pulled up behind me.

He got out of his car and walked towards me. I could tell he was not a happy camper!
"What's going on here?"
"My car has a flat tire," I said calmly.
"Well, what the hell are those obscene cardboard men doing here by the road?"
I couldn't believe that he didn't know. So I told him, "Helloooooo, those are my emergency flashers!"

 

Traffic Jam Prank

The other day I had my grandkids over to hot tub. I think Caitlyn has learned to tease, as I told her to get out first and I noticed she was trying to lock the outside door so I could not get in? Wonder where they learn such things? Someone sent me this video, and I realize Epic man has quite a few videos out just like this using hidden cameras. I think there are so many cameras out along the roads now- that I would easily make a video of flagging. People get so impatient and worked up over the silliest issues- will they matter two weeks from today? Relax, keep your blood pressure down, and have a good day- someone may be watching you when you least expect it.

An elderly woman decided to prepare her will and told her preacher she had two final requests.
First, she wanted to be cremated, and second, she wanted her ashes scattered over Wal-Mart.
'Wal-Mart?' the preacher exclaimed.
'Why Wal-Mart?'
'Then I'll be sure my daughters visit me twice a week.'

People VS Winter

Winter is here, but so far we have had it pretty mild and no real snow yet. This video serves as a good reminder to be extra careful in the winter- when it is icy or the snow gets here. Do not use cruise control and slow down. Make sure your car has a flashlight, keep your fuel tank on the top half and carry some blankets or extra jackets for an emergency. Kitty Litter could be helpful as would a small shovel in your car. If traveling over the pass, expect a lot more snow and be sure that your tires are adequate and you have chains if you are not an all wheel drive vehicle. If you can postpone your drive when it is snowing out- do it, don't try to be a hero or prove your skills. Remember, you need to watch out for the other guy and the ones who do not carry insurance.  And beware of falling, on icy conditions- again, slow down and expect things to be icy when below freezing out.

The Indians asked their Chief in Autumn if the Winter was going to be cold or not.

Not really knowing an answer, the chief replies that the Winter was going to be cold with lots of snow and that the members of the village were to collect wood to be prepared.

Being a good leader, he then went to the next phone booth and called the National Weather Service and asked, "Is this winter to be cold?"

The man on the phone responded, "This Winter is going to be quite cold indeed."

So the Chief went back to speed up his people to collect even more wood to be prepared. A week later he called the National Weather Service again, "Is it going to be a very cold winter?"

"Yes", the man replied, "it's going to be a very cold Winter."

So the Chief goes back to his people and orders them to go and find every scrap of wood they can find. Two weeks later he calls the National Weather Service again: "Are you absolutely sure that the

Winter is going to be very cold?"

"Absolutely," the man replies, "the Indians are collecting wood like crazy!"

Run, Forest,Run

Always wise to keep an eye out for this if you are ever standing along the roadway. If you can, stay back away from the road as much as you can. I don't think holding a sign or having warning signs out would make any difference in this sitution- normally the DOT will not flag accidents unless there is a death or serious injury- but I can tell you when flagging- I never turn my back on traffic and always have an escape route planned. And if possible have a spotter watch for you if you are working along the road.

. Why is it that when you're driving and looking for an address, you turn down the volume on the radio?


Farmer Joe decided his injuries from the accident were serious enough to take the trucking company responsible for the accident to court. In court the trucking company's fancy lawyer was questioning farmer Joe.
"Didn't you say, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine,'?" asked the lawyer. Farmer Joe responded, "Well, I'll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie into the..."
"I didn't ask for any details," the lawyer interrupted, "just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine'?".
Farmer Joe said, "Well, I had just got Bessie into the trailer and I was driving down the road..."
The lawyer interrupted again and said, "Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman on the scene that he was fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question."
By this time the Judge was fairly interested in Farmer Joe's answer and said to the lawyer, "I'd like to hear what he has to say."
Joe thanked the Judge and proceeded, "Well, as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie into the trailer and was driving her down the highway when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the stop sign and smacked my truck right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. I was hurting real bad and didn't want to move. However, I could hear ol' Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans. "Shortly after the accident, a Highway Patrolman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her, he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes.
"Then the Patrolman came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me. He said, 'Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her.'

"Then he said, 'How are YOU feeling?'"

Work Zone Awareness

Summer is half over, and by now perhaps the construction zones are getting on your nerves? Please remember those workers want to go home at the end of their shifts- they are simply doing their jobs. Give them a Brake. Most of you know to move over when you approach a emergancy vehicle with his lights on along a road. Each year people are killed in work zones because someone was careless, speeding, or just not paying attention- don't let that be you. Please Slow Down and give construction workers a Brake.

Tourists on some highways are calling themselves detourists

We saw a sign: "Road Under Construction, Travel At Your Own Risk." When does a driver ever travel a public road except at his own risk?

Changing Tires Can Be Dangerous

Ok, one last tire changing commercial- these could be filed under commercials, humor and also traffic safety.  I will probably play one of these 3 commercials at my safety meeting on June 5th. Be Safe.

An elderly man was driving his Buick down the freeway when his cell phone rang.

Answering, he heard his wife's voice urgently warning him, "Herman, I just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on 280. Please be careful!"
"It's not just one car," said Herman. "It's hundreds of them!"

here is a another video of changing tires can be dangerous that I combined to this page

The other day I was in the local auto parts store. A lady came in and asked for a seven ten cap.
We all looked at each other and one of the service guys asked, "What's a seven ten cap?" She replied, "You know, it's right on the engine. Mine got lost somehow and I need a new one."
"What kind of car do you drive?" another guy asked. (Thinking that perhaps she drove an old Datsun Seven Ten.) The lady replied, "I drive a Buick." We asked her how big is the cap. She made a circle with her hands about 3 1/2 inches in diameter.
"What does it do?" asked one of the service guys. She replied, "I don't know, but it's always been there."
One of the guys gave her a note pad and asked her if she could draw a picture of it. So she made a circle about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and in the center she wrote 710.
As she was drawing, the guys behind the counter looked at it upside down and they fell behind the counter laughing their heads off.
(Directions: Draw a circle and write 710 in the center. Now look at it upside down.) Dope slap! 

Your Car Is Like A Weapon

This week begins National Work Zone Safety Week. Nationally, every 5.4 minutes there is a work zone crash. Washington averages almost 850 highway work zone injuries each year. The top three causes of work zone crashes are distracted/inattentive driving, following too close and speeding. Since 1950, 60  Washington State Department of Transportation employees have lost their lives in work zone-related activities. Slow down in our work zones- it only takes a second as you can see in todays video.  Please remember to slow down- your car is like a Weapon....

The following tips are for motorists when they encounter highway work zones:

Minimize distractions. Dedicate your full attention to the road and those around you.

Stay alert, expect the unexpected. Keep an eye out for workers and their equipment.

Don’t change lanes in the work zone. The time saved just isn't worth it.

Follow the signs. Signs and flaggers will direct you through the work zone. Expect changes in traffic patterns as the project progresses.

Be patient. Remember, the crewmembers are working to improve the highway, and the safety and comfort of your future travels.

Don’t speed. Enhanced fines may be doubled for speeding in a work zone.

Don’t tailgate. Unexpected stops frequently occur in work zones.

Funny Police Stop

I admire police and the jobs they do. Sometimes you must have a sense of humor to deal with the people they deal with as in todays video.  I actually applied to be a trooper in the 80's but did not make it then- not sure if that was good or bad?  Instead I worked for WUTC as a investigator/inspector who worked with trucks- we would stop trucks but never needed to carry a gun. I did that from 1985 to 1993. For you who cannot view the video- I posted some police quotes below.

Funny Police Quotes!

“You know, stop lights don't come any redder than the one you just went through.”

“Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll stretch after you wear them a while.”

"If you take your hands off the car, I'll make your birth certificate a worthless document.”

“If you run, you'll only go to jail tired.”

“Can you run faster than 1200 feet per second? Because that's the speed of the bullet that'll be chasing you.”

“You don't know how fast you were going? I guess that means I can write anything I want to on the ticket, huh?”

“Yes, sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I'm the shift supervisor?”

“Warning! You want a warning? Okay, I'm warning you not to do that again or I'll give you another ticket.”

“The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?”

“Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair is a place where you go to ride on rides, eat cotton candy and corn dogs and step in monkey poop.”

“Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven.”

“In God we trust; all others we run through NCIC.” (National Crime Information Center)

“Just how big were those 'two beers' you say you had?”

“No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to, but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we can.”

“I'm glad to hear that the Chief (of Police) is a personal friend of yours. So you know someone who can post your bail.”

“You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't... Sign here.”

“I'm sorry Ma'am, but with the unlicensed gun in your purse plus the DWI, you ARE a real criminal.”

“Hey John, get out of the cruiser and come over here to say “Thank You.” We stopped the guy who pays OUR salary!”

“Yeah, I do have bank robbers to catch, but that might be dangerous, so I'm going to play it safe and write you this ticket.”

“Hurry it up? Sure, I'll just go back to the cruiser and write the citation. Do you have food and water in the car? This shouldn't take more than six hours.”

“Do you know why I stopped you, or do you THINK like you Drive?”

“What do you mean I won't believe you? Just because you've got three kilos of smack and two bodies in the trunk doesn't mean there isn't a perfectly reasonable explanation.”

“No, you've got that WRONG. I'm even TOUGHER without the badge and gun.”

“Of course you didn't DO it. You just happened to start your wind sprints in front of the department store, the VCR is extra weight, and the security guards were providing MOTIVATION.”

“She STARTED it? That's the best you can do? My four-year-old does better than that when I ask why his sister is crying.”


A blonde was speeding in a 35 mile per hour zone when a local police officer pulled her over and walked up to the car. The officer also happened to be a blonde and she asked for the blonde's driver's license.
The driver searched frantically in her purse for a while and finally said to the blonde policewoman, "What does a driver's license look like?"
Irritated, the blonde cop said, "You dummy, it's got your picture on it!"
The blonde driver frantically searched her purse again and found a small, rectangular mirror down at the bottom. She held it up to her face and said, "Aha! This must be my driver's license" and handed it to the blonde policewoman.
The blonde cop looked in the mirror, handed it back to the driver and said, "You're free to go. And, if I had known you were a police officer too, we could have avoided all of this."

Police Stop

Traffic Safety is a big concern of mine since I work along the road. I appreciate those who take time to move over when there is an emergency vehicle along the road, even when it is perhaps only me- especially when you have an extra lane. This video shows what can happen if you are standing along the fog line- always treat traffic as if they do not see you or they are drunk; should you need to stand along the road. Use your ears or have someone watch for you should you need to work near the fog line.  And yes, its the law that you must move over if a emergency vehicle has his lights on along the road- more  importantly, its common sense and proper courtesy.