TSS Customer Service, Author at Traffic Safety Resource Center

10 Tips to Protect Kids from Cars While Trick-or-Treating

Pedestrian Safety

The biggest danger to kids on Halloween isn’t poisoned candy – it’s child pedestrian accidents. Historically, children are four times more likely to get hit by a car and twice as likely to die in a pedestrian accident on this day than on any other. Why does this happen? The obvious answer is more children are walking in close proximity … Continue reading “10 Tips to Protect Kids from Cars While Trick-or-Treating”

Don’t Let Your Child Make This Fatal Mistake On Halloween

Distracted Driving

Two years ago, on Halloween, a family from Tulsa, Oklahoma lost their young son before the sun came up.Seven year-old Elijah Rivers left for the school bus that morning with his 12 year-old neighbor, a close family friend.He was excited to show off the brand new costume he was wearing to his second grade class.The driver who struck and killed … Continue reading “Don’t Let Your Child Make This Fatal Mistake On Halloween”

9 Tricks for Accident-Free Homes and Neighborhoods

Distracted Driving

October through the end of December is jam packed with holiday festivities. But to ensure you and your family enjoy the celebration, plan for seasonal risks — particularly those associated with vehicle safety. Halloween is the most dangerous holiday for pedestrians and Christmas and New Years are notorious for drunk driving. Shorter days mean more darkness and that can be … Continue reading “9 Tricks for Accident-Free Homes and Neighborhoods”

8 Brilliant Craft Ideas That Help Keep You Safe At Night

Pedestrian Safety

Pedestrians and cyclists are much more likely to get hit by a car once the sun goes down. In fact, nearly a third of all pedestrian accidents occur in the three short hours between 8 PM and 11 PM. The best way to guard against the increased risk is by using high-visibility gear and reflective safety markers. The following simple … Continue reading “8 Brilliant Craft Ideas That Help Keep You Safe At Night”

Introducing Our Safety Resource Center

Traffic Safety

The Traffic Safety Store is currently developing a safety resource center to help you prevent accidents on the road, in the workplace, or on your property. We will be releasing content on an ongoing basis. If you have any suggestions or questions regarding safety and regulations, please leave a comment below. New pages include: How To Wear a Children’s Bicycle … Continue reading “Introducing Our Safety Resource Center”

Make Murals Not Mayhem: How Art Makes Us Better Drivers

Pedestrian Safety

Picture the worst intersection you encounter on your commute to work. What would happen if the traffic lights were removed? Chaos, right? According to some experts, eliminating signals can actually encourage considerate driving. The most extreme example comes from Poynton, U.K. The intersection running through the center of this historic 16,000-person village serves 26,000 vehicles per day, including a number … Continue reading “Make Murals Not Mayhem: How Art Makes Us Better Drivers”

This Student Says She Learned From “Real Life.” How She Helps Others Avoid Tragedy.

Drinking and Driving

College and beer. In popular and news media, the two are practically synonymous. Seems every week, another headline calls attention to student substance abuse or exposes an alcohol-related hazing tragedy. Although we hear plenty about the college kids who endanger themselves, we rarely hear about the peers who protect them. Those students are out there and they deserve your attention. … Continue reading “This Student Says She Learned From “Real Life.” How She Helps Others Avoid Tragedy.”

This Straightforward Infographic Explains Distracted Driving

Traffic Safety

April is distracted driving awareness month. Rather than list the reasons why this staggering public safety issue deserves your attention, Traffic Safety Store got some help from designer, Adrienne Erin. The infographic below can help you explain to friends, loved ones and coworkers, why putting down the cellphone is a MUST. Here’s Adrienne’s bio: Adrienne is a freelance writer and designer … Continue reading “This Straightforward Infographic Explains Distracted Driving”

Is Biking And Drinking A Problem?

Bicycle Safety

We’re sitting in the living room on a bright June day, talking about nothing in particular when Megan, a friend I’ve known since high school, starts wincing and hugging her ribs. “Oh, it’s nothing,” she assures me. “I just got doored Saturday.” By “doored,” she means smacked off her bicycle by the door of an adjacent parked car. It’s a … Continue reading “Is Biking And Drinking A Problem?”

A Research Psychologist’s Perspective On Distracted Driving and Teens

Distracted Driving

Few social trends in the United States are as startling as the staggering rates of texting-while-driving (TWD), especially among teens. Car accidents are the number one cause of death for adolescents and 10 percent of these incidents involve distracted driving (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Dr. Despina Stavrinos, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Alabama (UAB), has dedicated her … Continue reading “A Research Psychologist’s Perspective On Distracted Driving and Teens”

Start Bike Commuting With These Simple Guidelines

Bicycle Safety

Note: If you can’t find the answer here, leave your question in the comments section and we’ll do our best to answer it.Now that the ruthless winter is behind us, will you give up your precious parking spot to search for one downtown?Or will you dust off the bicycle?More and more of my friends and acquaintances are choosing the latter.These … Continue reading “Start Bike Commuting With These Simple Guidelines”

Solving Traffic Isn’t Just Good Design, It’s Good [Computer] Science

New Technology

If you’re one of millions of commuters in the United States, this image is too familiar. Luckily, the data we need to solve traffic problems already exists – it’s in the GPS trackers on our phones and cars and the sensors along our highways. Researchers at the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at University of South Florida (USF) are developing … Continue reading “Solving Traffic Isn’t Just Good Design, It’s Good [Computer] Science”

3 Accidents that are Completely Avoidable

Traffic Safety

Of course you could argue every accident is preventable. The driver should have braked sooner. He should have looked before turning left. He should have yielded to the oncoming car. But some causes are so blatant, they defy human error. Take texting-while-driving, for example. That mistake causes over a million accidents every year according to National Highway Safety Association. Prevention … Continue reading “3 Accidents that are Completely Avoidable”

The Polar Vortex Returns. Here’s Tips To Get You Through it.

Traffic Safety

Ready or not, a second bone-chilling gust is blowing in from the north. Temperatures are expected to reach sub zero in some parts and, once again, we can expect several inches to several feet of snow in the Midwest and Northeast. Here’s some tips and reminders to get through this week safely: Think Your Car is Winter-Proof? Here’s What You … Continue reading “The Polar Vortex Returns. Here’s Tips To Get You Through it.”

Don’t Be That Guy: 5 Car Catastrophes to Avoid This Winter

Traffic Safety

Stuck The Story: The Washington Post called it “traffic anarchy.” During an infamous 2011 snowstorm, northbound commuters trapped on the George Washington Parkway without food or water got so desperate some hopped the medium and wove through opposing traffic. Others simply abandoned their vehicles and started walking. The interstate, marred with black ice, fallen trees, and snow-trapped 18-wheelers, held travelers captive … Continue reading “Don’t Be That Guy: 5 Car Catastrophes to Avoid This Winter”