PIERRE — As the nice days continue to get nicer, many South Dakotans begin to hear the call of the open road. But the state Department of Public Safety and Highway Patrol remind residents that while enjoying the summer months, safety should remain a top priority.
In May 2006, there were 17 fatal crashes and 22 fatalities on state roadways, making it the third-most deadly month for motorists and their passengers, according to the 2006 South Dakota Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Summary. It followed August, with 26 fatalities, and July, with 24 fatalities.
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This May, four South Dakotans have lost their lives in traffic crashes. Thursday morning a Sturgis woman was killed in a construction zone crash one mile east of Sturgis when her Honda Civic was rear-ended by another car and pushed into an oncoming bus. Earlier in the month a 31-year-old Bristol man died when his vehicle left Day County Road 33. The vehicle rolled and he was ejected. A 20-year-old Groton man died when his car left U.S. Highway 12 and struck a culvert. And a 42-year-old Martin woman was killed when she lost control of her vehicle on slush-coated U.S. Highway 18 and crashed into a semi.
The increased number of fatal accidents during the warmer months might be contributed to the increased number of vehicles on the roads and time spent driving, said Maj. J.C. Carpenter, director of the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety. College students, families with children on summer vacations and tourists from South Dakota and other states are taking more trips and driving longer distances, he said.
With higher density traffic comes increased driving dangers, but travel safety remains the job of the driver.
One of the most important things to remember for safe driving year-round is paying attention, Carpenter explained.
“They need to give their full and complete attention to the task of driving,” he said. “Drivers need to be responsible (and) pay attention to speed limits.”
Motorists shouldn’t let themselves be distracted by cell phone calls, text messages or their passengers, he said.
To avoid distractions while driving, motorists should have pre-sets for their radios to prevent distraction while searching for a station, according to AAA. Drivers should also not eat, put on makeup or brush their hair while behind the wheel.
The association also advised teaching children good behavior in the car so they don’t distract the driver.
To avoid fumbling and reading maps while driving, drivers should designate a front-seat passenger as map reader or “co-pilot.” Motorists traveling solo should map out their trip in advance.
In addition to planning ahead for trips, drivers should also be prepared to react to other drivers while on the road, Carpenter said.
The most common violation or mistake drivers make while traveling during the summer is speeding, Carpenter said.
“We get a lot of people that, because of the wide open spaces, take advantage and think that there’s no consequence here,” Carpenter said. “Speed limit is put there as not a recommendation but as guidance to follow.”
The curves in roads and even drivers’ vehicles are designed for specific speed limits, Carpenter said. Traveling at a higher speed can make it harder to negotiate curves or react to other vehicles.
But sometimes driving at even the posted speed limit can be dangerous.
“If the road is wet, if it’s raining out, if its foggy, you don’t have to go 75 mph,” Carpenter explained. “Drive what you’re comfortable with, at or below the speed limit.”
Another important part of driving is wearing a seat belt, Carpenter said.
From May 12 to June 1, law enforcement agencies throughout the state are working to remind South Dakotans of the importance of buckling up in time for summer travel season. In the past seven years the number of seat belt wearers in the state has increased by nearly 20 percent, according to the Department of Public Safety.
It’s an important step forward, the department states, considering 68 percent of people killed in car crashes in South Dakota were not wearing their seat belts and 49 percent of people killed in car crashes were ejected from their vehicles.
“More than 70 percent of South Dakotans buckle up. If you’re in the minority, now is the time to start wearing your seat belt,” Carpenter said in a release. “If people choose not to wear their seat belts, they put themselves at risk. The more people we can convince to take personal responsibility, the more lives we can save. It’s as simple as that.”
South Dakota law requires all passengers under the age of 18 and all front-seat passengers to wear their seat belts at all times while in a vehicle. Children younger five years of age and weighing less than 40 pounds are required to be in an approved child-safety seat while in a vehicle. But motorists aren’t the only ones who face dangerous conditions during the summer driving season. Law enforcement and construction workers routinely work on or along roadways throughout the state. To help keep them safe, Carpenter said motorists should pay attention to posted speed limits, obey the “Move Over” law and be prepared to stop.
“Be on your toes, be absolutely alert to anything that’s going on in a construction zone,” Carpenter said, noting that fines can double in roadwork areas.
When approaching an emergency, construction or tow vehicle, motorists are required to slow down and move over, if they’re able, according to a joint release from South Dakota’s Highway Patrol and Iowa and Nebraska’s state patrols.
If a law enforcement, emergency response, tow-truck or construction is pulled over to the side and its yellow lights are flashing, motorists on two-lane roads must slow down to 20 mph less than the posted speed limit, Carpenter said. If the vehicle is pulled over on a four-lane road and its yellow lights are flashing, motorists must move to the other lane. If a vehicle’s red emergency lights are flashing, motorists must stop — no matter if they are traveling on a two-lane or four-lane roadway — unless they are otherwise directed.
In the past six months, two state troopers’ patrol vehicles were totaled when gawking motorists slammed into them during traffic stops. Both troopers suffered minor injuries, according to Department of Public Safety public information officer Brooke Bohnenkamp.
Another important safety step to remember is to never drive drunk, Carpenter said.
“Summertime is full of lots of celebrations,” Carpenter said. “But planning and responsibility need to prevail here as well.”
If a celebration includes alcohol, people should make sure to have a designated driver, taxi or plans to spend the night, Carpenter said.
The Department of Public Safety has scheduled sobriety checkpoints for May in Hughes and several other counties throughout the state. Troopers throughout Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota will also be patrolling “trouble spots” in the tri-state area for speeding, seat belt violations, aggressive driving and violations of the Move Over law this summer.
Officials urge caution on roads this summer
By Rebecca Bentz
Capital Journal Staff
Published/Last Modified on Friday, May 16, 2008 - 09:34:32 am CDT
Copyright © 2010 Capital Journal
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