PATROL MATTERSState Farm Safety Patrol Newsletter
Heard on tHe Street | LiaiSon of Comfort, KnowLedge & aSSuranCe | touring tHe turnpiKe | wHen BumperS meet antLerS | winter driving Safety tipS
Issue No. 9
WHAT’S INSIDE
Responding to Roadway incidents
In November, the Emergency Responder Safety Institute (http://
www.respondersafety.com) hosted a webinar entitled “The First 15 Minutes: Decision Making at Roadway Incidents.” Jack Sullivan, Director of Training for the Emergency Responder Safety Institute, spoke to attending first responders about the importance of safety when responding to incidents.
The webinar highlighted training and communication as two necessities for safety. While official trainings should be attended annually, Sullivan’s first suggestion for first responders was to plan before being dispatched - reflect on areas that are frequently the scenes of incidents and then draw out a map of those areas and consider how traffic will be handled, where the first responder vehicles should be positioned and what safety equipment will be used. Sullivan then suggested repeating the pre-planning for the same location under variable conditions, such as changes in weather and different times of day.
The Emergency Responder Safety Institute suggests first responders pre-plan in collaboration with other first responders who may respond to the same incident. So, when incidences occur Sullivan highly recommended that all responding agencies be on the same communication systems and on
the same radio frequencies to facilitate a coordinated approach.
Once a call for assistance comes in to dispatch, first responders should consider the type of incident; the type of units responding; the road, weather, traffic and lighting conditions; the location of the incident; the number of vehicles involved; and any immediate hazards at the incident scene. From there responders can determine the positioning of the first-in units, initial assignments, the need for safety apparatus placement and, most importantly, the best way to ensure safety of all parties.
Sullivan, also, reminds responders to be aware of their surroundings. Motorists are unpredictable as are their actions and reactions, but proper safety precautions can help save responding units and victims from being injured. Blocking of the scene with safety apparatus, advance warning signs, traffic cones, flags and flashlight wands are among some of the tools responders can use to ensure safety.
Webinars, like this one, have been made available to further the National Unified Goal of responder safety; safe, quick clearance; and prompt, reliable, interoperable communications. For more on the National Unified Goal, please visit http://timcoalition.org and to view “The First 15 Minutes: Decision
Making at Roadway Incidents” webinar, please visit:http://www.firehouse.com/webcasts.
While state lawmakers consider legislation on the use of
handheld devices while driving, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission took the initiative to declare their roadways “Text-Free” in conjunction with the Turnpike’s 70th birthday on October 1, 2010. The motorist-education campaign designed to raise awareness about the dangers of texting behind the wheel will have messages displayed on tollbooths, on Variable Message Signs, window stickers and lawn signs at Turnpike rest stops and online at www.paturnpike.com.
Distracted driving, an issue recognized nationwide and seen daily by Safety Service Patrols, led to more than 120 Pennsylvania Turnpike accidents in 2009. “Without doubt, drivers today have far too many diversions taking our attention away from what we should be doing behind the wheel,” Turnpike CEO Joe Brimmeier said when announcing the new campaign. “An unfortunate consequence of these technological advances is an increase in accidents involving multitasking motorists.” The State Farm Safety Patrol drivers patrolling the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be keeping their eyes open for motorists driving carelessly in order to report it to the State Police and do their part in keeping the Pennsylvania Turnpike a text-free zone.
TEXT-FREE TURNPIKE
Keep your thumbs on the wheel.
PATROL MATTERS
State Farm Safety Patrol driver Linda Lynch joined the fleet in December
of 1989, making this her 21st year! In over two decades, she has “seen it all, and enjoys the opportunity to help people every day.”
Previous experience working as an EMT prepared Linda for responding to incident scenes and helping others during an emergency on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Both positions emphasize safety first, but one revolves around medical care, while the other focuses on traffic and roadway safety. “As an EMT, our primary job was to administer First Aid and medical care to our accident victims. Now as a State Farm Safety Patrol driver, our number one job is safety and alerting oncoming traffic about an incident ahead.”
Linda currently works as both a patrol driver and an office clerk at the Burnt Cabins Maintenance shed. “In addition to patrolling, I do the payroll, paperwork, sign out the supplies, and answer the phones. My title is actually Clerk/MUW [Maintenance Utility Worker].”
“Burnt Cabins is a very small town, never much traffic, but the turnpike is always busy with people traveling through the area to get to the larger cities.” Having grown up in Neadmore, another small town, Linda feels comfortable in the area and on the roads encompassing and surrounding Burnt Cabins. She currently lives with her husband and fifteen year old daughter in McConnellsburg, about
twenty minutes outside of Burnt Cabins.
The ratio of male to female patrol drivers for the Burnt Cabins shed is 3:2, but there are no divides between the sexes. Linda describes the atmosphere among her fleet as that of a “team and family.” She referred to an incident that took place in early October of this year that led to
the injury of a fellow patrol driver, “When one of your co-workers gets hurt, it’s really like a family member being injured. There were constant phone calls and visits to him in the hospital and they continued even when he returned home.” In general when one team member is injured, “everyone really helps each other, and at a time like that we truly rely on each other. Even other maintenance sheds will call to check how the team and the injured worker is doing. It’s really nice.”
Linda speaks very highly of the benefits of her job, including her fleet family. She especially appreciates the health benefits offered to State Farm Safety Service Patrol drivers. “This was the best job in the area. I used to be in the medical field before I came out here. I’m an asthmatic, and this job actually has better benefits than my former position at the hospital.”
Linda works the day shift, seven to three, Monday through Friday and appreciates that this position allows her to have a fixed work schedule. “I worked the weekend and evening shifts for a long time, and that was hard to do with a family.”
Thanks to her day schedule, Linda can spend more free time with her daughter. As her daughter nears sixteen, talks of
getting a drivers license have begun. Linda is prepared to teach her daughter the importance of safety while on the road. “I teach her what the right things are: seat belts, speed limits and road signs. This is all from my experience while on the road. You never know who is traveling out
there, so you have to make sure that you are always alert.”
These basic tips are helpful to motorists across the board, but especially important for teens to understand. “A lot of accidents happen because people aren’t paying attention. If people were more cautious of what was ahead, then they would be much safer,” Linda says, speaking as someone who sees the effects of distracted driving on a daily basis. “Technology, although helpful, also hinders a motorist from concentrating completely on the road. “
Working with the public and understanding their tendencies on the road is one of the most important parts of being a State Farm Safety Service Patrol driver. “Our job is to provide assistance to customers. Most drivers aren’t familiar with the area, and many are unaware of what resources are available. We serve as a liaison for them, providing comfort, knowledge, and assurance.”
The State Farm sponsorship helps Linda and her colleagues deliver their services and keep the Pennsylvania Turnpike safe. In particular Linda likes the “Good Neigh-bears” that she gives to children who are upset or scared on the road.
Linda and her fellow patrol drivers also enjoy reading the feedback from the comment cards, and are appreciative for the poster they receive each month. “I highlight the cards from our area. It’s rewarding when you read people’s stories and are reminded of how much you helped them.”
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Liaison of comfoRt, KnowLedge & assuRance
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“I highlight the cards from our area.
It’s rewarding when you read people’s
stories and are reminded of how much
you helped them.”
“Technology, although helpful, also
hinders a motorist from concentrating
completely on the road.”
Issue No. 9
On August 28th Turnpike customer John Cernus set out in his prototype
corvette for the Carlisle Car Show in Pennsylvania, but had to pull over before he reached the show. “I had a heating problem and happened to pull over right where there was a call box. The callbox was malfunctioning, so I called the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission directly and within a minute or so a State Farm Safety Patrol Vehicle pulled up behind me.”
Mr. Cernus, who referred to the patrol vehicle as his “rescue truck”, told us his experience with the State Farm Safety Patrol service was top-notch. “The Safety Patrol driver parked his car about 20 yards behind me. He had part of his truck in the oncoming lane, which made him quite noticeable for traffic coming forward. He waited there with me until I was okay to continue traveling. He even went as far as escorting me for about three miles so that I could pick up speed and get back into traffic safely. “
Mr. Cernus who is a State Farm policy holder, had noticed the trucks on the highway, but did not know of the service. “I actually saw one of the patrol vehicles heading west when I was heading east.”
Mr. Cernus added, “I cannot say enough about my State Farm Safety Patrol driver. He had a very nice personality and did his job exceptionally well.”
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HeaRd on tHe stReet
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wHen BumpeRs meet antLeRs
When people get ready to walk across a public road, they usually
look both ways first to see if any motor vehicles are coming. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case with animals, including certain large ones.
Too often, the result is a motorist’s nightmare: a collision with a deer, moose or elk. The animal usually comes out second-best in this type of close encounter, but the toll on vehicles and their occupants can also be substantial. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, more than 150 people die in animal-vehicle collisions each year. The Insurance Information Institute estimates some 1.5 million such collisions cause about over $1 billion in damage annually.
While animal-vehicle collisions can happen any time of year, fall is the peak season for deer-car crashes. That’s mainly because autumn is both mating season and hunting season, so deer are more active and more likely to roam beyond their normal territory. No foolproof way has been found to keep deer, moose and
elk off highways and away from vehicles. Deer whistles have their advocates, but the Insurance Information Institute for Highway Safety says there’s no scientific evidence to support claims they work as
intended. Some studies suggest roadside reflectors – designed to reflect light from vehicle headlamps and cause deer to “freeze” rather than cross the road – reduce crash frequency to some extent.
There are ways you can lessen an unplanned meeting with a deer, moose or elk. Here’s how:
• Be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to “deer crossing” signs. Look well down the road and far off to each side. At night, use your high
beams if possible to illuminate the road’s edges. Be especially watchful in areas near woods and water. If you see one deer, there may be several others nearby.
• Be particularly alert at dusk or dawn, when these animals venture out to feed.
• If you see a deer, moose or elk on or near the roadway and think you have time to avoid hitting it, reduce your speed, tap your breaks to warn other drivers and sound your horn. Deer tend to fixate on headlights, so flashing them may cause the animal to move. If there’s no vehicle close behind you, brake hard.
• If a collision seems inevitable, don’t swerve to avoid the animal; your risk of injury may be greater if you do. Hit it, but control the vehicle. Report the crash to police.
• Always obey the speed limit and wear safety belts.
Being alert at all times while driving is your best defense against this type of accident.
PATROL MATTERS
Linda Lynch, the State Farm Safety Patrol driver profiled in this issue,
may have said it best, “Our job is to provide assistance to customers. Most drivers aren’t familiar with the area, and many are unaware of what resources are available. We serve as a liaison for them, providing comfort, knowledge and assurance.” It’s true, motorists often look to you for knowledge of not only the road and the area, but of available resources and of vehicles. This need for advice and assistance is
often heightened when driving in severe weather conditions. With winter steadily approaching, Patrol Matters would like to highlight some of the most common vehicle problems that drivers may experience this season to help State Farm Safety Patrol drivers provide the best in comfort, knowledge and assurance to assisted motorists:
Filling Up on Fluids
Drivers could find themselves on the side of the road due to vehicle stalls and breakdowns caused by lack of vital fluids. If patrol drivers recognize this to be the cause of a motorist’s distress, they can encourage drivers to routinely check their motor oil, transmission fluid and anti freeze levels throughout the year, and especially during the winter months. Further, drivers may not realize that during the winter their vehicle should use the lightest grade of oil that their manufacturer recommends. This could often mean using an even lighter grade than usual.
The Machine’s Main Muscle
According to the American Automobile Association, a battery can lose 35% of its power at 32° F and 60% of its power at 0° F. Many motorists don’t realize the importance of testing their car battery prior to the arrival of cold temperatures, so State Farm Safety Patrol drivers can anticipate an increase in broken down vehicles due to dead batteries. One
helpful tip that State Farm Safety Patrol drivers can share with motorists whom they are assisting is to start vehicles with the heater, lights and window defroster in the off position: this will minimize strain on the battery.
Riding Sturdy
Drivers who have good tires on their car have a significantly better chance at staying safe on the road during poor weather conditions. Although more expensive, winter tires can help drivers start and even stop their vehicles with ease. Patrol operators can remind drivers of the importance of checking and filling their tires to their vehicle’s recommended cold levels throughout the winter.
Seeing is Believing
State Farm Safety Patrol drivers rely on good visibility to spot drivers in need of assistance on highways and roads. But good visibility is a must for all motorists on the road during winter weather and premium, heavy duty, snow and ice wipers are a motorist’s best investment toward ensuring high visibility throughout the season. Another friendly tip patrol drivers can pass on to drivers is to keep an extra jug of windshield wiping fluid in a compartment of their vehicle.
The Tank is Half Full
State Farm Safety Patrol drivers and motorists alike are actually better off keeping their gas tank at least half full at all times for safety. More gas in their car
translates to more weight in their car, and that could lead to better traction on the road. In addition, tanks that are low are more susceptible to condensation, which can eventually cause the pipes in a car to freeze.
Safety First
The help and knowledge of State Farm Safety Patrol drivers allows motorists traveling the Pennsylvania Turnpike to be better prepared for safe traveling this winter. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to highway safety.
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winteR dRiving safety tips
This winter:
Mid-November - March 2010
From north to south and east to
west, as the snow starts to fall
skiing resorts across Pennsylvania
are sure to start attracting visitors.
Many ski resorts will start to make
snow in mid-November with
or without nature’s assistance.
Be sure to look out for tourists
visiting the great slopes offered
by Pennsylvania’s resorts, but are
unfamiliar with the area and the
dangers of driving under wintery
conditions. Higher traffic volumes
can be expected along the northern
extension leading into the Poconos
Mountains Region.
touRing tHe tuRnpiKe
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