Don't Gamble With Safety This Weekend
24 May 1999
Don't Gamble With Safety This Weekend
LOS ANGELES--May 24, 1999--Las Vegas, But Traffic Congestion Increases Odds of
Vacation Tragedy, Says Auto Club
Las Vegas will be the top destination for air and road travelers this Memorial Day weekend, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.
A national survey also shows that higher gas prices aren't causing a decrease in out-of-town getaways compared with 1998. About 6.5 million travelers in the Western United States will take trips of at least 100 miles this weekend -- a 5 percent increase over the previous Memorial Day holiday.
"More Californians will travel long distances this weekend despite the fact that the average price for a gallon of gas is 31 cents higher than last year," said Jeffrey Spring, Auto Club spokesman. "Because increased traffic also increases the possibility of collisions, we're reminding motorists and their passengers to make safety their first priority when traveling."
An Auto Club member survey shows the following most popular destinations for the holiday weekend:
By Auto: 1. Las Vegas By Air: 1. Las Vegas
2. Grand Canyon 2. New York
3. Santa Barbara 3. Seattle
4. Palm Springs 4. Phoenix
5. San Diego 5. San Francisco
Southern Californians can lose more on a single poker hand than they will spend in increased gasoline costs if they drive to Las Vegas. California's average price of $1.58 per gallon this month compares with $1.27 per gallon in May 1998. That amounts to a $6 increase in gas costs to and from Las Vegas, based on a 546-mile round trip from Los Angeles in a vehicle getting the national average fuel economy of 27.5 miles per gallon.
This holiday weekend also coincides with "Buckle Up America!" week, a campaign to increase safety belt use among motorists and passengers. The Auto Club is reminding Memorial Day weekend vacationers that wearing their safety belts is the single most important technique to prevent injury in a collision.
"A serious traffic crash can happen to even the most skillful driver," said Arline Dillman, Ph.D., the Auto Club's traffic safety manager. "The likelihood of being seriously injured in a traffic crash increases dramatically if drivers and passengers aren't wearing safety belts."
A review of California crash statistics shows the danger of not buckling up. In 1997, 2,444 people were killed in traffic crashes; 1,273 were not wearing safety belts. While nearly 90 percent of California drivers and passengers were wearing safety belts, those who weren't buckled up accounted for 52 percent of the fatalities.
"That's about four to five times the number of deaths we would expect," explained Dillman. "The real tragedy is that about half those people killed would be alive today if they had just taken a few seconds to fasten their belts."
According to the Auto Club and NHTSA, failure to buckle up contributes to more fatalities than any other single traffic safety-related behavior. Despite terrible traffic problems such as aggressive driving, increasing safety belt use is still the single most effective thing people can do to save lives and reduce injuries.
All drivers and passengers should keep these tips in mind:
-- Always buckle up -- every time, every trip.
-- The lap belt should fit snugly across the hips and the shoulder
portion should cross over the collarbone.
-- Keep 10 inches between the center of the air bag cover and
breastbone.
-- Never put a rear-facing child seat in front of a passenger air
bag.
-- Children aged 4 and older who weigh at least 40 pounds must use
safety belts or appropriately sized safety or booster seats.
-- Children under 4 years or under 40 pounds must ride in a child
restraint.
-- The back seat is the safest place for children of all ages.
The Automobile Club of Southern California, the largest affiliate of the AAA, has been serving members since 1900. Today, the Auto Club's members benefit by the organization's emergency road service, insurance products and services, travel agency, financial products, automotive pricing, buying and financing programs, automotive testing and analysis, trip planning services, highway and transportation safety programs and legislative advocacy.
Information about these products and services is available on the Auto Club's Web site at www.aaa-calif.com.
