Keep Memorial Day safe and memorable

Published 7:15 pm Friday, May 22, 2015

 

Memorial Day weekend marks the traditional start to summer fun — and also, tragically, to preventable summer injuries and fatalities.

People are driving more and spending more time on the water. Various state and local agencies will be stepping up law enforcement efforts to help keep everyone safe.

Through the Memorial Day weekend, law enforcement officers throughout Texas and the nation will conduct the annual “Click It or Ticket” effort to remind people to buckle their seat belts.

“Buckling up tilts the odds of surviving a serious traffic crash by almost 50 percent,” said Carol Rawson, director of TxDOT Traffic Operations Division.

According to the Texas Transportation Institute, the percentage of Texas citizens using seat belts has gone from 76 percent in 2001 to almost 94 percent today. As a result, experts at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report an estimated 2,843 fewer deaths and 48,000 fewer serious injuries.



Yet about 1 million Texans still don’t buckle up — most claim forgetfulness.

But excuses won’t help in an automobile accident or in trying to get out of a ticket.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is also thinking about your safety. Because of a deadly 2008 boating season, the department expanded its public outreach — and law enforcement.

In 2008, 61 boaters died on Texas waters — the highest number since 2002, when there were more boats on the water. That extra effort resulted in fewer deaths in 2009 (down to 38 deaths) and 2010 (28 deaths). The number has continued to decrease; in 2013, there were 22 deaths.

“The high number of fatalities last year is a stark reminder of how a weekend can take a turn toward tragedy in the blink of an eye,” said Col. Craig Hunter, director of the law enforcement division for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “A day on the water in Texas should be all about the fun and following the basic rules of boating safety can help keep your loved ones from harm.”

Most accidents involved only one boat — meaning the boat capsized, or a boater fell overboard, or collided with something. Safety is simple.

“Many, if not all, of these violations could be avoided if folks would simply obey the law,” Hunter stressed. “Just as you wouldn’t get behind the wheel of a vehicle intoxicated, not having buckled your seat belt and with no driver’s license, don’t make bad decisions when heading out onto the water.”

Increased enforcement of Boating While Intoxicated has resulted in a decline in arrests — from 310 in 2012 to 209 in 2013.

Swimmers also are at risk if they don’t use good judgment, officials added.

Swim in areas clearly marked at lakes and at pools supervised by a lifeguard. Read and obey all rules and posted signs. Children always should be supervised and especially around water.

And watch out for the dangerous “toos” — too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much strenuous activity. They signal it’s time to rest.

Memorial Day shouldn’t be marred by accidents, injuries or even deaths.