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STATEWIDE NEWS RELEASE
December 20, 2019

By understanding the following safety guidelines below, motorists can greatly reduce their chances of being involved in a serious injury or fatality crash.

Designate a sober driver

· Thousands of people are seriously injured or killed due to impaired driving each year. Never get behind the wheel impaired or get in a vehicle with a driver who is impaired.
· Alcohol, prescription drugs, and other drugs have many effects on the body. They can impair visual ability, alter sense of time and space, impair fine motor skills needed to operate a motor vehicle, and decrease reaction times.
· Designate a sober driver before traveling to any place. A designated driver is one who has had nothing alcoholic to drink and is also not under the influence of legal or illegal drugs.
· Plan ahead. Call a taxi, ride-sharing service, or a trusted person for a ride or just stay at your location.

· Louisiana law requires every person in a vehicle, regardless of seating position, to be properly restrained, day or night.
· Troopers urge all drivers and passengers in motor vehicles to understand that failure to buckle up can quickly become a tragic and fatal decision.
· Statistics show that the chances of surviving a violent crash rise significantly when properly restrained.

· Louisiana law requires all children to be properly restrained.
o To review the current law, in both English and Spanish, please visit: http://www.lahighwaysafety.org/Documents/CHILDPASSEnger/CPS%20Laws%20Eng%20Span.pdf.
· If your travel plans take you out of our state, please visit www.saferide4kids.com for a list of current child passenger restraint laws by state. Every Louisiana State Police Troop is recognized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as a child safety seat “Inspection Station”. Please take advantage of these free services to ensure the safety of your child.

· Inattentive and distracted drivers account for a large number of serious crashes across the state every year. You can effectively reduce the chances of being involved in a crash by remaining focused on the task of driving while behind the wheel of a vehicle.
· There are three primary types of distractions: visual, manual, and cognitive.
o Visual distractions are those that take your eyes off the road, such as checking your GPS or navigation system or searching for lost items on the floor of the vehicle.
o Manual distractions are those that take your hands off the wheel, such as texting, eating, drinking, or locating items in a purse.
o Cognitive distractions are those that take the driver’s focus away from driving, such as talking with passengers, singing songs, listening to podcasts, or dealing with emotional or work stress.

· If you travel on foot or bicycle, wear bright clothing and remain aware of traffic on the roadway. Use proper lighting at night.

· Motorcyclists must wear a proper D.O.T. approved helmet when operating a motorcycle on Louisiana roadways. Although not all crashes are survivable, properly utilizing safety equipment, like approved motorcycle helmets and proper clothing, greatly decrease your risk of serious injury or death.