Seasonal Safety Advisory

1. Seasonal Safety Advisory Glare Blindness Driving Hazard Deer Collision Avoidance Proper Hydration Department of Risk Management http://www.jmu.edu/riskmgmt/ James Madison University - Risk Management

2. Use visors to block sun as much as possible • Keep windshield and mirrors clean • Keep polarized sunglasses handy – they can help a lot • Intersections – other drivers may not see YOU! • Extreme caution in School Zones – kids are likely to step off a curb and walk across your lane at any time- because they think YOU CAN SEE THEM… • A light color dashboard will reflect onto windshield – use dark covering to reduce reflection • Use Daytime Running Lights ! Real problem: Early morning and late afternoon- glare blindness

3. Shenandoah Valley– huge deer population. • Be alert - early AM and late afternoon into evening when deer are most active. • Extreme caution on rural 2 lane undivided roads. • If you see ONE deer, slow down immediately. They often travel in packs – others are nearby. • Deer are highly unpredictable and will run out into your lane without warning • Use deer whistles – the science is inconclusive, but in the off-chance they work, it’s a cheap insurance policy DEER Collision – Serious Hazard

4. The statistics for deer collision avoidance confirms some important lessons. If only that we heed these lessons. • Many deer collisions are- or could be – minor in severity. But they are often magnified into serious and frequently fatal crashes when drivers make the wrong decision in the very compressed time frame of a deer encounter situation. • Rule Number One has been well established: NEVER SWERVE. While this sounds logical, in practice it is actually difficult to do, for a variety of reasons. And in the safety business, we “Never say ‘Never’ ”. • Rule Number Two is a direct correlation: HARD BRAKE as soon as you see the deer. This will heavily reduce the crash physics in the event of a hit. • At interstate highway speed, the consequence of making a sudden swerve can be horrific. Loss of vehicle control will usually result in a much worse case than if you took the hit in the first place. • On a 2 lane road, a sudden swerve can put you into the oncoming lane or off into the trees. Either way, bad ending. • The moral of the story is: 1) Hard brake to decrease the physics; 2) Stay straight (unless you are REALLY confident); 3) If you must take the hit: You TAKE THE HIT. • Windshields are triple laminate elasticized safety glass – they can absorb an enormous amount of trauma while protecting you. Body shops and insurance are your back ups. Your busted car, inconvenience and delay to your journey are nuisance issues compared with emergency rooms or coroners. • This discussion has many iterations but you are free to run your own physics equations. We think this is the best advice based on the statistics. Discussion on Deer Collision Avoidance

5. The body will undergo some fine tuning adjustments when temperatures begin to cool off in the fall. These are normal physiological changes and we can help the adjustment process by staying properly hydrated. • Water, lemonade, fruit or veggie juices, tea and electrolytic drinks are recommended. • Coffee, colas, energy boosters, smoothies, etc. are not considered particularly hydrating. • A tip regarding smoking: nicotine is a vaso-dilator. It constricts your arteries. Which is why you will often shiver when smoking in the cold. Try cutting back or quitting. The benefits far outweigh the transient withdrawal symptoms. Proper Hydration – Year ‘Round!