Buckle up the toddler or the gas can?

A Colorado woman was cited for a seatbelt violation when she decided to strap up her gas can instead of her toddler. Poor kid.

The controversial photo above was posted on the Colorado Department of Transportation's Facebook page. According to denverpost.com, the photo sparked hundreds of comments and more than 1,000 shares on Facebook, and was taken down.

The CDOT stated the following on their Facebook page after taking the photo down:

"Dear Facebook Friends and Others- We have decided to take down the post of the child sitting next to the gas can buckled in the child safety seat. Please know that we very much believe the photo served as an educational opportunity for child passenger safety and we hope that parents will utilize the information sources available to understand the laws and requirements to protect their children while in vehicles. However, our resources are limited and we can't continue to monitor comments at the level necessary to ensure that any harassing or profane posts are removed promptly. We're trying hard to provide resources for you regarding traffic safety and transportation in Colorado, and want you to feel safe and comfortable posting or asking questions. Thank you for understanding!"



Wired's Feedback Loop

Wired Magazine captivates me every month with some of the most random articles about various technologies that I never knew I was so interested in. As I was reading the July 2011 issue, I found myself fascinated with an article about feedback loops and how our brains work (by Thomas Goetz) . . . and the coolest part was that it linked itself to drivers and Your Speed signs.

In the portion about drivers, the basic premise is that drivers slow down an average of 10% when they compare their speed to the speed limit. Ten percent may not seem like a lot but in some problem areas that makes the difference between a crash being injury-only or having fatalities. 

The following diagram was presented in the article (which I highly recommend that you read) as a way of positive reinforcement for driving the speed limit. 

1 EvidenceThe radar-equipped sign flashes a car’s current speed.First comes the data—quantifying a behavior and presenting that data back to the individual so they know where they stand. After all, you can’t change what you don’t measure.

2 RelevanceThe sign also displays the legal speed limit—most people don’t want to be seen as bad drivers.Data is just digits unless it hits home. Through information design, social context, or some other proxy for meaning, the right incentive will transform rational information into an emotional imperative.

3 ConsequencesPeople are reminded of the downside of speeding, including traffic tickets and the risk of accidents.Even compelling information is useless unless it ties into some larger goal or purpose. People must have a sense of what to do with the information and any opportunities they will have to act on it.

4 ActionDrivers slow an average of 10 percent—usually for several miles.The individual has to engage with all of the above and act—thus closing the loop and allowing that new action to be measured.

It got me thinking about the Your Speed signs in my area and how pure my motivation for seeing my speed match the sign really is. I'm always relieved when I'm out of the radar's view. I don't feel watched and analyzed anymore. And when I see that the the car behind me is going faster than me, a smile forms on my face. I'm safe. If a police officer were around then he'd pull over the other guy. I'm not sure that's exactly the point Mr. Goetz was trying to make, but I think that's my motivation for compliance.

I drive at speeds that are safe and reasonable. Most of the time, I agree with the speed limits that have been set. That said, sometimes I disagree. And what I consider safe is not always what the speed limit setter thinks is safe. 

For example, there is a stretch of county road near my house that I drive almost every day with the posted limit as 25 miles per hour. There are only a handful of homes on it and a few businesses, which are all set back at 50+ feet from the road and there are no sidewalks. Visibility is high and very open. As such, I believe the speed limit should be set at 35 mph. Because of a strong inclination to go faster, it takes major concentration on my part to cap my speed at 25 mph. My discomfort increases as tailgaters (everyone in back of me) pile up. And the pressure gets more intense to increase speed. I don't want to be that driver who holds everyone up. 

So, now I'm wondering, just like Your Speed signs help slow down drivers, would they also have the ability to help me feel justified for obeying the limit when seemingly no one else is?

"Concerned Motorist"

Dear Concerned Motorist,

Thank you for notifying the authorities about my alleged HOV infraction. They mailed me a pamphlet on how to use the carpool lane. I've always wondered what happens when someone calls the 1-800-HERO line. Now I know.

You must have been the lonely driver next to me...resenting the fact that I was passing you. Maybe you thought I was the type of person who throws caution to the wind and drives on the wild side. It's nice to be thought of that way, even if misguided. Ahhh, to be so young again! 

http://www.wsp.wa.gov/

I do have a question though, how did you miss my four children in the back?  Or did you think that they were part of my cover? It would have been a good idea, really. I should invest in blow up dolls to sit in my kids' car seats. I'd even turn on the rear entertainment system to complete the effect. Then I'd get all the benefits of the carpool lane without any of the back seat bickering that usually accompanies it. 

WSP HOV Infraction Notice

I wonder if the Washington State Patrol would facilitate mailing you a "not a ticket" infraction notice to get you to go to the optometrist? Like you, I am a concerned motorist. The WSP probably also has a brochure they could send you about the 20/40 vision requirement to drive legally...and perhaps they also have a brochure on tattling that they could throw in.

Maybe I'm being judgmental. I'm sure you thought you were doing the right thing.

Sincerely,
Bridget
(The lady with lots of kids and tinted windows.)

Traffic Court 101: Options If You Get A Ticket

Do you remember that post not too long ago that spoke about a little problem I have? I like to think of me picking up speed as I drive down a hill near my home as saving my brakes. Because really, who wants to replace brakes all the time? And in order for me to stay within the speed limit, my brakes need to be engaged for about .75 miles. And that's a lot.

Well, that's not what the officer who pulled me over said. And I was upset. Disappointed with myself, I know better. Upset at the officer who

I Admit It

I admit it. We're not perfect. And by we, I mean me. And our company. And our employees and (gasp) even our customers. And for the most part it doesn't matter. We do NON-threatening illegal activities every day. And by illegal, I mean breaking traffic laws. Laws like making complete stops and using hands-free cell phones or staying within the speed limit even if I'm driving down the steepest hill in the vicinity.