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POLICE URGE CAUTION OVER HOLIDAY WEEKEND

By Ray King/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Friday, September 4, 2009 10:17 PM CDT

As Pine Bluff and Jefferson County residents head into the last holiday weekend of the summer, Pine Bluff police are urging them to use caution and enjoy the holiday.

With a number of families traveling, Lt. Bob Rawlinson reminded motorists to “buckle up, slow down, and obey posted speed limits.

“The higher the speed of the vehicle, the less time the driver has to stop and avoid a crash,” he said. “Excessive speed also contributes to the severity of impact when a collision does occur.”

As far as seat belts are concerned, Arkansas law requires that they be used by all occupants of a vehicle, and officers can now stop and issue citations solely for not wearing a seat belt.

Rawlinson said drinking and driving don’t mix, and the department has a zero tolerance policy regarding driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs. Also, the National Safety Council reports that a fatal accident that results from the use of alcohol or drugs occurs every 30 minutes.

“Operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol level of .08 will result in an immediate arrest, even for first time offenders,” he said. “There are no warnings.”

Other driving safety tips include not following too close, take another look before pulling away from a light when it turns green, and take extra care when driving at night because traffic deaths are three times more likely to occur at night than in the day time.

“Use good judgment,” Rawlinson said. “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Every day, thousands of drivers do things on the road simply because they can, even though they shouldn’t.

“More than 90 percent of crashes are caused by driver error,” he said. “The most common traffic violations include exceeding the speed limit, rolling through stop signs, failing to use turn signals, running red lights, making illegal U-turns, passing on the right, failing to yield to pedestrians, and driving while impaired by alcohol.”

Rawlinson said that even good drivers can be involved in accidents, often when they least expect them.

“Crashes are life-changing events that often have long-term or permanent consequences, and they don’t always happen to the other guy,” he said.

“Chief John Howell does not wish the holiday to be ruined by a fatality, a vehicle crash, or an impaired driving arrest,” Rawlinson said. “Give a gift of life to yourself, your family and others during this holiday weekend, and everyday.”

While traffic on the state’s highways is expected to be busy this weekend, the Army Corps of Engineers is expecting big crowds on the state’s lakes and rivers, and are also encouraging people to practice safety.

Spokesman P.J. Spaul said corps park rangers expect everyone to obey boating laws and to wear life jackets, even though the law does not require adults to do so.

“Park rangers say this is the single most important step boaters can take to protect themselves,” Spaul said.

In addition, Spaul said swimmers and boaters should avoid using alcohol, because more than half of the people who drown each year have used alcohol prior to the accident.

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