LAPS Courtesy Photo
LAPS NEWS RELEASE
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), “traveling by car during the holidays has the highest fatality rate of any major form of transportation based on fatalities per passenger mile.” Many of these deaths are preventable by following important safety tips.
The NSC offers these safety tips and more on their website:
- Prepare your car for winter and keep an emergency kit with you
- Get a good night’s sleep before departing and avoid drowsy driving
- Leave early, planning ahead for heavy traffic
- Make sure every person in the vehicle is properly buckled up no matter how long or short the distance traveled
- Put that cell phone away; many distractions occur while driving, but cell phones are the main culprit
- Practice defensive driving
- Designate a sober driver to ensure guests make it home safely after a holiday party; alcohol or over-the-counter, prescription and illegal drugs can cause impairment. More strategies for avoiding impaired driving and talking with young people can be found in SAMHSA’s The Gift of Sober Driving article.
The Los Alamos Public Schools district coordinates a spectrum of prevention activities that are provided by school staff and community partners with funding support from Los Alamos County. LAPS Prevention Support Specialist Kristine Coblentz explains that the aim of the program is to build protective factors, life skills, and resilience and reduce risk behaviors and harm to children and youth.
For more information or to offer suggestions to the LAPS Prevention Program, Coblentz can be reached at k.coblentz@laschools.net or 505-663-2575.