Clark, Perdue, Arnold & Scott's Blog

The growing number of reports of traffic fatalities caused by drivers who were text messaging while at the wheel has led several cities and states to consider or pass laws prohibiting such activity. Governor Arnold Schwarzeneger recently banned drivers younger than 18 years of age from using mobile devices. In Phoenix, the city council just proposed legislation outlawing text messaging while driving. Here in Ohio, Cleveland democratic Rep. Michael DeBose has gone on the record to state that "No right-thinking person . . . should be opposed to limiting the texting ability of teenagers while driving."

Although no state currently forbids all cell phone usage while driving, several have passed laws drastically limiting it. According to the American Automobile Association, it is now illegal to use hand-held phones when driving in five states and the District of Columbia. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that as many as 20 states are considering legislation that would toughen cell phone driving restrictions. Not surprisingly, the laws of eight of those states are directed at teen drivers. The Institute expects that number to grow, as studies confirm that enforcing traffic safety laws does have an effect on driver behavior.

While the Ohio State Highway Patrol has said that it cannot quantify just how many accidents are caused by the use of cell phones, studies show that they undoubtedly distract drivers. One study published in the British Medical Journal concluded that crashes causing injury are four times more likely to occur to drivers who use cell phones. According to that same study, hands-free devices do not act to reduce that number.

In another study conducted by AAA and Seventeen Magazine, nearly half of the teens who admitted to having engaged in risky driving practices said that they had talked or typed while driving.

Even proponents concede that such laws are difficult to enforce. But Michael Gareau Jr., a North Olmsted city councilman believes his city's ban on hand-held devices has, at minimum, raised the awareness of the dangers of cell phone use while driving. And, it is a well known fact that acknowledging dangerous behavior is the first step to modifying it.

Did you know that vehicular accidents are the leading cause of death for 16-20 year olds? A teen driving website for parents and future drivers, www.DriveHomeSafe.com, reports that 14% of drivers killed in auto accidents are teens. Of that number, 45% had a youth passenger in the car.

These sobering statistics no doubt played a part in the enactment of legislation that became effective April 6, 2007. It is now illegal in Ohio for drivers who are younger than 18 to have in their car more than one passenger who is not a family member.

Why? Statistics show that a teen driver's risk for accidents is doubled by the presence of one passenger. The risk triples with two passengers and increases by six with three or more passengers.

Of course numerous other factors contribute to teen injuries and deaths from auto accidents. Those include:

• Thee sheer lack of driving skill and experience;
• Immature practices such as tailgating and not utilizing safety belts;
• The tendency for young drivers to drive smaller vehicles that provide less protection in front-end crashes than do mid-sized and larger cars;
• The fact that teens are more likely than older drivers to cause an accident and to be involved in a single car crash;
• Teen lifestyle, such as staying up late, which compromises the ability to stay alert; and, of course,
• The rampant use of cell phones and other text messaging devices.

While the law does not address all of these concerns, the Ohio Department of Public Safety reports that in other states that have enacted similar laws, accidents involving teen drivers have dropped by 23%. That's a significant number and a comforting thought at a time when it is projected that by the year 2010, the number of drivers between the ages of 16-20 will have grown by 23%.

For more driving tips, information, resources and other links for parents and teens, go to www.teendriving.com.

You probably do not realize how many times you have actually invited junk mail into your mailbox. Every time you subscribe to a magazine, make a catalog purchase, use a supermarket loyalty card, donate money to a charity or even fill out a product registration form, odds are that your name, contact information and the type of product or you chose is entered into a data base. These databases are used by a businesses that to solicit further business from you, or their mailing lists are rented to other companies that will do the same. This data is the source of the seemly endless junk mail that we receive in our mail boxes on a daily basis--a form of direct marketing that can be almost as irritating as the unsolicited call from a telemarketer.

• According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse website, http://www.privacyrights.org/, there are ways to substantially reduce the amount of junk mail that you receive. The following are examples of some of the steps you can take, but for detailed information on how and whom to contact, consult the website.
  
• To remove your name from as many national mailing lists as possible, register with the Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) Mail Preference Service every five years to have your named placed on the "do not mail" list. Mail-in forms can be obtained from the site, or you can sign up online at www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist.
  
• Look for the name and address of the company distributing flyers and post cards near your mailing address, or for the company's phone number on the edge of the flyer and request that you be removed from its mailing list. The names and addresses of the major "resident" and "occupant" mailers can be found on the website.
  
• Any mail order transaction is likely to be reported to the Abacus Alliance, the majority of whose members are catalogue and publishing companies that share information about their respective customers. You can opt out of the Abacus database by emailing optout@abacus-us.com. You will have to contact those companies that are not members of DMA or Abacus directly, and be sure to advise magazine companies at the time you subscribe that you do not want your information sold to other companies.
  
• While credit bureaus do not disclose a person's financial information to marketers, they do rent lists. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires that they delete from mailing lists the name and address of any consumer that requests it. The names and contact information of the major credit bureaus can also be found on the website.
  
• Since telephone books and reverse directories are other sources of information for direct marketers, consider obtaining an unlisted number, or request that only your name and phone number be printed. You can also ask that the phone company remove you from the reverse street-address directories.
  
• "Change of Address" cards are provided to mailers who have your name and former address, including the major marketing and financial companies. In lieu of registering your change of address with the postal service, consider contacting your correspondents individually.
  
• Beware of participating in sweepstakes and contests that do not give you an opportunity to opt out of mailing lists. The Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act requires that the mailer provide its name, address or toll-free number on the solicitation form so that the recipient or care giver can request to be removed from its mailing list.
  
• Product registration cards that ask a variety of questions about your hobbies, income and the make-up of your household are usually not mailed to the company that manufactured the product, but rather to business that compile and sell the buyer profile information to other companies. If you decide to send the card, keep your receipt for warranty purposes and include only the minimum amount of information such as your name, address, date of purchase and the product's serial number.
  
• The scanning of supermarket loyalty cards can link your purchases to your name. This information is then used by the store to send you coupons and special offers, or to sell to other marketers. You may want to think about not participating in the market's loyalty program. For further information about loyalty cards, consult http://www.nocards.org/.
  
• Request the major companies that compile consumer profiles from public records, telephone books, product registration cards and the like to remove you from their mailing lists. Their names and contact information can also be found at http://www.privacyrights.org/.

You may not know that last month this country observed National Backpack Awareness Day. Why? Because backpacks--that is heavy backpacks--are the surprising cause of numerous injuries.

According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, of the 40 million U.S. students that use backpacks, 3 out of 10 carry one that weighs 33% of the student's weight at least once a week. The recommended maximum is only 15% of the person's weight.

Six out of 10 students ranging in ages 9-20 have reported chronic back pain from carrying heavy backpacks. In 2001, in excess of 7,000 emergency room visits resulted from carrying backpacks or book bags, with more than half of that number involving treatment to children ages 5 to 14.

But a study has shown that nearly 8 of 10 middle school children who changed how they loaded and wore their backpacks noticed decreased pain in their backs, necks and shoulders. That's part of the message that 24 occupational-therapy OSU graduate students wanted to impart to the students of the Hastings Middle School in Upper Arlington when they visited there recently. The OSU students performed skits and weighed the Hastings students and their backpacks. In addition, they gave them the following advice:

• Heavier items should be placed in the back of the pack, closest to the body;
  
• Limit your packing of items to what is necessary for the day;
  
• Load books and other items in such a manner as to minimize their sliding around;
  
• Lighten a backpack that is too heavy by carrying some of the items by hand;
  
• Always use both shoulder straps, which should be well-padded and adjusted so that the pack fits snugly against your back;
  
• If the pack has a waist belt, use it to better distribute its weight; and
  
• Consider using a pack with wheels, if you find that it consistently weighs more than the maximum 15% of your weight.