KANSAS SCHOOL SAFETY HOTLINE
The Kansas State Department of Education and the Kansas Highway Patrol have a School Safety Hotline. If you or your parents witness or suspect violence at school, call the hotline--toll free, at any hour, any day of the year. The number is...
1-877-626-8203
The hotline is for reporting violence, bomb threats, or other similar actions anonymously (without giving your name). Kansas Highway Patrol dispatchers will answer your call and get as much information about the situation as you want to provide. The dispatchers will then notify the appropriate law enforcement agencies and/or the superintendent of schools depending upon the severity of the situation.
School Safety Hotline Public Service Announcement (MP3 - 254KB)
The hotline started in Aug. 1999. In its first year and a half, it took 1,694 calls.
The School Safety Hotline is not a suicide or crisis hotline. It is also not for school information, such as cancellations or to report a school absence.
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BIKING SAFETY TIPS
Wear a helmet! All bike helmets should have a sticker that says it is certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or Snell Memorial Foundation. Make sure the helmet fits properly: It should be snug, but not too tight, and it should sit on top of the head in a level position (so the bottom edge of the helmet is parallel to the ground).
Make sure your bike is the proper size. You should be able to straddle your bike and still have approximately one to two inches between you and the bike's top bar. You should adjust the seat so that your knees are just slightly bent when sitting on the seat and the pedals are in the 6 o'clock position. You should be able to reach the handlebars comfortably.
Service your bike regularly. Brakes should not be too worn and should be aligned properly. The chain should be snug with very little play in it and lubricated; check for worn areas. The crank should be tight with no play or wobble. Tires should be inflated to the proper PSI, usually 60 PSI; check for worn and flat spots. Under-inflated tires are the most common cause for flats or blowouts.
Wear bright or reflective clothing, especially if riding after dusk. Wear sturdy shoes (no open-toed shoes or sandals) and eye protection.
Kansas law requires that cyclists have a front head lamp, a white light that is visible from a distance of 500 feet, if the bicycle is to be operated after dusk. Kansas law also requires a rear red reflector visible from a distance of 100 to 600 feet, and reflective pedals visible from the front and rear at a distance of 200 feet.
No more that one person to a bike, unless the bike is designed for two riders. Do not attempt to carry items in your hands or arms. Never let go of the handles with both hands.
Cyclists should follow the same rules of the road that drivers do: Obey signs, signals and pavement markings; ride with the flow of traffic, no more than two abreast, as far right as possible; be aware of traffic around you--front, side and back; know and use hand signals.
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SEAT BELTS
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, young people 16 to 24 years old are the nation's highest risk drivers. They drive impaired more, speed more, and have more crashes. However, only 69 percent use their seat belts!
Buckling your seat belt is truly a life-saving habit. Start today. If someone asks you why you bother, say you know the facts.
MYTH: Wearing a seat belt is dangerous-what if the car catches on fire or goes under water? I might be trapped!
FACT: Most people who die in crashes are killed because of the force of the impact or because they are thrown from the vehicle, NOT because they were trapped. Every study shows you are much more likely to survive an accident if you are buckled in. People thrown from vehicles are four times more likely to be killed than those who remain inside.
MYTH: You do not need to buckle up if the car has an air bag.
FACT: Air bags are designed to work with seat belts. While air bags help you in a frontal crash, they cannot protect you in a rear impact crash or a rollover. Seat belts can actually help protect you from air bag injuries-they can keep you a proper distance from the deploying airbag.
MYTH: I can choose whether or not to wear a seat belt because, if I get hurt, I am only hurting myself.
FACT: If you are driving and buckled up, you will have a better chance of maintaining control of the vehicle and therefore be more likely to protect your passengers and others on the road. Also, whenever someone is injured or killed in a traffic accident, society pays many of the costs, including emergency services, uninsured medical care, higher insurance costs, and survivor payments.
MYTH: Only tools wear seat belts.
FACT: Most people believe that laws should require drivers and front-seat passengers to buckle up, that drivers who do not buckle up should be fined, and that law enforcement officers should be allowed to stop vehicles if they see someone unbuckled. Not cool: ambulances and funerals.
PHYSICS & PRE-MED LESSON: Seat belts help prevent injuries because they
1. Prevent ejection from the vehicle,
2. Shift the crash forces to the strongest parts of the body's structure,
3. Spread the forces over a wide area of the body,
4. Allow the body to slow down gradually, and
5. Protect the head and spinal cord.FOR SAFETY INFORMATION IN OTHER LANGUAGES, VISIT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION AT http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/multicultural/
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IMPAIRED DRIVING
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, alcohol-related car crashes are the leading cause of death among young people 15 to 24 years old.
You know how to avoid one of these accidents:
· If you plan on driving, do not drink.
· Designate a driver.
· Bring the number of cab companies with you.
· Plan on spending the night at the party.
· Admit when you have had too much to drink and call someone to pick you up.
· Never get into a car with someone who has been drinking.Remember, there is...
No Excuse for… Driving Drunk.
No Excuse for… not having a designated driver.
No Excuse for… not taking the keys from a friend who's had too much to drink.< Back to top >