ToolKit: Sample Op-Ed Article

Every 12 Minutes, Another Family Loses A Loved One.
Imagine a Day with Zero Traffic Fatalities...

By (NAME, TITLE, ORGANIZATION)

October 10, 2007 is the seventh annual Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day. The campaign asks that everyone focus on their own behavior when using America's roadways - as pedestrians, bicycle and motorcycle operators, motor vehicle operators and passengers. Each person taking an extra measure of care to ensure their safety and the safety of others by sharing roadways with others in a safe manner.

In the last seven years (1999-2005) a total of 298,026 men, women and children were killed on our roadways. In 2006, approximately, 43,000 people were killed in traffic crashes, which indicates about 118 fatalities every single day - one fatality every 12 minutes.

The seventh annual Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day will be celebrated on October 10, 2007 around the nation and here in (CITY, STATE) to encourage the public to make a special effort in keeping themselves and their loved ones from becoming one of those statistics. (ADD STATE AND OR LOCAL STATISTICS IF AVAILABLE.)

Imagine a day with zero traffic fatalities. It will take everyone’s efforts to have a Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day!

To reduce the tragic toll of motor vehicle crashes we must take pro-active steps such as:

Driving assertively, as if your life depends on it - that means courteously and defensively;
Don't drive while impaired (no alcohol if driving), distracted (cell phones and blackberries turned off) or in an aggressive manner;
Buckling up on every trip - every time;
Using properly-installed child safety seats for children age 8 and under;
Don't speed, and slow down to posted speed limits in construction zones;
Keeping vehicles and tires properly maintained;
Wearing appropriate protective gear when bicycling, skating or riding a motorcycle or scooter;
Always stopping, and looking left, right, left before crossing streets; and
Working with local officials to remove hazards and improve roadway safety.

Special Insert:
IF THERE HAS BEEN A TRAFFIC CRASH RECENTLY PUBLICIZED IN YOUR AREA, BRIEFLY DESCRIBE THE INCIDENT, BUT DO NOT USE THE INDIVIDUAL NAMES OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED WITHOUT PERMISSION. We can prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future - but only if we all commit to making motor vehicle injury prevention a top priority.

There is a role for everyone, whether as a driver, passenger, motorcyclist, pedestrian or cyclist. The good news is that by working together, we can continue to reduce traffic fatalities. By making traffic safety a priority for you and your family year-round, you just may prevent yourself or someone you love from becoming one of those 118 people who die every day on our nation's roads.