People’s Law Talk

Railroad Right-of-Ways and People

It seems simple enough. Train right-of-ways are for trains. They allow trains to safely pass through towns and cities, over well-traveled streets, safely, without stopping. But, even though the name even specifies they’re for trains, many pedestrians have taken to using these crossings to access train tracks, creating very dangerous situations.

While vehicle collisions with trains have decreased over the last 20 years, the same cannot be said for pedestrian incidents. In 2012, 850 people suffered casualties while on railroad right-of-ways.  With pedestrians accessing railroad crossings and increased train traffic around the country, this number will continue to rise.

Even with posted signs, people will continue to access railroad tracks because they find it’s convenient and they don’t perceive any danger in it. Signs cannot be the answer to preventing serious injuries and/or death because of this human factor. Behavioral changes, like getting people to not cross railroad tracks or getting people to use seat belts, can take decades.

Listen in as Kevin King discusses this growing nationwide issue, how it’s affecting his local community in Columbus, IN, and what can be done to prevent a disaster.

Want to hear more talks from Peter and Kevin King? Tune into WCIS 1010 AM Columbus, IN the first and third Friday of every month for People’s Law Talk.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: You Have Jury Duty

Have you ever seen your neighbor walk away from their mailbox with a look of discontentment or frustration? Likely causes for his less than happy demeanor: an unexpected bill or jury summons. A majority of adults would probably make the same face if they received a jury summons too.

While jury duty is not at the top of the fun to-do list for many, it is a very important civic function. Serving on a jury allows accused persons their constitutional right to a timely, impartial jury and a chance to face their accusers.

Remember, every accused person is supposed to be assumed innocent until proven guilty. That’s where the jury comes in. It’s the role of a jury to pass judgement on the accused, determining if they are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Turn up your volume and listen in to Peter King and guest attorney Jay Hoffman as they discuss juries and reasonable doubt on People’s Law Talk. Listen now and you’ll be informed the next time you’re called to fulfill your civic duty.

Want to hear more talks from Peter and Kevin King? Tune into WCIS 1010 AM Columbus, IN the first and third Friday of every month for People’s Law Talk.

Early Bird or Night Owl: Fatigue and Worker Safety

Both early birds and night owls have specific circadian rhythm that affect when they’re sleepy or tired and when they’re energized and ready to work. Back at the turn of the 20th century, people followed these rhythms, sleeping on average 9 hours a day, living and working during regular daylight hours.

Now society is going all day and night thanks to the spread of electricity and technology. With this alteration to cycles, there has been an increase in fatigue, defined as a body’s response to sleepiness or prolonged exertion.

In our 24/7 world, 38 percent of workers sleep less than seven hours a night. The lack of sleep results in increased fatigue and a 13 percent increase in risk of death or serious injury. Ultimately, fatigue related US losses cost almost $2000 per worker each year with a loss of 1.2 million work days a year.

Listen in as Kevin King discusses this pattern of fatigue, the risks resulting from fatigue, and risk management practices for fatigued workers.

Looking for further resources for fatigue management? Visit the National Safety Council’s website.

Want to hear more talks from Peter and Kevin King? Tune into WCIS 1010 AM Columbus, IN the first and third Friday of every month for People’s Law Talk.

Black History Month: African American Engineers

As Black History Month wraps up, take a look back at all of the African American engineering solutions that have promoted and developed a safer society for us today. From the nineteenth century through present day, there are scores of notable African Americans engineering a safer world.

Do you recognize any of these names?

  • Benjamin Bradley
  • Elijah (Eli) McCoy
  • Granville Woods
  • Garrett Augustus Morgan
  • Frederick McKinley Jones
  • William Hunter Dammond
  • General Hugh Robinson
  • Walt Braithwaite
  • Dr. Aprille Ericsson
  • Dr. Wanda Austin

Listen in as Kevin King discusses Black History Month and the contributions these African Americans have made to influence safety in our society on People’s Law Talk.

Want to hear more talks from Peter and Kevin King? Tune into WCIS 1010 AM Columbus, IN the first and third Friday of every month for People’s Law Talk.

Did You See That? A Cell Phone Distracted World

cell-phone-userQuick, where is your cell phone? A pretty accurate guess for most readers is your cell phone is within arm’s reach, if not in your pocket or your hands. It probably has at least some portion of your attention right now, even as you’re reading this.

With the average person checking their phone 150 times a day, it’s clear that cell phones are ingrained in human behavior. The changes cell phones have made in daily lives has lead to a new, growing safety concern in the form of distracted walking.

Attention (the ability to concentrate on an activity for a prolonged period of time without getting distracted) is shrinking at an alarming rate, resulting in many unintentional injuries. From 2010 to 2011, there were more than 11,000 injuries due to distracted walking! Fifty-two percent of distracted walking injuries occur at home, with 54 percent to people 40 and younger, and nearly 80 percent of these injuries are due to falls. Instead of paying attention to where we are and what we’re doing, we’re trying to multitask and paying the price for it. Need more proof? Watch this video:

The human brain was not designed for divided attention (completing two tasks requiring the same concentration at the same time). When a cell phone user tries to walk at the same time, they’re missing out on significant cues, ultimately walking off course, stepping into traffic, or missing out on what’s going on around them. In a study conducted at Western Washington University, approximately 75 percent of cell phone users suffered from inattention blindness, failing to notice an out of place unicylcing clown in the square where they were walking. Just as inattention blindness contributes to vehicle collisions, it has also contributed to the rise in unintentional injuries from distracted walking.

To fix a safety issue, the typical steps are identifying the hazard and then:

  1. Eliminate the hazard when possible,
  2. Guard against hazards that cannot be eliminated
  3. Warn for hazards that can’t be eliminated or guarded against
  4. Change human behavior when there are no other options.

The hazard of distracted walking poses problems for the traditional eliminate, guard, and warn against options. Cell phones cannot be eliminated from every day life. Options to guard against the dangers of distracted walking are limited. Some restaurants are knocking out cell phone coverage to increase social interaction and minimize distractions but it is not a viable solution for public streets. Warnings can be sent via text/pop up messages but with distracted attention on cell phones, most will not be noticed or will be ignored.

This leaves us with the only, last option, to change human behavior. This is the least effective and slowest moving option for safety. Just look how long it took for regular seat belt usage to be the normal! Teaching ourselves to stop texting, tweeting, sharing, posting, and searching the internet while walking is going to a long, drawn out road. Abraham Lincoln couldn’t foresee the cell phone issue but he recognized human nature. “Human action can be modified to some extent but human nature cannot be changed,” Lincoln said.

Listen in as Kevin King discusses the issue of distracted walking and how it relates to our safety on People’s Law Talk.

It’s a newer, twenty-first century problem, but the statistics and facts on the distractions of cell phones, including the distracted walking hazard, are already rolling in. Check out these resources for more details on the issue:

Want to hear more talks from Peter and Kevin King? Tune into WCIS 1010 AM Columbus, IN the first and third Friday of every month for People’s Law Talk.

Santa Claus Surrogates: Toy Safety Guide

toy-safetyIf you’re playing Santa Claus for kids this year, get informed before you do your shopping. There are toys out there on the naughty list for being unsafe and you don’t want to give them to the children you love.

While the burden for toy safety should fall on manufacturers, surrogate Santa Clauses must still be alert. There are over three billion toys sold in the US each year and it’s hard to check all of them for compliance, ensuring manufacturers are following certification processes. In 2007 alone there were 30 million toys recalled, and those are just the ones that were caught. With more than 5,000 toys being introduced in the US each year, enforcement of safety standards is difficult.

From small, breakable parts to chemicals and lead based paint, there is a lot to look for when choosing the perfect toys. Listen in as Kevin King discusses toy safety and what you need to know to find toys safe toys on the nice list.

Additional resources for toy safety information include:

Want to hear more talks from Peter and Kevin King? Tune into WCIS 1010 AM Columbus, IN the first and third Friday of every month for People’s Law Talk.