(NewsUSA) - In 2007, 83 law enforcement officers were killed in traffic-related accidents.
"That's a record high," says Craig Floyd, Chairman of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF).
"Tragically, many of these fallen heroes made the ultimate sacrifice because drivers just weren't paying attention."
Now, on the eve of the heavy summer driving season, NLEOMF is launching a major campaign to provide drivers with common-sense safety tips.
While the organization is best known for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., Floyd hopes this effort will save not just officers' lives, but drivers', too.
Those tips include:
Focus on driving.
Do not talk on your cell phone, eat, or hunt for items in your car. When you're driving 65 miles per hour, you're traveling almost 100 feet per second. A two-second distraction can be deadly.
Give officers room.
If an emergency vehicle has its lights or siren on, slow down, move to the right and stop if possible. Once the emergency vehicle passes, do not follow too closely.
Move over.
When you see an emergency vehicle stopped on the side of the road, slow down and safely move one lane away if possible. Many states have "move over" laws, and violators can be ticketed.
Never drive on the shoulder of a highway.
It's not just illegal-it's dangerous. Emergency vehicles use the shoulder to get to crashes faster, where a few seconds can mean the difference between life and death.
"Few people realize that 'routine' traffic incidents are so dangerous," says Floyd. "But the number of officers killed on the roads has increased more than 30 percent during the past three decades. That can change, if motorists will just be more careful."
NLEOMF encourages anyone who is serious about safer driving to sign its Drive Safely Pledge. Though the pledge is not legally binding, Floyd believes signers will be more conscientious on the road.
And he adds, "No parent should even think about letting their teenagers drive until they've reviewed the driver safety tips."
To review the driver safety tips and sign the Drive Safely Pledge, visit www.nleomf.org/DriveSafely.
