Study: Days before Christmas among most dangerous on Alabama roadways
Al.com – Dec. 17
Distractions abound this time of year — work to finish, shopping lists to whittle down, guests and meals to prepare for and trips to take. Pay extra attention when going to and fro. If past traffic patterns are any indication, the next several days are among the most dangerous on Alabama roadways. A study by University of Alabama’s Center for Advanced Public Safety concluded the days just before Christmas can be more dangerous than the days around Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Researchers looked at 10 years of traffic data for the six days surrounding the three year-end holidays. The main contributing factor is the volume of traffic flowing along the state’s roads during this time of year, with more vehicles raising the chances of crashes. In 2012, more than 20 percent of holiday season crashes resulted in injuries, data show.
University of Alabama, Auburn students join together for Habitat for Humanity build
Al.com – Dec. 17
Twenty students and faculty members from the University of Alabama and Auburn University are currently constructing a house for a Lee County family in need in the third annual “House United” project. The House United project brings together the two rival schools to complete a house for a family in need before Christmas. University members are working alongside Lee County Habitat for Humanity, the Alabama Association of Habitat for Humanity affiliates and Geordan Communities, according to a UA press release. Geordan is providing professional builders to assist in the project and has donated labor and supplies for the project since its inception.
WLTZ-NBC (Columbus, Ga.) (No video available) – Dec. 17
7 Steps to Take After a Fender Bender
Yahoo! Finance – Dec. 17
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are about 10 million car collisions every year. Fortunately, most are non-fatal. (According to early estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 34,080 people died in car crashes in 2012.) And while a fender bender tends to be thought in terms of safety or as an annoyance, it is also a financial transaction. So if you are ever in a minor accident, follow these steps … Don’t beat yourself up if you make a mistake. Edith Parten, a communications professional at the University of Alabama, was in a fender bender less than two weeks ago when a driver rear-ended her. “I got out of the car and asked the driver what happened. She said her foot slipped, and she hit the gas instead of the brake,” Parten says. So far, so good. The other driver admitted fault. Then the police arrived and prepared an accident report. Parten even took photos of both cars. But she was rattled and didn’t ask the other driver for her insurance information. Still, the police officer said the insurance information would be in the accident report.