How many times am I going to feel compelled to write about this subject? Does it take the death of someone with some fame to get the public’s attention? Apparently not, because once again Hollywood is setting a prime example of what not to do.

Following the horrific car crash of “Jackass” star Ryan Dunn early Monday morning, police have uncovered that he was driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .196-two times the legal limit.
Dunn was purportedly driving 140 mph on a 55 mph road when he crashed his Porsche 911 GT3 through a rail and into the woods where it crashed into a tree and erupted into flames. Dunn and his passenger, Zachary Hartwell, died at the site. Wrecks similar to this serve as a tragic reminder of the risks of driving intoxicated.
It appears that, Dunn had an earlier DUI accident a few years before, but was in a position to clean up his record through court requirements and was not required to install an alcohol interlock machine on his automobile. If he had survived this collision, Dunn’s upcoming cars would’ve been mandated to possess this piece of equipment for at least one year following his license was reinstated.

What can you expect after a DWI?

Expect to prove you haven’t been drinking when you get behind the wheel! Alcohol interlocks are a technique the government is hoping will cut back the 11,000 deaths each year from drunk driving. Forty-nine states have some kind of interlock condition and 11 states have required provisions subsequent to the initial conviction. The driver has to blow into the machine to check for alcohol for their car will start.

What’s being done?

At this time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is conducting their “Over the Limit, Under Arrest” operation through July 4th in an effort to tag intoxicated drivers before a deadly accident occurs. This week in addition to next week are filled with graduation events, 4th of July picnics, in addition to added summer revelry. Keep the streets safe by following these valuable tips…tips you should already know and be putting into practice.

• If you are planning to consume alcohol, designate a sober driver ahead of going out. In the event you are impaired, don’t drive.
• Hail a taxi, make use of mass transit, or phone a sober buddy or member of the family to get you home safely.
• Plan in advance and stuff a bag to stay over someone’s residence should you know you might be drinking.
• Report drunk drivers you observe out on the roads at once to the police by calling 911.
• Always put on your safety belt while in a car or wear a helmet as well as protecting equipment while on a motorcycle.
• If you happen to see someone about to drive intoxicated or travel with somebody who’s intoxicated, get the keys and aid them reach where they’re going unharmed.

..and I misspoke before…it’s not Hollywood’s problem…it’s all of ours!

The misconception is that the wind associated with a tornado is confined to within the visible funnel cloud. Unfortunately, a tornado is not a vacuum cleaner hose hanging out of the sky. One possibility why many people think that being under an overpass offers protection is that with something above them, the bridge will prevent the wind from going ‘up’ underneath the overpass. This simply is just not true.

There is no doubt that essentially living at the southern tip of tornado alley we get to see our fair share of destructive tornadoes. Being in your home is one thing, you can take shelter in an interior room. However, what do you do if you are caught out on the road? I know every one’s first instinct is to protect their car and themselves and their first instinct is to take shelter under the nearest immovable object like an overpass. If you know anything about physics, you should rethink this tactic. The fact of the matter is that you may have just made your situation much worse.

Actually, the interaction between a tornado and an overpass is much more like this.

…and here’s a visual reference behind the science.

This is why one of the first and foremost rules in general tornado safety is to get as low as possible, because that is where the wind speed is the lowest! By climbing up underneath the overpass,  you are moving into a place where the wind speeds are typically higher. In addition, under an overpass, it is possible in some situations that when air is forced through the narrow passage underneath the bridge, this might cause an increase in the wind speeds (as mentioned earlier). Further, under different circumstances, the area beneath and just downstream of an overpass might become a debris deposition zone, where piles of debris accumulate. Think a hard rain is uncomfortable? Try being pelted with glass, shards of metal, splintered wood, hail and everything else that’s been hurled into the air.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8VSznYP5Kw

Information from tornadochaser.net

If on a road, hide under an overpass if a tornado approaches.
The sad fact is this idea has caused many deaths of motorists already. The worst thing you can do is hide under an overpass. Winds can actually be worse under an overpass which makes it a bad place to go. Please listen, never use an overpass for protection.  See the following document for more info. Overpass deaths report

Open your windows during a tornado?
Scientists once thought that the low pressure in a tornado caused the normal air pressure in
houses to explode out. It turned out that the strong winds from the tornado destroyed the
houses, not the pressure change. If the tornado wants your windows open, it will open them for you.

The southwest corner of a basement is the safest place to go during a tornado.
The best place to go during a tornado is in a center room of the basement, like ones that are usually found under the stairs that lead down to the basement. I was once thought that the SW corner was the best place to go, but it was found the debris collects it the corners which makes it a bad place to go.

Tornadoes can’t cross water or where rivers meet.
Many tornadoes have crossed rivers & lakes, with out any effect to the tornado.

Tornadoes can not cross big hills or mountains.
Tornadoes have made damage paths up and down the side of 10,000 foot mountains, in Wyoming so the hills in eastern Kansas will not protect you.

Tornadoes can’t/don’t hit big cities.
Miami, FL, Nashville, TN,  Wichita, KS, Fort Worth, TX, and Oklahoma City  have all been hit by tornadoes in the past few years. Take shelter if a tornado warning is issued for your city.

To see what happens when you take shelter under an overpass take note of the people the pass before under the overpass and again after they drove back through.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJkDphU5olo

So far, this has been the deadliest year for tornadoes across the US. North Texas and specifically DFW (none of us forget the tornado that his Fort Worth) are susceptible to extreme weather. It’s my responsibility to make sure that all of you are provided with the best information possible about your car, driving, etc. However, it’s just as important , if not more-so, that you understand the appropriate action to be taken should you ever encounter a tornado while on the road…What you decide to do or not do can potentially have fatal outcomes. I hope you will remember this article if you ever are in this situation.