'Layaway Santas' bringing unexpected holiday joy

Travis Meriwether has been waiting around layaway counters for three years in a row to surprise people with cash, paying off balances of strangers during the holidays.

The owner of a custom motorcycle business, Meriwether has spent about $16,500 paying off layaway orders for people buying toys and games. He is a "layaway Santa" or as some prefer, a "layaway angel."

For years, others like him have also been stopping by layaway departments, shocking customers at stores like Walmart, Kmart and Toys R Us. This year, the trend is continuing with scenes of unexpected joy popping up across the nation.

"I like to go to the layaway area and stay two or three hours," said Meriwether, 29, of Burnet, Texas. "I know those people don't have the money right away. Everybody who goes back to that layaway line needs some type of help. This way, they get to get their stuff today and it frees up their money."

Meriwether started buying strangers gifts when in 2011 the credit card of a woman ahead of him in line at Walmart was declined. He stepped in and paid for everything in her cart. Since then, he has visited layaway departments at Target and Walmart in Texas and Oklahoma, where he grew up.

The owner of "Enzo Custom Cycles" said he usually sticks to buying people food and toys during the holidays. Most other layaway donors do the same.

Since September, Walmart has seen more than 1,000 instances of strangers paying off people's layaway accounts.

"We just think it's amazing and a real representative of the spirit of America during this time of year," said Deisha Barnett, a Walmart spokeswoman.

In 2012, people anonymously paid off 794 layaways orders in Toys R Us stores. The company matched each of those gestures with $200 donations to Toys for Tots, giving the program $158,800 to help less fortunate children get toys on Christmas Day. It's doing the same this year.

At Kmarts across the country, more than $1.5 million worth of items have been paid off by strangers over the years. The company also created an online map in 2012 where people can track the Good Samaritans and see what people are saying about the deeds on Twitter.

While such layaway Santas might get the same results, their methods vary. In Florida, a man and his wife overheard a woman talking about her money problems and decided to pay for her items, according to a Walmart spokeswoman. In California, a man planned to use $1,000 to randomly pay off layaway lists of people he hadn't met. Some, like 30-year-old Lee Karchawer, take their giving to the Web.

Karchawer, of New York City, works for a mobile marketing company and created payawaythelayaway.org in October 2011.

"I thought I would be able to round up donations for people who wanted to become layaway angels but didn't have the time to go to the store or have the money power to pay off the whole layaway," he said.

Through the site, Karchawer collects donations of any amount, with the average person giving $25. The first year, he raised $2,000 from 75 donors and bought gifts for people in the New York City area.

This year, some 350 people have donated about $15,000. That money will go to help others in New York, Tennessee, Texas, Massachusetts and California.

Once the money arrives, Karchawer and others go to stores like Kmart, Toys R Us, and Babies R Us and store workers pick out random accounts that include children's toys. The stores then usually contact customers with paid off accounts and tell them of their good luck.

"Growing up, my parents were able to provide me with presents and I know how great that made me feel," Karchawer said. "I can't imagine a child not having that. This is an incredible movement to show how much compassion people have toward others."

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Source: Hattiesburg American (AP, 12/19)

Vehicle/Motorcycle Accident Regularity Possibly Linked to Brain Miscalculating Time of Impact of Smaller Objects

Newswise — Check the local news, and stories of cars pulling out in front of motorcyclists run regularly in the headlines. Recent research by a Texas Tech University psychologist suggests that the regularity of this problem isn’t necessarily a case of poor driving or carelessness, but may be related to a basic human judgment error.

Pat DeLucia, the coordinator of the Human Factors Psychology Program, said her results show that small, near objects can appear farther away than larger, farther objects. The study is published in Current Directions in Psychological Science.

"Small, near objects can appear to be farther away than large, far objects, and so it is thought that that could contribute to motorcycle car accidents." DeLucia said.

Her finding that an object’s size affects distance perception may be the basis of car drivers miscalculating motorcyclists’ distance and speed.

"You can think about the research in terms of if you had a really big ball like a basketball or a softball and you compared that to a marble and both were approaching you, you would see that bigger one is closer even if it was farther away," she said.

The brain uses two visual information cues for judging time to impact, she said. In the first, a moving object is reflected on the eye’s retina. It expands as it approaches the eye, providing the brain accurate information about when the object will hit. This is called an optical invariant.

However, the brain also uses “rules of thumb” as well, such as various “artist” depth cues as a shortcut, she said. Many times, the brain interprets objects with a larger retinal image as closer. Since motorcycles are smaller than cars, the brain may use this shortcut to judge a smaller motorcycle farther away than it actually is, DeLucia said.

“With computer simulations, we had a big, far object and small, near object approaching the viewer, where the small object would hit first,” she said. “We wondered if people would choose the big one, based on the artist depth cue of relative size or choose the smaller one based on the more accurate optical invariant. Unexpectedly, people picked the bigger object again and again. We found people relied on rules of thumb.”

This effect of size on collision perception violates theories of perception that believe people evolved to rely on the most accurate information, such as optical invariants. Instead, DeLucia’s findings suggest that perception is based on multiple information sources.

This size-arrival effect can lead drivers to misjudge when a vehicle would arrive at an intersection and could be considered a contributing factor in motorcycle/vehicle accidents.

DeLucia hopes to find funding from the Department of Transportation to create an education program to inform drivers of her findings to reduce the incidents of these types of accidents.

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Source: Newswise (AP, 9/09)

FEWER TEXAS MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT FATALITIES IN 2012

Texas saw a slight reduction in the number of people killed in motorcycle accidents last year.

Fewer Texas motorcycle accident fatalities in 2012

During the summer months, many Texans enjoy taking to the road on their motorcycles. When riding a motorcycle, however, it is critical that people take proper safety precautions to avoid dangerous collisions with other motor vehicles.

Recently, the Texas Department of Transportation reported that the number of people killed in motorcycle accidents in the state actually declined in 2012. The reduction was small -- 488 people were killed in such crashes in 2011, while there were 460 fatalities in 2012.

Although the six percent decline was not large, it was a rare occasion, as the number of people killed in motorcycle accidents has tended to rise steadily in recent decades. In fact, since 2004, the number of motorcycle collision fatalities in Texas has risen by a staggering 56 percent overall.

Motorcycle accidents are of particular concern in Texas and across the country due to the high rate of injuries and fatalities following such collisions -- practically 90 percent of such collisions lead to either personal injuries or death.

Consequently, experts are focusing on ways to reduce the number of motorcycle accidents that occur annually and further reduce the number of fatalities caused by such collisions.

Protect yourself from a dangerous motorcycle accident in Texas

In Texas, the Department of Transportation has taken steps to help protect motorcyclists on the road. For instance, it has initiated public awareness campaigns to encourage other motorists to be more aware of the motorcyclists on the road. The Texas Department of Transportation has encouraged drivers to "Look Twice" and "Share the Road" with motorcyclists.

In addition, the Federal Highway Administration has been researching the most common causes of motorcycle accidents for decades. It plans to release the results of the Motorcycle Crash Causation Study in 2015, after examining information from a minimum of 280 collisions.

Across the country, the number of people killed in motorcycle accidents more than doubled from 1997 to 2009. In 2009, the Federal Highway Administration reported that 4,462 people across the country were killed in such collisions.

Motorcyclists can also take proactive measures to protect themselves on the road. One of the best solutions is to always wear a helmet while riding, as they can reduce the severity of injuries and even prevent death.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident in Texas, you may be entitled to compensation to cover the damage caused in the collision. Seek the advice of a knowledgeable personal injury attorney to ensure your rights are protected.

Motorcycle Safety Report Shows Positive Trend

Tulsa police examine a motorcycle that was involved in an accident. Motorcycle fatalities in Oklahoma fell 30 percent in 2010 as compared to the previous year. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

For once, Oklahoma has come out looking good in some national rankings: According to a recent report by the Governors Highway Safety Association, Oklahoma had one of the biggest declines in motorcycle fatalities in 2010 in the entire nation, posting a whopping 30 percent drop over the previous year's figure.

The decline may be just because there are fewer motorcycles on the road, or some other similar explanation. Then again, it may be that we're getting safer out there.

Let's hope it's the latter, because it's predicted that two-wheeled transportation will become even more common as more Americans discover the economy of motorcycles and scooters, and as more and more baby boomers attempt to recapture their misspent youth.

The GHSA report noted that motorcycle fatalities declined nationally at least 2 percent in 2010 over 2009, which saw an astounding 16 percent drop over the previous year.

The association estimated there were 4,465 motorcycle fatalities in 2009, and predicted there would be 4,376 or fewer in 2010. (States were still gathering data when the preliminary report was released in April.)

The two years of declines in motorcycle fatalities were cheered by riding enthusiasts (myself included) as indications that safety programs and other measures are working. Prior to 2009, motorcycle deaths had increased for 11 straight years.

According to the report, Oklahoma had 83 motorcycle deaths in the first nine months of 2009, compared with 58 deaths in the first nine months of 2010.

The GHSA's researchers, who surveyed safety offices in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, feel confident that the final figures will represent at least a 2 percent decline over the previous year.

The researchers projected declines in about half of the states, and remarkable declines in several states, including Texas (16 percent), Oregon (27 percent) and Oklahoma.

What could be accounting for this good news? Officials who saw both declines and increases in fatalities had lots of theories.

States that saw decreases in fatalities in many cases have put more emphasis on motorcycle safety. Activities included safety-promotion events, strategic safety plans, and educational and awareness campaigns. These states also were more likely to offer expanded rider-training opportunities. Some states took steps to address specific problem sites.

Some state officials believe there are fewer beginning riders taking to the road, a theory backed up by some dealers who report more recent sales to experienced riders rather than new riders.

Less travel was a factor in some states, where officials believe the economy was keeping some residents from taking up riding. Bad weather also kept lots of bikers off the roads in some states.

Tougher legislation increasing the penalties for riding without a motorcycle endorsement on drivers licenses, and also requiring motorcycle safety courses to obtain an endorsement, also were credited with bringing down fatalities.

Not surprisingly, states that had seen growth in registrations also in some cases experienced increases in fatalities.

Helmet use is a big factor in fatalities, and the recent trend toward less usage could have kept the declines in the last two years from being more dramatic.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report found that use of federally compliant helmets - the most protective type - dropped by 13 points in 2010, from 67 percent in 2009 to 54 percent. Un-helmeted riders increased from 24 percent to 32 percent. Use of federally compliant helmets dropped by 10 points in states with universal helmet laws and by 15 points in states without such laws. (Thirty states don't have universal helmet laws.)

According to the NHTSA, helmets are 37 percent effective in preventing fatal injuries to operators, and 41 percent effective for passengers. In 2008, 42 percent of fatally injured motorcyclists were not wearing helmets; it's estimated that 822 of them would have lived if they had been wearing helmets.

The American College of Emergency Physicians' position on helmets is: "It is the single most effective strategy to prevent death and serious injury. NHTSA estimates that nearly 20,000 motorcyclists were saved by helmets between 1984 and 2006. It also estimates that more than 12,000 people might have been saved had they worn helmets."

Helmet laws were required by the federal government years ago, and by 1975, all but three states mandated helmet use for all motorcyclists. But mandates and incentives changed over the years, and now only 20 states have universal helmet laws. Most of the other states have laws requiring helmet use for some riders, usually younger ones.

While helmet use is advisable in the view of safety experts, they are hugely unpopular with many riders, who contend they restrict their sight and hearing, among other problems. History and experience indicate mandatory helmet laws are a tough sell politically - just look at how many states have repealed mandatory helmet laws - so chances are there won't be a groundswell of support to reinstate them.

While mandatory helmet laws continue to be debated, we now know that expanded safety measures are proving to be more and more effective. More training for beginning riders would be a good idea. Public awareness and educational campaigns work. Better enforcement of speeding and alcohol impairment laws also would help. Highway safety data for 2008 show that 35 percent of all riders involved in fatal crashes were speeding. In 2009, 29 percent of fatally injured riders had blood-alcohol levels above the legal limit, and another 7 percent had lower levels of alcohol.

While the news on fatalities was generally good, there is still plenty of reason for concern. Most of the declines occurred in the first half of the year, with fatalities actually increasing in the third quarter.

In reviewing the national data, GHSA Chairman Vernon Betkey said, "While there is a lot of good news in this report, the increase in fatalities toward the end of the year is a clear red flag. Just like with overall traffic deaths, a strengthening economy presents us with the potential for more tragedy on our roads. We are going to be very aggressive in targeting our programs where they are needed the most. Additionally, we will continue to remind all roadway users that motorcycles are a legal and legitimate way of transportation and we all need to safely share the road."

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source: www.tulsaworld.com (Pearson, 6/26)

Motorcycle Protective Clothing: Protection From Injury or Just the Weather?

An Australian study providing new evidence on the injury reduction benefits of motorcycle clothing in crashes will be launched in Sydney today. The study, led by Liz de Rome, Research Fellow, The George Institute for Global Health at The University of Sydney, is the first of its kind and will be published in Accident Analysis and Prevention.

This is the first study in over 25 years to examine the effectiveness of specialised motorcycle protective clothing and in particular, body armour. It is also the first to control for the contribution of other factors that may affect the severity of injury, such as speed or type of impact and age of rider.

One of the key findings of the study, which was funded by Australia’s leading motorcycle insurer Swann Insurance and involved 212 motorcycle and scooter riders, was that riders were significantly less likely to be admitted to hospital if they crashed wearing a motorcycle jacket, pants or gloves.

Ms de Rome said “One of the most important findings was the difference it made to be wearing body armour, particularly for hands and knees.”

When garments included fitted body armour there was a significantly reduced risk of any injury. This included a reduced risk of any injury to the upper body by 23%, legs by 39%, hands by 45% and feet by 45%. The results also found riders wearing shoes or joggers had a much higher risk of foot and ankle injuries, as any type of boot reduced risk of injury by 53%.

While there are limits to the extent clothing can prevent injury in high impact crashes, it is in low impact crashes that protective clothing is thought to offer the greatest injury reduction. There is also evidence that the majority of motorcycle crashes do not involve high impacts.

Ms de Rome commented, “Over 200 motorcyclists die and a further 8,000 are seriously injured on Australian roads each year. For many years, motorcycle safety research has been dominated by debate about the effectiveness of helmets with less focus on other protection for the rider’s body.

“With the increasing human and economic costs of motorcycle injuries around the world, there was a need for research into the effectiveness of protective clothing. We hope that the results of this study will show riders that their gear protects them from more than just the weather, encouraging them to wear more protective clothing which will in turn help reduce injuries.”

The results of the study also send a clear message to the manufacturers of motorcycle protective clothing. The proportion of jackets (29%), pants (28%) and gloves (25%) that failed under crash conditions due to material damage indicates a need for improved quality control.

While mandating usage of protective clothing is not recommended by the study’s authors, consideration could be given to providing incentives for usage of protective clothing, such as tax exemptions for safety gear, health insurance premium reductions and rebates.

Co-investigator, Associate Professor Rebecca Ivers, Director of Injury Research at the George, Institute said “This is ground breaking research. It sends a clear message to riders that protection is important every time they ride, and highlights the need for further investment by Government to encourage riders to wear appropriate clothing, and to work with the industry to improve the quality of products available”.

Stuart Chapman, General Manager of Swann Insurance, said the motorcycle insurer was pleased to have supported this study. “We think it's vitally important that riders have access to information such as the findings of this study so they can make informed decisions about what they should wear every time they ride,” he said.

“Funding this study forms part of Swann's broader commitment to improving rider safety – it’s what we are all about. We encourage every rider to take these findings on board."


source: The George Institute for Global Health