Today’s guest on the “Beyond Driving with Dignity” podcast show is Mark Wright, co-founder of the Storefront Safety Council.
The Storefront Safety Council was launched in 2011 with a mission to reduce the number of vehicle-into-building crashes. These mostly preventable accidents are injuring and killing Americans where they work, play, shop, and eat. The Council is comprised of volunteers from a variety of backgrounds who are passionate about ending storefront crashes.
In today’s show, Mr. Wright helps us gain a better understanding of just exactly what storefront crashes are, how big of a problem they are, who is causing them, and what we can do to help prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.
Show Notes:
00:00 Welcome to the “Beyond Driving with Dignity” podcast show!
00:54 Introducing today’s guest; Mark Wright, co-founder of the Storefront Safety Council
02:15 Mark introduces us to the Storefront Safety Council and explains how and why it was founded
03:34 Mark and Rob Reiter join forces to reduce storefront crashes
06:09 The compelling reason for Mark’s passion to help eliminate storefront
08:16 What information is available through the Storefront Safety Council’s website?
09:07 As a victim of a storefront crash, Mark still considers himself very fortunate
10:00 The Storefront Safety Council serves as America’s repository for storefront crash statistics
12:50 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette headline: Pregnant woman dies after being pinned by van, but baby lives
13:25 The role of pedal error and pedal misapplication in storefront crashes
16:38 Why are older drivers more likely to be involved in a storefront crash?
19:00 The importance of staying aware of our age-related diminishing driving skills
19:58 Battle of the sexes: Are the ladies or are the gentleman more likely to be involved in a storefront crash?
23:15 What types of stores are typically involved in storefront crashes?
26:40 What can store owners do to prevent these types of crashes?
31:15 How are local and state governments working to prevent storefront crashes?
33:23 What are insurance companies doing to help prevent storefront crashes?
34:38 Mark’s final words
39:11 Thank you to Mark Wright, Rob Reiter and the entire team at the Storefront Safety Council!
39:41 Thank you to Chris MacLellan and everyone at The Whole Care Network
Matt Gurwell is the developer of the nationally-recognized “Beyond Driving with Dignity” program. He currently lectures throughout the United States on topics related to the aging process and its adverse affects on driving skills. As developer of this life-saving program, Matt’s mission is to provide strategies and guidance to seniors that will help them to continue driving safely until the decision is made to retire from their driving career. The “Beyond Driving with Dignity” program also provides an excellent array of services and resources for both families and professionals as they deal with this very sensitive issue. Matt retired from a very distinguished and successful 24-year career as an Assistant District Commander with the Ohio State Highway Patrol. After leaving the Patrol, Matt has participated in a tremendous amount of work in the area of older driver research, best practices, current vehicle safety technologies, and adaptive equipment. Matt's creative, innovative and common sense approach, combined with his uncanny ability to bring calm and resolve to stressful situations without ever jeopardizing the dignity of others, has contributed greatly to the success of the “Beyond Driving with Dignity” program. When asked what the ultimate motivation was for starting the program, Matt explains: "There was never one particular event. It was the result of 20-plus years of holding dying people in my arms at terrible car accidents, and delivering dozens and dozens of death notifications to families. I would much rather work with families to bring a peaceful resolve to this sensitive and uncomfortable issue now, rather than have them deal with it when a State Trooper is knocking on their front door". Matt serves as Senior Care Authority’s Program Director for the “Beyond Driving with Dignity” program. Senior Care Authority (https://www.seniorcareauthority.com) is now the nation’s exclusive provider of the “Beyond Driving with Dignity” program.
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