TZD Tuesday - Slow Down and Leave Racing to NASCAR

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series kicked off this month with the Daytona 500! The skills for success as a driver at those high speeds take focus and constant practice. The cars and drivers are also fitted with many safety features to protect the driver in a potential crash, including roll bars, fire protection suits and gloves, and a head and neck support (HANS) device.

Although our vehicles have many safety features, we can’t control the environment around us. We also may be experienced drivers, but we should never treat the road as our personal racetrack. Traveling too fast for conditions gives you less time to see and react to hazards. It takes more than the length of a football field to stop when traveling at 60 miles per hour! No matter how advanced you think your driving skills may be, speeding is dangerous.

Drive Smart: Avoid Speeding Risks

• Greater potential for loss of vehicle control.
• Increased stopping time and distance.
• Increased crash severity leading to more serious injuries and death.

According to Motor Sports Racing, the last NASCAR Cup Series fatality occurred on February 18, 2001, when Dale Earnhardt tragically lost his life during the last lap of the Daytona 500.  They have been at ZERO for more than 20 years. Let’s get there too – slow down and leave the racing to NASCAR. Together, we can drive Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths.