Hellbent for Safety

Why does this happen so often? Take a good,  average, hardworking American citizen, put him behind the wheel of a car,  and very often—without realizing it—he seems to forget all he knows about  safety and courtesy. If only this driver could see himself behind the wheel,  he’d know better and drive better. In the next few minutes, thrill-driving  star Joie Chitwood will show just why. [Music] Late to work again, afraid he’ll  get docked and lose some pay, he doesn’t know how close he is to losing his  life. This driver almost became a statistic, too—and through no fault of his own.  Let’s see just what kind of driver he is. [Music] He minds the rules of safety and courtesy. He  observes the speed limit, and respects the law. [Music] Wonder who this safe driver is? He  is thrill-driving star Joie Chitwood. Joie knows the value of careful driving  on the road—and on the track—and he’s taught his 19-year-old son,  Joie Jr., these same values. “How about a little practice  this afternoon's show?” “You bet, Dad.” Joie Chitwood started as a racing driver, finished  in the money nine times at Indianapolis. Now, as then, he counts on split-second timing and  hair-line accuracy every time he climbs behind the wheel. There can be no carelessness  here—this driving calls for precision. Those stunts look dangerous  and would be—if we didn’t know exactly what we were doing.  But we do, and let me tell you, it pays off on the track and on the road.  If only everyone would drive carefully, there would be a lot fewer people killed and  injured in accidents. Unfortunately, they don’t. Not long ago, I staged some of the most  common accidents on the road for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. I want you to see  them—and see what can happen to innocent people when other drivers get careless. First, let’s  take the stop-street intersection here. I come, minding the speed limit: Stop street ahead.  I’ve got the right of way. And here comes another car—stop sign ahead of him—but he  doesn’t even slow down. Maybe he figures, “Well, there’s nothing coming. I’ll  take a chance.” And what a chance. If only drivers wouldn’t go through stop  signs—but they do, and kill thousands every year. Now, how’s this for carelessness? Looks safe  enough, doesn’t it? That truck is well over on his side—but watch—just because someone took a chance  to pass him without looking. It happens every day. Here’s an accident that wouldn’t happen if  only people would remember a simple rule: The rule is, stay a full car length behind  the car ahead for every 10 miles an hour you’re driving. At 40, I should be  four car lengths behind him—but I’m not. If he decides to stop… they call  that tailgating, and I call it stupid. Tailgating causes more accidents and more injuries  than any other kind of carelessness on the road. Watch what happens because some guy  forgot to click a little button: a car comes towards me, he  doesn’t lower his lights, and I can’t see. How many times have  you forgotten to lower your lights? Here’s another pair of lights all  drivers should heed—but they don’t: a train warning at a railroad crossing. Some  drivers still try to beat the train. Let me show you what can happen. That car stops—I  don’t. It’s shocking to know that 1,200 people still die each year at railroad crossings.  If only drivers would stop, look, and listen. Here’s another major cause of accidents: passing  on hills. Watch what the other car does to me—and what some car could do to you. This hill’s  a series of twists and turns—you can’t see what’s ahead. Another car takes a chance  and decides to pass—hang on. I made it, but would you? If only drivers  would read and heed the signs. Here’s something else to heed: the double line.  It also means no passing. If you don’t—well, watch me stage a head-on collision at  50 mph. There I go, well on my own side, observing a double line, with the car  coming at me. Once he veers over… For me, this is a simple stunt; for you, it would be  disaster. Watch your neck—watch the double line. Watch traffic lights, too. Too many people try  to beat them just to save a few seconds—they can lose their lives. Let me show you: the black  car on the right is going to try to beat the light as I approach. The light turns green  for me and red for him—he tries to beat it. If only drivers wouldn’t try to save that  extra second—it would save countless lives every year. About 38,000 people  lose their lives in auto accidents. If only drivers would learn what I  learned—and what I taught Joie Jr. You’ve got two choices: be a  careful driver, or a dead one. Here’s another lesson I’d like  every driver to learn. Tell them, son: when we put on our show, or  stage the accidents you just saw, we rig our cars with just one piece of special  equipment—and that’s the safety belt. Without it, we couldn’t survive the stunts; without  it, you might not survive an accident. Well, folks, you haven’t seen anything  yet. Watch now as Joie Chitwood Senior and Joie Jr. come down the straightaway with  two-car precision driving—side by side: up and over elevation number one, now moving  into rampway number two, up and over again, and flying high into rampway number three,  down into that far turn. Now this time, Joie Sr. in car number two crisscrosses behind  Joie Jr. as he leads rampway number one, down again on four wheels, and ready  for rampway number two, watching him there as he squeezes in and leaving elevation  number three—and once again into that bar. And this time now it’s four cars: four cars  crisscrossing back and forth. The first and third car speeding to the right; the second and  fourth diving down in between them as they cross between the elevations. There’s that first  crossover. Watch them way back there as they move between ramps number one and two—another  narrow escape—and way into that car turn. Now it’s four cars side-to-side, wheel-to-wheel,  hub-to-hub, fender-to-fender, bumper-to-bumper. Watch them on that straightaway as they move  into the first elevation—up and over and flying high—and ready for rampway number two. You can  cover these cars with a shield as they move into rampway number three and down into the turn. And  now this time once again, they move back, crisscrossing back and forth between the first and third car,  diving to the right and now down to the left, the second and fourth car just squeezing in between  them as they go way back into that far turn. Watch it there! Back into that far turn  with Joie Chitwood and a group of daredevil drivers—and now this four-car run down the  straightaway, crisscrossing as they leave the elevation. There’s the first car up and over;  the second car diving down in between with his left wheels. Now the third and fourth car up the elevations—and whoa, there was a close one. They move back into that turn. Now keep your  eyes on the back straightaway. Here is Joie Chitwood bringing that car back, reversing the  entire motion of that automobile and spinning it all the way around. Well, that’s it, folks. And now before  you leave, here’s Joie Chitwood: “Everything we do on the track calls for  careful driving; everything you do on the road calls for the same. So drive  careful—drive safely—this afternoon, tomorrow, every time you climb behind the wheel.” Good afternoon—and on your way  home, please drive with care. If only all drivers would heed Joie  Chitwood’s advice—but they don’t. The result: over 10 million accidents  a year, more than 38,000 killed. These are not statistics; these are people. How about you? Do you have to learn the hard  way, too? Or can you take a tip from someone who knows? Obey your conscience—obey the rules—and  help make the road a safer place. Starting now.