Davis-Moore Blog

For many years, drinking and driving has received the majority of attention when it comes to traffic accidents and fatalities, but another deadly combination that has become the norm for many can be just as fatal. Texting and driving has become a habit -and it’s not just teenagers! Many adults text while driving, answer emails and turn their vehicles into a mobile office…and most of us have surely driven by a swerving car only to see a parent texting- with a young child in the back seat!!

A study by AAA and Seventeen Magazine found that 61% of teens admit to risky driving habits, and 46% of those kids say they text and drive. That’s an alarming number of kids who admit to texting behind the wheel! In another study released by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, researchers found that “texting took a driver’s focus away from the road for an average of 4.6 second-enough time to travel the length of at football field at 55 mph.” In that length of time you could swerve off the road, hit another car-or cause serious injury to yourself or others.

Kansas has taken a step to try and combat the problem with young drivers in Kansas House Bill 2143, which was passed into law in 2009. The new law, which went into effect on January 1st of this year, prohibits drivers with instruction permits, farm permits, or restricted licenses from operating wireless communication devices when they are driving, exceptions being to report illegal activity or to summon emergency help. This new law defines “wireless communication device” as “any wireless electronic communication device that provides for voice or data communication between two or more parties. (source: www.drivinglaws.org/kansas)

There are also cell phone applications being developed to help parents control the availability of text functions on their children’s phones. “Textecution”, an app only currently available for adroid phones, uses GPS to determine how fast a cell phone is “moving.” If it is traveling at a speed greater than 10 mph the texting function is disabled-along with internet browsing. There are still some flaws in the design-the system can’t distinguish if you are simply a passenger in a vehicle and in those cases also will not allow you to text. However in cases like that access can be requested via a quick message to the parent asking for access-parents have control of the system from their own mobile device. (www.textecution.com)

But, kids will learn from example, and if you don’t put down the cell phone while driving neither will they. And if you continue to respond to friends and business associates asking how long until you arrive at a meeting-they will continue to try and reach you when you are trying to safely arrive at your destination. Set a good example for those around you and pledge to no longer text and drive-when you have the urge to text, tweet, email or type in anyway while driving just ignore the urge or pull over. For your safety and the safety of everyone around you-texting and driving just isn’t worth the risk.

Davis-Moore would like to thank Johnny Western for his contributions to the city of Wichita and country music.  A nationwide country music legend, his absence will be felt in the Wichita community for a long time to come.

Radio in Wichita will never be the same as a true icon of country music, Johnny Western, is retiring from his regular daytime radio show at KFTI. Davis-Moore salutes Western and wishes him the best, and sincerely hopes that he enjoys all the newfound time with his grandkids — however his presence will be felt by country music fans and Wichitans for a long time to come. Davis-Moore President Dawson Grimsley, a friend of Johnny’s who has known him a number of years and has heard many of his great stories, calls Western “One of the crown jewels of Wichita, an icon of icons.”

Johnny Western has been part of KFTI (formerly KFDI) in Wichita since 1985, and unlike many DJ’s, he’s actually been around the block in the music industry. You could say that like any career, his began with the basics, or the ABC’s……Autry, Boone & Cash. In 1956 Gene Autry, Johnny Western’s hero, signed Western to be his featured singer and personal guitarist. Beginning with his gig on the Autry show, Johnny’s career as an actor took off in 1957 and he appeared in 37 features and a western TV series. Very notably, after appearing on the TV Series “Have Gun Will Travel”, Johnny wrote the song The Ballad of Palladin. Originally written as a thank you to the star of the series, Richard Boone, the song became the theme for the show. This led to a song writing partnership that would last close to 40 years with Richard Boone and the show’s creator, Sam Rolfe. As for Johnny Cash, he signed Western to be a featured performer and emcee of his roadshow in 1958. In addition to that, Western also played guitar on 71 of Cash’s singles and 5 of his albums – they toured together for 40 years.

Western was inducted into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame in 2000, and was inducted into America’s Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame the same year. In 2001 Western received a great honor for a Cowboy singer and movie/television personality – he was inducted into the Western Music Association Hall of Fame, joining his hero, Gene Autry, and others like Roy Rogers and Rex Allen. In 2003 Western received the Cowboy Spirit of the West Award from the National Festival of the West. The theme in 2003 was “Balladeers of the West”, and Western was the perfect honoree. In 2008 he was named Disc Jockey of the year by the Western Music Association.

Here in Wichita, Western is beloved for his show on KFTI. Anyone who has heard him knows that Western has never been a typical DJ; he has always been much more. He relates stories to his listeners from the view of someone who has actually been there and seen it all. It’s not a script — it’s what he’s actually experienced and lived, and Wichita is fortunate to have had this musical icon in our city for as long as we have. Western has continued to tour and work film festivals and road shows all over the country…but in the past he has always come back home to Wichita. At 75, Western has decided that today is his last day on KFDI radio and is retiring and moving with his wife to Arizona to spend more time with family. Here at Davis-Moore we wish Western the best and know that Wichita’s loss is definitely his grandkids’ gain. However, we also know that we speak for all of Wichita when we ask… Who is going to fill Johnny Western’s shoes? But we all know the answer…Nobody.

Congratulations, Johnny, and THANK YOU for all you’ve done for Wichita!

Safety Sales Month is almost over at Davis-Moore, and to wrap up our Safety articles for March, we thought there no better topic than the safety of the entire community and something we can all do to help out. Simply by utilizing something that is FREE to everyone, we can all help make our community a safer place. Want to know how?  Read on!

What is Citizen Observer?
For everyone out there who thinks of social media as a time waster- this article is for you! And for everyone out there who uses social media to stay in the know about anything and everything- this article is for you too! With continuing reliance on social media, internet and mobile devices, the Wichita Police Department is putting these mediums to practical use with Citizen Observer. Citizen Observer allows the Wichita Police Department to instantly update you about crimes, emergencies and other important information- either for the entire Wichita area, a specified zip code or a type of business. There are many different types of alerts available, all pushed out to facebook, twitter, via text message and your personal email- making it accessible at home, work or on your mobile device. The WPD’s YouTube channel also provides helpful tips relating to crimes- such as, if a neighborhood is experiencing a string of burglaries with the same type of method used to break in, the police can post a video explaining how to protect yourself against this specific type and style of crime. Social Media and the internet have never been more beneficial to you on an individual basis than now, when helping to keep you and your family safe.

How Citizen Observer Helps
Aside from the benefits to the general public from this type of communication, the benefits to the Police Department are also vast. The service allows the police to instantaneously communicate with the community, to keep them away from dangerous areas and immediately provide data on suspects who may be fleeing a crime scene moments after the crime. Reducing the communication time to seconds rather than the hours it takes to communicate via traditional media helps to close cases quicker, keep crime scenes and areas clear for police officers and enhances “Intelligence Led Policing”- where the public plays a vital role in helping to keep our city safe. Another great benefit is that there is not technical management or additional IT investments required-as facebook, twitter, email and YouTube are all service free to the general public.

What Kinds of Alerts You Receive
So-what kind of alerts can you receive? Alerts can be specific to a certain type of business, (media, pharmacies, pawn shops, etc), or specific to a certain zip code or radius within the city. External public groups like neighborhood groups and schools can receive targeted alerts, and secure private groups can be created by the WPD for more sensitive communication. Have a tip? Email tips come in via an encrypted Adobe PDF file and are directed to authorized personnel-ensuring your anonymity. Police can then respond in real time to the tipster if need be, and tips can be analyzed and reported on in a more timely manner.

How Do I Sign Up?
SO-the biggest thing that you can do to help is simply participate! Sign up online at www.citizenobserver.com/registration.jsp. Fill out the form and you’re done! Alerts are delivered to you by email, and are also available via text message to your cell phone. Find the Wichita Police Department on Facebook (Wichita Police Department) to see updates there, or follow them on Twitter (WichitaPolice)! About 8,000 people in the community have joined the Wichita Police Department Citizen Alert Network. However, budget issues have forced the department to look elsewhere for funding for this vital project. Davis-Moore is looking to assist the Wichita Police Department with sustaining Citizen Observer. If you would like to assist Davis-Moore with supporting Citizen Observer, contact us with your donation at 618.2000 (ask for Tara) or come by our Jeep Chrysler Dodge dealership at 6205 E. Kellogg. Let’s make sure that our community can continue to have this valuable resource at our fingertips-and let’s spread the word to get everyone involved.

Social media is revolutionizing the way that people communicate, so let’s put this great medium to practical use. And let’s all be good citizens of this great community. Stay safe and from everyone at Davis-Moore and the WPD-remember to buckle up!

What: Car Seat Check
Where: Davis-Moore Chevrolet – 8200 W. Kellogg
When: Saturday, March 20th
Time: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Each car seat check will take 20-30 minutes, so get there early and plan to be there for a bit. We will start the last checks around noon. Brett Harris from B-98 FM will be broadcasting live from the Chevy dealership at 9am on Saturday! GM is a proud partner of Safe Kids Buckle Up and the safety checks are done in conjunction with the Safe Kids Campaign through Via Christi.

March of every year, Davis-Moore celebrates safety with our Safety Sales Event, and every year we also highlight different safety related issues and topics.  However, there is one topic that we address every year-the safety of children in cars.  Today, at the Davis-Moore Chevrolet dealership at 8200 W Kellogg, we will be hosting Child Safety Seat checks in cooperation with the Safe Kids Kansas Campaign through Via Christi.  Volunteers from Safe Kids will be conducting the checks from 9am-1pm, so please come down and check-in with them to make sure that YOUR child is as safe in your vehicle as possible!

Child Safety seats and safety belts can prevent injuries and save lives-when installed properly. Children restrained in child safety seats have an 80% lower risk of fatal injury than those children who are unrestrained. You should always buckle your child into an appropriate Safety Seat for their size and you should ALWAYS set a good example by wearing your seat belt, too! It’s a fact that children are more likely to be properly restrained when the driver of their vehicle is also wearing their seat belt!

A few key tips to follow with Child Safety Seats!
Always ensure that every occupant is restrained for every ride, no matter how short the drive may be. Manufacturer’s instructions should always be followed, and infants should ride in rear facing child safety seats for a as long as possible (a minimum of 12 months old and 20 pounds). Once a child outgrows a rear-facing car seat, they should move to a forward facing car seat-and the safety seat tether should always be used for optimal protection! Children over 40 pounds should be secured in a booster seat or other appropriate child restraint until adult lap and shoulder seat belts fit correctly-which is approximately 4’9” and 80-100 pounds, (about 8-12 years old). Additionally, with any child safety seat you purchase, ALWAYS return the product registration card to the manufacturer so you’ll be notified of any recalls.

It’s also important to remember that safety seats aren’t the only safety issue when it comes to kids and cars! Be sure to walk all the way around your car before you begin any journey to ensure that there is no one behind it, as back-over accidents are most common at your home, in driveways or in parking lots. Also, NEVER leave children unattended in a vehicle! Especially in the summer, children can get hot very quickly and can suffer from heatstroke or hyperthermia. Children accidentally pressing automatic window buttons while leaning out the window and children climbing into car trunks to “play” are other examples of seemingly innocent activities than can have traumatic results. Make sure and teach children that the car is not a toy, jungle gym or place to play!

If you have child safety seat questions, please come and see us today, go online to www.kansasboosterseat.org or call Safe Kids Kansas at (785) 296-0351. Remember no matter your age to always buckle up and drive safely!

ELIMINATE BLIND SPOTS:
By Changing the Way You Set Your Side-View Mirrors:

Learning to set your vehicle’s side-view mirrors so you no longer have dangerous blind spots is one of the most important adjustments you can make to improve your driving safety.  Once your mirrors are set correctly, it will be much easier to safely change lanes and merge into traffic, because any vehicle coming up behind or beside you will be visible in at least one of your mirrors at all times.

The rearview mirror is easy to adjust:  Its purpose is to show what’s directly behind you.  But many people make a crucial error when they set their side-view mirrors – creating dangerous blind spots on both sides of their vehicle.

BLIND SPOTS
Some of us were taught to adjust our side mirrors by sitting behind the steering wheel and turning the mirrors so we can see the sides of our vehicle.  But this actually creates tunnel vision to the rear of the car, and overlaps much of what your rearview mirror already shows you.  It also creates blind spots on the left and right sides of your vehicle, momentarily preventing you from seeing a vehicle that’s attempting to pass.

THE CORRECT WAY
To eliminate blind spots, adjust your side mirrors as follows:

1. Sitting in the driver’s seat, lean over to the left until your head touches the driver’s side window.  Adjust the left side mirror outward until you can just barely see the very edge of your car – with your head still touching the glass of the driver’s side window.

2. Now, lean the same distance to your right, until your head is in the middle of the car.  Adjust the right mirror outward until you can see just the very edge of the car – with your head still in the middle of the car.

3. Sitting in your normal driving position, all three mirrors should work in harmony with each other. Your rearview mirror should show what’s behind you. The left mirror should show you what’s coming up on your left, and the right mirror should show you what’s coming up on your right. Before upcoming traffic leaves your rearview mirror entirely, it should be visible in one of your side mirrors – with no blind spot, no delays.

After you make the initial adjustments, you might still need to tweak them slightly. And driving (and backing up) with your mirrors set this way may take getting used to. Learn to rely on your rearview mirror first, and get used to what your side-view mirrors are reflecting. Once you get used to it, you should find it much easier and safer to change lanes, pass other vehicles and merge into fast moving traffic. By taking the time to adjust your mirrors correctly, you’ll be able to drive more confidently – because you will have eliminated dangerous blind spots.

Davis-Moore is proud to participate in National Wear Red Day sponsored by the American Heart Association. Heart disease is no longer just a ‘man’s disease.’ It’s become the #1 killer of women. The American Heart Association is encouraging all women to educate themselves and loved ones about the risks and prevention of heart disease. You can take part in raising awareness of Heart Disease by joining us this Friday, February 5th, as we ‘Go Red for Women.’  Please take a moment and check out Go Red for Women and learn more about your risks, prevention, and how to join us in raising awareness of heart disease.