America has a problem with big trucks. No, it isn’t the traffic they cause or how slow they make the highways just when you want to get somewhere. It isn’t the potholes that they make that take forever to repair, nor is it the pieces of tire they leave in the middle of the highway.

No, America’s problem is that trucks are getting into way too many accidents, and because of their size, those accidents are causes a great deal of damage to property, to roads, and causing too much loss of life.

How can we fix this issue? How can we limit the damage our trucks are doing?

Some might have the reactionary response of trying to limit trucking, but that isn’t realistic in this country. With such a vast amount of space, the need to transport so many goods, and a lack of railroads, there aren’t a lot of options other than trucks. To change that dynamic would take a massive investment that no one is willing to make. Trucks are here to stay.

So, what else can we try?

The answer is simpler than you may think: sleep.

There are plenty of reasons for truck accidents (this law firm site I found lists a few), but one of the major issues is truck drivers driving irresponsibly because of a lack of sleep. Exhaustion plays a major roll in accidents of all kinds, and since truckers have to drive so much, they expose themselves to the risks of exhaustion more than others. In fact, exhaustion is the cause of another major reason for accidents: drinking and drugs.

If drivers need more sleep, what can we do to make them get it?

That is trickier. Truckers are on strict schedules, and they can’t afford delays, which means they probably aren’t getting as much sleep as they should. If their schedules were relaxed a little, they would be able to get more rest, but what company is willing to take the financial hit that would be required to make sure the drivers are getting enough shut-eye?

A further issue and one that might be more easily solved is the number of truck drivers with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea makes it hard to get good, deep sleep. If more was done to test and treat sleep apnea amongst truck drivers, there might be a decrease in accidents.

Overall, a major issue with truck accidents is the fact the drivers aren’t sleeping enough, they aren’t rested enough, and so they make stupid mistakes that can cause a great deal of harm. Diagnosing the problem is the easy part, though. It’s much harder figuring out exactly how to fix the problem. Truckers need more sleep, but who is going to let them get it?

read more

I just don’t understand toys these days. When I was a kid, they were simple and sweet. There were dolls, there were fire trucks and cars, there were toy boats. Yes, there were toy guns, but they were simple and cartoonish mostly.

Nowadays, every toy seems like it could cause a seize or put someone’s eye out. They are all sharp edges and neon colors. They flash, they blink, they shout at you. How can children ever be calm if every toy screams and blares music? Some of them seem to have strobe lights.

I’m not surprised that some toy companies can get sued for causing children harm. I’m actually surprised more don’t get sued. I can’t think of one toy my grandson has that isn’t inappropriate in some way.

Even the stuffed animals are all crazy colors with something like fleece fur. He doesn’t have a single traditional teddy bear. I suppose at this point, he wouldn’t even want one. But even if he doesn’t want teddy bears, doesn’t he want any sweet, gentle stuffed toys? Of the whole mess of toys that I find scattered around his room and on his bed, I have found only one black and white penguin toy, which was neglected in the corner. And that’s a toy I bought him.

I don’t want to blame my daughter and say she’s raising her son wrong because that’s not how I feel. I watch my grandson eat his vegetables. He’s healthy and strong and happy. My daughter’s doing a great job raising him. It’s not her fault toys are like this. I’ve been down the toy aisles at the store, it’s not that she’s choosing to buy these toys, it’s that there aren’t other toys available. She didn’t choose to not buy him a teddy bear, she couldn’t find one.

It seems the only way to get nice, simple toys like before is to specially order them online, and they can be quite expensive. I looked into getting my grandson a little toy duck that is on a string. It can follow him around as he walks. Do you know how much it cost? Almost thirty bucks! Compare that to the average loud, screaming bright toy in the toy aisle, and you can see why a parent on a budget chooses bad toys for their child.

This just has to stop at some point. I’m sure all this racket isn’t good for children’s brains. The toys are too loud, and just to add another point here at the end, TV programs are too loud now too. Other than the shows on PBS (which do remain soft and gentle, thankfully), I haven’t seen a single show that isn’t just like those toys: too bright, too loud, too flashy, and too in your face.

I don’t mean to sound like a grumpy old woman about all this. I know tastes change. I don’t mind that he plays with different toys than I did or my daughter did, I just want him to play with toys of good quality that are good for him. Is that too much to ask?

read more