Drivers who text or e-mail on the road are an even bigger danger than previously thought, according to a new study by the Texas Transportation Institute.

Some scary stats revealed:

• A driver’s reaction time is doubled (from 1-2 seconds to at least 3-4 seconds) when distracted by reading or sending a text message.
• Texting drivers were more than 11 times more likely to miss a flashing light altogether.
• Also, texting drivers were less able to safely maintain their position in the driving lane or to maintain a constant speed.

How big is the problem? Well, U.S. Transportation Department statistics suggest that distracted driving contributes to as much as 20 percent of all fatal crashes, and at least one in five motorists has admitted to texting while driving.

The best defense when fending off Old Man Winter may be maintenance of your home’s heating system. But, if you decide to give alternative heating a try, make safety a top priority. The Institute for Business &

Home Safety (IBHS) suggests:

◊ Look for products tested by Underwriters Laboratory (UL).

◊ Buy models with automatic shut-off features and heat element guards.

◊ Maintain a 36-inch clearance between the heater and combustible materials, such as bedding, furniture, wall coverings or other flammable items.

◊ Do not leave a heater unattended.

◊ Check every electrical cord for fraying and cracking. If one looks worn, replace it before using.

◊ Install carbon monoxide detectors in several parts of the house.

Other safety suggestions:

◊ Never use a kerosene heater indoors.

◊ Never use electric or gas stoves to heat the home. They are not intended for that purpose and can cause fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.

◊ If using a wood fireplace, have it inspected annually by a professional chimney sweep.

Go to disastersafety.org for more.

Many times we struggle with coming up with strategies to help us succeed in our career.  I want to challenge people by proposing the notion that the first step toward success in your career is as simple as following the Golden Rule: treat others as you would want to be treated.  This could pertain whether you are an employer, employee or provider to a client base in your industry.

As an employee, there is a basic expectation that you show up to work on time and not leave early.  But what we chose to do while we are on the job, and level of effort we put into our work, is more discretionary.  I propose this can be applicable to the Golden Rule.  By using this example of how we spend our work hours, let's suggest the employee looks at the situation as if they were the employer?  Would that person want to compensate an employee who chooses to spend their time on the job doing things such as surfing the web, engaging in social media, or spending significant time emailing or calling family or friends? 

For employers, would you want to be given positive reinforcement for performing a job well done if you were the employee? From the perspective of being an employee, would you want to be criticized for making an honest mistake, a mistake that the employer could be just as apt to make?  Would you want to be acknowledged only for the times you make an error or fail to meet an expectation, to the point of feeling belittled and inept at performing your job?

 As a service provider, if you were the disgruntled client calling in with a complaint, would you want to be treated with un-compassion, impatience and indifference?  Wouldn't we always be hopeful that we would be greeted as a preferred client when we call our provider, or stop into their location.  Would we not want to feel like our problems and concerns were our provider’s problems and concerns?  Would we not want to have the impression that priority was being given to these issues, and would we not want to see these issues or requests resolved in a timely manner?

 Obviously, being trained and educated to optimally perform functions of your job is critical to job success, but couldn’t we argue the following the Golden Rule creates a great foundation to build from, using these knowledge and job skills?