While July 4 and Dec. 25 may get all the holiday glory, we’re hoping to raise some awareness for Oct. 10: Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day.

The Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day program was born on Oct. 10, 2001 with a mission to raise public awareness about the major causes of transportation fatalities and their avoidance in an upbeat fashion. This year’s theme is, “Don’t be Driven to Distraction — Drive to Arrive”.

We dropped program founder Larry W. Emig, P.E., a line this morning to see how he’s building awareness 11 years into the program. Emig says that he hopes that someday soon, the U.S. will see a single day with zero auto fatalities — he sees one day as an important milestone. “Just like the great American Smokeout, our program has a goal of not having any fatalities on a single day.”

Emig was busy commenting on the blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood when we called. Today’s Dot blog focuses on awareness surrounding Put the Brakes of Fatalities Day. Read the entry in full by clicking here.

For drivers, the program focuses on safe driving practices, and today we encourage automotive repair pros to reinforce the importance of proper vehicle maintenance as a safety issue.  While we don’t encourage scare tactics, we do encourage you to share real-world stories like the tragic story of Cindy Rivera, who has been charged with negligent homicide to help your customers face the fact that the brake job they want to postpone could cost much more than they bargained for.