Green

WHAT LEAD YOU TO INVENT THE PANIC STOP ALERT?

In 2006 I was in a rear-end collision. I was on interstate 80, driving in the fast lane in a 2002 Toyota Tundra pick-up truck. I began to slow down as I realized the vehicles in front of me had all come to a complete stop. While stopped, I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw a lady in a four door sedan pull up right on my bumber. I see another car quickly approaching who appears not to realize that traffi c has stopped. The third car slams right into the poor lady behind me which pushers her into me. Her car was sandwhiched between the two vehicles. This is when I realized, after my accident, that many rear collisions could be prevented if the driver behind was aware of what was going on. As a result I started turning on my emergency fl ashers when situations seemed precarious.

What was the result of turning on your emergency fl ashers when making a "panic stop"

I found that no one would come close to me. Everyone backed off. If you see amber fl ashing lights it will catch your attention a lot quicker than the traditional red light.

How did your rear-end collision result in the Panic Stop Alert?

I knew that in a panic stop I would not have time to manually turn on my fl ashers. I needed something that would trigger my fl ashers automatically. But there was nothing out there. This lead me to invent the Panic Stop Alert. I met with an engi- Ron Long, CEO Panic Stop Alert neer here in Reno, NV who helped me turn my ideas into reality. 10 years later, Panic Stop Alert with Watch My Back is still manufactured and engineered in Reno, NV.

How does Panic Stop Alert work?

Panic Stop Alert activates the vehicles emergency fl ashers if a "panic stop" is made. It turns off after 10 seconds.

What is Watch My Back?

Watch My Back activates the vehicles emergency fl asher when in reverse, turning off after moving forward.

How is Panic Stop Alert installed into the vehicle?

All Panic Stop Alerts are professionally installed by Nevada Auto Sound located at 2966 S. Virginia St. Reno, NV 775-825-8496

How do I get a Panic Stop Alert in my vehicle?

Check us out online at panicstopalert.com or call us at 775-722-2861

PHOTO/KELSEY FITZGERALD

Poedunk trail crew members Kevin Joell, Greg Roller, Ruben Schaber and James Conway work on a section of the B-Lite Trail on Peavine Mountain.

Fresh tracks

Volunteers build new trails on Peavine

Peavine Mountain, located just north of Reno, looks barren from a distance—but up close, a network of trails and dirt roads reveal evidence of a well-loved by landscape. This spring, volunteers from a group called the Poedunks have Kelsey been working to add one more trail to the mix, an 0.83 mile long segment

Fitzgerald called “B-Lite” that will allow hikers, bikers and other trail lovers to connect to Peavine’s extensive trail system from neighborhoods located along Las Brisas Boulevard. Members of the Poedunks, a nonprofit trail building club, have been at work on Peavine Mountain since 2007. In that time, the group’s volunteers have constructed more than 30 miles of trail. Their name is rooted in local history. Poeville or Poe City—also informally called Poedunk—was a mining camp founded by John Poe in 1862, located on the slopes of Peavine. Residents were called “Poedunks.” Although most of the members of the organization are mountainbikers, the new trails are designed for multiple types of users. “We’re assuming that the trail runners, the equestrians, the mountain bikers are going to be using this trail,” said Kevin Joell, Poedunks board member and volunteer trail-builder. “We try to anticipate how they’re going to be using it, and use that in the design.” The B-Lite trail uses modern design techniques that follow the contours of the land, with grade reversals to allow water to flow off the trail, reducing erosion. The design also takes into account the needs of each type of user. Mountain bikers, for example, need wider turns and banked corners.

For a map of the “They’re purpose-built trails,” Joell said. “This trail is going to last Peavine Trail system, longer without maintenance than a trail of older design. And that’s the visit: www.poedunk. org/wp-content/ uploads/ key—none of the land managers have money for maintenance. Most of the stuff that happens around here is volunteer-driven.” 2016/04/2016- The Poedunks’ work on Peavine occurs on Humboldt-Toiyabe trails-map.pdf National Forest land. This particular project has no funding, and has been constructed entirely by volunteer labor. Curtis Johnson, president of the For more information on the Poedunks and Poedunks, credits much of what the group has accomplished on Peavine to a partnership with Forest Service recreation officer Daniel Morris. upcoming volunteer “We have a great working relationship with the Forest Service to be opportunities, visit: able to work in here,” Johnson said. “They’re all legal trails, approved, www.facebook.com/ poedunks which is no simple thing.” In the past, some of the Poedunks’ Peavine trail projects have received grant funding from the Recreational Trails Program, administered by Nevada State Parks. Other funding comes from private donations, and proceeds from a bike race, the Battle Born Enduro. This year’s race, which will be held on Peavine Mountain on May 14, is a 25-mile endurance ride, and will include a section of the new B-Lite trail. In the coming months, the Poedunks are changing their name to reflect new goals, and students from Spanish Springs High School are building them a new website. “We’re going to become the ‘Biggest Little Trails Stewardship.’ We’re kind of branching out and working beyond here on Peavine,” Johnson said. Ω