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TIPS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS

2007-04-28T12:45:00.000-05:00

Develop the right attitude about driving.

Many teen auto accidents are a result of
attitude and maturity. Make a commitment
to yourself to practice a responsible attitude
about driving. You’re controlling over 3,000
pounds of fast-moving metal, and you owe it
to yourself, your passengers and other drivers
to drive responsibly.

Develop the right attitude about driving.
Many teen auto accidents are a result of
attitude and maturity. Make a commitment
to yourself to practice a responsible attitude
about driving. You’re controlling over 3,000
pounds of fast-moving metal, and you owe it
to yourself, your passengers and other drivers
to drive responsibly.

Get as much supervised practice driving
as possible.
Your parents should take an active role in
your practice driving. Make a firm schedule
with them and stick to it. And keep it up until
you take your test to get a license.

ALWAYS wear your safety belt.
Get into the habit of wearing your safety belt
whenever you drive or ride – no exceptions.
Underage drinking and drug use is illegal.
Even if you’ve consumed only one drink or
smoked one joint, there is a chemical effect
on your brain that can impair judgment and
reaction time. Driving under the influence of
alcohol, marijuana or other illegal drugs can
cost you your license – or your life. Visit www.
Freevibe.com for more facts on drug use.

Limit your passengers.
Your risk of a fatal crash increases with every
additional passenger. When you’re a new
driver, it’s best to limit your number of passengers.

Limit your night driving.
Your risk of a fatal crash is three times higher
at night than in the day for every mile driven.
It is better to avoid nighttime driving until
you’re comfortable driving during the day.

Keep it slow and safe for starters.
Fast-moving, high volumes of traffic can make
you feel uncomfortable, so avoid them until
you can get enough supervised driving experience.
Then you can gradually introduce more
difficult driving situations, like highway driving,
merging off ramps and driving in cities.

Train for poor weather conditions.
Even when you begin to feel confident driving
on dry pavement, it’s best to avoid driving in
bad weather conditions unsupervised. Keep
it simple at first, and get as much supervised
practice driving in poor weather as you can
before trying it on your own.

Cell phones are for emergency use only
on the road.
One of the worst habits anyone can get into
is talking on a cell phone while driving. Keep
a cell phone with you in the car for emergency
situations only. If you have to use a cell
phone, pull safely over to the side of the road.

Drive a safe vehicle.
If you are thinking of getting your own car,
look for one with high safety ratings. Avoid
small cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles.
Check out federal statistics and consumer
report literature to help to evaluate the safety
rating of a car or truck. The Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety (the people who do
crash tests) offers valuable vehicle safety
test results and advisories. Just go to
www.highwaysafety.org.

Operating Your Vehicle Safely

2007-04-28T12:32:00.000-05:00

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA), about one quarter of all
traffic accidents are attributed to driver
distractions. Some of the most common distractions
while driving include:

* Glancing at an accident, a vehicle pulled
over by law enforcement, a billboard or just a
scenic view.
* Using/dialing your mobile phone.
* Eating and/or drinking.
* Adjusting the climate control.
* Operating radio/cassette/CD player.
* Smoking.
* Personal grooming.
* Moving object in the vehicle (such as an insect).

Remember that driving a car is a serious responsibility
that requires your full attention. You should always be
aware of the traffic around you, and try to minimize
your distractions by simply using common sense and good
judgment.

Top Sneaky Car Repair Tricks # 1

2007-03-05T11:39:00.000-05:00

By Kelli B. Grant,
Associate Editor, SmartMoney.com
WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE: We take our car in for a repair and a little voice inside our head wonders "Am I getting ripped off?" The best way to prevent rip-offs is to find a trustworthy mechanic who is both certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and recommended by AAA.

Even if you aren't that thorough, most mechanics are on the up-and-up.

That said, here are five sneaky tricks to watch out for:

1. Spit-Shine Fixes

Here's the scam: The mechanic will tell you something in your car needs to be replaced, like the starter motor. But rather than replace that perfectly fine-functioning device, the mechanic simply removes it, gives it a good cleaning so it looks like new, and puts it back in your car. Parts singled out for the spit-shine trick are those that are easily removed, says Jack Nerad, executive editorial director of Kelley Blue Book. Batteries, for example, are prime targets, as are oil filters and radiators. Some shops won't bother to do anything at all -- instead telling you they replaced the part with one that was refurbished (and so, unlikely to appear shiny and new).

Your fix: Have your mechanic point out the part in question to be replaced. "Mark it in some way," suggests Nerad, while the mechanic isn't looking. If that seems pretty much impossible, take the car home before agreeing to the work. Try a dot of Wite-Out correction fluid or a swipe of chalk. Then, post-repair, ask to see the old part and the shop's purchase order for its replacement. You'll know your old part by its identifying mark, and the new one from the dated receipt.

10 Driving Tips

2007-01-20T10:30:00.000-05:00

By JOE HOLLINGSWORTH
Virtually all Americans think they are "above average" or "average" drivers. (The four percent that are "below average" are everywhere!) Most U.S. males think they should be in NASCAR instead of Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. It's nice we have such positive self-images.

Since you don't need the following driving tips, how about passing them on to your friends? Guys, send them to Jeff Gordon.

1. Pay Attention
A recent study found that in about three-quarters of crashes, the driver was inattentive within three seconds of the wreck. Investigating officers far too often hear" "I never saw the other car until right before we hit." If you're not looking, you won't see the other car until it lands on your hood.

2. Anticipate
Fans often marvel about racers' lightning-fast reactions. The truth is that racers can't afford to react. Instead they anticipate. At 160 (or 60) mph, if they wait until their car's rear tires start to slide, there's little hope of avoiding a spin. But if they can anticipate the loss of traction --either by knowing a section of track is slick or by feeling the incipient slide -- they won't lose control or even much time. On the highway, you need to do the same thing. Anticipate that the light rain shower has filled the wagon-wheel ruts with water. Anticipate that the driver on the cross street is not going to stop. Anticipate that the little old man in the car ahead will brake for no apparent reason. Anticipate that a crash in the southbound lanes will mean a backup in the northbound lanes. Anticipate that one driver will turn without a signal and the next will go straight with his signal on.

3. Sober -- And Hang -- Up
Despite two decades' worth of education, enforcement, and harpy nagging, a third of fatal accidents involve a drunk driver. Sadly, cell phones are replacing alcohol as a driving impairment. Hang up and drive. And a spilled soda is several times more distracting than a "What do you want for dinner?" phone call.

4. Prep Your Ride
On under-inflated, mismatched, or worn-out tires, Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher can drive no better than a chimp. With worn-out brakes, his Ferrari will stop no shorter than the Flintsone-mobile. Many of the new safety features, such as electronic stability control, cannot perform their magic without top-performing brakes and tires.

5. Figure Out The Clues
Other drivers regularly tell you things. Brake lights on a straight section mean there's a ladder in the road. Oncoming cars burning headlights during the day mean a rain shower ahead. Out-of-state plates or car rental agency stickers tell you to expect sudden stops and turns. Rusty dents says, "I have so many wrecks, I don't bother to fix them." A can of orange juice on the dash means there's possibly a bottle of vodka under the seat.

6. See And Be Seen
Regularly scan out to the limit of your vision. (Measure how far ahead you look: With a dry-erase marker, make a thin line at pupil height. See how often you look under the line.) Use only your peripheral vision to position your car laterally within your lane. Apply a rain-shedding product to the exterior surfaces of all windows (and the outside mirrors, too). Replace windshield wipers twice a year. Engage the air conditioner and fresh air (not recirculation) setting when windows fog over. Turn on your headlights -- not just the parking lights -- well before sunset and in rainy or foggy weather. Use your turn signals.

7. Learn Your Car
Humans who haven't practiced for an emergency often lock-up like a virus-infected computer, or a deer blinded by headlights. Many -- if not most -- car crashes would be avoided if the drivers had employed the timely and proper combination of additional braking and more steering. With anti-lock brakes, it's easy to experience your vehicle's ultimate stopping power: Find a vacant stretch of road (or parking lot) and "Stomp, Stay, and Steer." Stomp the brake pedal to the floor. Stay hard on it. (Other than slightly accelerated brake pad wear, it won't hurt the car.) Finally, steer around the obstacle. (Understand: A little bit of steering goes a long way.) Practice before the emergency.

8. Go Right
Almost half of all left-turn crashes in urban areas result in injury. And if you're the one making the left, you'll also receive the insult of a traffic ticket -- even if the straight-through driver ran the red light. Plan your route to limit intersections without a left-turn arrow. Rather than turning left out of a parking lot, take a right and go around the block. While two wrongs don't make a right, three rights make a left.

9. Work Smarter
Only a fool (or a teenager) closes his eyes while driving 70 mph on the freeway. Yet, you do essentially the same thing whenever you look over your shoulder before changing lanes. With properly adjusted outside mirrors you'll need to look no more than about 50 degrees away from straight ahead. That way, your peripheral vision can keep tabs on the traffic ahead and clear blind spots. Your mirrors are improperly adjusted if you can see the sides of your car. To correctly adjust your left outside mirror, rest your head against the side glass and move the mirror out until you can no longer see the side of the car. Then lean your head as far to the right as the seatbelt will allow and move that mirror out until you can no longer see sheetmetal. You don't need to see the car's sides -- they always follow obediently along. Your "reference" is now the slightly overlapping images on the inside and outside mirrors.

10. Don't Back Up
Backing accidents happen far out of proportion to the small amount of time spent in reverse. Injuries are few but tragic -- frequently a child related to the driver. Choose parking spaces that you can drive straight into and out of. Or CAREFULLY back in so you can drive forward out of the space. Walk around your vehicle before you get in. Limit your backing to the shortest distance in order to restrict your exposure. Also, look out the rear window while backing: Some driving instructors require students to come to a stop when they check mirrors or front clearance.

Driving tips for the Winter Season.

2006-12-30T23:46:00.000-05:00

Winter Driving Tips

For many drivers, navigating on snow and ice is cause for alarm.
When the weather turns foul, remember these driving tips to steer
clear of trouble:

Adjust your speed to current conditions:
When driving in challenging conditions, slow down. Decreasing your speed will allow more time to respond when a difficult situation arises. Factors such as the type of vehicle you are driving, the quality of snow tires your car is equipped with, and your abilities as a driver should all be considered in the speed adjustment.

Anticipate difficult situations:
Studies have shown that 80 percent of all accidents could be prevented with only 1 more second to react. In many situations, this second can be gained by looking far enough down the road to identify problems before you become a part of them.

Don't overestimate:
The capability of four-wheel-drive vehicles is greater than other vehicles, but not limitless. Many drivers mistakenly believe that four-wheel drive is all powerful. Every type of vehicle depends on four small contact patches where the tire meets the road for traction. This small contact area is the limiting factor of any vehicle on a slippery surface. Four-wheel drive does not improve braking or comering effectiveness.

Maintain a comfortable driving environment:
A constant flow of cool air will help to keep you alert, and keep the windows clear of frost. Keeping one window slightly open will allow you to hear sirens and other warning sounds more quickly. Avoid large bulky boots, gloves, and coats, and never drive in ski boots.

Keep your Wipers and Head Lights on.
Whenever daytime visibility is less than ideal, turning on your lights allows you to see, and to be seen by others. Remember this rule of thumb: wipers on, lights on. When traveling in snowy weather, remember to clear tail lights, signal lights, and headlamps regularly.

Gain speed and momentum on the flat before starting uphill.
When the car begins to slow down going up the hill, ease up on the accelerator, allow the car to slow down and crest the hill slowly. If you try and accelerate too hard and spin the wheels, you may lose momentum and not make the top. It's better to make the top at a slower speed than to not make it at all.

Snow and Ice Tires
Be aware that an All Seasons Tire is a compromise, and will not perform as well as a snow and ice tire. To maximize safety and control, use the best snow and ice tires available.

Don't be misled by anti-lock braking systems.
Braking efficiency is limited by the grip available, and the type of tires with which your car is equipped. If you carry to much speed into a corner and then try to brake, even anti-lock brakes won't keep you on the road. Never count on technology to replace good judgment.

Wear quality sunglasses:
Good quality sunglasses help highlight changes in the terrain and road surface even in low visibility conditions.

Compare Hybrid Cars

2006-12-29T16:46:00.000-05:00

As the hybrid cars have been starting to gain some appeal in the United States, they have been one of the forms of cars that has been quite popular in areas of the European Union. These are cars that are made to meet the needs of transportation, but are less harsh to the environment. There have been two variations of these cars: 1) Electricity/Gasoline 2) Electricity/Natural Gas

The hybrid cars have been made by a number of companies and there has been a challenge in finding means to properly compare crossbreed cars as these are a car that few have a basis in comparing which is the best. Some of the brands that are in the market are well known and there are others that are alien to those in the United States.

Those that have seen the advantages of a hybrid car have gone through the long and difficult process that is involved for those that compare hybrid cars for price and for what is the best among the many that are in the market. The hybrid cars have been an industry that has been gaining momentum in various locations in the world.

The one thing that has been a factor when a person is going to evaluate hybrid cars is what cars are available in the area that someone is considering to purchase. There is the possibility of a person getting one shipped to them, but this can make the cars much more expensive.

Many have sought out car reviews that have been made that have compiled a list to compare hybrid cars and what the strengths and the weaknesses are of the cars that are in the market. Some have seen these reviews as a means that are objective in the compare hybrid cars that can make all the difference when someone is considering to get one.

Some have been seeing the ability to compare hybrid cars as a means in gaining a perspective that one can get in finding not only the best hybrid car in the market, but also the one that is best and available in the area that the person lives in. This has made it easier for those that have had an interest in getting a car that is easier on the environment and also the gas pump.

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2006-12-29T12:11:00.000-05:00

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