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Parents have a legal duty to ensure the safety of their infant when they are driving the vehicle. Many persons are of the opinion that holding the baby in the arms of an adult is enough safety. After all, the adult will hold the baby well and will ensure that any jerk or a bump does not affect the baby at all.

Well, road safety has to be assessed from the point of view of accidents and crashes. Why don’t you hold a cup of coffee in your hand and ask your partner to swerve wildly as if he or she is avoiding another vehicle. You will find that the coffee spills over and you may even lose control of the cup in that split second of sudden movement.

Well, how do you think your baby is going to survive the accident if you are going to hold it in your hands? Let us presume that you do your best to keep hold of the baby even when an accident takes place. What about the seat belt?

The seat belt will restrain you from being pulled forward into the windshield or into the front seat. However, what about the baby?

This is the reason why special seats are manufactured for babies when they are being transported in an automobile. If you do not go in for these seats, you will be taking a huge risk with the health of your child. If you have any doubts just log on to the internet and check out related statistics. This will give you clear idea of how serious the problem is.

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It is easier to ensure the safety of an infant when you are driving the vehicle. The infant may cry and howl but can easily be restrained when you fit it inside the harness. However, convincing a five or six year old child to remain seated on the back seat and not to come on to the front seat may prove to be a very difficult task.

For starters, the child may disregard your instructions and may simply jump on to the front seat when the vehicle is in motion. If this coincides with a sudden reduction in speed, the child may very well end up being pushed out of the vehicle through the windshield.

It is important to keep the child away from the front seat because the speed at which the air bags deploy in an accident may injure the child. The air bags are designed in such a manner that they are inflated in a span of a few milliseconds. Before you know it, the air bag would be in front of you and you would have a soft cushion to protect you from the forward jerk.

However, there always is a possibility of the individual getting injured due to the impact to the air bag. Of course, this impact will be far less forceful than the impact with the windshield. However, the child may not withstand this and may face severe injury.

This risk is nonexistent in the backseat. The child will be fitted to the seat through the seat belt and there is very little scope for damage when the car stops suddenly.

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The following factors must be considered in detail when assessing the safety of your infant or child in the automobile.

Which direction is your child facing?

Young kids may enjoy the idea of staring out of the front of the vehicle. However, do you think this rule applies to infants? Not necessarily. An infant would be more interested in the company of his or her family members than the sights and sounds of the world outside the vehicle.

In such a scenario, going in for a seat that faces the back of the vehicle instead of the front is a great way of ensuring the safety of the child. The combination of the seat and the harness will ensure that the child is always secured at all times. The child will be pushed back into the seat every time the vehicle moves forward.

In the event of sudden accident or crash, the vehicle will come to a sudden jerk and everybody will be thrown forward. However, the baby will not be thrown forward because it doesn’t facing the back of the vehicle. Rather, it will be pushed into the seat.

Whether the seats have been installed properly

The safety of the child is completely dependent on how well the seats have been installed. If the seat comes lose, it will be propelled into the windshield when the car comes to a sudden halt. Employ professionals to install the seats. Failing that, you should make use of internet and other resources to install the seats in the best manner possible. Play it safe and double check to ensure the safety of your child.

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The Safe Routes to School grant program was created in 2005, and is administered by the United States Department of Transportation. Grant funds are distributed to each state, who in turn in responsible for selecting applicants based on competitive applications. This program provides grant funds for municipalities and school districts to encourage children to walk or bike to school, and to create safer environments for them to do so.

A generation ago, a majority of students walked to school. Today it is only a small percentage. This grant program was created to change these percentages by increasing safety in and around school zones, to encourage parents to be more involved, and to strengthen communities.

In addition to improving safety for children who walk to school, another benefit of the program is the cost savings to school districts. When children walk to school, there is less traffic congestion, fewer school buses on the road, and less fuel consumed in transportation. It also encourages physical activity for students, which has declined drastically in the last two decades.

The Safe Routes grant program funds a variety of projects with the same goals. There have been many innovative projects, including educational programs, construction of pedestrian and bike paths, installation of bike racks, traffic diversion, and the creation or improvement of walkways and bridges.

Projects can be as small as a single sidewalk in front of one school, or a project that changes policy across an entire school district. The criteria for funding are the effectiveness of the project, and being able to measure the result of increased safety.

 

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The increased traffic around schools during the morning and afternoon rush hours places all pedestrians at risk. Many drivers are distracted or stressed by the rush of getting to or from work, or from being behind a slow-moving school bus. During these times, it’s important to remember that children do not have the same reasoning ability as adults. They are not always aware of the dangers of crossing the street, and do not have the same understanding of traffic laws.

School zone speed limits were implemented to keep drivers conscientious, and to enable them to stop quickly and safely if they need to. Always remember that where there is a school bus, there will probably be a small child getting on or off. The size of the school bus reduces visibility, and children may dart into or across the street without realizing the danger.

It’s also important to watch out for crossing guards and other safety personnel. Although they are there to help direct traffic and make intersections safer, their eyes can’t be everywhere at once. Even if there are no signs indicating where a school zone starts, use common sense and be extra vigilant near a school.

It is every driver’s responsibility to watch for children and to avoid distracted driving. In most states, penalties for traffic violations within a school zone are higher than those for regular violations. Using extra caution is the prudent thing to do.

When Something Goes Wrong

If you are involved in an incident injury attorneys los angeles can help you resolve your case. They can help you know if you have a valid case and your chances of winning. These cases often deal with large companies whose main objective is to keep from having to pay out because of their mistake. Experienced attorneys will be able to more successfully negotiate with these large companies.

Another Danger with Car Safety Issues

Some cars have been recalled due to various safety issues. One of the most popular cars in today’s fuel efficiency minded world is the Toyota Prius. This is also one involved with recalls on some of the 2010 models. The braking systems have been found to be faulty on some of these cars.

When You Are At Fault

Sometimes you may find yourself on the “at fault” side of an accident or incident. What do you do then? You still may want to consult an attorney, as they can represent the possible percentage that you weren’t at fault, such as if the incident was caused by faulty equipment or poor driving conditions.

 

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Many parents feel that the school bus is a safe method of transportation, and take for granted that their children will be transported to and from school unharmed. Fortunately, school bus accidents are relatively rare. This is likely due to the continual evolution and improvement of school bus safety standards.

Following most motor vehicle accidents, drivers report that they simply “did not see” the other vehicle, the pedestrian or obstacle, or other dangerous condition. This is the reason that school buses are bright yellow, which is the most visible color to the human eye. It also makes buses easier to see on dark mornings or in cloudy weather.

Most safety features on school buses exist to enhance visibility. In addition to the color, buses feature swinging stop signs, guard arms, and the familiar flashing red lights. While red is not as visible as yellow, people are culturally conditioned to associate the color red with stopping.

Safety also extends to the bus driver. Because there are so many blind spots, the driver cannot always see when children walk around the bus, turn back, or dart where they shouldn’t. The extra, oversized mirrors on buses are there to reduce these blind areas and help the driver to make sure children are clear from the bus’s path.

Since the 1990s, many states have added flashing white lights to the top of buses in an effort to enhance visibility in snow or fog. Several states also require that school buses have seat belts, just like regular passenger vehicles. The newest developments are in directing toxic bus exhaust fumes up and away from passengers and other motorists.

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Being retired today does not mean what it did decades ago, for many married couples. Many decide to spend their retirement years traveling. Some of those couples opt to travel by hitting the road on their own, as opposed to the conventional way of taking a plane or train.

What better way to have all the amenities of home, while traveling around the country seeing the sites, than to travel in a motor home. Most of these seniors own their home with grown children spread out all over the country. They want to live a different lifestyle now that they have time to spend that belongs exclusively to them.

Since they will be using their motor home as their full-time residence, they will have expenses, such as fees for parking at campgrounds, toll fees on the road, and RV insurance. Researching the various routes, pricing the different campgrounds, and planning where to stay ahead of time is a good way to find out how much everything will cost.

Once they take care of the expenses and their paperwork in order, retired couples can begin a new stage in their lives. Unlike settlers who traveled by covered wagon to a new land, RVs have all the comforts of home. Retired couples can perform safety checks and make repairs during their stops at campgrounds or parks, to ensure their safety.

Life on the road is perfect for recently retired couples who want the freedom that life on the road gives them. It also gives them a chance to see and do things they did not have time for while working and raising children.

To avoid such happenings, it would be wise to make your child understand the basic rules of traffic or road safety. The first thing you must teach them is, of course how to avoid playing on the road no matter what the reason. You better drill this into their minds if you want them to be careful. They may wander off if their ball gets onto the road or during similar situations, making it distressful for everybody involved.

Once you teach them to stay away from the road, make them understand the importance of looking right and left while crossing the road. This is one of the most basic rules of road safety, to check whether there is some vehicle coming on the road. Teach them to venture onto the road only when the coast is clear, rather than running around when they feel like it.

Teach your kids to wear their seatbelts from a young age. This way they would be more careful when they grow up. They would remember to wear their seatbelts and remain safely within the car. Seatbelts are an important actor while traveling as it can avoid many problems when an accident is encountered. Also, they make you feel secure.

It is true that kids can be very active and forget the instructions you might have given them about road safety. But the fact remains that you should strictly make them follow the rules so that they remain safe.

Before you choose a charity, examine the following tips:

• Research the charity’s website and other sites that rate charities. There are a number of institutes that evaluate the legitimacy of various charities.
• Visit the charity’s main office, introduce yourself, and be completely open about your plans for donating. You will get an immediate feel from the staff, either good or bad, about their sincerity. For example, if they are quick to talk about the money aspect, the charity might not have the best of intentions.
• Ask the secretary or desk clerk to see the charity’s Form 990, which details what the charity has submitted to the government for the previous year. You can pay the office for a copy of the form to take home with you.
• Examine the document. It will list how much money the charity was given and how much of that went to benefit those in need versus how much stayed with the organization.

Even if a charity is trustworthy and legitimate, you still might not be impressed with the percentage of money that goes to the needy. Charities such as Kars 4 Kids ensure that the bulk of their profit from selling donated cars goes directly to children and families that need the assistance.

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When driving near a school bus stop it is important to be mindful of the children, the bus, and other drivers.  There are different laws in place for different jurisdictions, and the laws are to dictate what a motorist must do when driving past a bus stop which is being used by any sort of school vehicle.

School bust stop laws are in place to protect children (and others) who are using school transportation.  The safety of those using the service is of the utmost importance.  Most jurisdictions in the United States and Canada specify that drivers must stop and wait when a school bus is loading or unloading passengers.

A stopped school bus with red flashing lights indicates to drivers who are following that they need to stop and wait for the bus to move again.  This also applies to traffic that is approaching the school bus.

Most jurisdictions do not require vehicles to stop if on a divided highway with the following exceptions; West Virginia, Arkansas, Mississippi, New York State, American Samoa, Guam, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories, and Nanavut.  Those in Washington state are not required to stop on any highway with three or more lanes when travelling in the opposite direction.

There are penalties for a person in a vehicle caught illegally passing a stopped school bus (or other vehicle).  These penalties range from fines, demerit points, and even suspension of license.  Violations of school bust stop laws are noted to be quite common, and law enforcement officials are trying to deter such acts with increased enforcement and heavier penalties.

Safety features are very important from a car owner’s point of view. Be it a car, a bus or any other form of transport, safety and security are the two main concerns which should be given due importance and care. This is so that the people who travel in the vehicle and the person operating it remains safe in the vehicle and can handle themselves when the time arises.

The common safety features you can find in the cars available today are the seatbelts, which has become indispensible and a part of the traffic law as well, and the air bags. There are many other features related to safety and security but these two are the ones which mainly concerns the people riding in the cars. These are given a lot of importance.

The seatbelt can protect you from a lot of accidents. In fact when you take the history of various accidents you may find that it is simply because of the ignorance of the importance of the seatbelts by the victims that might have caused the tragedy. Hence it is quite important that you wear your seatbelts and remain safe and secure in your cars.

The air bag is something which has equal importance. When you crash or hit another crash, the impact would send you forward and the airbag would protect you from it. Hence it is another important safety feature in the cars. With basic knowledge you can be safe and secure.

The car seats determine the comfort with which you can travel in it. It may seem to be a very minor feature as far as the owner is concerned. In fact when you buy a branded car like that from the BMW or the Mercedes herds, the seats are something you would rarely look at. You just buy the car, which would raise your status to a very high position indeed.

The car seats are very crucial in deciding whether you would have a comfortable journey or not. For example, if you have to go for a long journey of say about four to five hours, and the car seats are anything but comfortable then you are bound to end up with cramps in your muscles. It would be very difficult for you to cope up later on.

Look for seats which a bit slanting, rather than upright which would make you sit in a very uncomfortable position. Most small cars have comfortable seats because they are slanting. Keep this in mind and also take seat covers which are comfortable life smooth synthetic leather. This way you would feel very cozy and relaxed when you go for a long journey in your car. Both of them go together.

The reason why doctors advise to wear the seat belts is because at the point of impact your body doesn’t collide with the vehicle in front or with your own vehicle. Many a times it is observed that at the time of accident the bodies inside are thrown out and the people sustain serious head injuries and fractures due to this reason. All this can be avoided by following simple things in life. Just by wearing a seat belt you can ensure that a major disaster is avoided. By doing this simple thing you can save your own life as well as your loved ones. It is more precious that you could imagine.

Many of us enjoy driving fast but not really sure about how we manage when there is an accident waiting in the next corner. The seat belts are meant to avert such incidents and you need to be sure that such a tragedy should be avoided with the help of these safety devices. It can be worth trying. Government has made it compulsory to wear seat belts.

Every parent should be careful about the health of their children. Most of the children get attacked by various kind of infection easily. As a parent it is your duty to take all the essential precautions so that your children cannot fall ill frequently. You should not compromise anything when your children’s health is concerned. Parents have to tolerate and sacrifice many things when they take proper care of their sweet children. It is always recommended to go to a child specialist in case of any physical problem of your children. A doctor is best to guide you properly. Consult with your doctor about the precautions you should take for children.

When a child grows, most of the parents want to teach him how to talk, how to walk and how to eat. Children start to learn all these things from their parents. They start to talk slowly in his or her language. As a parent it is your duty to think about proper education of your children.  There are many schools around us where your children can learn some basic knowledge. Primary education is the first stage for every child so this should be proper.

It is not an easy job to become a responsible parent. They have to be ready to sacrifice or tolerate many things to take care of their children. It is very important to keep your children safe from any kind of infection. They get attacked with many types of diseases frequently. So, it is your duty to take proper precautions for your children. It is best to consult with a good child specialist if your kid suffers from any disease. A doctor can give you the proper information about the precautions you should take.

You should not give any medicine to your children on your own because wrong medicine can create many problems for them. When a child grows they start to learn his or her own language from their parents and surrounded people. As a responsible parent you should take proper care to provide basic education to your children. Primary education is the initial stage for every child. In this stage they learn about the manners, behavior , discipline and civic sense.

While traveling of any kind can be an exhausting process, there are some tips to keep in mind to travel safely and to make any trip more enjoyable.

First and foremost would be to travel your route. By taking the time to track your destination either using maps, online mapping services or a GPS system you will take less time finding your way. These resources are usually available free of charge, and GPS systems range from between fifty-nine dollars and up, making searching for directions pretty simple.

By planning your route, you also have a better idea of how much time it will realistically take you to get where you’d like to go, and ensure that you have adequate time for rests and meals, which will be extremely important if you are traveling with small children in tow.

Secondly, you will want to take with you all of your insurance documents and any roadside assistance information in the car with you just in case you find yourself in a position to need to call them. Having this information in an easy to reach place, like your glove compartment is essential.

Make sure you have jumper cables, a first aid kit, and lots of snacks to hold you over while you are traveling, again, especially with kids. These simple items aren’t too large to carry and shouldn’t take up any excess room in your trunk. Snacks will help ward off children that start to become hungry and ensure that you won’t have to stop more than necessary for fuel and meals, making traveling easier.

It is a wise idea to keep specific items in the car in the event of an emergency, no matter how big or small.

1. A first aid kit. In the event that someone does get hurt in the car, a first aid kit can help with almost any ailment that doesn’t require calling an ambulance.

2. Jumper cables. No one wants to be stranded in their vehicle, and keeping jumper cables can at least prepare you for this adventure.

3. Items to fix a flat tire. While having roadside assistance is great, sometimes they will have you waiting for a decent amount of time. Having supplies in a time of need will help quicken your wait time. Most cars come with a jack and spare tire.

4. Pick for the window. In the event that your vehicle did get submerged in water, or the doors stuck, you could use a glass pick to break the window and get out of your vehicle. While this might seem like an unnecessary expense, it would be a great measure of safety in the event of an unexpected emergency.

5. Calling card or emergency phone. How many times have you accidentally left your phone on the kitchen table? You certainly wouldn’t want this to be the day you got in an accident or truly needed to reach someone. Having an extra supply would be helpful.

6. Have all of your insurance information and car registration handy in the event that you would need it.

7. Cash – have some extra money in your car for emergencies, or in the event that you lose your wallet. Having the money could help you make a phone call, get gas, or even a ride.

Things to consider when looking for a used car. First and foremost, make sure that the car has had a recent inspection to ensure that you do not get a lemon. Some states have lemon laws in effect, but it is always smart to go ahead and really investigate the car before you make any final purchase. If the seller is unwilling to share details about the car, simply walk away. This usually means they’re not telling you something that would be important for your knowledge prior to a purchase.

You might consider approaching dealerships about vehicles that were under lease. Often people sign leases for just a few years, and some of these vehicles upon return still have a warranty, or the dealership can provide you with a limited or even extended warranty on the vehicle. You can have a mechanic still check out the car. While a car dealership might try to charge you more for a vehicle, they are more negotiable with leased cars.

Check to see what service has been completed on the car. You will want to know if there has been excessive maintenance required on the vehicle and to what extent. You will also want to know if the vehicle was in any car accidents, especially if there was damage involved, and what amount of body work was completed to bring the car into working order.

Shopping for a used car can be rewarding as your drive off in your new vehicle.

Another great incentive for driving safely and being a defensive driver is the less opportunity for road rage to rear its ugly head and make anyone a victim of stressed out drivers.

To drive safely it is important that we are constantly aware of what is around us on the road, which includes traffic, other drivers, road signs, speed limits, and anything else that might be stimulus on the road.

It is imperative that we keep our focus on our driving, and not our phone, the radio, our children – which can all be difficult feats. It is our responsibility as parents, however, to teach our children how to drive defensively so that they will also become defensive drivers. Children are constantly aware of what is going on around them and will catch on quickly strengths and weaknesses of their parents while driving, as well as our bad and good habits.

Use your mirrors. So many people driving, especially young drivers do not adequately utilize their mirrors, using both side mirrors as well as the rear-view mirror. These are designed to give us view of other drivers on the road, and keep our focus where it should be, on what is around us while we are driving.

Maintain composure. If there is traffic, or roudy drivers, move out of the way and maintain a sense of composure. You can only control your own vehicle and your own decisions, not the ones of the drivers in cars next to you. To ensure you do not become involved in the other vehicles way, just move to another lane and as far away from these drivers as possible.

Nevertheless, it can be done diligently and painless. First, check with your air carrier to see what is required on the plane as far as seating. A seat is recommended for children just like in a car, however, not all car seats or booster seats are designed for airplane use. Check with your airline to see if they have their own seats, which will then allow you to determine if the seats you own can be brought on board. With restrictions to carry-ons, you want to make sure that you can still carry on a bag for each of your children, so that they have something to do while they are on the plane.

Check your seat’s manual to see if it is also recommended for air travel (most new seats are). Determine if you will be carrying a stroller with you and find out if you can board the plane early with your child to get settled. This is important if there aren’t any assigned seats on the plane.

Make sure you pack an extra set of clothing for your child, and perhaps a shirt for yourself, depending on how young your child is. You will also want to make sure you have some form of activity for your child, a movie to watch, some crayons and paper, a book, all of course depending on your child’s age. It’s often challenging for adults to sit on long plane rides, so it is especially important to keep kids busy on a flight. If you’re lucky, they will sleep.

If you have a layover, make sure you have a clear destination in mind, and perhaps get a map of the airport prior to your trip.

There are so many products on the market today that it can be challenging to keep track of recalls. If you own a vehicle, generally you will get a letter in the mail notifying you of the recall information, as well as how to proceed. They will generally share what they would like you to do, whether it involves services or replacement.

Unfortunately, that isn’t the case with all products purchased, so as consumers we need to be on watch for safety recalls. There are two websites that can help you keep track. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission has a website, cpsc.gov that will notify participants of recent recalls. You do need to sign up for email notifications to receive updates. You can also go on their website and look at the updated content. Obviously the emails will keep you more updated, since you will receive information as soon as it becomes available.

The second site is through Child Product Safety, childproductsafety.com. This site shares information as it relates to children and the products that you have purchased for them, whether it be transportation related, toys, furniture, etc. With small children it is important to know what items have been recalled to protect your children. Often products are found to be unsafe based on the materials utilized to create the product. Often times, how the product is used in the real world wasn’t anticipated, but the use creates problems. It is important to stay on top of  products.

It is imperative for parents to understand the proper procedures for car safety as it comes to our children and car seats. So many parents incorrectly install car seats, do not use them as recommended by the American Pediatric Association, or do not use them at all. This can cause great bodily harm to your children in the event of an accident, which can be as simple as braking quickly.

Infants should remain in a rear-facing seat placed in the back seat of the car until they are one year and twenty pounds. This is important to follow the guidelines that include the word and in them, since there is generally more than one safety measure necessary for safety. Children can then move to a front-facing seat with the full harness used.

This type of seat should be used until a child no longer fits and can fit in a booster seat, which utilizes the adult seat belt, but conforms to the size of a child. A child should remain in a booster seat until they are about 4’9” and can fit in the adult belt. Children grow at different speeds, however, the average estimated age is between eight and twelve. These recommendations are based on statistics compiled using crash test information as well as car seat manufacturers.

You can continue to stay updated on car seat safety by reviewing two websites, one the American  Pediatric Association and Healthy Children. Aap.org, and healthychildren.org. These sites have beneficial information on car seat safety and are updated regularly. They include great safety tips as well.

In flying with kids, it is best to ensure that you are at your airport at least an hour and a half before boarding. This will ensure that you have enough time to get checked in, go through security, which will surely be an experience, and boarded on your plane. It is better to err on the side of caution and arrive much earlier than necessary, because you can always fill your time once you’re there, than to rush through and possibly miss your flight.

Try to have everyone wear comfortable shoes that can easily be removed so when you get to security, you won’t spend excess time stopping to help children take off and put back on their shoes. Have items that are being carried on accessible and easy to rummage through. This makes going through checkpoints much quicker.

Make sure kids stay with you at all times. There is nothing worse than losing a child in a busy airport and will certainly leave everyone in your family frazzled.

Carry all important papers in one place, documents for boarding and any additional items you might need for your children. It is best to call the airline to find out what is needed for your children. Some require birth certificates or other documentation prior to boarding.

Find out if you can have early boarding privileges with children and what items can be taken on the plane, specifically snacks and drinks. You want everyone to have enough in their belly, otherwise there will be whining, which no parent likes.

So, the first thing you need is to know specifically what you would like to have in a car. Is this going to be a family car? Then you want enough seats to fit all of your family comfortably and you probably will want a car with good gas mileage.

Is the car for pleasure? If so, what will you be using it for and what features are necessary in the type of vehicle you need?

It is a great idea to write out a list of the features that you want, in conjunction with the vehicles that offer these features. Also include the price of the vehicles, the warranty, miles per gallon, any other specifics that will help you in weighing which car to purchase.

Consumer Reports has an extensive review of vehicles and is a great resource for initial vehicle searches. Calling your insurance company is also important because they can share with you what changes you will have by adding on a new vehicle to your coverage. You can discuss as many vehicles as you like with an agent and add this to your list, allowing you to narrow down your choices.

Once you’ve narrowed down your selection you will want to test drive the vehicles to see which one drives well and if the vehicle will suit all of your needs. In test driving the vehicles you will also get a feel for the specific dealership you are “interviewing” before purchasing a new vehicle. Most likely this is where you will be taking your car for major service and you’ll want to be pleased with the level of service they provide.

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Automobile accidents are an unfortunate fact of life. Ever since the first auto accident (which was all the way back in 1869), cars and other automated forms of transportation have been killing people all over the world. Both genders, every race, and every economic stratum is affected equally by this, considering that poor people returning from church can be killed just as readily as an Irish noblewoman can. No matter who you were before the wreck, you are not the same person afterwards. Not to mention the hassle of filing and settling the car insurance. Here are some terrible crashes from history.

6. 1951 Gillingham Bus Disaster

On December 4th, a contingent of young cadets (none older than 13, and all intending to be naval and marine officers one day) were marching from the Marine Barracks to the Naval Barracks to attend a boxing tournament, when a bus (which did not have on headlights, and was under no legal obligation to have on such instruments) plowed into the boys from behind. 24 of the boys were killed, most outright, while another 18 of them were injured in the accident.

5. 1955 Le Mans Disaster

Do you know why most tracks take pains to separate the track from the spectators with fences? In 1955, a driver in the Le Mans race crashed, ignited, and flew into the audience, killing 82 spectators and the driver. The fuel line started the blaze during the crash, and burned hotter because the car had so much magnesium in it. Not a good day for anybody. Aside from buses, race cars are the most dangerous forms of automated transportation, both because of their intense speed and because people tend to crowd around them, making for ample numbers of “targets” in the event of an accident.

4. A deadly tanker

On September 8th, 1998, a tanker truck heading down a highway north of Sao Paulo Brazil flipped over, exploded, and took out more than 50 people aboard two buses.

3. Another deadly bus

On February 18th, 1972, a bus in Banha, Kfar Saad Egypt careened into an irrigation canal and killed 77 of the total 91 people aboard it.

2. A large accident with less blood

On December 31st 1998, Michigan’s Interstate 75 witnessed a one hundred car accident which injured 39 people and killed one. While the people harmed and their families might not consider this relatively minor, considering the number of cars, having so few injuries is just shy of miraculous.

1. Prestonburg, Kentucky Bus Incident

On February 28th, 1958, a bus full of students bound for school crashed into a wrecker truck, then rolled down an embankment into the flooded waters of the Big Sandy River, where only 22 people onboard (out of 49) made it out of the bus and onto the shore. Even the bus driver drowned in the submerged vehicle. Because of this, Kentucky has more stringent requirements for bus exits than any other US state or Canadian province.

No matter what sort of vehicle it is, everything on the road has the distinct potential to be very dangerous. When you drive, be extremely careful of what you do. You never know whom you could accidentally hurt.

No one wants to have to stop and have issues checked out while on the road, especially during trip that has specific time parameters. Aside from renting a car, getting maintenance performed on a car before leaving for a trip is the best way to ensure long-trip safety.

There are many shops within cities and towns that can perform these service needs and it is certain you can find an area existing close to your home to be able to be able to do some shopping around for price comparisons.

Without service performed on your vehicle, expenses can easily add up for areas that were not addressed prior to leaving, especially if the services were already overdue.

On long car trips it is helpful to bring jumper cables, an extra battery, as well as tools to change a tire, if necessary. Having specific tools on hand will also help your vehicle if a small emergency did arise, as well as keep you from being stranded. There is no telling what type of roads you might find yourself driving on, so having these tools will be helpful.

In looking for a destination to stay, it would be wise to find relatives that live around an area where you want to venture, where you can store your vehicle, and where you can save on hotels. By not driving around excessively, you will even be helping with wear and tear on your vehicle.

You can also check out sites like hotelcoupons.com that will help you save money on hotels in the event that you are traveling in an area where you do not have anyone that you could stay with, friend or foe.

You can save on gasoline expenses as well. Wal-mart gas stations allow you with a gift card or their credit card to save three cents per gallon on your gasoline. Other gasoline chains do the same with their reward cards or point system cards. Saving three cents per gallon might not seem like a great deal in the grand scheme of things, but depending on how many miles you plan on traveling, it could add up to a significant amount. Maybe even a whole meal for your family at a dine-in restaurant.

You can save on map purchases by printing a planned route at home, or by investing in a GPS system that will provide you with guided directions, as well as updated routes in the event of traffic or an accident. Yes, they’re that smart.

If you pack snacks and goodies in the car, you will also save money on stopping for these convenience foods which tend to add up pretty quickly. Snacks are easy to store in the car, and drinks can be carried as well in a small portable cooler.

So, even frugal minded can still enjoy a trip, with money-saving agendas.

The same is true with traveling under other bad weather conditions, such as snow or ice. It is better to drive slowly and better handle your vehicle, than to try to let the car ride on its own.

Night driving is incredibly dangerous at times for several different reasons. One, that many roads are not well lit, making it incredibly more difficult to see other traffic, animals, or anything else in the road. Secondly, during the night-time hours there are more people trying to ‘beat time’ and are less concerned about being cornered by police that might pull them over. People also get fatigued during the evening hours and might be prone to try to sleep at the wheel. Lastly, people often drink at night, making the roads less safe. While some nighttime driving might be unavoidable, it is important that you stay alert and conscious of everything around you.

Fog and smoke are a deterant in daytime or nighttime driving since the fog and smoke cloud our vision, making it more challenging to see. We rely on the lights that are surround us, including those of other vehicles to help us dictate which direction to travel. Unfortunately, this often ends in traffic jams since people can only stop or adjust with the amount of time the person in front of them provides.

Be careful on the roads and do your best to travel during the daylight.

GPS receivers are as accurate as the signals that they are receiving, so it is important that when you are turning on your unit and entering the information about your destination that you are doing so in an open sky area. This way you will be able to get the clearest signal and it will remain the most accurate the longest.
GPS navigation is great for:

•    Daily travel to appointments and location within your city
•    Long trips across the country
•    Directions to your favorite places to eat when you are out of town and unfamiliar with the area.
•    Finding the shortest and safest route through traffic
•    Locating gas stations at any moment that you need them
•    And much more.

It is amazing the technology that we have today to help us get from place to place.  Just imagining those 24 satellites in the sky speeding about the earth at such a high rate of speed, can guide your car along a road here on earth.

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Allow choice, or not to allow choice is the question for Maine Legislators. In the past, not buckling up in Maine was a secondary offense, which meant that you had to be caught doing something else wrong before you could be cited for not wearing your seat belt. Recently, that was changed to a primary offense, with a fine ranging from $50 to $250 per occurrence depending on how many times you have broken the law for buckling up previously. When the new law went into effect, the tickets for not buckling up more then doubled. After a short while, those tickets quickly declined.

The tax payers of Maine want lower taxes, and since the costs of tickets are a tax on the people, it is worth revisiting the new law, and considering reverting back to the old one, so that the taxes will be lower in this case.

Many of the Libertarian minded legislators wear seat belts themselves, but believe in the ability to choose for yourself if you are going to buckle up or not. Many Dr’s and officers do not want to see the law return to its former status, citing that it costs more money to every tax payer because of the costs of the medical bills of those not wearing their seat belts through the state Medicaid program.

Reverting to the former bill would:

•    Still require all Mainers to wear a seat belt
•    Require that there be another violation or offense before being cited for not wearing a seat belt
•    Allow citizens to choose whether or not they are going to wear their seat belts knowing it is still a secondary offense.

Sometimes, the way that a law was written in the past is better then trying to improve upon it.  Whether or not this is the case for this particular law has yet to be determined.

A first decision to be made would be to choose what is the most important factor in a new or used car purchase to you? Is it strictly style, or are you interested in safety, resale value, features. What are your “must-haves?” Make a list. You would like a plush interior, but it is absolutely essential that you have side air bags, etc. Once you have assembled your list, you can begin to narrow down the brand of car you are looking for. Is is luxury you are looking for? If it is, how much are your willing to spend for said luxury? There are high end luxury cars that can cost well over $100,000.00. Not a number that easily fits into a working man’s budget. However, if you are considering a car in this price range, you are not having a problem with budgeting your money.

There are many, many luxurious cars in the medium price range. Many car models known for their “mid-range” pricing offer their own “high-end” models. These models will cost you a little more than the “mid-range” but may offer the luxury you are looking for. Maybe you are willing to give up a little luxury for another important feature. The possibilities are endless.

An informed consumer is a smart consumer, hence a happy consumer. Do your homework and you will love your new wheels.

Car manufacturers have very strict rules to follow before they can tell the consumer that their particular cars have met all of the safety standards necessary to be road-worthy. These guidelines are strictly adhered to and testing is extensive to insure our safety on every trip we take, be it up the street or across the country. We count on our car manufacturers to do this and we trust that if we are told the car is safe, we feel added comfort in knowing that we have that on our side.

Car manufacturers are only human and mistakes occur. When this happens, hopefully the car manufacturer will catch the “glitch” before anyone is hurt or any vehicle damage is done. The manufacturer will then “recall” the car to fix the problem. All of our cars are registered. If a problem arises you will be notified, by mail or by phone, or in more serious cases, maybe even on the television news. If you receive a “recall” notice, do not ignore it. It can be dangerous to let a problem go unfixed. The car manufacturer will fix the problem at no cost to you, and you car will be safe once again. So will you and everyone else on the road.

There are also many small incidences, not necessarily emergencies that any good “do-it-yourself” handyman or woman can fix in a jiffy. Having the right equipment is the first step. Just as all sporting coaches and events where there are going to be lots of people around have well stocked first aid kits, just in case, everyone should have a first aid kit for their car. It can be filled with inexpensive quick fix items, and be tucked away under a seat or in the trunk. You may never even think of it, until of course you need it, at which time you will be thanking your lucky stars you remembered to keep it well stocked.

Keep gallons of necessary car fluids in your trunk, washer fluid, a gallon of water, oil, as well as steering fluid. Your first aid kit should have anything you think you need to correct small problems and get you to the shop to get it fixed. You may never need this first aid kit, but if you do, you will be prepared.

Massachusetts tax payers currently pay about $47,000 a year per inmate. In addition to this school zone change, Governor Patrick would also like to:

• Close two state prisons.
• Parole non-violent drug offenders.
• Eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for offenders that do not target or exploit children.

Police Chief Alan Gordon supports the law as it is because in the last year there has been no need to arrest anyone within 1000 feet of the school.  This he says, shows that the law works, it keeps the dealers away because they know of the stiff penalties they will pay if they deal within that school zone. He is also disappointed at the seemingly lost effort of those under his management.  With how hard they all have worked to put the offenders away, it is a shame to release them so easily back on the streets. He said that it may save the state money to do this, but it does not save the communities any money.

If this new plan takes effect, then offenders will be able to get closer to a school and our children, then a candidate could on voting day. In Massachusetts, candidates have to be 150 feet away from the schools where voting is taking place.

Would shrinking school zones really help shrink the budget, or would it just pass on the expense of dealing with offenders to the local communities?

The economy is precarious and perhaps you are feeling a personal pinch on the wallet. This might not be the best time to invest in a brand new car. Though you may want one, the decision may have to lean towards a gently used, pre-owned car. There are just as many of those out there as there are new cars, and good deals are out there.

You go to the dealer. Let him or her know that you are not looking to purchase a new car, you would like to see what they have in pre-owned. After looking at what they have to offer, you may decide that you can squeak out a few extra bucks per month and purchase a new car. Then again, you may not be able to afford it.

Ask the dealer lots of questions about the car, the previous owner. Get the statistics on the car. Has it ever been in an accident? What kind of work has been done to it? This is all easily accessible and available for every previously owned car on the market today. If you are handy with cars and know your way around an engine, you may be able to save money by purchasing a car that might need some engine work or some other adjustment that you are adept at. It is a great way to save money when purchasing a car, and you will know that you have done the work yourself.

You want to make sure that you are keeping in as good of physical shape as possible. You need your muscle strength for stepping on the brake, the accelerator as well as turning the wheel. You also need to stay alert and on your toes as much as possible, since there are other drivers on the road that may not be as experienced or cautious as you are.

If you are on any medications, make sure that they are not going to inhibit your driving.  Some medications cause drowsiness, and could cause you to not be able to respond as quickly as you should.  Other medical conditions should also be considered and your health maintained.  If you have moments when you could faint or have sudden weakness, it is best to wait until a better day to drive.

Injuries receive in car accidents are the number one cause for death in those aged 65 to 74. It may benefit you to consider taking a defensive driver safety course.

If you question if now is the time to get off the road the turning to your family, friends or Dr, can help you determine if this is the case or not.  Sometimes, all it takes is a new prescription for your glasses and a little more exercise and you are back on the road. Make sure that you are prepared to deal with the changes you may face as you age, in order to drive safely.

The car companies have gone to great lengths and have had stringent restrictions placed on them as far as the safety of your car. They have made the car to manufacturers specifications and installed every safety feature required, and anything additional that you have added.

However, mistakes are made, accidents do happen, parts don’t work the way they are supposed to. When that happens, your car may be recalled. This means that the manufacturer has discovered, or has been made aware of a problem with that particular car. It may be something simple, like a bad hinge or switch, or it can be major, such as a glitch in the motor or brake system. When this happens, as the owner of a car being recalled, you will be notified. You may receive a card in the mail or a phone call. Major recalls are also often broadcasted on the television or Internet.

Do not ignore these recalls. Even a simple hinge or switch replacement is important, and the repair will not cost you anything. To ignore the recall can cause your car to malfunction. Depending on the severity of the problem that the recall is being made for, this can result in serious injury to you or one of your passengers.

We are in an era of being able to drive the safest cars on the road ever. The government has made very strict guidelines that must be followed. In order to keep our roadways safe and our passengers out of danger, heed the recall, fix the car, and get back to safe driving.

Keep your car in tip top shape. Get it checked by your mechanic every so often, change the oil when necessary. Oil changes are inexpensive, yet can prolong the life of your engine by years when kept current. Most oil change places will actually give you a reminder to place on the windshield of your car to remind you when the next one is due, thus keeping up with those fluids. Running out of fluids, or running your car on dirty or old fluids, or not enough fluids, can cause major engine damage and decrease the life of your car.

Everyone should keep an emergency car first aid kit in the car. Tuck it away in the trunk or under a seat and you will never know it is there. If there is an emergency, you can take out the kit and you just might have something for the quick fix. You should keep a gallon of water, a gallon of washer fluid, and a gallon of antifreeze in your car. Sometimes just replacing a fluid can get your car up and running. Your first aid kit should contain some minor replacement parts, and hopefully you know how to use them or you can call someone who can talk you through it. You should also have whatever you think is needed for your particular car. The first aid kit can save you a lot of money as towing a car is an expensive option to driving it to the shop.

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Icy conditions and low visibility can make winter driving hazardous.  It is important to be aware of the weather conditions so that you can adjust the way that you drive. In mountainous areas, winter driving can become dangerous very quickly.

It is important to make sure that you plan ample time for your trip so that you are not feeling rushed or tempted to speed through an area that you should be driving cautiously in. You want to make sure that you have had adequate sleep, as well as plan to have several stops a long the way so that you do not encounter driving fatigue. It is helpful to drive with your headlights on, even in the day.  Visibility can be low due to the snowstorm covering the light of the sun. When you want to pass someone, make sure that you do not do it while you are going uphill, or around a bend in the road.

Be extremely careful in the early morning and early evenings, black ice is the most abundant in these hours.  It can be very difficult to see, and before you know it, you can be spinning off the road. If you are traveling through areas that have steep terrain or a lot of snow, it is best to use tire chains.  They are pretty simple to put on, and will save you a great deal of headache.  Being trapped in the snow in a canyon is not only dangerous, but could be fatal under the wrong conditions.

Always make sure to keep your gas tank full, in case you do get stranded so that you can have a good source of heat.  It is a good idea to carry blankets and other warm items of clothing with you in your vehicle during the winter months.

Traveling in the snow can be fun. It can be safer just by taking these few precautions.

As adults, we tend to get lax. We know what we are doing, it is second nature. How many times have you made a turn and just ignored putting on a turn signal. This small step alone can prevent hundreds of accidents. Making sure your car is in proper working order is very important. Make sure that both brake lights are working, make sure that your turn signals are working properly. Do you have both back-up lights? We do not often look at the back of our cars. There are a lot of cars today that let you know when a light is out somewhere in your car. If you do not have one of these cars, or even if you do, check those lights every once in a while, maybe the same day every month, just to make sure that they are working.

Make sure young drivers are constantly reminded of the dangers of reckless driving. Unfortunately some young people do not realize this until it is to late. Start your young drivers out being part of the solution, so that they never become part of the problem.

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Each child is our most precious cargo.  As we commute to and from work, go to the grocery store, or enjoy a day out as a family, it is important that we keep the safety of our children in mind.

There are many factors that you need to keep in mind as you compare and eventually choose the best car seat for your child and your car.

Recall’s or Defects:

There are just too many possible issues with a used car seat, which can lead to the injury of your child.  The seat could be too old, or have been recalled.  It is important that the manufacture date and model number are on the car seat, so that you can find out if it has been recalled or has any defects.  You can call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Hot Line at 888-327-4236 to find out if your car seat is safe.

What is the Right Type of Car Seat for Your Child?

• Infants- Infants should ride rear-facing in a car seat until they are 1 year old and weigh 20 lbs.
• Toddlers- It is best for toddlers to also be in a rear-facing seat for as long as possible. Once they outgrow these seats then they should be in a forward seat with a full harness.
• Young Children- When your child has outgrown their forward-facing seat, and then they should use a booster seat.  They should remain in this booster seat until they are able to fit in an adult seat belt.  This usually occurs between 8-12 years old or when they have reached the height of 4’ 9”.
• Older Children- Until your child is 13 years of age, they should ride in the back seat using a lap and shoulder seat belt.

Your child’s safety is your highest responsibility; make sure that your precious treasure makes each road trip as safely as possible.

Consider for a moment what happens when you decide that since it is not the nicest day out, you will drive fifteen to twenty miles below the speed limit. If there is a seriously hazardous condition which has turned the road into something resembling a skating rink, or if there are puddles which could cripple your car, then you are perfectly in the right to drive with this high level of caution. However, if it is merely raining or snowing, then you are actually causing the hazard of causing people to wait (and weave) around you in an effort to actually reach their destinations in a reasonable amount of time.

Human beings tend to get irrational when they have a goal to reach and they perceive that something or someone is frustrating their attempts to reach it. So they do things like crossing the double yellow line on a single lane street, or trying to pass in the break down lane, or they honk at you and try to stress you into doing something that makes you uncomfortable, hoping that it will compel an action that they want. If these things happen, keep in mind you may have been a contributing factor.

A better idea when dealing with a map is to not use one. In this day and age, you have ample additional options, including a GPS unit which will give you directions in real time along with a simplified trip map. You could also just go to a website which provides directions and a crude map, and print off what it tells you. Either one would be substantially easier to follow in most cases, and would therefore make you less likely to end up becoming distracted and ending up in a terrible accident. However, sometimes a map is all you have.

First off, unfold the map while you are stopped. Few people are dexterous enough to maneuver and unfold at once. Secondly, try to only expose the sections of map that you intend to use. Third, trace out your path and say it to yourself out loud several times. “Turn right onto 70 West” is a direction you can probably remember for the few minutes until it actually comes up. And if all else fails, it is no dishonor whatsoever to stop a few times, get your bearings and determine your marching orders. The best generals know where they’re going.

So it is up to you, the intrepid and studious buyer, to make your decision based on carefully inspecting the vehicle. The best thing about this is, it will give you the chance to do very little work and be able to make a powerful judgment on the vehicle’s worth to you. All you have to do is pop open the hood, and check out the parts of the car that would not be hit by a car wash. If you also have the ability to look in some other areas where there might not have been a garden hose down performed, so much the better.

The problem with salt (which is what you are looking for) is in its corrosion of the metal components of the car. While the outer body will most likely be fine (as most people keep that area reasonably clean), the insides which come into (and stay in) contact with the salt will slowly corrode away, until they are little more than rusty stubs of their former shapes. The cleaning process for every individual component is difficult, expensive and generally not worth the effort on a used car. Check for salt.

The great thing about ABS is that it allows a car to far more effectively stop when you get into a slide. Back in the old days, when a car would go into a slide, its driver would have to pump on the brakes to make sure that they did not lock up. Locking up the brakes tends to greatly decrease the effective ability to stop when you need it to the most, which used to be a significant cause of accidents in the days before the ABS was invented. Overall, this has been one of the most safe inventions besides the 3-point harness seat belt.

So when you start your car shopping trip, one of your first “narrowing it down” questions needs to be to ask whether or not the car has ABS in it. While a lot of cars will, you definitely need to stop the proverbial train in its tracks if one that you are looking at does not have it. After all, when it comes down to actually using the brakes, it can occasionally feel as if you are stopping a train. So remember that ABS is great, and should be in your car.

For example, one of the options that is available to you is to plead for a lower charge. Sometimes you can plead guilty in order to get a lower sentence because the court is usually lenient when you are willing to admit fault. Additionally, if you can prove that you are serious about dealing with your alcohol or drug-related issues, this can help your case as well. The best way for you to achieve this is to get help immediately for your drug or alcohol abuse problems from a licensed rehabilitation facility. The ideal place for you to recover quickly and effectively is The Canyon, which you can learn more about at TheCyn.com.

Whether you were caught driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or you were arrested for another reason relating to drug abuse, let this be your wakeup call so that you can start to get help. If the court sees that you are serious about getting help and overcoming your addiction once and for all, then you may be able to get leniency under special circumstances from the prosecuting attorney or directly from the judge, but you must actually be sincere about overcoming your addiction, you cannot simply use it as a ploy to get a lighter sentence. Being honest about your situation and your willingness to overcome it despite the struggle that it will entail will show the court that you really do mean well and you really do want to repair the situation in the best possible way.

Buying a new car has emotional appeal, for certain. And since you know exactly how you are maintaining your own vehicle, it makes perfect sense that you could end up keeping your car for a slightly longer time if you bought it straight out of the factory. And speaking of the factory, if you buy a car made locally, you are supporting the local job market and keeping people employed, which has a sort of sprinkler effect on the local economy. People spend their money, and abundance flows all around.

Buying a used car, however, is a little bit less emotional, unless you are talking about the grueling emotions that come into play when you haggle endlessly with a salesman. But once that ordeal is over, you at least do not have to worry about rapid depreciation. In the case of buying a new car, it will lose more than half of its value in the first two years. So if you buy a two year old car, that dodges a bullet right there. If it was well maintained in the past, it may still last a long time.

The same problem can occasionally happen with a GPS unit, as well. In some cases, it will give you confusing instructions (such as to turn right on to a street that is one way going left), or it will forget to tell you to make a turn until you are right up at it (which can be difficult from the opposite lane). And in some cases, your GPS unit might even give you some bizarre method for getting where you intend to go. This can be seriously stress inducing, especially when you are already in unfamiliar territory and burning expensive gas.

This is why you need to have either both of these methods at your disposal, or one of them and someone whom you can get on the phone who knows the area well and can give you concise instructions. It is never wise to trust that when you need directions, a gas station attendant will be able to give them to you. They tend to know the area so well that they assume you are smarter than you could possibly be. No matter which backup you choose, always make sure that you have a backup plan.

The best rule of thumb when it comes to gas is “fill up early, and fill up often.” It does not matter if you have three quarters of a tank going on right now. You simply never know when there will be another filling station which will have gas, accept your method of payment, and be easily accessible to you. If you go at the filling up issue with a state of near paranoia, you will fare far better than you will if you simply decide to take up the gambler’s credo of “let it ride.” Letting it ride is fine when you know where you are.

However, if you are in unfamiliar territory, you need to have an ace in the hole. And in this case, one of the few aces you have is your ability to get out of a situation if it turns bad. Until they invent a nuclear car, that pretty much means having ample amounts of gas in your tank. If ever you get beneath half a tank out on the road, your first priority has got to shift into finding and acquiring more at your earliest possible opportunity. The alternative could get very bad very quickly.

You need a flashlight (preferably the kind you shake to produce power), a few hand warmers, a full suit of emergency clothing, a blanket, a set of jumper cables (at least 15 feet long), a few road flares and a flare gun. If you want to be especially well prepared, also carry at least a gallon of water and some dehydrated food, so that if you have to stay in one place for a day or two before help comes you will be alright to do so. The more it seems as if you are preparing for a camping trip, the better prepared you will be for a short duration emergency.

Emergencies have a way of popping up most often when we are the least prepared for them. When you are prepared, however, the problems which used to “just happen” tend not to do so nearly as often. And when they do, instead of being gripped by gut wrenching terror, you may begin to see them as little more than inconveniences. This is a very good sign. Truly, the sooner you are prepared for the emergencies which may happen, the less you will have to worry about the future.

The mindset is only important in understanding that there is no safety in how you think. If you perceive that you are in a neighborhood where you may be hunted and potentially even harmed, the first thing you want to do is get out of it if you can. However, in some cases this is not an option, such as if you are low on fuel, your vehicle is damaged or you are lost. In this case, if you are alone you want to get into an area where there is a lot of light, and make contact with someone who is likely to know how to get where you are going or who can assist with servicing your vehicle.

In cases where you are accompanied by someone else, if you have a map you may consult it. However, post your “partner” outside the vehicle, keeping an eye out for anyone who might advance on your position. While nine out of ten times the person will simply be trying to bum some money or a cigarette off of you (say you don’t have any), the folks who might mean you harm tend to be put off by a high level of awareness.

Unfortunately, the kind of person who exhausts themselves by tons and tons of working is also the same kind of person who is certain that they will be all right getting home. This can actually be very dangerous thinking, since sleep related accidents are very common, and often result in serious injuries and even death. It is simply not worth it to be seriously injured (or to cause someone else a life altering injury) just because you want to get somewhere a little bit sooner than if you took a nap for awhile. Sadly, the logic is not going to be there when you are already tired.

So you need to make a rule for yourself, based on what you actually do and not on a bunch of “shoulds.” While it is true that you should never drive tired, people never do what they should do. They work within their own framework of personal rules. So if you say to yourself that if you feel tired, you will stop and give yourself half an hour to rest up, you can plan that possible extra half an hour into your schedule. You are never too busy to stop when you need rest.

Let’s say you’re coasting around in your used Citroen, taking swigs out of your sweet iced tea bottle with your shades on as you enjoy the life of the road. The world is golden to you. Nothing is better than a drive to deal out the pleasant passions of letting time slip away into the forgotten feelings of worry, frustration, to-do lists and dealing with people you don’t like. It’s just you and your Citroen. You and the road–

And then your tire blows out! Holy cow! What do you do? The whole ordeal sounded like an explosion, so you’re thinking the engine is on fire or something, and you’re going to die in your private mobile paradise. But not to worry–everything will be just fine.

The fact is this: blowouts are pretty terrifying. There’s no denying that. It’s not the same thing as getting a flat. Those gradually show as a sign of steering trouble and even drivability. But a blowout happens immediately, and that’s pretty serious.

Here are the steps to take for recovering from a blowout, though. There’s no need to fear. Your safety is your priority.

You first need to make sure you carry a spare in the trunk because wherever you might be might land you nowhere near an auto shop or gas station. Secondly, if you run into a blowout, be alert. Keep your hands on the wheel and try to maintain enough control while being firm with the brake. You want to slow down, but not too fast. Pull over to the side of the road or on a median right away. Set your hazard lights on. What you then need to do is jack up the car to allow you space for removing the blown tire. Replace it with the spare and without hesitation head to the nearest auto shop!

Those are the steps. Remember them. Your used Citroen will thank you in the long run.

Now, the first rule is just common sense. If there is a warning sign in the road saying that you should not take it, immediately turn around and pursue another option as far as getting to wherever you intend to go. If you challenge the sign in this case, the law is more than just a suggestion- the puddle will back up what the sign tells you. Remember that your car may end up stalling out if you have only a few inches of water level above the bottom of the under body. A car can actually be washed to one side with less than 2 feet of rushing current. Being a little late is far worse than standing on the roof of your car, hoping a helicopter comes around to rescue you.

The second rule of puddles is to always assume that they are deeper than they look. Remember that a puddle is water filling up a gap. If that gap is as short as the eraser on a pencil, you most likely will not have any trouble with it. But if you have any doubt about the puddle’s depth (and the potential damage to your car), avoid that puddle.

If you are going more than 25 miles per hour, swerving will most likely be a superior course of evasive action than stopping could be. They teach everyone that in driver’s education, but what they do not teach you is that the best way to evade an oncoming hazard is to flow in the same direction it is going. For example, if someone is coming into a turn in front of you and a collision is imminent, turn in the same direction and focus on avoiding collisions, followed by merging back into traffic. Staying on the side of the road (or in a lane you entered without a plan) means you are still at increased risk for a collision.

If you are going under 20 miles per hour, stopping is the superior option. But when you are in a single lane environment, you may have no other option. And since almost nobody follows the guideline of “one car length per 10 miles an hour” rule, you are probably only one or two car lengths behind the car ahead of you. If you still want to be proactive in avoiding accidents, keep your eyes a few cars ahead of your car.

When you encounter ice, it is typically best to reduce your speed in straight away driving by roughly five miles per hour. Also, give the car ahead of you at least two more car lengths than you normally would, in compensation for your potentially decreased ability to stop in a hurry. When you hit a curve, reduce your speed to no more than the speed limit- and you would be well advised to drop to between five and ten miles per hour below the curve’s posted speed limit. If you do all of this, and keep your eyes moving, your likelihood of hitting anything else will drop dramatically.

However, there is always the specter of being hit by someone else who is less wary and wise than you are. Since the only person you can control is yourself, you just need to keep your eyes open and constantly moving. The more your eyes are moving, the more likely you will be to spot a dangerous situation before it can turn into more than a close call. It is always better to say later, “I’m glad that was nothing” than to say, “Oops, I guess that wasn’t nothing after all.”

Drunk driving is a big threat to lives of people and that is why serious charges like DUI misdemeanor is imposed on someone who becomes the cause of alcohol related car crash. Drunk driving is killing and making people injured daily in America. The drunk driver, if survives, has to face serious legal charges in case of an accident. They have to face strong legal punishments and actions that can make their whole life full of tensions and worries.

Police and law enforcement officers do the driver’s blood alcohol concentration properly. They do urine test, blood test and breathe test also known as breathalyzer.  If any of these tests comes to be positive, the license of driver is suspended. This suspension can be from a week to many years. In some cases the car of the drunk driver may also be confiscated or sold which can be a great set back.

In most cases, driver has to pay huge fines. These fines can be up to thousands of US dollars. There are hundreds of other serious penalties that can be imposed on drunk driver. A drunk driver whole life setup can be destroyed by law enforcing agencies.

These penalties can be even worse, if the driver is under age. Underage drunk driving is the major cause of accidents these days in America and law enforcing agencies impose very strong offenses on such drivers so that others don’t try this again.

Get all the offenses like DUI and Texas DWI cleared up completely as soon as you can. You can face many problems in future, if you have not completely cleared these offenses. For example, you can not apply for child adoption, if you have not cleared up all your previous offenses and legal charges.

Just how big is this problem?  Well, the United States Department of Transportation thought it was a big enough concern to have a summit addressing the problem.  And on top of that, the same department has created a website dedicated to educating the public on the issue.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008 almost twenty percent of all accidents involved distraction.  Even though we think of driving distracted as something that occurs when we are texting or talking on a mobile phone, there are other causes.  Some of these causes do not involve any kind of technology.  There are people that are distracted by trying to eat their breakfast on the way to work.  There are accidents caused by passengers and driver having a conversation.  There are even accidents caused by people putting on makeup or brushing their hair.  All of these are dangerous.  The main point of all of this is to just be smart while driving.  Pay attention and don’t let distractions cause an accident.

Buying a used car always means taking a risk. Unless the dealership gives the full faith and backing to that car, there will always be a bit of a risk when the driver sell that car to a buyer. The key to not making your car buying a experience a big waste of time and money is to make sure that the right questions are asked and that the seller has the right answers. It’s not always in the answers they give either but more so in their ability to answer in a timely fashion and without looking flustered. Here are a few of those questions.

What is a typical day for the car? This is a question that doesn’t get asked but is worth it to ask. Asking what a typical day for the car is will tell the buyer a lot about the driving that the car has seen. The answer to the question should include where it was housed, how many miles it drove a person to and from work or school. It should include if it were expressway or city driving. Knowing these things will help to determine if the car has been abused in it’s time or if it has been handled with car.

How often was this car repaired and where are the service records? This might be the most important question. Cars go through repairs and need maintenance. It’s part of owning a car, but what a buyer doesn’t want to see are excessive repairs or multiple repairs to the same thing. Each seller should know what the service records were for the car and what the reason for the repairs were. The answer to this should make the decision on if a car gets bought or not. Buying a used car isn’t easy but knowing the questions to ask make it easier to decide.

• Make sure that your computer or laptop is secured with a password. Your password should not be something that can be easily guessed. Never use birthdays, addresses and the like.

• Keep your operating system up-to-date — especially those very important security updates. All major operating system vendors provide regular online updates.

• Install software that will keep your computer secure. These include anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewalls and so on. You may think that having a firewall will keep you safe; but this is not true. These programs don’t have to be expensive, some are even free; just do a little homework.

• Make sure these security programs are as up-to-date as your operating system.

• Make sure that all of your data is backed up o n a regular basis. This is important in case you are attacked by a virus or other security breach that completely destroys your computer.

• Make sure that you regularly scan your hard drive for spyware, malware and viruses. This should be done one a week at the very least.

• Don’t download anything from unknown sources. This can include email attachments and software applications from sources that are not familiar. If you don’t know the source, don’t trust it.

People who are in the market of buying a used car think in terms of what type they are looking for. You go around at different dealerships or look online and find your “baby.” How much do you know about the vehicle before you take possession of it?

Think on these tips to help you make a good choice before buying a lemon:

1) Never buy from family or friends. Chances are that they mean well, but in the end, it something goes wrong, you are held responsible for it. This could also turn messy, making you lose close relationships over a clunker.

2) Try to avoid privet owners. Again, this will save you from heartache if your car becomes inoperable. Lawsuits are no fun and you may come out paying more then what the car is worth.

3) If you buy from a privet owner, ask questions! Never feel as though you are over stepping by asking plenty of questions about the car. The owner should have nothing to hide and should be able to provide all necessary paperwork on repairs.

4) Take the vehicle in to be inspected. Talk is cheap sometimes. If you still have a funny feeling about the car, take it to a mechanic to see if complex repairs need to be done. Sometimes used cars will need work, but make sure you are not paying for every nook and cranny. Again, an owner or dealership should have nothing to hide. If they object to an inspection, RUN THE OTHER WAY!

5) Always check the Kelly Blue Book Value to see what its worth. No one wants to pay more then they have to. Investigate cost by year, miles, or if any upgrades have been added. Doing online research is faster and more convenient.

Make sure that you shop around and take your time! This is a big decision and you want to make your investment worth wild!

Time to go on a trip. Just get in the car and drive. Easier said then done. Whether you are leaving for an hour or two, or driving across the country, a safe ride and arriving safely to your destination should be the primary goal. But let’s start at the very beginning.

You are looking for a new car. What would be the best brand of car to purchase, what type of car, what features on the car? There are almost as many different makes, models and styles of cars as there are people. Which is the right one for you? Need some help? Turn to www.4saferoutes.org. This website will help you sift through the mountain of information available to you when buying a new or used car. What is the best way to get the most for your hard-earned money? What is the safest way to transport your family? It is all there.

Once you buy the car, you can use this site whenever you want information on safety recalls, how to drive and travel safely, and what to look for when you are in the market for another automobile purchase. The research has been done, the tips are there for you, from a source that is not concerned about how much money you are going to spend, just that you chose wisely and safely. You know you can not always trust the salesmen. They are trying to sell their product. They might sound nice and concerned, but they are more concerned about their commission than making sure all of your questions are answered.

It is often said that an informed consumer is the best consumer. When you know exactly what you want and need in a car, it is much easier to go into the dealer and let them show you what they have to offer. It is much nicer when you are in control.

The car may catch your eye from the street, but after driving up and looking at the price of cars, you might find yourself driving back out. No longer are cars only made to be around for 4 or 5 years. Cars now have manufacturer warranties that will have your driving your car for well over 200,000 miles or more. People are keeping their cars for up to 10 years or more before choosing to invest once again. Car payments that used to be spread out over one or two years are now spread out over as many as six to seven years. Cars are expensive and like any other investment, we need to make sure that the way we have chosen to invest our money is a good decision. Cars today can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to over $100,000 dollars, making cars almost as expensive as homes.

Once you make the decision to buy a new car, you really need to do some research, to make sure you are choosing the car that is right for you and your family. There are deals to beat all deals at dealerships across the country, and we all know they are not always what they seem. At 4saferoutes.org you can get help. Here you can get advice and tips on what to look for when buying a new or pre-owned vehicle. You can compare different cars, which one is right for you and your family? An informed consumer is the one who gets the best deal.

There are many different ways to get to the same place. Sometimes the safe route may take a little longer, require more stops, a little more gas, but would be more than worth it in the end to arrive safely. In plotting out the proper route we can figure out how much gas we will need, any stops we may need to make, and how much the trip is going to cost. These answers can all be found at 4saferoutes.org. Your homework has been done. Your questions are all answered. This site can plot the best route for you, taking into consideration your safety and the safety of your family at all times. It will start with your vehicle, checking for recalls, and reviewing all of the safety features of your vehicle, to let you know what to check before you start on your trip. You will be able to calculate your trip with weather conditions, safety features on your car, the amount and weight of the people in your vehicle, to plan the best way to make your trip.

At 4saferoutes.org you can also see ways to be prepared in case of emergency. It will tell you what you need to have in your vehicle in case something happens. These are sometimes the things we do not think of before getting in the car. With all the other trip arrangements that need to be made, it is good to have someone looking out for our safety.

One thing to keep in mind is that driving is a privilege! When getting behind the wheel of a car; we are responsible for our lives as well as the lives of others. We have to be aware of what’s going on at all times leaving nothing to chance. This is even more a concern when it comes to teen driving.

In 2009, statistics showed that teen driver’s, between the ages of 16 to18 were three times likely to get in car accidents then the average driver! This occurred due to speeding, careless driving, or in some cases drunk driving.

As we get use to driving we tend to forget about the basics of what keeps us safe on the road. We can’t drive for everyone else, but we can cautious of what is happening to avoid accidents as much as possible.

For instants, buckle your seat belt as soon as you get in your car. Before airbags came into existences, seat belts did the job. They are imported to keep you grounded during an impact. Always check you mirrors before pulling off. Make sure you can see everything around you so you don’t cause any accidents yourself. When you’re on the road always keep both hands on the wheel. This is so you have better control of your vehicle and to anticipate any sudden distractions. Ten o’clock and three o’clock are the recommend positions on a wheel. Last but not lease SLOW DOWN! Do the recommend speed limit. Getting to where you are going is not a race. It’s about getting there safely. If other drivers around you are going faster, let them proceed. It’s not work damaging your car, getting a ticket, or loosing your life.

Sometime we have to revisit the fundamentals to understand that rules were made for a reason. If we follow then correctly, in the end, we all win!

Your car doesn’t take a rest just because it is winter time. In fact, many car breakdowns occur during the winter months due to the harsher weather conditions on the car. While you can’t predict when your car might break down you can prepare yourself for the situation with a car safety kit.

Here are some of the essential items that are needed to develop a winter car safety kit that will get you through those annoying car breakdowns in the cold winter months.

Regular Car Safety Essentials. All cars should carry reflector lights, flares, jumper cables and a tire jack. These items are essential regardless of the season and will come in handy when you are trying to repair some of the minor car breakdowns.

Warm Blankets. Sometimes during car breakdowns the heat will go out in the car. In case this happens it is a good idea to have some warm blankets to keep you warm while you wait for a tow truck or repairman.

Gloves. Gloves can help keep your hands warm while you are doing the repairs to the car. It’ll be cold out there was you work on the car and the gloves will make sure you have warm hands while you do repairs like jumping the car or changing the tire.

Food and Water. You never know how far out you will be when your car breaks down. It is a good idea to pack some non-perishable food that can be easily opened. This will give you some food should you need to wait a while. The water can be packed in bottles of water and give you a water supply should you be stranded for a while.

Flashlights. During the winter months it gets dark really early. Pack a few flashlights so that no matter how dark it is you can see your way around the car and be able to fix anything that is wrong.

Before heading to a dealership to buy a new or used car, remember salesmen are after one thing. Your money! Don’t get me wrong, not all are bad, but know what you’re getting into before stepping on that sales lot.

· Don’t let Smooth Talking get to You

Salesmen always know that right things to say to make you feel that you are passing up a sell of a life time. They may even say things in terms you may not understand. If this happens ask plenty of questions so that you are clean on terms, rebates, and taxes. Nothing is worse then getting bound by contracts with red tape.

· Know how much you can put down

When going to a dealer know how much you can afford to put down and tell them up front. This saves time with negotiations when you stand firm.

· Set Monthly Payments

Again, let the dealer know how much you are will to pay on your car. If that means they have to do some “fine tuning” on their end to make it happen, then let them! Remember that you are the customer. You have the upper hand.

· Don’t Buy into Upgrades

Dealers will lead you on to make you believe that you need all the bells and whistles for your vehicle; such as new tires, sound system, or even an extended warranty. After all, the more you buy puts money in their pockets. If you decided to, you can always upgrade later.

Keeping these tips in mind will help you make wise decisions when shop for that car. It’s your money that you spending and you have every right to utilize it the way you want. If you every get into a situation with a dealer, making you feel uncomfortable in anyway, find another dealership. There are plenty of them out there. With a little time and research, you can get the car you deserve!

It seems as thought no matter where you travel to; warning signs are posted for construction. When driving through these areas, there are things to keep in mind. Understand that it’s more then just getting from A to B, but about safety for you and construction worker’s.

Always be aware of the new patterns of the road. When driving through construction zones, pay attention to how the road patters have changed. Usually a certain part of the street or expressway needs to be fixed and they put horses up to help guide you. Also watch for lanes narrowing as well.

Be prepared to change lanes. Watch for the flashing arrows and digital signs that are posted telling you a part of the road are closed. Often, these warning sings will be posted one mile to a mile and a half in advance. Don’t wait until the last minute to make lane changes. Get over as soon as possible to avoid a traffic jams or an accident.

Remember to go the speed limit! If signs are posted to go 35 miles per hour in a 55, do it! Speed limits are set due to traffic lanes changes and to help the works stay safe. Avoiding the reduced limit could cost you a heavy find up to $1000, or prison time. It can also cost a construction worker their life.

Use your “cat eye” at night. Driving during construction can be harder at night. Sometimes the roads are not clearly marked or you may drive through a dark rule area. Also, the bright electronic signs may cause a glare. Keep you eyes on the road and pay close attention if there is any debris that can damage your car. Worker’s sometime leave metals and other objects that can give you a flat.

If you’re traveling for the holiday season or to commute to and from work, be alert for construction projects and always use wisdom. Happy motoring!

Economic times are tough and paying more than necessary is no longer a possibility for many people, and for this reason they are checking policies and comparing prices. Understanding every detail about your policy is vital to getting the most out of the money coming into the household. No longer can a person just hand out money for the products that they need without doing some substantial shopping around first. This is where learning everything there is to know about what is being purchased comes into play. This can be done by talking with an agent or by taking the time to do some research. A great deal of this research can be done online.

Finding information on insurance is not difficult on the internet. Comparison shopping can be done fairly quickly with little effort from the individual. Being prepared with a budget is a great way to get started. It is important to know what your limits are before looking at what is offered. This will keep everyone on target and keep from spending more than what is available to spend. Keep in mind that like most insurance coverage, the insurance is often cheaper if paid for in cash and up front in one lump sum. This is instead of spreading out the payments over a year’s time. This savings can be a big deal for those needing to reduce debt.

With winter fast approaching, the Midwest and East Coast are known for their notorious winters. Cars being a main source of transportation in these areas, it is most important then ever not to take driving in these harsh conditions lightly.

In the sate of North Carolina alone, roadside assistant calls jumped for approximately 30 calls a day during the winter months, to 120 calls back in 2009. This was due to bitter cold and slick conditions that where more unusual then in past years.

Always keep in mind that if you have to travel in these types of conditions you have to prepare for the unexpected. Yes, it can be challenging when they do occur, but here is some suggestion to keep you safe.

Get your car winterized

Oil change, replacing anti-freeze, filling windshield wiper fluid, and new battery, are ways to keep your car running smooth. AAA Roadside Assistants says that most of the emergencies for motorist come from these simple tasks being neglected.

Pack a car survival kit

No, not food per say, but packing a kit for when being stranded in your car can help until Roadside is able to reach you. This should include:

-Flares
-Spare tire w/ jack
-Flashlight
-Jumper Cables
-Salt or sand
-Charger for phone
-Blankets
-Extra Anti-freeze and Wiper fluid

This may appear to be a lot, but it’s better to be safe then sorry!

Have access to roadside assistants handy

Have the number logged in your cell phone or GPS system. Make sure you know your location and be ready to give as much information as possible for faster service. Today, many cell phone providers offer this feature with calling plans ranging from $2.99 to $5.00 per month.

Most of all remember not to panic! Stay calm and do what you can until help arrives. This most prize possession in these situations is not the vehicle, but you!

Maybe the most important thing to remember is not to forget the highways altogether. You want the highways to be your base. It’s ok to deviate from them at certain times, but to do it for the whole trip will not only be time consuming, but will be a little dangerous. Back roads are not always in the best condition.

It’s also important that you be selective when picking your roads. Sure, it’s nice to get off the interstate, but ask yourself why you are doing it. If you are doing it because in Colorado there is a beautiful part of the river that can’t be seen from the highway, then that is one thing. If you are doing it simply because you want to is a different story.

Make sure that your are planning for the weather too. If it’s about to rain, or the visibility is low, you’d be better off sticking to the big roads as they are going to be safer. You might have that auto insurance New York, but you don’t want to have an accident. Stay on the roads that you know and trust. You can separate from those roads from time to time, but don’t make it a habit. Look out for your safety.