Online Defensive Driving Tips

A new safety driving class has been introduced for new and future licensed teens. The California Highway Patrol's Start Smart Program is aimed towards teens aged between fifteen to nineteen, their parents and guardians. The California Highway Patrol officers will be discussing the avoidance techniques of vehicle collision, responsibilities of the driver and the parent, importance of seatbelt usage, etc. Officers who have investigated into deadly collisions involving teens will provide testimonies. The new video, Red Asphalt, which chronicles the aftermath of teenage driver accidents, will also be screened. The next class for the California Highway Patrol's Start Smart Program will be held on the 8th of December, 2010 at 6 30 pm. The venue for the program is Santa Barbara CHP office, 6465 Calle Real, Goleta, CA 93117. Although the California teen drivers form only four percent of the state's licensed driving population, they are found to be at fault in almost 66 percent of t

We all know that being a safe driver involves more than just keeping our attention on the road, watching out for others or obeying the traffic rules. As a matter of fact, there are bigger challenges that we have to face in order to maintain our reputation as a safe driver. The biggest challenge is when our body changes as we age. Our eyesight and hearing will be greatly affected and even our physical mobility will change. Drivers above 75 years are required to take both vision and road tests. Drivers above 81 to 85 years are required to renew their license every two years and those above 87 years must renew every year. Many a times, senior drivers take up a safety driving program to improve their driving skills. This is a great practice that they take up as the safety driving course is a good option to keep their driving skills in shape. The course will teach several tips to make adjustments in order to accommodate common age related changes in hearing, vision and how to react in time.

With the regular drop in temperature, the time has come for drivers to prepare well for winter driving. Here are a few handy winter driving tips from the experts to keep you safe behind the wheel through slippery situations: Always keep plenty of distance from the vehicle in front. This will give you ample time to apply your brakes in a controlled manner. Also, you will have time to react in case of an emergency. It is mandatory to stay alert of the road conditions. If you suspect the presence of black ice, increase the distance. An anti lock braking system will apply brakes at regular intervals without actually locking the wheels of your vehicle. If you have your car equipped with such a system, just hit the brakes and let the system do the work. This way you will stop safely. If your car does not have this system, pump your brakes without locking the wheels. The all season tires are known to lose up to sixty per cent of grip as compared to the winter tires. These winter tires are fab

Holiday is a time when you forget about everything and celebrate with great pomp. But even so never forget about your safety at road. Colder weather is a big challenge in winter and to drive is almost an impossible feat. However a greater threat is when people drink and drive during this time of the year. With slick roads that further endanger drivers who are already distracted by the frantic holiday season, you don’t want to double the risk by drinking. State Highway Patrol officers have warned that it would be potentially treacherous to travel around Pitt County in Greenville. According to them, students are geared up to leave the town for the holidays. That would assure less traffic but more drinkers. It is quite common to find more drunk drivers in this time of the year and the havoc they cause on the road is unbelievable. During thanksgiving last year, about 12 people died and 1,370 were injured and in the same period, 49 collisions, 9 injuries, 5 drunken-driving arrests and no fa

Recently, a Newton policeman in his patrol car, barreled out of Newtonville Avenue across Walnut Street, without even stopping at the stop sign and without looking at the heavy Walnut Street traffic. Luckily, at that very moment another driver used his quick reflexes to brake, thus saving him from injury or death, from the impending driver door impact. Any knowledgeable driver will know that a motorist’s attitude is one of the most important factors that could eventually make driving much safer. The very concept of defensive driving is all about defending a motorist’s own safety as well as other road users or third party lives. Defensive driving encourages drivers to be alert and to give more 'cushion space' between themselves and the vehicle in front of them. Unfortunately, certain accidents just cannot be avoided. But being slow will minimize the chance of fatalities. Another vital point to keep in mind is that you have an obligation to help other careless and arrogant drive

With Thanksgiving around the corner, there will be more people traveling to and from the city. Since the probability of accidents is going to be high, Amica Insurance reminds everyone to drive safely and be safe on the road. It is offering a few handy safety tips and a checklist for what has to be done if you are involved in an accident. The senior assistant vice president with Amica Insurance says, “It's always great to get together with family and friends during the holidays, but with so many people on the road it's especially important to be careful while driving”. “That's why we're happy to share these tips and reminders”, she added. Always wear your seat belt. That is the best way to prevent injury and even death in case of an accident. Do not use your cell phones for texting or calling while you are behind the wheel. Stay awake and alert while you are driving. Many accidents take place due to drivers being drowsy. Do not drive when you are drunk. If you have consu

The best way you can adopt to improve your safety while driving is to improve your driving attitude. In doing so, you will keep yourself as well as others out of harm’s way while on road. Adopting a positive attitude while driving is very important, as you will be making so many choices that can lead you to different consequences! A safe driving attitude can bring you many attributes like: Saving money on ticket and increased insurance costs. Reduce the chances of being in a crash. Limit stress on road. To instill a positive attitude, you must control your emotions and behavior, practice defensive driving techniques and take the responsibility of your driving decisions very carefully. Emotions like anger, fear or joy can change the way you assess risk and make a decision. Strong emotions like anger can affect your driving skills, increase the chances of making errors, make silly decisions or get distracted easily. You must always be aware of your state of mind and think practically to

A horrifying head on car crash killed a young graduate after she took her eyes off the road to send a text message. The girl, Tracy Wale, was apparently on her way to the apartment she was going to share with her partner. 22 year old Wale was about to start working with the Thames Valley Police. She had studied health and criminology at the Northampton University. She collided with two cars on the A508, Northampton in the month of April. She drove into the path of traffic and banged into a Volkswagen Golf first and then an Audi A6. A 29 year old woman was driving the Golf and a 31 year old woman was driving the Audi. Both drivers are from the Northampton area and suffered minor injuries. The Wale family is totally devastated by the news of her death. “Tracy was a fun loving, caring daughter, who had everything to live for”, they said. It has been reported that the police found her cell phone next to her in the car. The phone was set to text mode. They have collected enough evidence tha

Do you know every hour at least four people get involved in a car accident? The causes may be numerous; however, these accidents could have been prevented if the drivers would have taken more care and responsibility. This blog will highlight some common re asons of car accidents. Hopefully, you can try to avoid them. Reckless Driving: Reckless driving by teenagers coupled with little knowledge of the traffic law, inexperience and excitement can result in you getting injured during car wreck. Alcohol: Driving under the influence of alcohol has resulted in a very high percentage of car accidents and fatalities each year. When drivers are drunk, they won’t be able to pay full attention to their driving or have full control. Speeding: We still don’t get it why people love to speed when they know it’s dangerous on the road. Not only are they putting themselves at risk but others in danger as well. Animals: Don’t we hate it when we see some animals popping out of nowhere while we drive? It i

Have you ever heard a police officer tell a teenager to drive faster? Probably not! And that's precisely what officers did this weekend. These officers provided several teens with the skills and knowledge to help them be safer drivers. Perhaps, now we may have the opportunity to see our teenagers live past their tumultuous youth. During these sessions, teens were instructed to speed up, between 30 and 35 miles per hour. They were then asked to drive in a straight line towards a traffic cone that was a 100 feet in front of them. Finally, they were instructed to hit the brakes and check if the vehicles anti-lock braking systems were fully functional. Those who managed to activate their anti-lock systems in time avoided hitting the cone. But those who failed had an orange plastic lump under their car. These instructional sessions were a part of the country's Collision Avoidance Training. These training programs basically teach teenagers to master certain defensive driving techniqu

It is that time of the year when you have to take extra precautions while driving. With deer always on the move, defensive driving tactics should come as second nature for drivers. The accidents taking place between deer and cars is on the rise. According to the police, there were around 31 of these accidents that took place in Lincoln County last week alone. The statistics are threatening to increase with the start of the gun deer season. As advised by the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, it is always better to check whether your headlights are in proper working condition before you hit the road. Likewise, the number of distractions should be reduced. The owner, Bob Dehnel, of One Way Collision Center in Merrill has seen the amount of damage that is caused due to car deer accidents. He says that some of the cars that come into his shop still have fur stuck to their front end. The repairs of all this can be really expensive. “On average, costs range from $1,000 to $6,000 dollars ea

A lot us experience a little aggressiveness in us while driving. We sometimes tailgate, change lanes without signaling, travel faster, abuse verbally to other drivers or give a rude gesture. We are human and we can’t help being a little off at times but what we really miss out is that being aggressive not only is dangerous but brings about serious consequences which we don’t want to face. Aggressive driving happens when a driver commits some traffic offense so as to endanger the lives of others or property while road rage is a criminal offense or an assault with a vehicle or other weapons to the passenger or operator. The road is always crowded with so many types of drivers and since commuters spend a long time behind the wheel, it ramps up their stress levels resulting in feeling aggressive or prone to road rage. The danger of both road rage and aggressive driving can result in death, serious injury or committing a crime that would land you in jail. Though you cannot control other agg

One fifth of the total vehicle crashes in the nation are caused due to drowsy drivers. It is also the cause of about one third of the fatal truck accidents. According to Sgt. Chris Pascoe of Ypsilanti post, only four hours of sleep for five consecutive nights is like staying awake for twenty four hours. This is the same as drunken driving. Keeping the above things in view, this week has been designated as Drowsy Driving Awareness Week. The aim of this movement is to draw attention towards the problem of drowsy driving which, according to the officials, is as recognizable an issue as driving when drunk, distracted driving, etc. As per the reports estimated by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, around 100,000 vehicle crashes are caused due to drowsy driving. Adults should get a minimum of seven to nine hours of sleep every night. If drivers are too tired but have to drive long distances, they should take brakes every two hours or 100 miles. A study conducted by th

Every driver knows tailgating can be dangerous and yet they do it. Driving too close is something we see on the road every day. It may be not a big deal but in fact it is. The most obvious danger is not able to react to what the front car will do next. If the car in front suddenly puts a brake or turns, the car behind won’t have time to react and would most probably hit the back of the car in front. This could lead to major accidents or cause a chain reaction. Tailgating is a common dangerous practice and if you are a frequent tailgater, it can create frustration and delay for others. Tailgaters are mostly not aware of the danger they are posing to others and fail to understand the need to keep a safe gap between the vehicles. Nearly half of drivers on the roads risk meeting with accidents by driving too close to one another and it contributes to one/third of motorway accidents. States have applied severe rules to curtail tailgating. But, unfortunately the rules are often ignored or br

We have all learned about the various factors that play a large role in fatal accidents, such as: 1.Terrain/climate/weather or any natural occurring factor; 2.Road condition/design, 3.Driver's attitude and 4.Vehicle road worthiness. However, a recent study was conducted to determine how far a person can control his destiny, during these unfortunate incidents. Firstly, the study showed that nature does change at unpredictable frequencies, hence 'nature' functions as a non-variable (not individual controllable). Next, they went on to deal with the second contributing aspect that is the road conditions. Overall, the road is an infrastructure that's laid by a governing body. Thus, keeping in mind the possibilities of 'political and economic adversaries', a road too, is deemed as a non-variable. But the study did show that an average motorist can control the third aspect to a certain extent, depending upon his financial capability, knowledge and concern for road wort

More than 40 percent of drivers say they have fallen asleep while driving at least once. According to a study carried out by the AAA Foundation, one out of every ten of these drivers has admitted doing this in the past year. The AAA Foundation is a non-profit research and educational organization. Driving when sleep-deprived and drowsy can lead to accidental deaths. As per reports, nearly one in six car crashes is caused due to a fatigue impaired driver. Every state prohibits drunk driving. And only New Jersey has laws against driving when deprived of sleep. This should not be the case, especially after it has been proved that the effects of sleep deprivation are similar to those of drunk driving. The director of communications and public affairs for AAA Arizona, Linda Gorman said, “Driving Drowsy is similar in many ways to driving drunk. Awareness decreases, reaction time slows, judgment is impaired and your risk of crashing skyrockets”. A few handy tips have been offered by AAA Arizo

Drivers are multitasking anywhere, anytime while driving. They read messages, call, eat, talk, apply makeup and lots more. Not that we encourage them to do it but let’s be clear – Multitasking is dangerous especially when you are driving! Multitasking is an addiction that most of us have. We live in a fast paced world and we can’t stop ourselves from killing two birds with one stone. Multitasking is good to some level. But seriously during driving, let’s hope the drivers have not lost their sense. Not only are they putting their lives in danger but that of others as well. Recently a guy was spotted reading books, taking calls and drinking coffee while driving. If you are doing all these things in one time, where exactly is your concentration? More than 80% of drivers have identified themselves as multitaskers. 60% of them eat while driving, 19% of them indulge themselves in fixing hair, texting or chatting while 14% have to comfort or discipline their children while on the road and 8%

Let’s face it, we are not all perfect and that is true in our driving methods as well. Even though we may be responsible for some others but at times, we can make silly mistakes without realizing what we are doing. The following points are some of the most common driving mistakes that we tend to make every now and then. Too much distraction: Distracted driving is one major cause of road accidents and cell phones take the top list of being the culprit. If you are not paying too much attention on your driving, you are endangering yourself and that of others. Today, texting is approaching the danger levels of drunk driving. So, pay attention to the road no matter how busy or in a hurry you are. Too much pressure to gas and brake pedals: A silly but important point. If you drive like a maniac putting too much pressure on the brake pedals, you are wasting a lot of fuel. Car not adjusting to body: The automobiles do not fit all sizes. That is why seats and other parts of the cars are adjusta

Did you know that the number one killer of teens in the United States is car crashes? No? It is not alcohol or drugs, but instead it is the lack of proper judgment, distractions and fatigue that takes the lives of several teenagers. In order to shed light on this, “serial killer” the United States Congress established the NTDSW (National Teen Driver Safety Week), in 2007.This brilliant initiative is also supported by the traffic safety experts at the CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) and several State Farm Insurance Companies. A recent investigation has made many people realize that although teens are aware about the dangers of drinking and driving, they are very often unaware of the risks that are associated with speeding, fatigued driving, driving with multiple teen passengers and using hand held devices like mobile phones. This research was conducted by the State Farm and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. It is here that defensive driving courses play an extr

It is that time of the year when drivers have to deal with an abundance of children walking to and from school. They also have to deal with school crossing guards and school buses. To avoid accidents, drivers should take more care and be extra cautious and alert especially while driving around schools. Parents should keep certain rules in mind while walking and driving their kids to school. They should obey the traffic signals and lights and make sure to walk only on crossroads. If, at all, your kids bike to school, you should see to it that they wear helmets. It is always advisable to walk your child to the bus stop and back. If you ride to school in a school bus, you should always be on time. Also, you should always wait for the driver's signal before crossing the road. You should stay in your seat and avoid pushing and shoving. Teen drivers should take extra precautions while driving to school and back. They should obey all traffic rules and try and leave 10 minutes early so tha

Saturday, 29th October was just another day for both Doug Kozar and Kate Kohlier. But their lives were cut short when a car careened off the road and hit them. Police said that a drunk driver is to blame. The car belongs to one dentist, and it seems he was speeding when he hit a curb, spun out of control and slid several planters while hitting both Kozar and Kohlier. Kohlier died on the spot while Kozar was pronounced dead in an ambulance. Another person was injured when he tried to jump out of the way of the car. The driver was arrested on two counts of DUI manslaughter, two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of driving under the influence with injury. This may be another story of life taken away by a drunk driver, but it can happen to you also. You as a driver must be responsible not for your own life but of that of others. If the man had decided not to drive on that day, it would have spared the lives of both Kozar and Kohlier. DUI accidents have been the major cause of road