Driving Tips To Help You To Pollute Less

We've all been told to drive defensively and watch out for the "other guy" on the road, but what exactly should we be doing? What should we be watching out for? Here are some good driving tips to help you better understand defensive driving and how to avoid having an accident.

What If?

While driving on the highway, or in the city, always be aware of your surroundings. Scan the road ahead of you and check your rear-view mirror behind you. Look for possible road hazards. A good way to do this is to play a game of "what if". What if the driver in front of me slams on their brakes? What if the driver on my right runs this stop sign? What if this guy doesn't look and backs out of his parking spot while I'm going down the aisle? By thinking ahead and anticipating what the other guy might do, you can be better prepared in these situations.

Keep your own vehicle well maintained. Defensive driving really begins at home. Be sure you keep your own vehicle maintained by having it serviced on a consistent basis. Pay special attention to the tires, brakes, windshield wipers and lights. Keep your windows and mirrors cleaned off, especially in snow and ice.

Intersections

Be sure you know the driving rules for intersections. Always use your turn signal when approaching an intersection. Don't make the other guy guess what you might do next. When you approach any intersection, be sure you have your foot over the brake just in case something unexpected happens. Be prepared for it. Only start through the intersection when it is clear. Never assume it is just because you have the green light.

Stopping

Your vehicle’s weight determines how long it takes you to come to a stop. The heavier your car weighs, the longer it will take you to stop. A good rule of thumb is that at 65 MPH it will take the length of a football field to come to a stop.

Don't be fooled by having ABS brakes. ABS will help prevent your car from spinning out and locking up during a panic stop. They don't make you come to a stop any quicker.

One thousand one.

A very good driving tip is the two-second rule when following someone in front of you. When someone in front of you passes a fixed object, like a mile marker or road sign, count off how long it takes before you pass the same object. If it is sooner than two seconds then you are following too closely. Slow down and back off a little.

In bad weather conditions you need to increase the time to three seconds. This includes driving in:

• Fog
• Rain
• Snow
• Smoke
• Driving behind a motorcycle
• Driving behind a big truck
• Driving at night

Big Trucks

Stay well behind big trucks on the highway. Remember, if you can't see the driver in their side mirror, then they can't see you. Stay out of the blind spots.

Be careful when you see a big truck attempting to make a wide right turn. Never try to pass them in the right lane.

These driving tips can help everyone avoid potentially dangerous situations and possible accidents. Put them into use and constantly be aware of the "other guy". It will help keep you safe while out on the roads and highways.

About the Author:
Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Driving Tips
Article Submitted On: June 12, 2006
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Headlight Cleaning and Restoration Kit to Boost Nighttime Driving Safety

MDWholesale.com, a famed automotive safety oriented website and company has recently divulged a secret to attaining a safer nighttime travel. The company advised drivers and motorists alike to bring with them a headlight cleaning and restoration kit in cases of headlight emergencies while traveling at night.

According to David Maillie, President of MDWholesale.com, “It is a proven fact that our field of vision is greatly reduced when driving at night and cloudy or dim headlights will greatly increase the risks of a night time accident. We want consumers to be aware that most accidents occur at night and the number one reason is due to bad headlights.”

An average of 9 out of every 10 cars on the road today has dirty or yellowed headlights that greatly reduce vision and need to be replaced or professionally cleaned. That fact is revealed by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Further, it was stated that the problem is not always on the bulb but in the outer plastic lens that makes the lighting dim, cloudy, worn and blurry. Exposure to such lighting conditions triggers accidents at night.

According to the National Institute for Highway Safety, and the previous 10 years of traffic accident data, lighting is the most essential issue linked to accidents at night. This is the reason why every driver must be equipped with headlight kit. Having the latter accessible any time gives the rider the opportunity to clean and restore his headlight to its original and clean state. This kit is an economical alternative to repairs and services. Aside from that it can be had, even at the wee hours of the day. This kit is compatible with Volvo, Honda, Mazda, headlights for GMC truck and to other brands as well.

Maillie further noted, “Make your car look better and see better at night with our headlight cleaning and restoration kit. Our goal is to make consumers safer when driving through our products and safety information and education.”

About the Author:
Tracy Dawson is a 29 year old researcher and writer from Dallas, Texas with extensive experience in writing auto-related articles and covering automotive related events. She is currently a contributing writer for a leading automotive e-zine.
Article Source: ArticleToGo.com

Teen Driver Statistics

As a parent, if you search for any information about Teen Driving Statistics you will find statistics similar to those below. I have reviewed various websites to summarize the information from these sources, however, please feel free to search the web for “teen driving statistics” for more websites and information on this subject.

The information allows us to ponder if teen driving needs to be revisited on a national level. How are teen drivers being educated by driving schools? Do we need to increase the amount of time for driver training? How about requiring higher levels of car driving education (not just traffic education, but how do drive a car education)? Should driver’s licenses only be issued at age 18? What are the economic implications to increasing the driving age? We will visit these questions in the next article. For now we need to understand what is happening on our roads today.

We know that the current requirements for driver education are not sufficient. Both commercially and by parents. We can add that a younger age teen is not mature enough to control a vehicle and might as well be considered to be driving a deadly weapon. Teens with permit licenses are driving with their parents in an unmarked family vehicle only increase the likelihood of accidents. Using car magnets that are thick, reflective for the night and are durable can help reduce this likelihood. These types of auto safety magnets can be found at Auto Safety Magnets. Identifying these almost 2 million vehicles on the road should be a requirement on a national level.

As parents we must take the responsibility of protecting our children. Should you reconsider your decision the next time your teen asks to take the car?

The Facts from reliable Sources

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

In 2003, 3,657 (3,827 in 2002) drivers 15 to 20 years old were killed, and an additional 308,000 (324,000 in 2002) were injured, in motor vehicle crashes. Nearly 31 percent of teen drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2003 had been drinking and 74 percent of this group was not wearing their safety belts.

National Safety Council

In 2000, 6,495 people between the ages of 15 and 20 were killed in motor vehicle crashes—the leading cause of death for this age group. And although young drivers represent only 6.6% of the nation's licensed drivers, they are involved in 14.8% of fatal crashes. The National Safety Council urges all parents to familiarize themselves with the risks associated with young, inexperienced drivers.

Traffic crashes are the number one cause of death among children and young adults.

More than 3,800 young drivers age 15-20 are killed every year in traffic crashes.

More than 326,000 young drivers are injured.

Young drivers are involved in fatal traffic crashes at over twice the rate as the rest of the population.

Exceeding the posted speed limit or driving at an unsafe speed is the most common error in fatal accidents.

About 30% of crashes killing young drivers involve alcohol.

More than 1,000 young drivers lose their lives every year in crashes because of an impaired driver... be it themselves, or someone else.

Sean Mullsteff Teen Driving Foundation

The number one cause of death for 15-20 year olds is car collisions.

This age group makes up 7% of licensed drivers, but suffers 14% of fatalities and 20% of all reported collisions.

53% of teen driver deaths occur on weekends.

Teen drivers killed in motor vehicle collisions had a youth passenger in the automobile 45% of the time.

In 2002, The National Center for Statistics and Analysis reported that 8,278 adolescents (ages 15-20) were involved in fatal crashes.

324,000 teens were injured in collisions in 2002.

65% of teen passenger deaths occur with a teen driving.

Teen lifestyle of staying up late make teen drivers a high risk to have an automobile collision due to drowsiness.

More than any age group, teens are likely to be involved in a single vehicle crash.

About the Author:
Melih Oztalay, CEO
Auto Safety Magnets
http://www.autosafetymagnets.com
Auto Safety Magnets helps teen drivers while operating their unmarked family vehicle by increasing road awareness, traffic safety and reducing driver frustration.
melih@autosafetymagnets.com
This article was posted on March 21, 2005
Article Source: articlecity