Better Driving

Eight Common Causes of Car Crashes and Collisions

2010-01-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

Every adult driver should be conditioned to knew all the driving safety tips known to man. Even if you consider yourself a cautious driver, other cars out on the road may be the actual cause of a collision. Most people do not know how to drive defensively. At any rate, here are eight common causes of car crashes and collisions ordered by the highest degree of dangers. 1. Drunk driving: Unfortunately, due to drunk drivers, we as a nation experience one death every half hour. The number rises...

Car Safety Tips For Traveling Whilst Pregnant

2009-02-11T18:36:00.000-08:00

Driver and passenger safety should be paramount whenever travelling in a car, but if you're pregnant, here are some extra safety tips to help ensure the safety of both you and your baby. Tips for safe and comfortable car travel when pregnantAvoid driving if your bump is so big it's almost touching the steering wheel. Ask your partner or a friend to ferry you instead.Always take plenty of water with you to keep yourself hydrated.Always plan your journey and allow time to stop for toilet breaks...

Inexpensive Tips to Maintain Your Windshield and the Wipers

2009-01-12T18:16:00.001-08:00

As old man winter once again makes an appearance around much of the country, it is important to remember that a little bit of extra work will go a long way. Even the simply parts of your car's maintenance, such as keeping up with the wiper blades on your windshield wipers can help save you money. During the winter months, people will have less patience with car maintenance because after all that scraping and shoveling, they just want to get inside a warm car. But in order to make it easier on...

How to Drive When it Starts to Snow

2009-01-03T18:30:00.001-08:00

Driving in the winter season is relatively more difficult than normal, and requires skill and practice. In the absence of these important factors, accidents can occur. It might be best to stay at home in bad weather but it cannot always be done as some tasks cannot be postponed. For people who are not accustomed to driving in snow, the task can be challenging. In order to avoid any kind of unpleasant experiences during the winter season, you should have your car thoroughly checked before the...

Get Your Car Ready For Winter

2008-12-08T17:59:00.001-08:00

No one likes driving in bad weather, but as the evenings draw in and the days - and nights - get colder, that's exactly what we will all be doing at some point. The most important thing is not to wait until it turns cold to check your car over. As anyone who has ever run out of anti-freeze will know, it can be very inconvenient to have a problem, no matter when it occurs! So what should you be ready for? Well, apart from anti-freeze you should also make sure your screen wash is topped up. Bad...

How to Prepare For a Driving Trip

2008-12-01T17:44:00.000-08:00

Are you going on a road trip? Driving your own car can be a comfort but there are things you need to fix and prepare before departure. For example, check your car, make sure your car is in a good shape for long hours driving and of course, make sure nothing is broken or damaged beyond repair when you are on your way to your destination. This is why you need to send your car to the mechanic a week before your departure so that he can have a look at your car and let you know what the problem is....

Highway Driving Safety Tips

2008-11-22T19:13:00.000-08:00

As more and more Americans become dependent on cars for transportation and work commuting, our nation's highways are becoming increasingly crowded. With such a high number of cars traveling everyday at very fast speeds, the likelihood of a serious and dangerous accident seems to increase every day. There are a number of serious hazards present on each and every roadway that, with the right information, can hopefully be avoided, making your driving experience safer and accident free. By...

Valuable Driving Techniques From Racing Professionals

2008-11-19T18:48:00.000-08:00

It's not everyday that someone gets the opportunity to really have fun with the car that he or she drives. Can you remember the last time you drove your car just for fun? Last month, GM invited me to attend its Pontiac Portfolio Drive at the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving where I was able to learn valuable driving techniques from racing professionals as well as drive several cars from the Pontiac showroom. The idea here was to have fun with these cars and see what they can do as...

The Danger of Teenage Drivers

2008-11-17T08:15:00.000-08:00

Perhaps it is time to re-think how we are teaching driver's education at high schools. I remember taking driver's education at my high school at 7am every Saturday for an extended period of time (perhaps a couple of months or so). We had a combination of instruction that was given in a classroom where we went over the rules of the road as well as watched safety videos and had periodic quizzes. Then we also had the portion of the class immediately following in which we got into the driver's...

Graduated Driver's License - Cause Teens Are Crazy!

2008-06-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

I think this is a great idea but I still think something is needed for older people who have traffic violations. You know they have bad habits! Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for 36% of all deaths in this age group (CDC 2006). However, research suggests that the most strict and comprehensive graduated drivers licensing programs are associated with reductions of 38% and 40% in fatal and injury crashes, respectively, of 16-year-old drivers...

Becoming A Proactive Driver

2008-04-29T11:13:00.001-07:00

Proactive drivers are a special breed that take driving to the next level, not just going with the flow, but being diligent and alert while on the road. To be a proactive driver one must be on the defense against anything that will cause an accident whether it is other drivers or adverse conditions on the roadways. They will also be able to handle any situation, should one arise, calmly and effectively because they have the tools and skills necessary. So, how does one become a proactive driver?...

Yellow Lights - The Ultimate Decision for the Driving Test

2008-04-22T09:23:00.001-07:00

From all traffic light colors, yellow seems to be the most controversial. Some drivers say that it means stop, others say go, and the funny ones say "green means go, yellow means go faster". The truth is that a yellow light gives the driver the decision whether to stop or go, and that decision must be made with the road situation in consideration. During a driving test, yellow lights can make the difference between passing and failing. Driving students make many mistakes when they see a yellow...

Heavy Traffic - Mind Blowing Driving Test Mistakes

2008-04-07T18:36:00.000-07:00

Slow, crawling traffic is probably the most frustrating view on the road. The red braking lights and the hardly moving speedometer can drive anyone insane. When it happens to driving students during their driving test, some of them make some very silly mistakes that cost them the entire test. These mistakes often repeat themselves, and some repeat even more than others. The safety distance becomes a real issue on heavy traffic. If drivers don't keep a safe distance from each other, accidents...

Car tips to keep you safe while driving

2008-04-04T18:19:00.000-07:00

Accidents on the road are often broadcasted over the news. Many lost their loved ones because of car accidents. It is important that precautionary measures are taken before and while you are on the road to avoid such accidents from happening. Here are some car safety tips to help you arrive at your destination safely. Make sure that your car is in good condition. Car manufacturers usually recommend a maintenance schedule for their car. If you can, follow the schedule, if not, have your car...

Rain Driving Mistakes During the Road Test

2008-03-31T12:35:00.001-07:00

In many countries, when winter comes, rain soon follows. Some driving students have their road test on that day. They should have practiced for hours and know how to deal with rain. However, some students taking their driving test don't know how to handle rain driving and fail their test for it. Examiners have noticed that some rain driving mistakes repeat more often than others. One common mistake is not using the windshield wipers. Every driver should be familiar with car controls and when to...

Tips For Teens to Drive Safely

2008-03-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not a recent survey indicates that car accidents are the number one killer of teens. Research has shown the behavior and attitudes of teens can promote unsafe practices. Seventy five percent of teens appear to be tired behind the wheel. When driving with a passenger ninety percent of teens are distracted. Twenty percent of Juniors who are driving have been in an accident in the past year. Add this behavior with an uneducated teen driver and it is a disaster waiting to happen. Here...

Child Passenger Safety

2008-03-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

My mother told a story at a family gathering years ago about my little brother. Apparently, my mom was driving back to our house one day from the store and had put my brother in his car seat in the rear passenger seat behind her. She was almost home when, all of a sudden, a police officer pulled her over. When she noticed the lights reflecting behind her, she glanced over her shoulder and saw my brother standing up on the back seat looking out the back window of the car, waving to the police...

Japan Tries to Get Old People to Stop Driving

2008-03-19T06:20:00.001-07:00

Very interesting. Although older drivers tend to be safer overall, there comes a point when you need to give it up. clipped from news.yahoo.com TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo businesses are to start offering benefits to elderly people who give up their drivers' licences, backing a police effort to cut back on the ballooning number of traffic accidents caused by drivers over 65. Among more than 30 special offers, one small bank will...

Winter Driving

2008-03-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

When winter comes, a large number of drivers panic and some of even get so scared, that they do not start their cars until spring. Indeed, driving in wintertime can be dangerous and scary, especially is you are a new driver. Winter driving has to be approached differently than driving in summer time, but if you follow some basic steps and rules, winter driving can be achieved with relative ease. If you live in a part of the country where winter lasts for several months, these instructions will...

Pass Your Driving Test - Avoid Intersection Trouble

2008-03-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

Intersections are two or more roads joined together. They usually have a very convenient method of traffic control - traffic lights, stop signs, yield signs, or a combination of them. During the driving test, a student has to face many types of intersections and go through them properly, otherwise failure is a fact. One very common problem with intersections is limit lines. Students just forget to stop before them, and instead they go over them and then stop. This is, of course, a very...

Drive Like You Care

2008-03-08T18:22:00.001-08:00

There's a highway sign along Route 9 that reads-in red letters: Drive Like You Care. It sounds sort of snotty if you say it with the right inflection. My old partner was fond of the expression and used it, with traffic offenders, as an admonition on appropriate occasions. I have a slightly different take on it. I've observed that many drivers, perhaps all drivers at one time or another, fail to treat driving as an activity unto itself, and in doing so put themselves, their passengers, and the...

Trouble Free Driving

2008-02-22T08:09:00.000-08:00

Every 1.6 minutes, an American driver backs into trouble. And when he or she does, it usually means costly vehicle repairs or even worse, fatal accidents involving children. This grim scenario comes from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) which said that backover accidents are common and account for thousands of dollars in damages to vehicles and property. "Backing up your vehicle at just 5 miles per hour (mph) and hitting a pole can result in $500-$1,500 in damages to your...

Tips On Defensive Driving - Protecting And Respecting The Rules Of The Road

2008-02-12T11:38:00.000-08:00

Some good tips. It is far too common a sight on the modern highway to see drivers whose focus is on their cell phone conversations, or on their driving companion, or on drinking their coffee or soda as they gulp down breakfast or dinner. Multitasking has become as prevalent on the highways as it is in the office, with the disastrous result of unnecessary accidents involving other people who paid the price for a distracted driver's limited attention span. If you frequently find yourself driving...

Does Aggressive Music Influence Driving?

2008-02-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

There may be a time that you have listened to a piece of music that has altered the way you drive your vehicle. You may have done this yourself or heard your parents tell stories of how they would be driving down the road and a good 'Journey' tune would come on the radio, resulting in them driving like maniacs down the roads of their teenage and young adult years. Things have changed, though. 'Journey' is certainly not considered aggressive music this day and age, but we hear the sounds of rap...

How To Avoid Going Into A Spin

2008-01-31T13:02:00.000-08:00

Author: Elizabeth Murphy When driving your car in snowy or any kind of wet weather, it is important to know what needs to be done in order to avoid going into a spin, which causes you to completely lose control of the vehicle. Cars have more trouble in inclement weather, and it sometimes seems that they weren't meant for snowy weather at all! In fact, it is always recommended that people do not drive in blizzard conditions because of this well-known fact. However, there are those who cannot...