LifeSpy has an excellent post on how to avoid fatigue while driving. While lifespy stresses the need to be fatigue-free when driving stick-shifts, I would say it’s even more dangerous when driving a vehicle with automatic transmission. That’s because automatics require less effort, and drivers tend to take driving for granted. So sometimes you just keep your foot on the gas pedal and let the car do the thinking for you while you doze off! Manual transmission vehicles at least require more thinking from the driver, and I would say that keeps one alert.
Here are Alex’s tips.
# Don’t drink and drive!
# Eat a light meal just before along drive. Avoid stuffing yoursel, though, as it may make you even more drowsy.
# A slightly warm interior can make you drowsy, so either turn up the AC or roll down a window to let some air in. Just find the right temperature that isn’t too warm or too cold. Just enough to keep you alert but comfortable.
# Turn on the radio and switch to a lively tune. Sing along if you want, just don’t get distracted and keep your focus on the road.
# Stop over once every couple or so hours. Take a walk around to improve your body’s circulation. Being in one position can slow down your metabolism. Improved circulation can help battle fatigue.
# A cup of hot coffee or some cold soda can help keep you awake too with the dose of caffeine and sugar will help you get some charge. Just don’t drink too much or you might become too agitated too.
Keep safe!
Defensive drivers protect their cars like protecting themselves. - A. Cantos
You have read and learned about Defensive Driving, you’ve known helpful Driving Tips and lots about Road Safety. Now let’s put on some extra tips on how you can protect your car and yourself.
Apart from other vehicles around and objects or people you might hit on the road what other factors you, as a defensive driver, should be most aware of? In countries where vehicle crime is high, one should be most aware of people around him. This is the most primary line of defense one should have to protect himself and his vehicle.
Vehicle crimes are most generally referred as ‘Grand Theft Auto’. Two of the most common are Carjacking and Car theft. Other car crimes include flatting your tires down and breaking your windshields. In some countries, side mirrors and even wheels sometimes get stolen.
Here are some ways to protect yourself and your car and out smart the criminals.
- Use safety gadgets. Sound alarms are very useful. Before a criminal totally drove your car, he might have had everyones attention to him already. Maneuvering wheel lock will also be helpful. In case the criminal easily broke in, he will definitely have a hard time cutting that very hard piece of steel. A tracking system might also be installed, so if in case he still managed to drive your car, you will be able to follow where he goes.
- Don’t leave your car alone. Sometimes there’s nobody to close the garage for us. So what we usually do is take out the car from the garage, come out of the car without turning the engine off and close the garage. Don’t do this unless you have someone in the car who can alert you when somebody is approaching with malicious intents.We also sometimes do this when we want to check the tires or anything annoyingly noisy during a smooth ride home. Unless you really feel that you need to check what is it, don’t leave your car. And if you really have to come out, turn the engine off, lock the door.
Do not attract the criminals. Not just your cars interest the criminals. When leaving your car in an open parking, make sure to hide all the things that can easily be seen that attract evil eyes. A single penny or your favorite baseball bobble head is enough to make them break your windshields. Don’t like this happen, do you?- Use different routes. If you own a sports car, or an elegant Mercedes Benz, you can be a carjackers target, more likely. It is usually a part of a plan to monitor where the target goes and what time they usually see you. To prevent them from catching your rythm on the street, use different routes when going to and from your destinations.
Bike Locks (for motorbikes). This thing is very important but you must know how to use it properly. You can lock the wheels with the chassis but it’s not the right way to do it. Worst case, criminals will just lift your bike and put it in their getaway vehicle. When you park your bike, choose a place where there is something you can mount your bike to. It must be a fixed object and the chain must not slip out of it.
I know this should already be a given, but let’s face it: there are still people who are not faithful to the seatbelt-wearing rule.
In many places, it’s against the law not to wear seatbelts while a car is running. In most places, the requirement is just the front seats (to prevent passengers from flying through the windshield in case of a collision). In others, even the rear passengers are required to wear seatbelts.
Seat belts do several things for you. They provide impact protection, they absorb crash forces, and they keep you from being thrown out of the vehicle. Modern vehicles are built with “crumple zones,” and seat belts are an integral part of the system. The belts hold you in place while the vehicle collapses around your “safe” zone. Belts help keep you in your place, in control, and better able to avoid a crash.
- Road Trip America
A lot of new cars may have crumple zones and airbags (driver’s and passenger’s side, even!). But these are called secondary protection systems for a reason. It’s still the seatbelt that gives you a higher chance of surviving an accident, and it’s still the seatbelt that makes these secondary protection systems work in the first place.
Airbags can kill if you hit them at an improper angle when they inflate. Crumple zones only work if you’re within the safe zone (meaning away from the zones that crumple during impact). What if you’re thrown into the crumple zone?
Sometimes seatbelts are uncomfortable and inconvenient. But I’d rather be inconvenienced and safe than be comfortable and dead.
In 2009, Aquada will hit the road. No, the sea. Wait, yes the road. No the sea.
Source: Detroit News [Read]
The Gibbs Technology LTD, introduced the production-ready versions of their amphibious car, Aquada. Aquada can run on both land and water. Gibbs is aiming to sell Aquada in US by 2009. This car, boat, approximately costs $85,000. Roughly around PHP3.8M.
I wonder if this car will ship to Philippines as well. If one could have this here, he can have 2 options. Travel by sea at 33 Mph, or by the road at 110 Mph. If this could happen, traveling from Cavite to Manila and vice versa will only take not more than 30 mins.
Before one can drive any motorized vehicle on the road, one should first acquire a driving license. A license is very important for it signifies and assured that you know how to drive and more importantly, you understand traffic rules and signs.
The Land Transportation Office or LTO is a government organization that provides driving licenses to drivers in the Philippines. They also execute traffic rules and regulations. They are also in charge of penalizing traffic violators. Anything that relates to traffic, they are responsible for it.
LTO has several office locations around the country. Every province should have one to provide convenience to people of their border. But anyone can have their licenses from any branch offices from different provinces.
A Student Driver’s License is a pre-requisite to a Non-Professional or Professional Driver’s license. In acquiring this, here are some tips.
- Prepare the requirements. Go to LTO site and look for the requirements. Make sure you have them with you when you go to an LTO branch to avoid inceonvenience. Accomplished application form, Birth certificate and ID picture are the most important you should have. Make sure that your Bith certificate is NSO certified. Have a photocopy so you can keep the original in future needs.
- Be early as possible. LTO operations start at 8:00 AM. The offices are usually crowded everyday and you do not want to wait long , do you? If your papers will be the first on their queue, you would decrease the chance of paying extras to fasten the processing. You know what I mean. Need I explain more?
- Show respect to the officers. Eventhough you are paying for their sevice, they usually do not observe the principle of ‘Customer is always right.’ Not even if you pay under-the-table cash. So the only way to have their good mood on you is keep them respected.
After you have your student license, you have to wait for a month to be able to acquire a Non-Professional or Professional license. Do not forget to bring the requirements when applying for one.
These tips are more appropriate for Filipino citizens acquiring licenses only. If you are not a filipino who wants to acquire driving license here, please check the requirements from LTO site.
Nobody plans to have an accident but it is also prudent to be ready when the unexpected happens.
- Aside from your drivers license and car registration, your insurance policy book will comein handy. Make sure you have it in your car. Having extra copies of these docs will save you from overcharging photocopying services when these docs are needed.
- If and when you got involve in a “minor” accident, remain calm and focused.
- Look for a policeman or traffic officer to sketch the position. A camera phone will come in handy too.
- You will need a police report for the incident for insurance claim, thus, you and the other involved party must drive to the nearest police traffic bureau, to give your individual statements.
- The process of getting a police report consumes a lot of time. Immediateatly advise all stakeholders about the incident and your whereabouts. Be prepared to cancel all planned activities for the day.
- The process of getting a police report is also costly as you will pay not only for the cost of the report but also for the photographs and photocopies. Prices is beyond the standard price.
- Get in touch with your insurance provider, they can extend some assistance depending on the service they offer.
- Depending on the damage of your car, be prepared for car less days ahead as your car go to the process of repair.
The context of these pointers is minor vehicle to vehicle accident and may not apply if human injury is present.
