Drinking (alcoholic beverages at least) and driving are never a good mix. Everyone knows that. But has it ever occurred to you that eating and drinking non-alcoholic beverages while driving can be just as fatal?
Think about it, how often have you passed by a fast food’s drive through and eaten your meal while driving? The chances are that you have done this so many times you can’t even count! And why not? With the fast paced life that most of us live these days, there are instances wherein we can only grab a quick bite while on the road.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, however, this is not such a good idea. They recently conducted a study which showed that about 80% of all car accidents and 65% of near misses are due to motorists being distracted. So what’s new? Well this is what’s new – the drivers are distracted by their burgers and drinks! Instead of focusing their attention on the road, drivers involved in accidents are probably eating, the study says.
And if you think that drinking coffee makes you a better driver, you might want to think again. The study actually ranked the worst food and drink items that you can eat/drink while behind the wheel. Yep, coffee is one of them. Researchers say that the distraction stems from the potential spill each time you hit a bump or turn a curve. Same goes for that cheeseburger – the pickle might fall, forcing you to reach for it….
Bottom line? You might want to think twice before getting a Big Mac meal to go.
So you got yourself an automatic huh? I know a lot of people these days who prefer to drive an automatic car in the city, for everyday use. Of course, there are still a lot who prefer to drive the stick for better control, but for those who have automatic drives, here are some ways you can wreck the transmission of your car. Of course, I do not have to explain the sarcasm behind these words, eh?
Shift into reverse or park while the car is still moving forward.
The newer cars have a safety feature to guard against this – the park and reverse are locked if the car is still in forward motion. But if your car doesn’t have this feature, then make sure you grab that knob and shift to reverse or park. Doing this over and over again will ensure a wrecked transmission one of these days.
Rev your engine instead of using the parking brake.
You know how you have to keep your car still when waiting for traffic to move while you’re on an incline? Well, you do have a parking brake which you can use, but why do that when you can rev your engine? It is more fun, it sounds fun, and it wrecks your transmission in the long run as well!
Don’t change the transmission gear oil on schedule.
That schedule is merely a suggestion. If you’re a little short on money, save it for later. The car will still work anyway.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the weather has been crazy these past few months. Where it is supposed to be summer, they are getting storms. Where it is supposed to be cold, the temperatures are way up. In case you find yourself driving in the rain, here are some tips that will help you stay safe.
Pay extra attention when it suddenly rains after a long dry spell.
This may seem common sense but sometimes, people overlook like. The fact is that during dry spells, engine oil and grease build up on the road surface. When it suddenly rains and the road gets wet, the grease and oil mix, making more dangerous than usual.
Brake sooner and with less force.
Slippery roads make for dangerous times when you brake. As such, when driving in the rain, do brake sooner than you normal would. Also, do not press on the brakes with as much force as you normally would. This would not only give you more distance between your car and the car in front of you but it would also give the driver behind know enough time to hit the brakes himself.
Do NOT use cruise control.
Cruise control was invented for a reason but it was never meant to be used in bad weather. Do not feel lazy when driving in rainy weather but instead be alert as you possibly can.
These are some of the most simple tips that can help you in bad weather. More to follow in the next post.
They say that you will never face a better test of your driving skills until you have to drive in winter. While the season is almost over, we do know that the global climate changes have made things a little crazy in this department. There are still cities and states which are experiencing an extended period of bad weather. As most of us face the tail end of the winter, here are some of the best winter driving tips that you can bear in mind.
Don’t drive in bad weather.
That’s the best tip of all, actually. If you hear about a snowstorm on the radio or on TV, the smartest thing to do would be to stay put and wait it out. And once the storm is over, do not be in a hurry to get out and drive. Make sure the plows have done their job and that there is no ice on the road.
Take your foot off the accelerator.
If you cannot stay put and you find yourself driving on icy roads, your best bet would be to go against your need for speed. That accelerator is also meant to be stepped on lightly, you know. Decrease your speed, brake gently.
Never use cruise control.
While cruise control is FUN, it will not do you any good to use it on bad roads. Driving in bad weather requires all your attention and focus. It’s best for you to pay attention and not leave things up to cruise control.
We’ve all heard the bad rap biofuels has gotten with the increased pollution and macro-economic impact it has on society but you’ve gotta’ give credit for these engineers who have managed to come up with alternatives to our increasingly oil dependent economies in so short a time. The problem wasn’t with the fuel itself for it fulfilled all pre-set criteria for a fuel that burned with less emissions than oil-based fuel products. As it turns out, it takes more energy to produce a liter of biofuel that off-sets the gains of the said alternative. The foray of engineers into the hybrid arena was merely to fill in the gap till fully electric systems became more feasible.
Fuel cell technology today, has resulted in some of the coolest cars around. From electric compacts that run on hydrogen or compressed natural gas that has similar abilities as bio fuels used in conjunction with better fuel cell technologies and reactors they all make for a better transition from an oil-based economy to a hydrogen or LNG-based one. The benefits of these alternative fueled cars is so much that research has been pushed to the extent of breakthroughs being put into prototypes as soon as they are discovered making for some really cool cars. With some manufacturers fielding test fleets to iron out the kinks in the system, they should have a working infrastructure by 2010 when most manufacturers schedule the release of their versions of the electric vehicles to take up the slack where bio-fueled vehicles left off.
At times when you are on the road, you are bound to see police cars, ambulances or VIPs flashing blinkers and sirens meaning they are in a hurry. Well, they are always in a hurry to reach their point of destination and as a sign of courtesy, private and public vehicles know for a fact that they have to give way or clear the road to let them pass.
That is a common practice that is done anywhere in the world today and for sure, no one wants to get into trouble or be ticketed as an obstruction for refusing to give way. As a rational driver, emergency or not it would be wise to allow them to pass since you never know what could happen and may be held accountable in the end if the emergencies fail to reach their actual point of destination.
As far as having blinkers and sirens is concerned, there are some people who install them without licenses or permits. By doing so, you are placing yourself in a lot of trouble. In most countries, unless you are licensed or authorized to have such things installed on your car, it would be best to keep that thought clear.
These gadgets are normally restricted to the proper people commissioned to do them. It goes in hand with their work. Some use them for status symbol while others just want to feel powerful. They are used for a purpose. Do not install one unless you have the right to have them.
Driving along the streets especially in traffic can lead to arguments and often encounters that can suddenly look ugly. Drivers go as far as coming to blows while others pull out their guns in cases where they feel that they were beaten to instances like being first or being cut when driving around in the streets. But one thing you should ask for yourself, what do you get out of all of this road rage once everything has been done? Does it make you a better driver or better yet a better person?
This can also be typified as the power tripping driver. Many people who hold key positions in the government or perhaps are granted a license for carrying firearms make them all the more unreasonable drivers, wanting to be the superior person wherever they may be. These instances have resulted in some tragedies and have gone as far as claiming people’s lives or ruining their reputations. Sad as it may, it is all because of lack of courtesy and respect for emotions that drivers cannot contain when they are on the road.
There is no doubt that a lot of us have had our share in terms of encountering such instances. There is no doubt that such outrages will lead to nowhere. The real challenge of driving is not just about how well you drive your car but also about how focused you are on the road. Losing that may very well be a signal to just hire a driver or avoid driving a car to avoid the inconveniences.
For most drivers today, getting a ticket for allegedly erratic or reckless driving can be a pain. Outside that of having a mark on your driver’s license, it can also be a pain as far as trying to retain a clean slate in instances where you have to pay for tickets and fines for irresponsible driving.
So how does one avoid the tickets? Well for one, go back to the driving basics and avoid the risks if you already know you will get into trouble. Speeding, beating the red light, swerving or the simple busted tail lights are normally the main causes of being given a ticket. With that in mind, you just have to wonder if drivers either ignored them when they were taking up driving lessons or plainly don’t care.
Do not take these violations personally. They are mean to protect and save anyone from accidents and the pedestrians as well. They were not placed for other reasons and this is something that both old and new drivers should carefully ponder on. They may not seem important for now but they are main factors in responsible driving today.
Do not be daring nor dare to cross the lines of being adventurous. These are normally the issues that have to be addressed and most drivers learn only after they have done it. Curiosity killed the cat as they say and the same curiosity may kill the person behind the wheel if he is not careful.
Much of the accidents happening in the road today come from defying defensive driving. Just how do you drive defensively anyway? Well for one, distance yourself from the big trucks and trailers to avoid being swerved upon. This aside from the fact that truckers care less of being a responsible driver can lead to your demise, a figure that we see based on news and reports regarding road accidents involving small vehicles and large trucks.
Especially in highways, these large vehicles drive at top speed. While they are given warnings to put emphasis on road safety, sadly it is not the case for majority of them. They are on delivery schedules and once they encounter some delays along the way, expect some fast driving even though they feel that they are driving a large vehicle that is going slow.
Add to the fact that some of them have to drive even if they lack sleep. This is a common case we see in other countries since no truck driver wants to risk losing his job due to untimely deliveries. Some of them try hard to stay awake behind the wheel but at times, dozing off cannot be avoided.
But this is not to generalize. There are drivers who are indeed law abiding but at times, you cannot help but avoid running into the unruly ones. Arguing with them will not help once accidents happen. So if you want to know how to drive defensively against them, avoiding them is the best recourse you can do.
One of the things that anyone would hate is being caught in traffic. Apparently not all drivers have the patience when they are caught in bumper to bumper situations especially when it comes to distance in between cars.
So why is distance important? Well for one, you never know if you are the cars in front or behind you are unaware that a slight movement of their vehicle may cause a sudden minor collision in between cars. Drivers for that matter do not take such collisions lightly. In fact, you may even find yourself in the middle of an argument and before you know it, you are causing a major jam as well once the traffic is supposedly free flowing.
So what is the proper distance in between vehicles? While no driver is expected to follow a certain distance in between cars, it remains that they already know how far they should be. There is the proper distance that you can project and in most cases, metric measurements don’t really matter.
Common sense will tell you if you are too close for comfort. Even in regular driving speeds, there is an observed distance in between cars so that in cases like a sudden stop, you can avoid accidents or road mishaps that can normally be charged at your expense. Driving too close will not be something to you advantage and is actually a form of defensive driving.
Keep your distance, you have more to gain than to lose.
