Nissan unveils their new hi-tech concept for future Nissan cars. This new technology automatically detects alcohol in the drivers’ body by via Alcohol Odor Sensors. It can also detect how drowsy a driver is by a camera mounted on the instrument that monitors facial expression of the driver. The camera detects drowsiness through the drivers eyes.

Another way the system can detect a driver’s consciousness is through his driving behavior. If the car suddenly swerves, going out of its lane, the seatbelt will automatically tightens up around the drivers waist to gain immediate attention.

This car can possibly reduce DUI cases.

[Source: TheAutoChannel]

Written by A. Cantos on August 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment

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!

Written by J. Angelo Racoma on June 29, 2007 | 1 Comment

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.

Written by A. Cantos on June 28, 2007 | 2 Comments

We use the engine to keep the car moving, and the brakes to slow down and stop the car. That’s the way it works, right?

Yes… but it isn’t quite that simple. You see, the key word here is “stopping.” Brakes are for stopping the car. Yes, they help slow the car down too, but your engine has more to do with that than you might think.

A couple of days ago, Angelo has discussed why coasting is bad. A commenter even noted that “you lose 80% of stopping power when you disengage gears.” I’m not entirely sure about the exact figures, but you can test the concept the next time you get in your vehicle.

How? Just take your foot off the accelerator.

Once you ease off the gas, the engine starts slowing down – and this reduction in speed transfers all the way down the transmission and to your tires. Basically, while you’re in gear and your foot is off the gas, your engine works to slow down your vehicle. In some cases, you can shift down one or two gears to slow down even further.

Why would you want to do this?

The most important reason is that you want your brakes to stop your car. By keeping your foot off your brakes, or by only pressing on them lightly, you prevent them from heating up. This prevents brake fade, making them more effective when you’re in a situation where you need to stop or slow down quickly.

Another reason, one related to this, is to keep your vehicle in control. If, for example, you were going downhill, your vehicle will accelerate as you move forward. By shifting down, you let your engine limit your acceleration – keeping your speed in check. Yes, you can also use your footbrake, but that brings us back to our first reason.

Basically, the point is this: use your engine to control your vehicle’s movement. The engine is for moving the car – both speeding it up and slowing it down. Your brakes are there to help slow it down, but their main purpose is for stopping.

Written by Luis Cruz on April 19, 2007 | 4 Comments

For quite sometime, the u-turn slots created by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in the Philippines has become a regular part of our road life. This also effectively limit the flow of traffic to two way in major intersections. The purpose of this scheme is to ease traffic in our major roads, however, the effectiveness is being disputed and debated.

But to a new driver, these u-turn slots can be dangerous, if not fatal, specially to the speed freaks.

Remember when you applied for a license? We were oriented that the innermost lane (the left lane) is for fast moving vehicles. But this may not be applicable in Manila’s national roads because of the presence of u-turn slots. Stepping on the gas, specially at night, may spell disaster.

As safety precaution, when driving in Metro Manila and if you are not familiar in the area, stay in the middle lane and/or don’t speed up.

Written by Sonnie on March 30, 2007 | 1 Comment

No driver is perfect. That means no matter how good you may be, you would still inevitably make some mistakes one time or another. Let’s just hope that these mistakes don’t cause anyone harm. But at least you can control your own acts, and try to minimize erring while on the street. It’s a whole different story when other drivers are involved, because you don’t know what’s in their minds.

Accidents happen whether it’s you or another driver who makes mistakes on the road. That’s why it’s a good defensive driving idea not to trust anyone else on the road. No, this doesn’t mean you have to be aggressive and treat everyone else as an enemy. Trusting no one simply means you have to anticipate the actions of other drivers. And you should act on the cautious side.

If you are too trusting, you are relying on that other driver for your safety. Is he worthy of that trust? Every few seconds, some drivers in this country find out this is a poor bet. Maybe some of those other drivers are returning from a beer festival! Maybe they just lost a job, or worse, a loved one. The other driver might be an 11-year-old who found Dad’s keys. Approach driving with the idea that every other driver is an unpredictable menace and out to get you. Most collisions occur when the “other guy” does something we don’t expect, or when we do something they don’t expect. -Road Trip America

Written by J. Angelo Racoma on March 26, 2007 | 3 Comments