Eight Common Causes of Car Crashes and Collisions

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 throughout the weekends. Though it could be a difficult task, avoid drunk drivers whenever possible. Be sure to call in suspicious drivers as well.

2. Sleep deprivation: Drivers should never go behind the wheel when they are sleepy. Drowsiness does in fact cause a great deal of vehicle accidents. Unfortunately, the problem of sleep deprivation robs many people of their lives year after year.

3. Poor vehicle maintenance: Some car owners should be re-taught the lessons of the road. Be sure that all your car lights work both on the inside and out. You should also change your filters when needed and get your car services on a regular basis.

4. Safety consciousness: Accidents may be caused by drivers who are in a rush to take off. Responsible drivers will always adjust mirrors before driving. They also look over their shoulders when changing lanes or experiencing a blind spot, and they always have their headlights on in the dark. People who fail to do this contribute to many degrees of car accidents.

5. Traffic rules ignored: Following traffic rules will not only benefit your safety, but all the other drivers on the road as well. Be sure to stop at all stop signs, use your signals accordingly, and most of all, be observant. Sometimes traffic laws change and especially on highways, not following protocol can be a life or death situation.

6. Concentration or lack of it: Studies have shown us that about 30% of American car accidents are caused by what they call "distracted drivers." These drivers are just as dangerous as sleepy or drunk drivers. Avoid any activities that take your attention off the road, and wait to get home to eat meals and apply makeup.

7. Aggressive drivers and "Road Rage": Some drivers operate their vehicles without any regards or concern for others. Some of them aggressively tailgate which can result in horrible accidents and sometimes death. A lot of times drivers prevent others from moving their vehicles, or constantly swerve in and out of lanes which deters the flow of traffic. It's important not to become enraged and especially not to retaliate. In the long run, that person will definitely not outlive you.

8. Bad weather conditions: Of course, weather has a lot to do with the flow of traffic. If you are not careful, a collision can occur in the matter of minutes. Poor visibility, a vehicle's delayed reaction, as well as heavy hail, snow, or ice contributes to several annual crashes.

Play it safe. Always be on the defense but never partake in road rage and tailgate just to tailgate. Keeping your car well maintained is a very important necessity. Especially on cars such as a Mercedes Benz, which is definitely not for all driving conditions, be sure that all of your state of the art Mercedes engine parts, brake parts, and suspension components are in top notch condition. You never know when an accident will occur so always be on the lookout and follow traffic rules. Nothing is worse than being in an accident whether you cause it or not.

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Car Safety Tips For Traveling Whilst Pregnant

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 pregnant

1. Avoid driving if your bump is so big it's almost touching the steering wheel. Ask your partner or a friend to ferry you instead.
2. Always take plenty of water with you to keep yourself hydrated.
3. Always plan your journey and allow time to stop for toilet breaks and to stretch your legs.
4. If you're suffering with backache, try using a pillow in the small of your back. Special pregnancy wedge pillows are also available.
5. Always make sure you have breakdown cover in place should anything happen when you're on your travels.
6. If you're in the third trimester - and especially towards the end of your pregnancy - try not to go anywhere in the car alone - you never know when your waters might break!
7. If traveling in the passenger seat, move your seat as far back from the airbag as possible. This extra space will also allow you more room to stretch your legs to be more comfortable. Moving your feet in a circular motion should help prevent and ease swelling.
8. Although comfort is important, never be tempted to travel without your seatbelt fastened. Aside from putting yourself and the baby in huge danger, you'll also be breaking the law.

The Bump Belt

One product that has been designed specifically with safety in mind is the Bump Belt. Once fitted, this device secures the lap portion of the seatbelt underneath the pregnancy bump and across the thighs, ensuring it doesn't ride up over the abdomen. Should a crash take place, the Bump Belt transfers the impact through the hips and pelvis, rather than the womb.

If you don't fancy a Bump Belt, always ensure that seatbelt lap strap sits snugly underneath your bump and across your pelvis. The shoulder belt should lie over the top of your pregnancy bump and between your breasts.

One final point - always seek medical advice. Make sure your doctor is happy for you to get behind the wheel if you're planning to drive whilst pregnant.

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Inexpensive Tips to Maintain Your Windshield and the Wipers

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 yourself during those cold mornings, do a little work behind the scenes to make sure you car windows do not frost up to begin with. It costs virtually no money to do this.

* Take a clean spray bottle and combine one part water to three parts white vinegar.

* Shake well and spray the outside of all the windows on your vehicle. When the temperature drops, frost will not be able to form on your windows, saving you time and effort on workday mornings.

* The windows will need a refresher spray of the solution every 2 weeks to maintain its protection so you may want to keep the bottle accessible in the car to remind yourself.

Many people will simply toss away windshield wipers that not longer seem to be working. Replacing wiper blades may not seem to be very expensive but the costs do add up and if there is a way to repair and maintain them without additional expense, it stands to reason you would want to give it a try. This method of rejuvenating your wiper blades also requires white vinegar and a clean cloth.

* Wet the cloth with the vinegar and run the cloth twice evenly down each of the wiper blades.
* Take a second cloth and dampen it with water. Clean off the vinegar from each blade.

This tactic will help bring your wipers back to working condition and allow you to clear the windows once again without the expense of replacing the wiper blades. It is the little things we do that can make a big impact in our financial situation.

Tisha Kulak Tolar is a writer for DebtFreeDestiny.com where she regularly writes about debt consolidation, debt settlement and saving money.

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How to Drive When it Starts to Snow

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 season so that you car is well maintained. You should keep yourself up to date with the weather forecasts so that you know what to expect on the road.

Before leaving home, make sure that your car's battery, cooling system, electric connections, tyres, windscreen and all other things are in the right order. For emergencies keep materials like a rope, flashlight, first aid kit, blanket and wheel chocks in the car. You should keep in mind that the first fall of snow can be very dangerous if the roads are not gritted, as the tyres don't have a grip on the road and this can cause the car to slip.

Your windshield should be clean so that when it starts to snow, it doesn't affect your already reduced visibility. In the snow season you should try to get snow tyres so that it is easier to control the vehicle when it snows. When you see the first signs of snow, you should make sure you cut the speed to half and not try to drive fast as this can have serious consequences.

You should keep calm the whole time and try not to get stressed or nervous as this is likely to affect your judgment, which is very important while driving in bad weather. In case of a spin out, you should let go of the accelerator and you should steer only when the tyres have gained a grip on the road again. Otherwise the car is likely to spin even more. However, during the whole time you have to be really quick and alert because the wheels take only several seconds to get a grip, and in that moment you have to take action.

You should make it a point to check that the headlights and taillights don't have snow on them. You should keep the headlights so that others are able to see you. During snow, the car should be accelerated slowly and gently. When you stop the car somewhere, instead of pulling the handbrake, chock the wheels and leave the car in gear with the wheels steered away from the slope.

In order to avoid accidents during snow, you should use snow chains, which would make the tyre's grip on the road better. Make sure that the chains you get suit the diameter of your car's tyre. It is always better to get some practice in fixing the snow chains so that you can do it in bad conditions and not have to depend on someone to do it for you.

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Get Your Car Ready For Winter

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 weather in winter will mean you'll be using this far more than you would in the summer, so be prepared to check it as often as necessary.

It is also vital - especially in icy or snowy conditions - to ensure that your car tyres are pumped up to the correct pressure. Check in your vehicle's handbook to double check this if you are not sure. If your tyres are too soft it could lead to a loss of grip on poor quality road surfaces.

These are the main essentials to be checked, but they aren't the only things that need to be thought about. For example, during the summer you won't have any cause to use your car's heating system, but you'll certainly need it when the temperature starts dropping. Make sure it is working well and get it fixed as soon as possible if there are any problems.

In fact, you may find it beneficial to get your car checked over by a qualified mechanic before the weather turns bad. This can be a good way to put your mind at rest, especially if you aren't confident at checking everything.

But there are other things that everyone can do, and these could be life savers if you should break down at an inopportune moment.

Firstly, breakdown cover is more than worth it in the winter months. At least if the worst does happen you only need to make a phone call. Secondly, you should ensure that you have some basic items in your car at all times. A blanket and a first aid kit are both essential, and a warning triangle to put on the road if you break down is a good addition to any boot too.

But of course no matter how hard you try, you cannot prevent every occurrence and every accident. Sometimes black ice can get the better of us, even if you are driving at a relatively slow speed.

That's why UK car insurance is essential, so it's worth making sure your cover is up to date. And in the end, driving responsibly will help ensure that you get through the winter safely.

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How to Prepare For a Driving Trip

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. You should be in good mental and physical help when you are driving yourself, as this is an important thing for you and your family.

Then, it is up to you whether you want to repair everything that is broken or just take care of those that are really important for the trip. Among those parts that are really important especially when you are having a long drive would be the tires, brakes, lubricant oil, lights and windscreen. Make sure your car battery is functioning properly and has enough battery water to sustain its life. You should always take a good health check up of the car without fail before starting for a drive as there should be no problem when you are on the move.

Before you leave, you can clean up your car interior to get rid of the trash. Accumulate trash in your car is an additional burden to your car. It uses more fuel to move and since you will be having luggage in the car, make room for the luggage by getting rid of those unnecessary items. According to the statistic, a female's car has less trash than male's car. When you pack your luggage, be sure to bring what you need and not what you want. This way you can save more fuel and more money and can get extra money for spending somewhere else.

Many people neglect the need for car check up before going on a long drive and this is also the reason why many accidents happen on the highway as well. To help save your life and others, you should be responsible for your car maintenance and drive safely. You should always keep up your car in good health no matter what is the case.

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Highway Driving Safety Tips

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 considering the following highway driving safety tips, you can protect yourself and the other drivers on America's roadways.

· Make sure to obey all posted safety warnings and speed limit signs. There are a number of roadway hazards that are unforeseeable to someone driving at high speeds on a highway, and posted safety signs are a good warning of what is or may be coming up ahead. By noticing and adhering to all posted signs, a driver dramatically decreases the likelihood of causing a serious accident on the road.

· Be courteous to other drivers. This is especially pertinent in cases of lane changing. If you see another driver who wants to change lanes, you should be courteous and allow them to do so. If you don't, the other driver may have to act more erratically in order to make the lane change he / she needs, and a serious accident could take place.

· Pay special attention if you are driving in the right hand lane of a highway. You will experience a high number of cars both entering and exiting the highway, and you will need to allow these cars to move with ease between the entrance / exit ramps and the motorway.

· Be aware of cars that are considerably larger or smaller than your vehicle. The size disparity of many cars on the road today creates a very dangerous situation, in that smaller cars get lost in the blind spots of larger vehicles. Drivers of any size car need to take responsibility to prevent this type of accident by carefully checking around them for any and all vehicles in close proximity that may go unnoticed.

· Make sure that your car is up to date on any and all inspections / repairs. By making sure that your car is working well, you can reduce the likelihood of a sudden and unexpected breakdown on the highway that could result in a serious accident.

If you would like more information on automobile safety, contact the Indianapolis car accident attorneys of the Charles D. Hankey Law Office, P.C. today.

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