Trouble Free Driving

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 vehicle. A minimum repair on a four wheel drive vehicle is $700-$2,500," the IIHS said.

The problem is caused mainly by the driver's inability to see what is behind the vehicle. Consumer Reports said some vehicles have rear blind spots as deep as 50 feet, causing the driver to hit toys, bicycles, poles or another vehicle while backing out of the garage or driveway. But the greatest harm comes from backover accidents involving children and the number of victims is increasing.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said over a hundred people - mostly children - are killed and 6,000 are injured yearly by vehicles that are backing up. Most of these accidents occur in parking lots and driveways with the vehicle being driven by a parent, relative or family friend.

In 2004 alone, at least 165 children died in non-traffic, non-crash incidents of which 101 died when backed over by a vehicle, according to the Kansas-based national child safety organization Kids and Cars. Five hundred sixty-one backover accidents were recorded from 1994 to 2004 of which 392 - mostly one-year-old kids - died. Kids and Cars added that over 60 percent of backover accidents involved trucks, vans or sport-utility vehicles, and in over 70 percent of the incidents, a parent or close relative was behind the wheel.

To avoid costly vehicle repairs and the tragedy of losing a loved one, especially your own child, it pays to have reverse parking sensors or backup sensors in your vehicle. The NHTSA said these life-saving devices can prevent over 90 percent of backover accidents and they don't cost much nowadays. Depending on the features, these devices (that beep whenever you get close to a person or object) sell for about $50 to $450.

A J.D. Power survey of 10,000 consumers found that 72 percent would like to have backup sensors on their vehicles and are willing to pay an additional $300 for them. But you don't have to spend a fortune nowadays since there are many types to choose from and prices are dropping. Get a backup sensor today for peaceful, worry-free driving.

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Sharon Bell is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premier online news magazine http://www.HealthLinesNews.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_A_Bell

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

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 along surrounded by cars controlled by multitasking drivers, you will benefit from some tips on defensive driving. A defensive driver is the diametric opposite of the multitasker, and puts his or her full concentration on the tasks of maneuvering a car while closely observing what the surrounding drivers are doing and what the road conditions are.

Familiarizing yourself with tips on defensive drivers will let you improve your driving schools and the safety of your passengers, as well as that of the occupants of other vehicles.

Alertness Is The Key

The basic tip on defensive driving is to remain constantly alert and observant of what is happening on the road ahead of you and in the vehicles surrounding you, so that you can recognize a potential problem while there is still time for you to implement a defensive driving strategy to avoid it. There is no room in a defensive driving strategy for cell phones, breakfast, the hairbrush, or a change of clothes. Your entire focus should be on assessing what is happening around you so that nothing takes you by surprise.

Other of the most important tips on defensive driving are, of course, to fasten your seatbelt before you turn on your engine, and to maintain a correct driving posture. Slouching behind the wheel, studies have shown, can make you drowsy and diminish your ability to focus.

Lose the Aggressive Behaviors

You should change lanes as seldom as possible, and always use your directional signals far enough in advance of switching lanes that the drivers behind you can anticipate your switch. And the final, but by no means least important, of the tips on defensive driving is to stay calm and avoid aggression. The purpose of defensive driving is to avoid of hazardous situations on the road, not to engage in the aggressive driving which so often the cause of those situations.

The defensive driver is keenly aware that being able to drive is a privilege, not a right, and that the road belongs equally to all the drivers and passengers who use it. Aggression and inattentions have no place on the road, where so many people are simply trying to arrive safely at the places where they are needed.

You can also find more info on discount defensive driving course and knowing defensive driving. Seekdefensivedriving.com is a comprehensive resource to know more about defensive driving.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Faulkner

Does Aggressive Music Influence Driving?

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 reverberating from the inside of cars and the dark gothic tunes of Marilyn Manson provoking some head-banging at the stop light. What happens sometimes is that the head-banging doesn't stop, the foot gets heavy, steering becomes over exaggerated, and the car ends up wrapped around a telephone pole. This scenario has been played over and over time and time again.

Since the realization that aggressive music may influence driving, there have been a variety of studies conducted to prove or disprove this theory. When some individuals were asked about music and their driving habits, some said that heavy metal music and other aggressive forms of music didn't alter the way they operated their motor vehicle because they said the music relaxed them.

However, there have been others who have been asked how music influences their driving and they will tell you that their attention to the road and traffic decreases. One young man stated in a report that he got so caught up in a song that he would start singing and playing the "air guitar." Suddenly, he would return to reality and realize that he wasn't paying attention to the road or the way he was driving And then there are those who love their music loud You may recall earlier in the article a mention of how the sounds of rap and heavy metal such as Marilyn Manson's music reverberates from the cars of many. Even if the aggressive music doesn't cause the driver to drive aggressively, it definitely takes its toll on the rearview mirror.

If you've ever played loud music in your car, you have probably noticed that the rearview mirror likes to dance even if you can't because you're driving. Sometimes the mirror vibrates so hard that you can't see anything in it. This can be very dangerous because you can't see what is behind you, especially when changing lanes. Another negative is when an emergency vehicle is behind you. You can't hear the sirens because of the loud music in your car and chances are you aren't going to see them very well if your rear view mirror is ready to vibrate off of the windshield.

Another factor is the tempo of the music. Listen to a piece of classical music and you might drive like it's Sunday, but listen to something with pounding bass riffs and squealing guitars and you're going to be squealing down the street. However, music tempo can be used to the advantage of the driver if the driver is one who has a propensity to drive according to the tempo. Change the station to something slower to calm yourself down.

So there you have both sides regarding those who say aggressive music doesn't influence the way they drive and those who say that it does. Studies that have been conducted have shown that aggressive music has an influence on some, but it seems that those who say that it doesn't just might be telling the truth since some do not seem to be phased by what is playing on their radio.

Aggressive music can be dangerous while driving. Be sure to concentrate on the road and not the music. You don't want to get into an accident and have your auto insurance rates go up!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Beth_Murphy