Tips for driving in the snow:

• Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the gas slowly to accelerate is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry. And take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.
• Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping, turning – nothing happens as quickly as on dry pavement. Give yourself time to maneuver by driving slowly.
• The normal dry pavement following distance of three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
• Know your brakes. If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS) and need to slow down quickly, press hard on the pedal-it’s normal for the pedal to vibrate a bit when the ABS is activated.
• Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.
• Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads just starts your wheels spinning. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed down hill as slowly as possible.
• Don’t stop going up a hill. There’s nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill.
• Stay home. If you really don’t have to go out, don’t. Even if you can drive well in the snow, not everyone else can. Don’t tempt fate: If you don’t have somewhere you have to be, watch the snow from indoors.

How old is your car's battery?

Holiday Road Trip Three Ps That Won’t Bust the Budget

With the holiday season upon us, many Americans are stretching their dollars to make a trip home for the holidays. While driving is the thrifty option, unexpected vehicle repairs can bust your budget this time of year. Plan your road trip over the holidays following the three Ps – prepare, prevent and plan – to save money and avoid breakdowns.

• Conduct a pre-trip vehicle inspection. If you find your vehicle needs repairs, be sure to address them in a timely manner so they can be performed by a trusted technician before your journey. While it may be tempting to put off repairs until after the holidays, it is not worth the risk and added expense of more extensive work down the road.

• The last thing any driver needs is to break down in cold, harsh winter weather. A pre-winter vehicle check is a sensible way to avoid the inconvenience of being stranded out in the cold as well as costly emergency towing and repairs.

• Before traveling longer distances, plan your route and review the council’s steps to better fuel economyto maximize savings at the pump. Pack a road emergency kit, including jumper cables, a road atlas, first-aid kit, flashlight with extra batteries, water, non-perishable food and blankets, and be sure your cell phone is fully charged.

Taking proactive steps to prepare, prevent and plan in advance of your holiday road trip will help you avoid the hassle and expense of unplanned car trouble away from home.

Do You Want to See Better At Night?

This year, Daylight Savings fell on November 6 – the day we all set our clocks back an hour, officially welcoming the season of shorter days. For many, shorter days result in an increase in nighttime driving.

Are you someone, or do you know someone who doesn’t enjoy driving once the sun has gone down? You’re not alone. A recent survey from SYLVANIA Automotive found that 62 percent of motorists avoid driving during evening hours. However, for many drivers avoidance is simply not realistic – you still need to get home from work, your children still need to get to and from after-school activities, and plans must go on. So, what to do? In order to increase visibility on the road and make you more comfortable when driving at night, it is essential that high-performance headlights are installed on your vehicle.

The same survey found that while 28 percent of drivers have difficulty seeing hazards and other drivers on the road at night, 34 percent of drivers have never changed out their headlights.

You Are A Pedestrian Too!

New Hands-free Technologies Pose Hidden Dangers for Drivers

Potentially unsafe mental distractions can persist for as long as 27 seconds after dialing, changing music or sending a text using voice commands, according to surprising new research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The results raise new and unexpected concerns regarding the use of phones and vehicle information systems while driving. This research represents the third phase of the Foundation’s comprehensive investigation into cognitive distraction, which shows that new hands-free technologies can mentally distract drivers even if their eyes are on the road and their hands are on the wheel.

“The lasting effects of mental distraction pose a hidden and pervasive danger that would likely come as a surprise to most drivers,” said Peter Kissinger, President and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “The results indicate that motorists could miss stop signs, pedestrians and other vehicles while the mind is readjusting to the task of driving.”

Think You Know All About Distracted Driving?

Hands-free technologies might make it easier for motorists to text, talk on the phone, or even use Facebook while they drive, but new findings from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety show dangerous mental distractions exist even when drivers keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.  

The research found that as mental workload and distractions increase reaction time slows, brain function is compromised, drivers scan the road less and miss visual cues, potentially resulting in drivers not seeing items right in front of them including stop signs and pedestrians. This is the most comprehensive study of its kind to look at the mental distraction of drivers and arms AAA with evidence to appeal to the public to not use these voice-to-text features while their vehicle is in motion.

Mental Distractions Behind the Wheel Are Real and Potentially Dangerous

Mental distractions can dangerously affect drivers behind the wheel and can linger long after completing a distracting activity.  Keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel isn’t enough to eliminate driver distraction – hands-free is not risk-free.

Attention is key to safe driving, yet many technologies can cause drivers to lose focus of the road ahead. Hands-free and voice-command features, increasingly common in new vehicles, may create mental distractions that unintentionally provide motorists with a false sense of security about their safety behind the wheel.

Tips for Preventing Distracted Driving

Although most distractions are avoidable, some distractions are impossible to completely prevent – instead they must be managed. Driving requires your full attention. You can take charge of eliminating distractions to focus on the road ahead.

10. Fully focus on driving. Do not let anything divert your attention, actively scan the road, use your mirrors and watch out for pedestrians and cyclists.

9. Store loose gear, possessions and other distractions that could roll around in the car, so you do not feel tempted to reach for them on the floor or the seat.

8. Make adjustments before you begin your trip. Address vehicle systems like your GPS, seats, mirrors, climate controls and sound systems before hitting the road. Decide on your route and check traffic conditions ahead of time.

Conserving Fuel

Bad driving isn’t just unsafe. It’s expensive. Your driving habits have a direct impact on your car’s fuel consumption. Planning your travel, following speed limits, maintaining safe following distances and paying attention to traffic, weather and road conditions will keep you safer, allow your vehicle to operate more efficiently, and ultimately, save you money.

Here are a few ways you can improve your driving to get better gas mileage:

• Accelerate gradually. Avoid jackrabbit starts.
• Anticipate your stops. When approaching a red light, let your foot off the gas as early as possible.
• In summer, drive during cooler parts of the day. Cooler, denser air can boost power and mileage.
• Avoid long warm-ups in the morning. They’re unnecessary and waste fuel.
• Use air conditioning. Today’s air conditioners create less drag on the engine than driving with the windows open.
• Maintain recommended tire pressure. Low pressure reduces fuel economy and can damage tires.
• Keep the air filter clean. Clogged filters reduce fuel economy and increase exhaust emissions.
• Drive the speed limit.

Auto Collision Tips

An auto collision can be an emotional and exhausting experience. Many motorists drive defensively, take driver education courses and prepare for stressful driving situations, but unfortunately vehicle collisions still occur.

A driver is responsible for knowing what to do if they are involved in a collision. Even the most prepared and competent drivers sometimes find themselves involved in a crash. It does not matter who is at fault, the most important thing to do first is make sure everyone is OK, then seek medical and law enforcement help and know what to do to protect yourself from legal or financial problems down the road.

The best defense to avoid any problems after a crash is to be prepared. Keeping a pen and paper, disposable camera or cell phone camera, and copy of your insurance card easily accessible at all times will help keep you organized and decrease stress moments after a collision. Use of a mobile app can help you properly document the event.

After stopping your vehicle, all motorists involved in an auto crash should follow these steps:

1. Assist the Injured. Quickly check with those involved in the collision to determine if there are any injuries. If medical attention is needed, call 9-1-1. If medical attention is not needed, make sure you are not in imminent danger at the roadside.

Vehicle Checklist for Back-to-School Carpool Season

School carpool season is upon us and drivers are reminded to make sure their vehicles are kid-safe and road ready with a five-point checklist:

1. Check lights and wipers for visibility. With shorter days and inclement weather ahead, make sure lights and wipers function properly so that you can see and be seen.  Check the exterior and interior lights and replace any that are dimming, rapidly blinking or not functioning. Check wiper blades for signs of wear and replace if necessary.

2. Get an annual brake inspection.The braking system is your car’s most important safety feature. Before carpool season gets in full swing, make sure that your brakes are functioning properly. Schedule a brake inspection and look for warning signs that your vehicle may need brake services, such as an illuminated brake light or screeching, grinding or clicking noises when applying the brakes.
3.  Check tires for under inflation or excessive wear. Check tire pressure and refill underinflated tires, including the spare, and look for uneven wear and check tread depth. An easy way to do the latter is by placing a penny head-down in the tread groove. If the tread does not cover Lincoln’s head, it’s time to replace your tires.
4. Make sure everyone is buckled up. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website has important tips on seat belt fit and position. For the younger ones riding along, the site has information about how to install car seats as well as guidelines on selecting a car seat or booster based on your child’s age and size.

5. Consider a back-up detection device. Consider having a back-up detection device installed that provides rearview video or warning sounds when moving in reverse. While drivers should not rely solely on these devices, they can help to reduce the risk of backover incidents along with following other prevention tips from NHTSA.

Back-to-school time is hectic for most families, but scheduling a complete vehicle inspection is time well spent. Knowing your vehicle was checked by a professional technician will give you peace of mind and make all those trips to school and activities safer and less stressful.

Is Your Car Ready for a Road Trip?

If you are planning a road trip this summer, it’s important to remember that you shouldn’t just put gas in your car and go. A pre-trip vehicle check can determine how road-ready your vehicle is so you can take steps to have any problems fixed before heading out for vacation:

• Check filters and fluids, including engine oil, antifreeze/coolant, windshield washer and power steering, brake and transmission fluids.  Dirty air filters can waste gas and cause the engine to lose power.

• Check the hoses and belts and replace if they become cracked, brittle, frayed, loose or show signs of excessive wear.  These are critical to the proper functioning of the electrical system, air conditioning, power steering and the cooling system.

• Check the brake system and make sure the battery connection is clean, tight and corrosion-free.

• Check the tires, including tire pressure and tread.  Under inflated tires reduce a vehicle’s fuel economy and uneven wear indicates a need for wheel alignment.  Tires should also be checked for bulges and bald spots.

• Check the engine to make sure it is delivering the best balance of power and fuel economy and produce the lowest level of emissions.

• Check that the gas cap is not damaged, loose or missing to prevent gas from spilling or evaporating.

Don't Brake During a Blowout

The knee-jerk reaction to pretty much all panicky driving moments is to stand on the brakes like goblins are trying to crawl out of them, and in most cases this is absolutely correct.

That being said, imagine you're cruising down the highway at about 65 mph when all of a sudden you hear your rear tire explode like you just ran over a tiny landmine. As you fire shit out of your pant leg like a muddy trumpet, you can feel that the car is about to go out of control. If you follow your instincts, you'll probably hit the brakes, but in this case your instincts have tragically failed you.

See, if you brake during a blowout, you're almost certain to fishtail (and maybe flip), possibly into another fast-moving car or the median (or both). This is especially true if your rear tire has blown out, which is more likely than a front tire blowout (front tires wear out more quickly, but people see that and replace them, while leaving the rear tires in place for years and years as part of their plan to just drive the car until it slowly disintegrates).

So in the event of a blowout, you must do the very thing that makes the least sense: hit the gas. But don't drop an elbow on it like Macho Man Randy Savage; just squeeze it firmly for a couple of seconds to regain control, keeping the car as straight as possible. A completely blown or otherwise flat tire drags on the ground like an anchor -- if you slam on the brakes, the anchor catches at 65 mph or however fast you're going, and you're screwed. Ditto if you smash the gas pedal, give the car just enough speed to stay in control and then gently let your foot off the gas, turning into the blown tire (if you steer the opposite direction, the anchor catches). The tire that betrayed you will eventually bring the car to a stop on its own, and then you can get out and throw your pants into the woods.

Aggressive Driving

Eight out of 10 drivers surveyed in the AAA Foundation’s annual Traffic Safety culture Index rank aggressive driving as a “serious” or “extremely serious” risk that jeopardizes their safety.

They’re right.  Aggressive driving accounts for more than half of all traffic fatalities.  

Although “road rage” incidents provide some of the most shocking views of aggressive driving, many common behaviors, including racing, tailgating, failing to observe signs and regulations, and seeking confrontations with other drivers, all qualify as potentially aggressive behaviors. Speeding is one of the most prevalent aggressive behaviors. AAA Foundation studies show that speeding is a factor in one-third of all fatal crashes.

Despite a strong public awareness and understanding of aggressive driving, many people are willing to excuse aggressive behaviors.  Half of all drivers in our Traffic Safety Culture Index admitted to exceeding both neighborhood and highway speed limits by more than 15% in the past 30 days.  More remarkable, a quarter of drivers say they consider speeding acceptable.

Throughout outreach and education programs, we work to offer the public tools to assess their own behavior and recognize the signs of aggressive driving.  As more people understand the many behaviors that can become aggressive and see their own behavior in a new light, they can begin to adopt safer driving practices and manage risk more effectively.

Always Have Your Headlights On!

 

According to a recent study, you can reduce your risk of being involved in an accident by up to 32 percent simply by driving with your headlights on at all times. This seems like common sense -- obviously something that is lit up is going to be more visible, regardless of the time of day. And as long as other cars are driven by tired, distracted human beings, greater visibility equals less chance of having a hood ornament embedded in your skull. Yet almost nobody drives with their lights on during the day (and cars with automatic lights won't flick on until the sun goes down).

Other drivers are simply less likely to pull out in front of you if they can instantly see the glare of your headlights in a quick glance (unless they were planning to cut you off, in which case they are shitheads and the accident was unavoidable). This also counts for pedestrians and cyclists, who statistically will sometimes miss their own oncoming death unless there are bright lights attached to it.

In countries like Canada, Sweden and Finland, all new cars are required to have automatic running lights that stay on at all times, and you can get them on some new car models in the U.S. But the majority of drivers still have dusty old manual headlights, so if you're one of those people, you'll just have to dig deep and flick your lights on and off every time you drive (we know, we know -- it hardly seems worth all the effort, but trust us, you'll be much safer).

Driving Tip: Don't Have Your Car Visible Anywhere in Your Mirrors

This is one of those things that takes next to zero effort to do right, but that almost everyone does wrong.

You hopefully already know that the "blind spot" is the name for the area on either side of a car that is invisible to wing mirrors. It's such a frequent cause of accidents that higher-end car models have adopted fancy radar or camera systems capable of detecting other vehicles in your blind spots and delivering the information to you in furiously urgent beep-screams as you swerve in terror and/or crash anyway.

However, the technology isn't the problem - the necessary equipment to eliminate blind spots was around back when Henry Ford was still producing cars. All you need are your car's wing mirrors - which most people have adjusted incorrectly.

You see, blind spots can be put into full view of your side mirrors, provided that these mirrors are adjusted to contain no part of your own car. Just angle them away from you until the point where your car is no longer visible in either one, and leave them there. That way, there's no overlap between them and the rearview mirror, and any car that's passing you on either side will remain in at least one of your mirrors until it enters your field of vision.

 

Admittedly, this seems less like a "tip" and more like "the most obvious piece of instruction of all time," but nobody freaking does it. Manufacturers have to let you adjust the mirrors (due to things like differences in driver height), and most people simply don't know how to do it. That's why those same engineers are spending millions on technology meant to eliminate blind spots -- they have simply failed to teach people not to point their goddamned mirrors at the sides of the vehicle they're attached to.

Teen Driver Safety

Here’s a look at behaviors and dangerous practices that put teen drivers and their passengers at additional risk while on the road:

Steer Clear of Distracted Driving

Get a reliable car
This can help prevent many future problems. Make sure the car works well in snow, rain or other situations and has great safety ratings . Double-check that it has great visibility with easily adjustable seats, mirrors, etc. Also, be sure to find a car that’s comfortable and easy to drive.

Get snow tires for winter driving
If you live in an area where it snows regularly, you’re going to have to drive through it at some point. So mind as well get prepared ahead of time.

Consider a safety driving course

Keep headlights, taillights and mirrors clean
It’s a simple tip, but keeping these areas clean and functioning can greatly improve visibility.

Keep a pair of sunglasses in the car
Driving straight into a sunrise or sunset can be one of most challenging driving situations. It’s very tough to see no matter what age you are. That’s why it’s always best to keep an extra pair of sunglasses in your car at all times.

Keep up on maintenance
Most car’s manuals clearly outline a detailed maintenance schedule. It’s best to follow this as closely as possible to make sure your car is staying in great shape. And this can help prevent future breakdowns or complications.

Always bring a cell phone and get a car charger
Keep the charger in your car at all times, so your phone’s battery never runs out.

Make sure your driver’s license is still valid
Regulations on how frequently (and at what ages) you need to renew your driver’s license can vary by state. Just check the expiration date on your license to see if it’s expiring soon and renew if necessary.

Helpful Safety Tips for Older Drivers

 Get a reliable car

This can help prevent many future problems. Make sure the car works well in snow, rain or other situations and has great safety ratings . Double-check that it has great visibility with easily adjustable seats, mirrors, etc. Also, be sure to find a car that’s comfortable and easy to drive.

Get snow tires for winter driving

If you live in an area where it snows regularly, you’re going to have to drive through it at some point. So mind as well get prepared ahead of time.

Consider a safety driving course

Keep headlights, taillights and mirrors clean

It’s a simple tip, but keeping these areas clean and functioning can greatly improve visibility.

Keep a pair of sunglasses in the car

Driving straight into a sunrise or sunset can be one of most challenging driving situations. It’s very tough to see no matter what age you are. That’s why it’s always best to keep an extra pair of sunglasses in your car at all times.

Keep up on maintenance

Most car’s manuals clearly outline a detailed maintenance schedule. It’s best to follow this as closely as possible to make sure your car is staying in great shape. And this can help prevent future breakdowns or complications.

Always bring a cell phone and get a car charger

Keep the charger in your car at all times, so your phone’s battery never runs out.

Make sure your driver’s license is still valid

Regulations on how frequently (and at what ages) you need to renew your driver’s license can vary by state. Just check the expiration date on your license to see if it’s expiring soon and renew if necessary.