Sleeping It Off Isn’t Enough!
June 19, 2014
Our friends in Great Britain have launched a campaign to educate drivers that, after a night of drinking and “sleeping it off,” they may still be under the influence. Sleeping it off isn’t enough. I takes time for the body to process alcohol and many don’t realize that they may still be legally drunk when they leave for work the next morning. To learn more about their campaign and to see a Morning After Calculator, visit: Morning After- When Will You Be Safe To Drive?
Leaving Reporters in Hot Cars
June 11, 2014
A Sacramento area TV reporter decided to experience what it’s like to be left in hot cars for himself. It didn’t take long before he was in distress. This happens all too often to children and dogs. Read more: What it’s like to be stuck in a hot car?
Is Your City One Of the Most Congested In North America?
June 11, 2014
By capturing anonymous travel time information, Tom Tom, a manufacturer of in-car navigation systems has been able to gather real time data on travel times in all the locations they serve. Using this data and comparing travel times during rush hours and non-peak hours they were able to compile a list of the most congested cities in Canada and the US. It may come as no surprise to some that Florida cities appeared twice in the top ten most congested cities list.
Understanding that the most direct route isn’t always the fastest route, Tom Tom has also been able to use the information gathered to suggest alternate travel routes for their users that save time and gas. By using alternate routes, drivers may also avoid the anger and frustration that can tempt them to engage in risky driving behaviors that could cause a crash.
Ask The Traffic School Instructor: Tailgating
June 10, 2014
Question: How can I get someone to stop tailgating me?
Answer: Tailgaters are frustrating and dangerous but there is really nothing a driver can do to make them stop tailgating! We can’t control another driver’s behavior, we can only take actions to remove ourselves from the dangerous situation.
First off, don’t “brake check” them; hitting your brakes could cause a crash! If someone is tailgating you, the best and quickest action to take is to change lanes and let the tailgater pass. It’s frustrating that the tailgater can’t figure that out himself but the safe, responsible driver is usually the one that has to move over.
If, for any reason, you can’t move over, slow down, not by hitting the brakes but by simply taking your foot off the gas and letting the car gradually slow on its own. This will do one of two things, it will either cause the tailgater to move over into another lane or it can put you in a position relative to other traffic where you can move over.
If you are on a narrow, two lane road with no chance for changing lanes and no safe passing zones for the tailgater to pass, you may have to consider turning off the road at the earliest opportunity and then reentering after the tailgater has passed. Again, it’s frustrating to have to do that but taking the time to remove yourself from the dangerous situation is the safest thing to do, even if you have to leave the roadway to do it.
Remember that the left lane is the passing lane and you should only use the left lane if you are passing another vehicle or preparing to make a left turn. Several states have laws now that can result in a ticket for obstructing traffic for a driver who continues to occupy the left lane when traffic is building up behind.
Kid Proofing Your Car
June 9, 2014
One tenet of Murphy’s Law (What can go wrong, will go wrong.) says that “nothing is foolproof because fools are so ingenious.” Not that our children are fools but every parent knows that kids can find some ingenious ways to get into trouble with no regard to the consequences and we owe it to them to do everything possible to prevent trouble. Here is some very good advice on economical ways to kid proof your vehicle. Read more: 5 Ways To Child proof your car – safe Summer travel!