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Last Updated: Mar 26th, 2006 - 13:41:45 |
Car Safety
Tips to Help You Avoid A Vehicle Fire
Car fires account for 17 percent of all reported fires and 13 percent of all civilian fire deaths, according to the National Fire Protection Association. More than two-thirds of vehicle fires result from mechanical or electrical failures or malfunctions, compared to only 3 percent from collisions or rollovers. More than a quarter million vehicle fires occur every year.
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Car Safety
Be Prepared For Collision Repair
No one plans for a car accident, but preparation can be key to a better vehicle repair experience, especially collision repair. Here are some answers to common questions asked by first time accident victims.
The accident has made it impossible or dangerous to drive my car. Whom can I call for help?
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Car Safety
ABC's 20/20 News Magazine has Concluded Unsafe Windshield Installations
ABC's 20/20 news magazine has concluded unsafe windshield installations can cause unnecessary deaths and catastrophic personal injuries. "Windshield is an outdated, misleading term, says Leo Cyr, Vice President of Marketing for NOVUS Windshield Repair. "Bumpers still bump and brakes still brake but windshields have evolved from passive weather barriers to indispensable components in the structural integrity and safety of a vehicle's passenger compartment."
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Car Safety
Windshield Dings Love to Travel
Driving means extra vibration. And vibration helps little dings grow into big cracks. Extended driving also means running the heater or air conditioner, which causes radically different temperatures on the inside and outside of the windshield. Engineers call this temperature stress "thermal shock." Dings call it "growth food."
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Car Safety
In-Car Air Quality is Often Poor
Contaminants in roadside air can become concentrated inside cars when windows are closed. Cabin air filters help clean incoming air. Air quality inside cars on most roads is worse than the outside air, according to recent studies. Contaminants common in roadside air, such as pollen, dust, diesel soot and smog, were found to be two to six times more concentrated inside vehicles.
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Car Safety
Auto Phone Number Empowers Consumers
The gentleman across the desk had a tight grip on the Blue Book. Holding it close to his chest he stole glances at it, so the person trading in the car couldn't get a glimpse. He held all the cards and, without a time-consuming trip to the reference section of the library, or without finding a bank or credit union willing to give him the information, the would-be trader was at the other man's mercy.
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Car Safety
Proper Wet-Weather Driving Depends on Technique, Tires
Nearly 1 million vehicle accidents a year occur in wet weather, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics. Many of these rainy-day wrecks are caused by motorists failing to appreciate the vast difference between driving in wet and dry conditions, says Peter Cunningham, a championship-winning race car driver who tours for Firestone, teaching driving skills and educating consumers about the importance of proper tires.
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Car Safety
These Safe Driving Habits Will Keep Fun in the Sun
For millions of Americans, the summer season involves increased car travel. Gearing up for a week's vacation, a weekend getaway or just a day of fun can divert travelers from what should be their No. 1 priority: safe driving.
As more people take to the roads, the risk of an accident increases. In order to get motorists to their destination safely, the more than 80,000 UPS drivers offer a few simple tips to safeguard those summer plans.
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Car Safety
Auto Safety Hotline Puts You in the Driver's Seat
Brakes that fail, improperly manufactured tires that may blow out unexpectedly, wiring problems that result in a fire or loss of lighting Ä all are examples of safety defects that can have tragic consequences. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is asking consumers to help protect themselves and others by calling the toll-free Auto Safety Hotline Ä 1-800-424-9393 Ä to help identify and learn about safety problems with motor vehicles and automotive equipment.
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Car Safety
Alcohol Test Helps Cut Drunk Driving
The Breath Alcohol Detector can help prevent drunk driving. Drunk driving is the nation's most frequently committed violent crime. In 1997, more than 16,000 people were killed in auto crashes involving alcohol - an average of one every 32 minutes. While not all alcohol use is problematic, excessive or inappropriate, consumption of alcohol is one of the most common and pervasive social problems in the country.
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Car Safety
Car Theft Rate Declines As Security Gets Tighter
Reflecting the rise in private prosperity and a sharp increase in the use of security devices, the theft of automobiles in the United States has actually declined for three consecutive years but the trend may be shifting back toward more thefts. Car thefts nationwide, according to FBI Uniform Crime Reports, dipped 8 percent in 1992; 9 percent in 1993; and 2 percent in 1994.
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Car Safety
Drive Safe: Park Smart
Each year, needless tragedy occurs when vehicles run into illegally parked trucks on roadway shoulders.
In 1998, for example, a Greyhound bus struck a tractor-trailer parked on the shoulder of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Seven people were killed and 16 others injured in the accident. According to state transportation departments and a federal study, some drivers park on shoulders and exit ramps even when there is plentiful, safe parking nearby.
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Car Safety
Driving In the Rain? Wipers On, Lights On
April showers may bring May flowers, but driving in the rain can bring a rash of accidents.
That's why legislators in almost 20 states have enacted regulations requiring motorists to turn on their headlights any time it rains. The aim is to make it easier for others to see you when visibility is poor. Similar wipers-on, lights-on regulations are pending in a number of other states.
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Car Safety
Facing Carjacking Threat, Best Advice Is 'Walk Away'
Carjacking is a terrifying crime that may provoke dangerous behavior from the intended victim in order to protect his or her vehicle. For safety's sake, the best response for the victim of a carjacking is to say, by word and deed: "Take it, I won't try to stop you" - and then get away from the vehicle as far and fast as you can.
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Car Safety
Four-Wheeling Is Popular; Protect Yourself and Nature
Twenty years ago, the buyers of four-wheel drive vehicles were primarily ranchers, miners, skiers and residents of the "snow belt." The term "sport utility vehicle" was barely known. How things have changed. By 1994, more than 1.2 million sport utility vehicles were sold in the United States, many to people with no plans to ever venture beyond the pavement to take them off-road.
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Car Safety
How to Avoid Road Alligators
You see them every day - mean, ugly and dangerous rubber road alligators on the sides and in the middle of major streets and highways throughout America.
Tire debris can be quite menacing for motorists just trying to get from point A to point B. And it won't go away until all motorists immediately pull over when a tire problem is detected, according to the Tire Retread Information Bureau.
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Car Safety
The Right Tire can Make a Big Difference in your Ability to Drive on Ice or Snow
Peter Cunningham, a three-time national ice racing champion, has two words about driving in winter: snow tires. "One of the most important factors in starting, steering and stopping on ice or snow is your tires," Cunningham says. "It makes no difference if you have four-wheel, front-wheel or rear-wheel drive, your vehicle will perform better in most winter driving conditions if it is equipped with purpose-built snow tires instead of all-season radials."
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Car Safety
Is Your Car in Jeopardy?
Here is a quick quiz that may save you lots of money and headaches. Question: What is the most direct cause of car theft in the United States? Answer: Leaving your keys in the car and going away.
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Car Safety
Know Your Security Lingo
Here is some of the vehicle security lingo you need to know when shopping for a reliable system:
Starter disable: A feature that kills the starter when ignition switch hot wiring is attempted.
Remote panic: If you see someone suspicious tampering with your vehicle, you can make the horns and alarms go off from a distance.
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Car Safety
Motorcoach: Key to Wedding Checklists
When planning a wedding, more and more brides and grooms are booking motorcoaches along with other essentials like the band, the florist and the photographer. Many couples include motorcoaches because they allow guests to enjoy the celebration without worrying about unpredictable variables like parking, traffic or inclement weather. Spending time on the coach "breaking the ice" and getting to know new friends and family is priceless. Also, the bride and groom are free to enjoy the reception without fretting overs guests getting lost or driving while intoxicated.
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Car Safety
New Breath Test Helps Combat Drunk Driving
A simple, easy-to-use breath test designed to discourage drinking and driving is now available in retail, over-the-counter, consumer markets under the First Check Breath Alcohol Testers trade name. The patented test, marketed by Worldwide Medical Corporation, consists of a small plastic tube surrounding a glass ampule containing yellow crystals chemically treated to change color to a blue-green if a person's breath alcohol level reaches 0.08 percent or higher.
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Car Safety
Driving In the Rain?
April showers may bring May flowers, but driving in the rain can bring a rash of accidents. That's why legislators in almost 20 states have enacted regulations requiring motorists to turn on their headlights any time it rains. The aim is to make it easier for others to see you when visibility is poor.
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Car Safety
Patience and Planning From Motorists Help Students Arrive Safely
With a record number of students off to school this year there are ever more buses carrying students on our roads. Operation Lifesaver, a national safety organization, reminds drivers to be careful along school routes, and especially at railroad crossings. "Many times we get into a routine, forgetting to leave home just a little earlier to allow for additional traffic," Operation Lifesaver's President Gerri Hall explained.
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Car Safety
Informed Buyers Can Make Their Vehicles Safer
Consumers list safety as one of their top concerns when purchasing a vehicle. Yet many car buyers-and dealers-are unaware of the different safety features available on today's vehicles. Similarly, many consumers may be unaware that critical safety features are often optional or only available on specific vehicles.
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Car Safety
Back To School Car Safety: Check Your Tires
America's youngsters are back to school-but parents have an important homework assignment of their own: ensuring that their cars can keep youngsters on the road to safety.
Every day, parents ferry carloads of children-their own and other families'-to and from school and other activities. Too many, however, will overlook one of the most important safety checks they should make before setting out on carpool duty-checking their tires.
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Car Safety
Making Roads Safer
A new road maintenance technique offers increased safety for drivers and lower costs for road maintenance agencies.
The practice, known as anti-icing, involves applying a liquid chemical deicer to road surfaces shortly before a snowfall or storm. This prevents the snow and ice from bonding with the pavement, making it easier for plows to clear the road down to a bare surface.
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Car Safety
Latest Insurance Institute 40-MPH Crash Test Results
How well will a car stand up to a crash? Knowing the answer could steer you and your family toward buying a safer vehicle. That's one reason the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS) runs crash tests every year.
The Institute rates cars based on their performance in a 40 mph frontal offset crash test into a deformable barrier. Based on results, the Institute evaluates the crashworthiness of passenger vehicles, assigning them ratings of "good," "acceptable," "marginal," or "poor." Better performers in the "good" category are also assigned "best pick" ratings.
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Car Safety
Driving With Dementia
New information may make it easier for sufferers of dementia-and their care givers-to deal with the condition.
It is estimated that more than four million Americans suffer from some form of dementia, the most common of which is Alzheimer's. The condition often involves extreme bouts of confusion and forgetfulness that can make it difficult to perform everyday tasks such as balancing a check book or cooking a meal.
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Car Safety
Getting A Handle On Garage Door Safety
Garage door safety is getting a big lift. That's good news, because according to experts at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, an average of 20,000 people each year have been treated at hospital emergency rooms for injuries related to garage doors. Many of those injuries are fingers that get pinched in the door panel. One way finger injuries occur is when someone's garage door opener breaks down. While waiting to get repairs done, the person who normally never closes the door manually suddenly has to. Chances are there are no lift handles on the door, since it's motor operated.
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Car Safety
Retaining Its Lead In The Field Of Safety
While it was never intended for extreme off-road driving, the Volvo XC90 combines electronically controlled all-wheel drive and enough ground clearance to keep moving safely when road surfaces get rough. The feeling of safety that the high-seating position gives the driver is supplemented with the knowledge that the driver can control the car with the help of instant, well-weighted response from the chassis, engine and brakes. Progress is thus more relaxed and comfortable.
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Car Safety
Drugs And Driving: A Deadly Combination
The scenario is familiar to parents everywhere. Your teenager got her driver's license and she's ecstatic. Your son will start Driver's Ed next year. You've taught your kids about traffic safety and about never ever drinking and driving. Or riding with someone who's under the influence of alcohol. But there's another problem parents need to be aware of: drugged driving. Like alcohol, marijuana and other illicit drugs can impair many of the skills necessary for good driving-alertness, ability to concentrate and reaction time.
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Car Safety
A Correctly Installed Windshield Can Save Lives
Many lives may be saved if more people could see their way clear to getting top-quality windshield replacements. A good, properly installed windshield can help keep drivers and passengers from being thrown through the window opening in an accident. An estimated 7,800 fatalities a year are attributed to people being fully or partially ejected through the windows of their vehicle.
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Car Safety
Safe Driving With Pets
Experts say an increasing number of travelers take the family pet along for the ride these days.
To help pets and owners get the most out of the experience, American Suzuki teamed up with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to offer tips on safe driving with pets. Pet owners should acclimate their first-time furry travelers to a long trip with a series of short drives first, gradually lengthening the time in the car.
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Car Safety
Sharing The Road Safely
Whether you're riding on two, four or eighteen wheels, you can help drive down the accident rate by being alert to your surroundings, say safety experts.
The advice may be especially helpful in cutting down the number of motorcycle accidents that occur annually. Motorists-particularly those who have never driven motorcycles-are sometimes not looking for motorcycles in traffic. As a result, cars and motorcycles often have collisions on the road. Drivers involved in crashes with motorcyclists often say they never saw the bike.
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Car Safety
Drive Revived
Auto travel has increased in recent years and more people on the roads, traveling greater distances, means an increased risk of sleep-related crashes. Sleepiness causes more than 100,000 automobile crashes each year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports, resulting in more than 1,500 fatalities and $12.5 billion in economic costs. Sleepiness impairs reaction time, vigilance and attention, and it slows down your ability to process information, much the same as alcohol.
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Car Safety
Six Tips for Staying Safe When Driving Alone
Whether it's the daily commute to the office, picking the kids up from school or just a quick trip to the grocery store, women are on the road alone - or with their children - a lot more these days. In fact, female drivers increased by nearly 40 percent from 1980 to 2000, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
And while they may be logging more miles than ever, a recent survey by OnStar, a provider of in-vehicle safety and security services, reveals that nearly a third of women admit to feeling unsafe while driving alone.
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Car Safety
Expert Tips for Driving Safely This Winter
A mechanical failure can be deadly in harsh weather, so preventive maintenance is a must. Here's advice from the nonprofit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, the group that certifies automotive technicians. Some of the following tips can be performed by any weekender; others require the skilled hands of an auto technician. Read your owner's manual and follow the manufacturer's recommended service schedules.
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Car Safety
Seven Safety Tips for Winter Holiday Travel
There's nothing like an auto breakdown to turn you into a Grinch. Besides dampening your holiday spirit, mechanical failure can be dangerous in winter's harsh conditions.
Here are tips from the experts at the nonprofit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence to help keep you snug and safe.
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Car Safety
Share the Road During Your Holiday Travels
During the busy holiday travel season, it is important to think about safety on the road. Before you travel, consider these tips from Bridgestone/Firestone and the American Trucking Association.
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Car Safety
Submerged To Re-Emerged
Dear Andy:
Watching coverage of torrential rains and the resulting floods in the news lately, I started to wonder what happens to those cars that are submerged in water. Are they safe to drive once they get dried out?
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Car Safety
Making High-Value Safety Features Standard
With head curtain air bags and ABS/traction control as standard equipment, the L300 has made sure that safety is no problem. When a car manufacturer makes safety and convenience options standard on all trim levels of one of its models, the car buying experience gets a lot easier. That's what happened when Saturn made high value safety features and amenities standard on its L300 vehicles.
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Car Safety
Safety Tips for Taxi, Delivery Drivers
For taxi and delivery drivers, safety is a daily concern. National statistics show that they are among those most in danger of being killed or assaulted on the job.
Because drivers often work alone, they are especially vulnerable to crime. They are often required to drive to crime-ridden areas at night which significantly increases their likelihood of being attacked, robbed or killed.
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Car Safety
Optional Safety Features Can Save Your Life
The next time you're contemplating buying a new car, give extra attention to the optional safety features available and consider this story of how they saved one man's life.
The man is David Cook. He's Director of Quality for a company that supplies safety restraints to automobile manufacturers. So, when choosing his own car, he made sure it included the most advanced and essential safety systems.
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Car Safety
Exhibit Urges Teens To Be Safer Drivers
In a recent survey, 59 percent of parents said driving-related issues were their number one worry where their teenagers are concerned. Thirty-nine percent said driving safety was one of their top worries. That was higher than the 31 percent who named drug abuse or 17 percent who named alcohol abuse. Twenty-five percent of parents worried most about car crashes, which was higher than the 13 percent who named pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases and 11 percent who named violent crime.
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Car Safety
Learn To Travel Well And Safely
Before hitting the books, college students often have to hit the road. But there are a few things students should study regarding auto products and safety tips before they set off for college or set out on the road.
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Car Safety
Congestion Erodes Safety Benefits Of Interstate System
A report by a national transportation research group finds that America's Interstate highways-the most critical link in our surface transportation system-are increasingly congested because new travel is rapidly outpacing existing capacity and eroding the system's safety and economic benefits.
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Car Safety
Important Safety Information From Race Car Driver Bruno Junqueira
When it comes to driving success, race car driver Bruno Junqueira always thinks safety. Driving at nearly 240 miles per hour on the 19-race international Champ Car World Series (CART) circuit, there's no room for poor decisions or careless habits. What can motorists learn from the pros for everyday driving? More than you think.
Junqueira, who's been competing in organized racing since age six, agrees. "There are fewer accidents on the track because we follow rules and respect fellow competitors-every day, every practice, and every race."
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Car Safety
Reducing Traffic-Related Injury And Death
While no amount of traffic-related injury and death is acceptable, some communities seem to suffer more than others. A recent survey of hospital emergency room visits showed that motor vehicle crashes accounted for 779,000 visits per year for African Americans, at a rate of 24 per 1,000 people, compared to 14 per 1,000 for whites.
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Car Safety
A Baltimore Story
In the mid 1990s, the Baltimore Regional Auto Theft Team took several looks at the stolen cars recovered and taken to the Baltimore City Towing Yard. They discovered some interesting patterns. One thing they found was that a quarter to a half of the cars had been stolen with the keys still in the ignition. It's common to leave the keys in the car and the engine running when you step out to use an ATM or grab a cup of coffee, but those few seconds can be all an experienced thief needs. That's why you should always turn off and lock your vehicle and take your keys with you whenever you get out of your car.
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Car Safety
Survey: Parents Cite Driving Safety As Top Concern
Vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teens. In 2002, nearly 6,000 teens were killed, 300,000 were injured and more than 1.6 million were involved in vehicle crashes. According to research conducted by Chrysler Group earlier this year, driving safety is a top concern for six out of 10 parents when it comes to their teens. To help keep teens safe in motor vehicles, DaimlerChrysler created a new teen driving safety program called Road Ready Teens™.
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