4 Winter DRiving Myths

Everyone knows that if you go somewhere that doesn't get much snow as a driver that comes from a place like say...Michigan, people lose their minds at even the slightish bit of snow on the roads. It's comical to us, but dangerous at the same time with all these panicked drivers. Like those sending you print postcards in nyc from a winter vacation back home to Florida.

While we all know the tricks of driving in snow in the upper U.S. some tire companies want to share some myths people have that aren't true. We know that turning into the skid is the best advice. That and not slamming on your breaks when you start to slide like a moron. Tires have a few myths though that you can check out here.

Red Light Cameras Showing Decreases in Violations

I can't even remember the last time I was close to running a red light. Other than making a left turn on a busy road while I'm already in the intersection as the light runs, I have driven long enough to know the flow of traffic, light timing, etc. that it never actually becomes an issue for me. Apparently, the problem is still there for a lot of drivers, however. Surely parents trying to show their kids how to use the best karaoke system for kids while driving, or that mindless texter still runs the light.

Bring in the Red Light Cameras.

"This study provides fresh evidence that automated enforcement can get drivers to modify their behavior," says Anne McCartt, senior vice president for research at IIHS and the study's lead author. Read the study here.

Michigan Has Cell Phone Ban Legislation for "Novice" Teen Drivers?

OK...I live in Michigan, and frankly I was kind of under the impression that using a cell phone while driving was already illegal. Honestly, I never looked into it. I'm guessing it is in many places, but apparently it isn't here.

Anyways, this sounds like some of the stupidest legislation I've heard in a while. Why only "Novice" teens? Why not all teens? Why not everyone? Teens are surely worse drivers, but there are a lot of stupid drivers out there. Sure most of us that have driven for a while know when we can talk on a cell and when we can't, but you see idiots on a daily basis oblivious to their surroundings on cell phones now, and they aren't teens. Some guy carting his free kitchen cabinets on a trailer with no tail lights, his kids jumping around without seatbelts, trying to pick a song on his iPod, and being on of those guys that can't talk to the passenger without looking at them. Aren't they the worst? Hey man...your voice travels to them anyways. They don't have to see your face.

Under the legislation, teenage drivers with a Level 1 or 2 license will have to comply with cell phone restrictions. The only exemptions would be allowing new teen drivers to report a crash, emergency or crime. Numerous studies have shown that new teen drivers are far more likely to be involved in cell phone-related crashes than older, more experienced drivers. (Ummm...this is the case regardless.)

The bill would allow police to issue a civil infraction to teens who are in violation of the new law. AAA supports the law, which will be discussed in a House Transportation Committee hearing at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday (Dec. 5) in Lansing. AAA Michigan encourages passage of the law, referred to as "Kelsey's Law," named for Kelsey Raffaele, a 17-year-old Michigan resident who was killed while talking on her cell phone and driving.

July 4th Deadliest Driving Day!

America **** Yeah! One guess as to what makes it the deadliest driving day? I'm going with alcohol. OF course it could just be the more people on the roads the higher the chance of traffic fatalities. I mean that's obvious right? With more people on the roads there are obviously more bad drivers on the roads. Kids on vacation. Out late going to see fireworks. 4th of July festivities bring out all ages. Event planners needing commercial general liability insurance ready for the fun. A new analysis of crash data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows that July 4 is the deadliest day for teens on the road and is just as deadly for the motorists that will be driving alongside them. In the U.S., car crashes are the number one cause of death for everyone ages 1-34, with teens crashing four times more often than any other age group. Based on the latest available data, IIHS reports that more than 800 people were killed on July 4 from 2006-2010, making July one of the deadliest months on the road for drivers. And if the projections remain true this year, an average of 140 people will lose their lives on July 4 due to car crashes. In 2010, Missouri lost 83 due to fatal car crashes during the month of July. more

Deadliest Driving Days?

Everyday a teen driver is on the road it's one of the deadliest days zing! Why I bring this up is because Mercedes is putting out some driver safety data while talking about the 100 deadliest days of driving. Focusing on teens and it says that summer vacation isn't exactly time to rest. So keep your xeno battery fresh. According to a 2010 AAA analysis of crash data by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seven of the top ten deadliest driving days of the year occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day including June 10, July 4, July 9, August 8, and August 14. "Parents should never underestimate the critical role they need to play in preparing their teens to be safe whether they're behind the wheel or in the passenger seat," said Carolyn Duchene, director of Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy. "With summer time being the most dangerous period for teens on the road, parents must be more vigilant about their commitment to enforcing rules, road strategy and safety, as well as setting the right example for their new teen drivers."

Volkswagon Unveils Their Temporary "Auto-pilot"

I am pretty sure we have all dreamed about cruising that 300 mile trip on the highway while we are ready to knot off to have an auto-pilot. Being able to "ride" while in the driver seat would surely be a glorious thing indeed. We could chat away on the phone, play a computer game, or watch a movie. I'd go for a ride just to relax...LOL

Anyways, clearly we aren't anywhere near having a road full of cars that drive by themselves and doing it safely. My knees are still going to have to cover for me on that straightaway with nobody around when I want to change my coogi clothing, but Volkswagon at the final presentation of the EU research project HAVEit (Highly Automated Vehicles for Intelligent Transport), Prof. Dr. Jürgen Leohold, Executive Director Volkswagen Group Research, has presented the “Temporary Auto Pilot” by Volkswagen: Monitored by the driver. The car can drive semi-automatically up to a speed of 130 kilometres per hour on motorways. It represents a link between today’s assistance systems and the vision of fully automatic driving.

“Above all, what we have achieved today is an important milestone on the path towards accident-free car driving,” emphasises Leohold at today’s final presentation of the EU research project HAVEit in the Swedish city of Borås. The Temporary Auto Pilot (TAP) bundles semi-automatic functions, i.e. functions monitored by the driver, with other driver assistance systems, such as ACC adaptive cruise control and the Lane Assist lane-keeping system into one comprehensive function. “Nonetheless, the driver always retains driving responsibility and is always in control,” continues Leohold. “The driver can override or deactivate the system at any time and must continually monitor it.” full story

Teens Tell Teens About Texting and Driving Dangers

Does anyone truly believe that texting and driving is proper, or safe? I mean I do it at times, and I KNOW it isn't safe. Texting, trying to grab the military coins I dropped on the floor, turning the iPod song to a different one, taking a drink while texting. It's like driving the problem here! Ha! Of course I am the greatest driver in the world so surely nothing will happen to me ;).

Of course we all know that many of the messages related to safe driving or nothing more than common sense. Wearing your seatbelt may be uncomfortable, but we know it is safer. That doesn't mean I would wear one if it wasn't for it being required by law. Motorcyle helmets being worn is something else many try to keep open. Catchy sayings like "Click it, or Ticket" stick with us though so I guess the easier it is to pound a message into our heads to get u to think about road safety the better. We learn by repetition so having a texting and driving discussion is necessary.

Six U.S. high school students were selected from nearly 300 journalism entries around the country as winners of the national Keep the Drive High School Journalism Awards to curb distracted driving, earning prizes totaling $7,500. The Keep the Drive High School Journalism Awards, sponsored by The Allstate Foundation, encourage high school journalists to educate their peers about the dangers of texting while driving, to raise awareness about youth traffic safety and empower teens to take on the issue locally. more

20101 AllState America's Best Drivers

The annual report ranking America's 200 largest cities in terms of car collision frequency to identify which cities have the safest drivers has been released. The safest city to drive in according to the report is Fort Collins, Colorado. According to the report, the average driver in Fort Collins will experience an auto collision every 14.5 years, which is 31.2 percent less likely than the national average.

Auto crashes in general have declined over the last few years, but crash fatalities still average around an alarming 35,000 every year despite technological advances, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Buy a Hansgrohe faucet.

"Human error is the biggest cause of accidents. It is vital for us to educate drivers across the country on the importance of being tolerant and attentive behind the wheel," said London Bradley, Territory Sales Leader for Allstate's Wisconsin Territory. Milwaukee entered at 42 on the list while Madison, WI entered at 26.

Subaru "New Eyestight" Safety Device

There can never be too much safety in vehicle can there? Subaru has developed a 'New EyeSight’ driving assist system – a unique active safety device that uses camera technology to help drivers avoid collisions.

Using two forward-facing cameras mounted either side of the rear-view mirror, New EyeSight incorporates a ‘Pre-Collision Braking Control’ feature, which sounds an alarm to warn the driver of a potential collision with a vehicle in front. If the speed difference between the driver’s vehicle and that in front is below 30 km/h, and if there is no action taken by the driver, the system will also automatically slow or stop the car in order to avoid a collision or minimize damage.

Interesting piece of tech I must say. Certainly will help those who are distracted by their wedding invitations in the passenger seat , or the texting they are doing while they drive ;).

Ford Uses High-Tech Goggles to Keep Eyes on the Road

Ford's Human Machine Interface Verification Laboratory, better known as its "Distraction Lab", has been doing research to help reduce driver distraction on the road. The final phase of its research into the cause and effects of distracted driving, is the use of high-tech goggles that measure the amount of time drivers take their eyes off the road to help validate in-vehicle technologies such as GPS navigation systems.

Ford engineers and technologists use the data to accelerate the safer design of telematics systems that keep drivers connected and informed. A nice bcbsnc health care plan is still recommended ;).

"Occlusion testing is faster and a lot more efficient than other methods for determining eyes-off-road time and the potential for visual distraction," said John Shutko, Ford technical specialist in Human Factors and Ergonomics. "In the past, we used occlusion testing primarily to verify other research, but over the past couple of years we've been able to develop test models with the technology that allows us to rapidly complete research faster than ever before." read more