Driving Saftey Tips

Before you drive...

HAVE A CLEAR HEAD
Make sure you always have a clear head before deciding to operate a motor vehicle. Alcohol and certain drugs, both illegal and legal, can severely impair your driving skills. Many prescription and over-the-counter medications can cause dangerous drowsiness. Get a good night's rest and don't drive for long stretches without a break. If you are tired, don't risk the safety of yourself and others on the highway by trying to drive. Just as with alcohol--designate a driver or choose another means of transportation such as taxi cab or public transportation.

LIMIT DRIVING ALONE WHEN TIRED
Driving with someone else in your vehicle can increase your overall alertness. It is well recognized that when driving alone, especially when sleep deprived and at night, your chances of a crash are dramatically increased.

READ THE LABELS
If you are taking any medications, be sure to read and obey the warning labels. If the label says the medication causes drowsiness or not to drive--heed the warning and don't drive. The warnings are there for a reason. Consult with your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions or to ask about medications for your condition that don't cause drowsiness.

PLAN AHEAD
Allow yourself plenty of extra time to reach your destination and allow for emergencies or traffic jams. In today's busy world most of us are in a hurry to get where we are going. By allowing extra time we can be more relaxed when operating our vehicles and thereby cut down on the incidences of road rage, such as excessive speeding, tailgating and weaving in and out between cars.

RESEARCH SAFETY FEATURES
Safety should always be a top priority when shopping for a vehicle. Research the safety performance of any vehicle you are considering buying including how the vehicle performs in crash tests. Both driver and passenger side air bags are now mandatory in all new cars. Look for side impact bags in many new models as well. When buying a used vehicle, look for one with air bags. Research what type of safety systems are in the car and choose the safest to protect you and your loved ones in the event of a collision.

While in the driver's seat :

RELAX
Avoid aggressive driving by relaxing and having patience. By not being in such a rush to reach your destination you will be a calmer person and won't need to speed and run red lights. A yellow light means slow down, not speed up. Always stop at red lights.

BE ALERT TO SIGNS OF FATIGUE
If you start to feel tired when driving pull over in a safe area and let someone else drive. If you are alone, pull into a safe location such as a well lit rest stop and take a short nap or get out of the car and walk around for a few minutes. Stop as often as necessary. When traveling on long trips, eat light. Large, heavy meals can make you drowsy.

PRACTICE COMMON SENSE SAFETY RULES
Always wear your safety belt and make sure all your passengers are buckled properly, even on short trips. If traveling with children, educate yourself on the many kinds of child safety seats and restraints. Choose which system is best for your child and always follow the directions. Make sure children ages 12 and under are always buckled up in the back seat, the safest place to ride.

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD
Avoid taking your eyes off the road by eliminating any possible distractions ahead of time. Before setting out on a drive, be sure that important items are within easy reach, i.e. directions and maps, sunglasses, etc. Reduce to a minimum possibly dangerous diversions of your attention from the tasks of safe driving such as changing tapes or compact discs and always pull over to a safe place to use your cellular telephone.

Tips for Night Driving

Traffic death rates are three times greater at night than during the day, yet many of us are unaware of night driving's special hazards or don't know effective ways to deal with them.

Driving at night is more dangerous than during the day. One of the obvious reasons is darkness. Ninety percent of a driver's reaction depends on vision, and vision is severely limited at night. Depth perception, color recognition and peripheral vision are compromised after sundown.

Fatigue also adds to the danger of night driving. Drowsiness makes driving more difficult by dulling concentration and slowing reaction time.

Alcohol is the single most significant factor in fatal traffic crashes, playing a part in more than half of all motor vehicle-related deaths. That makes weekend nights more dangerous. More fatal crashes take place on Friday and Saturday nights than at any other time in the week.

Effective measures to minimize these after-dark dangers can be taken by preparing your car and following special guidelines while you drive:

• Prepare your car for night driving.
• Clean headlights, taillights, signal lights and windows once a week, more often if necessary.
• Aim your headlights properly.
• Misaimed headlights blind other drivers and reduce your ability to see the road.

Don't drink and drive. Not only does alcohol severely impair your driving ability, but it also acts as a depressant. Just one drink can induce fatigue. Avoid smoking when you drive. Smoke's nicotine and carbon monoxide hamper night vision. Turn your headlights on if there are any doubts. Lights will not help you see better in early twilight, but they'll make it easier for other drivers to see you. Being seen is as important as seeing.

Reduce your speed and increase your following distances. It is more difficult to judge other vehicle's speeds and distances at night.

Don't overdrive your headlights. You should be able to stop inside the illuminated area. If you're not, you are creating a blind crash area in front of your vehicle.

Keep your headlights on low beams when following another vehicle so you don't blind the driver ahead of you.

If an oncoming vehicle doesn't lower beams from high to low, avoid glare by watching the right edge of the road and using it as a steering guide.

Make frequent stops for light snacks and exercise. If you're too tired to drive, stop and get rest.

If you have car trouble, pull off the road as far as possible. Warn approaching traffic at once by setting up flares or reflecting triangles near your vehicle and 300 feet behind it. Turn on flashers and the dome light.

Observe night driving safety as soon as the sun goes down. As your eyes are adapting to the constant change in amount of light, twilight is one of the most difficult times to drive.