DISTRACTED DRIVING AWARENESS MONTH

Did you know that 10% of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash? This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted. April is the month where we all recognize the consequences of distracted driving. The best way to do this is to educate other on all the dangers it poses because ALL distractions endanger the driver’s, passengers, and bystander’s safety. These types of distractions include:

• Texting
• Using a cell phone or smartphone
• Eating and drinking
• Talking to passengers
• Grooming
• Reading, including maps
• Using a navigation system
• Watching a video
• Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player

Because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction.

Please share these facts with others. Together, we can help save lives.

Visit www.distraction.gov for more statistics on distracted driving.

30 Essential Things You Should Keep in Your Car

It’s time to do some spring cleaning! No matter what you have in the back of your trunk, I’m sure we can all agree with its better to know we are prepared whenever an emergency occurs. Although everyone’s needs may vary, here’s a list of essential things that you should keep in your car. Some of these might surprise you. Visit the link below for reasons why these items are so important.

·         Spare Tire

·         Tire Jack and Tire Iron

·         Jumper cables

·         Your car’s manual

·         Tire pressure gauge

·         Duct tape and WD-40

·         Car repair information

In any case, your safety supplies should include:

·         First aid kit

·         Flashlight

·         Multi-tool

·         Matches or other fire starters

·         Energy bars or MREs

·         Water bottles

·         Weather radio

A few car-specific items:

·         Seat belt cutter and window breaker

·         Flares or reflective triangle

·         Maps

For winter/snow emergencies:

·         Ice scraper

·         Mylar space blanket

·         Cardboard or carpet remnant

In addition to the basics above, you might want to keep these things around also:

·         Paper towels

·         Tissues

·         Pencil and paper

·         Umbrella

·         Spare change/emergency money

·         Recycled shopping bags

·         Blanket

·         Change of clothes

·         USB mobile device charger

Content Credit: lifehacker.com. Visit here for more info on this blog: http://bit.ly/1fYeTYh

Car Jargon Everyone Should Know

When it comes to buying a new vehicle, it’s helpful to know as much as you can about the vehicle before you purchase. There is a load of car jargon out there. With automotive technology constantly updating, it can be difficult to keep up with all of this. We’ve listed a few terms below which you might already know or have never heard of. For the entire list of other terms, visit the links we’ve provided below.

ABS

This stands for Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) which is a safety feature that helps you to avoid skidding when braking suddenly. What it does is prevents your wheels from locking so that you can maintain control of your vehicle.

ESC

Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Electronic Stability Program (ESP).  These two names both refer to the same feature. This technology works to prevent sideways skidding when making sharp steering corrections on surfaces that might be slippery.

RPM

RPM stands for revolutions per minute. It measures just how hard your engine is working. The higher it is, the harder it is working.

To view the full glossary visit Edmunds.com: http://edmu.in/1g60kWv

Another great terminology site is Car and Driver:  http://bit.ly/1g651zF