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Posts Tagged ‘Driving Accidents’

The top 10 mistakes people make while driving their car

December 26th, 2009

For the person who is just learning to drive with a driving instructor, they might find it exciting and yet feel nervous at the same time. Gaining your drivers license after attending driving school is a very important step in ones life.

Having completed your affordable driving school curriculum, you’re ready to drive but what obstacles could there be out there on the road ready to confront you with trouble? Have a read of the top 10 mistakes that drivers on our roads are making every day that result in accident or death.

#1 – Combining alcohol and driving. The numbers of accidents that occur due to alcohol tell a sad tale only too many people are willing to tell. Alcohol contributes to 40% of all deaths which are related to driving. Of that 60% you will find learner drivers aged 16-24 who have a lack of experience and judgement while driving. Thankfully, the solution is very simple; do not drink and then drive.

#2- Sending a text message while driving. Mobile phone related car accidents are on the rise so new laws have been introduced which ban mobile phone usage while driving. It’s important not to answer the phone while driving, so pull your car over to the curb if it’s an important or urgent call, otherwise call the person back at another time. Just makes sense.

#3 – Aggression on the road. Every year across the country, people are injured or killed due to road road or disputes on our roads. Studies have shown that those drivers who have experienced a road rage incident are more likely to respond to others with aggression or road rage themselves which only adds fuel to the fire that is road rage. To put it simply, it puts more than just yourself at risk. By being an adult about the situation, you can let it go as it’s not worth losing your life over.

#4 – Lack of a suitable car seat for children. Did you know that car crashes are a leading cause of death for children between the ages of 2 to 14 years. For those children aged between 0-2 years, it’s the leading cause of death as a result of an injury. Be sure to purchase a car seat if you plan to have a child occupy a seat in your vehicle.

#5 – Speeding. This one is surprising given that most people know it’s important not to speed but slow down. Did you know that speeding is involved in almost 15% of car accidents and 35% of those result in a fatal accident. In order to give yourself more time to react, slow down because by speeding up you have less time to react to any hazards on the road or other drivers. The statistics reflect that driving in conditions that are bad are also bad for driving. In less than perfect conditions, it’s important to slow down.

#6 – The weather. While understandable that you cannot always avoid driving in bad weather, it’s important to realise doing so contributes to 20% of fatal highway accidents. This goes right back to number 5, if you must drive in these types of situations then it’s important to slow down.

#7 – Terrible eyesight. There is a perfectly good reason why everyone is required to take an eyesight test when renewing or gaining a drivers license. Being unable to spot obstacles on the streets will reduce your ability (and others) to drive in a safe manner. Having your eyes tested can ensure your glasses are still appropriate for your needs.

#8 – Not wearing a seat belt. Seat belts are the most effective way to prevent your death if you are involved in a serious or minor car accident. It’s been estimated that around 5,000 deaths could be avoided each year if those people would wear a seat belt. Maybe it’s about time you started wearing yours if required to do so.

#9 – Oversteering your vehicle. A driving school that teaches or instructs defensive driving can show you how to control your vehicle in situations that are no great so that you do not oversteer or skid your car.

#10 – Fatigue. It’s no surprise that driving while one is tired is a major contributor to car accidents. Practice the driver revival techniques and ensure you take breaks if you feel tired or every 2 hours.

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Safety Perks of Driving Simulation Training

December 26th, 2009

To drive is a task essential to today’s way of living. However, you need to properly learn how to do it in order to ensure your safety and that of others too in the road. And today, there is driving simulation that can help you learn in an effective and safe way.

 

Generally, driving simulation is a computer-based training. With the help of driving simulator software, it is able to provide trainees an almost real road scenarios to practice on. The scenarios it can play out usually vary in location, situation and difficulty. However, just like in the real road, they are complete with traffic signs and signals to create a truly convincing training environment.

 

Being computerized and modern, the use of driving simulator to learn how to drive has an edge over the traditional method of training. Many individuals, even companies and government agencies like the police are already attracted to using it and are already benefiting from it, proof that it truly is effective.

However, it will cost you more to be in a driving simulation training. Nevertheless, what you will pay for it is worthy enough as has been said that it can provide not only effective but also safe training. But what specifically are the safety benefits that it can provide that adds to making it all worth it?

 

First, with driving simulation, you don’t have to go around places. As the machine stays in one place, not a big space is needed. And of course, in terms of safety, it prevents driving accidents while in training.

 

Second, it allows effective training for big vehicles without the risk or danger that usually goes with them. For example, if you need to train for a truck, a bus or a train, you can do so without having to use the real vehicles thus also preventing a whole lot of possible accidents often associated with them.

 

Third, you can also get yourself trained on difficult driving scenarios without being in the actual danger. For instance, you can train how to drive or adjust your driving on a bad or snowy weather or in a needed high-speed driving with driving simulator.

 

Those mentioned benefits cannot be achieved with traditional training. And aside from the fact that driving simulation training makes it safe for you to learn more about driving, it also saves you a lot of space and time. With all those benefits, it can therefore be concluded that training with driving simulator is the option you should take.

 

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Online Car Insurance: Very Poor Eyesight Can Endanger Your Car Insurance Coverage

July 21st, 2009

If you have an accident and it’s found that you’d failed to keep your car roadworthy, for example excessively worn tyres, and that was a contributory factor in the accident, your insurer will probably refuse to pay up. And the police may also show an interest too! Quite reasonable many of you will say. But what if it’s you that’s un-roadworthy? That’s why Online Car Insurance is very essential.

How many driving accidents are accompanied by the comment “I didn’t see the other vehicle”? And what transpires if the proble was your very poor eyesight? Has it deteriorated to that very fatal extent?

Well all of us clearly know if we have an eyesight problem but there are opticians to help on every high street. Remember, if you need contact lenses or glasses for driving then you must wear them and if your eyesight deteriorates you should get a new prescription. It is the sole and legal responsibility of all drivers to ensure that they are safe and fit to drive.

Only a few weeks back i drew up alongside an elderly driver who was clearly having trouble reading the junction signs. He was leaning forward trying to read the signs indicating towards Leeds and rolling forward at 10 mph – all this at traffic lights that by this time had turned red – and he clearly hadn’t seen those! He was lucky that the cars coming across from the right saw him early. I’m not even sure he saw them either!

The law is quite stringent and crystal clear- it states that any driving license holder who fails to meet the minimum level of eyesight must be precluded from driving. They are also required to surrender their licence. So, this is exactly when online car insurance comes into play.

The eyesight test for drivers’ states that you must be able to read a number plate containing letters and figures 50 mm wide and 79mm high (that’s a legal number plate) from a distance of 20 meters. But then again you can use your driving glasses.

This being said, there’s no legal obligation for you to have a regular eye examination but you are required to tell the DVLA if you may have in some occasion developed any medical problem that may have a direct bearing on your fitenss to drive. If you fail to disclose to them, that’s a criminal offense.

In some American states drivers have to take an eye test every five years but not in the UK. Here, driver aged 70 and over must complete a medical form every three years confirming their fitness to drive and the definition of “fitness” includes eyesight. Once these drivers fail to send in their medical form, they will certainly lose their driver’s license. (I wonder what that elderly gentleman at the traffic lights said on his?)

On the insurance front, if you are involved in an accident where your defective eyesight was a contributory factor, your insurance company may well argue that you were negligent and refuse to pay out. This could simply be due to the needed eyeglasses to drive but were not wearing them at the time he’s driving.

So be sure to dribe carefully, and keep your eyes transfixed, septuagenarians in Leeds please take note!

Learn more and get your Online Car Insurance Quotes today.

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Damaged Cars at Car Auctions

June 16th, 2009

Sure they do. In car auction websites compared anything sells, even damaged cars. They don’t say in vain that someone’s junk is other’s treasure. Some people buy defected cars, cars that took part in driving accidents or old cars that are beyond repair and they use them for spare parts or transform them altogether into new and exciting driving temptations. But there are also people that do not dispose of a big budget and they only want a cheap car, even if it’s damaged, a car they can repair later, when they get the money.

Because so many buyers are interested in damaged cars, auction holders ended up organizing specialized auctions for these car types. The damaged car auctions occur pretty often, because not all cars sell so quickly and many people prefer selling a damaged car rather than repairing it. They try to sell the cars in such auctions and then get a new car. It’s quite obvious that damaged cars are sold for very little, and sometimes they can be really good cars, that require some repairing but were initially expensive cars.

The low prices should not be the only reason behind your buying decision. Just make sure you are positive you know what you’re getting yourself into. Having technical background is a good reason. Being a car salesman is also a pretty good reason. But the normal person, that wants a car for driving, what can that person do with a damaged car? You are the one that can decide that, by answering the question and thinking over the decision.

Evaluate the vehicles you intend to bid on in repo car auctions before actually doing it. Check any visible defects, and also ask the owner to open the car so you can inspect the interior. Once inside check for heavy smells, deformed chairs and moist or rust, these all are sign of flood damage. No one should buy these care because they also present lots of other defects that do not show at first glance. Malfunctioning engines should be looked at by experts, like mechanics or engineers.If you are a fast learner, you can try to read about engine trouble before coming to the auction.

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