So you are it yet again, cruising down the highway in your stylish Porsche 911 Turbo, with the sun roof open and the wind blowing through your hair. Its Friday today, and you’re all stoked up as the weekend lies ahead. Everything seems just perfect! But, then it happens. There it is again, that menacing sound struggling to drown out your CD player. Just when you shoot a quick glance at your rearview mirror, that perfectly happy face turns into a tight frown. Sure we all know that mean…oh boy! you are been pulled over. How you wish it was not those annoying red and blue lights again. Perhaps you change lanes and hopes he goes the other away, but as it turns out he’s in fact chasing you.

Ah, those wonderful speeding tickets. Sure, you were going 76 in a 65 lane. Or maybe you were simply trying to keep up with the flow of traffic. Hey, whatever you do, “thank you” is the last word you need to say, after he passes you the ticket. Now who doesn’t hate speeding tickets, that’s for sure everyone does! Personally, no matter who you are or how wealthy you are, no one wants those dreadful speeding tickets. Sure, I remember the first time I received one when I was 19 years old. I was cruising home from college in my neat little Mazda Miata, which was one of those fun cars to drive in. Unfortunately cops are always looking out for sports cars. And apparently the colors red and black seem to get the worst.

Though it may have seemed quite inevitable, I was pulled over and handed the lousy speeding ticket. No matter how much I dreaded and hoped, I still got stuck with it. Now what to do? The next thing I did was talk to my older brother about speeding tickets, and then decided to show up in court and plead it out. My court date arrived and I must admit that I was quite nervous.

Luckily the judge turned out to be rather compassionate. I pleaded with her and she said it will not go against my record. At the end, I had to pay up a ticket fee and court costs, but that was the end of it. Showing up at court was a better choice rather than simply sending in a payment. In any case when it comes to speeding tickets, you clearly and simply don’t want them. This can cause your insurance to shoot up! Now, that’s not good for the old bank account.

How many speeding tickets have you received over the years? I hope there aren’t too many. Despite the consequences, you should try and have your ticket resolved as best you can. Of course if you can avoid it going on your record, you’re doing well. Obviously the best way is to not get speeding tickets by sticking with the posted speed limit. On the other hand if you do receive a ticket and you feel as though it was wrongly issued, I suggest pleading it out. No mater what make the officer prove it was you speeding past his radar gun.

Accidents can happen anytime, even if you are an extremely cautious and defensive driver! Most accidents actually occur within a 25 miles of the home, according to a Florida highway spokesman. Sometimes, they happen right in your own driveway. Just ask my sister-in-law who hit her friend’s car in her driveway while backing up! No matter where they occur there are a series of steps that should be followed after an accident.

The Consumer Protection Association of America continually develops a list of recommendations for drivers so that they’ll actually know what they need when a traffic accident occurs. This fine organization takes major steps to increase public awareness regarding traffic safety. Some of the steps are preventative and should be followed now before you’re involved in an accident.

One, have an emergency kit in your glove compartment or storage area. The kit should include a cell phone, pen, pad of paper, and a disposable camera (this is very important). With today most of us carry a cell phone, which takes pictures. As long as you insure that your cell phone is with you and carries a charge this should suffice for the cell phone and disposable camera in the kit. These items are for recording the key information regarding the accident and the scene. You should also have a card with information concerning any medical allergies or conditions you have that require special attention, as well as emergency contact information. It is also recommended by other agencies that you have a number list ed on your cell phone under ICE (in case of emergency), where the attending policeman or EMT can simply hit speed dial on your cell phone to reach your emergency contact. You should also have traffic cones, warning triangles and emergency flares in your trunk.

Two, you need to insure that safety is first! When you are involved in a minor accident and there are no serious injuries, make sure that the vehicles are moved to the side of the road. Do not stay on the road and become an obstacle to oncoming traffic. If you do this, it may result in the occurrence of more and more serious traffic accidents because of your vehicles creating an obstruction in the road. My wife was rear-ended by another woman on an exit ramp and they both left their vehicles on the ramp believing it to be safe and that it was important for the police to see the exact position of the vehicles. In spite of the fact that both vehicles were clearly visible for a minimum of 300 yards and they both had their flashers on, another drive came up and rear-ended the SUV that had originally struck my wife! My wife called me on the cell phone and told me what was going on and I told her to get those vehicles off of the road right away! If the car or cars is not movable, make sure that the other motorists are warned by turning on the hazard lights and setting out flares, traffic cones or orange triangles to divert traffic. If you cannot move the vehicle, do what you can to alert the traffic and then move away a safe distance in case of any further accidents.

When you are involved in an accident with serious injuries make sure that no one is in immediate danger (from fires, falling tress or telephone poles, etc). After you have made sure of this, attend to those hurt. It is important that you not move anyone that has been seriously injured unless they are in immediate danger. Further injury can occur from movement. It is always a good idea to let the emergency response teams attend to and moved the injured whenever possible to help prevent this.

Three, exchange all of the important information with the parties involved. You’ll need to obtain the other driver’s name, addresses, phone numbers (home and work), insurance company, car insurance policy number, driver’s license number, license’s plate number, and make sure to write down a description of each car, the year, make, model, color and any apparent damage. Also, write down what occurred during the accident as soon as possible. Pay special attention to the position of the vehicles, sequence of events and the cause of the damage.

I recommend that you write down all information readily available to you without the cooperation of the other driver such as the license plate number, make, model and color of the car, driver description and brief description of other occupants. Also, obtain any witness information at this time. As long as no one is hurt, most witnesses will soon depart the accident scene, and you want to make sure that you have their information. After obtaining this info, then approach the driver about their information like driver’s license number, insurance information and contact information. This makes sure that the other driver cannot bolt from the scene while you are distracted without obtaining information and it lets them know that you are all business.

Four, take photos of the accident scene and the cars involved. Use your disposable camera or cell phone to document the damage to all the vehicles and the scene of the accident. If there are important points to demonstrate such as long skid marks, hidden entrance/exit, etc. make sure to document these as well. Make sure that the vehicle photos illustrate the total context of the accident so that they will back up your claims. If there are witnesses, make sure to ask them for their name and phone number, and ask if they’ll help you in case of problems with the other driver disputing what actually happened.

Five, file an accident report as soon as possible and obtain a copy of it as soon as it is made available. In some areas law enforcement officials do not respond to traffic accidents unless injuries are present. You should always call the police and request that an officer come to the scene to right up the police report. They will obtain the information from the other drive, if they are uncooperative with sharing the information with you, and they will write down their observations of the scene of the accident, which will further support your claims. If you cannot get a policeman to the scene where your accident occurs, find out how you go about filing an accident report and do so right away. You may have to go to the local police station or you may be able to download accident report forms on-line depending on your locale. A police report usually helps speed up the claims process.

Six, understand your insurance coverage before an accident. The more you know about your insurance coverage the easier the claims process and procedure will go. Does your policy cover towing or a replacement rental car fee? If yours does not and the accident was the other driver’s fault immediately make a claim for this with their insurance company.

The question everyone is typically concerned with is “Who is going to pay for this?” If it is the other driver’s fault you should insist that they pay for the damage. If they agree, get them to acknowledge this in writing if possible. The other drive may be agreeable to pay for the damage now, but after a little time goes by and they are not in your immediate presence they may have a change of heart and decide to try and stiff you (this is why you need witnesses, documentation, etc.).

I recommend calling someone if available to assist you in the accident management process. They will be much calmer and more objective in seeing that everything is carried out. I arrived prior to the police at my wife’s previously mentioned accident when our van was rear-ended. I checked and made sure that everyone was okay. Then I made sure that the vehicles were a safe distance from the road. Next, I obtained all of the vehicle information (make, model, color, license plate number), photographed the vehicles and the accident scene. I then obtained the driver information from the other two drivers involved. After I obtained the car insurance information, I immediately contacted the other driver’s car insurance company and had them open a claim for the damage that had been done to our van. I did all of this before the policeman completed writing his report. I then talked to the police officer and obtained his name and learned the content of his report. When I determined that I was satisfied the content accurately portrayed what my wife indicated had happened, I asked him for the report number so I could obtain a copy as soon as possible. My doing this streamlined the whole process for our claim and it moved through like clockwork.

If you drive a Jeep and you need some replacement parts, you can get them for low prices at Xtreme Terrain Concepts, which specializes in Jeep items. They can be found at www.xtremeterrain.com

Defensive driving courses generally help an individual to hone up his driving skills even if he has had his license before and is an experienced driver. The basic concept behind such a course is to make an individual trained so that he could react to the mistakes made by other drivers on the road and avoid an accident.

Defensive driving courses in a way assume that even if you drive carefully there are always those rash drivers who will either jump the red light or would take a sudden u-turn without making any signal, and you need to be ready when they do.

Most people enroll themselves for a defensive driving courses because having completed such a course not only makes his drive home safer, but it also entitles him to certain privileges. He gets a discount on his insurance premium, his points on his driving record get reduced, and to cap it all, some states even dismiss tickets issued against a person who has completed his defensive driving course.

Defensive driving courses can be attended either in a driving school or one can enroll for such a course online. Whatever mode he chooses, he should first clarify what courses satisfy his state’s requirements.

There are a lot of rules that a driver is taught to follow in a defensive driving course. The first and foremost thing that one needs to remember is to pay attention. The commonest explanation after an accident is that they had not seen the other man approaching. The only way out is to be alert, always. Another important rule to follow is not to trust any driver on the road.

It is always better to maintain a safe distance from a car in front. One should also remember that even if he follows the traffic lights someone else might not. It is also advised that under no circumstances should one not wear his seat belt. Many an accident injury could be averted if the people inside the car strapped themselves up properly.

A defensive driving course also emphasizes that a person should drive only if he is sober. Even if he is feeling sleepy it is advised that he should stay away from the wheel. It is also instructed that speed limits be followed strictly. A driver is advised to avoid all sorts of distractions while driving such as listening to the radio or talking on the phone.

One should also slow down in case of rain or snow. It is recommended that an eye should also be kept on the pedestrians and their pets so that nothing untoward happens if they stray on to the driveway. In fact one is also given tips regarding riding a bike, for example it is suggested that one wear a protective head gear while riding.

The list of such laws goes on. One needs to go through them thoroughly and put them to practice on the road. One becomes a much safer and secure driver and at the same time also gets to enjoy a few privileges for being so – this is the best part of such defensive driving courses.

Defensive driving gives you the essentials on road safety measurements. All the drivers must know this simple driving fact that you can control your action(s) on most of the on-road occasions, but you cannot control or can’t even know what is happening with other drivers on the road. So, defensive driving provides ample information and knowledge to all those people who are looking for comprehensive and lifetime solutions against accidents and other on-road mishaps.

Defensive driving is also known as advanced driving. This is one sophisticated and next level type of training that automobile driver can undertake and learn to master the basic mechanics of driving. They can indeed master all the rules of roads. The aim of the training is to minimize the risk of driving by proactively and spontaneously avoiding dangerous situations despite incorrect actions or adverse conditions on the road. All these and much more can be accomplished via commitment to specific rules as the constant practice of particular driving techniques.

Well, considering the true essence and aspect of defensive driving, you would find out that it is a style of driving wherein you need to take every possible precaution to prevent any mishap from happening. Defensive driving is a brilliant way of keeping you and your family safe while driving.

So, let us take a look at some of the rules relating to defensive driving.

The first and the foremost aspect, is to become fully prepared before taking on your vehicle on the road. You need to check and ensure certain important aspects like water levels, gas, and oil and tire pressures of your vehicle. You also need to check seats, mirrors and ensure important documentations like insurance before hitting the roads.

The second aspect related to defensive driving is that you should never react to road rage and neither display it. This ensures that you don’t break traffic rules recklessly and arrive to any condition which causes harm to you or others.

It is advisable that you purchase bright colored cars. Car colors like yellow, orange or red can make your car easily visible and prominent on the roads. On an average basis, bright colored cars are less likely to be involved in an accident rather than light colored cars.

Usage of headlights is an important aspect related to defensive driving. It ensures that others can see you coming and you can also see clearly during night driving. While you drive, you need to ensure that you apply the three second rule. This rule states that you should at least maintain a driving time of 3 seconds behind the vehicle in front of you. You should maintain this driving time all of the times. However, if the car condition or environmental conditions are bad, you should increase this driving time to 5 seconds.

While driving you should avoid the cars that reflect signs of being damaged down or are broken down. Researches and studies have shown that these cars are prominently driven by bad drivers.

Follow defensive driving and have a happy and safe driving!

On December 10th in the year 1868, the first traffic signal light was placed into service. The bulky, primitive device employed colored lamps that were fueled by gas for use after dark, and semaphore arms. It required an operator to attend it at all times that it was in use. Twenty three days after that first traffic signal light went into service, it exploded – injuring the police officer who was assigned to run the lights and signals. This unfortunate event brought into question the practicality of implementing traffic signal lights.

Despite the volatility, and ultimately disastrous results, of using the first traffic signal light, stalwart inventors and engineers pursued the idea. As more and more traffic amassed on streets and roadways, the use of stop signs and officers standing on boxes at intersections became less and less practical – and more and more dangerous.

Sometime around 1912 the first electric traffic signal was put into use. These initial units only had red and green lights, however. In 1917 in Salt Lake City, Utah, a series of traffic lights were linked together, thus ‘connecting’ six sequential intersections. This system was operated manually with a single switch.

In 1922 Garrett A. Morgan made application for a patent on a traffic signal light of his own design. The patent was granted the following year. This started the myth that Morgan was the inventor of the traffic light.

Between the time the first traffic lights were introduced, and the early 1960’s many improvements were made, and many experiments conducted. The biggest problem with traffic signals to that point was simply that they were dependent on timers only. East-west traffic would get a green light for 3-minutes, and then a timer would trigger a green light for the north-south traffic – and so on. The lengths of time could be adjusted, but these settings frequently created problems with the flow of traffic.

In the early 1960’s traffic engineers started to implement “inductive loops” to control intersection traffic flow. The loops, which could detect vehicles in specific lanes at intersections controlled the lights’ timers. The inductive loops would switch the lights to accommodate the traffic at hand, based on the time of day. No more sitting at red traffic lights for 2-3-4 or 5 minutes - even if there was no cross-traffic present. Traffic engineers basked in a deluge of praise from drivers.

In the 1970’s technological advances in metallurgy, plastics, and rubber started changing the way vehicles were manufactured – and what they were being manufactured with. No longer was everything from the dashboard to the fenders made of high-iron content steels. It was in conjunction with these advances that the myths of tripping traffic lights began. Since then, it has gotten worse every year as more alloys, plastics, and rubber are used in the construction of vehicles.

It seemed logical that the amount of weight present at an intersection is what would trigger a green light. This is a myth. It also seemed logical that the mass present at an intersection would trigger a green light. This is also a myth. Since people were unable to make traffic lights trip by adding weight, or by having more mass to their vehicles, they started to seek other answers. The last most popular myth is that there is an invisible curtain that, when broken by a vehicle, triggers a green light. It is thought that the curtains only cover a portion of the lane, and if you do not violate the curtain, you don’t get the green light. This is also a myth.

Actually, inductive loop technology is very simple. An inductive loop is nothing but a very large, very weak electromagnet. The term ‘inductive loop’ refers to electromagnets used in industry to detect iron. They are commonly used in numerous industrial applications. They are inexpensive to make, install and maintain.

Inductive loops at traffic lights are created by burying large coils of thin copper wire slightly beneath the road’s surface. The wires are covered with either black tar or rubber. A small current runs through the wire, thus making it into an electromagnet. The loop is connected to a meter which measures changes inside the loop. Magnets react to iron – not plastic or rubber or aluminum. So when enough iron is present within the loop, the traffic light cycles to green.

The vehicles that have the greatest trouble tripping lights are motorcycles and mopeds, followed by small cars and trucks, and then raised 4×4s and SUVs. Drivers of these vehicles often sit undetected at traffic lights wasting fuel, getting rained on, their engines overheating, and their irritation growing.

To positively trigger your green lights, you can drag a bowling ball-sized piece of iron around on the ground – but that won’t work if it’s inside your trunk. That’s too far from the weak sensing field of the loop. In the trunk, you’ll need two or three large iron balls. OR you can install a Signal Sorcerer® traffic light changer http://signalsorcerer.com/.

Signal Sorcerer® traffic light changers use their own technology to make inductive loops detect your vehicle – no matter what size, weight, or mass it is. Simply install the Signal Sorcerer® under your vehicle, and the inductive loops that control traffic lights will detect your vehicle, and give you the green light!

Signal Sorcerer® requires no power, lasts a lifetime, is legal everywhere, installs in less than five minutes without any tools, and is completely guaranteed. Signal Sorcerer® traffic light changers have been in use around the world for years, and units are available for every application including police motorcycle divisions, security vehicles, fleet vehicles, and personal conveyances.

You’ve likely heard one of those chaos theory statements such as “If a pigeon lands on a statue in Trafalgar Square, and at the same time a tree falls in Yellowstone Park, then it will rain on Mount Kilimanjaro.” Baffling, isn’t it? Well, such is the nature of chaos theory. But higher prices for fuel at the pump are absolutely causing more and more people to sit at traffic lights that won’t change for them. It’s a very direct cause and effect issue – not at all chaos theory.

Unfortunately, people not being able to trigger traffic lights to cycle to green has the effect of causing more gasoline to be consumed/wasted. This raises the demand for fuel, which as we have seen, causes the prices to go up even further. It’s an unattractive loop, to be sure. And let’s not forget about the many other negative aspects of getting stuck at traffic signals that won’t change such as irritation; excessive engine temperatures and overheating; frustration; additional green house gas emissions; excessive engine wear; carbon build-up, and so on.

Let’s take a look at how high gas prices are affecting traffic signals. When regular unleaded gas hit $3 per gallon, with spikes as high as $4 in places around the USA, people started buying smaller means of transportation. Motorcycles, mopeds, small cars, and small trucks, with their miserly fuel behaviors, became much more desirable, and much more common on the streets and highways. It’s a logical occurrence. If you own a vehicle that gets 15 miles per gallon, and you trade for one that gets just 18 miles per gallon, you stand to save hundreds of dollars a year on gas spending.

One of the reasons that smaller cars and trucks are so much more fuel efficient is that they use lightweight, high-tech alloys, plastics, and rubbers to construct them. There is no argument that new materials and construction techniques make today’s vehicles eminently better than those of the past – and certainly more fuel efficient. However, the lack of (1)iron in these modern marvels of transportation makes it a real problem to trigger traffic lights. It’s not the lower weight of these vehicles, it’s actually the lack of iron. This makes it easy to see why motorcyclists, bicyclists, and moped riders have always had difficulty when it comes to triggering green lights. But let me explain further…

Since early in the 1960’s, the overwhelming majority of the controlled traffic signals in the United States are regulated by very large, very weak electromagnets. Electromagnets that are used to sense iron, instead of lift it, are called “inductive loops.” These loops most often appear at controlled intersections as large rectangles (outlined in black) in the road.

Inductive loops, like all magnets, detect iron - not aluminum, rubber, plastic, weight, mass, titanium, etc. Small cars and trucks, as well as motorcycles and mopeds, rarely have enough iron close enough to the ground to cause the inductive loop to detect their presence at the intersection – ergo, the light does not trip. Now for the solution to the problem.

Each Signal Sorcerer® traffic light changer (available at www.signalsorcerer.com) generates and directs a very powerful field that causes the traffic signal controlling inductive loops to detect the vehicle it’s attached to, and initiate a signal cycle change. Signal Sorcerer® traffic light changers have been a must-have motorcycle and moped accessory around the world for years, but now that so many small cars and trucks are on the road, they are becoming the new ‘must-have’ accessory for four-wheeled vehicles.

Signal Sorcerer® traffic light changers install in about two minutes, and require no special tools. Everything needed comes with the each traffic light changer. No electricity, no wiring, no maintenance, a lifetime of service, legal everywhere, EPA compliant, DOT compliant, and the internationally famous Iron Horseman Technologies guarantee of your complete satisfaction.

(1) Iron: ferrite, chemical symbol Fe – used in the making of steels. Ferrite used to be a primary component of steels, but now, with newer, more efficient and stronger materials available, ferrite is rather rare.

Signal Sorcerer® is a registered trademark of Iron Horseman Technologies. Iron Horseman Technologies® is the registered trademark of Iron Horseman Technologies.

To most people, the most obvious way to save gas is buying a new car that gets better gas mileage. But before you head to the dealer to make your trade-in, you should know that there are easier ways to save money on gasoline.

Do you stop short at traffic lights and then make a jack-rabbit start? Do you weave in and out of traffic? Driving more sensibly can save you 5%-33% on your gasoline costs. Driving the speed limit can save you another 7%-23%. It is estimated that every 5 miles you drive above 60 miles per hour is comparable to spending an additional $0.20 on gas. Using your cruise control can also save gas since it regulates your speed. Additionally, using your overdrive gears when climbing hills can help. Excessive idling wastes fuel as well so you might want to consider turning off your car if you need to wait for someone or are completely stopped in traffic.

If you’re carrying around a lot of junk in your trunk, now is the time to clean out your car. Every extra pound you carry in your vehicle reduces your gas mileage. This formula applies more accurately to small vehicles rather than larger ones, but the total savings of reducing the weight in your car by 100 pounds is 1-2%.

Keeping your car properly maintained can improve your gas mileage as much as 19%. Visit your mechanic to check if your car is properly in tune and that there are no major mechanical problems detracting from your gas mileage. Discuss a schedule for changing your air filter, as this can improve mileage by up to 10%. Perhaps the simplest mileage savings comes from keeping your tires properly inflated. Purchase a tire gauge at your automotive supply store and learn to use it!

Many employers are now offering their employees the ability to telecommute and work from their home offices. Telecommuting just one day out of ten will obviously save you 10% on your gas costs. Carpooling, ride-sharing and public transportation are also ways to save gas, but these things may not an option for you due to scheduling conflicts. You can still save gas by avoiding rush hour commuting, combining errands into one trip and arranging your route to avoid backtracking.

Many families are unwilling or unable to give up their annual driving vacation, but can save money by making sure their car is properly maintained as described above and by driving the speed limit. Additionally, using a top carrier causes drag and can reduce efficiency by as much as 5% in addition to the reductions caused by carrying extra weight.

The W. Virginia House voted overwhelmingly 88 - 3 to ban both red-light and speed cameras, but motorists concerned about unjust tickets in neighboring states are resorting to self-defense.

A growing number of West Virginia drivers are using PhotoBlockerâ„¢ spray because of news reports that innocent drivers are getting tickets they do not deserve. The time off from work, and the bureaucratic challenges required to prove a ticket was issued in error are the primary motivation for many drivers to resort to use of the spray.

“We compliment the elected officials in W. Virginia for having the wisdom to ban enforcement cameras, but we continue to receive increasing numbers of sales from motorists there who tell us they are concerned about cameras in nearby states,” said Joe Scott of PhantomPlate, Inc., maker of PhotoBlocker spray.

PhotoBlocker is an aerosol spray that does not change the appearance of the plate to the naked eye, but the flash picture from a red-light camera or speed camera makes the number on the plate unreadable because the light reflects back similar to the effect of taking a flash picture into a mirror.

“Drivers in all states are worried about the cost in time and money to defend themselves against unjust tickets. It is easier and less expensive to just use PhotoBlocker spray,” said Scott.

The decisive vote in West Virginia was reported in the press to be a message of disapproval to neighboring Steubenville, Ohio where W. Virginia drivers have fallen victim to enforcement cameras. The Ohio cameras are so controversial that a law suit has temporarily shut them down.

PhotoBlocker has been tested by media from around the world, as well as by a number of police departments. The published results show that the spray works as advertised. Out of all the many states where enforcement cameras are used, Illinois and New York are the only ones that outlawed the spray — giving further testimony that the spray actually works.

“We want our roads to be safe, and we do not encourage anyone to break the law. But we know how frustrating it is to get a ticket you do not deserve,” explained Scott. “Most drivers are good people who want to obey the law. If they have time to either stop or clear the intersection they will, but as long as cities use short yellow lights to generate more tickets motorists will resort to PhotoBlocker spray to protect themselves,” said Scott.

The company reports sales of over 500,000 cans in 23 countries. Information about the product is available on the Internet at http://www.PhotoBlocker.com. Many links to news stories and media reports are posted on the site.

“We get calls, e-mails and letters from journalists, doctors, lawyers, firefighters, teachers, judges, politicians, and police officers themselves have resorted to using PhotoBlocker spray to avoid entrapment,” said Scott. [PRWEB]

tagTRAX: virginia drivers | photoblocker spray | west virginia | innocent drivers | cameras

(QT Auto News) In sunny Southern California, we rarely experience heavy fog that warrants changing driving habits. But in other parts of the country, fog is common and can cause dangerous driving conditions.

Fog can limit visibility to as little as 20 feet. When this occurs, you should pull completely off the road until conditions improve. Turn on your emergency indicators to signal other traffic of your condition.

The roads are slick during foggy conditions so you should slow down to a safe speed. Use your speedometer to check your speed since without visual indicators, you may actually be traveling faster than you think you are.

When caught in the fog, use low-beam headlights or fog lights. This prevents reflection of light off of the moisture particles in the air. At all costs, you want to slow down until conditions improve.

tagTRAX: reflection of light | sunny southern california | visual indicators

(NC)-The success of your road trip depends as much on your tires as your family’s enthusiasm. After all, they’re the only things between your precious cargo and the open road. Follow these important tire tips to keep your family safe and to enjoy road trip fun all summer long:

Check-up: “You take your kids to the doctor for regular check-ups, so why not your tires- and the rest of your vehicle?” says Celine Messiha, Marketing Manager at Uniroyal. “Before my family sets off for a road trip. I make sure to do a service check with my local dealer. It’s always best to be prepared.”

Especially before a road trip, do a complete tire check at your local Uniroyal dealer including tire pressure and tread wear on your spare. Make sure that fluids are filled up and that wipers and headlights are in good shape. Then go ahead, kick the tires and hit the road.

Peer Pressure: Be sure to regularly check air pressure in the early morning when tires are cold and haven’t been driven for at least one hour. For proper air pressure for your particular tires, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations printed in the car manual or on the placard posted inside the driver’s doorjamb or glove compartment. You’ll enjoy better fuel economy, a smoother ride and longer life for your tires.

SOS: Bring along a road trip emergency kit just in case-a blanket that can also double as a picnic blanket, flashlight, batteries, reflective warning signs, extra windshield-wiper fluid, booster cables, tire jack, a nylon tow rope, gloves and wet wipes. Carry emergency numbers, i.e., for road assistance, insurance or your family doctor.

Safety First! Worst case scenario of a flat tire? Get to the side of the road as far from traffic as possible. Find a level stretch of ground to jack up your car. Turn off the engine, turn on the hazard flashers, and place three reflective warning signs or flares behind your car-the first, 10 feet out from the back fender (even in the traffic lane if necessary); the second, 200 feet back from the centre of the trunk; and the third, 300 feet behind your vehicle at the curb to lead traffic out and away from your car. Make sure to get the kids away from the car to a place where they can wait it out at a safe distance.

For more information visit www.uniroyal.ca.

- News Canada