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10 Car Safety Tips You May Not Know
Hollywood, FL
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Debra Holtzman
Debra Holtzman, an internationally acclaimed safety and health expert, and best-selling author of The Safe Baby: A Do-it yourself Guide to Home Safety (Sentient Publications) offers ten tips for a safer driving experience:
1. If you take any medications (including over the counter) check with your physician and read the product label and packaging about its potential effects on your driving ability. Also, don't drive drowsy. Like drugs or alcohol, sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs your judgment and increases your risk of a crash.
2. Every child should be properly secured in an appropriate restraint system for their size and age, and all children 12 and under should sit in the back. Since the most common type of crash is frontal, the rear seat is generally the safest place for children to ride, regardless of air bags. Researchers estimate that just by putting a child in the back seat instead of the front seat reduces the chance of injury and death by more than 30%.
The correct use of a child restraint on every trip can prevent 70 percent of crash-related deaths and serious injuries to child passengers.
3. Pets need the same kind of protection in a car that children do. They are as susceptible to air bag injury as children, and if unrestrained, they are as likely to be injured in a crash as a person not wearing a seatbelt. Put a cat and dog in a crate that is securely tied down in the back seat. Larger dogs can be restrained by special doggie seatbelts.
4. Driver inattention is a major contributor to highway crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations estimates that at least 25% of police-reported crashes involve some form of driver inattention. Don't talk on the cell phone (even hands-free) while driving. Pull off the road and stop in a safe place before using your cell.
In fact, according to a new study from the University of Utah, motorists who talk on cell phones drive slower on the freeway, pass sluggish vehicles less often and take longer to complete their trips.
5. Keep your car doors locked at all times. Intruders might enter when you slow down or stop your car. Locked doors are also less likely to spring open in a crash. Also, use child safety locks, if available, because child passengers can open the door and fall out. When you leave the car, always lock up, even when you have parked in your own driveway. Children can wander in and get trapped inside. An intruder might enter and wait for you to return.
6. Look behind your car before backing up. A small child may be playing behind your car, and you may not be able to see him in your rearview window.
7. Don't let your children and pets ride like cargo. The cargo area of a station wagon or van is dangerous and the back of pickup truck is more so. In addition to the obvious hazard of being thrown from the truck--even a child or pet under a truck canopy can be thrown out--there is the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning from exhaust fumes.
8. NEVER leave your children or pets alone in a car, even for a minute. In the winter, a car can act as a refrigerator, holding in the cold. In the warmer months, the temperature in the interior of a car rises quickly, going to extreme levels that can kill. There is also the possibility that someone may enter the car and harm them. Be sure all children leave the vehicle when you reach your destination. Don't overlook sleeping infants!
9. Store essential items in your car: flashlight, first aid kit, nonperishable snacks and bottled water, warm blankets, a snow brush with an ice scraper, bottle of motor oil, a basic tool kit, jack, tire inflator, spare tire, flares, jumper cables, driver's manual and a fully charged cellular phone. Holtzman also recommends to register with a 24-hour automobile emergency service and to keep the card handy in wallet.
10. Prepare an ID Card for every family member. This should include the name, date of birth, blood type, date of last Tetanus shot, a list of allergies, and chronic and past illnesses. This should also include Health Insurance Information. Laminate in plastic to prevent tears or water damage. Keep ID cards in wallet directly behind your driver's license. Also, keep a list of emergency contact numbers.
Lastly, when planning a travel route, it's a good idea to double-check your driving directions from different sources and keep up-to-date on weather conditions, road construction, work zones and detours. And just in case, always let someone know your exact route and anticipated arrival time.
Debra Holtzman has a master's degree in Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) and is an attorney. She been featured on NBC's Today Show, MSNBC and Discovery Health Channel and was chosen a Reader's Digest Everyday Hero. "The Safe Baby: A Do-it-Yourself Guide to Home Safety" (Sentient Publications) offers parents economical, easy-to-implement solutions to provide a safe, healthy, and green living lifestyle for children, dogs and cats.
Interviews may be arranged via: E-mail: safebook@aol.com http://thesafetyexpert.com
1. If you take any medications (including over the counter) check with your physician and read the product label and packaging about its potential effects on your driving ability. Also, don't drive drowsy. Like drugs or alcohol, sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs your judgment and increases your risk of a crash.
2. Every child should be properly secured in an appropriate restraint system for their size and age, and all children 12 and under should sit in the back. Since the most common type of crash is frontal, the rear seat is generally the safest place for children to ride, regardless of air bags. Researchers estimate that just by putting a child in the back seat instead of the front seat reduces the chance of injury and death by more than 30%.
The correct use of a child restraint on every trip can prevent 70 percent of crash-related deaths and serious injuries to child passengers.
3. Pets need the same kind of protection in a car that children do. They are as susceptible to air bag injury as children, and if unrestrained, they are as likely to be injured in a crash as a person not wearing a seatbelt. Put a cat and dog in a crate that is securely tied down in the back seat. Larger dogs can be restrained by special doggie seatbelts.
4. Driver inattention is a major contributor to highway crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations estimates that at least 25% of police-reported crashes involve some form of driver inattention. Don't talk on the cell phone (even hands-free) while driving. Pull off the road and stop in a safe place before using your cell.
In fact, according to a new study from the University of Utah, motorists who talk on cell phones drive slower on the freeway, pass sluggish vehicles less often and take longer to complete their trips.
5. Keep your car doors locked at all times. Intruders might enter when you slow down or stop your car. Locked doors are also less likely to spring open in a crash. Also, use child safety locks, if available, because child passengers can open the door and fall out. When you leave the car, always lock up, even when you have parked in your own driveway. Children can wander in and get trapped inside. An intruder might enter and wait for you to return.
6. Look behind your car before backing up. A small child may be playing behind your car, and you may not be able to see him in your rearview window.
7. Don't let your children and pets ride like cargo. The cargo area of a station wagon or van is dangerous and the back of pickup truck is more so. In addition to the obvious hazard of being thrown from the truck--even a child or pet under a truck canopy can be thrown out--there is the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning from exhaust fumes.
8. NEVER leave your children or pets alone in a car, even for a minute. In the winter, a car can act as a refrigerator, holding in the cold. In the warmer months, the temperature in the interior of a car rises quickly, going to extreme levels that can kill. There is also the possibility that someone may enter the car and harm them. Be sure all children leave the vehicle when you reach your destination. Don't overlook sleeping infants!
9. Store essential items in your car: flashlight, first aid kit, nonperishable snacks and bottled water, warm blankets, a snow brush with an ice scraper, bottle of motor oil, a basic tool kit, jack, tire inflator, spare tire, flares, jumper cables, driver's manual and a fully charged cellular phone. Holtzman also recommends to register with a 24-hour automobile emergency service and to keep the card handy in wallet.
10. Prepare an ID Card for every family member. This should include the name, date of birth, blood type, date of last Tetanus shot, a list of allergies, and chronic and past illnesses. This should also include Health Insurance Information. Laminate in plastic to prevent tears or water damage. Keep ID cards in wallet directly behind your driver's license. Also, keep a list of emergency contact numbers.
Lastly, when planning a travel route, it's a good idea to double-check your driving directions from different sources and keep up-to-date on weather conditions, road construction, work zones and detours. And just in case, always let someone know your exact route and anticipated arrival time.
Debra Holtzman has a master's degree in Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) and is an attorney. She been featured on NBC's Today Show, MSNBC and Discovery Health Channel and was chosen a Reader's Digest Everyday Hero. "The Safe Baby: A Do-it-Yourself Guide to Home Safety" (Sentient Publications) offers parents economical, easy-to-implement solutions to provide a safe, healthy, and green living lifestyle for children, dogs and cats.
Interviews may be arranged via: E-mail: safebook@aol.com http://thesafetyexpert.com
