The tiny island of Samoa had to switch sides of the road on Monday as their government decided to switch to driving on the right side of the road to driving on the left. Although the government says that there have been no accidents as a result of the switch, there have been complaints from pedestrians who wait at bus stops that are now in the middle of the road.
Samoa is the first nation since the 1970s to switch sides. They say that the switch was needed since many of their cars were being imported from the USA. I guess the real questions is then- how does a country determine which side of the road to drive on?
Continue reading for the answer.
When it comes to car failures, we always think of the deadly pinto, in this video, WatchMojo looks at some of the other flops as well. Buckle up!
Whether you’re dealing with the road rage of other drivers of the flooding of mother nature the best emergency plan is preparation.
Continue reading for a driver’s survival guide for every situation you could encounter on the road.
From Sympatico.MSN
“Micro cars can give motorists top-notch fuel efficiency at a competitive price, but the insurance industry says they don’t fare too well in collisions with larger vehicles.
In crash tests released Tuesday, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that drivers of 2009 versions of the Smart “fortwo,” Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris could face significant leg and head injuries in severe front-end crashes with larger, mid-size vehicles.
“There are good reasons people buy mini cars. They’re more affordable, and they use less gas. But the safety trade-offs are clear from our new tests,” said Adrian Lund, the institute’s president. Automakers who manufacture the small cars said the tests simulated a high-speed crash that rarely happens on the road.
They also said the tests rehashed past insurance industry arguments against tougher fuel efficiency requirements. The institute has raised questions about whether stricter gas mileage rules, which are being developed by the government, might lead to smaller, lighter vehicles that could be less safe.”
Things are always stressful after a car accident, but here are some tips that can really help you out if, heaven forbid, you get into a fender bender.
According to Sympatico.MSN
-Always report a car accident to the police if someone is injured, or if the damage is over the provincial limit (e.g. In Ontario the limit is $1,000).
- Take reasonable steps to protect your vehicle from another loss. Move it out of the flow of traffic.
- Try to take notes at the scene that include details of the accident, identification of the vehicles and people involved and the names and badges of emergency personnel. If possible, take pictures.
- Get a driver information-exchange form from the police officer. This is a quick checklist that covers all the information you should be collecting from the other party.
- Collect names, addresses and phone numbers of witnesses to the accident. You might need to get their statements later.
- Don’t accept money, don’t accept fault and don’t agree to forget about the accident.
- Contact your insurer as soon as possible after the accident, and make sure that you file a complete claim. You might have difficulty processing a claim if you’re late contacting your insurer, or if you’re found withholding details. Make sure that your insurance company agrees to pay for all repairs before you have the work completed.
- Check all repairs at the auto shop and also when you’ve returned home to make sure that you’re satisfied with the work.
- Get an official receipt from the repair shop that details all the work they completed. Make sure that name and address of the shop are clearly identified. You might need to submit this with your insurance claim. Find out how your insurer handles supplemental repairs just in case the repair shop finds more damage to your car that wasn’t on the original estimate.
- Ask us if they have a list of preferred repair shops in your area. Sometimes we have systems already set up with these shops that make processing the claim and getting your car repaired even faster.
Teens and parents count down the days until the driving test. For teens, a license is a new found freedom and for parents it’s one more reason to worry.
Here are 7 things you can do so that your teen will stay safe behind the wheel and to easy your mind.
1. Look in the rear-view mirror
2. Let a professional do the teaching
3. Review what’s being taught
4. Consider the type of car driven
5. Impose a household graduated licencing policy
6. Don’t rush your teen to get a full licence
7. Draw up a driving agreement
…but apparently Jack doesn’t know his “write” from wrong!
Seriously… Science said so:
from LiveScience.com -
Several studies have shown that distractions while driving, such as using cell phones or texting, can be dangerous. New research confirms these findings among teens.
The study of 21 teens in a driving simulator found that while texting or searching their MP3 music players they changed speed dramatically, wove in an out of their lanes, and, in some cases, ran over virtual pedestrians.
Similar studies have found that adults who talk on cell phones while driving in simulators perform as dismally as drunken study participants. Studies from the University of Utah show that hands-free devices do not make it safe to use cell phones while driving.
In January, the National Safety Council called on state and federal lawmakers to ban the use of cell phones and text-messaging devices while driving and also urged businesses to prohibit it.
The problem is acute among younger people.
Motor vehicle accidents are leading cause of death for people between 16 and 20, accounting for more than 5,000 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Teens are four times more likely than older drivers to be involved in a crash.
The new study included 21 subjects between 16 and 18 years of age with at least six months driving experience. Anyone diagnosed with an attention disorder or with history of unsafe driving was excluded, as were teens who reported use of alcohol or excessive amounts of caffeine. Each driver completed four separate 10-minute driving blocks: Undistracted, talking on a cell phone, text messaging and using an MP3 player. Each 10-minute block was separated into two separate driving scenarios, rural and urban.
The results for the teens sending text messages or fiddling with their MP3 players showed increased “lane position deviation” and speed changes, mostly slowing down.
“What this study demonstrates is that not only does your speed go up and down, you’re swinging wide left and right,” said Dr. Donald Lewis, of the Eastern Virginia Medical School and Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Va.. “You’re a hazardous driver, to yourself and everybody else.”
The findings were presented to the Pediatric Academic Societies May 2.
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