Cars never seem to break down on a convenient schedule. That flat tire late at night or that overheated engine on a deserted country road can be more than annoying; it can be dangerous. Vehicle emergencies aren't limited to mechanical problems. Sudden, violent storms can create havoc. The big winter storm in March 1993 found thousands of motorists stranded in the snow as highways in Georgia, and the Carolinas shut down. Since we can't schedule our emergencies at a more convenient time, every driver should be prepared by knowing how to deal with emergencies and should keep an emergency kit in their car at all times.

The best defense against a breakdown on the side of the road is to ensure your vehicle is well maintained and that oil and fluids are changed or topped off. Worn tires should be replaced. Check your tires by inserting a penny into the tread; if the top of Abe Lincoln's head can be seen your tread is too worn. Check your tire's pressure; correct tire pressure is printed on the tire’s side or in the owner's manual. Make sure that your spare tire is full and you have an operating jack and lug wrench. Keep the gas tank full and don't try to push it to the next exit when your gas is running low.

The first thing to remember when your vehicle is stuck or disabled is your personal safety. If possible, the vehicle should be removed as far off the side of the road as possible. A large number of crashes happen when drivers either don't see or don't realize that the car ahead is stopped or because they look at the disabled vehicle instead of watching the road ahead. Activate your emergency flashers, then, if you have flares or a reflective emergency triangle, place them 100 to 200 feet behind the vehicle to give other drivers warning of a problem up ahead. Raise the hood to indicate a need for help and tie a white cloth or "help" sign to the antennae.

Since so many crashes involve cars on the side of the road, it is best to leave the vehicle and stand as far off the roadway as possible while waiting for help. Trying to repair a vehicle or change a tire right next to the roadway can be extremely dangerous.

Vehicle Emergency Kits

As indicated above, the best and most important item in your emergency kit should be a cell phone with a fully charged battery. Make sure you keep a charger cord in your car and that your battery is full.

Your emergency kit's contents will depend on where you live and drive. At a minimum, a basic emergency kit should contain:

- Jumper cables (the longer and heavier duty, the better)

- Two 30 minute flares

- A reflective triangle

- A “Help” sign or white cloth to tie to the antennae

- A flashlight with extra batteries. (small LED flashlights are tiny, long lasting, and surprisingly bright)

- A small tool kit including screw drivers, pliers, needle-nose/wire cutters and a small knife

- Two quarts of oil, gallon of water and windshield washer fluid

Labels: emergency, safety, vehicle

As a parent, nothing is more disturbing than the thought of losing a child. Unfortunately, this happens to a significant number of parents each year when they get in a car and back over a child who couldn't be seen behind the vehicle.

Statistics on this issue are hard to come by, and it is believed that the reported incidents don't fully cover the extent of the problem. One source of information on this issue comes from Kids and Cars, a website devoted to education and awareness of this and other matters involving children and motor vehicles. This group estimates that two children a week are killed this way. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 2,767 children were victims of reverse/back over injuries between July 2000 and June 2001. This estimate comes from data obtained from computerized reports of hospital emergency rooms.

Many drivers don't realize just how large a blind spot exists behind their vehicle. According to Consumer Reports, a sedan has a blind spot of up to 11 feet behind the car, a minivan has a blind spot of up to 18 feet, and a large pickup truck results in the driver’s view being obscured for up to 28 feet to the rear. It is difficult to see a child in such large blind spots.

Technology offers some solutions. Backup sensors can warn a driver of an object behind the car. Backup cameras are offered as options on many new vehicles, and wireless cameras can be purchased at a relatively low price. Video displays can be mounted on the dash or visor. They offer a wide angled view of the area behind the vehicle, and provide night vision capability. Kids and Cars is pushing for federal legislation that will require auto makers to install these technologies on all new cars.

Although technology can make a difference, it can't relieve the driver of the responsibility to back-up safely. The following tips may help:

1) Check behind the vehicle for any obstructions before getting in and starting up.
2) Don't depend on your mirrors to provide a full view to the rear of your vehicle.
3) Look over your shoulder to check your blind spots.
4) Back up very slowly.
5) Be prepared to stop at the slightest bump.
6) Teach your child to walk around vehicles where they can see the driver and the driver can see them.

Labels: blind spot, child safety, vehicle

Buyers in the market for a new or used car usually have several factors in mind that will determine the type of car they want. Normally price is the main factor followed by body type, available options, mileage ratings and vehicle safety performance. With a little bit of research you can check out safety ratings and available options that add to the vehicle’s safety performance to help you make the smartest decision.

Every year the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) makes headlines with their annual list of best and worst vehicles based on crash tests conducted on new model vehicles of all sizes and body types. The IIHS conducts crash tests to determine a vehicle’s safety rating based on different types of crashes. According to the IIHS front and side impact crashes produce the most fatal injuries while rear end crashes, though not normally fatal, are responsible for most neck and spine injuries requiring long term care. Safety ratings are based on the ability of the passenger compartment to maintain structural integrity, thus preventing major harm to the vehicle occupants (represented by crash test dummies). Another thing they look at is how well the passenger seats and head restraints perform to prevent spinal injuries in rear end collisions. Each vehicle and seat tested is rated on a scale of: Good, Acceptable, Marginal and Poor. The good news is that, overall, vehicle safety is improving year by year.

The IIHS also looks at optional safety equipment such as side curtain air bags and electronic stability control (ESC). ESC is a computerized control system that helps to maintain vehicle stability and prevents vehicle rollovers due to loss of control at high speeds. ESC will be required standard equipment on all new vehicles beginning in 2012. If these items were standard equipment in a vehicle, their performance was tested. If the equipment was not standard, then the tests were conducted without them. The vehicles with these items listed as standard equipment rated much better than vehicles without.

The IIHS has also evaluated new crash avoidance technology that is not normally standard equipment but is available on some makes and models. The new crash avoidance technology includes such items as:

• Forward collision warning with automatic braking – This technology normally uses radar to detect if a vehicle is approaching too closely to a vehicle or object ahead. Depending on the system, it may sound a warning, tighten up the seat belts and apply the brakes. According to the IIHS, this type of crash accounts for up to 40% of the 6 million crashes reported each year.
• Emergency brake assistance – This technology takes anti-lock braking to a new level. It senses “panic braking” by a driver and readies the brake for activation and applies extra pressure. The IIHS said that more than 400,000 of these types of crashes happened every year between 2002 and 2006 resulting in more than 3,000 deaths.
• Lane departure warning – This system can detect an unintentional lane departure (if the turn signal is not activated) and either vibrates the steering wheel, activates an alarm and in some cases applies the brakes to keep the vehicle within the lane. Lane departure collisions between 2002 and 2006 numbered almost 500,000 per year with more than 10,000 deaths.
• Adaptive headlights – These headlights pivot in the direction that a driver is turning allowing them to see objects around a bend sooner.
• Blind spot detectors – Mounted on the rear view mirrors, this device signals a driver either by a light, audible tone, or both that another vehicle is in the driver’s blind spot. It is normally activated when the driver activates a turn signal.

The IIHS feels that the first three items on this list could contribute tremendously to crash avoidance but they feel the last two items may not be very effective. In the case of the adaptive headlights, research has shown that drivers on dark curving roads feel they can go faster when the road is equipped with reflectors or other road markers. The adaptive headlights may provide a false sense of security prompting some drivers to drive even faster. The blind spot detectors are mounted on the rear view mirrors and it is felt that many drivers may ignore them or, in heavy traffic, shut out the constant warnings of vehicles in the blind spot. To view the IIHS report on crash avoidance systems and the auto manufacturers that sell the systems as optional equipment, go to: http://www.iihs.org/externaldata/srdata/docs/sr4303.pdf

If you are considering the purchase of a new or used vehicle, you can visit the IIHS Vehicle Ratings website, type in your make and model and look at vehicle safety ratings going back as far as 1994 for some models.

Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for ages 3 – 33 and young drivers from age 15 – 20 are especially vulnerable. When choosing a car for a teen driver, vehicle safety should be the main determining factor. If you are torn between the choices of two vehicles, choosing on the side of safety could be the wisest decision you ever made.

Labels: air bags, crash avoidance, safe, vehicle