Strong and Sporty Vehicle

You must buckle up, it is the law. How many times have you been reminded that you must wear the seat belt? Still, a large segment of the drivers and passengers do not heed to the warning (or obey the law). There are no shortages of excuses: I do not like it, I drive only a short distance, I do not have time, it always slips my mind, I do not want people to control me, and so on. Unfortunately, statistics is on the side of the seat belt.

The seat belt can reduce injuries by around 50% and fatalities by up to 70%. If you are thrown out of the car, you are 25 times more likely to get killed than staying in the car. A large number of injuries are caused by being crushed by passengers not wearing the belt, and, get this, in the US about 80% of children are immunized yet only about 10% of them are properly restrained (some parents hold their babies in their arms or on their lap while sitting in the front seat)!

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Operating a car can be an intimidating task for the inexperienced driver. With car accident and casualty statistics floating about nowadays, it can be enough to discourage anyone from driving comfortably. However, with a few guidelines and a lot of practice, even the most naive and ignorant of drivers can find themselves driving with ease and confidence.

The first tip is to get comfortable. Adjust the seat as far forward or back as is necessary, and make sure that the side-view mirrors are angled so that only a little bit of the car is seen. Otherwise, you may not be able to spot adjacent vehicles. Make sure that the top of steering wheel is about level to your chin, and that the seat belt is comfortably in place.

Secondly, understand your car. Get to know how sensitive the brakes are, how powerful is the gas pedal, how easily does the wheel turn and how quickly does it consume gas. The more you know about your car and its capabilities, the more accurate your driving instincts will become. Even getting an understanding of how big your car is will help you understand what spaces it can or cannot fit into, whether you’re parking your car or changing lanes. Read the rest of this entry »