Car Insurance

Accidents caused due to drunken driving are one of the major-concern issues haunting the US in the past few decades. Drunken driving causes more than 16,000 automobile casualties every year, leading to more than a million deaths. Not to mention the millions of drivers that are arrested for drunken driving each passing year.

Several people who party into the wee hours of the night drive with the drink still inside them. Youth that attend rave parties are susceptible to a more serious problem, as they often mix drugs with their drink. All these activities are deemed not only dangerous but also illegal by law. Drunk driving endangers the lives of the drivers and their passengers as well as other people on the road.

Strict methods are employed by traffic authorities to restrict and impound drunk driving. Measures such as breathalyzers are adopted by traffic police to detect whether a driver is drunk or not. A breathalyzer can ascertain the amount of alcohol in the breath of a driver. Another factor to determine the presence of alcohol in the body of a driver is the blood alcohol concentration (BAC). A BAC level of more than 0.15 is considered unsafe for driving. There are other crude means adopted in certain jurisdictions such as making the suspected driver to walk in straight line or making them read out a passage.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is responsible for creating guidelines for safe driving. They have implemented rules under the National Minimum Drinking Age laws to wean drunken drivers off the road. According to their estimates, these laws have met with great success and have been able to prevent more than 20,000 drunken driving deaths in the past year.

Various organizations are dedicated to cause awareness about the problem of drunken driving. Particularly, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) has met with a lot of popularity in this field. Media such as the television and newspapers are used extensively to educate people of the dangers of drunk driving. There are clips showing gruesome drunken driving deaths interspersed with movies and TV serials and true life accounts of victims.

The country has met with success in its fight against drunken driving. The number of fatalities is dwindling off with each passing year. There is a 33% decrease in the number of deaths this year from the past year. However, there is still a lot of work to be done and several organizations are working together to drive the bane of drunken driving into extinction.

Drinking alcohol and driving a car is a deadly combination.

The danger is clear:

• In the United States, someone is killed in an alcohol-related motor vehicle crash every 30 minutes.
• Four out of every ten fatal car accidents involve alcohol, according to the National Highway Traffic Administration.
• Nearly 17,000 Americans died in alcohol-related automobile crashes in 2004.

The Dangerous Effects of Alcohol on Automobile DriversThe fact is that anyone who has been drinking should not get behind the wheel of a car. Driving a car requires concentration, coordination, ability to judge distance and speed, common sense, and a concern for the safety of everyone on the road. Alcohol can impair these basic skills that are necessary to operate an automobile safely.

Every type of alcohol affects a persons ability to drive a car. The same amount of alcohol - and the same potential for impairment or intoxication - results from any of these drinks:

• 12 ounce can of beer
• 5 ounce glass of wine
• 1.5 ounce shot of whiskey.

Some people mistakenly believe that coffee, a cold shower, exercise, or fresh air can sober them up. This is not true. The only thing that sobers you up is time.The Risks of Driving a Car While Using Drugs

Drugs and medications can be as dangerous as alcohol when mixed with driving. Illegal drugs are particularly risky, because users cannot be sure of the contents, purity, or possible effects of these substances. Prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines can also hurt your ability to drive safely. Some cold remedies, allergy medicines, tranquilizers, and pain relievers may cause drowsiness. Diet pills and “stay awake” drugs may cause excitability or drowsiness.

Individuals have different reactions to the same drug, depending on physical condition. Combinations of drugs, or drugs with alcohol, can have unexpected effects.

Protect Yourself and Others from Drunk Driving Accidents

Never drink and drive an automobile.

If you plan on drinking, select a designated driver ahead of time who is not going to drink. Otherwise, ask someone for a ride, call a taxi, take a bus, or seek other assistance. In short, do whatever you need to do to avoid getting behind the wheel of a car if your driving may be impaired by alcohol or drugs.

Be a good friend, if someone you know has been drinking or using drugs. Do not let him or her try to operate an automobile. If necessary, take away the person’s car keys. Help your friend find a safe ride home or a place to sleep.

Never ride with anyone who has been drinking or using drugs. Be sure a driver is completely sober before you get into the car.

Recognizing Drunk Drivers on the Highway

At times, it is possible to recognize drivers who may have been drinking or using drugs. Stay alert, and watch for signs of a drunk driver. They may:

• Weave within the traffic lane.
• Wander from one lane to another.
• Run off the pavement.
• Stop too quickly or slowly.
• Drive too quickly or slowly.
• Go through stop signs or other signals.
• Drive on the wrong side of the road.

These signs do not always mean that the driver of the car is intoxicated, but they do require your full attention. When you are on the road near a potential drunk driver, put as much distance as possible between your car and that person’s vehicle. If you are behind the vehicle, think twice about trying to pass. If you are ahead of that car, leave space for the drunk driver to pass you. Stay alert, because you may encounter the same car further down the road.If possible, report the dangerous situation to the police. Call 911 and give the emergency operator a description and license plate number of the drunk driver’s car, and the location of the vehicle.

You can turn your vehicle into a rolling advertisement. Costs start at just a few dollars, and you can put your business name, slogan, phone number and web site URL in front of thousands of potential customers while you are driving along the freeway, stuck in traffic or even while you are parked. Here are some of the best ways to use your vehicle as a marketing tool.

Bumper stickers are so inexpensive that you may want to print enough for employees, friends, family members, customers and others. Publisher Susan Sabo of Small Dogs Press made bumper stickers saying, “I do bad things for love,” along with the Small Dogs web site URL. The line is from one of their books, and everyone who sees the bumper sticker wants one. Sabo sells them at her web site, and gives them away at book fairs. Of course, she has one on her car, and says she has given them to all of her friends, too.

License plate frames are a favorite of car dealers and auto repair shops, but they can work for any business. You can have them custom made with your business name or slogan, along with a phone number or URL.

Magnetic signs are an easy and low-cost way to put a lot of information on your car. Put them on both sides of the car, and make sure the lettering is large enough to read, even from a distance and when the vehicle is in motion. Personal chef Sue Gaughenbaugh added an effective twist to this idea. She bought a supply of magnetic business cards and placed them around the sign on her truck. When customers see her truck in a parking lot, they can pick up a card to take with them. Gaughenbaugh started getting calls from new customers within days of putting the take-away magnetic cards on her truck.

Vinyl decals and window stickers are a highly visible way to promote your web site. Put the URL in large letters across the width of your rear windshield. After all, you never know who might be behind you in traffic. This is most effective if you have a catchy and descriptive domain name. Custom stickers are available at prices starting under $20.

You can order many of these items from local printers and sign shops. Or, do an online search for companies that can create bumper stickers, magnetic signs, decals and other promotional items.

And when you are ready to go all-out, consider a vehicle wrap. These vinyl decals look like a custom paint job and cover your entire vehicle with bright, high-quality graphics. This is not a do-it-yourself project, but you can hire companies such as www.coloredink.com to design and install the graphics. At an estimated cost of $3,500, this option is much more expensive than the others described here, but it will certainly make an impression on the other drivers you encounter.

When your car is a traveling billboard, the time you spend in traffic will become more productive.

Most of us can remember back when we could hardly wait to get our drivers license. That was and still is, a high light in our teens. I still like to drive today, and I enjoy going on road trips. A car air purifier could be a great help to you on a road trip. What if you were driving and all of a sudden something in the air causes your eyes to begin watering, and you begin sneezing. It’s hard to see the road because your eyes have actually begun swelling and now they are itching badly. You may even have to pull over to the side of the road. This article will enlighten you on the benefits of a car air purifier, and how it can help you see things clearly.

Most of us don’t consider our car to be an unsafe place. We are in the drivers seat, so nothing to worry about right. Wrong, with all the pollutants floating in the air, you could be on the verge of an allergy attack. A car air purifier can make your car a safe place to be, at least in the breathing department. Because your car is a small space, it is easier for pollutants to accumulate, and then float in the air for you to breathe, in. Things such as dust, and dust mites can build up in your car. Just look on your dashboard and you can see it. A car air purifier can filter any dust that is in the air, and then release good clean air back into the car for you to breathe. Things like pollen can also contribute to an allergy attack in your car, but your car air purifier will eliminate those things.

Besides the things already mentioned, sometimes a car will leak, or build up moisture. A car air purifier will also help any mold spore problems you might have. Breathing in those type of things, can not only bring on an allergy or asthma attack, it’s just plain not good for your lungs. There are other benefits from a car air purifier that can help you while driving. Fresh clean air can help to keep you awake. I’m sure many of us can think of a time or two in which we almost fell asleep, or all of a sudden you snapped out of a quick doze, and it scared the daylights out of you. Stuffy air can tend to make you a little sleepy, but with the use of a car air purifier, you can be more alert.

Many auto supply stores carry car air purifiers, and you can also find them in some of the variety department stores. Don’t be a victim of driving under an attack, check out a car air purifier and see where you are going.

While looking for a car that suits your priorities and needs perfectly, it is advisable to a take a test drive of the car that appeals to you. Getting behind the wheel is the best decisive factor that can provide a good insight on the details of the car, in terms of comfort, smooth operation and much more…Mentioned below are few tips that will help you to get the most out of your test drive.

• If you are planning to choose from a wide range of cars, try to test drive different cars back to back. Ensure that you keep only a small time span between two consecutive drives. This measure discards the problem that you face while recollecting how one car compares with the previous lot, when you drive them few weeks apart.

• The dealership and roads are generally quieter on weekdays. Hence, as far as possible, test drive the car in the middle of the week. Avoid test drives on weekends if you are on the lookout for cars from a dealership.

• When you settle on the car that meets your exact requirements, give that car a good prolonged test drive. Drive the car for at least half an hour.

• Make sure that you test the car on different roads. This will give you a good idea of how the car can handle different varieties of roads.

• If you suffer from backaches or related health issues, it is advisable to ensure that you can get in and out of the car with ease. Also, check the seats for comfort level.

• If you are planning to use the car as a family vehicle, make sure that everybody can sit in the car comfortably. Furthermore, it is also important to check the storage space that the car offers.