Allen County Driver Safety

Most people spend a lot of time in their vehicle. It is said that the average American spends approximately 17,600 minutes in their vehicle each year. That is the equivalent of seven, 40-hour work weeks spent in a vehicle. Some people drive, even more, especially those who love to travel or travel as a part of their job. For this reason, most of us have a place in our car that we keep items we feel we may one day need. Others only keep them in the car if planning a long road trip. Whichever type of person you are, perhaps you should consider these DIY tricks for a road trip.

Emergency Necessities for the Car

Your necessities will depend a lot on your specific needs. If you have children, you may keep small games, toys, or coloring items available for those road trips. It can keep the kids quiet so that you can focus on driving.

If you simply want practical things for your car, you may want to have a flashlight, a screwdriver or a multi-tool, and other things. These items can be useful if your car breaks down. You may also pack a first aid kit for times when you need headache relief, Band-Aids, scissors, or tweezers. People who live where it snows often may keep hand warmers, scrapers, and other things close by.

In short, your vehicle can become your home away from home. But what about other types of emergency situations? Are you covered for them?

The Unexpected Things We Need

What if you are taking a car ride and you are miles away from the nearest exit or town. You or your child feel that sudden urge to answer nature’s call? What if your child is trying to hold it and cant? A sad fact of life is that anything can happen at any moment. Toilet paper could be needed and maybe backup clothes could be required. Stuff happens.

You may want to keep a spare razor in your car in case you realize suddenly that you missed a spot while shaving. Deodorant for those times when you sweat a little too much. A toothbrush or some Listerine for times when you are unable to get home the night before. It could all be useful and many things have dual purposes.

For instance, dryer sheets can be kept in your vehicle as a way to keep your trunk fresh. They can also be used to remove static cling from your favorite skirt or shirt. Listerine for mosquitoes is a potential solution when you have no bug repellent, but it can also freshen your breath after you have pulled an all-nighter. Dental floss can be used as thread, replace shoelaces, or even make a fishing pole using it and a sturdy stick.

What Will You Fill Your Car With?

With all the hours that we spend in our vehicles, it makes sense to have things we may need with us in that space as well. It is stuff that survivalists know and understand. No one needs to be caught off guard. What type of items do you enjoy packing for a long road trip? Or what do you simply keep in your car year-round? We all have a list and our own ideas of what is most important.

Think about the days when you walk toward your vehicle. Are you going somewhere? Is it important that you arrive as quickly as possible? We all go to our vehicle when we want to go somewhere. Then we have the expectation of arriving at our destination in a set amount of time. It may be a trip to the store, your job, or to visit friends and family. We should have that expectation. It is part of why we own a car to drive. However, since things can often go wrong, you may want to consider doing mechanical checks before you drive.

Why Perform Mechanical Checks?

Anyone who has ever broken down on the side of the road can tell you that there is nothing more frustrating. A mechanical failure that leaves you sitting on the roadside or one that makes you late for an important meeting, is never enjoyable. Yet, it can happen to anyone at any time. Belts can break, batteries can die, and other mechanical things can go wrong.
Then, you also have to worry about getting pulled over for something as simple as a missing tag light. Although it is a simple infraction and you will likely drive off with only a warning to get it fixed, who has the time to deal with it? Wouldn’t you be better off to do a “walk around” to make sure that everything is safe and operational so that you can avoid delays?

Areas of Your Car to Check Daily

Driving-related issues are a common problem. This is one of the reasons driving is considered dangerous. It is backed by an unfortunate 1.24 million deaths globally, per year. Not only must you worry about poor drivers and lousy road conditions; you must also worry about your own vehicle if you want to arrive safely at any destination. Therefore, it is recommended that you take a moment to check over your vehicle daily.
Some of the common things you should look at on your vehicle include:

*Lights: All should be in working order.
*Windshield Wipers: Even if you are not expecting rain, you do not need streaks hiding what may be in front of you during sudden showers.
*Seat Belts: By law, you should wear your seatbelt, but it still doesn’t hurt to check it. Make sure when you snatch it, it locks.
*Horn: A horn is a good way for you to communicate with other drivers or chase away stray dogs that may be in the road.
*Tires: Your vehicle’s tires should never appear worn, lumpy, or bare. If you can see threads, you need to replace them before you can drive safely. You should also check the air pressure in them.
*Battery: Most batteries do not have issues, but you still need to check it often. Look for corrosion and check to see what type of charge is on it. A low charge could indicate alternator problems or weak cells. You can easily try a marine battery tester to get a glimpse into your batteries health.

As an added bonus, simply walking around your vehicle can tell you one of the most important things about your vehicle. It can tell you if a child’s toy, bike, wagon, or even the child is behind your vehicle before you start backing out of the driveway.

Longer Trips Require More Effort

If you are going on a long road trip, you may also want to check your brakes, steering wheel mechanism, and other things to ensure that every aspect of your vehicle is safe and dependable. Doing this will not prevent all problems, but it can help.

Every day, we get into our vehicle and run errands or go to work. We take our kids to school. We live our lives and rarely spend time thinking about the “what ifs” of driving our car. However, chances are good, we all know at least one person who has been in a car accident or maybe even lost their lives due to someone not being responsible behind the wheel. We have all seen crosses on the side of the road for lost loved ones. What you may not realize is that there are also organizations that have been set up simply as a memorial for lost drivers.

Scary Statistics

In the United States, just under 40,000 people lost their lives due to driving-related accidents in 2016. The most dangerous roadways in the U.S. include California, Texas, and Florida. This makes it one of the leading causes of death. It kills more people each year than cancer or all other health-related deaths.
One of the most popular organizations devoted to keeping roadways safer is MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving). This organization got its start in September 1980 by Candace Lightner. Her daughter, a happy 13-year-old, was killed by a drunk driver.
In the UK residents who want to remember a loved one may turn to “RoadPeace” which is a national charity for accident victims and their families. It was founded by Brigitte Chaudhry, after the death of her son in 1990.
Yet another is the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. It is held the third week in November when everyone takes a moment to think about the many lives lost to vehicle accidents.

Think Before You Drive

In a world where driving is one of the most frequent things we do and one of the most deadly chances we take; we have to prepare for the possibility. It could happen in mere seconds. No one sets out in the morning expecting to have an accident. No one wants to have their life come to a sudden end.
There are things you can do to ensure your safety. Not all of them require you to go to church every Sunday and pray for safety. It is not a case like the Hebrews say, “do not forsake the assembling of yourselves”. You simply have to practice good driving habits.
For instance, you should avoid distracted driving. Keep your phone put away until you are no longer driving and avoid distracting the driver if you are a passenger. Avoid driving while under the influence of anything and encourage others to do the same.

What More Can You Do?

Every vehicle owner, driver, and passenger puts their life at risk when they get into a vehicle. Buses, trains, planes, cars, and all other types of transportation can be dangerous in the right circumstances. If you avoid taking risks, drive safely, and learn how to stay more alert on the roadways; you will stay safer. If you have already lost a loved one, or simply want to help others stay safe, you can donate to one of the many charities that help to make our roads safer. Its never too late to start thinking about the risks that we face daily. And it could even save your life to learn all that you can.

When we talk about driving, we all think about our personal vehicles or where we are hoping to travel to next. We may wish that we could drive in a car that is newer than what we have, or that we had more money to drive a further distance from home. Very few people think, “I hate my car and I never want to go anywhere.” However, one thing we should never forget when we get behind the wheel is that driving is a privilege. Not everyone can experience the freedom that it provides us with.

Driving Is a Privilege

When we get into our personal vehicle, we have the freedom to go. It may be a trip to work, an adventure to run errands, or a vacation to see family. We can get in the car and drive a couple of blocks or from one side of the country to another. Some of us may even make silly mistakes while driving and others take unnecessary risks with their freedom to do so. For a moment, before we get behind the wheel again, we need to be grateful for our ability to do so.

Be Thankful for Your Freedom

Think about the people who may have physical limitations that prevent them from being able to drive. Some people may have sight impairments, mental illnesses, or unique handicaps that prevent them from experiencing what it is like to drive. Some are born this way, so they never have the opportunity. Others may get to experience it for a while before losing their ability to drive. There are many troops who return home that cannot drive due to injuries that they sustained while overseas. They are still alive, so they may not earn the “All Gave Some Some Gave All Patch” but that does not mean that they didn’t give up a lot. They were fighting for our country to provide us with freedom and lost their freedom to enjoy one of life’s simplest pleasures.

Think Before You Drive

It is important that we teach our teens about driving safely and being happy that they have that option. Adults should also understand that driving is something that gives them the ability to do what they want and when. People who do not have a vehicle or cannot drive, have to wait for others to help them. They may call a ridesharing company, a taxi, or use public transportation. A simple thirty-minute commute to work to visit family may take them an hour or more. A trip to the grocery store requires them to wait for a ride or only get some of what they need. They may not be able to just go when they want to. Would you want to give up the simplest luxury and freedom that you have? Think about that when you climb into the driver’s seat and consider texting or drinking when you drive.

Seven teens a day are killed in car crashes. Make sure your young driver is aware of the leading causes of teen crashes, and put rules in place to help your teen stay safe.

1. Driver Inexperience
   Most crashes happen during the first year a teen has a license. Provide at least 30 to 50 hours of supervised driving practice over at least six months. Make sure to practice on a variety of roads, at different times of day, and in varied weather and traffic conditions. This will help your teen gain the skills he or she needs to be safe.
2. Driving with Teen Passengers 
   Crash risk goes up when teens drive with other teens in the car. Follow your state’s teen driving law for passenger restrictions. If your state doesn’t have such a rule, limit the number of teen passengers your teen can have to zero or one. Keep this rule for at least the first six months.
3. Nighttime Driving
   For all ages, fatal crashes are more likely to occur at night; but the risk is higher for teens. Make sure your teen is off the road by 9 or 10 p.m. for at least the first six months of licensed driving.
4. Not Using Seat Belts
   The simplest way to prevent car crash deaths is to buckle up. Require your teen to wear a seat belt on every trip. This simple step can reduce your teen’s risk of dying or being badly injured in a crash by about half.
5. Distracted Driving
   Distractions increase your teen’s risk of being in a crash.
   Don’t allow activities that may take your teen’s attention away from driving, such as talking on a cell phone, texting, eating, or playing with the radio.
6. Drowsy Driving
   Young drivers are at high risk for drowsy driving, which causes thousands of crashes every year. Teens are most tired and at risk when driving in the early morning or late at night. Be sure your teen is well rested before he or she gets behind the wheel.
7. Reckless Driving 
   Research shows that teens lack the experience, judgment, and maturity to assess risky situations. Help your teen avoid the following unsafe behaviors. Speeding: Make sure your teen knows to follow the speed limit and adjust speed to road conditions. Tailgating: Remind your teen to maintain enough space behind the vehicle ahead to avoid a crash in case of a sudden stop.
8. Impaired Driving
   Even one drink will impair your teen’s driving ability and increase their risk of a crash. Be a good role model: never drink and drive, and reinforce this message with your teen.