Month: August 2021

Defensive Driving and Keeping it Between the Lines

Modernity has given us planes, trains, and automobiles. Perhaps the most convenient mode of conveyance today is the automobile. 

Cars, trucks, vans, busses, and RVs—whatever characterizes your motorized transportation, there’s a lot to recommend driving. You can travel the country, stop when you need to, explore the sights, and put everything on your schedule.

But driving, straightforward as it is, definitely isn’t without its dangers. Every year, tens of thousands die on America’s highways. The number tends to fluctuate between 30k and 60k, depending on the year and how the numbers are collected.

True, many of those fatalities have to do with using controlled substances while driving. Don’t do that, and you’ll avoid most of the danger. However, there are also deer, there are poorly maintained roads to consider, sometimes motorists who are tired or in a hurry pose severe danger, and vehicular issues can cause a wreck as well.

If you’re going to be safe on the road, there are a few things you need to think about. Planning in advance, driving defensively, and retaining sobriety are some good tips. We’ll cover a few more here.

 

Tip 1: A Defensive Driving Approach

Most of us learned to drive many years ago, and we may think we know everything there is to know. The truth is, the world of driving is constantly changing, especially when it comes to in-car technology. Features like lane departure warnings and adaptive cruise control can help us on the road, but they can’t replace the driver.

Keep yourself safe behind the wheel by staying alert and driving defensively, and never relying solely on technology to help you. A good defensive driving strategy is to practice I.P.D.E. (Identify, Predict, Decide and Execute).

This means you are actively searching for any potential hazards that may cross your path— is that pedestrian whose attention is occupied by their cell phone about to step into the street in front of you? Is that car that’s parked along the curb about to pull out? Once you identify any potential hazards, you can predict what they might do and decide how to handle the potential hazard before it becomes a real hazard.

Then, execute your decision. You might slow down and cover your brake for instance, or give your car horn a friendly tap to alert the pedestrian or parked driver of your presence. Staying alert and being an active driver rather than passively relying on technology will keep you and your loved ones safer on the road. To learn more defensive driving tips, check out Safe2Drive’s blog or sign up for a course.

Tip 2: Follow The Rules Of The Road

In our hustle-bustle world, it seems like everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere. As a result, many of us play fast and loose with traffic laws, traffic lights, and stop signs. We roll through a stop sign, shift lanes without looking, or put our foot down a little too heavy on the gas pedal. When we do, we put ourselves and others at risk of serious injury.

Often, seemingly minor or trivial violations of traffic laws or signs can have devastating consequences, particularly when you’re traveling in a vehicle weighing more than 4,000 pounds.

To help ensure that everyone comes home alive, make sure you:

• Stay within the speed limit—The posted speeds are carefully determined, based on traffic density, presence of pedestrians, and other factors. By observing posted speed limits, you’ll give yourself ample time to respond to the unexpected.
  
• Avoid the rolling stop—Get in the habit of gradually coming to a complete stop at a stop sign or red light. That way, you won’t accidentally pull into traffic or get rear-ended if you have to slam on the brakes at the last second.
  
• Keep a reasonable distance behind the driver in front of you—Tailgating is a common cause of car accidents—give yourself space to safely come to a stop.

Tip 3: Keep Your Vehicle Well-Maintained

No vehicle will last forever. The most exhaustively engineered automobile is still subject to the long-term effects of damage from bad roads. Weather events can pose a threat. If you’re driving in South Dakota in the summer, a few pheasants may jump out of a ditch and hit the grill of your vehicle; you might find feathers and other things inside your engine.

Maintenance involves washing your car at intervals. Every couple of months you want to give the vehicle a good cleaning at the car wash. It’s best to do this at least once a month, and if you want to do it once a week, that’s not a bad idea either. However, at minimum, every couple of months you want to clean your car, inside and out.

Change the oil as recommended in terms of intervals or mileage. Assure tires are at safe levels of wear and tear, rotate them as recommended. Keep an eye on internal engine components. It’s wise to review your manual to see when suggested maintenance should be done. When you notice any small issue, get it fixed right away.

Tip 4: Know The Roads As Best You Can

Are you traveling on a long trip somewhere you’ve never been? Don’t just type the address into Google, review the route beforehand and take into consideration things like topography and weather. If you’re going over the rockies, there can be some treacherous mountain passes, and your vehicle may respond differently given the altitude.

If you’re in the sweltering deserts of the American southwest, there are extreme heat waves that can likewise impact vehicular functionality. You want to have bottles of water with you at all times, assure you have roadside assistance or a tow package included with your insurance, and a spare tire.

On the other hand, if you’re heading north during the winter months, make sure that your car is equipped with all the winter essentials, such as snow tires, an ice scraper, and a chain. It is also a good idea to have rock salt and a snow shovel in your car. For best deals on winter safety equipment, try this UK supplier.

For short trips, keep in mind where traffic is locally, where there are potholes, where there are dangerous intersections, where there’s road construction, and other points of data like that. This can help you anticipate difficulties in terms of safety and vehicular functionality.

Getting To Your Destination Safely

Know the roads as best you can, keep your vehicle properly maintained, follow the rules of the road, and take a defensive driving approach. True, you can’t anticipate everything. However, if you’re prepared, you’ll be able to avoid the majority of situations that might be dangerous. It’s just like that old saying: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

International travel with toddlers and babies is a great way to treasure your memories. Friends and family members may discourage you from travelling with your baby. However, you should definitely do it. While your baby will not recollect any of the sights and sounds or experiences, you will cherish each of the moments spent together. Travelling with a baby means being prepared for jet lag, blowouts, tantrums, travel sickness, and more. 

When travelling with a baby, you will have several things on your checklist. By the time you decide to travel, you should have added immigration solicitors in Liverpool to your list. When shifting from one country to another, you need to have all the paperwork, documentation, visas, and other essential legal issues wholly sorted. You must also ensure all the documentation and paperwork ready for infants and children shifting with you. 

When you are travelling abroad with your baby for the first time, you should consider a few things. 

 

Schedule Flights At Convenient Times:

Finding the most convenient flight time can be challenging. Instead of picking whatever is available, you should opt for a flight time when your child will probably be fast asleep. Nap times help ensure your child is free from the stress of boarding, seeing too many people, and waking up startled or surprised. If your child gets alarmed, you may have to calm them down during boarding or immigration. Doing this will create utter chaos and cause you to lose concentration during immigration and boarding times. 

An early morning flight when your baby is asleep, or a late-night flight would work in your favour. These flights are readily available and sometimes may cost lesser than ones during the day. 

 

Carry Medication:

When you’re travelling with a baby, you never know which medication you may need. Babies can have all sorts of issues at the most unexpected times. Small things like a tummy ache, headache, cold, cough, or even gas can cause discomfort to your child. When you are in the process of moving to a new place and are travelling with a tiny baby, you would need to have all emergency medicines on hand. You should also keep the prescriptions, refills, and other medical insurance information within reach at all times. 

If you do not have the medicines available, you may spend several hours frantically finding the correct medication for your baby. To avoid all this chaos, it is best to be prepared for all medical emergencies. At the minimum, you should keep a baby thermometer, ibuprofen, cough drops, and a few more. You should also keep some extra medicines for yourself. 

 

Arrive At The Airport Early:

When travelling with a baby, it is best to arrive at least an hour before the scheduled arrival time. It reduces the stress of missing the flight and allows your baby to run around the airport, expend some energy, and get ready for sleep. If your baby is too small to walk around, you should not get to the airport too early. Airports can be boring for little children, and your little one may sleep before it’s time to board the flight. 

Arriving early also allows you to get your bearing, and check where the departure gate is, and get through immigration and customs. Having enough time on hand enables you to ensure that all your documentation is in order, you have everything on hand and you haven’t forgotten anything. 

 

Pack According To Your Destination:

While it may seem like a good idea to overpack, you should only pack what you need. If you’ve planned a summer holiday, ensure you pack enough baby-safe sunscreen, baby wipes, hats, and protective clothing. If travelling to a cold place, you should carry enough sweaters, warmers, full-sleeved and hooded onesies, jumpers, and gloves to protect your baby from chills and colds. 

If you are travelling to a destination where you will walk around a lot, you should ensure you check in the baby stroller. You should also have a foldable umbrella that can be attached to the stroller to protect the baby. Apart from this, you should always have a baby carrier to ensure your arms are free to care for luggage and other necessities. 

When travelling, carry additional baby formula, wet wipes, diapers, clothes, snacks, and more. 

Apart from these tips, something you should always do when booking flight tickets is purchase an extra ticket for the baby. Reserving bulkhead seats for the baby can help with extra storage for the bassinet.