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Merging Into Highway Traffic Proves Difficult for Most Drivers
Drivaware reports lane changing on busy highways can be difficult for even the most experienced drivers. The secret is to plan ahead by knowing what other vehicles are doing around you.
In Drivaware's interactive demo on safe lane changes and merges, the car in the right lane is traveling faster than your car. Many impatient drivers will (wrongly) tailgate slower vehicles traveling
in the fast lane. Be proactive! Avoid this situation by staying right as much as is practical. In this example, it would be best to move your vehicle over to the right lane as soon as it is safe.
Be smarter than the other guy! Use your turn signal every time you change lanes along with the new
LaneFX system. Before you make your move, look in your side and rearview mirrors to make sure the
lane is clear. If there is another vehicle in the lane, or if there is another vehicle in the right lane behind you (at a distance) which is overtaking you at a fast speed, stay where you are. Wait
for that vehicle to pass you.
Remember you have blind spots, and that the blind spot on the right is larger than on the left. Before you change lanes, turn your head carefully to check the appropriate blind spot.
When you decide it is safe, turn the steering wheel in the direction you wish to go. Change lanes quickly, but smoothly. Do not wander as you change lanes. You always want to appear confident and
in control of the situation.
Once you've successfully negotiated the lane change, make sure your turn signal is off. This is important. If other drivers see that your turn signal is always on, they may not trust you on the
highway! They will never know when you want to turn and when you don't.
Basic Skills for Safer Commutes
Driving has changed a lot since most of us first got behind the wheel. This section will help you to keep a constant watch on your surroundings, the vehicles and people around you at all times.
An important factor to take into consideration when driving is to check your mirrors frequently, and also check the blind spots, by looking over your shoulders before switching lanes or making
turns. As we age, most of us become less flexible, so check out the information on this site about exercises that will keep you limber and help you drive safely.
Knowing the needs of other traffic like trucks, buses, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians is very important. For example, trucks should be provided with
extra space, as they need wider turning
lanes, watch out for buses, as they need to enter traffic from stopping lanes, and give pedestrians plenty of time to cross the road.
Everyone has one or two problematic areas of driving. Click the links on your right, to the areas that give you trouble. We can all improve our driving. |
Compare Backup Sensors & Cameras to ParkFX for the Most Reliable Backup Warning Technology
Not all reversing aids are equal. The sensing technology and the indicating method are critical to your driving safety.
How A Park Assist System Alerts You
One option is video, which at first seems like a great choice. But one major flaw with having a video camera affixed to the back of your car with a monitor on your dashboard is
that it also forces you to look forward while backing up. That can disturb your perception, your reaction time, and feel very unnatural. They are also extremely expensive, and you'll pay thousands
of dollars to have a video system attached to your car, whether from the dealer or an aftermarket supplier.
Compare that to other bargain basement devices which actually have LED displays (little red lights) on your dashboard. These are cumbersome -- almost useless -- for much the same
reason as video: when you drive in reverse, you naturally look behind you, and you'll never see the little red lights. They are also hard to read in bright sunlight.
Some other bargain technologies use a tone which beeps more rapidly as you get closer to an obstacle. You can at least hear the relative distance just by listening to the beeps,
but you have to practice a bit to really understand how far you are from danger.
That's why an audible voice sensor is best. It tells you in a spoken voice exactly how far away you are. Not only do you not have to awkwardly
look forward at your dashboard,
you'll know without guessing how much further you can safely back up.
How A Reversing Aid Detects Objects
If you've never seen or used a reversing aid, you might be surprised at how technically advanced they actually can be.
Reversing aids use a variety of technologies to sense an object behind the car. Some units use Doppler radar, and others use infrared sensors, but by far the most accurate method of detection
is the one the U.S. Navy uses on its submarines: sonar.
Sonar can operate in any weather, including direct sunlight or rain. And it doesn't require that the car be moving in order to sense an obstruction. |
How To Avoid Car Gadgets & Choose the Right Park Assist Technology for Your Driving Safety
Aftermarket companies offer three types of backup systems: rear-view cameras, sensor systems, and mirror tilt-down. Use Types to
decide which type best suits your needs. For all camera and sensor systems, we recommend professional installation.
No matter what type of system you choose, consider these things when deciding on a specific model:
Know how the device mounts on your vehicle.
Camera and sensor systems that are mounted on the vehicle’s bumper or bodywork may necessitate drilling. They may not be the best choice if you lease your vehicle.
If you have a hitch, you can consider a model that mounts in the trailer-hitch receiver. But you would have to remove the system to use your hitch.
Other camera and sensor models mount on the license-plate frame. But some states prohibit frames because they can obscure the plate.
Within types, features vary. This is especially true with the sensor models we tested. The ultrasonic systems were generally the most sensitive, but their performance was adversely affected
by rain, snow, or other inclement weather.
The microwave-based sensor systems we tested were not affected by weather but are less sensitive as a group. They also don’t warn the driver unless the vehicle or object behind it is moving.
The display quality of the camera-based models is very good, although it doesn’t match that of the larger screens on some carmakers’ systems. Most of the system displays turn on when the
vehicle shifts into reverse, but one, the Audiovox, must be turned off and on manually. |
Ditch Your Stick-on Convex Blind Spot Mirrors Today
Stop Distorting Your Rearview and Compromising Your Side Mirror Vieweing Space
Drivaware has come up with something useful: the LaneFX , a controller that connects
your power mirrors to your turn signals, so that when you signal (you do signal before you turn, right?), your mirrors swivel outward to show your blind spot. Hey, if this keeps just one cyclist
out of the hospital, I'm happy.
Generally speaking, larger vehicles have larger rear blind spots. For example, the blind spot behind a typical sedan could only hide a small animal, while
the blind spot of an SUV can hide small children, resulting in as many as 50 children being killed by reversing SUVs each year.
The blind spot behind tractor trailers can contain entire vehicles, which is one reason many trucks carry warnings not to follow too
close, such as "if you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you." This is partly because the driver's position is higher in a tractor-trailer.
Larger vehicles also have much larger front and side blind spots. Tractor-trailers have not only large rear quarter blind spots, but also a large blind spot directly to their left and to their
front-right.
There are a number of products available to consumers to deal with the blind spot problem. Convex mirrors, often called "spot mirrors" can bring blind spots into view, but their optical
properties impart a great deal of distortion so as to make it difficult to judge distances. Newer technologies using aspheric mirrors allows the blind spots to be virtually eliminated
while minimizing distortion. |
If You're Looking for a Blind Spot Mirror for Your Car, Consider the Safer Solution.
LaneFX is not some speeding auto gadget that you'll never see again. Try it! Even with dual blind spot mirrors, you'll still have a distorted rear view LaneFX is being used by drivers everywhere:
Gear heads and mobile electronics enthusiasts. Women drivers in large minivans and SUVs. Elderly / senior drivers (check out the current LaneFX discount for all AARP members, and all drivers who
commute over 18,000 miles per year. |
ParkFX is the 360-Degree Backup Solution and it's Less Costly Than Backup Sensors, Park Assist and Rearview Cameras
Deaths increase. Ninety-one children were killed in 2003 by drivers who didn’t see them while backing up, according to Kids and Cars ( www.kidsandcars.org ),
a nonprofit organization working to improve child safety around vehicles. Those deaths represented a 57 percent increase from 2002. During the first six months of 2004, more than 40 deaths have
been attributed to backover accidents, many involving vehicles with large blind spots.
Kids and Cars compiles these statistics; the federal government does not track such incidents. Janette Fennell, president of the organization, believes that backover accidents are underreported
and that the actual number of children killed or injured is much higher.
Blind spots grow with vehicle size. A likely reason for the increase in injuries is that minivans, pickups, and SUVs account for more than half of all vehicles sold. Many have large
rear-view blind spots.
Last year, Consumer Reports began measuring the blind spot of each vehicle we test, checking the distance for short drivers (5 feet 1 inch tall) and for those of average height (5 feet
8 inches tall). The biggest blind spot: 51 feet for a short driver in a Chevrolet Avalanche pickup. But even small sedans can have blind spots of more than 40 feet. We regularly update vehicle
blind-spot information, which is available on this site free of charge in The
problem of blind spots.
Systems other than ParkFX combine a camera with sensors, so we tested each system independently; it is listed with camera systems in the Ratings.
All the systems we tested are potentially useful. They’re a good complement to looking around the vehicle before entering, and checking the rear window and rear-view mirror just before and
while moving in reverse.
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LaneFX is More Than Just a Car Gadget
Many of the latest car models include systems that alert you when a car is in your
blind spot. Those of us with older autos have had rely on our own road skills -- until now. Drivaware has introduced LaneFX: When you activate your turn signal,
the device moves the corresponding side-view mirror to expose your blind spot and any vehicles that may be hiding in it. Of course, if you remember your driver's training, a quick glance over your
shoulder does essentially the same thing. The LaneFX is compatible with any car that has power mirrors and is available in a Basic Edition ($197), Highway Edition ($242) and Commuter Edition ($296). |
LaneFX Driver Safety Products Are On Sale!
See the current specials and promotions and get your LaneFX for less. Save up to 20% on LaneFX products and we usually ship the same day.
Special discounts are available for Volvo XC90, S80 owners, owners of Audi vehicles equipped with SideAssist, all AARP members, and current AllState policy holders.
Defensive Driving: Self-Study Program
Teach driver safety to your own employees onsite, in about 90 minutes, with the National Safety Council’s NEW Defensive Driving Course (DDC) Self-Study Program. Based on our proven effective
Defensive Driving Course, it’s perfect for individual motorists or fleet drivers unable to attend regular DDC classes. Special Offer
During National Safety Month! |
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New 5-Minute Safety Talks Available Now!
Available exclusively to members of the National Safety Council, Safety Talks provide a year's worth of topics for your monthly safety meetings! Bulletin boards, rule books, signs
and posters are all great ways to present your safety messages, but there's no substitute for straight talk! That's why we've developed two collections of sixteen 5-Minute
Safety Talks, each with English and Spanish text. You can purchase the sets individually, or as a combo set at a discounted price during National Safety Month. |
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Defensive Driving On-line Training
The National Safety Council now offers four online training options tailored to fit your budget and your employees' schedule. Based on their classroom counterparts, these online programs
use state-of-the-art animation, video, narration, and interactive screens to teach your employees defensive driving techniques. |
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Virtual Defensive Driving Course
The new Virtual Defensive Driving Course (Virtual DDC) from NSC and Raydon combines the proven defensive driving course curriculum with actual behind-the-wheel driving time in a simulated
environment. This virtual driving instruction allows drivers to gain important insight AND experience in potentially hazardous situations. |
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Teen Driver
This guide to teen driver safety assists families in understanding and managing the journey their teens will travel from beginner to independent driver. The guide takes years of scientific
data and translates it into practical information for parents and teens to use in reducing teen crash risk. |
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Safety 24/7
This FREE CD-ROM contains a wealth of information on safety and health issues that impact people of all ages – children to older adults – in a variety of settings – at work,
on the road, in homes, and in the community. The SHP Center receives funding from various federal agencies which allows it to develop programs and materials to offer to the public. The resources
available on the Safety 24-7 CD-ROM offer solutions that are designed to help you make a difference. |
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