Smart Motorist

People in passenger vehicles are especially vulnerable in collisions with large trucks because of the great difference in weight between cars and large trucks. In 1998, ninety-eight percent of the fatalities in two-vehicle crashes involving passenger vehicles and large trucks were occupants of the passenger vehicle. Large truck safety is an important concern for all highway motorists. 

It is time for a world rear underride guard standard. The Underride Network recommends a minimum guard should withstand a 40 MPH or 64 KM/H impact at 50% offset from center without PCI (Passenger Compartment Intrusion) occurring in the impacting vehicle. Such a guard would be effective in most real world crashes. Effective designs have existed since 1970!

If you think proper driving position means having your hands positioned at "10 and 2 o'clock" on the steering wheel (as they taught you in driver's-education class), get with the times! You see, automobiles have changed considerably in the past few years... and therefore, so should your driving habits. Relax - the changes are minor, and they can actually increase your driving safety and comfort, which will come in handy on those long road trips.

In 1998, 2,284 motorcyclists were killed on our nation's highways and 49,000 more were injured. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcycle helmets have been shown to save the lives of motorcyclists and prevent serious brain injuries

Smart Motorist recommends that drivers get sufficient sleep, don't drink alcohol when sleepy, pull over when drowsy, and limit their driving at night - especially between midnight and 6 a.m.

The objectives of this report are to identify major roadway safety issues presently confronting communities across the nation and to lay the foundations for state and local governments to implement solutions. It is intended for persons who do not have a background in transportation engineering, but are interested in ensuring that road transportation is safe and efficient. Audiences for whom this report has been prepared include concerned citizens and advocacy groups, as well as state and local government officials.

Road rage can happen to anybody at anytime and can vary from an aggressive gesture or word to a full on physical attack, or in some cases, even murder. Over the past few years, the so called "road rage" syndrome has developed and we hear an increasing amount about it. However, road rage is nothing new, it has been around us for many a year, probably since the beginning of road transport.

Enforcement and education are the most commonly used interventions to prevent aggressive driving and road rage. Legislation is another avenue, but so far the enactment of statutes has been impeded by existing laws that address this issue and by concerns about ambiguous wording. Results suggest that enforcement efforts should be accompanied by public information campaigns.

Imagine you are driving along and your passenger leans over and whispers in your ear, Grandma thinks you're a bad driver. A normal reaction might include denial and anger. But for Dr. Leon James those words mapped out his life's work. My struggle to become the kind of driver my wife and her Grandma can accept made me look at my driving problem.

When I was a lot younger, my grandmother told me about a friend of hers who had taken a trip to Europe some years before. This friend, like my grandmother, was a heavy smoker from back in the days when doctors would prescribe cigarettes to women to help "calm their nerves".

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of young people. The situation is most dangerous for 16-year olds. A study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found motor vehicle crash rates were decreasing for every age group except those 16 years of age. 

Automobile crashes are the number one killers of teens - accounting for more than 5,000 deaths per year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a 16-year-old driver is 42 percent more likely to be involved in a crash than a 17-year-old with just one additional year of driving experience.

With cellular phone popularity reaching new heights (over 100 million cell phones are in use in the US), more and more drivers are using their commute time to conduct business and personal affairs on their cell phones. American motorists spend substantial amounts of their day in automobiles, vans, trucks, and buses.

OnStar is a package of services designed to provide you with the personal assistance you need while traveling. The Safety and Security plan provides you with the peace of mind knowing that the push of a button connects you to a highly trained OnStar Advisor that can help you any time of day or night almost anywhere you drive.