Hands-Free Phones Not As Safe As You May Think
Hands-Free Phones Not As Safe As You May ThinkIt seems like everywhere you turn these days, you see drivers chatting away seemingly to no one at all. Of course, by now we usually assume they're talking to someone on their hands-free cell phone headset or their built-in OnStar phone.
Although many drivers believe they're safer using these hands-free options, recent research proves otherwise. A new study shows that drivers are no safer talking on a hands-free phone than if they were using a hand-held one.
Look mom, no hands!
The new study, conducted by Yoko Ishigami, Dalhousie University and Raymond Klein, appeared in the National Safety Council's (NSC) Journal of Safety Research this summer. The study shows that any type of cell phone use distracts the driver from focusing on the road. The human brain simply can't focus on the conversation and safe driving at the same time.
The researchers discovered that hands-free phones are just as dangerous for drivers as hand-held phones. According to the study's findings, talking on any type of cell phone impairs a driver's reaction times and causes them to reduce their vehicle speeds. This leads to more driving errors and car accidents.
Based on the study, there's at least one difference between drivers using hands-free phones and those using hand-held ones. While drivers talking on any type of cell phone tend to slow down, those using hand-held phones typically slow down more.
Don't talk and drive
This new study is not the only research that shows hands-free phones are no safer for drivers. Several other studies have made the same claim.
However, until now, many lawmakers obviously believed hands-free phones were safer. As a matter of fact, five U.S. states and Washington D.C. have passed laws requiring drivers to use hands-free phones instead of hand-held ones. But these new studies claim that it's the conversation-not the act of holding a cell phone-that causes drivers to lose focus.
It's clear that cell phones cause serious problems and lead to countless car accidents on our nation's roads and highways. According to some estimates, more than 636,000 car crashes, 330,000 injuries, 12,000 serious injuries and 2,600 deaths are caused by distracted drivers talking on a cell phone in the U.S. each year.
In January 2009, the NSC called for a complete ban on cell phones for drivers. Other national organizations and lobbyists may follow suit.
In the meantime, drivers may want to take caution. Although no laws have officially been passed, you may want to refrain from taking calls or at least limit your cell phone use when you're behind the wheel. While avoiding cell phone calls when you're driving may be an inconvenience, it could end up saving your life in the long run.
Please call Khalid Umerani, Agent, NOVA Insurance Group (Chantilly, VA) to discuss your car insurance needs at tel: 703.263.7800. We are licensed to do business in Virginia, Maryland and DC.
www.south-riding-insurance.comwww.loudoun-insurance.comLabels: 20151 Car Insurance, 20152 Car Insurance, Hands Free Phones, South Riding car insurance
Protect Your Precious Cargo on the Road This Summer
Protect Your Precious Cargo on the Road This SummerWith the warmer months upon us, many families are planning to hit the road for their beloved summer vacation. If you are traveling with children this season, you’ll need to take some extra precautions.
Because babies and children can cause countless distractions like crying, spills and sibling scuffles in the backseat, parents often lose their focus on the road. While these disturbances are usually unavoidable, there are some things you can do to ensure that your family arrives safely.
As you make your way towards your final destination, remember that your family’s safety should always come first.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you load up the family car for this year’s road trip:
- Review your insurance coverage
A couple of weeks before you hit the road, take a look at your auto insurance plan. You may find that it’s time to upgrade your policy, especially now that you are traveling with a baby or young child. Faced with huge responsibility of raising a child, new parents often decide to increase their liability or property damage coverage to ensure their family is protected financially. Allow our agency, NOVA Insurance Group in Chantilly / South Riding 20152 to review your existing insurance policy paperwork. (
www.Loudoun-Insurance.com)
- Double check child seats
Many parents unknowingly make mistakes while installing child safety seats and booster seats in their cars. Sadly, children suffer from serious injuries and die in car crashes every day due to the misuse and incorrect installation of child seats, according to the National Safety Belt Coalition.
Are you certain that your child’s seat is installed properly? Even if you think your seats are good to go, it’s well worth double checking. Visit
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/Contacts/index.cfm for a listing of certified child passenger safety technicians in your town. One of these experts can show you how to correctly install and use your child’s safety or booster seat. The fire depts. in Brambleton 20148 and Aldie / Stone Ridge 20105 can assist with this effort also!
- Play it safe with special mirrors
Child safety mirrors are extremely popular with parents who frequently travel with their kids in tow. These mirrors, which easily attach to your rear view mirror, allow you to keep your eyes on the road while occasionally checking on your kids in the backseat. It’s like having another pair of eyes in the back of your head—your kids know you can see them at all times, so they’ll be less likely to start trouble.
If you are traveling with a baby in a rear-facing car seat, you may consider installing an infant mirror. These mirrors attach to the back window or back seat headrest so you can see what your baby is up to every time you peek in your rear view mirror. An added plus is that baby gets to check out his reflection on the road—an activity that provides endless entertainment for many infants.
- Keep the kids entertained
We all know that as soon as kids get bored, they start acting up. Try to keep the kids entertained on the road by packing some fun activities, like puzzles, games or coloring books. You may even consider purchasing a portable DVD player so they can watch their favorite movies or play video games in the car. The happier your kids are on the road, the fewer distractions they’ll create. This will help you stay focused on driving safely. (
www.south-riding.insurance.com)
- Make frequent pit stops
If you’re on a particularly long drive, make sure to take plenty of breaks. Try to stop every couple of hours at a park, restaurant or even an interesting historical site. This will allow everyone to stretch their legs, burn some energy and feel refreshed and ready to face the rest of the trip.
Labels: Centreville Auto Insurance, Centreville Car Insurance, Herndon Auto Insurance, Herndon Car Insurance, South Riding auto insurance, South Riding car insurance
Monitor Your Teens' Behavior When They're Behind the Wheel
Monitor Your Teens’ Behavior When They’re Behind the Wheel
Author Dorothy Parker once wrote: “The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let the air out of the tires.” However, if you’re one of those people here in South Riding, (adjacent to Aldie, Arcola, Brambleton, Chantilly, Ashburn, Leesburg etc. in the counties of Loudoun & Fairfax) who insist on keeping your tires inflated, you’re probably going to have to let your teenagers borrow the car. (
http://www.south-riding-insurance.com/)
If the thought of your teen behind the wheel sends a little shiver down your spine, there are a few things you can do to relieve your uneasiness:
· Talk to your kids. Have an open and frank discussion with your teens to find out their attitudes about driving. Be sure you talk about the consequences of actions like speeding, or ignoring stop signs and stoplights. Establish ground rules, such as the number of people allowed in the car (keeping in mind any state laws about the number of unrelated teen passengers permitted in a car with a teen driver), where the car may be taken and how long your teenager is permitted to stay out with the car.
· Enroll in an emergency roadside service. Be sure that the motor club you belong to provides 24-hour emergency road service. That way, your teenager can call for help any time he or she needs it. You also can arrange with the motor club to provide service if your teen is riding in someone else’s car.
· Discuss the consequences of driving under the influence. Most parents want to believe that their teenager will never be foolish enough to drive while intoxicated. However, you need to be realistic and realize that no matter how levelheaded your teen may be, peers have a great influence. Your teen could be at a party and be coaxed into drinking alcohol. That’s why you should make it understood that driving after drinking is not acceptable, nor is it acceptable to get into a car with someone who has been drinking. Make sure you teen knows that he or she can call you at any time of the day or night, and that you will come to get them.
· Install a speed-monitoring device. This type of device is commonly referred to as a “governor.” Its purpose is to restrict fuel injection, which stops the car from being driven over a certain speed. A governor may help prevent your teenager from driving over the speed limit.
· Install a Global Positioning System (GPS). This device can help you keep track of where your teen is driving. You establish a radius of operation and the GPS will alert you if your teen has taken the car outside that radius. It also alerts you when your teenager is driving above the speed limit, or if the car is being kept out past curfew.
As your teen matures and gains experience behind the wheel, you can reconsider the need for some of these measures, such as the speed-monitoring device. In the meantime, you are helping your teen to develop safe driving habits, and giving yourself some peace of mind.
http://www.loudoun-insurance.com/Labels: Leesburg Auto Insurance, Leesburg Car Insurance, South Riding auto insurance, South Riding car insurance, Stone Ridge Auto Insurance, Stone Ridge Car Insurance
Excessive Holiday Drinking and Driving Don't Mix
Excessive Holiday Drinking and Driving Don't MixThe weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day include the most important entertaining season on many people's social calendars. While these festivities are a wonderful part of the holiday season, they do bring with them a very serious problem-partygoers who drink too much and then get behind the wheel of a car. Here in Virginia, the consequences can be serious; the drivers in South Riding (
www.south-riding-insurance.com), Chantilly, Brambleton, Arcola, Aldie, Ashburn, Sterling, Leesburg, Stone Ridge, Kirk Patrick Farms, and adjoining Loudoun (
www.loudoun-insurance.com) and Fairfax County areas can suffer heavy fines and long-term DMV licensing issues!
Many people downplay the issue, but statistics prove how serious it is. According to the Community Alcohol Information Program (CAIP), a non-profit agency that provides alcohol education, assessment and evaluation services to persons convicted of alcohol-related offenses in New Hampshire, two million alcohol-impaired driving collisions occur each year in this country. Accidents caused by alcohol-impaired drivers are the most frequently committed violent crimes in America today.
CAIP offers these other sobering statistics about drinking and driving:
The average alcohol-impaired driver arrested on the highway has a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .20%, more than double the level for presumed intoxication in most states. This level represents 14 drinks of 86-proof liquor (or 14 beers) in a four-hour period for a man weighing 180 lbs.
Between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. on weekends, in some parts of the country, 10% of all drivers are legally impaired. Most Americans drink alcohol, and more than 80% admit to driving after drinking.
When drinkers are at the presumed level of intoxication, the risk of their causing an accident is six times greater than for non-drinking drivers.
Some people persist in drinking and driving based on myths about how the body reacts to alcohol and its ability to overcome alcohol's effects. Scientific studies supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) provide important information that belies two commonly held beliefs about drinking and driving:
Myth: You can drive as long as you aren't slurring words or acting erratically. Fact: The skills and coordination needed for driving are compromised long before the obvious signs of intoxication are visible. In addition, the sedative effects of alcohol, combined with late night hours, place you at much greater risk of nodding off or losing attention behind the wheel.
Myth: Drink coffee because caffeine will sober you up. Fact: Caffeine may help with drowsiness, but it doesn't counteract the effects of alcohol on decision-making or coordination. The body needs time to metabolize (break down) alcohol and even more time to return to normal. There are no quick cures.
Alcohol affects the brain and body long after you stop drinking. Any alcohol that remains in the stomach and intestine continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate through the body. That means judgment and coordination can be affected for hours after you've taken that last drink. Also keep in mind that alcohol heightens feelings of stress or anxiety, which can lead to violent behavior.
Does this mean you can't have a few drinks at a holiday party? No, but what it does mean is that you need to be responsible if you do drink. Here are a few tips to remember:
Know your limits and never drink more than you can safely handle.
Don't get behind the wheel if you drink. Ask a sober driver to escort you home.
Don't drink if there is someone at the gathering with whom you have a grievance.
Offer to be a designated driver for a friend.
Call law enforcement if you see someone driving erratically.
Keeping these tips in mind can help avoid tragedy during the holiday season.
Labels: Aldie 20105 Auto Insurance, Aldie Car Insurance, Brambleton 20148 Auto Insurance, Brambleton Car Insurance, South Riding auto insurance, South Riding car insurance
