Teenage Driver Safety Tips

·        Always wear your seat belt--and make sure all passengers buckle up, too.

·        Adjust your car's headrest to a height behind your head--not your neck--to minimize whiplash in case you're in an accident.

·        Never try to fit more people in the car than you have seatbelts for them to use.

·        Obey the speed limits, Going too fast gives you less time to stop or react. Excess speed is one of the main causes of teenage accidents.

·        Don't run red lights. 

·        Use turn signals to indicate your intention to turn or to change lanes. Turn it on to give the cars behind you enough time to react before you take the action. Also, make sure the signals turns off after you've completed the action.

·        When light turns green, make sure intersection clears before you go.

·        Don't drive like you own the road; drive like you own the car.

·        Make sure your windshield is clean. At sun rise and sun set, light reflecting off your dirty windshield can momentarily blind you from seeing what's going on.

·        Don't blast the radio. You might miss hearing a siren or a horn that could warn you of possible trouble.

·        Make sure your garage door is completely open before backing out of it. This was submitted by another teen who learned this one from his dad's mistakes.

·        Drive into your garage straight, not on an angle. Another teen thought her car would straighten out before she got inside, but instead she dented the car and broke the molding on the garage.

·        Make sure your car has gas in it. Don't ride around with the gauge on empty--who knows where you might get stranded.

·        Don't drink and drive, and don't ride with anyone who has been drinking. Call parents or friends to take you home if you need a ride.

·        Don't take drugs or drive if you've taken any. Don't ride with anyone who has been using drugs. Even some over the counter drugs can make you drowsy. Check label for warnings.

·        Don't drive with small children or even small teenage friends as passengers in a front seat that has a passenger-side air bag. They should be buckled up in the back seat. Recent transportation studies show that small children may be injured by the air bags even in low impact collisions. (Actually, it's safer not to drive with friends and kids in the car when you're learning to drive. They can be distracting.)

·        Don't talk on the car phone, put on make-up, comb your hair, or eat while driving. People who talk on car phones while driving are four times more likely to have an accident. If you need to make a call, pull off the road to a safe spot and park.

·        Don't leave your car in cruise control when you're driving late at night or when you're tired. If you fall asleep at the wheel, the car will crash at the speed you've set your control to maintain. We've learned of two local teens who crashed into a tree (one died and the other is in critical care) at 60 mph when the driver fell asleep at the wheel.

·        Don't fiddle with the radio while you are driving. It's better to wait until you can pull over and stop because even taking your focus off the road for a few seconds could lead to an accident.

·        Use good quality tires and make sure they are inflated to the right pressure (check your owners manual for what is right for your tires and car). Many visitors to this page have recommended radial tires and in some states, radials are ok to use in snow emergency conditions. Check your state to see what the requirements are for driving in snow.

·        Maintain your car. Bald tires, a slipping transmission, or a hesitant engine could lead to accidents.

·        Use headlights during daylight driving, especially on long stretches of desert highway and rural roads to make you more visible to oncoming drivers.

·        Many visitors have suggested selecting a designated driver when going out for a night on the town with friends. This person does not drink and has the responsibility of getting people home safely. (Drinking and driving DO NOT MIX)

·        Watch out for potholes, especially after bad weather

·        Be on the lookout for motorcycles, bikes, and pedestrians

·        When driving to a new place, get complete directions before you go. Figure out what exits you need to take before hand. One visitor hit a divider at an exit ramp location after being told too late that this was the place to get off the highway.

·        If your car has been parked outside during a snow storm, check the exhaust pipes to make sure they are clear before starting up the car.  Several teens have died in the recent East Coast snow storms from carbon monoxide poisoning because their pipes were blocked with snow.  Also check if you back up into a snow bank.

Safe-Driver Tips

1.      Drive thoroughly refreshed: Sleep or nap before starting a long trip

2.      Schedule breaks (nap, stretch, walk, etc.):

·        every 2 hrs

·        every 100 miles

·        if feel too tired to drive

·        during drowsy early-morning hours (1-5 a.m.)

·        during drowsy mid-afternoon hours (1-5 p.m.)

3.      Keep mind alert:

·        ensure air is fresh

·        listen to "talk" radio

·        chat with passengers

·        don't rely on caffeine (in pills, colas, coffee) to keep you alert — its effects last only a short while

4.      Rest only at authorized Rest Stops: Interstate road shoulders are for emergencies only

5.      Wake a prospective co-driver at least a half-hour before needed, to prevent "sleep inertia" (the urge to fall back asleep)

6.      Abstain from drinking alcohol within four hours of driving, because:

·        alcohol exaggerates the effects of fatigue

·        even one drink can have dramatic effects on a tired person

7.      Stop driving if you demonstrate any of the following DANGER SIGNS of drowsiness:

·        eyes that close or go out of focus by themselves

·        continual yawning, blinking, or head nodding

·        wandering, disconnected thoughts and inability to concentrate

·        slowed decision-making ability

·        inability to remember driving the last few miles

·        weaving and drifting out of your lane

·        variable speeds and more intermittent braking

·        grinding gears and erratic shifting

·        driving over a shoulder rumble strip more than twice

How To Spot an Alcohol-Impaired Driver

• Accelerating or decelerating quickly
• Almost striking an object, curb, or vehicle
• Appearing to be drunk (e.g., eye fixation, face close to windshield)
• Braking erradically
• Drifting; or moving in a straight line at a slight angle to the roadway
• Driving anywhere other than on a road designated for vehicles
• Driving into opposing crossing traffic
• Driving on the wrong side of the road
• Driving slower than 10 mph below the speed limit
• Driving with headlights off at night
• Following too closely
• Signaling that is inconsistant with driving actions
• Slow response to traffic signals
• Straddling center or lane marker
• Straddling lanes or tires on the center line
• Stopping inappropiately (other than in a traffic lane)
• Stopping without cause in traffic lane
• Swerving
• Tailgating
• Tires on center marker or lane marker
• Turning with wide radius
• Turning abruptly or illegally
• Weaving
• Stopping without cause or erratic braking
• Slow response to traffic signals (e.g. sudden stop or delayed start)
• Weaving or zig-zagging across the road
•  

Mobil 1, the "Official Motor Oil of NASCAR"

The world's most popular synthetic motor oil, is launching Mobil 1 Million a consumer promotion where one lucky fan can win a total of $1 million by predicting the winners of all 36 NASCAR(R) NEXTEL Cup Series races in 2004.

"I am excited to see a program that generates excitement and increases the bond between race fans and NASCAR(R)," said Ryan Newman, driver of the Alltel/Mobil 1 Penske Racing Dodge, who with eight wins in 2003, was voted Speed Channel Driver of the Year. "And, I hope a lot of the fans bring the Penske team luck this year by picking me as one of their Mobil 1 Million selections."

Nextel Launches First Official NASCAR Wireless Handsets in the Sport's History, Ten New Driver Phones Display Driver Signatures and Car Colors and Numbers Nextel announced the availability of a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Phone and ten NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Driver Phones, which are modeled after ten specific drivers. The eleven new handsets are the first NASCAR-branded wireless phones in the sport's history. Collectively, the handsets share the Motorola i736 model name.

The ten NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Driver Phones each feature the number and unique design, colors and signature of a particular driver, including:

:: No. 2 Rusty Wallace
:: No. 6 Mark Martin
:: No. 8 Dale Earnhardt, Jr
:: No. 15 Michael Waltrip
:: No. 17 Matt Kenseth
:: No. 20 Tony Stewart
:: No. 24 Jeff Gordon
:: No. 48 Jimmie Johnson
:: No. 88 Dale Jarrett
:: No. 97 Kurt Busch

Trends in Performance Vehicles At this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit, you'll find a new or remodeled sports car in nearly every manufacturer's display. And something else: the return of rear wheel drive. Experts say the trend means better performance for power and steering. Pontiac rolled out two new rear wheel drive performance cars - the Solstice, a two seat roadster for 2005, and they reintroduced the seventies icon, the GTO. Ford announced a remodeled version of its rear wheel drive muscle car, the Mustang and Chrysler introduced a prototype supercar. But the talk of the show was the unveiling of the sixth generation Chevrolet Corvette. While no one here is predicting that rear wheel drive will replace front wheel drive on most cars, for pure performance cars it looks to be the clear choice.