Top Ten Ways to Avoid a Car Accident April 11, 2008

Remember the last post on women drivers and their stereotypes? This article is not just to prove those stereotypes wrong, it’s about learning to avoid accidents. The accidents described on this post ranges from minor mishaps to fatal collisions. Let’s not wait for the latter to happen, before we learn from simple driving mistakes.

The following is a top ten list that shows common ways by which you can avoid getting into a car accident.

#1 Don’t drink and drive. This is a basic reminder often told by parents to their children once they first get behind the wheel. The sad reality is that a majority of fatal vehicular accidents around the world is often connected with drunk driving. The driver may have fallen asleep behind the wheel and ended up ramming against a tree or worse, a hapless pedestrian just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

To avoid drinking and driving, as much as possible sleep over at a friend’s place during a party instead of getting behind the wheel and taking your chances. If you absolutely must get home, then be sure to have a designated driver who wouldn’t consume a drop of alcohol throughout the simple get together. These key reminders can save lives, including yours. So remember, don’t drink and drive.

#2 Make sure your vehicle is in tiptop condition. We can’t all have chauffeurs to care for our vehicles. Being a good driver doesn’t stop with getting behind the wheel and driving decently. It all starts with caring for your car and making sure that every single part is functioning properly.

You can be an excellent and cautious driver, but with a busted accelerator or brake system, your vehicle is an accident-magnet. Check your car regularly to see if everything is working as it should.

Tips on Buying Your First Car April 5, 2008

**Note: Cartoon by the talented Andy Singer.

Buying your first car can be an extremely daunting task. The key to finding the sweetest and most perfect ride for you depends on your needs and what you can afford.

Here are some tips designed to help you narrow your search or to make the process of finding the right car easier. If you follow these tips, then you’ll definitely end up with the right car for you.

Tip 1: Choose your car based on your needs.

Yes, a nice two-seater, sports car would definitely make your co-workers turn green with envy, but it’s hardly a practical decision, especially if you plan on using your car for your son’s carpool.

Before choosing your car, write down a list of your car requirements. If you’re not on the tech-savvy or auto-savvy side, then a simple list of size and function ought to do the trick.

Ask yourself; is gas mileage important for you? If you drive around the country a lot, then you’ll need a car that saves fuel or gas. Remember, gas = money. The more you save, the better.

Stereotypes: Hazardous to Female Drivers March 27, 2008

For decades, women have been battling the stereotype that all women drivers are bad drivers. It doesn’t help that society seems to force this thinking into the
minds of kids and young women waiting to receive their driver’s license. Although yes, there are a considerable number of people out there who genuinely believe that gender has nothing to do with atrocious driving, and yes, yours truly included in this number,
the stereotype prevails.

Saudi Women Fight For Right To Drive October 15, 2007

After almost 17 years after their last public outcry, Saudi women are again reviving their cause about their right to drive.

 

With the help of text messages and e-mails, these women were able to spread the world and gain support from various communities. In fact, they have gathered about 1, 100 signatures through convincing people on the malls and also the online community. With these signatures, a petition has already been sent last Sunday to King Abdullah.

 

Saudi women are again staging these demonstrations because of the difficulties they encounter everyday due to the ban on women drivers. In fact, in Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to travel, marry, and rent a hotel or apartment without asking permission first from a male companion or guardian.

 

Moreover, women have a hard time commuting because of the lack of public transportation. And although the big cities are abundant with taxis, women are not comfortable riding due to concerns for safety. Also, not all Saudi women can afford personal drivers.

 

These women, with the help of the internet and satellite television, are gaining worldwide support for their right to drive.

Male Drivers Encounter More Major Accidents Than Women Drivers October 15, 2007

In a survey released last October 7, it was found out that more men are involved in major motoring crashes while women are often involved in minor ones.

 

According to the survey by Elephan.co.uk, male drivers have 42% likelihood in head-on collisions compared to women. Women, on the other hand, are 55% more likely to encounter an accident in a car park. This finding is based on data from 270,000 insurance claims. The survey also revealed that women are 47% more likely than men to be involved in a traffic light accident and 78% tend to lose their car keys.

 

 

Further survey results also concluded that men are have 36% more probability than women to hit a pedestrian on a pavement, have49% more probability to hit an animal on the road, and have 37% more probability to hit a tree. But women have 18% more potential than men to hit a cyclist and 15% more likely to hit a parked car.

 

Brian Martin, the managing director of Elephant.co.uk, stated that the company hold a huge amount of data on accidents and wanted to find out if there was a difference between how men and women crash. After the survey, it was sound out that there really was such a difference. He also added that generally, men drive faster and more aggressively than women, while women are more easily distracted than men behind the wheel.

Women top polite motorists August 28, 2007

Women in their 40s behind the wheel of cars with big engines are the most polite motorists.

But beware of young men under 21 in cars with engines less than 1,500cc.

They are the rudest on the road and terrorize other motorists.

A survey found nine out of 10 drivers of both sexes let other cars out of side roads and 62 per cent always thank others who give way for them.

But 55 per cent admitted they shout or gesticulate and 53 per cent sound their horn if angry.

Middle-aged drivers were found to be the most well-mannered, followed by those in their 30s.

Admiral car insurance, which did the survey, said: “Most motorists are polite and courteous most of the time but sometimes the stress of driving gets the better of them.”

(Source: www.mirror.co.uk)

Fashionable Sunglasses May Pose Danger On The Road August 10, 2007

 

Nowadays, sunglasses are major fashion accessories that women should have. Sunglasses are said to add an instant glamor to anyone who wears them.

However, the Daily Mail is reporting that about twelve million fashion-conscious women drivers are risking their lives by wearing sunglasses which limit their view of the road.

The vast majority of Britain’s 14.4million female motorists admit to putting style before safety, research shows.

The Eyecare Trust charity also advised women to make safety their first priority with sunglasses for driving.

More than eight out of ten women (82 per cent) surveyed failed to consider safety when choosing sunglasses for driving – equivalent to 11.8million female motorists.

One in ten – 1.3million – drive in wide-armed glasses that severely restrict their peripheral vision. A further 7 per cent wear lenses that are so dark they are illegal for driving.

The researchers commissioned by insurer Sheilas’ Wheels also found that fewer than one in five (18 per cent) of women bought sunglasses specifically for driving while almost two-thirds (61 per cent) based their choice on appearance rather than practicality.

More than half (57 per cent) want better labelling and more information in shops on which are the best styles for motorists to buy.

According to the report, too many women drivers are unaware of the dangers of wide arms and dark lens tints may be the must-haves of the moment, but fashion- conscious women should put safety ahead of style when in control of a car.

The Eyecare Trust examined five styles of fashionable sunglasses and found that only two were suitable for driving. It revealed that the darkest shades fail to allow a minimum proscribed eight per cent of visible light through and are illegal. Pink tinted lenses can make it difficult to read road signs or spot hazards by distorting colors an dwide-armed glasses create blind spots. Aviator style glasses that curve around the eyes and have slim arms are recommended, along with anti-reflective lenses coloured in neutral brown or gray shades.

Chunky frames could pose a hazard when driving. Motorists need good all-round vision and a visual range of at least 120 degrees. The lens color, frame density, filter category and reflective coatings can all play a part in determining whether your sunglasses are roadworthy or not.”

The boom in convertible car sales is putting women at greater risk of skin cancer.

Cancer Research UK has joined forces with Evecars.com, the website of Eve magazine, to urge drivers of convertibles to protect themselves and their passengers with suncream, a hat and sunglasses.

Latest figures show a 43 per cent rise in the most serious form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, in the last decade. Sales of convertibles in the UK have trebled in that time – an increasing percentage bought by women – from 30,486 in 1996 to 100,626 in 2006. In Europe, only Germany sells more convertibles than Britain.

(Source: www.dailymail.co.uk)

 

Women Hot Rodders On The Rise July 17, 2007

An article from USATODAY.com discusses the increasing number of women joining the compact-car scene.

According to the article, twenty-something women are turning their cars into tire-smoking show cars and weekend racers with focus not only on paint jobs and interior upgrades but also in boosting engine performance to increase speed capability.

Today, women make up 18% of those involved in the so-called compact sports car market, up from 3% in 1998, according to the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association (SEMA). The number is expected to reach 25% next year.

GirlieGirlracing.com is a website which offers a line of products, including clothing and pink and purple car accessories, and sponsors shows across the USA, all aimed at young female car enthusiasts. When it was first started by Diana Cantarelliin 1997, she only had six numbers but today, she has over 2,000 members and still growing.

Automakers, particularly domestic manufacturers General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler, have noticed the trend. All now are sponsoring female compact sports car racers.

The women “are quite serious,” says Jan Valentic, vice president of global marketing at Ford.

But she says that Ford won’t be aggressive in marketing to them. “They are more interested in discovering you and your product than you forcing your product on them,” Valentic says.

 

SUV Women Designers July 11, 2007

NISSAN

Nissan Frontier

With female designers working behind the scenes, Nissan’s Frontier Crew Cab pickup became the first truck on the market in 1999 with four full-size doors. Diane Allen, chief designer at Nissan’s U.S. design studio, was then given the responsibility of redesigning the new 2001 Nissan Frontier compact pickup truck. The result: a number of cosmetic changes that gave the 2001-model a macho, mechanical-industrial look without being so aggressive as to turn off female buyers.

Allen has been involved in two of Nissan’s most successful designs in recent years — the 2000 Maxima sport sedan and the popular Xterra sport utility vehicle. With the Xterra, her aim was to give the truck some SUV qualities in terms of luxury details. Allen rejects what she calls “the ’90s trend to inject softer forms into truck design.” Instead, she finds her true inspiration for vehicle design in merging the concepts of sports cars and high-end power tools together. The Xterra became Nissan’s first consumer hit in years.

 

FORD

1999 Ford Windstar

In 1997, Ford Motor Co. created a development team of 30 female engineers (known as the Windstar Moms) to make their 1999 Ford Windstar minivans user-friendly for their target market: women with children. At the time, only 8.5% of engineers were women, so having 30 female engineers playing an integral role in the development of virtually every aspect of the 1999 Ford Windstar was a noteworthy accomplishment.

Ford has relied on its team of Windstar Moms throughout the years, and at the turn of the century, Ford unveiled its new Ford Solutions minivan. An answer to people’s hectic lives and the fact that families spend more time in their vehicles than ever before, Solutions is a vehicle outfitted with a refrigerator, microwave, washer/dryer, vacuum, and other home appliances. Ford teamed with Maytag to create this one-of-a-kind vehicle that is sure to please women and families alike.

GENERAL MOTORS

The 2000 Saturn CV1

Kate Zak, brand character design manager for Saturn, designed for the CV1(a.k.a. Saturn’s “first concept vehicle”). This 2000-model SUV was a step outside the box for Saturn and was projected to play a significant role in future Saturn models.

 

The Buick Rendezvous

The Buick Rendezvous was designed by General Motors’ first female vehicle chief designer, Liz Wetzel. This was her first Buick product assignment, and GM’s first big unveiling since pulling the plug on their 103-year-old Oldsmobile line. Hoping to redefine the concept of “sport utility vehicle,” Buick is eager to introduce the first truck-based Buick in nearly 80 years. Wetzel has described it as “a fine leather shoe with a rugged sole.” It has a sleek look and a number of unique features, suggesting refined ruggedness for today’s families.

DAIMLERCHRYSLER:

DaimlerChrysler recruited an informal group of female engineers and called them the Women’s Product Advocate Team in 2000. This group was formed as a voice for female customers in order to create more female-friendly vehicles.

Anne Asensio is a leading female car designer from Europe who was hired by DiamlerChrysler in 2000 to add her unique perspective to their domestic line of vehicles. According to the Detroit News (May 9, 2000), her feminine perspective plays some part in her success. “You are a designer first, and you design with your personality,” she said. “But it is an advantage to understand what a woman expects in a car.”

 

Source: www.4whelldrive.about.com

Who’s Better On The Road? July 10, 2007

Here’s an excerpt from an interesting article by author Jenny Dolan entitled “Men vs. women: Busting myths and checking facts in the battle of the sexes”

On Men as better drivers

A wise man once said: “I don’t have an official opinion on that.” That man was Capt. Gary Uting, director of field services for the La Crosse Police Department.

Statistics: Out of the 10,183 traffic citations given in La Crosse during a 12-month period, men received 6,568 and women received 3,615.

Men might receive more citations because they drive more than women, Uting said. “In regards to me and my wife, I tend to do most of the driving when it’s the two of us,” he said. Most of the people I know, the man does the driving. I don’t know why.”

Men, especially young men, are considered riskier drivers. Car insurance for a 16-year-old male costs more than for a 16-year-old female, said Rita Sanger, insurance agent for American Family in La Crosse. Insurance rates go down once a driver is no longer considered a “young driver,” Sanger said. Women reach that age at 25, men at 30.

Still think women are dangerous behind the wheel?

According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, men’s fatal crash rates per mile are about 1.8 times those of women. Men are more likely than women to be in single-vehicle crashes. Men are less likely to use seat belts and more likely to have been drinking prior to their crashes. They’re also more likely than women to have suspended licenses or previous convictions.

Read the rest of this story at http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2007/06/26/news/02sexes26.txt