Superior knows that there are a lot of different components that go into safe driving. Following road signs, checking your mirrors, and leaving space around you are are the better known aspects of safe driving, but there is one crucial thing that you may not think about. How you sit in your car can help improve the way that you drive. While you may think that seat adjustments are only for comfort, there are many little tricks that you can do to become a better driver while staying comfortable.
The car seats that are installed in many new models of cars have many different ways to adjust them to your liking. Instead of simply going closer and farther from the wheel, you can now change the chairs height and tilt. Having all of these at a proper setting for you can go a long way in safe driving. How high your seat is can actually affect how fast that you travel. The higher up you are sitting, then slower your body will perceive you are traveling. If you are in a larger car or SUV, then lower your seat to get closer to the road. This will help you maintain a safe speed instead of feeling like you are crawling along.
Another way you can help yourself is where you put your hands on the wheel. We all know about the ten and two system of where to hold the wheel, but there is more than that to help yourself in a wreck or accident. You should position your seat so that when you reach for the wheel, your wrists can hang over it. This not only makes driving more comfortable, but it will also help you control the car better. When holding the steering wheel, do not hold it like a tennis racket. Instead, keep your thumbs along the top of the wheel. If you wrap your thumbs around it, they can break in the event of an accident.
Driving safely is the most important part of driving, so be sure that you put yourself in a position to do so successfully. If you are looking for a new car, then be sure to come into Superior Cars.
At Superior, we realize that it is easy to see other cars and not really think about other people driving them. It is human nature to not think about the needs and thoughts of others that you do not personally know or see face to face. That is what makes a new study on aggressive driving make sense. The study was done in Israel and it shows that aggressive driving can be more prevalent in drivers who identify themselves with their cars, as well as those who view the roads as their own.
That is not to say that you shouldn’t take pride in your new car, but if you think that your car shows who you are as a person and the status that you hold, you are more likely to be an aggressive driver. Having this sense of self tied into your car can make you think that your car shows that you are more important than other drivers on the road and make you drive less safely then you would otherwise.
Another key in defensive driving stems for thinking that the road is more yours than anyone else’s. It can lead to aggressive driving, a bending or breaking of traffic laws, and accidents. It is important to remember that you are sharing the road with everyone else that is around you. Driving may seem like an individual activity, but it is something that is very communal. Safe and defensive driving will not only allow you to relax more as you drive, but it will also makes the roads safer for everyone that is on the road with you.
Safe driving should be the most important goal for all drivers, and thinking about other drivers can help you do this successfully. If you are looking for a new car to drive safely down the road, then be sure to come into Superior Cars and check out our great selection.
If you are a hunting enthusiast, then no doubt you probably have a hunting trip planned in the near future. While there is no feeling like taking down a large buck with a bow or rifle, there is also no feeling like taking one down with your car. There have been over one million accidents involving deer in America from July 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011. It is not a rare occurrence for this to happen if you are driving through rural or mountainous areas. No one wants to injure a deer on the road, and no one wants their car to be destroyed by a large buck.
Here’s a hint for those who don’t know the behavioral habits of deer. While hitting a deer can happen at anytime, you need to be more vigilant around dawn and between six and nine o’clock at night. This is when they are more active. If you are in an area with lots of deer, you’ll want to be sure to drive slower during these hours. If you are driving through areas with Deer Crossing signs or heavily wooded areas, then be sure to keep your eyes open. If you do see deer grazing on the side of the road, be sure to slow down if possible and if you are in these wooded areas, be sure to use your high beams whenever possible. Even if you only see one, I can virtually guarantee you that there are more around that you do not see.
Now here’s the tough part. If a deer does come into the road, brake, but don’t swerve. Swerving may cause you to lose control and hit something else, or the animal may move in the direction you are swerving and you may hit it anyways. It’s a terrible thing to think about, but your only option is to brake hard and hit the deer.
Now this might be something you may not know. If you do hit an animal, be sure to pull over to the side of the road and call the police immediately. They’ll be able to call animal control to come out and check the situation. In fact, that deer may not have died in vain as the meat may be salvageable and even donated….maybe. While your car may be bigger than a deer, a lot of damage can still occur, so be sure that you are always wearing your seat belt to avoid injury.
Hitting a large animal on the road can do some serious damage to your car, we’ve seen it before and we’ll see it again. If you ever have the misfortune of this happening to you, bring your car into and Superior Automotive location, we’ll know what to do to get you back on the road.
Over the past 30 years, airbags have saved thousands of lives. But, it is critical that you know airbags are designed to protect average-sized adults, not young children. Airbags can be deadly to small children.
Statistics show that children exposed to airbags during a crash are twice as likely to suffer a serious injury therefore the American Academy of Pediatrics says that children who are under the age of 13 are safest sitting in the back seat of a car. Period.
Here are a few reasons why children 13 and under should be in the back seat.
(1) Children shouldn’t be in the front seat because when airbags engage, the force of the airbag is directed right at the infant’s head as it comes out of the dashboard.
(2) Children seated in a forward-facing car seats should not be placed in the front seat of a car that has an airbag. – Again when the airbag engages, the child’s head is in the path of the airbag as it emerges from the dashboard.
(3) For children ages 13 and up riding in the front seat remember: All children should wear a lap/shoulder belt. Move the front seat as far back as possible from the dashboard. Make the sure the child doesn’t lean forward. Have the child sit upright against the seat at all times.
Children are best protected in the rear seat.
The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, CHOP, has put together a great video on airbags and keeping children safe. To Play the Video – Click Here
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The Superior Automotive Group and Mike Albert Direct have been serving Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 1928. We care about you, your cars, your safety, and our community.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask and any suggestions are always welcome at [email protected]
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