Tag Archives: seatbelts

General Safety Issues

NEW WEBSITE HIGHLIGHTS INTERNATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN ROAD SAFETY (GUEST POST)

It may not seem like the most cheerful of subjects, but a website is available that highlights just how dangerous roads can be.

Not just in America, not just in Europe and not just in Africa; roads are deadly places wherever you are in the world. This research, courtesy of The Pulitzer Centre, looks at the problem in brilliant detail – allowing you to see just how many people meet their match on the roads in a single year.

Gruesome yes, but fascinating reading none the less; as not only are you presented with an interactive map that allows you to scroll over the various nations, but also a multitude of facts and figures about the road traffic accidents that occur in that particular nation.

As well as being given a statistical breakdown of the different types of fatal accident that occurred in that country in the past 12 months, you are also presented with a final percentage of the death toll. Reasons for the fatalities are also given – such as failing to wear a seatbelt, helmet and even alcohol intake and high speed.

One thing that is startlingly obvious when looking at the figures is that the former Soviet states have certainly paid the price for higher vehicle ownership and a greater number of drivers over the past decade. The death toll on Russian roads, for example, is still about five times higher than what is seen in most European Union countries and about double the number for the United States.

This may act as a stark warning to the likes of China, who have seen sales of motor vehicles rocket in recent years.  The site also highlights that it’s not just drivers of vehicles who suffer in road accidents; pedestrians make up a large amount of the total in most counties.

In New York City for example, pedestrians account for 12 percent of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. Not a shocking amount considering the density of the population – but still a huge number. This is despite attempts by several mayors to reduce the risk of accidents by outlawing activities such as “jay walking” for example.

For all the bad news there are some pieces of good news regarding road deaths that certainly make for happier reading.

Take Sweden. The Scandinavian country had only 266 road fatalities in 2010, a rate of 3 deaths per 100,000 citizens, and the lowest among industrialized nations. Though an explanation is not given, this impressive figure can only be put down to greater road safety awareness among drivers and pedestrians.

And what about the one-time bad boys when it came to motoring offences, Australia? They have cleaned up their act too. With some of the most reckless drivers in the world and highest death rates going some 50 years ago; strict enforcement of safe driving laws has resulted in an 80 percent decline in road fatalities since.

For a little lighter relief and general road traffic trivia there are some more educational facts on display other than just what country has the most road deaths and which nations have improved.

Like who knew that in Nigeria, the Federal Road Safety Commission only recently made it compulsory for new drivers to take driving lessons and pass a test before obtaining a licence; in the past you could simply buy a licence?

Read this site at your own risk, but don’t let it put you off; driving is undoubtedly safer now than it ever was.

If nothing else, this research shows the contrast in attitudes towards motoring and road safety across the globe and how those attitudes can be changed with greater awareness and education.

Take a look for yourself at www.roadskillmap.com.

Written by journalist and blogger Matthew Crist in association with TSR Injury Law, the Minnesota auto accident attorney. For more information on TSR Injury Law please visit our website at www.tsrinjurylaw.com.

General Safety Issues

ALL MECHANICS SHOULD UNDERTAKE THESE SAFETY CHECKS (GUEST POST)

Regular servicing of a vehicle means that it remains roadworthy for longer. Not only does servicing keep the car in good condition and pick up on mechanical problems, which might cost you more in the long run, it keeps you safe. When conducting a service all mechanics should be checking the safety features as well as the engine parts. Knowing what sort of checks repairmen should be making on your behalf, therefore, is essential for any motorist. And remember that not all of these types of checks are immediately obvious ones. 

Seat belts

One thing that many car owners don’t know is that a simple seat belt check is something that ought to be carried out during a service. Seat belts should be checked for their accessibility as well as their condition. In both the front and back seats, belts should be replaced if they are no longer in top notch condition.

Steering

The steering mechanism of your car or van should also be the focus of a check. Loose or failing steering components need to be addressed and replaced, from time to time. Steering alignment is key for the good running of your vehicle and can wear down your tires quickly if it is not perfect. Seriously misaligned steering, on the other hand, is a safety issue. You could have trouble under heaving braking if problems like this are not resolved.

Suspension

The suspension system of your car should also undergo a safety inspection. Common suspension systems, such as leaf springs, can cause damage to the vehicle if they are not serviced properly. Different manufacturers use different types of leaf springs for suspension, so a qualified mechanic is needed for this sort of check. All of the U-bolts of the car’s suspension need to be checked to make sure they are fully tightened, for instance.

Brakes

Brakes are an important part of any vehicles operation and especially so if you want to remain safe whilst on the road. Common problems with the braking system are that the pads become worn. These are the parts of the system that come into contact with the wheels when you apply pressure on the brake pedal. Your brake technician should check that any wear they show is tolerable and replace ones that are overly worn. 

Tires

Like breaks, you car’s tires should also undergo an inspection to make sure they are not too worn. Of course, all tires show wear after time on the road, but tires that have become bald, where no tread is visible, are dangerous and should be replaced. Your mechanic should check the depth of tread remaining on your tires. Remember that this should include an inspection of your spare tire, as well as the four that are fitted.

Lights

The proper functioning of your vehicle’s lights is something that many motorists don’t think about, particularly drivers who rarely travel about in the night. Nevertheless, a proper check of all the lights your car uses should be made when it is serviced. Of course, the headlights should be checked for full beam and dipped functionality. Your car’s side lights should also be inspected. Indicators need to have their own separate check. At the rear, brake lights should be checked as well as your vehicle’s reversing light. Lastly, your emergency fog light should be confirmed as working properly.

Windscreen (windshield)

Your vehicle’s windscreen comes in for a lot of abuse while on the road. Chips and cracks can be common problems, particularly if you do a lot of motorway driving. Left un-dealt with, they can lead to serious problems with little or no notice. When your car is serviced, your windscreen’s seal should also be checked – something that many motorists don’t know about. 

Author Bio

UK Aftermarket Spring Specialists has been an established name in the automotive industry since 1962 and with almost 50 years of experience to draw from, we have the knowledge and expertise to help and guide you.

First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues

FACTS ABOUT MOST ESSENTIAL CAR SAFETY PRODUCTS (GUEST POST)

There are many types of products for car safety and security. When it is about the safety of car, you cannot risk the safety factor. There are many things that ensure ones safety in a vehicle. Seat belts are one of the most important parts of a vehicle. It has been proved after numerous experimentations that seat belts ensure maximum safety in a person’s life. Adjustable upper belts ensure better positioning with respect to the person’s size. The adjustable belts might encourage more and more people to wear seat belts, since they ensure that they enjoy more comfort than the usual ones.

Pretensioners: Another exemplifying part of seat belts are pretensioners. Now, you might be thinking how does a pretensioner can help you to get safety? The answer is that pretensioners help a seat belt to retract for removing excess amounts of slack in an instantaneous moment, especially when you are in an accident.

Management Features: During severe and critical accidents, energy management features ensures that seat belt yields to prevent pressure from the shoulder straps to concentrate on areas like the chest. They are present in the form of load limiters  built within the shoulder belt retractors and allow it to extend in need.

There are many vehicle safety product manufacturing companies that come with different types of products. Now, some of the manufacturing companies equip seat belts with center lap option or an additional shoulder belt. This added feature is very valuable for children to maintain their booster seats and when they are made to seat in the rear center position.

Air Bags: One of the main reasons which inflicts maximum amount of damage to a person when they do come across accidents is hitting with the front dashboards. Now, there are many different ways in which a person can prevent from getting hit with it and one of them is seat belt and another efficient one is air bags.

 Side airbags always make sure that you don’t get hit when a car gets hit from the side. But, don’t think that with air bag products, you can say bye to seat belts. No way. Actually air bags work efficiently when your seat belts are in the right position. It is always necessary to keep about a certain distance between children and air bags.

Head Injury Protection

Usually, when an accident occurs, people do suffer from tremendous head injuries. Now, for head protection, special kinds of equipments are manufactured, such as energy absorbing material or foam. You can always opt for head air bags, which significantly absorb the speedy movements and ensure that the head received minimum blow from the surroundings.

Conclusion

There are many ways in which a person can ensure maximum safety inside a vehicle. There are pet animal and child seat options. Buy car seats that absorb maximum adverse jerks and speedy movements. It is also essential that you keep a safety emergency kit with yourself to ensure that you attend to any sort of injury right after the affected collision.

Alex Mathew is a proficient author writing articles on car safety product, safety product and other similar topics. He contributes regularly for Well maintained used vehicles safety product.