Articles & Features

I am amazed at how often cars race trains to a crossing, in order to just barely cross in front of it. This seems to be a right of passage for young drivers in rural areas as they learn to drive. I have even seen this depicted in Hollywood films ...

Be cautious when passing stopped or slow-moving vehicles. They often hide dangers that are not immediately apparent. The first thing to ask yourself is why? Why is the vehicle moving slowly, or why is it stopped? This rule is about patience, courtesy and taking care for others ...

As we are now into the autumn migratory season, it's time to talk about wildlife avoidance. Car/animal collisions are a problem across the United States. You might be surprised to learn that over a half million car/animal collisions occur every year! While deer are the most common animal struck, others, such as elk and moose, can pose greater dangers ...

Defensive driving encompasses many different ideas and practices, one of which is understanding the effects your driving may have on others, and the results this can have on your safety and theirs. In my state of Arizona, there is a law that if another driver approaching from your rear signals by lights or horn their intention to pass you, you must allow them to pass, giving way to the right if necessary to let them around. Many other states have similar laws ...

Vans are involved in collisions at a higher rate than passenger sedans. You should think about the reasons why, especially if you drive a van infrequently and are less experienced in their characteristics. The most common van mishaps stem from backing unsafely, stopping, and rollovers. Wonder why?
...

Protect your number one asset! I wasn't born rich or good looking -- so my brain is my strong point, although some would argue this. Be that as it may, I'd wear a helmet if I rode a bike. Even minor bumps can cause spills resulting in head impacts and at as little as 4 mph, a head injury can be fatal. One estimate says that as high as 85% of these injuries could be prevented ...

One of the problems bicyclists face is motorists who think they don't belong on the road. As drivers, we must share roadways safely with all users, and bicyclists have every right to be out there.

Many drivers are not thinking about bicycles and often do not see them. Keep watch for bikes and be wary in places they might be around. Especially around intersections, there's potential for conflict with bikes -- watch out ...

Most drivers agree that courtesy is lacking on our roadways -- whether between operators of cars, cars and pedestrians or bicycles, between motorcycles and cars, or trucks and cars. I've often wondered whether the relative anonymity we have when driving leads us to behave in ways we'd never consider if we were meeting another person face to face.
...

It's not a good idea to try to make up time on the road when you are late. We once called this behavior "pressure driving." Pressure driving is characterized by speeding, sudden and multiple lane changes, cutting other drivers off, tailgating, or going on private property or off the road to get around obstacles or slower drivers. In short, it's acting in an intimidating manner ...