Carpooling or ridesharing has many benefits for both you and the environment. Carpool with friends, family, co-workers and neighbors to share transportation. Carpooling saves you and others money on gas, car care and maintenance. Carpooling also cuts down on the amount of cars on the road. Sharing transportation and carpooling is a great idea that you can benefit from.
More benefits of carpooling are listed below:
– Fewer cars, fewer crashes, safer driving
– Less traffic congestion and less road rage
– Fewer cars on the road means less car emissions and less impact on the environment
– Shared cost of transportation
– Travel with people you know and trust
– No need to use public transportation
– Creates community among the people who share a car or carpool together
– Save money on the cost of transportation and car expenses
– When it’s not your turn to drive, you can relax and enjoy not having to deal with the stress of driving
– You can also take advantage of the carpool lane (HOV) offered in many large cities
– Save money on parking fees
– Meet new people and socialize
Consider some of the environmental impact factors driving your car has:
– It is expected that the number of cars and trucks on already crowded highways will double in the next 30 years
– The Average American spends 434 hours – 18 days – in his/her car each year
– Driving your car 20,800 miles a year emits 23,600 lbs of CO2
– Every car annually emits its own weight in carbon dioxide (CO2)
– Cut 25 miles a week from your driving and save 1,500 lbs of CO2
– The US could save 33 million gallons of gas – each day – if the average vehicle carried one additional person
Driving in the rain requires a certain amount of caution because it can be very dangerous.
Here are some helpful tips for rainy day driving:
- When driving on the freeway, drive in the center lanes as water tends to pool in the outside lanes.
- Turn on your headlights. It will help you see better on foggy or rainy days and it will help other drivers see you.
- Increase your following distance and watch for brake lights ahead. Never follow too close.
- Slow down, it takes longer to stop in wet weather. Plus the faster you drive, the greater the chances of hydroplaning.
- Drive slowly through any puddle of uncertain depth. That way if it’s deeper than you thought, you can still back out.
- Never drive through moving water if you can’t see the ground through it.
- Turn on your wipers at a good speed to keep up with the rain that is falling.
- Use Rain-X on your car and rain will begin to bead on your car making it easier to see out of your car and allowing rain to more easily drop off of your car.
- Turn up the heat or AC to your defrosters if your windows are fogging up.
- If you lose control and hydroplane, remember to steer into the direction of the skid which is the direction in which you are moving, not away from. This will help control the skidding. Also, remember to brake before going around a curve.
- If you do drive through very deep water you run the risk of stalling your car. In the event that your car stalls you will want to have someone pull your vehicle out. If you drive into a flooded area your car could potentially be swept away.
- Check your tires regularly so that they are in good shape to handle driving in the rain and on slick surfaces. If you do not have any tread on your tires then you will skid easier and you could end up hydroplaning, so it’s very important that you check your tires tread regularly.
- Use your emergency blinkers if the rain is so heavy that people may have difficulty seeing you.
- If possible stay off the road during thunderstorms and other violent storms. If you are caught in a heavy downpour, a thunderstorm or violent weather, pull over to the side of the road, put on your emergency blinkers and wait out the storm. Listen to the radio for emergency broadcast information.
As summer vacation is swiftly approaching, families all across the nation hop into their cars for vacation or long distance family visits. At Insurance Doctor, we know that it’s a crowded highway out there, and even without the dangers of snow or black ice, the summer season can still be dangerous when driving. Here are a few things to watch out for while driving this summer.
Watch out for the sun’s glare. That hot summer sun glaring down on your windshield reduces your visibility and could cause you to miss an exit or not see an obstruction in your way. If you’re driving right into the sun during the early or late hours of the day, be sure to drive the speed limit and scan the road ahead as clearly as you can. Wear sunglasses and use your sun visors, and be sure to check the washer fluid levels before you leave so that you can keep your windshield as clean as possible.
Watch out for potholes. Winter’s extreme weather has left some damage to our highways in the form of pot holes. Be careful driving over potholes as they can cause you to lose control of your car.
More bikes, motorcycles, mopeds, and pedestrians will be on or near the sides of the road when the warm weather hits, so be sure to stay extra cautious. Always double check before switching lanes to see if there is a cyclist in your blind spot. When you are off the interstate and using more local streets, share the road with other drivers or walkers by driving safely.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the winter is the only dangerous driving season. Insurance Doctor encourages you to stay safe on the crowded roads and enjoy your summer.
Summer is here and young drivers are out of school and on the road in droves heading from place to place. Insurance Doctor encourages parents to talk their children about driver safety on the road. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the leading causes of car crashes involving teens include driver inexperience, risk-taking behavior, high risk situations such as inclement weather, alcohol and drug use, not wearing a safety belt and distractions in the car. Texting is just one of many distractions for drivers on the road. Other distractions include:
Answering cell phone calls
Listening to loud music
Talking to and interacting with passengers
Eating while driving
Putting on make-up while driving
Reading maps or changing information on a GPS
Partners for Safe Teen Driving is a community health initiative whose objective is to reduce the incidences of teenage automobile crashes, injuries and fatalities in Virginia. The organization works through schools and communities increasing awareness and educating both parents and children about the dangers of distracted driving and other causes of teen accidents. As a parent, take a look at this website, http://www.safeteendriving.org/, and learn ways in which you can talk to and educate your young driver about driving safely and the dangers of distracted driving.
Do you think you are a good driver? Could you pass the driving test if you had to take it again?
The GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test is conducted annually to see how drivers across the country score. This test has become the benchmark for America’s driving IQ, and in some areas, we are not doing so good. Here are some interesting results from this year’s test:
Are men really better drivers? If your answer is based on driving knowledge as opposed to driving habits, then yes, men are better drivers than women. Overall test results showed males scored an average of 80.2 percent while women scored an average of 74.1 percent on this year’s test.
Be careful while driving in the northeast, because the test results indicated that scores, on average, were the lowest in the northeast driving region. What region scored the highest? The midwest.
Have respect for your elders – According to the GMAC National Drivers Test, drivers between the ages of 60-65 had the highest average test scores.
When traveling, which state should you avoid? According to the test results, stay away from New York and Washington, D.C., because 1 in 3 drivers failed the test.
Insurance Doctor and GMAC Insurance encourage you to go on-line and take the test. Knowledge is power and the more you know, the safer you will be on the road. Test your driving knowledge at www.gmacinsurance.com
Welcome to summer! At Insurance Doctor, we want you to have a safe, happy fun-filled summer so we are offering some tips to keep you safe and happy on the road all summer long.
If you are planning a long distance car trip and are planning on taking your pets with you, it is essential that you consider all the precautions associated with pet travel to ensure that your pets stay safe and you don’t get distracted while driving.
Bringing along your furry companions for a car ride, or perhaps taking them with you on your family vacation, can add an extra element of planning to your travel plans. Animals are usually not very comfortable with car travel so here are some ways to make things easier on you and your furry friend.
Make sure to have the same food for your pet, as well as their favorite toys, so that they can have some familiarities with them while traveling. New changes can frighten animals and make them anxious, so try to keep things as familiar as possible.
Keep your pets confined to a certain area of the car. For smaller pets, keeping them in a travel crate is the best way to travel. Don’t put them in the trunk because the air doesn’t circulate well back there, so either buckle up the crate into an empty seat or set the crate in the back of the car. There are also approved booster seats for smaller pets that you can buckle your pets into if you do not have a travel crate. For large dogs, keep them in the back of the vehicle on a make-shift mat if possible. Make sure they can not climb to the front close to the driver.
Never leave your pet in a locked, parked car. Temperatures increase quickly and can be life threatening to your pet in a matter of minutes. Take plenty of breaks so your pet can get some fresh air and a little bit of exercise. It will keep them more content while traveling.
From Insurance Doctor, stay safe on the road and enjoy your summer!
The last thing you need is to get a speeding ticket. When driving on the interstate, it’s easy to lose focus and not notice that the speedometer has crept up past the legal driving speed. Paying attention and remembering to slow down is usually the biggest challenge to prevent speeding. Insurance Doctor has some tips that will help you slow down while driving:
Eliminate distractions – Keep your mind on the road. Don’t talk on your cell phone while driving and definitely don’t text. Try not to get distracted by other passengers. Be alert to all traffic signs, traffic patterns, and pay attention to driving conditions.
Leave in plenty of time – Make sure you allow enough time to get to your destination. Speeding often occurs when drivers are running late.
Use your cruise control – This will automatically set your car to a pre-determined speed and can prevent speeding tickets. If you have a heavy foot, using the cruise control on the highway can prevent speeding tickets.
Relax – Often times anxiousness and frustration leads to speeding. It is important to stay relaxed while driving. Don’t let other drivers cause you to get mad and lose your focus.
Remember that a good driving record helps to keep your insurance rates lower and driving the speed limit reduces the chance of causing an accident.
The danger of your car overheating can happen all times of the year, but summertime increases the risk if you are not careful. Don’t skimp on a summer check up for your car and make sure that everything is tuned up before traveling long distances.
Engine overheating can ruin a car if you do not pay attention. With such high temperatures under the hood of the car, that heat can burn and damage other vehicle parts. That’s why it is so important to make sure everything is running properly – overheating can be prompted by many conditions. Common reasons for overheating due to system failures are low coolant levels, a coolant leak and bad airflow through the radiator. However, with older cars, the engine can overheat just from stop and go traffic in the hot weather.
Insurance Doctor recommends that if you are driving and notice steam coming up from the hood of your car, pull over to a safe area as soon as you can. It is better to wait and let the engine cool down than to keep driving and cause more internal damage or cause an accident while the steam limits your visibility. Be careful lifting the hood because it will be hot, and check for the source of the problem. With car troubles such as overheating from a system failure, be sure to take your car into the shop immediately to prevent further damage.
Insurance Doctor provides auto insurance for residents of both Virginia and North Carolina. Get a free auto insurance quote today.
GMAC Insurance just released the results from its 7th Annual 2011 National Drivers test. According to their results, 18 percent of American drivers would not pass the written drivers test if taken today. That breaks down to 36.9 million American drivers, or 1 in 5 drivers on the road. Think about it. These are people already on the road driving with a valid driver’s license.
Scott Eckman, chief marketing officer, GMAC Insurance said “The GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test has quickly become the benchmark for America’s driving IQ.” Preventing accidents starts with education. We could all benefit from a refresher course on the rules of the road.
The seventh annual survey polled 5,130 licensed drivers ranging in ages from 16-65, across 50 states as well as the District of Columbia. How do you think you would do on the test? Take the test and view the your results at www.gmacinsurance.com. Without proper driving skills, the risk of being involved in an accident is much higher. GMAC Insurance and Insurance Doctor would like to encourage drivers to brush up on their driving skills before an accident occurs.
Summer officially begins this weekend and thousands of motorists will be on the highway trying to get to their holiday destination. At Insurance Doctor, we want you to enjoy your holiday weekend and stay safe on the road. Here are a few tips to stay safe on the highway this weekend:
Always wear your safety belt
Do not speed
Do not talk on your cell phone while driving
Do not text while driving
Do not drink and drive
Obey all traffic signs
Happy Memorial Day from all of us at Insurance Doctor. Have a safe holiday.