Red-light cameras represent a real challenge to many drivers, even safe ones. Traffic school is one way to handle violations reported by these cameras.

You are rushing to a meeting and push the yellow light, and just as you enter the intersection you sense a flash of light. Uh-oh, you think, and sure enough, a few weeks later you get a mail notice that you have been caught on camera. For an increasing number of Americans, the red light camera has become a reality of life, and millions find themselves paying fines each year for pictures taken of violations by these silent sentinels.

Whether or not you have encountered this growing presence of computerized traffic cops, it is worth understanding what is fact and what is myth about traffic cameras. Here is some important information to understand about these one-eyed municipal employees:

Fact or Myth: Safety is the primary reason local governments are installing increasing numbers of red-light cameras.

Myth. Numerous studies are proving that red-light cameras actually make streets less safe. An increasing number of accidents are attributed to the presence of such cameras, especially those set to the federal minimum of three seconds for a yellow light. Drivers will suddenly slam on the brakes when yellow lights are too fast, and other drivers try to force lights while others move forward on a quick green.

At the same time, many municipal managers are upfront about the fact that they look at red-light cameras as an important source of additional revenue. According to such city managers as Eric Anderson of Tacoma, “We’re talking about very important revenue streams for the city.”

Additionally, many of the tickets, as much as 80 percent, are issued for right hand turns that are not actual safety issues, but cameras decide the stop before turning was “not long enough.”

Fact or Myth: You have nothing to worry about from red-light cameras if you don’t speed or run red lights.

Myth. As noted above, as many as 80 percent of all red-light violations ticketed involve right turns without a full stop, or not stopping the necessary length of time to not activate the camera. School zones also provide a number of violations, as many cameras do not correspond with the designated times for the cameras to report violations. Another problem, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, more than 28 percent of all red-light tickets are issued to the wrong person.

Fact or Myth: Municipalities and cities that use red-lights protect drivers with a reliable violation-review process.

Myth. Virtually all red-light systems are installed by third-party for-profit companies. These companies have contracts with the city that require a certain number of recorded violations result in issued tickets. This number is often at 90 percent or more, and the cities are required to maintain this level or be subject to large fines. This financial penalty, as well as the additional revenues they receive, creates a double whammy effect against a fair and impartial review of recorded violations. In fact, the reviewing is often a police officer who, as a city employee, has a strong incentive to approve the ticket, regardless of the actual circumstances.

These, and other factors, have made the red-light camera issue a hot button for many communities. There is an ongoing effort to stop, or at least significantly lower, the reliance on these cameras as a way to enforce red lights and traffic safety. However, they remain a real threat to even the safe driver, and can easily result in fines that run into the hundreds of dollars.

If a red light camera has caught you red-handed, and you’ve received a ticket for a moving violation in the mail, you may find a defensive driving course will save the day. Many state and local traffic courts allow you to take such courses to lower or dismiss your ticket and fine, and you may even be able to avoid having any points added to your record. Additionally, many auto insurance carriers provide discounts for drivers who take defensive driving courses, and you can earn safe driver discounts for completing these driver classes.

• For information About How much is a Red Light Ticket in New York?, click:
  How much is a Red Light Ticket in New York?

The post Red Light Cameras: Facts & Myths appeared first on MyImprov.

This weekend of gridiron action featured a number of entertaining games. One of the best matchups was the New England Patriots and the Cincinnati Bengals. The tilt with the Bengals was Tom Brady’s first home game following his four game suspension stemming from the “deflate gate” debacle. These two squads certainly have their fair share of superstars. One would think Bengals and Patriots players drive some pretty amazing vehicles, considering their star power and exorbitant salaries. Let’s take a look at which team is victorious in this week’s Monday Night AutoBrawl Battle of the Cars.

THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS’ VEHICLES
JAMES DEVELIN

James Develin might not receive much fanfare for his role as the Patriots’ fullback yet he certainly deserves respect for his taste in automobiles. Develin upgraded from his old Chevrolet Camaro to a stunning BMW 750Li. The Beamer is just large enough to accommodate Develin’s considerable size. The L series has an extra long wheelbase that provides ample seating space, especially in the rear. It also features a 445 horsepower engine, USB connections and Bluetooth. Yet the 750Li doesn’t sacrifice form for function. Take one look at this amazing piece of automotive machinery and you will agree it is one of the sleekest sedans on the market.

Develin earns a +3 in the Battle of the Cars.

NATE SOLDER

Nate Solder has quickly become one of the game’s premier offensive linemen. He’s an absolute beast on the field and in terms of sheer size. He stands 6’8” and weighs 320 pounds. A man this large needs a mammoth vehicle. Solder picked out a decent ride in the Toyota 4Runner. Though the 4Runner isn’t the largest sport utility vehicle on the market, it is a solid performer. The 4Runner can fit upwards of seven passengers and head off-road without a problem. Yet Solder certainly makes enough money to drive a nicer vehicle with superior aesthetics and luxurious touches.

Solder gets a -1 in the Battle of the Cars.

TOM BRADY

Tom Brady just might be the best quarterback to ever play the game. Can you imagine Brady rolling around Foxboro and Boston in a simple sedan or coupe? The thought of such an image is somewhat laughable. Brady went all out when car shopping. He drives several vehicles, two of which are the Rolls-Royce Ghost and the Audi R8. Both cars are absolutely gorgeous and a blast to drive.

Brady tops out with a +5.

THE CINCINNATI BENGALS’ RIDES

TYLER EIFERT

Tyler Eifert has missed the early portion of the season with ankle and back injuries. When healthy, he is one of the NFL’s elite young tight ends. His choice in vehicles reflects his style of play: Big, fast and intimidating. Eifert drives a 2015 GMC Denali. This heavy duty pickup truck has plenty of power, luxurious niceties and the ability to take on just about any type of terrain.

Eifert scores a +4 in the Battle of the Cars.

A.J. GREEN

Those who watch A.J. Green on a weekly basis will testify to his incredible hand-eye coordination. The superstar wide receiver might be on the skinny side yet his toughness makes up for his lack of bulk. Green’s specialty is pulling down Andy Dalton deep balls, often in a one-handed manner. His vehicle certainly matches his dramatic style of play. Green is the proud owner of a Porsche Panamera 4S. Take one look at this dreamy sports car and you’ll agree that

Green deserve a +5.

ANDY DALTON

Andy Dalton’s vehicle was in the news for all the wrong reasons this past summer. Dalton mistakenly drove away from a gas station with the pump still in his Land Rover’s fuel tank. The snafu was observed and publicized by a Browns fan, making it all the more embarrassing. Though Land Rovers are nice, Dalton could do better with his $115 million contract.

He gets a +2 in the Battle of the Cars.

THE WINNER:

The Patriots beat the Bengals on the field this past weekend yet the Bengals players have superior rides. Powered by A.J. Green’s Porsche Panamera and Tyler Eifert’s GMC Denali, the Bengals win this week’s Battle of the Cars.

Fair Game? Who do you think won? Feel free to leave your comments below.

The post Monday Night AutoBrawl: Patriots vs. Bengals appeared first on MyImprov.

Are you sick of paying someone $35 every few months to change your oil? Would you rather do it yourself… but find the task of opening up your hood and finding the oil cap daunting? If so, follow this easy guide to changing your oil all by yourself and save some money!

I recommend changing your oil every 6,000 miles. Others recommend changing your oil after a certain amount of time (like getting it checked every three to four months), but I learned from taking a California traffic school that everyone drives differently month to month. Online traffic school offered tips on when you should change your oil and how often. You can make the decision for yourself once you know all the safety protocols regarding a vehicle.

The first step seems like common sense, but needs to be mentioned. Check (and double check) what type of oil grade your vehicle needs. Different cars and trucks use different weight oils.

To find what grade of oil you need in particular, check the oil cap, and there should be some numbers and amounts on there. If you are still unsure, consult your owner’s manual, or as a very last resort, look up your car’s year, make, and model online and it should give you a close estimate, which you can confirm or deny with the clerk at your local auto parts store. You can always ask a professional to make extra sure, but it may cost you.

After you know which grade of oil your car takes, make note of how much oil your specific car holds.

1. Next, place a shallow tray (like one of those paint holders for a rolling brush, easily found at most stores), under the front center of your car, ready to collect the old oil.

2. Open up your hood and take the oil cap (the one that you got the oil grade and amount information from) and unscrew the cap, but leave it on.

3. Get under your car and make sure the oil pan is directly below the oil tank.

4. Some vehicles have a plate that protects the bottom of the oil pan (to avoid a mess when and if you hit something in the middle of the road). Remove that plate if necessary (remember to keep all the pieces and parts together so you can put it back on properly!), and ensure your shallow pan is in place.

5. Then unscrew the bolt that covers the oil hole on your vehicle. The old oil, which should be dark black (and nasty) will start to drain out into the pan (so make sure you move your face in time).

6. Get out from under your car and go back to the oil cap under your hood and remove it (and put in a safe place). This should help the old oil flow more quickly into the pan below. Let the oil drain out completely, until you are sure nothing else is coming out.

7. Take extra care screwing the bolt back into the bottom of the oil tank, and put the plate back into place (with all the correct pieces to avoid future disaster).

8. Now you can finally get up from underneath your car, and move the old oil pan out and to the side.

9. Go back to the front of your car, and fill the oil tank up (with the correct grade and amount) using a funnel, then screw the top back on.

Easy peasy, right? Keep in mind that most auto places will take your old oil and recycle it if you drop it off in a plastic container. To feel even more comfortable opening up the hood of your car and understanding what you’re staring at, remember the tips that you had learned while taking that online traffic school, they will provide you the basics of operating and taking care of your car.

While changing your oil yourself may seem like a serious task, following these simple steps and keeping up with your car’s health can make you feel like your very own mechanic.

The post How To Change Your Oil For The Millenial appeared first on MyImprov.

The dreaded sounds of a blaring siren down an otherwise empty stretch of highway can turn a pleasant afternoon drive into a nerve-wracking experience. Almost everyone who has gotten behind the wheel has broken a traffic law through ignorance or accident, and a momentary lapse of attention to the speedometer can turn even the most cautious driver into a speed demon in the eyes of a quota-driven deputy. Whether you’re a veteran traffic violator with an extensive rap sheet or a one-time offender who feels like a seatbelt violation will turn them into a disappointment for their parents, knowing more about traffic violations and the havoc they can render will save you money.

How Much Will a Ticket Cost You?

The most direct cost of the traffic ticket will be the penalties leveled against you by the court, typically in the form of a monetary fine and citation on your driving record. The exact form the fines and citations will take is determined by the state, so it is useful to take the time to learn the laws of your state of residence, neighboring states, and any state you plan on driving through for business or pleasure. Common violations include speeding, driving while intoxicated, disobeying traffic signs, failure to signal, reckless driving, expired or missing documents, and failure to wear a seat belt. The severity of the punishment will fluctuate according to the specific violations and your driving history. The type of license you have can also be a factor in how stiff the penalties are, as CDL licensees are likely too familiar with.

If the fine is higher than you can pay or if you miss a court date, then the judge may add additional fines to the original penalty. Some of the more nefarious districts may even fine you for failure to pay. This can create a spiraling vortex of cost that can trap you just as quickly as credit card debt or payday loan schemes.

After you get done dealing with the legal system, your insurance company will be the other party waiting to take a bite out of you. These wonderful bastions of capitalism are frothing at the mouth for any reason to increase your rates, and breaking a driving law is an unfortunately legitimate-sounding excuse for them to do so. The fact that they’ll hike your rates by percentages that seem pulled from a roll of the dice while you do your best to grin and bear it is irrelevant here. A single speeding ticket from an overzealous patrolman who caught you doing 56 in a 55 can raise your yearly insurance premiums by a thousand bucks or more.

What Can You Do About a Traffic Ticket?

Aside from wishing you had the power of time travel, there may seem to be little or nothing that you can do to alleviate the financial pain of the traffic ticket, but you are not as helpless as you think.

For the legal concerns, lawyers focused on traffic law have cropped up in response to the overwhelming need for protecting citizens from the man. They can help you file a challenge against the ticket, which is a good way to have the penalties dropped or thrown out completely. It helps to take a realistic view here; you will have to pay far less for a lawyer capable of getting rid of a fix-it ticket or missing documents than one who can get a drunk driving charge mitigated.

After exhausting the legal avenue, the next step is to do everything you can to make the insurance company forget all about the blot on your record. Some companies will forgive the rate hike if the penalties are reversed, but relying on their altruism will only get you so much. One of the few ways you can convince them to drop your rates is through attending traffic school. A certificate of completion in defensive driving techniques will get you a state-mandated insurance discount in many states that can counteract the hike from violations up to and including speeding tickets. Considering the number of years it can take for the marks on your record to disappear, attending traffic school can equal out to savings in the thousands after factoring in the cost of the course without the risk of filing a legal challenge with the aid of a lawyer. If you only have the funds to pick one of the two options, traffic school is the reliably effective solution to reducing the cost of your traffic ticket.

The post How Traffic Tickets Will Hit You Faster and Harder Than You Expect appeared first on MyImprov.

Cars just don’t look like they used to. Gone are the heavy bodies, the tailfins and ornate bumpers. The modern vehicle looks more like an electric razor than it does a B-52 bomber. On the one hand, this has made cars safer, cheaper, lighter, easier to drive, smaller, easier to park, and cheaper to insure. But on the other, man, they just don’t look quite as cool, do they?

The ever-evolving look and build of a modern car changes just a little bit at a time. An onboard computer here, a streamlined bumper there, throw in a smaller engine when you get the chance and so on. Here are some changes we’re looking at in the near future that, added up over the next five, ten years, will leave us with cars very different from the ones we’re driving now:

Plastic Parts

Plastic gears could be coming soon to a vehicle near you. You might think that these parts would simply melt or shatter with the stress and heat put on them inside the engine of a Ford or Hyundai, but these new gears are reinforced with carbon fiber which helps them to withstand a lot of road.

Some of the more obvious benefits come down to weight and price. Replacing one or two gears in your engine with plastic would make a marginal difference, but add it up over dozens of pieces and you’re looking at a difference in the hundreds of pounds range. As for price, well, plastic comes a lot cheaper than steel. Replacing a gear might only cost you a couple bucks or, give it a few years, and you might be able to 3D-print your replacement gears right at home.

Uncrashable Cars

A number of new developments may help to render the automobile uncrashable sooner than you think. Intelligent, automated cars are the obvious solution, with cars zipping around the highway like bits of data over the internet, but long before the computers take over the task of driving for us, cars may become nearly impossible to crash.

We already have cars that can detect whether or not they’re about to hit a wall or another car and come to a dead stop, now here are some other inventions that may make it very hard to wreck your wheels:

• Connected cars. We’re talking about onboard computers that know where every other car on the road is, no more risk of a head-on collision every time you pass the guy in front of you.
• Headlights that track the driver’s eyes so you’re never in the dark.
• Cars that automatically obey speed limits.

These are just a few of our favorites. Consider what cars will look like when they don’t actually need to be safe, because they already are. Will we need seatbelts? Will cars need metal frames and bodies or will we be able to cruise around in lightweight plastic vehicles safe in the knowledge that we won’t need all that armor to survive an accident?

Unspillable Drinks

Maybe this one doesn’t seem to be as big of a deal as automated vehicles and lightweight plastic parts, but every driver in the world knows what a pain it can be to spill hot coffee or freezing cold soda all over your lap. A gyroscopic drink holder is precisely the thing you never knew you wanted.

Of course, the uncrashable car and the two-dollar replacement gear is still a few years away. In the meantime, a traffic school course can help to ensure that you drive more safely, get fewer tickets, and spill fewer drinks.

The post The Plastic Car of the Future appeared first on MyImprov.

With Batman V. Superman coming out in theaters March 25, 2016, it’s superhero season, when a young driver’s thoughts turn to Batmobiles. We’ve only seen glimpses of the Affleckmobile so far, but it looks to take after the tank-like design of the Christian Bale Batflicks to accompany Affleck’s beefier Batsuit and armor. While we wait and see how it performs on the screen, let’s talk about our favorite Batcars.

Adam West’s Lincoln

Adam West’s Batmobile was a converted Lincoln Futura. The Futura’s original body was actually crafted by a team of artisans in Italy, hammering pieces of metal over logs and stumps and whatever else was handy in order to get the right shape. The Batmobile body was designed by legendary car customizer George Barris who figured it made more sense to buy the Futura than to build a car from scratch.

Here’s some weird trivia: Lincoln sold it to them for one dollar. They just wanted to get rid of it, it would seem.

The car’s most famous post-Batman cameo was probably in the Simpsons episode Mr. Plow, where Adam West (voicing himself) is seen showing the car off at a car show, and then driving it down the street with its poorly-kept muffler bouncing along the blacktop. West’s weird self-satire on The Simpsons eventually led to his being cast as Mayor Adam West on Family Guy.

The Keaton-mobile

Modeled after jet engines and custom built from the ground up, the Batmobile from the Tim Burton Batfilms, Batman and Batman Returns, was known for its distinctive black, sleek appearance. The car brought the tank-like aspects of the Batmobile from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns into the live action Batworld, being equipped with machine guns, bombs, hooks, grapples, and jet propulsion.

The car’s self-driving abilities seemed impossible at the time, but as we inch closer to the Googlecar, it’s starting to look a little less silly.

This car was the most obvious influence on the Batmobile from Batman: The Animated Series, though it was eventually redesigned for Batman Forever (interesting note: Val Kilmer’s Batmobile cameoed on The Drew Carey Show in an episode where Drew won the car in a contest, and in the remake of Arthur where it was driven by Russel Brand).

Christian Bale’s Mini-tank

In Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan delivered something much closer to the tank-like Batmobile from The Dark Knight Returns. The car here was significantly downsized, as Frank Miller’s tank had an interior with enough space for an operating table on a gyroscope, but was still large enough to break off into a motorcycle in an emergency (an idea borrowed from Tim Burton’s “Batmissile” scene in Returns perhaps). Perhaps less fun to look at than earlier versions of the car, the Bat-tank nevertheless proved a perfect fit for the grounded reality of the Nolan Bativerse, looking more like a piece of high-tech military equipment than a carshow concept design.

We don’t know where Batman learned to drive. Perhaps he was taught how to operate a high-end vehicle by the same ninja clan that taught him to fight, but if you wind up getting pulled over in your own Batmobile, you may be able to get your fines down and prevent an insurance-raising DMV report by agreeing to take a defensive driving course instead of paying the full amount. Batman may be able to work outside of the law (and pay a pricy ticket without eating ramen for the rest of the month), but not all of us are so lucky.

The post The Best of Batman appeared first on MyImprov.

Car insurance is obviously a must-have because it’s illegal to drive without it. By the time you get to be 25-years-old your rates will naturally go down a bit, which is great, but there are other ways to have less expensive insurance. You can take a defensive driving course at your local traffic school which shows your insurance company that you care about the quality of your driving. They will lower your rates for that. Younger driver’s can get better rates by taking their driver’s education courses at certified local driver’s education schools. Also many people don’t know this, but the vehicle you choose to drive can have a big impact on your insurance rates. If you are in the market to purchase a new vehicle especially a SUV or crossover SUV, you might choose one on this list that is less expensive to insure.

Toyota Sienna LE

Yearly insurance rate: $1148.78. The safety rating of this Toyota traditional minivan is the reason it’s on the list as being a great less expensive vehicle to insure. It’s roomy interior is perfect to cart all your family members around, and even a few of their friends.

Mazda Tribute S

Yearly insurance rate: $1146.69. The Mazda Tribute is considered a crossover SUV, so it’s a combination SUV and sedan. Seating five it’s the perfect vehicle for a family of four, and maybe a pet or two.

Dodge Grand Caravan C/V

Yearly insurance rate: $1146.53. This highly rated minivan has all of the bells and whistles you could possibly want for your family. The media choices are endless, and it’s the highest selling minivan for the past five years.

Honda CR-V LX

Yearly insurance rate: $1146.29. This is another crossover SUV type vehicle. It’s excellent gas mileage, and sport look is perfect for the young professional or college student. Honda’s in general are very durable, long lasting cars.

Jeep Patriot Sport

Yearly insurance rate: $1145.58. You don’t get any more fun than this sporty Jeep crossover, which is just right for all your off-road or camping type adventures. It’s a compact SUV that for the price gives your a whole lot of vehicle to drive.

Hyundai Santa Fe GLS

Yearly insurance rate: $1141.07. This is a full size SUV that looks great, is fun to drive, is roomy enough for small families, and insurance costs won’t break your piggy bank every month.

Honda Odyssey EX

Yearly insurance rate: $1139.80. The adorable Honda Odyssey is the perfect first minivan type car for you and it seats up to eight people with it’s roomy, relaxing interior. Perfect for family road trips with it’s amazing gas mileage.

Kia Sportage LX

Yearly insurance rates: $1138.41. Kia is known for it’s affordability and this vehicle is no exception. The price starts at 21,000, and is considered a smaller sized SUV. There are many different style options and features to choose from that you will feel like you are getting a luxury car at a great price.

Hyundai Tucson GLS

Yearly insurance rate: $1134.08. Roomy and affordable are two words that suit this car to perfections. The best part is the option to get a panoramic sunroof, and the fluid design of the car is very eye-catching. You’ll be the envy of all your neighbors.

Jeep Wrangler X

Yearly Insurance rate: $1124.38. This is a modern American classic. Whether you are a new driver or been on the road for years, you will be dying to pull of the top, take it off road, and have a blast without going broke.

Whatever SUV or SUV crossover vehicle you choose, having a little less expensive insurance will allow you to put your money towards doing all kinds of fun things in your new car. More road trips, dinners out, and shopping excursions are all possible when you pay less every year for your insurance. Choosing any one of these fine vehicles will keep a few extra bucks where they belong, in your pocket and not in the pocket of big insurance companies. Being safer in your car can also happen when you take those defensive driving courses. Discounts can truly make a difference in your insurance rates because a driver who actively take steps to improve upon their driving skill set, will look better to insure according to insurance companies. The less accidents that occur, mean less claims for insurance companies to pay out.

The post 10 SUV Crossover Vehicles That Are Surprisingly Cheap To Insure appeared first on MyImprov.

Nearly everyone is required by law to carry car insurance, so it is likely you have and pay for insurance every month. If you have not yet made a claim on your car insurance, you probably will at some point in the future. Not all car insurance policies are the same, and it is important to understand the different types of coverage as well as auto insurance lingo so you can purchase a policy that protects you without spending extra on what you don’t need.

With the exception of New Hampshire, every state requires drivers to carry car insurance policies. Even though almost everyone has car insurance, many people don’t fully understand some of its provisions.

A better understanding of basic coverage types and definitions associated with car insurance can give you the knowledge you need to make a smart choice when buying your insurance. Here is the information you need to make sure you are saving on your car insurance.

Why is Car Insurance Required?

When we think of insurance, we normally think about it protecting us from unfortunate situations that could be costly. Car insurance can pay for damages done to your car, but the real reason insurance is required by law is to protect other drivers in the event that you are the cause of damage.

For example, if you rear-end someone at a stop sign, causing damage to the other person’s car and possibly injury to the driver, your car insurance with pay for the repairs and for any hospital bills that are a result of the accident. Your insurance protects you financially in this situation. So, the primary function of your insurance is to protect you from being sued by another party. This is why, even if you are driving a beat up old car that is not worth much, you still need to carry insurance.

Conversely, if you were crossing the street when a driver ran a red light and hit you, if that driver did not have car insurance, you would be responsible for paying your own hospital bills. You would then have to try and sue the driver who hit you, but even if you win the suit, there is the possibility that the driver simply does not have the money. In this scenario, you are just out of luck because the driver neglected to purchase the required car insurance.

• Auto Insurance: What You Ought To Know

The post What Every Driver Needs to Know About Car Insurance appeared first on MyImprov.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, about 200,000 accidents occur due to slick roads annually. Those in the northern part of the country are especially at risk because of limited visibility, black ice, and other winter-born problems. Even drivers in warm regions will benefit from knowing what to do in the rare case of icy roads, so it can’t hurt to learn some tips for driving in that situation. Take a look below at some of the best tips for driving safely on slick roads.

1. Get regular maintenance on your vehicle. Many car shops have a winter care package that includes checking your brakes, oil, tires, and other important cold weather car issues.
2. Inspect your vehicle yourself. Make sure you look at the tires for proper tread, the battery, and your windshield wipers. Your vehicle should also have enough antifreeze. Adjust these things if needed.
3. Plan for the drive. It’s important to prepare for a drive in winter weather. You shouldn’t depend on only your GPS; sometimes they can be wrong, so bring a map to be sure you can navigate your way to your destination. Make sure you know about the latest detours and closures before you head out.
4. Practice driving on icy roads. Make sure you practice turning, stopping, accelerating, and decelerating.
5. Drive slowly. Shaving a little bit of time off your travels isn’t worth the risk of getting into a serious accident. Your vehicle won’t be able to stop as quickly on icy roads, so watch for ice and travel at a reasonable speed, no matter what anyone around you is doing.
6. Use your brakes intelligently. Many modern vehicles already come with an anti-lock braking system (ABS). With ABS, you can hold the brakes down, but if you don’t have ABS, you should tap the brake pedal rather than hold it down to avoid sliding out of control.
7. Keep a safe distance behind other vehicles. You’ll need more space to stop on icy roads if something ahead of you were to happen; therefore, you want to make sure you are a safe enough distance behind other cars to ensure you don’t get into an accident if the person in front of you slams on the brakes.
8. Use your signals earlier than usual. Let drivers know what moves you are making earlier than usual so they can adjust.

There are many ice spots on the road that may catch you by surprise, sending you sliding. If you start to lose control, don’t immediately slam on the brakes. Take your foot off the gas pedal and steer the wheel in the direction you want to point your car. Don’t hit the brakes or gas until you have gotten back into control. In the end, it’s best to avoid icy conditions whenever possible. Check the weather to schedule any errands or driving you have to do.

Even when you follow all the above recommendations, black ice can still get the best of anyone, possibly getting you into an accident. However, this doesn’t have to be wreak havoc on your driving record. If you have gotten any traffic tickets this winter or gotten any points against your license, you can take a defensive driving course to help you out. If you take an approved defensive driving course through an accredited, you have the opportunity to have ticket fines and the points dropped. Another benefit is you’ll learn all about safe driving habits you can implement. Check out the DMV website in your state to see all of the approved traffic school programs near you.

The post 8 Tips for Safe Driving on Slick Roads appeared first on MyImprov.

Summer road trip anyone?

If so, let’s do a quick run-down of the essential items that should be on your packing list!

Photo Credit: abcnews.go.com

1. Bottled Water
2. Snacks
3. Gum
4. Car Charger
5. Kleenex
6. Maps
7. CDs/iPod
8. GPS
9. Cooler
10. Toys/ Games for the kids (or adults)
11. Paper Towels
12. Disinfectant Spray/ Bug Spray
13. Oh Yea, Don’t Forget A Vehicle

Well this is a good start, but it won’t be all that’s going to be necessary for your adventure. If you are at all familiar with National Lampoon’s Summer Vacation, then you will surely know the pitfalls (although in that movie slightly exaggerated) that come with being ill-prepared for a summer road trip. Once the list has been fully checked off, it’s time to pile everyone in the car and initiate count-up: 1-2-3! Turn that key! Shout “Goodbye!” to your home, and if it is house-trained it should stay put until you come back.

On the map it looks like there a quite a few points of interests all over the country that you and your family wish to explore. First stop are the gigantic Redwoods in California. (Fun Fact: The tallest recorded redwood reached up to 375ft.) But as you approach Humboldt County line, you are immediately pulled over by the Highway Patrol! After he/she speeds away faster than what you were pulled over for, this thought occurs, “Is there any way that could have been avoided?” Well the answer is YES!

When you were planning for your trip, you probably forgot to denote on the map where known speed traps are located. We live in a day and age where those crucial details can be looked-up! Simply go to trapster.com if you wish to do research on the driving route that you’re planning on taking. This way you can make the best time on the road in-between destinations, while also being aware of potential speed traps around the next bend. Trapster can also be used as a mobile app! While you man the steering wheel, have someone else work navigation and risk assessment. Using the aforementioned app for your smartphone, desktop, or tablet, will make your drive safer, more cost effective, and also allow you to have forewarning when it comes to speeding up or slowing down on the road. Check out the below link to see the layout provided by Trapster encompassing speed trap and risk aversion; Search using your address, and then click and drag on the map to see what speed trap identified areas are closest near you -www.trapster.com/trapmap.

Before hitting the road and seeing what America has to offer, don’t forget that it can also offer traffic tickets! Last year in the U.S. 41,000,000 drivers received speeding tickets. It is estimated that this year, 20.6% of the licensed drivers in the U.S. will also be receiving speeding tickets. So let’s all strive to be a part of the 79.4% of driver’s who will have smooth travels without encountering any bumps in the road.

If you are planning on going on a road trip this summer, keep in mind the measures that you can take which will provide for safe travels in your adventures to come!

***Driving citation statistics were taken from Statisiticbrain.com

The post Stress-Free Summer Travel Trips: Speed Traps and Trip Planning appeared first on MyImprov.