The Ultimate Traffic Safety Tip

Traffic Tip Tuesday!  The Ultimate Traffic Safety Tip.

Today, I wanted to share my Ultimate Traffic Safety Tip with you all. Its not a tip for specific situations and its not a tip you will find in South Carolina Law. However, this tip has the power to completely align your driving toward safety.

As I spent time in church this Sunday and enjoyed a family meal with my mother, my grandmothers, and my Wife, the mother of our children, I realized what the Ultimate Traffic Safety Tip was. This Tip recognizes the sacred bond between mother and child. It is rooted in the loving embrace and sacrifice that all Mothers offer their babies. It acknowledges the special respect that we hold for our mothers. It affirms our desire to please and never disappoint our mothers.

Here it is, drive as if your mother is sitting in the passenger seat.

Its as simple as that. With this easy tip, you can completely align your driving toward safety and please your mother at the same time.

Happy Mother’s Day.

Yielding The Right Of Way.

Traffic Tip Tuesday!  Yielding The Right Of Way.

Failure to yield right of way.Failing to yield the right of way is the second largest driving violation leading to injuries in South Carolina (2009 Fact Book). Yielding the right of way means understanding when to let another driver go before you (56-5-580). Most situations involve intersections. Remember this rule when at an intersection with another vehicle, yield the Right-of-way to the driver on the Right.

End Distracted Driving

Traffic Tip Tuesday!  Help End Distracted Driving in South Carolina.

Distracted driving bills have been introduced in South Carolina General Assembly every year since at least 2007. To date, the General Assembly has failed to pass any bills regulating distracted driving.

Three bills have been introduced to the General Assembly for the current session that ends in June, 2014. H.3317 prohibits all drivers from using a cell phone while driving and imposes a fine of up to $500. Usage of a hands-free devise is exempt. However, S.459 has made the most traction, and has passed the Senate. This proposed bill prohibits drivers with a beginner’s permit, conditional driver’s license, or special restricted driver’s license from using mobile devises while driving and imposes a $100.00 fine. S.459 is now in the House Committee on Education and Public Works.

Is there any reason why South Carolina should not adopt a texting ban? Call your South Carolina State Legislators and tell them you want a distracted driving ban.

Distracted Driving Kills

Distracted Driving Kills.

Drivers who use cell phones while behind the wheel are a menace to South Carolina and are causing blood and carnage on our public streets and highways. Don’t think it’s that big of a deal? A recent survey found that 25% of car cashes involve cell phone use. Additionally, a study out of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute concludes that texting while driving doubles a drivers’ reaction time. The increased reaction time can lengthen a car’s stopping distance by half a football field at 60 miles per hour. Distracted driving may contribute up to 20 percent of all fatal crashes and cell phones are the primary distraction. Distracted driving causes over 330,000 injuries every year.

Mandated Backup Cameras

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued regulations this week requiring all new vehicles to have backup cameras by 2018. The NHTSA says this will help prevent some of the 210 deaths and 15,000 injures per year related to backup incidents.

Do you have a backup camera? What are your thoughts on the requirement? If you don’t have one on your car, are you considering an aftermarket camera for safety reasons?

See more about the regulations here, http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/03/31/nhtsa-rear-view-cameras/7114531/.

Speed Kills! Slow Down in the Rain.

Traffic Tip Tuesday. Speed Kills! Slow Down in the Rain.

For most of us, this Tuesday is a gloomy, cold, and rainy day. Please know that rainy, wet road conditions factor into a safe top driving speed. The posted speed limit does not provide an absolute right to travel that fast. Driving too fast for conditions is the largest traffic violation leading to injuries in South Carolina.

Install Car Seats Properly

Traffic Tip Tuesday! Install Car Seats Properly.

More children aged 5-19 die from motor vehicle related injuries than another other cause. The CDC advocates education as one of its most effective prevention strategies along with enforcement and engineering. Please make sure that you install your child’s safety seat properly. For instructions, please visit http://www.safercar.gov/parents/RightFit.htm.

Best Side View Mirror Position

Car Setup > Side View Mirrors. You can’t avoid what you can’t see, so make sure to make the most of your side view mirrors. Adjust them so that you don’t see any of your car in the mirror. You will be surprised how much more of the road you can see in your side view mirrors.

Correct Driving Position.

Setup Your Driving Position Correctly for Maximum Control. All of us have experienced driving emergencies and unexpected events that required quick action. Maximize your control of your car by setting it up properly. Sit straight up with both hands on the wheel for maximum control. Pretend your steering wheel is a clock and place your hands at 9am and 3pm. This body and hand position will help you control the car when a quick response is necessary to avoid a collision.

Use Your Turn Signals

Please remember to use your turn signals. More people are out and driving in this sunny weather after last week’s snow storm. Studies show that failing to use turn signals may be a bigger problem than distracted driving. South Carolina law mandates that drivers use turn signals anytime they turn left or right on a roadway (South Carolina Code Section 55-5-2150). This means turning onto an intersecting road, changing lanes, or onto side roads. Drivers must turn on their signals continuously for at least 100 feet before turning. (http://www.nbcnews.com/business/turn-signal-neglect-real-danger-study-shows-745801).