Women's Safety Information

Following are 5 tips for women to follow to reduce the chance of injury (or worse) while driving:

Sit as far away from the steering wheel as you can and don’t put anything (children, pets, whatever) between you and the air bag Leave nothing loose in the car that you wouldn’t want to hit you in the face if you’re in a crash or rollover, and that includes the low fat, double foam, half caf, extra tall coffee. Keep your gas tank as full as you can so you can drive to safety or for help without having to stop, and to use for heat, light and information if you break down or get stuck in a storm. Stash an extra car key in something that you always carry so you won’t be locked out because you left the primary keys inside the car, or on a restaurant table. If there’s a pregnant woman in the car, keep the speed as low as possible to reduce the potential danger to the unborn child.

There’s a lot more to car safety than those famous, and largely useless, car crash ratings. And you don’t have to be in a crash to get injured. Being in a hard braking situation is much more common and these do not even make it to a statistical chart as no one reports them. But just look at your own driving life – do the math and it is certain hard braking will come out far ahead of crashes. Being hit in the head from behind by a large library book might just knock you out and increase the chance that more danger will befall. Finding yourself alone in a dark parking lot without your car keys is a seriously scary thought.

Women can easily take precautions like the ones listed above to improve their chances of sustaining major harm whether they are in hard braking situations or in fender benders or in more serious crashes. This is just a sampling of the advice that is available.

By: Susan Winlaw

About the Author:

Tire pressure and condition is one of the most overlooked safety aspects on our cars. Most people just assume their tires are fine and that they will be safe because they look okay – the tires are not flat. Rarely do we ever see someone get out a tire pressure gauge and check their tire pressure or place their hands on the tire and feel for roundness and irregularities. What most people don’t know is that proper tire pressure will improve your gas mileage, make your brakes and suspension system last longer, and it will improve your gas mileage. According to AAA, it is ideal to have your tires pressure and condition checked for safety every time you fill up your gas tank and prior to any long drives or vacations.

Before checking your tire pressure you should check your tires condition. Your tires are what holds you to the road and if there are any irregular wear patterns, bubbles and cracks, etc your safety can be greatly compromised. Look over all your tires. Place the palm of your hand on the tire and feel it is it round? This may sound obvious, but you can quickly find early signs of cupping (which can indicate bad struts), irregular wear (could be improperly balanced wheels), cracks, and deep wear that would make your tires unsafe.

Take out a penny and make sure Lincolns head is buried in the tread. If it isn’t that means you need to replace your tires. Every time I go to the local grocery store half of the cars I see have bald or nearly bald tires and tires in bad condition. This can cause hydroplaning and very unsafe conditions if the roads were wet from a recent rain. If you notice anything irregular take your car to a service station. Have your tire condition checked and have your tires replaced as necessary as your safety may be compromised by worn tires or another tire condition (Walmart’s service stations will check your tires for free).

To properly check your tires pressure you must use a tire pressure gauge. Going by look or feel isn’t good enough. Just because the tire doesn’t look flat doesn’t mean you didn’t over or under inflate it. Your car or trucks owners manual will tell you the recommended tire pressure for your tires. Check all four tires and your spare. You wouldn’t believe the number of people that assume their spare is fine and haven’t checked it in 3 or more years. Some don’t even know if they have a spare or tire changing tools. Some people don’t even know where to look for their spare tire or how to change a tire.

Most tire pressure gauges have an indicator that will be pushed out by the amount of pressure in your tire. More expensive ones are digital. Both are rudimentary and easy to use. If you find you are under inflated most gas stations have an air pump. Fill and check again to ensure proper pressure. Always replace the caps when you are done. This keeps the elements out and corrosion can and does cause leaks. If you have too much pressure then let some out by pressing a key or screwdriver into the release valve and then check it again. If your tires have too much pressure it can cause them to prematurely wear in the middle and reduce the actual area of the tire that meets the road and can reduce your safety.

There you have it, how to properly check your tires condition and pressure for safety. By having safe tires you are increasing both your safety and the safety of those around you.

By: David Maillie

About the Author:

Following are 5 tips for women to follow to reduce the chance of injury (or worse) while driving:

Sit as far away from the steering wheel as you can and don’t put anything (children, pets, whatever) between you and the air bag Leave nothing loose in the car that you wouldn’t want to hit you in the face if you’re in a crash or rollover, and that includes the low fat, double foam, half caf, extra tall coffee. Keep your gas tank as full as you can so you can drive to safety or for help without having to stop, and to use for heat, light and information if you break down or get stuck in a storm. Stash an extra car key in something that you always carry so you won’t be locked out because you left the primary keys inside the car, or on a restaurant table. If there’s a pregnant woman in the car, keep the speed as low as possible to reduce the potential danger to the unborn child.
There’s a lot more to car safety than those famous, and largely useless, car crash ratings. And you don’t have to be in a crash to get injured. Being in a hard braking situation is much more common and these do not even make it to a statistical chart as no one reports them. But just look at your own driving life – do the math and it is certain hard braking will come out far ahead of crashes. Being hit in the head from behind by a large library book might just knock you out and increase the chance that more danger will befall. Finding yourself alone in a dark parking lot without your car keys is a seriously scary thought.

Women can easily take precautions like the ones listed above to improve their chances of sustaining major harm whether they are in hard braking situations or in fender benders or in more serious crashes. This is just a sampling of the advice that is available.

By: Susan Winlaw

About the Author: