Is Driving at Higher Speeds Actually Safer?

Driving at higher speeds is dangerous, right? This may actually no longer be the case. Some police departments and politicians are pushing for higher speed limits, saying that it would make roads safer and improve quality of life. This article from AOL Autos explains why authorities believe highway speed limits up to 80 miles per hour may be in the best interest for drivers everywhere.

For the last few years, as budget-pressured states and municipalities have pressed law-enforcement to write more speeding and traffic tickets, employed speed camerasand battled in court against drivers who warn other drivers about speed traps, there are voices, including those of some police departments, saying higher speed limits would be safer and contribute to our quality of life. 

Take Michigan State Senator Rick Jones, a Republican from Grand Ledge, Mich., and a former police officer, who has proposed that state speed limits be raised to as high as 80 mph, up from the upper limit of 70 mph. The Detroit News recently supportedJones' measure with an editorial. 

Jones knows local police forces may fight the proposal until they figure out how to replace lost ticket revenue. 

"All good police officers oppose speed traps," Jones says. "Speeds should be posted scientifically and properly for the safest speed and then the officers will catch the big violators. We don't need to get the average Joe getting to work." Jones also said the higher limits would afford police the ability to focus on other enforcement areas such as impaired, distracted or careless driving, and restraint (seat-belt) enforcement. 

There is support at the state level. 

"With artificially low speed limits we put police in a position of actually ticketing safe drivers," said Lt. Gary Megge of the Michigan State Police Traffic Services. He's pushing for Jones' bill. 

Illinois has recently upped its speed limits on rural highways from 65 mph to 70 mph. And there is support in Wisconsin's state house for similarly increasing the speed limit from 65 mph to 70 mph, a measure that has support from some of the state's newspapers. 

AAA generally opposes higher speed limits. The organization said in its opposition to Illinois' measure that nearly half of the state's traffic fatalities involve speeding, with that percentage on the rise. But let's look behind the numbers. There were 1,248 fatal car accidents on Illinois highways in 2007 and 918 in 2011. The percentage of accidents involving speeding was 42% in 2007 and 47% in 2011. Not only are the numbers and percentages close, but drawing a straight line between higher speed limits and more traffic fatal accidents is not valid. Unknowns, for example, in those statistics are how many accidents may have been caused by motorists suddenly adjusting speed at the sight of a police speed trap, the number impacted by impaired drivers or influenced by road construction. 

Why and what is the theory behind higher speed limits being safer for drivers? The National Motorists Association argues that higher speed limits make roads safer, endorsing research that supports the idea that setting speed limits around the speed that 85 percent of drivers travel.
"We're supportive of the 85th percentile rule," Michigan Dept. of Transportation DOT spokesman Jeff Cransontold The Detroit News. "There's a misconception that speed alone kills. It really depends on road conditions. If it means increasing the speed limit to make some roads safer, then it should be done." 

There are a lot of variances in speed limits in the U.S. as anyone driving cross country can attest. The highest speed limits are for the most part 75 mph in western states and 70 mph in eastern states. Northeast states have 65 mph limits. A small portion of the Texas and Utah road networks have higher limits of 80 mph and even 85 mph. 

Remember when speed limits kept drivers to a hair-pulling 55 mph? Between 1974 and 1987, the lower highway speed limit was a result of policy that said the lower speed limit would save gas. During World War II, the speed limit was set at 35 mph for the same reason. While it is generally true that most vehicles will use less gas if their speed is set between 55 and 65 in highway driving, proof that the national policy saved energy on the whole is debatable at best. The National Maximum Speed law was repealed in 1995 and speed limits were given back to the states to set. 

Will higher speed limits make us less safe? After New York raised the limit on its highway traffic to 65 mph in 1995, the state's total crash rate dropped by 4 percent. In 2000, the Automobile Club of Southern Californiadetermined that higher speed limits in that state did not increase the rate of statewide accidents over a period of five years. Additionally, traffic fatalities as a percentage of miles traveled dropped sharply after the repeal of the 55 mph rule. 

Speed, however, does have a direct effect on how serious an accident can be. Physics dictates that the force of impact increases with speed. But research in this area can be quickly out-dated as carmakers have addedtechnology to new cars-multiple airbags, seatbelt minders that chime until the belts are buckled, electronic stability control. These features are all found standard on every new car. Even more technology, such as sophisticated collision-avoidance systems, are being phased into cars, albeit mostly luxury cars for now. 

In case you are wondering when speed limits were first set, it was in Colonial times. In 1757, in Boston, the board of selectmen set the speed limit for wagons, carriages, horses, etc. on Sunday was set at "a walking pace." Anyone exceeding this limit would be fined 10 shillings.
Today's vehicles have a lot more horsepower. And it could just be safer to let them run.

Click the link to read the article at AOL autos: http://aol.it/15u6TK5

15 Minutes to Clean Your Car's Interior

We spend so much time in our cars that even the nicest vehicles can end up looking a little dirty on the inside. Usually though, we don't have hours to dedicate to vacuuming, shampooing or polishing our car's interior. The good news is with just a few household items and 15 minutes of your time you can have your car's interior looking like new again. This checklist from realsimple.com details the steps to take in what timeframe to speed-clean your car's interior.

Gather a few tools—a small plastic bin, garbage bags, glass cleaner, car cleaning wipes, air-conditioner treatment, a flat-head screwdriver, paper towels, and a hand vac—and get ready for your car to look fresh off the lot. 

Minute 1:
Toss items that shouldn’t be in the car into a small bin. Throw trash into a garbage bag. Spritz the cup holders with glass cleaner and let sit. 

Minutes 2 and 3:
Using the wipes, clean the dashboard, center console, inside door pockets, steering wheel, and gearshift. Spray air-conditioner treatment into the air vents below the windshield and let sit. 

Minutes 4 and 5:
Clean leather seats with a few wipes. (Seats that are upholstered will get vacuumed later.) 

Minutes 6 and 7:
Wrap a wipe around the end of a flat-head screwdriver, and run it along the buttons and switches on the dashboard. Wipe out the cup holders with paper towels. 

Minutes 8 through 10:
Spray glass cleaner on paper towels and wipe all the windows, including the windshield, sunroof, and rear window. 

Minute 11:
Remove the floor mats and whack them against each other to dislodge any dirt. 

Minutes 12 through 14:
On the driveway, vacuum the floor mats with the bare hose of a hand vac for maximum power (do not attach a tool). Vacuum the seat upholstery and foot wells, shifting the front seats fully forward, then back, to hit every spot. 

Minute 15:
Replace the mats and return the seats to their original positions. Open all the doors and let fresh air blow through.

Read the whole checklist at realsimple.com by clicking the link: http://bit.ly/dntdXi

Finding the Right Auto Insurance

If you're going to have a car, you're going to need insurance. But it isn't as cut and dry as having insurance or not. There are a few different kinds of coverage you can get. There are also a few other important considerations you should look at when looking for the correct coverage. Hopefully this blog will help put some of those different aspects of car insurance into perspective for you.

Three Types of Coverage

Although insurance policies and prices vary from company to company, there are three basic types of coverage you'll want to consider.  

Liability: If an accident is your fault, the insurance company will usually cover the damage you caused, including bodily injury and property damage.

Collision: The insurance company will pay for repairs performed after an accident. Make sure you go to a repair shop approved by your agency. Otherwise, they may not pay for the work.

Comprehensive: Damage from vandalism, theft, floods, fires and other events is covered. Some insurance agencies don't cover certain kinds of mishaps, so make sure you know all the details — and exclusions — of your policy. Some insurers offer protection from uninsured drivers.

Other Important Considerations

Find out your auto lender's preferences
If you owe money on your car (through your loan), your lender may have some rules on the kinds and amounts of coverage you'll need. Most lenders want a comprehensive coverage package to protect the car in the event of an accident. However, if you own your car outright and have the title, you are free to select the insurance you feel most comfortable with, as long as you comply with state insurance requirements.

What's the smart amount of coverage for me?
Figuring out how much time you spend in your car and the number of hazards that your car faces on a regular basis (traffic, parking, etc.) can help you figure out the coverage you need. If your car is frequently exposed to hazardous conditions, you may want to consider adding more coverage. If you keep your car in a garage most of the time, you probably don't need as much coverage as someone who's parking on congested city streets every day.

Your insurance agent will ask you about your driving habits. Based on data from thousands of insured drivers, the agent can figure out the likelihood of you having an accident and offer a plan that is appropriate for you. Some insurance companies will reduce your payment if you drive less frequently, live close to work or if you drive a safer vehicle.

You should also consider where you live, work or go to school. Are you concerned that your car may get stolen or vandalized? Weigh all these things when choosing your insurance plan. You can easily increase your coverage if necessary.

Click the link to read the entire article from Cars.com: http://bit.ly/17YZhRO

Sharing the Road

The road isn't only for drivers. You have to share with runners, cyclists and pedestrians. It's important that drivers know how to share the road the safest way possible. This article from ehow.com will give you some tips on how bikers and pedestrians can use the same road as motorists without conflict.

1 . Watch out for cyclists or runners wearing headphones. There is no way to know how loud their music is playing, so it may be possible they cannot hear the cars around them. Music seems to take us out of our environment as well, so runners and cyclists may not even be aware or paying attention to the environment around them.

2. Know the direction bicycles and cyclists should be traveling and be cautious about those who do not follow the rules. A bike is considered a vehicle and should travel in the same direction as regular traffic. Runners should travel in the opposite direction of vehicles.

3. Look carefully before making a right turn -- cyclists and runners may be crossing the street. For them, their straight path intersects with the spot where the turn will be made. The runner or cyclist may or may not stop, depending upon their awareness or whether they see a car in their peripheral vision waiting to make a right turn. Look out the passenger and backseat windows to make sure no one is coming up from behind to cross the turning path.

4. Do not get distracted. It is easy to look away for a moment to change the radio station, answer a phone call or look at another person in the car. Even though it is a small moment, a runner or cyclist could be along the road or in an area where they are prone to be hit. They may be listening to music, engaged in their own workout or concentrating on their own direction and not be able to react quickly to a distracted driver's mistake.

5. Stay out of the bike lane unless a state law allows temporary driving in it for certain reasons. Even then, look carefully before going into the bike lane, watch for cyclists and be ready to get back out quickly if needed. A car is moving faster than a bike, so someone riding a bike may appear very quickly.

6. Pass runners and cyclists with care when they are jogging beside the road. Slow down significantly before approach them, especially on narrow roads where there is little or no shoulder. Veer the car slightly to the left to keep a minimum 4 feet distance away from them while passing, and be sure to check for oncoming cars. Make sure cyclists and runners can be fully seen in the rear-view mirror before moving back to the right and speeding up.

7. Watch for children riding their bikes, walking or running. They may be tougher to see because of their height but can appear just as suddenly as adults. Children's behavior may be more unpredictable, so be ready for anything. Don't expect children to know traffic laws or follow the rules recommended for pedestrians and bikers.

8. Check for cyclists and runners before opening the car door. On roads with on-street parking, cyclists especially may unexpectedly and quickly ride past the car door, causing an accident if it is opened. Look forward and past the rear of the car before getting out. Urge other passengers, especially children, to do the same.

Click the link to read the full article from ehow.com:  http://www.ehow.com/how_12050328_share-road-cyclists-runners.html#ixzz2d6b9vLwS