Before you head out, whether it’s to the grocery store or on a long road trip, take a moment to read these safety tips.

Check your tires

Without proper maintenance, your tires could fail and cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Proper tire maintenance is not only critical to the safe operation of your vehicle, but will also improve fuel economy, extend tire life, provide better vehicle handling, help prevent avoidable breakdowns and collisions, and reduce exhaust emissions that contribute to environmental, health and climate change problems.

• Check your tires once a month, especially before you head out on a long trip.
• Make sure your tires are inflated to the correct levels and do not exceed the load limit of your vehicle. This information can usually be found on the inside of the driver’s door.
• Inspect your tires regularly for uneven tread wear, cuts, cracks, bulges and foreign objects and rotate tires on a regular basis.

Sharing the road with large trucks and commercial vehicles

There are more commercial vehicles on Canada’s roads now than ever before. These vehicles can be up to 40 times heavier than an average car and take more than twice the distance to stop. To prevent collisions with these vehicles, remember:

• Avoid cutting in front of trucks or braking suddenly in front of them.
• When you are in the driver’s blind spot, move through quickly and never pass on the right, where the blind spot is even larger. If you can’t see the driver’s face in their side mirror, they can’t see you.
• When passing a truck, ensure you can do it safely, signal, then pass promptly. Be prepared to encounter splash and spray on wet roads.

Cell phones and other distractions

Pay attention-don’t engage in distracting activities while driving. Cell phones and other devices such as electronic navigation systems are emerging as factors in road collisions.

• Do not use a phone while driving.
• Turn the phone off before you start driving. Let callers leave a message.
• If there are passengers in the vehicle, let one of them take or make the call.
• If you’re expecting an important call, let someone else drive.

Core safety tips

• Wear your seatbelt. Almost 40 per cent of all vehicle occupants killed in 2002 were not wearing a seatbelt. So whether you’re a driver or passenger, buckle up.
• When work correctly, seatbelts save lives. Lap belts should be kept low and snug over the hips, while shoulder belts should always be worn across the chest.
• Airbags save lives. Because they deploy very quickly, you should sit at least 25 centimeters away from the air bag compartment and wear your seat belt.
• Don’t drink and drive. Alcohol is a significant contributing factor in road fatalities. Almost two out of every five drivers killed have been drinking.
• Slow down. Excessive speed is a contributing factor in 20 per cent of occupant fatalities.
• Each year, 25 per cent of deaths and 40 per cent of serious injuries from vehicle collisions occur at intersections. Be careful, even when you have the right of way.
• Remember to watch out for motor bikes and bicycles and be courteous to these road users.
• The safest place for kids under 12 is in the back seat. Have kids travel in the back seat, especially when there is an airbag for the passenger seat.
• About 70 per cent of automobile injuries to children can be prevented by using the correct car or booster seat for their height and weight.

Sustainability

• Driving at lower speeds can also help save you money. For example, driving 100 kilometres per hour on the highway instead of 120 kilometres per hour uses 20 per cent less fuel.
• Remove your roof rack when it’s not being used. These racks, whether empty or full, increase aerodynamic drag and fuel consumption.
• 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than if you stop and restart your engine. So turn off your engine when you stop to save money and help protect the environment.

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 16th, 2007 at 11:41 am and is filed under Tips for travellers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.