Not only can hurricanes and tropical storms do a number on your sweet ride, you must also be prepared to travel. The American Red Cross has compiled a list of items for your survival kit for traveling during hurricane and tropical storm season.

So here are some great driving safety tips when traveling near or in hurricanes or tropical storms:
• Water—one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
• Food—non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
• Flashlight
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
• Extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Medications (7-day supply) and medical items
• Multi-purpose tool
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
• Cell phone with chargers
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Emergency blanket
• Map(s) of the area

And my final driving safety tips to you this day is – always plan ahead and leaving early when a serious storm threat is broadcast, is the best bet. There is no way to instruct someone how to drive in a tropical storm and certainly not during a hurricane. So, being as far away from the site of the storm is the safest place to be.

Hurricanes and Tropical Storms – Comedy Defensive Driving

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When your vehicle’s tires lose traction with the road surface, it is hydroplaning. If you’re driving in the rain and there’s more water on the road than your tires can safely push away, you could find yourself unable to control the steering, speed and braking of your vehicle. Without control of your vehicle, you could easily slide into other cars or worse, slide over into oncoming traffic or slide off the road and hit any number of things.

If it’s just stopped raining, there may be areas of roadway that still have puddles, and that’s all it takes for a vehicle to hydroplane and lose control. Once you hit a puddle of any depth or a wet area of roadway, there’s water pressure in front of the wheels that pushes the water under the tires.

At that point, your tires are actually skimming the surface of the water as they’re separated from the road surface by that thin layer of water and therefore, they lose traction and start sliding.

Vehicle hydroplaning can be extremely dangerous depending on the road surface, surrounding vehicles or other obstacles, or even worse on a back road where you may end up sliding down an embankment.

Causes of Hydroplaning

• The amount of water or depth of the water on road surfaces. There doesn’t have to be a lot of water on the road surface to start hydroplaning. One puddle, if it’s deep enough, can cause loss of traction and sliding.
• When the tires lose traction with the road and virtually just skim the surface of the water, hydroplaning occurs.
• Driving too fast for the road conditions can cause hydroplaning since the tires may be rotating faster than they can displace the water from the tread.
• Improperly inflated tires can easily cause a vehicle to hydroplane. Whether your tires are under- or over-inflated, they can lose contact with the road surface, which will cause the vehicle to slide on top of the water instead of the tire tread displacing the water efficiently.
• Worn tires won’t have enough tread to displace the water and maintain efficient contact with a wet road and in effect cause hydroplaning. So it’s important to check your tires’ tread depth, especially if you tend to put a lot of miles on them. It’s recommended to replace your tires when the tread measures 1/16 of an inch.
• As mentioned, the entire road surface doesn’t have to be wet to cause hydroplaning. Puddles of water on the road can be enough to cause loss of traction.
• Overloading a vehicle; carrying more weight than the vehicle is intended to carry causes more pressure on the tires than recommended and the tires can lose enough contact with the road to start hydroplaning.
• The wrong size tires for your vehicle can even cause it to hydroplane, so be sure to only put tires on your vehicle that are meant for that vehicle.
• The tread pattern on the tires can be a cause for a vehicle to hydroplane. Some tread patterns may look cool, but may not displace water efficiently enough for the tire to maintain traction.

How to Recover from Hydroplaning

You want to experience a safe recovery from hydroplaning to avoid any accidents. There are ways to get out of it. Here’s what to do when hydroplaning:

• First, remain calm. It’s best to not panic and to understand what your vehicle is doing and why.
• Immediately take your foot off the accelerator. If you’re using cruise control, turn it off by gently tapping on the brake once. You never want to use your brakes in response to sliding. That may make the situation worse and you may skid out of control completely.
• You need to regain control of your steering and the best way to do that is to realign your tires in the same direction as your vehicle. Even though it might seem like the wrong thing to do, you need to turn your steering wheel into the slide, in the same direction that your car is sliding. This puts your tires in direct alignment to your vehicle and aids in getting back control of your car.
• Once you feel your tires regaining traction with the road surface, slow your car by tapping gently on the brakes and you’ll drive out of the hydroplane.

After you’ve fully recovered, you may want to pull off the road and take a few breaths to completely calm down before venturing on in your travels.

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Research shows that second hand smoke is even more dangerous to children than adults because children breathe more rapidly and have less developed airways, lungs and immune systems. Every time a child breathes in second hand smoke, they breathe in thousands of chemicals. This puts them at risk for serious conditions including meningitis, cancer, bronchitis and pneumonia. And it can worsen asthma.

Now, at least eight states in America (Oregon, California, Utah, Vermont, Main, Arkansas, Louisiana and Puerto Rico) have banned smoking in cars when children are present. And other states are considering it. Not only is smoking in an enclosed space hazardous for children, it is also hazardous for other passengers. Plus, of course, preventing the driver from being distracted by the act of smoking decreases the danger of traffic accidents.

It is said that over 80% of cigarette smoke is invisible and even opening windows does not remove all of the smoke. The level of toxic air in a vehicle from one cigarette is up to 10 times greater than levels that are considered hazardous. And, again, Children with undeveloped lungs and immune systems are susceptible to serious health issues from being cooped up in a car with a smoker.

So, think twice before lighting up with children in the car.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Smoking Inside A Car – Comedy Defensive Driving

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If we do find ourselves in a winter wonderland, I’d prefer to curl up under a blanket and avoid driving if I can. Here in Texas, our transportation department is less equipped to respond to icy road conditions than, say, the Midwest or anywhere up north. Drivers here in Texas have less experience and preparation for winter driving. And they find themselves at a high risk of getting in an accident whenever winter affects the roads. In fact, Texas is on the top 10 list for winter driving fatalities. For the drivers out there taking their chances, here are a few tips for driving in icy weather.
You can prepare yourself and your car to help safely navigate icy roads. Starting with good tires, no matter how safe you drive, you won’t get very far without good traction. Make sure your tires are properly inflated and have plenty of tread left on them before you drive on icy roads. If they’re bald, unfortunately, you can’t just “comb” the tread over the bald spots. Make sure they have plenty of tread left on them before you drive on icy roads. I feel so very fortunate that I have a car with four-wheel drive (4WD), which can hug icy roads better than those with two-wheel drive or so I thought. Come to find out a four-wheel drive vehicle slides just just as well as a two-wheel drive. So don’t think you can just go plowing along, immune from the elements.

Reduce your speed on icy roads. On slick roads, even driving the speed limit can put you at risk of getting in an accident or getting a ticket. At higher speeds, you won’t have as much reaction time plus, it takes twice as long to stop on icy roads. You simply have less control over your car at higher speeds in bad weather.

But, before you even get into the car, there are several things to check before you venture out. Make sure your windshield wipers are functioning and have an adequate amount of wiper fluid in the reservoir. Check your battery to see if it’s not going to let you down. If it’s old, you may consider getting a new one. Top off your antifreeze so you don’t damage your car’s cooling system and cause your radiator block to crack. And keep your gas tank at least half full throughout the winter months.

Now, to prepare YOU. Stock up on some jumper cables, an ice scraper, an emergency kit, a flashlight and a bag of cat litter to sprinkle for traction, should you get stuck on an icy road. Blankets, snacks and water wouldn’t hurt as well. And make sure you have your phone charger in case you need to call for assistance. Better yet, just don’t drive!

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Driving on Ice – Comedy Defensive Driving

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The Joe’s Crab Shack in Mesquite, Texas is located in close proximity to many major areas. Check out our website for more information at ComedyDefensiveDriving.com and click “find a class” and register from there. It’s so easy to get there, at 1340 N. Peachtree Road, Mesquite, TX 75149. The location is off of Interstate 635 (I-635) Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway and Gross Road, near Texas State Highway 80 with easy access from both Interstate 20 (I-20) and Interstate 30 (I-30). Convenient to Balch Springs, Mesquite, Garland, Dallas, Sunnyvale, Rockwall, Rowlett, Tyler, Longview, and many other major burbs.

Joe’s Crab Shack has an extensive menu of fresh seafood as well as chicken, burgers and tasty salads. So, consider it a fun lunch date that you can spend with some fellow speeders. Breaks are taken throughout the course, every hour. Comedy Defensive Driving School is a state approved course. You will learn about evasive driving, defensive driving and new and revised laws will be presented to you, which will assist in making you a better driver. This is a good refresher course for all drivers. And, you get both a certificate for the court for ticket dismissal and an insurance discount certificate, good for a three year discount, between 8% to 15%!

And, a little more about Larry Campbell. If you want to see him perform in the area, he will be at The West End Event Center in Historic Downtown Dallas on Saturday, April 19th at 8:00 p.m. You can also see him at other local venues. And, if you want to find out more about Larry (maybe even things you really didn’t want to know), check him out on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/larry.campbell.5815/friends.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist / Benevolent Thesbo

Comedian Larry Campbell at Joe’s Crab Shack Mesquite – ComedyDefensiveDriving.com

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Cantina Laredo serves authentic Mexican dishes in a sophisticated atmosphere. The Mexico City style menu includes grilled fish, chicken and steaks complimented by signature sauces such as chipotle-wine with Portobello mushrooms or sautéed artichoke hearts and roasted red bell peppers. My favorite, the ceviche, is simply the best around. So, consider it a fun lunch date that you can spend with some fellow speeders. Breaks are taken throughout the course, every hour. Comedy Defensive Driving School is a state approved course. You will learn about evasive driving, defensive driving and new and revised laws will be presented to you, which will assist in making you a better driver. But, hey, we can’t perform miracles. So, at the very least, this is a great refresher course. And, you get both a certificate for the court for ticket dismissal and an insurance discount certificate, good for a three year discount, between 8% to 15%!

And time will fly when you’re laughing your way through the hours at Cantina Laredo. Corey Ray Sutton has been a professional stand-up comedienne for over 10 years. He was voted the Dallas Observer’s Best Stand Up Comic in 2006. You can see his performances on his YouTube channel tapwatertea.

The next time you need some help with ticket dismissal, schedule a class with Corey Ray. It will be the most fun you’ve ever spent in a defensive driving class.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist / Benevolent Thesbo

Defensive Driving Course Taught by Corey Ray Sutton at Cantina Laredo in Lewisville, Texas – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Using the H.O.V. lanes in Texas as a single occupant is not really putting anyone’s life in danger. It’s all about fuel consumption, emissions, and carpooling. But crossing over the double solid line on a non-controlled H.O.V. or slipping in between the p.v.c. posts on a semi-controlled H.O.V. lane to enter or exit, instead of where you are supposed to enter or exit is very dangerous and both offenses offer a double-whammy of a traffic violation. And, doing a “Texas Exit” through the ditch to exit the freeway is also a hefty fine.

With the mad traffic in Dallas and the lengthy commuting I do, I would gladly pick up a murderous hitchhiker to be able to ride in the H.O.V. lane.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Writer

Riding in the H.O.V. Lane – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Texas Land and Cattle is not just your ordinary steakhouse. The atmosphere alone is unique to Texas. Beautiful cattle drive murals and rustic accents. Like an elegant lodge with a true Texas twist. They create and serve dishes and spirits that define the Texas version of what craft dining should be. From the décor to the menu, they take great care in your dining experience. Their menu is inspired by traditional favorites where they combine flavors from the four corners of Texas: the Coastal Region, the Hill Country, the Mexican Border, and all the other iconic Texas cities. Texas Land & Cattle bring pride and passion to everything they do. Heck! They even cater to the health conscious with gluten-free menu.

The Plano Texas Land and Cattle defensive driving class is located at 3945 Central Expressway, Plano, Texas 75023. On the West side of I-75 (Central Expressway), between Parker and Spring Creek. Convenient access from the George Bush Tollway as well as I-635 (LBJ Freeway). Nearby cities are McKinney, Allen, Richardson, Frisco, Little Elm, and Dallas.

Next time you need a defensive driving class with an elegant, yet fun dining experience, this is your place! And Joel Malloy is your entertainment specialist!!

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

A Comedy Defensive Driving Class with Joel Malloy at Plano Texas Land and Cattle – Comedy Defensive Driving

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