Holiday Car Safety Tips

Christmas is the time for giving! The Salvation Army’s bell ringer is almost “pavlovian” to our ears, reminding us that it is better to give than to receive. It also should remind us that not everyone is fortunate enough to afford buying gifts. And desperate times call for desperate measures. During busy holiday shopping, cars…

Winter Road Conditions

I grew up in the Midwest where winters were brutal. But when you’re a kid, none of that matters. We would ice skate on a frozen pond, smack dab in the middle of a creepy old cemetery. And we wouldn’t come home until our fingers and toes were nearly frostbitten. I remember that “pins and…

The Latest Airbags

Cars now have more airbags than ever! Some cars even have up to 10 airbags. My Dad used to fondly refer to my Mom as “The Seat Belt” because she’d throw her arm across your chest whenever she had to slam on the brakes. Now he calls her “The Airbag.” Sweet of him to create…

Auto Inspections

A bill to scrap auto inspections in Texas for noncommercial vehicles has failed. State lawmakers argument was that the once government-mandated check-ups amount to little more than a hassle and a tax for citizens. There are thirty four states don’t require an inspection. And the federal government quit requiring it in the 1970’s. The real…

Dangerously Short Ramps

Whatever happened to the good old rule of accelerating when entering the freeway and decelerating when exiting? This is a question that was brought up in a recent defensive driving class. Well, there are a few factors that contribute to these problems. First of all, the entrance and exit ramps are generally too short. In…

Merging Zipper

One thing that typically irks people is a crazy traffic jam caused because people don’t know how to merge (or, actually, they choose not to merge properly). Whatever happened to the good old “zipper” tactic when merging lanes? Remember, the one car, per car merging zipper that you should have been taught in driver education?…

Increasing Road Safety

An awesome new website has just launched this month! Look Out Texans is an education campaign aimed at increasing road safety for all road users (vehicles, bikes and pedestrians) in North Texas. What a great idea, creating a website where you can learn about safety when walking, biking and driving. With more people moving to…