What to do in a hail storm

http://www.comedydefensivedriving.com/texas/ This video tip will let you know what to do when an emergency situation occurs while you are driving. Hail storms can cause severe damage to your car and can even harm you if you get caught off guard. Watch the whole series of short tips! Also, feel free to share the videos as well if you want, the more people to learn about this the better!

Have you ever been curious about the way hail is formed? Hail formation requires the perfect environment of strong, upward sweeping motions or currents of air. Each time the hail formation is swept up through the clouds, another layer or concentric ring is added to it. This happens over and over again until the formation is heavier than the wind is strong and it falls to the earth.

Another thing that I find interesting is that hail is usually described as the size of a sports ball, while tumors are usually described as the size of a breakfast fruit…just an observation.

Tips for driving in a hail storm

• Keep your radio tuned in to a weather channel.

• Be sure to use your headlights. Most states require you use them in rain anyway.

• Slow down. Call your boss or whomever you are trying to impress and tell them you are going to be delayed by weather. Tell them how hard you will be to replace!

• Allow extra breaking distance between you and the car ahead of you (use a 6 second rule for wet weather or a 9 second rule for icy weather).

• Move your car to a covered area and sit there until the weather alert has ended. A parking garage would be ideal as hail tends to bounce back up after hitting the ground at such a high speed and may bounce into your direction.

• If you stop, keep your seat belt on and put on your hazard lights. If pulling over to the shoulder of a freeway, put your signal light on instead, as if you are planning to re-enter the freeway.

• Whatever you do, if you stop under an overpass, pull onto the shoulder, do not stop in the traffic lane. Otherwise, people will think that you have already been hit in the head by the hail.

• Be extra careful in intersections for people who may not be able to stop.

• Be careful stopping or driving near power lines that may be weighed down with ice.

If you practice these recommendations when driving in bad weather, you’ll make it safer for you and everyone around you. And remember, if there is the slightest warning of approaching hail or any other kind of inclement weather, don’t drive unless it is absolutely necessary.

Until next week…keep your car and your head wrinkle-free.

Daun Thompson

Driving In Bad Weather – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post DRIVING IN BAD WEATHER? – HAIL NO! appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

Following these simple principles may help us to avoid that which we all dread.
• Always wear your seat belt and make sure others in the car are wearing theirs too.
• Scan the road ahead. And constantly scan around your car by checking your side mirrors and your rearview mirror every 3 to 7 seconds so you always know where your safe “out” is (drive like a bobble head). This is super important…but your MAIN FOCUS should always be scanning the road ahead of your intended path of travel. This will result in better reaction time and no surprises.
• Always try to keep a three second following distance between you and the car ahead. This will help reduce the chances of a rear-end collision. Once the car ahead of you passes a stationary object such as a tree, mile marker or a dead deer (if it gets up and walks away, you need to find something else), count 3 seconds before your car passes that same stationary object. Double this rule in wet weather and triple it in icy or snowy weather. Keep a good space around your car.
• Change lanes properly. Use your signal, that’s what it’s for. It’s also a moving violation if you don’t signal 100 feet before changing lanes or turning and a common cause of car crashes. Newer cars have a blinker feature that will automatically shut off after 3 to 6 blinks (so you no longer have to be the “eternal signaler” that forgot to shut the blinker off).
• Be aware of your speed and keep up with the flow of traffic. Not keeping up with the flow of traffic is the current leading cause for crashes. So, if everyone is speeding and you’re not keeping up with the flow of traffic, you could be impeding traffic (which can be more dangerous than speeding). Driving too slow causes more crashes, but the high-impact of speeding crashes cause more fatalities. In other words, “speed kills.”
• Be careful when backing out. In a parking lot, you must yield to moving vehicles.
• Keep a good, clear view. Make sure you have plenty of wiper fluid, that the wipers work and your windshield is clean. If you can’t see well at night, if it’s that foggy, just get off the road and wait.
• Stay calm and alert and don’t be distracted.
• Watch out for blind spots and those in your blind spots (and you in theirs). Motorcyclists and bicyclists are especially vulnerable to blind spots.
• Adjust your seat and steering wheel to suit you.

And, for Pete’s sake, always be prepared to yield the right of way. Try to be a courteous driver. Let people over when they signal and they will probably do the same. It’s only going to create good Karma.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

A Crash Free Society – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post A Crash Free Society appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

Avoiding aggressive and inattentive driving tendencies will certainly put you in a stronger position to deal with other people’s bad driving. Be sure to leave plenty of space between you and the car in front of you. Always lock your doors and wear your seat belt.
Be aware of your surroundings. If you pay attention to what’s going on immediately around the car at all times, you will know where you have an “out.” Checking your mirrors frequently and scanning the road ahead of you is imperative. If another driver is showing signs of aggressive driving, it would be better to slow down or pull over and let them go on ahead, rather than trying to get past him. That’s a great way for you to get a speeding ticket, trying to get as far away from that bad driver so you don’t get ensnared in their web…only to get ensnared into the police officer’s web. And don’t depend on other drivers to make the best decisions. Be considerate of other drivers, but always look out for yourself. Don’t assume that another driver is going to move out of the way or allow you to merge and certainly don’t assume that they won’t run through red lights or stop signs. Always look both ways before preceding through a green light. Always count three seconds before taking a right on red or before leaving a stop sign. Always anticipate the worst-case scenario. Keep a safe following distance between you and the car ahead of you by following the 3-second rule. And, for Pete’s sake, try not to speed. That one item right there will save both your life and your life’s savings.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson

The post BAD DRIVER! NO BISCUIT! appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.