NEW WEBSITE PROVIDES SAFETY TIPS AND VEHICLE SAFETY RATINGS
Sometimes there is just nothing you can to do avoid being in accident no matter how much of a safe and attentive driver you are. But there are ways to increase your chances of coming out of an accident with as minor injuries as possible. The government just created a public database, http://safercar.gov, which provides information on vehicle safety ratings, tire and air bag safety ratings, product recall notices, tips on how to minimize accident risk and injury and much more driving safety information.
By entering information about your vehicle’s make, model and year at http://safercar.gov, you can view its crash test ratings. The ratings are created with data gathered during controlled crash and rollover tests. Vehicles with the highest ratings receive a 5-Star rating. Check out how your vehicle measures up!
The site also contains info about rollover prevention and tips on how to minimize accident injuries. One great tip they give to prevent a rollover is to gradually reduce speed if your vehicle leaves the roadway, then, when it’s safe to do so, ease the vehicle back onto the roadway. It also warns drivers not to panic in emergency situations, as many rollovers occur when drivers overcorrect their steering in reaction to an emergency—or even to a wheel going off the pavement’s edge. At highway speeds, overcorrecting or excessive steering can cause the driver to lose control, which can force the vehicle to slide sideways and roll over.
To minimize injury in an accident, the site advises drivers to always maintain at least 10 inches between their breastbone and the center of the steering wheel. Doing so helps to prevents air-bag related injuries.
I suggest that you all check out http://safercar.gov to see how safe your car is and to educate yourself on ways to minimize injury should you ever be involved in an accident. You’ll probably learn something you didn’t already know that could one day save your life!
