Texas Driver Safety and Training

The El Paso Police Department now continues to offer a free motorcycle safety course for drivers who want to get the most out of operating motorcycles. This is an action to counter the number of accidents involving them. Here are some motorcycle statistics for all of Texas:

• More then 95 percent of all motorcycle crashes result in injury to the rider --- 45 percent of these injuries are life-threatening.
• 3/4 of all motorcycle crashes involve a collision with another vehicle.
• There's almost no reaction time given to the rider in a motorcycle crash. The moments go by way too quick.
• Half of motorcycle crashes involve alcohol.
• 90 percent of motorcyclists injured have no formal rider training.

The classes will be held on the third Saturday of each month. Class is from 10 AM to 1 PM. They will be held at Edge Kawasaki located at 10310 Montana and is completely free and open to the public.

Learn more about how to get your Texas motorcycle license and get ready to take your motorcycle out on the road safely.

Labels: driver safety course, motorcycle safety, motorcyclists

From prairie country in the panhandle through dry, arid desert, down to the semi tropical climate on the Gulf Coast, few states have a more varied climate than Texas. With basically nothing more than a barbed wire fence to separate them from winter storms rushing down the eastern slope of the Rockies, the residents of the Panhandle area are somewhat accustomed to blizzards. The residents of the Gulf Coast rarely see snow but this December saw the earliest recorded snowfall in the Houston area and the second year in a row in which snow fell on the Gulf Coast. As its name suggests, the Hill Country can be especially difficult to drive in during a snow or ice storm and the western desert is not a place where a driver would want to be stranded in the snow.

The early snow storm in Houston led to the death of one motorist and serious injuries to a police officer investigating a traffic crash when another driver, attempting to slow down, lost control and crashed into the patrol car pinning the officer between his car and the guard rail. For drivers unused to driving in the snow, these weather extremes can be extremely dangerous. Drivers traveling across Texas in the winter should prepare for the worse.

If you live in an area that rarely sees snow, remember the following safety tips for driving in snow:

• It is important to remember that even a small amount of snow can make the roads very slippery and treacherous. The problem becomes worse when the snow on the road, reduced to slush by passing cars, freezes overnight and turns into a sheet of ice.


• Remember that bridges and overpasses will freeze first.


• Stay home unless it is absolutely necessary for you to go out.


• If you must go out, drive slowly.


• When slowing, don't hit the brakes too hard or fast; it can cause you to spin out and lose control of your car.


• Anticipate areas where there may be pedestrians and drive slowly.


• If your car begins to skid, turn your wheel in the direction of the skid. If the rear of your car starts to skid to the left, turn your wheel to the left. Take your foot off the gas and don't apply the brakes until your car has slowed and you have regained control. Look where you want your car to go and steer gently back and forth until your car is centered in the lane.

If you live in those areas of Texas where blizzards are common, remember the following tips:

• Blowing and drifting snow can obscure the edges of the roadway. Look for snow markers on the edge of the road.


• Whiteout conditions can exist, obscuring all road details and traffic ahead.


• If whiteout conditions exist, treat it like fog. Don't use your high beams; high beams will reflect off the snow making it more difficult to see ahead.


• In whiteout conditions, turn off your radio and listen for the sounds of traffic ahead.

If you are traveling across Texas on the interstates:

• In the desert, there are areas of where freeway exits are more than 100 miles apart.


• Make sure your gas tank is full. Keep it topped off before traveling on those long empty stretches between exits.


• Take extra blankets, power bars, and water in case you are stranded on the interstate between exits.


• If you are stranded, conserve gas. Run your car's engine just long enough to heat up the car and then shut it off.


• While running your engine, be aware of the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning. Make sure your tail pipe isn't covered by snow and crack a window slightly while running the engine.


• Do not leave your car and attempt to walk. You are safer in your car until rescue personnel arrive.

Labels: driver safety course, driving safety, texas driving laws, winter driving

The statistics are very disturbing. Estimates are that your chances of being involved in a car crash are one in four. That means one out of every four people will be involved in a car crash at least once in their lifetime. Many of us, unfortunately, will be involved in more than one crash. Your chances of being killed in a car crash are one in one hundred. Fortunately you can take steps to reduce those odds.

One important thing to remember is that there is rarely any such thing as a traffic "accident". Accidents are something over which we have no control. Being struck by lightning or losing your home in a flash flood are accidents. When you put a human behind the wheel of a car, you don't have accidents. What you have are poor driving decisions that lead to a collision. Taking risky chances, speeding, running a red light, or just allowing yourself to be distracted from the important task of paying full attention to the road ahead are not accidents; they are conscious decisions made by drivers every day and, on average, approximately 40,000 vehicle occupants are killed and 3,000,000 are injured each year as a result. Another problem lies in the fact that as technology improves to make cars safer and roads are improved, it seems that drivers feel it is safer to drive even faster and to take more chances.

We face a lot of frustrations as drivers. Traffic grows heavier and heavier and time seems to grow shorter. As a result, over time, we tend to develop bad driving habits and take more chances. You may not even be fully aware of the bad habits that you have developed but those bad habits could be leading to a collision. Ask yourself these questions:

• When the light turns yellow do I stomp on the gas to try to beat the red light?


• Do I tailgate?


• Do I regularly drive over the speed limit?


• Do I carry on cell phone conversations while driving?


• Do I text while driving?


• Do I weave in and out of lanes to try to get ahead?


• Am I well rested before I start to drive?


• Do I get angry at the traffic situation or at other drivers?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be headed for a collision; you may even be an aggressive driver. It may be time for you to look at methods to evaluate your driving behavior and to get the tools you need to learn how to avoid a crash and save money.

Defensive Driving Course

The best method to learn these crash avoidance methods is to enroll in a defensive driving course. These schools look at a variety of issues surrounding the modern driving environment. Just as in any other processes that we do, whether it be work related or something as simple as cooking a meal, we can all benefit from refresher training from time to time. This course can be taken on-line, at work or at home, and at your leisure in a way that fits your busy schedule. A defensive driving school, among other things, will provide you with information on:

• Crash statistics and the physics of motor vehicle crashes


• Crash prevention techniques


• Occupant protection devices (such as seat belts and airbags)


• Driving under the influence of alcohol


• How to share the road with large trucks, motorcyclists and pedestrians


• Dealing with stress and drowsiness while driving


• Hazards of speeding


• Traffic laws
  

Benefits of the course

• Individuals, who haven't received a traffic ticket and take the course voluntarily, may be eligible for an insurance discount that can save a significant amount of money over time.


• Businesses, whose employees drive as a part of their work, can also benefit with lower insurance rates and a safer work environment if they provide the course to their workforce.


• Individuals who take the course and use the tools provided can significantly reduce their chances of getting a traffic ticket or being involved in a crash.

Labels: crash prevention techniques, defensive driving class, defensive driving course, driver safety course, online defensive driving