The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released a study linking distracted driving with the increased use of handheld phones for other activities than talking. West Virginia residents should be aware that these other activities are far riskier than talking on the phone because they tend to take a driver's eyes off the road.
What West Virginia drivers can do to avoid drowsiness
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends seven hours of sleep every night. Going with less will only make one drowsy throughout the day, affecting behavior behind the wheel of a car. Yet in a AAA survey, nearly a third of the respondents said that they had been so tired behind the wheel at least one in the preceding 30 days that they were at the point of having drooping eyelids.
Distracted drivers, marijuana play role in rising car accidents
Car accidents have been increasing over the past several years in West Virginia and across the country. Since 2011, there has been a 30 percent increase in motor vehicle accidents. Analysts attribute the rise in vehicular crashes to the increased use of phones while driving, an increase in employment rates, the legalization of marijuana in many states and an increase in the average number of miles driven by drivers.
ZF presents strategy for developing external airbags
West Virginia residents may have heard that some car parts manufacturers are developing external airbags. ZF is one of those manufacturers, and it has recently come out with safety data and a strategy for developing airbags that may prompt others to consider the technology. According to reports, external airbags can reduce the severity of crash injuries by as much as 40 percent.
Staying Safe While Driving In Winter Weather
Drivers in West Virginia are accustomed to winter weather on the roads, but there are a few tips that they can keep in mind to stay safe. Sometimes, it seems as though winter weather can encroach upon an area with little warning. Fortunately, many vehicles have new technology to help in keeping the vehicle and driver safe while many drivers are able to carefully maintain control of the steering wheel while on the road.
Tips for safe driving in bright sunlight
The following are a few proven safety tips that drivers in West Virginia can consider the next time they are traveling in direct sunlight. The early mornings and late afternoons are especially dangerous as the brightness of the rising or setting sun can cause visual illusions. Individuals raise their risk of a life-threatening accident by 16 percent when driving in such conditions.
2017 saw rise in fatal large truck crashes, says NHTSA
Large trucks continue to be a danger to other drivers in West Virginia. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has found that in 2017, all types of traffic fatalities declined in number except large truck crash fatalities. Whether or not truckers or the other side are to blame for most of these accidents is another matter, though one worthy of consideration.
AAA finds drivers overestimate the power of car safety tech
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has found that many drivers in West Virginia and across the U.S. are relying too heavily on their car safety features like blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. While car safety features can, according to federal estimates, reduce the number of car crashes by 40 percent and crash-related deaths by 30 percent, they can still backfire when drivers do not understand their limitations.
The problem with overconfidence behind the wheel
As a general rule, motorists in West Virginia and throughout the country feel as if they are good drivers. In fact, Americans tend to be even more confident about their abilities than those in other countries. One study found that about 90 percent of Americans thought that they were above average in terms of driving safely. The same study found that a little more than 75 percent of Swedes felt the same way.
Traffic circles can reduce injury crash numbers
When people in West Virginia drive on rural roads, they could encounter some very dangerous intersections. Despite the fact that these roads see relatively little traffic, the crashes that occur there can be serious for a number of reasons. These roads are commonly joined by only stop signs. However, they can have speed limits as high as 55 mph.
