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Posts Tagged ‘Safe Driving’

Melbourne, NSW (PRWEB) July 02, 2011

Kia Motors Australia has taken a break from manufacturing new cars to partner with internationally-lauded driver training organisation, Motorvation, in providing young Australian drivers with the best possible start to a safe driving experience.

Through Kia Young Drivers (KYDz) the program has been taken to select Victorian school students for the past two years, introducing learner-age and P-Plate drivers to a concept of a safe and sensible life behind the wheel.

This year through an increase in sponsorship support, an adoption of highly-sophisticated simulator teaching technology and a change of corporate name the young driver program will reach more than 4000 young drivers in Victoria and NSW under the Kia Motorvation banner.

The Mobile Training Centre will bring a pair of high-technology simulators, complete with realistic hydraulic movement, to a variety of centres and give the students ?real world? experience through bespoke software scenarios.

?There is nothing more important than our children and their safety,? Kia Motors Australia President and CEO Mr M.K Kim said. ?They are the future and to help best prepare them for a safe and rewarding time as motorists is something Kia Motors Australia is proud and pleased to be associated with.?

Through the support of the program?s sponsors the training is offered to schools at a below- cost rate to ensure the benefits are available to all education outlets that want to be involved.

?Motorvation is excited to be increasing our involvement with Kia Australia to improve safety outcomes for young drivers,? Kia Motorvation co-principal and chief instructor, Geoff Fickling, said. ?It is wonderful to work with a company so committed to road safety, and making the program mobile increases our ability to reach more young people who could not otherwise access such world-class training.

?The Kia Motorvation Program is a life-changing, enjoyable, and essential one-day course for young drivers. It is suitable for pre-learners, learner drivers and P-Plate drivers – in fact, anyone aged between 16 and 25 years, the most risky time for any driver. It is not about learning how to drive nor how to become super skilled.?

During the course professional and entertaining presenters provide a combination of focussed discussion and hands-on driving, guiding young drivers to understand that driving is a function of two parts: their attitude or driving behaviour, and their action or skills and knowledge.

?Kia Motorvation does not seek to increase skills, but focuses mainly on achieving an awareness of thoughts about driving that are often unconscious, and using this new awareness to completely change driving behaviour, therefore removing dangerous behaviours or habits,? Mr Fickling said. ?If you don’t understand how you think, you can’t change what you do.?

The course also provides tuition in how to avoid or deal with the ‘One-Percenters’ – emergency situations that can happen to even the most careful driver.

?Motorvate exists only to create safer drivers and reduce crash risk, and we welcome independent research of our training,? Mr Fickling said. ?Extreme care is taken to avoid creating a false sense of overconfidence in young drivers during the hands-on driving component.

?In fact, the opposite is achieved for already over-confident drivers through a combination of teaching methodologies, evaluation, and experienced supervision.

?The Kia Motorvation program is not a defensive, advanced or learn-to-drive program. It is a unique system of understanding drivers’ attitude and action.?

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Talking to your teenager about safe driving is extremely important. Although during the teen years, it seems hard to get through to your kids, experts say parents should try talking to them often to encourage positive opinions, ideas and decisions. Research shows parents who take time to talk to their kids, help teach responsible driving habits and encourage safer driving actually do have safer teen drivers.

According to Ford Driving Skills for Life, an organization created by Ford Motor Company that’s aimed at helping teens who have just received or are about to receive a driver’s license, nearly 7,000 15-20-year-old teens die in car crashes every year. During a typical prom weekend, nearly 300 teens dies in alcohol related accidents, and two out of every three teens who die in car crashes are passengers in a vehicle that’s driven by another teen. It’s important that we try to reduce these numbers and talk to our children about safe driving habits. There are many issues that need addressed, follow these tips provided by Ford for talking to your teen about driving.

Be a good coach. Make sure your teen driver spends a lot of time in the car with you before they drive on their own. Make sure you are a successful and motivating teacher. Be patient with them, show them the ropes of driving and make them have a good time. Many teens are very stressed and nervous when they first get behind the wheel. Don’t get discouraged or frustrated because if you do, they will too. Don’t yell, speak in a clear voice and make sure they understand what you’re explaining. Be patient and eventually they will become more comfortable. By approaching the situation calmly, they will pay more attention to you and it will be a great bonding experience, plus what you’re saying will actually sink in. Don’t forget to emphasize the importance of practice. More practice always equals better driving skills.
Tell your teenager to slow down. Speeding is a major factor in car accidents that involve teens. Make sure to let them know that they should adjust their speed according to road conditions, even if it means going under the speed limit. When it’s raining or dark out, they should be going slower. Also let them know when it’s raining or dark, since visibility is decreased, they should leave more space between their car and others on the road. Turn the headlights on in bad weather including rain or snow and stay in the right lane. When you are driving, make sure to set a good example for your teen. Don’t go over the speed limit, because if you do, your teen will probably speed too. Don’t forget to remind your teen that while speeding is obviously dangerous, it’s also expensive. If you get a ticket, depending how fast you’re going it can be hundreds of dollars that they will have to pay themselves. Also tell them their car insurance will go up, and they will also have to pay for it if they want to continue to drive.
Put restrictions on the amount of passengers allowed and enforce. The more passengers that are in the car with your teen driving, the more distractions he or she has. This puts your teen more at risk for having an accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teen drivers are four times more likely to be involved in a distraction-related crash than any other age group. Many states have restrictions on the number of passengers allowed in a car with a teen driver. Even if your state doesn’t have a number restriction, you should and make sure to check frequently, ask a lot of questions as to who your teen is driving and administer punishments for broken rules.
Talk to your teen about cell phones and driving. No new drivers should be on their cell phones while driving. Cell phones are a huge distraction, and as stated above, teens are four times more likely to be involved in a distraction-related crash than any other age group. Many cities have banned cell phone use for drivers who are under 18-years-old. No one should ever be texting while driving, let alone a new driver. Talk to your teen about how dangerous texting and driving is and ask them to keep their cell phones put away until they reach their destination. Explain to them that a phone call or text can wait, it’s not worth losing your life or endangering other people’s lives for.
Warn your teen about drinking and driving. You may think it’s obvious that you shouldn’t drink and drive. However, it’s still important to stress the dangers of drinking and driving to your teenager. Educating your teen about the dangers of drinking and driving and talking to them about the consequences will help put it in perspective for them. Don’t forget to tell them about the legal measures that are taken if you are arrested for drinking and driving, especially if you are under the legal drinking age. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2004, 24% of 15-20 year-old drivers killed in a motor vehicle crash had a blood alcohol count of .08 g/dl or higher. In 2002, over 6,000 teens died from underage drinking-related causes (car accidents, homicides, suicides and other unintentional injuries). Over 2,200 of those were alcohol-related car accident fatalities. Don’t let your teen become one of these horrible statistics, talk to them about drinking and driving.

Following these tips can make a huge difference in the life and safety of your new teen driver. Your child needs you, whether they act like it or not. Show them you care and you need them too by never hesitating to talk to them about potential dangers that they must face as they make their way into adulthood. Make sure your teen knows you are always available to talk about anything, and don’t put off talking to them about the safe driving habits addressed above.

Any auto mechanic, repair shop or just a good driver can tell you that one of the most important features of a car are the brakes. A brake system that functions properly is the very essence of safe driving.

To successfully complete a brake job, any good auto mechanic, repair shop or a qualified person doing it will first do a complete inspection of your brake system. This inspection will include even the antilock brake system if your vehicle has it equipped.

Any auto repair shop defines “complete brake job” as checking, replacing and fixing all the necessary things that are needed for your brakes to function properly. This saves both money and time since if you get things done properly there will be less chance that something might fail in the near future.

The most important thing is that your brake job needs to last. A poorly performed brake job can only cause you more stress, will cost more and will take away your free time.

Any good auto mechanic, repair shop or a professional in the field will make sure to examine your brake system in complete detail in order to give you the status report on what needs to be fixed, replaced, and so on. It could be that your brake system needs replacing of wheel cylinders, high mileage calipers, disc and drums, rotors or even replacing the brake fluid. A professional auto repair shop will not overlook similar items and will surely do their best to get the work done properly.

On the first glance, these small things in your brake system cannot have an immediate impact on how your brakes will function. However, just one wrong thing at the wrong time may cause some serious damage and risk. Therefore it is essential to have your brake job done by reputable auto mechanic, repair shop or a trustworthy person in the field of auto mechanics. The brake job shouldn’t be done poorly by all means, even if you think it will save you some money.

When it comes to the brake system there are many things you can check before heading to the auto repair shop. For example, you could start by applying the brakes and starting your engine. By doing this you will be able to check your vacuum booster. Your pedal needs to drop to a small extent. If this isn’t the case and you notice that there is no boost, you can be sure that your booster diaphragm is leaky.

Try to check out a few more things before visiting your preferred auto repair shop and seeking assistance. It is good to know things in advance.

Another thing on the list when it comes to the brake pedal is the feel of it. The pedal needs to be firm and not soft. If the pedal is too soft it may indicate that there is some air in the lines or that there are some possible leaks. If your master cylinder is worn out a typical symptom you will notice is that your pedal will slowly sink once pressed. If a pedal is too low it could mean that your linings are worn, a frozen or defective drum brake, low level of fluid or simply that it needs to be adjusted. It is good to check the brake lights as well. If these lights don’t work, check if the light bulbs are still good. Otherwise, this could indicate that your switch for the brake light is not adjusted proper or is somewhat defective.

After these few checks, you will have a basic knowledge on what could be wrong with your brake system and you will save some time at the auto repair shop.

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