Due to their sheer size and the fact that they interact almost exclusively with children, school buses are considered by many to be some of the most dangerous vehicles on the road today. This doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the driver of the bus itself, but with other vehicles that may choose to ignore flashing lights and other warning signs when children are entering or exiting the bus. A number of states have gone as far as to allow the use of a backup camera system for school buses that will record other drivers as they "fly by" or "pass by" a stopped bus so that the appropriate...

Feb 16, 2015 | LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Red Cross) –The American Red Cross reminds Arkansans to continue safe practices during this round of winter weather.

'The Red Cross Tornado App has great information that's useful during winter weather,' stated American Red Cross Communications Director, Brigette Williams. 'The best time to familiarize yourself with what do is before you lose power or find yourself stuck on a highway.'

In addition to power outages tips on what to do before, during and after loss of electricity, the Tornado app provides users with links to Arkansas' major utility company's emergency...

This year, you might want to think about making some New Year’s Resolutions that concern your car. It’s there for you day in and day out, but how much love do you really show it? Here are six ways you can do more for your trusty technological steed.

Wear Your Safety Belt

Always wear your seatbelt. This is the law in many states anyway. But, if you happen to live in a state where this isn’t the law, do it anyway. Seatbelts are important safety devices that help slow you down in a car accident and prevent you from rocketing through the windshield.

You’re a safe driver? That’s great. Other people...

While dash cams have been in use by law enforcement in the United States for decades, other businesses and private individuals are finding benefits of installing the devices. Historically a vehicle dash camera or a backup camera have been very expensive after-market add-ons.  With the advent of lower cost, high quality digital cameras, the expense of adding a system to your personal or commercial vehicle has dropped dramatically.

Why Have Dash Cams?

• Employee protection. Dash cams with dual cameras will not only record the events in front of the vehicle, but will also record what happens inside...

Using a rear-facing car seat until a child is two years old reduces risk of serious injury but close to one-quarter of parents in the US turn the seat around before their child is even a year old, shows a survey.

In March 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its guidelines for child passenger safety, extending the recommendation for rear-facing car seat use from one year of age and 20 pounds in weight to a minimum of two years of age.

In 2013, 24 percent of parents of one- to four-year-old children made the switch at or before 12 months. Only 23 percent reported waiting until the...

Your son or daughter has been looking forward to this day for years, yet you have a hard time believing it has come. Like it or not, your baby is learning how to drive. To your teenager this signals a sign of fun and a move toward adulthood, but feels to you like a terrifying, daunting idea. You understand the dangers of the road and worry that you won’t be able to protect your child. You find yourself pushing an imaginary brake even as you ride alongside him or her in the passenger seat. Just the idea of driving with your teen again makes you break into a sweat. What can you do? How do you make...

Getting stuck on the side of the road due to a vehicle malfunction can be a major inconvenience and can keep you from achieving your goals for the day. For a person with a disability driving an adaptive or wheelchair accessible vehicle, this inconvenience can quickly become a big problem.

If you purchase your vehicle from a NMEDA dealer and you vehicle is under warranty, you will be covered. All NMEDA dealers offer 24-hour emergency service and you won’t have to worry about other options. If you choose another route, purchasing roadside assistance services can help you get back on your way as soon...

New research released earlier this week by the AAA showed that rear view back-up cameras found in many new vehicles increased visibility of the rear blind-zone area by an average of 46 percent. Tests conducted by the group indicated that these systems, intended to improve driver awareness of the area immediately behind the vehicle in order to reduce back-over fatalities, can save lives.

“As Halloween approaches, we know that neighborhoods will be filled with small trick-or-treaters that could easily be missed when the driver turns his head to look behind the vehicle,” John Nielsen, AAA’s managing...

As hard as winter is on us, it’s even harder on our cars. Freezing temperatures, snow and ice can cause all sorts of emergencies, from mechanical failures to car accidents. Being aware of the road safety concerns, as well as how to manage them is key to prevention. Learn how to winterize your vehicle the right way so that you, your family, and your car stay safe on the road this winter!

Check Fluid Levels

You should be monitoring fluid levels year-round, but it’s doubly important going into winter. Look at not only engine oil and antifreeze, but also transmission fluid, brake fluid and power steering...

Halloween: it’s the scariest time of year to be on the road. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ranks October 31 as one of the three deadliest days of the year for pedestrians, and the top deadliest day of the year for pedestrians between the ages of 5 and 14. Leave the thrills and chills to the trick-or-treaters and costumed partygoers with these safe driving tips!

Be Mindful of the Trick-or-Treaters

In the days leading up to Halloween, children will be out trick-or-treating all over the United States. If you have to travel during peak trick-or-treat times (between...

Get There! Your Guide to Traffic Safety isn't like
most safety brochures. Think of it as a “Cliff’s Notes”
guide to traffic safety! It’s a quick source of info on
important traffic safety topics. It’s designed to help
you get where you’re going – without a traffic ticket
and all in one piece!

Driving safer and smarter means less stress, fewer
crashes, lower insurance rates, and – here’s the big
one – preventing injuries and saving lives.

To read the full Guide to Traffic Safety please click here.

Source: The Auto Club Group and Minnesota Safety Council (https://autoclubsouth.aaa.com/assets/PDFs/Get-There-Your-Guide-to-Traffic-Safety.pdf...

The Walk This Way program offers the following tips for back-to-school safety:

• Teach your child to look and listen every time they cross the street.
• Teach by doing. Be a good role model by walking with your children to school and demonstrating safe pedestrian practices – crossing only at intersections, stop signs and crosswalks.
• Always cross with younger children. Children under the age of nine lack the developmental skills to cross the street on their own and should be accompanied either by an adult or by responsible older children.
• Reduce your driving speed. The higher the speed, the...

Road safety begins with the only part of the car that touches the road. New research on driver's education and training shows a gap in teen drivers' knowledge - one that, if closed, could help prevent some of the nearly  300,000 car crashes involving inexperienced drivers every year. Read the full article here.

Source: Brand Point Content, 'Driving Safety for Teens: Road Safety Begins with the Only Part of the Car that Touches the Road', September, 4, 2014

Backup cameras
By letting a driver see what is behind his vehicle, this feature can avoid particularly tragic accidents where parents or neighbors back over small children.These "backover" accidents cause an average of 292 deaths and 18,000 injuries a year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. About 44 per cent of those killed are children under five. This is especially an issue for large vehicles like SUVs, pickups and minivans.

Click here to learn more about car features that will boost your vehicle's safety standards.

Source: CBS News, Money Watch, 'Car Safety Features...

Driving at night is significantly more dangerous than driving during daylight hours; in fact, the National Safety Council has noted that traffic death rates are up to three times higher at night than during the day. Some of the many reasons for this include

• Darkness that affects depth perception, color recognition and peripheral vision
• Vision problems
• Fatigue
• An increased number of drunken drivers on the road

It is also worth noting that elderly drivers (over the age of 50) have a harder time seeing at night than younger drivers. Existing eye conditions, combined with darkness, make it exponentially...