Page 5 - road safety tips

I honestly can't believe today is March 1st. It seems like yesterday was January 1st. We've had a busy year so far at Rear View Safety, preparing for spring with new systems and innovations. 2017 is our 10 year anniversary (very proud!), so we've also been working on some surprises. My lips are sealed.

WiFi Hitch Camera

To celebrate the start of spring (almost) we've announced our RVS-83112-Wifi WiFi Hitch Camera as March's Product of the Month. Easily connect your trailers and get on the road faster. The compact magnetic hitch camera connects via WiFi to your mobile device allowing you to...

How many bridges do you cross every day? According to a new report from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) just over 9% of bridges nationwide are "structurally deficient."

The organization have created an interactive map showing info on each state and which bridges are deficient or sufficient. You can also toggle to a congressional district map. The map also shows proposed bridge work, how many daily crossings a bridge has and other interesting information. How does your state rank?

Don't change your spring road trip route just yet. A "Structurally deficient" grade...

While walking to work today I saw a cyclist hit a hidden patch of ice and fall onto the street. I quickly ran over to see if he was ok, and luckily he seemed alright. A bit shaken, but alright. He didn’t have a helmet on, but caught himself on his hands before his head hit the cement. Thankfully no cars were coming. He was riding on a pretty busy street. It got me thinking about safety laws.

“I should be wearing a helmet, but I left it at work and I’m not going very far. I’ll slow down,” he assured me before zipping down Van Brunt St.

Of course, he should wear a helmet. Everyone should wear a helmet...

Seems like a sign of the times. Crash test dummies are getting a redesign after being introduced over 50 years ago. Based on the advice of University of Michigan trauma experts, engineers at Humanetics have created two new dummy prototypes to reflect today's drivers.

The male prototype is 106 pounds heavier than the original model. Also obese, the female is based on a 70-year-old woman. The new designs have a higher body mass index than previous models. ICAM will be able to 3D print the prototypes once they're finished.

Highlighting Dangers of Obesity With Crash Test Dummies

The models are supposed...

I have weather alerts set up for 3 places. New York, where I live, Topeka, where my parents live, and the Bay Area, where 2 of brothers live with their families.

It's been an interesting week. The Bay Area is officially not in a drought after a drought monitor issued Thursday. Powerful storms in the area have caused at least 40% of the state to enter a drought.

Even though it's still winter, yesterday in New York it was around 70°. It was so amazing. I wore a t-shirt in January. Then there's Jupiter.

Winter Storm Jupiter

Winter storm Jupiter is a huge multi-day ice storm that is expected to cut...

SB 1072, commonly called the "Paul Lee School Bus Safety Law",  went into effect at the start of 2017. The bill was drafted in response to the 2015 tragic death of 19-year-old Hun Joon "Paul" Lee. Paul Lee was a student with severe autism, who died after being locked inside a parked school bus.

The law states that all school buses, car motor vehicles, and youth buses must be outfitted with special alert systems. An audible alarm starts when the required technology generates an audible alarm when the ignition is turned off. The driver must walk to the rear of the bus to turn off the alarm. This...

When I was younger I did a lot of stupid things. I’ve driven while eating soup, cereal, and even hot pockets. It’s absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable. I don’t drive a lot anymore, but I when I do I am 100% committed to the task at hand, driving!

3,179 people were killed, and 431,000 were injured in vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2014. Recently the NHTSA announced their 2^nd phase of voluntary guidelines to address distracted driving.

The first phase encouraged automakers to design less distracting devices or systems at the time of manufacture. This second phase encourages...

Growing up in Kansas was loud. Sure, our family often traveled to the country or the lake for some peace and quiet, but for the most part it was pretty noisy. We lived by the highway, so the constant hum of traffic is something that I have trouble sleeping without.

Some places were louder than others. Excited teenagers would often rev their souped-up Hondas in the Golden Corral parking lot. A perfect Saturday night. I was across the street in the CD Trade Post/Taco Bell parking lot, learning how to skateboard. My yellow Subaru made a lot of noises, but none of them were impressive.

Of course, New...

Last week while we were in Kansas, Kelly got the dreaded phone call. Her friend Janis called from the hospital to say she had gotten hit by a car while walking to work. She didn’t have any serious injuries but her back was hurt and she was understandable very shaken. It was early, and the driver didn’t see Janis and hit her while he was turning.

Now that we’re back in town we’re going to visit Janis. She left the hospital, but is taking another week off work.

Here at Rear View Safety we keep people safe. From backup camera systems to backup sensor systems to driver fatigue systems and everything...

For many drivers it’s hard to think back to a time without technology assisted driving apparatuses. Though there are still many vehicles on the road that lack rear-view cameras and sensors, it has now become the norm in the past couple years to equip all vehicles with one iteration of this technology or another.

A lot of this technology has had the added benefit of improving driving conditions, reducing accidents and being a safer more reliable tool. Parking cameras not only add safety to your vehicle, but more importantly the safety of any unknowing pedestrians who may be running around unseen...

It won’t stop happening. On Tuesday an 11-month-year old boy tragically died after being left in a hot car. He is the 38^th child to die this year from vehicular heatstroke. Something needs to change. NOW. This problem effects everyone, and it needs to be stopped.

I was babysitting my niece and nephew when I read the news, I immediately thought of them. They were sleeping in the other room while my fiancé and I watched celebrities make deviled eggs on the Food Network. I also thought of my other nieces and nephews, who live across the country and I should call more. I thought of my friend’s children...

Getting a driver’s license opens a whole new world. I still remember the day I got mine. I was smiling ear-to-ear for my picture at the DMV by the highway. Now I could drive to the mall myself! There was not a lot to do in my hometown. More importantly for me and my friends, it meant we could drive to Lawrence ourselves.

I’ve always loved music. From my dad playing Bob Dylan and The Beatles to my older brothers blasting The Red Hot Chili Peppers, our house was always full of music. My friends and I loved seeing live music, but all of the bands we wanted to see would never come to Topeka. They would...

My mother was the librarian at the school I attended from Pre-K to 8^th grade. It was actually pretty awesome. I rode to school with her every day and sometimes we wore matching sweaters (I’ve already texted her asking for pictures, hopefully coming soon). She also ran the summer camp program, so I spent my summers in the library until I was old enough to stay home by myself.

The school is in Topeka, KS, but some of the students lived in Lawrence, KS, (where I ended up going to college, Rock Chalk!) about 30 minutes away. These students took “The Lawrence Bus” to school, which looking back on it...

You never know when you may need help on the road. It’s important to always be prepared for flat tires, lock outs or other vehicle immobility situations. Consumer Affairs has put together a comprehensive guide to roadside assistance services.    

The guide compares brands, highlights features, types of roadside assistance services, and includes consumer profiles as well as expert reviews. Use this guide to make a safe, educated choice.

Rear View Safety offers systems with built-in roadside assistance. The RVS-776718-DOS Backup Camera System With Auto Dimming And Onstar includes full Onstar...

23. So far this year 23 children have lost their lives due to of vehicular heatstroke. Last week 4 children died in hot cars in a four day span. According to Kids And Cars, 25 children passed away from heat related deaths in 2015. This is an epidemic. I’m at a loss for words. This can happen to anyone. The only thing on my mind are my nieces and nephews, my friends’ children, and my future children. We can stop this.

The National Child Passenger Safety Board, a program managed by the National Safety Council,  has declared this Sunday, July 31^st, National Heat Stroke Awareness Day. This...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_oAKCYmzXU

If you missed the opening event in Atlanta on July 9^th, don’t worry, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Safe Cars Saves Lives bus tour is traveling across America’s southern states this August. The tour aims to spread awareness about the massive Takata airbag recall and inform the public about vehicle safety.

Safety topics include how to search for vehicle recalls using NHTSA’s look-up tool, how to correctly install and use child safety seats and proper tire maintenance. Rear View Safety offers a helpful system to easily check tire...

If you’re still new to driving, it can be tricky to stay out of people's way on the highway. Most people don’t know how to handle fast drivers. Here’s what you need to know.

Take Someone With You

Ideally, you would take a few extra driving lessons prior to your test, and spend some time taking defensive driving classes so you can get experience with more advanced aspects of driving. But, if you can’t do that, it’s a great idea to take someone with you when you drive. Maybe you could convince your parent or an experienced friend to come along with you.

Avoid taking a car full of friends on your...