Page 6 - On The Safe Side: The RVS Blog

We are all subject to the elements–no matter how much preparedness, gear, and equipment we arm ourselves with, Mother Nature’s randomness trumps all.

When it comes to driving, the conditions presented by extreme weather or temps dictate how we’ll fare–and sometimes things get ugly. 

With that said, here are 4 of the worst pile-ups caused by the elements in recent American history:

• The Maryland Ice Storm, 2009

A snow and ice storm hit Washington County, Maryland so hard that it caused 20 car accidents in a single night, including 7 tractor-trailers and 35 automobiles, leaving 12 injured and 2 dead....

Everyone, including us, loves Yellowstone, but let’s be serious: America is home to thousands upon thousands of other under-the-radar national parks that make perfect RV destinations. 

Here are four low-key parks with campgrounds that don’t usually make the most popular lists but are worth visiting:

• Goosenecks State Park, Utah

Hundreds of millions of years of the San Juan river winding 6 miles through this deep canyon gives this rather small park some grand views, not to mention proximity to Natural Bridges National Monument, Valley of the Gods, and Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. 

• Ocala...

They'll take your breath away–figuratively and otherwise.

The U.S. has some of the most beautifully scenic drives in the world, and that’s a fact. A long drive through certain regions of the U.S. can transport you to land's most untamable terrains. 

Dangerous (or alluring, depending on who you ask) roads are everywhere from the slopes of the highest peaks to the frozen tundra.

Here are three of the most dangerous:

Tail of the Dragon 

Near the borders of Tennessee and North Carolina, on the edge of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, runs this infamous stretch of U.S. Route 129. With a...

We’re going back in time.

We’re traveling back to the days when automakers prioritized sales, competing with Asia for market share, and gimmicks over safety. Standards weren’t nearly as high as today, and legislation was lacking. 

Forget backup cameras or sensors–some of the models on this list barely possessed the ability to stay upright! 

These 5 vehicles are arguably the most unsafe cars of all time:

- DeLorean DM-12

Please note, we didn’t list this just to stay in theme with the “time travel” intro: it really was unsafe! Its two most appealing features, the bat-wing doors, were also its...

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, you already know that geopolitical tensions have driven oil prices up to near historic levels, making the price of gas at the pump oppressively high.

Considering the current global conditions, the weaponization of oil supply in conflicts involving major suppliers (like China and Russia), and inflationary concerns that exacerbate these issues even more, oil and gas prices may not see relief anytime soon.

The impact of all this price movement won’t be felt at just the pump–it will directly and indirectly alter many facets of our lives:...

In 2014, a group of 2,705 American drivers aged 16 and up were surveyed by AAA.  

These drivers had driven at least once in the 30 days before the survey and the group was weighted so as to reflect the overall American population. 

The questions in this survey focused specifically on their reactions when feelings of anger were triggered, and the answers revealing the uglier side of driving: road rage. 

The resulting statistics in lighter cases were as follows: 

- 1/3^rd of drivers admitted to have made an angry gesture at another driver 

- 50% admitted to tailgating on purpose 

- 46%...

We’re consummate advocates of and experts on good visibility–it’s literally in our name!

That’s why digging up a list of cars known for their great (or not so great) sightlines is right in our wheelhouse.

These are 5 top-ranked vehicles and their defining features when it comes to visibility, according to Motor and Wheels:

Subaru Legacy

- Thin pillars

- Big windows

- Upright cab

- Rear-view camera

- Blind-spot monitor

Honda Fit

- Multi-angle rearview camera

- Blind spot monitor

Nissan Altima

- Extra rear-quarter window

- Rearview camera

- Rear cross-traffic alert

- Forward-collision alert

Toyota...

Imagine a world where whiteout conditions and an inexperienced driver don't equal a three-week-long delivery delay....

This inconvenience won’t just disappear overnight, but delivery fleets are slowly catching on to the fact that improving a driver’s overall visibility and eliminating blind spots with the right camera system is now a must, when considering cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and local compliance. 

As more and more pickup & delivery fleets get smarter with their system selections, they’re turning to things like powerful Mobile DVRs, HD cameras, dash cams, sensors, compact monitors...

It’s been approximately 3 weeks since Canada mandated vaccines for truckers crossing the border, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight to the backlash.* In fact, many theorize that the blockades and protests will grow. 

If continued, these protests can cascade into problems that will hit close to home for many Americans:

• Manufacturing Job Cuts/Reduced Capacities

The focal point of the protests, Ambassador Bridge, is responsible for roughly 1/3rd of America’s auto industry supplies. Car plants, including some of Toyota’s and GM’s, have already been cutting back on shifts since the protests...

You might be guilty of it yourself.

Distractions, however brief, are almost impossible to ignore. That’s why states havehad to crack down on distracted driving as cell phones have become ubiquitousover the course of time.

Despite the potential of being fined or worse, drivers just can’t help but look everywhere but the road in front of them, and the numbers show it.

According to MoneyGeek, these are the 5 worst states when it comes to distracted driving fatality rates per billion miles (DDFR, for our intents and purposes), with a side of distracted driving deaths (2018-2019):

5. Louisiana

Louisiana...

Nobody wants a safety system that can’t weather the storm–whether that storm consists of snow, rain, sleet, or dust.

The elements have a habit of ruining expensive equipment by entering into any tiny crevice and seam not completely sealed off. 

Enter the Ingress Protection (IP) rating system, the scale used to identify how well your equipment’s interior is shielded from solid particulates, liquids, and submersion.

The scale works as such: 

- The first number after IP in any given rating applies to your equipment’s protection against solid elements like sand. This scale goes from 0-6, with 0...

Ever wonder how dangerous your state is when it comes to driving?  

Well, according to insurance company data, there’s a method to figure this out. It involves combing through 4 million insurance applications to calculate the proportion of drivers to speeding tickets, at-fault accidents, and DUIs. 

Based on the stats extracted by the above mentioned method, these are the 5 most dangerous states, in order from bad to worst:

5. 5. Virginia 

“Virginia is for lovers,” so that might explain the 14.34% of drivers with a speeding ticket, but it doesn’t explain the 26.68% of drivers with at least one...

Take one look at Jessica Rambo’s Instagram page The Painted Buffalo, and you’d think it was a collection of gorgeous landscape shots, skoolie conversion updates, and cool excursion pics. 

In fact it’s all those things, and so much more, for so many folks.

Read a little into the captions and you’ll not only get her story, but a sense of what drives her and makes her projects and her page so special. 

Jess is a mother, a Marine vet, an artist, and a force for good when it comes to other vets, women, and single mothers. Last but not least, she’s the owner of The Painted Buffalo, a school bus-turned-home...

If there’s one time we’d recommend using our systems, it’s during your commute home on that busy highway you have no choice but to take.

Though you may be sitting in traffic for a while, it’s still possible to get scratched, side-swiped, rear-ended, or even worse–so who wouldn’t want a good set of sensors to get through that?

With the help of ATRI, we’ve compiled the top 5 busiest highways in the U.S. (as of 2021) that are sure to have you sitting and seething. That is, if you make it home unscathed.

5. Houston, TX: I-45 at I-69/US 59
Though up 53.7% in peak average speed from the year before...

In keeping with our (recently established) tradition, we’d like to start the new year by highlighting upcoming auto-related technologies--especially the novel types that save lives.

Though we tend to be more safety-focused, we appreciate the bells and whistles of flashy new trends that seem straight out a sci-fi movie scene; some of which definitely made our list:

Adaptive Headlights

Adaptive, or matrix headlights, automatically adjust high beams in the face of oncoming cars while keeping the rest of the road illuminated and are able to be aimed more precisely than regular headlights. The headlights...

It’s been an eventful 2021 to say the least, and we’re going into the new year with high hopes and safe wishes for all! 

Thanks to you, our readers, the On The Safe Side blog has had its best year ever! 

Readership increased in record numbers, and more and more visitors showed interest in the various topics we touched on. 

In order, here are the top 5 articles you clicked on in 2021:

5) 4 PIECES OF TAILGATING TECH YOU'LL GET A KICK OUT OF

Just in time for the start of the NFL, this blog entry dropped a quick list of tailgating essential gadgets that’s still in season (at least until the Super...

Who says a premium safety feature has to cost like one?

We’re all about having best-in-class systems at average-consumer-level prices, and these 5 popular cars help make the case for that.

Hyundai Sonata
Priced at an affordable $24K, Hyundai’s popular sedan comes with brake assist, lane keep assist, an effective blind-spot system, and a backup camera that definitely make it worth the low price tag.

Toyota Camry
At around $33K, the popular Camry comes with a backup camera system which accompanies features like automatic braking, collision warning, lane keep assist, and a blind spot system.

Nissan...

If “hindsight is 20/20” was a gadget, it would be the dash-cam. 

Mini but mighty, dash cams are the most underrated yet useful pieces of tech out there. 

Since privacy and recording laws differ state to state, cars aren’t legally required to have them, but when utilized, they assist with a multitude of issues: 

- Lowering Insurance Premiums 

While it inherently influences a driver to be more aware of their habits on the road since they’re being recorded, it’s also the perfect tool for accident-recording and resolving liability issues should they arise. Establishing that you’re not at fault...

If the early headlines are any indication, then this winter might be a tough one. 

When it comes to safeguarding yourself and your family against icy, whiteout, and freezing conditions, the time to begin winterizing your vehicle and mentally preparing is now–especially if you’re in the northernmost U.S. and Canada. 

So we’ve collected some tried-and-true tactics that have stood the test of time, and updated that list with some modern strategies (namely some cool tech right from the RVS collection). 

Visibility

- Warm up your vehicle and cab first to reduce the chances of your windows fogging...