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(NewsUSA) – You’ve planned a morning drive to the country. You packed your bags the night before and even managed to steal several hours of rare, uninterrupted sleep, only to awaken the next morning to find heavy rains pouring violently from the sky.

Is your vehicle prepared for the drive? With the winter season not yet behind us, and spring showers looming on the horizon, it helps to have a vehicle that can ensure a safe, smooth ride, even in torrential rains and icy storms.

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), there are over 6,400,000 vehicle crashes each year.

Twenty-four percent of these crashes-approximately 1,561,000-are weather-related. Additionally, nearly 7,400 people are killed and over 673,000 people are injured in weather-related crashes each year.

The FHWA reports that the reason for many weather-related crashes is rain. Because it reduces vehicle traction and maneuverability, as well as visibility distance, it’s important to have a vehicle equipped to perform in any inclement situation.

Believe it or not, the 2008 Porsche Cayman and Cayman S are among the best rainy-day cars. They have all of the essential features needed for all-weather driving.

The Cayman and Cayman S have a dynamic wiper system that, in addition to front and rear wipers, features optional rain sensors that activate the wipers when water is detected on the glass and shuts off the rear wipers when the car reaches speeds above 131 mph.

And like all Porsche vehicles, the Cayman and Cayman S feature strong tire traction and mud guards for further protection. As an added advantage in inclement conditions, both vehicles feature the Porsche Stability Management (PSM) System as standard equipment.

The PSM is a computerized system that relies on data from an assortment of sensors to compare the speed of individual wheels, vehicle speed and engine speed in order to rein the car back under the driver’s control when it detects the car slipping sideways or its tires losing traction and beginning to spin.

Also standard are four-wheel disc, anti-lock brakes that are cross-drilled and vented internally for optimum performance in inclement weather.

With the National Climate Data Center having reported December 2007 as having been wetter than normal for the United States, equip yourself today with a vehicle like the Porsche Cayman or Cayman S for safe, all-weather ride. For more information on the all-weather features of the Porsche Cayman and Cayman S, visit www.porsche.com.

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Interview with Hung Hsin: Getting Your Money's Worth with Judith West

Car insurance is now a must-have for car owners and drivers as mandated by law. It is a pre-requisite before one can get a driver’s license for most US states. For all who will be driving car insurance, at least the minimum requirement of the state, must be purchased. This includes everyone not just those driving for personal reasons but also those in line with business transaction thus we have business car insurance.

Business car insurance is much like the regular insurance applied for by car owners and drivers. The only difference is that instead of the driver, the company itself is the policyholder. Therefore the responsibility is in the company’s hand.

In getting car insurance for the company vehicles the things that must be kept in mind do not actually differ much with the reminders in choosing the conventional auto policies.

First it is good to check on several different insurance companies’ offer for business car policies. Choose at least 3-4 companies and thoroughly review their profile. Through the internet this job will be accomplished faster and a lot easier. It is also good to check on the company’s insurance rating with the industry standards. By doing so you are avoiding falling into wrong baits. Now since you are looking for a business car insurance and not just the regular policy, it is best to pick the company that is acclimatize to providing coverage for company cars.

Deciding on what coverage to but is another thing that must be deeply thought of in getting car insurance for company vehicles. Knowing exactly what you need will be a good stand against overwhelming types of insurance coverage that appear to be so alluring yet will cost too much for your finances to handle. Nonetheless most companies with the goal of protecting their investments get more than the liability and property damage protection. In relation to this, availing for an additional roadside assistance protection is recommended for business owners or officers in charge.

Who will be driving the car also matters just like the process for the regular car insurance policies the driver being a high risk or low risk is a factor that car insurance companies look at. Therefore picking a driver with a good driving history and of course with a driver’s license to be covered under the business car insurance policy is another consideration.

These are just some of the things that have to be taken into account if you are planning to get business car insurance for your properties.

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Driver Fatigue is an important cause of road crashes.

Driver fatigue is very dangerous condition created when a person is suffering symptoms of fatigue while driving, often resulting from the hypnotic (Inducing sleep; soporific or hypnosis) effect especially during nighttime (peak levels at night can be 10 times daytime levels) driving either falling asleep at the wheel or so exhausted they made serious – and fatal – driving errors.

However the early hours of the morning and the middle of the afternoon are the peak times for fatigue accidents. Also long journeys on monotonous roads, such as motorways, are the most likely to result in a driver falling asleep. Sunlight signals or bodies when to be awake. But even deprived of any natural light, we will still feel a surge of fatigue in the middle of the night and to a lesser extent, in the middle of the afternoon. The latest research also shows the grogginess right after you wake up can also be dangerous.

There's a strong possibility that the driver fall asleep and run off the road. Tiredness and fatigue can often affect your driving ability long before you even notice you’re getting tired. Fatigue related crashes are often more severe than others because driver's reaction times are delayed or they have failed to make any maneuvers to avoid a crash. Symptoms of driver fatigue include heavy eyelids, frequent yawning, a drifting vehicle that wanders over road lines, varying vehicle speed for no reason, misjudging traffic situations, and seeing things "jump out" in the road, feeling fidgety or irritable and daydreaming.

A study by National Central University in Jhongli, Tatung University, Taiwan; recently reported at New Scientist magazine that "driving for just 80 minutes without a break can make motorists a danger on the roads". They found that drivers who do not take frequent rest stops have slower reactions than those who break up long journeys.

People run a higher risk of succumbing to driver fatigue between 2am and 6am and during what is known as the "2pm slump". Studies show the number of accidents increase according to the time of day and the number of hours driven. High risk occupations include night-shift workers, airline crew, students, commercial drivers, medical staff, sales representatives and journalists.

Enforcement of duty cycle limitations; suppose bus drivers operating on irregular schedules suffer greater subjective fatigue and physiological stress than drivers operating on a regular schedule. Service regulations in Canada reported that after 24 hours of duty, workers experience a25% decrease in performance.

A new in-depth on-scene study last year in the Vehicle Safety Division, at Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden reveals that driver fatigue, slippery roads, and inexperience could be just as important and should be factored into the design of new vehicle safety features.

Recent international research has suggested that driver fatigue is under- represented in accident statistics, and some estimates show that it could be a contributing factor in twenty to twenty four percent of fatal crashes.

A study conducted by the Adelaide Centre for Sleep Research shown that drivers who have been awake for 24 hours have an equivalent driving performance to a person who has a BAC (blood alcohol content) of 0.1 g/100ml, and is seven times more likely to have an accident.

In the USA a series of studies by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have pointed to the significance of sleepiness as a factor in accidents involving heavy vehicles.

The NTSB came to the concluded that 52 per cent of 107 single-vehicle accidents involving heavy trucks were fatigue-related; in nearly 18 per cent of the cases, the driver admitted to falling asleep. Summarizing the US Department of Transportation's investigations into fatigue in the 1990s, the extent of fatigue-related fatal accidents is estimated to be around 30%. Research shows that driver fatigue is a significant factor in approximately 20% of commercial road transport crashes and over 50% of long haul drivers have fallen asleep at the wheel.

Recently The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimate that there are 56,000 sleep related road crashes annually in the USA, resulting in 40,000 injuries and 1,550 fatalities.

An analysis of road accidents between 1990 and 1992 in North Carolina found 5,104 accidents (0.5%) in which the driver was judged to have fallen asleep.  A survey of 205 drivers in another State found that 31% admitted having dozed off at least once while driving during the preceding twelve months.

One study calculated that 17% (about 1 million) of road accidents are sleep related. A 1995 study suggested that 2.6% of accidents caused by driver inattention were due to fatigue

A study of road accidents on two of America’s busiest roads indicated that 50% of fatal accidents on those roads were fatigue related. Another study claims that 30% – 40% of accidents involving heavy trucks are caused by driver sleepiness. Truck driver fatigue was a particular problem in single-vehicle fatal crashes. In 2002 alone the Total Cost of Fatigue-Related Crashes (in 1999 Dollars) exceeded $2.3 billion.

Rubbernecking, driver fatigue (12%) and looking at scenery were some of the leading causes of distraction-related traffic crashes, according to a study in 2003 over more than 2,700 crash scenes involving distracted drivers and nearly 4,500 drivers; conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University for the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

In 2007 fatigue was involved in at least 18% of fatal accidents and accounts for about 7% of all accidents.

The Government’s Road Safety Strategy, “Tomorrow’s Roads: Safer for Everyone” identifies driver fatigue as one of the main areas of driver behavior that needs to be addressed if the target for reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured in road accidents by 40% by 2010 is to be achieved.

One study based on coronial and police reports found that fatigue played a part in only 5 per cent of fatal crashes in 1988. A more recent survey (for 1994) based on coronial and police reports found that fatigue played a part to about 18 per cent of fatal crashes. It included not only those crashes in which police identified fatigue as a cause, but also cases where the crash description suggested 'loss of concentration' had been a contributing factor. A third review found that around 30 per cent of rural crashes in Western Australia could be attributed to fatigue. Fatigue is a major cause of crashes in Victoria resulting in some 70 deaths and approximately 500 serious injuries each year. Recently research shows fatigue is a contributing factor in around 20-25 per cent of all fatal car accidents in Victoria.

A collaboration study by Moller of the University Health Network and the University of Toronto Sleep Research Unit found that driver fatigue is a serious road safety issue that kills 400 Canadians every year. Also, according to a 2005 study, one in five Canadians – 4 million people – admitted to nodding off or falling asleep at the wheel at least once in the previous 12 months.

In UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Germany:

In the UK alone, almost 45,000 people are killed, or seriously injured in road accidents every year, and road safety experts consider driver fatigue is a major cause. Driver fatigue is shown to be responsible for more than 20% of traffic accidents in UK.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) of Ireland Chief Executive Noel Brett said scientific studies prove that driver fatigue is as dangerous as driving when over the drink drive limit and warned recently that one of five driver deaths in Ireland were as a result of driver fatigue, when a motorist begins to nod off behind of the wheel of a car.

A study in New Zealand of 370 heavy motor vehicle crashes in 1997, found that driver fatigue was listed as a contributing factor in 7% of accidents. In 2006 at least 40 people lost their lives while almost 1000 people were injured because they, or the driver of the car they were in, succumbed to fatigue.

According to an investigation carried out by insurance companies in Germany, fatigue is responsible for one in four fatal motorway accidents. Another study of motorway accidents in Bavaria estimated that 35% of fatal motorway crashes were due to reduce vigilance (driver inattention and fatigue).

Avoiding driver fatigue on long trips. The biggest mistake people make is not stopping when they are tired, thinking they can make it. Drivers should give themselves plenty of time to get to their destinations and schedule in regular breaks.

For long trips plan in advance so you know where you are going to take a break. Don’t work a full day and then driving for hours before leaving a good night's sleep to avoid the cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep.

Take a break at least every 2 hours.

Plan to stay somewhere overnight if you are going on a long journey and avoid heavy foods.

Share the driving – and make sure to take rest when you are not driving.

Try not to drive when you would normally be asleep (early mornings and late nights.

Don’t drink and drive. Not only does alcohol severely impair your driving ability, but it also acts as a depressant. Just one drink can induce fatigue. Also, avoid smoking when you drive. Smoke’s nicotine and carbon monoxide hamper night vision. If there is any doubt, have your headlights properly aimed. Misaimed headlights blind other drivers and reduce your ability to see the road. Being seen is as important as seeing.

Caffeine (coffee, cola drinks) provides a quick, but short-lived improvement in alertness. So, to capitalize on its benefits, one should use it only when a boost is needed. Drink water, eat fruit and healthy snacks rather than fatty and sugary food.

If you are taking any medication, check whether it causes drowsiness.

Use air conditioning to keep you more alert and will help avoid frustration and stress.

Adjust driving seat to an upright position is to ensure the base of your wrists can make contact with the top of the steering wheel.

Additionally recently New Zealand’s Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) Programme Manager of road safety advised for busting fatigue are: " A power nap of only twenty minutes (A brief power-nap) can boost energy levels as well as improve your driving skills and alertness ". The National Sleep Foundation also recommends taking a nap for 15-45 minutes.

you keep yawning ,day-dreaming, wandering in lane

your reactions unintentionally speeding up or slowing down. Anxiety, mood states, personality and temperament as factors that may possibly affect driver fatigue.

you don’t remember driving the last few miles or cannot remember the last few minutes or seconds.

Need more information?

The information presented here was generated in cooperation with the Roads and Traffic Authority. You can get more information from the RTA Driver Fatigue. The Federal Office of Road Safety also has a great deal of information as does the NSW Health site.

As you browsed ‘ Driver Fatigue is an important cause of road crashes.

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Article source: http://www.smartmotorist.com/traffic-and-safety-guideline/driver-fatigue-is-an-important-cause-of-road-crashes.html

Chevrolet has confirmed its entry for the 2011 British Touring Car Championship season with the same line-up of drivers fresh from winning the driver’s championship in 2010.

Leading the attack will be Jason Plato, who won the title in grand form at the last race weekend of the year and fits his day job around presenting television’s Fifth Gear.

Plato will be joined by Alex MacDowall, a young driver who might look like he’s moving up to big school but turns out to be 20. MacDowall goes into his second season having shown flashes of promise during his debut year.

The RML-run Chevrolet team will once again be running its Cruze racing car, which Plato deployed to occasionally devastating effect last year.

When quizzed on his championship chances, Plato said: “Will I win the championship again? I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think it was possible – but there are some other good teams out there who have come on leaps and bounds since last year, meaning we’re in for one of the most competitive seasons ever – great news for fans of the best racing series in the UK, and for the drivers who compete in it. It’s going to be a thriller.”

ITV4 has also confirmed that it will once again be showing BTCC race days live, with the addition of high definition coverage for those who are HD-ready.

The first race takes place at Brands Hatch on April 3.

Source: http://uk.autoblog.com/2011/03/16/chevrolet-confirms-btcc-re-entry-with-champion-plato/

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