There is a lot going on that could have you on edge right now. It’s so easy to get caught up in our hurry-up world. Driving aggressively, whether that’s speeding, tailgating, cutting in front of another driver, or a host of other hostile actions behind the wheel can put you and everyone on the road with you at risk.
Let’s face it, once we make it through the holidays many of us are anxious to zoom through winter to warmer days ahead. No matter how fast you move through your days, spring is still 68 days away.
Similarly, speeding behind the wheel won’t land you at your destination much faster. And that minute or two you gain in time doesn’t gain you anything if you get in a crash or put the lives of others on the road in danger.
The Iowa Department of Transportation has suspended the Message Monday public information campaign temporarily to allow the message boards to be used for public safety messages related to COVID-19. Message Monday blogs and social media posts will resume once COVID-19 conditions lessen.
Heading into the winter, air temperatures in Iowa can change drastically. Since the air in your tires is a gas, it expands when heated and contracts when cools. According to www.goodyear.com, for every 10 degrees of temperature drop, tires will drop 1-2 pounds of pressure.
An underinflated tire can't maintain its shape and becomes flatter than intended while in contact with the road. If a vehicle's tires are underinflated by only 6 pounds per square inch, it could lead to tire failure and you could experience a significant loss of steering precision and cornering stability. While 6 psi doesn't seem excessively low, remember, it usually represents about 20 percent of the tire's recommended pressure. In addition, this reduction in air pressure can also impact your fuel economy.
Since the cartoon first debuted in 1969, the lovable mystery solvers from Scooby Doo have relied on the Mystery Machine to sweep them away from danger. But traveling in your own “mystery machine” can be dangerous this time of year if you unexpectedly encounter a deer. Dusk and dawn are when you’re most likely to say “Jeepers!” as a deer darts out of the ditch.
To help you stay safe, remain alert, driver sober, slow down and continuously scan your surroundings to watch for any animals in your path before you get too close. But if a deer does happen to end up in your path, don’t veer to avoid hitting it.
We all have choices to make. Some of them are minor and have only short-term impacts, others can influence months or years of your life. Choosing to wear a seat belt every time you’re in a vehicle, no matter where you are seated is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash.
Some may think the airbags in your vehicle will protect you, but airbags are actually designed to work with seat belts, not replace them. If you don’t wear your seat belt and you’re in a crash, you could be thrown into a rapidly opening frontal airbag. Such force could injure or even kill you.
