When we leave the house and hop in the car whether it’s to go to work , the grocery store or drop the kids off at school, what are we thinking about?  How much thought goes into making sure our drive will be done in a safe way in a safe vehicle?  I’m guessing a lot of the time we don’t give it much thought. 

Maybe it’s time we put safety first. 

Ask the people around you what the drive to work was like?  I’m sure you’ll hear complaints of other drivers.  I hear the same thing here.  If we’re all doing the complaining though who is causing the problems on the road?

Safety is important, we’re carrying our loved ones or our loved ones are behind the wheel.  When people look for a pre-owned vehicle for their son or daughter we usually get requests for reliable and safe transportation.  For most people though “safe” means good brakes and a vehicle that will get our loved ones where they’re going and home without mishap.  Take it an extra step.  Air bags, anti lock brakes (ABS), side impact beams, crumple zones, the list is a long one.  You can check out the crash worthiness of new or older models at a couple of different websites. 

IIHS, Insurance Institute for Hioghway Safety:  http://www.iihs.org/ratings/default.aspx  You’ll find Ford & Lincoln have 12 top safety picks.

NHTSA, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration:  http://www.safercar.gov/Safety+Ratings

The 5 Star Crash Testing System was implemented in 1978.  Side Impact was introduced in 1997. Rollover ratings came into effect in 2001 and the whole system was revamped to be much tougher last year.  Testing is done at 35 mph into a wall.

5 Stars = Side crash injury risk for this vehicle is much less than average

4 Stars = Side crash injury risk for this vehicle is less than average to average

3 Stars = Side crash injury risk for this vehicle is average to greater than average

2 Stars = Side crash injury risk for this vehicle is greater than average

1 Star = Side crash injury risk for this vehicle is much greater than average

Spend a little more if you can to get more safety.  The car and money can be replaced, I know my kids can’t.    

I believe the expression is that: ”our car is an extension of ourselves.”  It seems though a car is really an extension of our home.  If you want to experience an extension of yourself ride a motorcycle or bicycle to feel how vulnerable you truly are on the roads.

The average car weighs what, 3000 – 5000 pounds (divide by 2.2 for metric please).  At 50 kph you cover roughly 14 metres in one second (if my math is any good at all).  How long does it take to glance away to change the radio station?  What about the distraction of a cell phone (put it down, not because of the $167 fine but because it’s wrong).  What if you drop something?  What about eating or even a sneeze.  Say you look away for just a second, you’ve covered 14 metres and still need to react to brake.  How much more distance to stop?  How fast can traffic conditions change?

Please give safety some thought, because speaking from recent experience, it’s better to spend a Sunday afternoon with your family than it is to spend Sunday lying on the road and in a hospital because someone wasn’t paying attention.