Choosing the Best Radar Detectors for Your Motorcycle

Because of the legal/illegal status of radar detectors in the US market many different models with different functions from different brands have emerged onto the market. Some of these radar detectors are the following: • Radar Screamer. This unit provides immediate warning in order to get the attention of the driver. This enhances the audio warning which is produced by many radar detectors to allow the motorcycle rider to better hear the warning while at constant speed. This is a water proof device and does not depend on any replaceable batteries. • Escort 8500 X50. This is known to be the one of best radar detectors in the market. It offers advanced digital signal processing which can be reprogrammed and will also allow you to customize your detector. This unit can be upgraded. It has a very clever auto sensitivity mode, which automatically lessens false alarms. • HARD (Helmet Assisted Radar Detection). This unit provides an urgent visual alert. The warning can be find inside the helmet, lighting up within your field of vision which allows the immediate awareness of the radar. This is designed as an accessory to all the leading radar detectors, especially designed for motorcycling. • Bel RX65. This is a the fast response device, featuring 'Threat Display' which tracks multiple radar signals and their relative signal strength. This allows you to customize up to 7 options for your specific driving style. Beltronics state that this is their most advanced radar, laser and safety detector. • Cobra XRS9700 Radar Detector. This model is equipped with many features including the 11-Band technology and the SmartMute. This offers three levels of false signal controls which lessen false alerts. • PNI Sensor Traveler II Radar Detector. This is one of the most advanced and user friendly radar detector sold nowadays. This featured bilingual voice alerts - English and Spanish. The PNI Sensor is convenient to use because of it is a cordless device. • Whistler Pro 1730. This features a voice alert and optional mute. • Rocky Mountain Radar RMR-D230. This automatically adjusts the laser background noise which lessens false alarms. This increases the typical scanning process by a factor of three which enables the D230 to catch even Instant-On and POP radar. • Escort Solo II. This features the following: 1. Convenient cordless design uses 2. Uses 2 AA batteries, this maximizes the battery life 3. AutoSensitivity mode virtually eliminates false alarms 4. Long-range protection on all radar bands 5. VG-2 Protection 6. 10 user programmable features 7. High resolution graphic LCD display 8. Built-in earphone jack Most of these radar detectors belong on the top seller lists because of high performance. So, if you have decided to buy a radar detector, you can choose confidently from the above list. But please, before you purchase, check if the use of radar detectors is legal in your states.

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Vehicle Safety Habits For The Beginner Driver

It is good practice to check you’re vehicle out before proceeding out on the road, and know all the safety features of the vehicle that you are operating. It is part of defensive driving to do these checks before you take you’re vehicle on the road. Vehicle inspection should be first on the list, before proceeding out on the road. Take out the tire wrench. You are going to need it to check the tires. Hit the tire to make sure there is sufficient air. You may want to carry a tire gauge in you’re car. Do a visable inspection of tires, looking for possible cracks or worn tires. Are there any visible leaks under the car? Do the signals work? Do the headlights work? (High and low beam.) Do the brake lights work? Check to make sure there’s enough engine oil; break fluid, and power steering fluid. Also check battery water level and coolant level. Do not open radiator cap! Vehicle must be cooled down first, if parked recently. (caution: see owners manual before opening cap.) Last will be transmission fluid. (Vehicle must be running to read proper level.) (Make sure you’re emergency park brake is applied.) Now you are ready to enter the car. Go over the safety features of your vehicle. . Communication features: Signals help you warn other drivers, which way you intend to turn. Brakes warn other drivers your slowing down or stopping. Horn warns other drivers and pedestrians to be alert. Emergency signals warn other drivers of a problem that you may have. Visibility features: Mirrors should be adjusted before you leave any parked position. Mirrors should be used quite often to see what is happening around you at all times. When you think your going to have to stop, check you’re rearview mirror first. You may have to touch your brake, to warn others behind you. You may have to stop a little further ahead to give the driver behind you room to stop safely. It’s all part of driving defensively. Headlights should be working, high and low beam. Wipers are a must in bad weather conditions. Windshield must be clean. Safety features: Emergency brakes should be applied when in a parked position at all times. Test you’re emergency brake by applying the handle, or pushing to the floor, depending on the make and model of the vehicle. Remove gear out of park position with foot on brake pedal and put in drive position. Ease up on brake pedal. Vehicle should not roll forward. It is a good habit to always release park brake after putting vehicle in gear. The vehicle will not roll forward if you forget to put you’re foot on the brake pedal, if the park brake is functioning properly. Seat belts: Make sure you’re seatbelt is on. Including passengers. It is a violation in most, if not every city and state not to wear it. Comfort: Heater should be adjusted accordingly, for maximum comfort. Driver must open windows if too hot. Seat adjustments should be adjusted for maximum visibility and comfort. (Check owner’s manual for further knowledge of vehicle features and safety features.) These topics that we covered should be second nature when reaching for them, especially when you get an unexpected downpour, or hit with mud from a passing vehicle, if you have to look for you’re wipers, you may find yourself on top of another vehicle or in a ditch! Do not attempt to drive without this knowledge.

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Tactical Driving Tips

The winter and driving shopping season is right around the corner. We need to remember that in the winter, with snow and freezing conditions, our driving tactics need to change. Accidents will occur on the snow and ice that wouldn't on dry pavement. This article will cover the important things to remember and how to drive safely. The most important thing that everyone needs to remember is that you cannot stop as fast on icy or snow covered pavement. You need to drive slower which will give you more time to slow down. When you need to come to a stop anywhere give yourself more time by starting to slow down earlier than usual. When driving behind other vehicles make sure that you leave a bigger distance between you and the vehicle in front. This way you will have more time to slow down and also react to unexpected stops. Slow down everywhere and anything that you do. Take turns slower, drive on straight roads slower and slow down alittle even on slight curves in the road. Anytime you have to turn that steering wheel ease of the gas appropiately. You need to be deliberate in all your actions. Anytime that you need to push on the pedals, gas or brake, do it easily and steady. When making a turn ease that steering wheel slowly and don't make fast jerky movements. Always be aware of your road conditions. Even when it is not snowing the road will ice up in places where there is moisture. This will happen more during the overnight hours when it is colder and there is no sunlight. Sometimes a spot will look just wet but is is actually ice, "black ice" as we know it. Be aware of bridges and overpasses. These road surfaces are always colder and therefore freezes up first. If you do find yourself on ice just coast, don't brake or turn the wheel, until you pass over it. Drive defensively. Always be on the lookout for other motorists that are making all of the mistakes. Approach intersections cautiously looking for other skidding vehicles. Keep an eye in your rear view mirror for vehicles hitting you from behind. Keep enough distance away from everyone so you don't become part of their accident. Even after taking all your precautions you will eventually find yourself involved in a sliding situation. When you do, DON'T PANIC! Take your foot of the gas and don't hit the brakes. You then want to steer your car into the skid. People always hear that but don't know what to do anyway. If you are driving straight and the rear of your vehicle is sliding to the left and the front of the vehicle to the right, then you need to countersteer your car to the left. If the car corrects itself then straighten the wheel back out. Sometimes the car will over correct itself and now it is sliding the other way. If this happens just countersteer again in the opposite direction. Follow these tips and hopefully you won't become the next accident statistic. People with suv's are not immune to these rules. Remember not to drink and drive, stay off of your cell phone and always wear your seatbelt.

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DWI, DUI, And BAC: Three Deadly Acronyms

DWI - Driving While Intoxicated.
DUI - Driving Under the Influence (of alcohol or drugs).
BAC - Blood Alcohol Concentration (or Content).

These three acronyms form a deadly combination. The main links between the three are alcohol and driving. It is well documented that drinking alcohol impairs judgment, slows reaction time, and decreases coordination. When a person is DWI or DUI, he or she is piloting a one-ton time bomb with little control over it. Is it speeding towards you?

These three acronyms have legal ramifications too. DUI and DWI are criminal offenses. To determine if a DWI or DUI offense has been committed, it is necessary to measure how much alcohol was consumed by the suspect driver (the BAC).

In the field, police officers utilize tests to determine the amount of a driver's impairment due to alcohol. Such tests include, but are not limited to, breath alcohol tests and field sobriety tests. The breath test is further discussed in this article.

A person's reaction to alcohol varies widely. Some factors that affect alcohol impairment include gender, body weight, time of last meal, time of day, alcohol tolerance, medications, genetics, rate of alcohol consumption, and many more.

A police officer stopping a suspected drunk driver has visual, olfactory (smell), and breath tests to judge a person's impairment from alcohol. The officer must make some kind of quantitative determination of the amount of alcohol impairment at the time of the stop. All the factors mentioned above do not matter to the officer. All he or she wants to do is to create a "snapshot" of the degree of impairment.

Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is a measure of the amount of alcohol in the blood, expressed as a percentage by volume. This can be measured precisely by taking a sample of the driver's blood for analysis. In the U.S., a BAC level of 0.08% (commonly written as .08) or more is considered illegal. However, the officer on patrol certainly doesn't have a medical lab in the car, and must rely on a breath testing device.

The brand name Breathalyzer is often used generically to describe devices that measure blood alcohol concentration. This type of breath analyzer does not actually measure the concentration of alcohol in the blood. Instead, the reading on the breath analyzer is only an estimate of the alcohol in the blood.

Correlations between the amount of alcohol in the blood and the resulting amount of alcohol in the breath have been made. The tests show the ratio to be approximately 2100 (in the blood) to about 1 (in the breath), or 2100:1. Based on factors listed above, a person's blood:breath alcohol ratio can vary from 1700:1 to 2400:1.

In simpler terms, if an average person has 2100 drops of alcohol in the blood, the breath tester will show a reading of 1 drop. Doctors have measured the blood and breath alcohol contents of test subjects simultaneously, allowing them to calculate the relationship between alcohol in the blood and alcohol in the breath.

When a drunk driving suspect blows into the breath alcohol tester, the machine measures the alcohol in the breath. The machine then calculates the amount of alcohol in the blood by using a blood:breath alcohol ratio. This calculation of BAC is only an estimate. However, that estimate is what goes on the police report and is what the judge will see.

The next time you have consumed alcohol and feel like you are not impaired to drive, remember these points. First, your confidence may be simply alcohol-induced euphoria. Second, your life and the lives of those you drive near may all depend on what the little breath machine thinks is normal. Are you willing to bet your freedom on the opinion of some fancy calculator? Me neither. Be safe!

Need DWI help fast? Investigate the free tips at the resource below.

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Defensive Driving Courses – A Brief Overview

Advanced Driving or also known as defensive driving is a more advanced form of training that motor vehicle drivers can take, over and above the mastery of the rules of the road, and the basic mechanics of driving. Its aim is to reduce the risk of driving by proactively avoiding dangerous situations, despite adverse conditions and/or the incorrect actions of others. This can be achieved through adherence to a variety of general-purpose rules, as well as the practice of specific driving techniques.

Listed below are a few of those techniques, and a few words about them.

Rule No. 1 - Pay Attention!
A moving vehicle develops thousands of foot-pounds of energy. YOU as a driver have the responsibility not to use that energy to injure or kill others, or damage their property. Paying attention makes it possible for you to see, recognize and avoid the hazards lurking on the road; these are the three basic elements of defensive driving. The primary attribute necessary for a safe driver is alertness, and paying attention is the most important driving task because it helps create the time you need to recognize hazards and avoid a collision.

Rule No. 2 - Do not Trust Anybody!
We have met the enemy and he has us. You can never rely on what the other driver will do. Think back to all the mistakes you've made while driving over the years. Think ahead to the ones you know you will make in the future. All the other drivers are just like us! Don't trust them! While you are driving, keep a wary eye on the other guy and leave yourself plenty of room. Anticipate the mistakes he might make and be ready for them. Eventually, he will! Because he's just like us! When you are driving on "autopilot," you have turned control of your vehicle over to those other drivers - you are at their mercy. Their fate is your fate.

Rule No. 3 - Don't speed!
Driving at a higher than reasonable speed increases your risk in two ways: it cuts your reaction time and results in more "stored" energy (that must be dissipated in any collision). You should consider if the risks are worth the gain. This is the science of math and physics—you cannot bend these rules. Each incremental increase in speed reduces your ability to react in time to hazards, because you may be covering distance in less time than it takes to react. Normal reaction time is between .75 second and 1.5 seconds, on average. Average reaction time distance at 50 mph would be approximately 83 feet. At 70 mph, it is over 115 feet (over 7 modern car lengths). These numbers do not include braking distance, just reaction time. The average difference in reaction-time distance from 50 mph to 70 mph is about 32 feet. If you were relying solely on braking, any hazard you encounter within the reaction distance is already a problem; you can't react quickly enough to miss it. This is particularly important at night, when darkness restricts your visibility. Do you know at what distance your headlights will illuminate a hazard? How is your night vision these days? When headlights finally light up a road hazard, it is often too late to avoid it. Many experts would tell you that even 50 mph is too fast for conditions at night, on any dark roadway.

Rule No. 4 - Drive Precisely!
Sloppy driving breeds mishaps! Most everyone knows the basics of the traffic laws; signaling, proper lane position for turns, turning into the proper lanes, complying with traffic signs (like "No U-Turns," "No right turn on red," etc.), driving to the right except when passing, passing across double yellow stripes, really STOPPING for stop signs, and many others. Drivers ignore them for the sake of expediency every day. We are so impatient to get about the details of our lives that we don't take the time to do it "right." One estimate I've seen is that average drivers commit 2.5 traffic violations every mile they drive! But, those pesky, nit-picky driving rules ARE important!

Most important rule – Respect all the driving rules that your country’s legislation has.

The list could go on for yet another fifty or more rules, but these are considered the most important of them all. More rules and details on how to attend a defensive driving course can be found on the following sites:

www.dmv.org
www.drivinguniversity.com

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