Safety First

It's a jungle out there.  Yesterday, I was driving behind a person who, I am 99% sure, was TEXTING while driving!  I'm not crazy for thinking that's crazy, right?  After taking the loooong way to work just to get away from the multitasking offender, it struck me that the commute can be dangerous, even if you're a good, law-abiding driver.  It also made me realize that we haven't posted much in the way of safety for awhile.  I investigated some of the best websites out there for safety research and here's what I found...

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a non-profit organization, not affiliated with any auto manufacturers, but wholly funded by auto insurers. They have been operating for over 30 years and run the Vehicle Research Center, a state of the art crash-test facility where most of their vehicle research is done. The goal of the Institute is to reduce the losses (death, injuries and property damage) from accidents on the nation’s highways. You can find relatively comprehensive vehicle ratings from The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety here.

Safecar.gov is a clearinghouse of information about vehicle safety provided by the federal government. Aside from general advice on safe driving, users can also find up-to-date information regarding vehicle recalls or defects or report problems or concerns with their own vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducts government mandated crash tests at their federal facility in Ohio. Results of these crash-tests can be found on their website, but are also usually on the sticker of new vehicles. The NHTSA website is also helpful if you are wondering what the laws are regarding say, infant seats or cell phone use while driving.

Drive safe!