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5 Most Dangerous Countries to Drive In

Posted by Adam Yamada-Hanff on November 8, 2011
Posted in: Safety. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

Driving can have its share of dangers, but there are certain countries where drivers have to take special care. These places have roads and other conditions that make them more of a challenge when taking to the road. If you are traveling to these countries, be sure that you are aware of traffic laws, safety precautions and prepared for any emergencies that could arise. All figures in this article are for the period from 2006-2007.

United Arab Emirates

1. United Arab Emirates
This country is in the top ranks of the most dangerous countries to drive in. It has more than a million vehicles that are registered to drive on the roads. The United Arab Emirates also has an astonishing 1,056 car-related deaths, with a rate of deaths in accidents at 37.1 per 100,000 residents in the country. This number of accidents also leads to a higher rate of filing auto insurance claims.

Gambia

2. Gambia
Gambia has a large population of over 1,000,000 people with over 14,000 vehicles that can legally be on the road. There have been at least 54 deaths in vehicle accidents, with an accident death rate of 36.6 individuals out of 100,000. This makes for a lot of traffic and busy streets while driving, so if you are visiting, watch for possible accidents on the road.

Niger

3. Niger
This is a beautiful, prospering country that boasts a population of over 14,000,000 people who drive over 76,000 vehicles on its roads. The busy traffic has led to a total of 570 deaths in car accidents, with a vehicle accident death rate of 37.7 per 100,000 people.

Iraq

4. Iraq
Iraq’s population of over 28,000,000 people has had to contend with war over the years, and have also garnered a top spot on the list for being dangerous to drive in. There are over 2,000,000 vehicles on the road daily, with a total of 1,932 deaths from accidents. Every 38.1 out of 100,000 people die in vehicle crashes.

Egypt

5. Egypt
Egypt is a country that is popular with tourists, since it has the pyramids, its history and beautiful cities to tour. It has one of the highest spots on the list of dangerous countries to drive in with a total of 15,983 deaths from automobile accidents. This is possible with over 75,000,000 people in the population and more than 4,300,000 cars on the road. There is a mortality rate of 41.6 per 100,000 people.

If you are planning to travel overseas, make sure that you are prepared for the possibility of an accident. Preparation includes knowing the traffic laws, having good car insurance and being aware of the heaviest traffic zones. This knowledge is vital to making your drive overseas smoother and safer.

Written by Christina Jones

Bridgestone Launches New Website for Teen Drivers

Posted by Adam Yamada-Hanff on August 18, 2011
Posted in: Cool, Websites. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

Bridgestone has a new website for teen drivers, Teensdrivesmart.com. The focus is to educate by providing a comprehensive resource for young drivers. Resources are provided in the form of useful information, fun video games, informative videos, and a blog. However the site is not just for teenagers as there are great resources for parents and teachers as well.

Sometimes it can be hard for parents to think of the right things to say to the newly minted drivers in the family. The website helps with tips and advice. They have driving contracts for parents and teens. Fill these out and discuss the rules and limits when using the family vehicles. This is something a certain writer would definitely approve of… of course not when he was learning to drive.

The site has another great feature – teaching tools. Most schools don’t offer driver ed’s. But teachers and students do still talk about driving, and the site offers driving-focused lesson plans that teachers can use in high school and even middle school. The lessons can be easily integrated into instruction for many different subjects. If you are a teacher, check it out. Consider how to teach your students safe driving habits. Talking about driving should be a priority. This can save lives.

“With the website we provide all the information to make smart decisions. There are more distractions than ever,” says Angela Patterson Sikes, who manages teen driver safety initiatives for Bridgestone. Texting; cell phones; music: other teens – are all potential co-pilots with teen drivers, and all can be lethal. Sikes, who also writes for the site’s “Driver’s Seat Blog,” says the site offers tips on how teens (and adults) can handle those distractions.

“Teenagers are new drivers which is a great opportunity to learn good habits.” says Sikes. “We think safety is everyone’s responsibility. We try to involve parents and teachers to get out the message.”

The blog, which encourages reader comments and an open forum, gives out this information in a conversational manner. Four young women are the primary contributors who connect to teens on their level, without talking down to them. “We want to put a face on the lessons we are trying to teach,” Sikes says.

The website is gaining traction. Miss America 2011, Teresa Scanlan, recently contributed with video messages chatting about the site.

If you sign-up to receive the newsletter you could win a $100 gas card. Check back for more information, contests, and great advice on teen driving.

Safety Scholars Video Contest, Win Money for College

Posted by Adam Yamada-Hanff on June 21, 2011
Posted in: Sweepstakes & Promotions. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 comments

If you like making movies and need some cash for college, you are in luck.  Bridgestone is running their annual Safety Scholars Video Contest.  Essentially you make a short movie about motoring safety and upload i, then you might win a $10,000 college scholarship!

You might be curious, why would Bridestone have this contest?  Angela Patterson Sikes who coordinates digital media and teen driver safety initiatives for Bridgestone, “Bridgestone started the contest in 2006 as part of its teen driver safety initiatives.  Safety Scholars originally began as an essay contest, but in 2007, Bridgestone decided to turn it into a video contest because they thought video would be the most effective form for teens to communicate that message and might reach more people that way.  Sadly, car crashes kill more 16 to 21 year olds than any other cause, so Bridgestone hopes this is a strong, creative way for teens and young adults to consider what they do behind the wheel.”

If you want to submit a video to be judged the deadline is June 24th, 2011.  Videos must be either 25 or 55 seconds long.  Not between 25 and 55 seconds, but one of the two.  The contest is open to 15-21 year olds, within the US and Canada.  The videos must be well thought out and executed.  Angela Patterson Sikes, “Bridgestone chooses the finalists based on the following criteria: how well the video compels viewers to be more safety-conscious when using their vehicles and how well the video effectively and creatively communicates its message.”  Last year there were 1,373 entries, and this year’s number will hopefully top that.  Each year the videos get better and better.  There should be no exception for this year.

Even if you are not quite lucky enough to win the Grand Prize, the second and third place finalists will receive a $5,000 scholarship.  The top ten videos will get a Free set of Bridgestone or Firestone tires.  So get working on a video to submit.  Remember, it’s not just about getting money for school but helping create safer drivers on our roads.

For more info or to upload a video visit: http://www.safetyscholars.com/

 

Driver’s Edge: Real driving Education for Teens

Posted by Adam Yamada-Hanff on May 11, 2011
Posted in: Cool, Show/Event. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 6 comments

Driver’s Edge is a great organization with a very important mission. To save the lives of young drivers! The aim of Driver’s Edge is to bring European driver education (which is more stringent and advanced) to US teenagers. The biggest killer of teenagers is not guns, drugs, or alcohol….. but car accidents. Bringing better driving education to this age group, Driver’s Edge is trying to get those car accident deaths of young drivers down.

When you go out for the day to one of the Driver’s Edge programs, it’s a lot of fun. They will run a you through several different emergency maneuvering techniques. (In a BMW!) You’ll get to experience what is like to take a car to it’s limit in a controlled situation. You also get some Free goodies. I got a T-Shirt and emergency roadside kit, that I still have in my car.

I had a great time doing it and I highly recommend any teenagers sign-up or parents with teenagers sign-up and go. Best part about Driver’s Edge? It’s completely Free!

Driver’s Edge will be conducting a program in Washington D.C. The program will be the weekend of June 18 & 19, 2011 at FedEx Field in Landover, MD. You must register for the program, if you are interested. It’s done on a first come, first serve basis! Registration will open Thursday, May 12 AT 6:00pm (Eastern Daylight Time). Spots are expected to fill quickly, so please sign-up asap if you want a spot or a spot for your teenager. Driver’s Edge is open to anyone age 21, or younger, with a valid learner’s permit or driver’s license.

4 Time Slots are Available, See below for instructions. Only register for one class. Students must stay for the full duration of the class.

  • Saturday, June 18, 8:00am – 12:30pm
  • Saturday, June 18, 1:00pm – 5:30pm
  • Sunday, June 19, 8:00am – 12:30pm
  • Sunday, June 19, 1:00pm – 5:30pm

On Thursday, May 12 at 6:00pm (Eastern Time), you will see that WASHINGTON D.C. will become available for registration on our Tour Schedule & Registration page (link below). Click on “register now” to sign up. **IMPORTANT NOTE** Submitting Registration – When completing your registration, there will be a submit button after you fill out the student’s information: “Sign Me Up”. PLEASE CLICK THE “SIGN ME UP” BUTTON ONLY ONCE. After clicking “sign me up”, the next page will take SEVERAL MINUTES TO LOAD. Every time “sign me up” is pushed, a registration is submitted. Please be patient. Thank you. *We are working on resolving this technical issue and appreciate your patience in the process. PLEASE DO NOT REGISTER FOR MORE THAN ONE SESSION. All registrants will receive an e-mail with class details approximately 7 days PRIOR to the program date. THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2011 AT 6:00P.M. (Eastern Time)

To register visit: www.driversedge.org/events/currentevents.aspx

For more info visit: http://www.driversedge.org/