traffic – Adam's Auto Advice

5 Most Dangerous Countries to Drive In

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Baltimore Grand Prix Economic Benefit Press Conference

BGP Press 009 — The Mayor, ALMS President, IndyCar Commissioner, and lots of people I don't know!

Yesterday there was a press conference regarding how Baltimore's economy benefited from the Baltimore Grand Prix. I was invited and attended to hear what they had to say and even got to ask a question. Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the Mayor of Baltimore, and Jay Davidson, president of Baltimore Racing Development were in attendance. To my surprise Terry Angstadt, the Indycar Commissioner, was in attendance as well as Scott Atherton, president of American Le Mans series.

The early numbers look good. Hotel revenue taken from 11 hotels around the track had a 44% increase in revenue from last Labor Day weekend. City parking garages showed a 119% increase in revenue. (No shit! They charged $40 for a parking spot.) The media coverage is valued at 3.5 million, which I am not sure how that is tallied. Jay Davidson said, “We spent more than 3 million dollars on local vendors.” which included D&T welding and Sparks Fencing. So obviously a lot of money was spent with Maryland businesses to put on the event.

I thought there would be more numbers on how the weekend went. More comprehensive numbers will be released by Forward Analytics on October 1st after Baltimore's Mayoral election on September 13th. Mmm… I find that very interesting. Don't you? Rawlings-Blake, “I don't have any preliminary numbers. As soon as I do I will make them available.” It's early but with computers you can't come up with numbers faster?

After leaving and talking with several of the PR and Marketing bigwigs of the city, I realized this press conference was mainly to applaud the people who put on the Baltimore Grand Prix. Nothing is wrong with that, since it did take a leap of faith. I was expecting some better numbers though. We will wait and see.

I got a Golden Ticket!

Baltimore GP 001 — Baltimore Grand Prix Media Pass

It's a gold colored Media Pass! This gives you access to the pit lanes, media center located in the convention center (where they served lunch and drinks), all of the paddock areas, Grand Prix Circuit, and press conferences. Maybe there are other benefits I am not aware of? I also got parking passes for all 3 days of the Baltimore Grand Prix, but I took the Light Rail to get down here today. Traffic congestion is bad. Pictures to come!

Stranded by AAA

Last Tuesday I was driving home, on a busy city street, when my engine suddenly shut-off…. in the middle of the road. None of the car electronics were working. I tried to start the car many times, but to no avail. Unfortunately…. it was a dead battery!

It's good to try to avoid this situation. You should get your battery tested every so often. Your mechanic or local auto parts store should have specialized testing equipment to determine whether a battery is good or bad. How can you determine whether you have a bad battery? Usually when your battery starts to produce white corrosive material around the battery terminals and contacts, it tends to be a sign the battery is starting to go. My battery was producing white corrosion a lot, and no amount of cleaning was keeping it from coming back. Batteries also tend to smell pungent. If it smells like rotten-eggs around your battery or when your hood is open, you have a bad battery. Batteries tend to last about 3-5 years. If your battery is over 3 years old, definitely get it tested every couple months to ensure you don't get stranded.

The annoying thing is AAA tested this battery tested 2 weeks earlier, and said it was “Fine.” Since it was an AAA branded battery with a 3-year warranty, you can get a replacement if defective. While questioning a representative on what criteria is needed to replace a battery the statement was “We will replace a battery if it has a bad cell or is defective.” They gave me the usual corporate runaround about policies and procedures, but provided no real information. It seems AAA doesn't want to give you a new battery unless it's absolutely necessary.

I got my car towed to where I work. We promptly tested the battery, and obviously it was no good. So I put in a new one and was back on the road.

Don't listen to AAA for advice about vehicle maintenance. It’s better to be cautious, and change a battery when it shows signs of wear. I learned this the hard way by getting stranded in busy traffic. These roadside assistance clubs are for towing, not auto repair advice.