Weird Traffic Laws

We all need to abide to certain traffic laws to keep us safe, but there are some really strange traffic laws out there that make you wonder if drivers have actually ever tried these things that are now illegal!
   

Southern Laws

• Southerners have a reputation for crazy laws and traffic laws are no exceptions. In Sarasota, Florida, you will be fined $78 for hitting a pedestrian. In Dublin, Georgia, it is illegal to drive through a playground, and in Marietta, Georgia, it is illegal to spit from a moving car or bus but it is OK from trucks.
• In Cape Coral, Florida, you cannot park a pickup truck in front of a property you do not own and all over Florida if you tie an elephant or an alligator to a parking meter you have to feed the meter just as if you had parked a car there. In Tennessee it is illegal shoot any animal from a moving car--except whales. In Virginia Beach, Virginia, and everywhere in Texas, if you are caught for drunk driving everybody in the car who is drunk losses their license.

Western Laws

• The "Wild, Wild West" has its share of crazy traffic laws. In Glendale, Arizona, it is illegal to drive a car in reverse--so parking requires careful consideration. In California it is illegal for a car without a driver to exceed 60 mph. In Oregon, you can get a ticket if your car door is open "longer than is necessary."

• You cannot drive a car in Redlands, California unless there is a man with a lantern walking in front of it. In Nevada, it is illegal to ride a camel on the highway. In Denver, Colorado, you can not drive black cars on Sunday and it is illegal to molest a car in Clinton, Oklahoma.

The Rest of the Country

• The rest of the country has traffic laws that are just as weird. In Bloomfield, Connecticut, it is illegal to eat in your car. It is illegal to run out of gas in Youngstown Ohio. In Rhode Island you are required to give an "audible signal" when passing another vehicle, and it is against the law to pass a horse in Indiana.

• Foreign LawsAmericans are not the only people with lunatic traffic laws. In Luxembourg, you must have windshield wipers on your car, but you are not required to have a windshield. In Montreal, you may not park a car in such a way that it blocks your own driveway. In Singapore, you are not supposed to come within 164 feet of a pedestrian crossing the street. You can't wash your car on Sunday in Switzerland, and women in Saudi Arabia still aren't allowed to drive cars.

Click the link to read the entire article from ehow.com:  http://bit.ly/fBziFo

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How To Stay Sane When You're Stuck In Traffic

Traffic during your commute to and from work can be a nightmare. It'll go much easier the less stressed you get. This article from eHow.com will help you stay sane and safe while you're stuck in traffic.

Things You'll Need
•    Music
•    Books on CD
•    positive attitude
•    coffee
•    alert mind

Instructions
1. Before you get in your car brew a good cup of coffee and pour it in a to-go mug. Stopping in traffic is stressful, and this way you won't have to think about stopping to get your caffeine fix.

2. Get online and go to a website that will tell you what routes have traffic jams. Sigalert.com is a good choice and makes it easy to see which freeways are experiencing traffic jams through a five color system. Red means severe traffic jams, orange means moderate traffic jams, yellow is minor traffic, blue means traffic is going around 30 mph, and green you're in the clear!

3. Once you get in your car, roll down the windows to get some fresh air on your face. This will help you stay awake and alert in traffic. If it's cold outside, put the heater on and direct it at your feet and roll down the windows just a little so you still get fresh air.

4. Make sure you have traffic maps or a good set of directions if you are going somewhere for the first time. Concerns of getting lost or getting delayed because you don't know where you are going only add to the stress of driving in traffic.

5. Turn on your local radio and find out relevant traffic information- if any traffic jams have cleared up or changed while you have been driving you can take alternate routes.

6. Put in a CD of upbeat music to keep you positive and energized while driving. If you are sick of all your music, invest in some books on CDs. They provide an incredible distraction from the traffic around you and also provide an opportunity to catch up on the good literature you haven't read because you've been stuck in traffic!

Click the link to read the entire article from ehow.com: http://bit.ly/14iernn

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How to Keep Insurance Costs Low With a Teen Driver

Having a teenager on your insurance policy can inflate your annual cost through the roof! Take a look at the most expensive and inexpensive states, plus helpful tips that could lower your insurance rates.

It’s known that teens are the most dangerous drivers on the road.  Per mile that’s driven, teens between the ages 16-19 are three times more likely than drivers aged 20 to be involved in a fatal crash, according to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).  Therefore, it is not surprising that adding teens to a car insurance policy would eventually result to an increase in policy cost.

The most surprising is how much the policy increase varies from state to state.

When adding a teen driver to an insurance policy, the annual premium can increase by 84 percent (about $2,000) on average.  But that number can be much lower and higher depending on where you live.

To add a teen driver to an existing policy increased the most in the following five states: Arkansas (116 percent increase), Utah (115 percent), Wyoming (112 percent), Alabama (111 percent), and Idaho (107 percent).

However, the following five states listed showed the smallest percentage increased: Hawaii (18 percent increase), North Carolina (59 percent), New York (62 percent), Massachusetts (65.9 percent), and Montana (66.06 percent).

Hawaii policy structure is a little different.  Their unique law disallows insurance companies to consider age, gender, or length of the driver’s experience, when determining the insurance premium.

Insurance industry experts were surprised by the findings and explained that the reasons for the differences in premium increases were many and nuanced. They stem from many factors, according to Mike Barry, spokesman for the nonprofit Insurance Information Institute, including state geography, local driving patterns, and how insurance is regulated in each respective state.

Parents looking to keep insurance costs down can take a few different actions. These include buying your teen driver an older car, ensuring your teen has a safe car and taking advantage of the numerous discounts offered by the major insurance companies.

Continue reading about policy rates and ways to find insurance discounts: http://aol.it/12zJpoI

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Digital Technology In Your Car

Many people’s main focuses are on the cool technology features the car offers. Check out a timeline on the progression of the technology of cars over the years!

The ideal car is your way from point A to point B. But as time has passed, your car has evolved into something much more than just a motor vehicle.

In recent times, we’ve began to see cars that can park themselves, alert you of something or someone in your blind spot, and even come with Wi-Fi included. The infographic gives a timeline of improvement that ultimately make your car safer. You can see how rapidly we’re making headway in producing safer vehicles.

In a sense, cars are also becoming more travel friendly. You can sync your iPod or smartphone to a good number of cars being developed. What comes from that is access to a GPS navigation system, hands free communication, and a way to jam out when you’re on the go. What should be the next thing to lookout for in motor vehicle improvement?

Click here to read the full article at The Daily Infographic: http://bit.ly/P5FwCh

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How to Keep Your Kids from Driving You Crazy During a Road Trip

Road trips are long. Kid’s in the back of the car asking, “Are we there yet?” every five minutes can make them even longer. If you can keep your kids occupied and happy you’ll be able to stay sane for the ride, as well as remain less distracted. Howstuffworks.com came up with a list of the top 10 things you can do to keep your kids happy on the road. In this blog we discuss some of the highlights:

·         Set Expectations – It’s almost so easy that you wouldn’t even think of it. Make sure before you leave for your trip your kids already know how you want and expect them to behave. Make sure they are prepared for a long ride, and give them incentive to be good, for example: allow the kids to bring their two favorite toys with them as long as they promise to behave during the ride.

·         Bring along plenty of toys – Some kids like dolls, some like sports balls, some even like books. Whatever it is they like, let them bring it. If it is something that can be played with inside the car it will give them something to occupy their time with. If it’s something involving an outdoor activity, like a Frisbee or a soccer ball, set aside 15 minutes during rest stops to let them play with it. It’ll even give you a chance to play with them and ease some of the travelling tension.

·         Reward good behavior – If things aren’t going well give kids an incentive to clean up their act. Good behavior means they get to choose where you eat that night, or else it warrant a stop at the next ice cream stand you go by. You can also use this tip in reverse. For example if your child won’t stop complaining tell them they won’t get to swim at the hotel pool that night.

·         Let the kids have a say – If you allow the kids to make decisions for certain parts of the trip it’ll keep them happier and give them less things to whine about! Let them choose the road music for an hour or two or allow them to pick a few road games to play while you drive.

·         Don’t skip the pit stops – This one is important. Too much time in the car will make anyone unhappy, kids and adults alike. Make sure to stop every two or three hours to go to the bathroom and stretch a little bit.

Click the link to read all ten tips: http://bit.ly/X1DJik

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