Page 4 - Safety Guides

We’re consummate advocates of and experts on good visibility–it’s literally in our name!

That’s why digging up a list of cars known for their great (or not so great) sightlines is right in our wheelhouse.

These are 5 top-ranked vehicles and their defining features when it comes to visibility, according to Motor and Wheels:

Subaru Legacy

- Thin pillars

- Big windows

- Upright cab

- Rear-view camera

- Blind-spot monitor

Honda Fit

- Multi-angle rearview camera

- Blind spot monitor

Nissan Altima

- Extra rear-quarter window

- Rearview camera

- Rear cross-traffic alert

- Forward-collision alert

Toyota...

There are a long list of warning signs to keep an eye out for if you’re in the market for a used car.

You’ve heard of the usual red flags, especially when it comes to prices, financing, and mysteriously missing paperwork; in true RVS fashion, we’ve decided to focus on more tangible, safety-related warnings–the types that you can either see or feel (and even smell).  

• Mismatched/Recent Paint Jobs 

While it seems innocuous on the surface, a patchy paint job on a car can point to recent damage that may have just been brushed over, instead of professionally fixed. This is a red flag regarding both...

Summertime means it's time to get out on the water! New York recently opened new ferry routes between Manhattan and Brooklyn. As a person who lives in a somewhat inaccessible part of South Brooklyn, I will use this to travel to Manhattan and the beach. It's going to be a great summer! Will you be riding or driving a boat this summer? Here are some safety tips from Discover Boating.

Safe Boating Tips

• Check the weather - Always check weather conditions before setting sail. Notice dark clouds, changing winds or sudden drops in temperature? It's time to get off the water.
• Make and follow a pre-departure...

There’s a big difference between spooky fun and dangerous scares. Follow these car safety tips to drive safely so that you, and everyone in your neighborhood, have a Happy Halloween! According the NHTSA, Halloween is one of the three deadliest days of the year for pedestrians, and the top deadliest day of the year for pedestrians between the ages of 5 and 14.

Even in the days leading up to Oct 31^st, children will be out trick-or-treating. Peak trick-or-treating time is 5:30pm-9pm, so it is especially dangerous this year as Halloween falls on a Monday. Kids may be distracted by all the spooky...

You never know when you may need help on the road. It’s important to always be prepared for flat tires, lock outs or other vehicle immobility situations. Consumer Affairs has put together a comprehensive guide to roadside assistance services.    

The guide compares brands, highlights features, types of roadside assistance services, and includes consumer profiles as well as expert reviews. Use this guide to make a safe, educated choice.

Rear View Safety offers systems with built-in roadside assistance. The RVS-776718-DOS Backup Camera System With Auto Dimming And Onstar includes full Onstar...

It’s that time of year again. Can you feel it? That’s right, it’s time for your kids to go back to school! Another year older, another year wiser, ready to take on the world. But as you check things off your supply list and throw those extra pencils and notebooks into your shopping cart, you should also reinforce some safe walking habits with your kids. Whether they walk all the way to school, or even just to a bus stop, at some point every kid is a pedestrian.

Every year 16,000 kids are hit by a car while walking in the United States. That’s 44 kids a day.

Safe Kids Worldwide and FedEx have created...

If you’re still new to driving, it can be tricky to stay out of people's way on the highway. Most people don’t know how to handle fast drivers. Here’s what you need to know.

Take Someone With You

Ideally, you would take a few extra driving lessons prior to your test, and spend some time taking defensive driving classes so you can get experience with more advanced aspects of driving. But, if you can’t do that, it’s a great idea to take someone with you when you drive. Maybe you could convince your parent or an experienced friend to come along with you.

Avoid taking a car full of friends on your...

Be prepared. It's not only the boy scout's motto, it's also great advice for a road trip. This infographic provided by Driving Test Vic lists 10 things you should always have before in your car before you hit the road.

Source: https://www.drivingtestvic.com/car-safety-10-things-you-should-always-have/  

It’s almost time for the 4^th of July. That means fireworks, grilling in the backyard, and maybe even a trip to the beach with your family. Whatever you end up doing, we want you to be safe. Here are some safety tips for Independence Day.

Firework Safety

While the safest way to enjoy fireworks is attending a public fireworks show put on by professionals, if you light fireworks at home you should follow these tips.

• Never give fireworks to small children.
• Keep a bucket of water/fire extinguisher close by in case of a fire.
• Light only one firework at a time.
• Always wear eye protection when lighting...

To have your teen become a safe, competent driver, he or she needs to develop critical driving skills and practice them in a range of driving environments and conditions. High quality practice driving is crucial because a major reason why teens crash is inexperience behind the wheel. The on-road license test is not going to cover the wide range of environments and challenges your teen will face during the intermediate period of licensure. It’s up to you to work with your teen to find opportunities to provide plenty of quality practice during the learner period. We can help.

Researchers from...

There’s a strange new trend. I’m not talking about the latest fashion accessory, social app, or hair style. This is something a lot more alarming. Pedestrians and cyclists are intentionally staging crashes to collect on insurance fraud. Not only is this very dangerous, it’s costing you a fortune. According to the U.S. Coalition Against Fraud, over $80 billion in fraudulent claims are made every year. All of these claims are not from staged crashes, but still, that’s a lot of hard earned money leaving your pocket. Fortunately, there is a simple way you can protect yourself from this unfortunately...

Summer is coming up, and that means barbeques, hot weather, and of course road trips! We want you to stay safe this summer, whether you are traveling along Route 66, Highway One, or simply taking your kids to soccer practice. Safecar.gov, a website powered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has a great interactive summer driving guide.

It’s very important to properly maintain your vehicle, especially if you plan on doing a lot of driving this summer. Solve any issues before they turn into dangerous problems. Schedule a safety inspection right now. I can wait. Ok, you scheduled...

On April 26th, Google, Ford, Lyft, Uber and Volvo Cars announced the formation of the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets. These are some of the biggest names in their respective industries teaming up for one purpose: to advocate for autonomous vehicles. The group will first work with civic organizations, municipalities and businesses to bring the idea of self-driving vehicles to life.

The formation of the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets comes at an interesting time in the development of autonomous cars, the whole concept is still very new and not a lot of regulations or standards...

This infographic, courtesy of Woodstock Motors, features tips for car seat safety, facts about child car seats, and will help you decide which type of seat is most appropriate for your children.

According to Seatcheck, about 70% of children in car seats are improperly restrained, while around 96% of parents believe their child safety seats are properly installed. One of the most common installation mistakes is not using age and size appropriate seats.

Source: https://www.woodstockmotors.co.uk/repairs.html

This infographic, courtesy of Hussey Fraser, features facts about motorcycle injuries, important motorbike safety tips, and useful motorcycle road hand signals.

Source: https://www.injury-solicitors.ie/

This weekend families around the United States celebrated Safe Kids Day, an annual event put on by Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization working to protect kids from preventable injuries. While the national celebration was held at Smashbox Studio in Culver City, California, over 200 Safe Kids Day events were also held all across the country. Preventable injuries are the leading cause of death to children in the U.S, but Safe Kids Worldwide believes that with education and forethought, most of these injuries are preventable. The event raises safety awareness and supports the life-saving...

The streets of Beverly Hills are known for fancy cars and A-List celebrities. However something else will soon start turning heads in this glamorous Los Angeles County city, a fleet of driver less autonomous vehicles (A.V.s).

During an April 5th City Council meeting, The city of Beverly Hills passed a resolution creating a program to develop autonomous shuttles as a new method of public transportation. Council members unanimously approved the program, calling for Beverly Hills to become a leader in the testing and implementation of autonomous shuttles.

“Beverly Hills is the perfect community to...