This article is republished from the Healthy Androscoggin, 'December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month', on December 1, 2014

December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month.  We have made great strides in the past couple of decades in sending the message that driving drunk is dangerous and prevents a serious public health risk to all on the road.  However, we still have a lot of work to do and need to become more serious and make similar strides with drugged driving.  There can be a misconception that driving under the influence of marijuana or a prescription medication...

By: Laurence P. Banville

The yellow taxicab is ubiquitous in New York City. Other cities may have taxis, but not to the extent or density that NYC does with its roughly 40,000 licensed taxi drivers. The humble yellow taxi has, in its own way, become symbolic of a New York way of life. For years, however, taxicab safety has been a thorn in the side of politicians and policy-makers. Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg attempted to solve the taxi problem only to join a long list of former Mayors who failed to have much impact (though pedestrian fatalities did decrease slightly under Mayor Bloomberg)...

Originally Published in Star Tribune Local: "The Drive: Senior Drivers Get A Bad Rap", December, 7, 2014

Senior drivers, defined as those 65 and older, often get a bad rap. In fact, they may be some of the most safety-conscious motorists on the roads.

Seniors driving may conjure up images of white-haired old fogies crawling along in the left lane at a tortoise’s pace.

Or it may bring to mind such high-profile horrors as the one in July 2003 when an 86-year-old man accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake and plowed into people at a farmers market in Santa Monica, Calif.

The incident...

Feeling nervous about your Driving Test? Don’t worry.

Here are “10 Common Mistakes to Avoid on the Road Test," which will make it easier for you to prepare and pass it with confidence.

The driving test is the most important step toward obtaining your driver’s license. While it takes a lot of practice to get ready for the road test, knowing what are the most common mistakes people make during the test will help you to test yourself and know if you are ready.

1. Feeling Stressed and Nervous during the test

Stress is huge; it can take a confident, competent driver and turn him to mush. Stressed people...

Driving your car while the roads are snowy and icy can be a stressful ordeal. While some vehicles are well-suited for the snow, some are not and require preparation and know-how to keep the car under control.

Steps:

1. Get your car serviced regularly. Preventive maintenance is key. Make sure your battery, cooling system, and windshield wipers are in tip-top shape. You’ll spend less money servicing your car than you’ll spend towing and fixing it if your car gives out while you’re on a dark, snowy road.
2. Buy snow tires or add chains to your existing tires if you live in a very snowy climate. Snow...

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. —

AAA Travel projects 46.3 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving weekend, the highest volume for the holiday since 2007 and a 4.2 percent increase over 2013. Almost 90 percent of travelers (41.3 million) will celebrate the holiday with a road trip and likely will enjoy the lowest Thanksgiving gas prices in five years. The Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as Wednesday, November 26 through Sunday, November 30.

Highlights from 2014 Thanksgiving Travel Forecast:

• Thanksgiving holiday travel volume is expected to reach the highest level since 2007...

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- AAA Mid-Atlantic officials say recent tests show that rear-view cameras in vehicles are helping to save lives. Backing collisions account for nearly one-quarter of crashes nationwide, however, the cameras can prevent them by allowing a driver to see behind the rear bumper and small objects in the car's blind spot.

According to AAA officials, rear-view cameras improved visibility an average of 46 percent in its recent tests. AAA researchers evaluated 17 vehicles from 11 manufacturers with factory-installed and aftermarket rear-view camera systems. They found increased visibility...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -This weekend, teens put their driving skills to the test at Bridgestone's Teens Drive Smart event.

Crews set up a safety course along Opryland Drive, which featured two defensive driving lots and even a distracted driving course.

"We got to drive BMWs and learned how to maintain control around slick curves at high speeds," teen driver Melissa Bohrman said.

"For the distracted driving course, we drove around in golf carts and attempted to text several words without hitting any cones, it was hard and showed just how dangerous texting while driving can be," she explained....

With the holidays practically upon us, many of us are deciding what to get those special people on our gift lists. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine what to get our friends and family for the holidays, but as long as we are practical, then we should have the ability to come up with the perfect gift idea for all our friends and loved ones. One gift idea that is not only practical, but that can actually save lives is a driver fatigue monitoring system. This is an especially useful gift idea if someone on your gift list works the graveyard shift and must travel quite a distance to get home...

Do you know what the drunk driving accidents statistics are in the United States? They're staggering. This infographic outlines the drunk driving statistics in the US 2 years ago. The numbers of people driving under the influence is confronting and hasn't changed much since. In 2012, 10,322 died in drunk driving crashes and every year 1,000,000 people are arrested for driving under the influence.

To learn more about what is being done to curb the issue and how you can get professional help contact MADD.

Infographic source: The Watershed

Your son or daughter has been looking forward to this day for years, yet you have a hard time believing it has come. Like it or not, your baby is learning how to drive. To your teenager this signals a sign of fun and a move toward adulthood, but feels to you like a terrifying, daunting idea. You understand the dangers of the road and worry that you won’t be able to protect your child. You find yourself pushing an imaginary brake even as you ride alongside him or her in the passenger seat. Just the idea of driving with your teen again makes you break into a sweat. What can you do? How do you make...