Good Safety Accessories For Your Car
SUNGLASSES
Did you know that while you’re driving in the sunshine you run the risk of actually being blinded by the light? That can put you in a dangerous situation.
Before you cruise off into the sunset, be sure to wear a pair of sunglasses.
- You may be inside the car, but you’re not protected from the sun. Wearing sunglasses while you drive prevents exposure to UV rays as well as sun damage to the eyelids which can lead to skin cancer.
- Sun glare can be extremely dangerous to drivers. Blinding sunshine can block oncoming vehicles, traffic control devices and pedestrians from your sight. Wearing a pair of sunglasses will help to reduce the risk of sun blindness. Just be sure to pay attention to the type of lens you choose.
WINDSHIELD WATER REPELLANT A great aid that can be used to enhance your driving is the use of an auto designed water repellant on your windshield. These specially formulated chemical solutions are applied to windshields, where they form a bond with the glass and help to repel rain, sleet and snow, in effect creating an “invisible windshield wiper” that can vastly improve visibility in wet, wintry weather. When water hits the surface of a windshield treated with this product, the chemical compound in the treatment causes the water to bead and roll off the windshield.
The benefits of water-repellent glass treatment are many: improved all-weather visibility and safety; increased driving comfort; and easier removal of visibility-hindering objects like frost, ice, salt, mud and bugs.
A university-administered test found that water-repellent glass treatment improved the driving response of a person up to a full second by increasing visibility in wet conditions. To put that into perspective, that’s about four car lengths of extra stopping distance at highway speeds—a distance that can mean the difference between a close call and an expensive, bumper-crunching collision.
Also, because water is more easily removed, these treatments can also make removing snow and ice easier. In addition, the treatment helps wiper blades be more effective by beading any moisture on the windshield so the wipers can easily whisk it away.
Application of the treatment is quick and easy, something that can easily be performed by your automotive technician while your vehicle is being serviced. The treatment is generally applied with a sponge or other applicator and allowed to dry briefly.
Depending on the climate where you live, the water-repellent glass treatment can last as long as a year, but on average it should be reapplied every six months for best results.
Safety is no small matter on wet, slick winter roads, where every last bit of visibility can help you avoid a collision. Make sure you’re as prepared as possible for winter driving by asking your service technician for more information about water-repellent glass treatment.
CONVEX MIRROR The more road you can see, the more trouble you can avoid. Countless collisions occur every day because people simply don’t notice each other. The use of a convex or panoramic mirror is a great addition to your car to enhance your driving. Like having eyes in the back of your head, this wide-angle, convex glass mirror gives you an expansive view of what’s going on behind you for greater driving safety.
Sure, an owl can twist its head around nearly 360 degrees for major visibility, but our human anatomy just doesn’t work that way. Besides, taking your eyes off the road is a sure-fire recipe for disaster. With a convex or panoramic mirror onboard, you can keep a close eye on your backside and your blind spots.
BACK UP WARNING DEVICE Drivers often have a limited view of objects behind the vehicle when a vehicle is being reversed. This can result in advertent collisions resulting in personal injury to unseen individuals, such as small children playing on driveways, or in damage to the vehicle from striking short posts or walls in parking lots. An audible backup warning device provides an alert to the vehicle driver if the presence of an unseen object behind their vehicle is detected.
Backup warning devices may use radar or ultrasonic transmitters and receivers facing to the rear of the vehicle in order to detect any objects in the path as the vehicle reverses. The detector is wired into the vehicle’s reversing light circuit so that it is only in operation when the vehicle is in the reverse gear. The system detects objects behind the vehicle and gives either audible warnings or illuminates a series of lights to indicate the vehicle’s proximity to the object.
Some systems use a rearward-looking camera to identify objects behind a vehicle that is reversing. The resulting image can be monitored directly by the driver on an in-vehicle display screen or in a specially modified rear view mirror. Alternatively, computer-based image processing can be used to automatically detect fixed objects and/or pedestrians and issue an alert.
An audible backup warning device is something to consider adding to your car as another aid to enhance your driving. It’s an extra precaution that can be taken to help avoid collisions and improve safety to those around your car that you may not see or may not see you.
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