January's Safe Driving Skill: Maintain the proper speed

This is part of a twelve-part series on improving safe driving skills in 2012.

In 2009 (the last year in which data is available), Transport Canada reported that there were over 124,000 vehicle collisions causing injury or fatality in Canada. Imagine what would happen if we all pitched in to improve our driving skills and to become safer drivers! If we could reduce that number by even 1%, that's a significant reduction of 1,240 injury- or death-causing collisions in a year!

This month, the skill we're focusing on is maintaining the proper speed. It is so easy to speed in our cars, for two main reasons:

1. Advanced technology has made our cars safer and smoother to drive, thereby increasing our perception of control and safety and reducing our feeling of speed, even when we're hurtling down road and over 100 kilometers an hour!
2. Our busy, stress-filled, anxiety-driven lives push us to run and run and run – run to work, run home, run the kids to soccer, run home… all while facing the challenges of modern life AND fighting other drivers. Both of these factors can easily increase our speed. (And perhaps there's an inner scofflaw that convinces us it's okay to drive 5 to 15 kilometers an hour above the speed limit no matter what speed zone we're in.

We need to slow down. The slower we go, the better our time to react to situations going on around us and the more distance we have to make the appropriate adjustments. Obviously it's not realistic to go only 5 kilometers an hour but a reasonable speed – up to the speed limit – is far better than going over the speed limit.

We think we're in control at higher speeds and we might have some control over our vehicle but the truth is, we're not nearly maintaining as much control as we think we are. And, the distance to stop our car at higher speeds increases dramatically (more than proportionally!) to our speed. So doubling our speed doesn't double our stopping distance… it can triple it! So, how can you improve your driving skill of "maintaining proper speed" during 2012? Here are some tips:

1. Give yourself more time than you used to give yourself to get where you need to go. Add 10 to 15 minutes for commuting to work. Add 15 to 20 minutes for those cross-town trips. You'll not only drive safer, you'll also reduce your own stress level!
2. Obey the posted limit. Don't use it as a guide and then add 5 to 15 kilometers an hour.
3. Pick a speed and stick to it. Not only is the habit "keeping your speed reasonable", but it's also "maintaining" a safe speed. Maintaining the same safe speed makes you predictable to those around you.

Let's all work together to make 2012 a safer year on our highways!

Make 2012 the year of safe driving!

According to Transport Canada, there were over 124,000 vehicle collisions that resulted in injury or death in 2009 (according to the most recent statistics). That is a lot of collisions... and it comes at a high human cost. And with the constant increase in cars on the road, and a growing population, it's not likely that those numbers have decreased or even stayed the same since 2009.

But what would happen if we could decrease those numbers? What would happen if every driver tried to improve their skills? What would happen if every driver became even slightly better?

If all Canadians pitched in to become safer drivers – even SLIGHTLY safer drivers, and we could reduce the number of injury- or death-causing collisions by even 1%, that would mean 1240 fewer collisions this year! That's 100 fewer collisions each month.

That's a huge number of people who would be injury free; that's a huge number of people who would live longer; that's a huge number of families whose lives wouldn’t be disrupted or even torn apart by collision.
And along with the personal costs, there are other benefits, too: Insurance rates wouldn't be impacted upwards; tax dollars wouldn't be spent on using ambulance resources, hospital resources, and police resources to respond to these collisions.

… All from a slight drop in collisions.

It is entirely possible to drive this number downward and the benefits are very real, even if the drop is as small as 1%!

You can do your part in reducing the number of injury- and death-causing collisions in Canada by driving safer and driving smarter. It all starts with improving your safe driving skills. Over the next 12 months, we'll be dedicating one blog post per month to improving specific safe driving skills. We'll talk about the specific skill and we'll give you some tips and practical ideas to improve that skill.

The potential results are exciting: You'll drive increasingly safer with each passing month. You'll get where you want to go and you'll feel good about doing your part to reduce the number of collisions on the road… and who knows, you might even detect some of the "spin off" benefits like lower interest rates and better use of taxes.

None of these skills are going to be jaw-dropping, eye-popping things you've never heard of. But that's okay. A constant reminder of improvement in the tried-and-true areas that you are familiar with will help you to make the small but necessary changes toward safer driving.

Boyd Autobody & Glass is there to help. Along with providing safe driving tips and ideas on this blog and our collision repair website, we also have collision repair locations all over Western Canada to help you if you get into a collision.

The story of a collision: Why it's rarely just one cause

Once upon a time there were two drivers – Adam and Bill – and they got into a collision. Here's what happened (and keep reading to find out why it matters to you).

Adam was heading north on a main road, happily minding his own business and listening to the latest Top 40 tunes on the radio. Bill was driving west along a secondary road that intersected the main road, and he pulled up to a stop sign, intending to turn left (south) onto the main road. He looked both ways; it looked clear. He signalled. He pulled across the northbound lane, and was about to turn into the southbound lane when Adam's car appeared out of nowhere and, in spite of slamming on the brakes, Adam clipped the rear quarter panel of Bill's car. CRUNCH! Everyone was okay but here's the REAL story behind the collision:

• Adam was traveling slightly above the speed limit. Had he been traveling at the speed limit, he would have dramatically reduced the stopping distance required in an emergency braking situation.
• Bill pulled up to the stop sign and looked both ways. He glanced left then right, and then he pulled out. But the slightest bend and dip in the road kept Adam's car from being seen. Had Bill looked slightly more carefully for a moment longer, he would have seen Adam's car.
• Adam was driving carefully but his gaze drifted to the radio for just a moment as he turned up his favorite song. It was just a second, but it was just enough not to notice Bill's car edging out from the stop sign.
• Adam saw Bill at the last moment and slammed on the brakes. He had ABS but his brakes weren't the newest, and neither were his tires. And the road had a little bit of gravel on it. If Adam's brakes were slightly better, and if his tires had just a little more grip, and if the road didn't have gravel on it, Adam might have been able to stop.

Fortunately, the two drivers saw each other at the last minute so Bill accelerated slightly to get out of the way and Adam mashed the brakes and steered defensively to get out of the way… and the result of the collision was not as bad as it could have been.

Here's why this story matters to you: As drivers, we may feel that we are good and careful drivers, and it's easy to think that collisions happen to other people who are not careful drivers. But the story of Adam and Bill is not that uncommon – here were two regular, safe drivers. A combination of several factors come together to create a collision and it can happen to anyone. All it takes is just a few different elements that you can't always prepare for.

If you get into a collision, bring your car to Boyd Autobody to be repaired. We know what it's like to go through the stress of a collision and we'll make things easier on you to get your car back on the road quickly and safely.

Lessons from Canada's Worst Driver #5

This is part 5 of a 5-part series on the lessons we can learn by watching Canada's Worst Driver. If you ever get a chance, watch an episode or two as both a quick refresher on some of the basics about safe driving but also as a reality check to realize that no one is safe on the roads as long as these people are on the roads!
The lesson we're covering in this article is: "Stay calm and carry on". That's a saying that goes back to the war (although it's seen an inexplicable resurgence in recent times). It's a worthy lesson to learn from Canada's Worst Drivers.

We regularly see Canada's Worst Drivers encountering situations that are overwhelming to them… even though they seem to be situations that most of us face every day. For example, they might be asked to drive carefully down a course without hitting the walls on the course. And, because it's good television, they end up melting down and weeping uncontrollably and crashing into things and then running off of camera, often accompanied by the bleeping of the editor's "curse" button.

What most of these drivers don't seem to possess is emotional self-control. It's as if their emotions are bubbling just below the surface and the slightly ding or bump or scrape from their car will turn into an emotionally explosive situation.

You and I might have slightly better control of our emotions, but not all of us do. And, we all have some triggers that can turn us from civilized into emotional disasters.

So, if you want to be a better driver, the best thing you can do is stay calm in all situations.

It's hard to make the decision to keep your wits about you, but it's the best thing to do on the road. Here are a few examples where a little more calm and a little less emotion would be helpful:

• Rush hour. Yes, we're all going as quickly as we can so sticking your head out the window or leaning on the horn won't get the other cars moving faster. Likewise, when someone does those things to you, retaliating won't help. Stay calm and carry on.
• At 4-way stops. When vehicles approach a 4-way stop, things can get confusing. Some people go straight, some people turn, and some people generously wave others on. It can be stressful to get through. Stay calm and carry on.
• In tight spaces or high-stress situation. If you are trying to parallel park in the middle of downtown, you'll probably have cars honking at you like there's a sale on car horns. Ignore them. Stay calm and carry on.
• In a collision. Collisions are jarring and very troublesome and they can bring out a lot of emotion. Sometimes people leave the scene of an accident, not because they're on the run but because they freak out and can't handle the stress. Stay calm and carry on.

The decision to stay calm and carry on is not easy but it's necessary if we want to be safer drivers.
If you do get into a collision, stay calm and bring your car to Boyd Autobody & Glass for a fast, safe repair.

Lessons from Canada's Worst Driver #4

Canada's Worst Driver is a reality TV show in which bad-driver participants are nominated by a friend or loved one and they learn how to become better drivers… with a lot of tears and melodrama along the way.
In this article (part 4 of a 5-part series on lessons we can learn by watching Canada's Worst Driver), we'll be talking about the 4th lesson we can learn from Canada's Worst Driver: Pay attention and be responsible.

Most of the contestants on the show will arrive at "The Rehab Centre" (that's what it's called on the show) and they seem to be completely oblivious to their problems. Sometimes their problems are bad habits that are deeply ingrained from years of bad driving – such as driving too slow or not being able to deal emotionally with traffic. But a lot of the drivers are nominated for a different reason: They are simply unfocused and irresponsible.

Usually, the lack of focus comes from cell phone usage or from food or from being distracted by other things (pets, children, etc.). And usually the irresponsibility comes from allowing these distractions to pull away their focus but they don't adjust their speed accordingly. In other words: They drive fast while talking on the phone and eating.

So what's the lesson here? It's probably obvious but it bears mentioning: Focus on driving, and be responsible when driving.

Focus on driving: Driving is more complicated than we think it is. The activity of driving deserves our full and undivided attention. Things that take our hands off the wheels or our eyes off the road should be eradicated from our driving habit. If your cell phone is going to be a temptation every time it chimes, turn it off. If you like to eat on the ride home after work, stop at a restaurant. If you like to travel with your pets in the car, put them in the backseat and restrain them with a pet-appropriate safety device.

Be responsible: Don't speed. That one should be obvious. Be courteous. That one should be obvious, too. If we slowed down slightly and didn't mind that another driver passes us on the road, our entire outlook in the day will be completely different! Responsibility also means: When something happens to change driving conditions or to pull your focus away from the road, adjust your driving appropriately. Slow down or stop at the side of the road, take care of whatever the situation is, and then return to driving.

These two lessons seem obvious but it's clear from watching Canada's Worst Driver that there is an epidemic of distraction and irresponsibility on the road, and those two factors help to contribute to millions of dollars in damage, hundreds of thousands of injuries, and thousands of fatalities on Canadian roads.

If you get into a collision, Boyd Autobody & Glass can help. With our convenient, local locations, we have a shop that can help to repair your car and get you back on the road safely!

Lessons from Canada's Worst Driver #3

In the TV show Canada's Worst Driver, bad drivers are nominated by family or friends to "go to rehab" and learn to be better drivers. In the early episodes, viewers are exposed to some terrible driving skills by these nominated bad drivers… eventually they do get better.

This is part 3 of a 5-part article series highlighting some of the key themes we see over and over again from the TV show Canada's Worst Driver… and it offers a lesson to all Canadians. In this article, the lesson is: Know where your wheels are.

This sounds funny but it's surprising to discover just how bad drivers are at understanding where their car's wheels are. What's more surprising is how much better they become once they learn where their wheels are. In fact, you'll discover that most of the challenges the show's contestants have to perform (and most of the elements of driving that you and I face every day) are largely impacted by an understanding of where your wheels are.

Here are a few things to know:

When driving forward, your wheels are in line with each other. But when turning, each of your wheels take their own path and your rear wheels cut a sharper corner than your back wheels. Therefore, if you want to make a clean turn around a corner without running up onto the curb, you need to slightly oversteer with your front wheels so your back wheels can make the turn. Therefore making a turn, always consider what path the inside wheel is going to take and adjust your steering accordingly.

And here's something else to remember: The longer your car, the more your car will "cut the corner" during your turn. (That's why those big 18-wheelers have to sometimes pull into the far lane in order to make a turn safely).

It's different when you are reversing. That's because the wheels that determine direction are in the "back" – they follow the wheels that don’t determine direction. Although this gives you a lot of precision control when reversing, it also presents an entirely new dynamic when reversing that you don't have to consider when driving forward. The front fenders of your car are highly exposed to damage because you can easily steer into something that you aren't looking at when reversing.

If you find that you hit the curb a lot when turning (whether driving forward or reversing), there's a good chance that you struggle with knowing where your wheels are. Take some time to practice in an empty parking lot: Make turns going forward and going backward to get to know how a turn impacts the location of your wheels.

If you're turning and you collide with something (or if someone else is turning and collides with you), bring your car to one of our convenient local Boyd Autobody & Glass locations. We'll restore the look and safety of your car.

Lessons from Canada's Worst Driver #2

Canada's Worst Driver is a television show in which bad drivers attend "Driver Rehabilitation" to learn how to become better drivers. Inspired by lessons from the show, we've created a 5-part article series about 5 lessons the rest of us can learn about how to drive better.

In this article, the second lesson we can learn from Canada's Worst Driver is to look where you want to go. Now, as you read this you might think that this is possibly the most obvious advice ever written, but you'd be surprised at what's really going on out there on the roads.

Drivers should look where they are going but very frequently, they do not. On the TV show Canada's Worst Driver, we see collision after collision after collision because drivers aren't looking where they want to go.

Here are three typical scenarios that every driver (possibly even you) encounters every time they get behind the wheel.

1. When driving down a normal street with a clear view and easy, predictable traffic, we can become a little lazy. Our eyes will fixate on a point just in front of our car (perhaps 10 or 15 feet in front of the car). Instead of diligently looking around at everything, we zone out and turn into zombies who are focused without really focusing. Instead of looking where we want to go (straight ahead) we are lulled into thinking that we are looking straight ahead but instead we're just unfocused.
2. Or, let's say that you are focused – not in that zombie state – and you are trying to drive diligently. Instead of focusing on the road ahead (and occasionally your mirrors) and using your peripheral vision to take in additional information, you end up looking intently at the radio or the speedometer or the climate controls or your coffee cup. You miss the road ahead. And, if you're not careful, your gaze can linger on these items for an unsafe amount of time.
3. Or here's the most insidious of all of the scenarios. If you are surprised by something – an animal or a child or an oblivious postal worker – you look AT them because they are a visual break in the landscape pattern. But you should see them and immediately look at where you want to turn to avoid them. When watching Canada's Worst Driver, you see this as a skill that drivers don't have until they practice. And once they master it, they can accomplish some complicated evasive driving maneuvers that would make most normal drivers quake with fear.

So, when you're driving, look intently at the road ahead. Rely on your peripheral vision to take in other details that you need. And when you're surprised by something unexpected, learn to spot the danger and immediately look at where you want to drive.

Collision can happen – maybe someone hit you because they weren't looking where they wanted to go. When that happens, bring your car to your local Boyd Autobody shop for a safe, professional repair.

Lessons from Canada's Worst Driver #1

Have you watched any episodes of Canada's Worst Driver? It's a show where a handful of contestants are nominated by a friend or loved one (or perhaps an enemy) to as one of the worst drivers in Canada. Then this group meets at a "Driver Rehab Centre" to learn basic driving skills. At the end of each episode, someone "graduates" and can go home. And at the end of the season, someone is named "Canada's Worst Driver".

It's an entertaining show, although it's also a little scary – viewers quickly realize that the mistakes these drivers make are probably repeated by thousands upon thousands of other drivers every single day. It's enough to make you want to run out and buy a bus pass.

We're writing 5 articles to list 5 lessons we've observed by loyally watching Canada's Worst Driver for several years. In this article, we're talking about one skill we've seen is horribly lacking in Canada's Worst Drivers: Smooth driving.

Good driving should be smooth: You should be able to accelerate and decelerate smoothly. You should be able to turn corners smoothly. Nothing jerky, sudden, or unpredictable.

In the show Canada's Worst Driver, the drivers are taught smooth driving by trying to drive a car carrying a giant tub of water on the roof. When they accelerate or decelerate or turn without doing it smoothly, a good portion of the water will spill over the tub, through the sun-roof, and onto the driver.

Smooth driving is good for a number of reasons:

• It makes you predictable to other drivers, allowing everyone to drive safely around you. (They'll be less likely to crash into you if they can accurately estimate what you are doing!)
• It's easier on your car if you drive smoothly than if you jam on the gas and the brake and careen around corners like you're in an action movie.
• It's safer for you – you give yourself enough time to react (plus you'll have enough control to react) when you operate your car smoothly instead of sporadically.

So, how do you drive smoothly? Here are some tips:

• Start braking sooner than you have been, and slow down slower (that is, don't stand on the brake pedal in order to stop).
• When accelerating, press down consistently on the gas pedal and slowly bring your speed to the legal limit.
• When turning, slow down and keep control of the vehicle as you approach the corner, turn the wheel smoothly (don't jerk the wheel or crank it around quickly) and then cleanly come out of your turn.

According to one of the lessons we learned from the show Canada's Worst Driver, smooth driving is a way to get where you want to go safely.

And if one of Canada's worst drivers collides with you, bring your car to Boyd Autobody for a quick safe repair. We'll get you back out on the roads in no time!

Potholes – are they messages sent from outer space?

I don't know about the rest of Canada, but where I live, potholes are an everyday part of life. Like hair or children, you don't really notice it them until they're gone. So I barely notice potholes until I travel to the US and drive along their smooth Interstates (seriously, are those things made of pure silk or what?)

When I say that you don't really notice them, I don't mean that you just drive along your merry way and they don’t have an impact on your life. On the contrary! They can seriously impede your ability to drive… you just don't realize it until they aren't there.

So after a drive along the American highways of silk, I started to pay attention to our roads – our haggard roads, beat up from months of being buried under snow and ice. And here are the results of my scientific observation:

You either steer around potholes or you drive through them. Those are your only two choices. Neither is preferable.

• Steering around potholes is challenging because you become the very erratic driver that you hate. Plus (especially where I live), the only way you can steer around a pothole is by driving up onto the sidewalk. (Our attorneys asked us to mention: This was a sarcastic sentence and not actual driving advice).
• Driving through potholes is perilous for different reasons. It can damage your car or jar your driving enough to cause you to drop burning hot coffee all over your lap. Either way, your ability to drive safely disappears and you are left either careening all over the road because your car no longer functions like a car or you end up screaming like a little girl who just got a pony for Christmas.

Another observation I've made is: You cannot identify a pothole before deciding what to do. You can look at a tree and determine if it is an evergreen or a deciduous or an apple tree or something that will look nice with ornaments and an angel on top. But you can't identify a pothole. They're mysterious. They can appear shallow until your car slams into it and you hit your head on the car's roof. They can be hidden by shadows or filled with water, impossible to determine just how severe they are.

Their ubiquity, mystery, and treachery has led me to the only logical conclusion: potholes are created by aliens – sort of like an urban crop circle. But for what purpose? Are they divots from invisible lasers? Are they landing pads for tiny little spaceships? Are they messages that we need to decode?

Well, our advice is to avoid them if possible. Drive around them (carefully). Slow down when you're near a pothole. And if you do collide with one and damage your car, bring your car to Boyd Autobody & Glass.

We'll get you back out on the road in a safe, restored car so you can dodge potholes again.

Road rage: The challenge faced by passengers

Have you ever driven with someone who had road rage? Even if you experience regular road rage yourself, it's an entirely different experience to be a passenger in the car of someone who is frothing mad.

You sit there and watch helplessly as the person behind the wheel takes personal offense at everything that drivers in front of them do… as if the driver of a car in front of them had finally tracked them down and was fulfilling a vendetta against them.

As the passenger, you listen to their tirades, their shouting, their gasps of contempt, their swearing, their steering wheel slapping, their fist-shaking, their fingerpointing, their middle finger saluting. And what do you do?

Actually, the question should be: What CAN you do? It doesn't seem like you can do anything. And indeed, there isn’t a lot you can do. When the driver turns to you and say, "Did you see that? Where did that guy learn to drive? He just totally cut me off!", there isn't a lot to say because the questions are rhetorical.

There isn't a lot you can do about the driver's reaction. They are going to feel what they feel whether you agree with them or disagree with them – and either response from you could potentially make their reaction worse (either because your agreement validates what they've observed or your disagreement frustrates them even worse).

The problem with road rage isn't that the driver gets upset about how others driver; the real problem is that they become unsafe – their rage can actually impair their ability to make good decisions. They might start a journey completely fine but once they get into traffic, driving becomes a competition… and it could turn into a full-contact sport.

So what can you do as a passenger? You could get out of the car, although that's not really practical.

Probably the best thing you can do is try to get the driver's attention off of road. (Believe me, that's probably the only time we'll ever advise that!). Obviously we don't mean that you distract them so much that they can't drive. Rather, we suggest that you engage them in a conversation about a mundane topic (something that DOESN'T get them any more excited). If the conversation gets off track because of a perceived offense from another driver, the best thing to do is just gently steer the conversation back to the original topic.

Since there isn't a lot you can do, the next best thing is to keep the conversation going about a different topic – something that they can engage in and enjoy talking about, and something that requires a certain amount of thought to continue the conversation. For example, consider talking about a recent or upcoming vacation, or your children, or one of the driver's hobbies, or work (as long as work is something they enjoy).

Road rage is dangerous! As a driver, you have the responsibility to stay focused to keep your passengers safe. If you do get into a collision, bring your car to Boyd Autobody & Glass for a safe, professional repair by your local autobody experts.

How to avoid this common type of car crash

Recently, while doing some research on collision, I stumbled across a very interesting statistic: "Over 31% of all U.S. car-related fatalities are caused by vehicles running off of the road, an event more likely to happen along highways or where there is a steep shoulder." (Source: http://www.autos.com/driving-and-safety/car-crash-statistics-based-on-age-and-location).

This is an interesting statistic. It's not clear whether only one car or more than one car is involved, which is why the title of this article used the word "car crash" instead of "collision". Presumably, the 31% of occurrences could be caused by a single car simply driving off the side of the road or a multi-car collision.

Either way, nearly one-third of US-based traffic fatalities are the result of driving off the road.

Is Canada any different?

We're in Canada – particularly the prairies – so a few factors will impact the statistic:

• A factor that reduces the statistic: There aren't steep drop-offs. In some situations there are (BC and Western Alberta) but a lot of the roads are prairies.
• A factor that increases the statistic: Our roads are in worse condition because of the extreme temperature shifts.
• A factor that increases the statistic: Bad winter weather can potentially make driving more dangerous.
• A factor that increases the statistic: It's farther between towns so there are more rural roads.
• With these reducing/increasing factors, it's safe to assume that we have an approximately equivalent 30% of car-related fatalities as a result of people driving off the road – perhaps even slightly higher. Since there were 2209 traffic-related fatalities in Canada, let's assume that 30% -- 660 – of those fatalities were related to driving off the road.

Why this matters to you

We've been talking about big numbers and statistics but let's boil it down to why it matters to you: This all-too-common type of car crash sounds like one of the more preventable collisions! As drivers, only a few things tend to force us off the road:

• Loss of focus (often related to something inside the car, like falling asleep or a ringing cellphone)
• Loss of control (often related to weather, a mechanical issue, other drivers, or animals)

So, how can you avoid becoming one of a fairly significant statistic? Knowing how common this type of collision is and identifying what factors will cause it can help you to drive with a greater awareness and a higher level of caution. There will always be circumstances outside of our control but we can minimize them to help us drive more safely.

We want you to be safe! If you do get into a collision, the team at Boyd Autobody can help to repair your car and get you back on the road quickly and safely.

Collision warning indicators

Our world is filled with warning alarms and buzzers and flashing lights – they all tell us that something unusual is happening and we should continue with caution. For example, consider the warning light on your stovetop, telling you that an element will burn you if you touch it. Or consider the little flashing light in your car when your fuel indicator needle touches "empty".

When these alarms and indicators alert us to something, we take action to correct or prevent the situation.

Wouldn't it be great if our cars displayed some kind of warning device to tell us that we are approaching a dangerous place in the road – a place where collisions are more likely to occur? Do you think we might slow down slightly, look around a little more diligently, and proceed a little more carefully?

It wouldn't be that difficult to set up: Many cars come with GPS and there's likely a municipal or law enforcement database somewhere with collision statistics. Combine those two pieces of technology together and suddenly you have an early warning system telling you to be cautious.

Until science catches up, here are two things you can do to achieve a similar effect:

1. Watch the signs. Okay, this sounds like a smart-alecky thing to say but the signs are theoretically there to serve the same purpose as what was just described above. Think of signs as old school, low-tech early warning indicators to tell us that we are in a potential danger zone. Adjust your driving according to the signs just as you would adjust your driving if your car started beeping the same message. When you see that "Merge" sign, assume that someone will try to merge. When you see that "Hidden Intersection" sign, assume that someone will suddenly appear without warning.
2. Be aware of what's going on around you: Look far ahead in the road to assess and anticipate what you might experience. If you see an intersection, look for the control (stop sign or lights, etc.) far in advance and assume that someone else will completely miss it and barrel through the intersection at high speed. It's not just intersections that deserve your attention – look for driveways, merging lanes, environmental conditions (such as slippery roads or blinding sun). Pay attention to the yellow line in the middle of the road – a dashed line might suggest that someone can pass you, which adds an extra layer of complexity to the drive.

At some point, technology will probably reach a point where we can enjoy convenient warning signs ahead of time. Until then, a little common sense and anticipation can achieve the same thing.

If you do get into a collision, Boyd Autobody & Glass is there to help. With autobody shops across Western Canada, we can quickly repair your car to restore its look, functionality, and safety.

What is the one cause of collisions?

If we could identify the one single cause of most collisions, it would be easy to reduce those collisions by aggressively trying to resolve the cause. But the problem is, there is never one single cause of a collision.

To clarify, I'm not talking about fault – who is at fault and who isn't. I'm talking about the cause: The human and environmental and technical elements that combined to result in a collision. In every collision, you're going to get some combination of:

• The exact level of driver attentiveness (or inattentiveness) prior to the collision
• The speed of both vehicles at collision
• Accuracy and timing of reactions of all drivers involved
• Technological failure of vehicles (not necessarily complete failure but a car with slightly less grip on its tires might take longer to stop than a car with new tires)
• Climate conditions (sun, rain, snow, fog, etc.)
• Road conditions and geometry (a dirty intersection might cause more collisions than a clean, straight highway)

It's impossible to list everything but you can see how each of these elements can contribute to cause an accident. Consider this fictitious collision example to show you what we mean: If a driver was going 5 kilometers slower, and if the driver pressed his or her brake just a second sooner, and if his or her tires had an extra millimeter of grip, and if the intersection had less dirt (which reduces friction), and if the driver hadn't been adjusting the radio at the time, then the accident might have been avoided. See how all of these things might contribute?

A lot of study has gone into other disasters, such as plane crashes or building collapses – and science has found the same thing – there's never a single cause but a "constellation" of seemingly minor "failures" that add up to something catastrophic.

So, what can you do about it? Well, it's impossible to do something fuzzy like "avoid collisions" but you can instead manage all of these small parts: Make sure your car is in peak working order (change your tires and brakes regularly, for example); pay attention while you are driving and try to eliminate distractions; stick to the speed limit, and slow down when approach some of the potential collision "hot points" (such as an intersection).

Collisions are not completely unavoidable but they can be minimized. But it's not as easy as simply deciding not to crash. Instead, you have to cover all of the little things and safe driving will take care of itself.

If you do get into a collision, Boyd Autobody & Glass is there to help. Our team of collision repair experts can restore your car to its pre-collision condition and ensure that you are safe again so you can drive with confidence.

11 signs that you're a Canadian driver

Living in Canada offers up a variety of challenges for drivers. In the summertime, we expect a plague of mosquitos while we run from the car to the house (but the warm weather makes up for it and it doesn’t' seem so bad).

In the wintertime, though, we're faced with enough crazy driving scenarios that it would make a compelling reality TV show… but it's perfectly real and we face it every day. The cold weather, the snow, the ice, the blizzards, the sleet, the snowbanks, the unplowed roads, the snow shoveling, the shivering, the reluctant-to-start cars. It's all part of what we call every day life.

Here are 11 signs that you're a Canadian driver who has faced off against a prairie winter:

1. From just a glance through a window, you can assess whether it's a "dry cold" or a "wet cold"… and that determines whether you leave 5 minutes early or not.
2. Once the snow falls, you navigate highway driving by those side-of-the-highway novelty-sized landmarks that each town has – the egg, the kettle, the giant fork. (They ARE useful for something).
3. You love the wide expanse of prairie horizon, and you know that visibility is important for safe driving, but you only chip a tiny little hole in your windshield if it's really icy.
4. After a heavy snowfall, your method of cleaning the snow off of your car is to get in and drive a little faster than usual.
5. You still stop at intersections even though a snow plow knocked over the stop sign and covered it with a mountain of snow several weeks earlier.
6. You've used your windshield wipers and washerfluid as a method to clear the ice from your windshield.
7. You've said "at least we don't live in [Ontario or BC] where they have to contend with icy hills."
8. You use snow banks as landmarks for in-city driving.
9. You've ditched the car and dug yourself out and were still on time to wherever you needed to go.
10. You judge the "niceness" of a winter by how little you've had to plug your car in.
11. When you get stuck, one of the techniques you use is to "rock the car".

Winter driving is no picnic, no matter where you live. But driving in a Canadian prairie winter is 6-month-long extreme challenge that daredevil drivers wouldn't even dare!

Oh, and once the snow has melted, prairie drivers have another challenge ahead of them: potholes!
If you're navigating our snowy roads this winter and you get into a collision, bring your car to Boyd Autobody & Glass. We'll fix it up and get you back on your way.