Car Safety

This Is What Happens After The Dakar's Rally

2012-01-29T12:53:00.001-05:00

When the rally finished in Lima, there was a big party for all the competitors and organisers. After that probably all the competitors took a big rest in the best hotels in Lima.
Yesterday when I was walking in Asia which is the newest seaside resort 100 Km. south of Lima, I saw the car (Volkswagen Amarok) that was driven by the Peruvian drivers Ferrand Del Busto and Ferrand Malatesta which finished in the 46th.place (best place in cars for Peruvian drivers) in the Dakar 2012. Volkswagen was promoting the Amarok by showing Ferrand's car to potential buyers. I think It was selling for around US$. 36,000 dollars.

Dakar's 2012 was a huge success in Peru, I hope that next year's Dakar starts in Lima.

Dakar's 2012 Stage 14 (Pisco-Lima). Big Party In Lima!

2012-01-16T22:55:00.002-05:00

This is a video of the cars arriving to Pisco. You can see Roma's Mini who finished 2nd. in this Dakar 2012.

The Dakar's 2012 ended in Lima with a big party. These are the results:

Depress is the winner with his KTM in motorcycles (19:28:11), followed by Coma (53:20 minutes behind), and Rodrigues came in third place (1:11:17 hours behind). Patronelli won with his Yamaha in quads (5:01:51), followed by Patronelli (1:20:17 hours behind) and Maffei (2:14:21 hours behind). Peterhansel with his Mini won in cars (14:54:46) followed by Roma (41:56 minutes behind) and De Villiers (1:13:25 hours behind). De Rooy with his Iveco won in trucks (21:20:47), followed by Stacy (51:19 minutes behind), and Ardavichus (1:47:45 hours behind).

These are the results for the best Peruvian drivers:

Rios finished in 49th. place with his Ktm in motorcycles (14:27:43 hours behind Depress).
Ferrand Del Busto and Ferrand Malatesta finished in the 46th. place with their Volkswagen in cars (11:16:32 hours behind Peterhansel).

Peruvian President Humala with Peterhansel

Picture courtesy of El Peruano.

Dakar's 2012 Stage 13. Follow The Peruvian Drivers. We Were There!

2012-01-16T10:40:00.000-05:00

This is the video of the rally's stage 13 (Nazca-Pisco):

Video courtesy of www.dakar.com

These are the best ranked Peruvian drivers overall:

Rios is in the 49th. place driving his KTM in motorcycles.
Ferrand Del Busto and Ferrand Malatesta are in the 46th. place driving their Volkswagen in cars.

Ferrand Del Busto/Ferrand Malatesta-Volkswagen Amarok/Team Peru Dakar Amarok

Picture courtesy of www.dakar.com

This is the video of the first two cars that arrived to Pozo Santo (Pisco):

These are some pictures taken at the stage's arrival at Pozo Santo (Pisco):

Robby Gordon with his Hummer H3.

Leal Dos Santos with his Mini.

Stacey's Truck

Dakar's 2012 Stage 12. Follow The Peruvian Drivers. Enjoy Peru!

2012-01-13T20:22:00.000-05:00

This is the video of Dakar's 2012 stage 12 (Arequipa-Nazca):

Video courtesy of www.dakar.com

These are the best ranked Peruvian drivers overall:

Rios is in the 51st. place driving his KTM in motorcycles.
Ferrand Del Busto and Ferrand Malatesta are in the 46th. place driving their Volkswagen in cars.

Roma Joan/Périn Michel-Mini All 4 Racing/Monster Energy X-Raid Team. (Arequipa-Nazca)

Picture Courtesy of www.dakar.com

Dakar's 2012 Stage 11. Follow The Peruvian Drivers. Welcome To Peru!

2012-01-12T20:51:00.000-05:00

This is the rally's stage 11 video (Arica - Arequipa):

Video courtesy of www.dakar.com

Leonid Novitskiy and Shulz Andreas (All 4 Racing Mini/Monster Energy X-Raid Team) (Arica-Arequipa)

Picture courtesy of www.dakar.com

Dakar's 2012 Stage 10. Follow The Peruvian Drivers

2012-01-12T08:10:00.000-05:00

This is the rally's stage 10 video:

Video courtesy of www.dakar.com

These are the best ranked Peruvian drivers overall:

Rios is in the 51st. place driving his KTM in motorcycles.
Flores Seminario is in the 14th. place driving his Yamaha in quads.
Ferrand Del Busto and Ferrand Malatesta are in the 50th. place driving their Volkswagen in cars.

Dakar's 2012 Stage 9. Follow The Peruvian Drivers

2012-01-11T12:01:00.000-05:00

This is the video of the rally's stage 9:

Video courtesy of www.dakar.com

These are the best ranked Peruvian drivers overall:

Ferrand Del Busto and Ferrand Malatesta are in the 54th. place driving a Volkswagen in cars.

Dakar's 2012 Stage 8. Follow The Peruvian Drivers

2012-01-09T23:34:00.000-05:00

This is the video of the rally's stage 8:

Courtesy of www.dakar.com

These are the best ranked Peruvian drivers overall:

Rios is in the 55th. place with his KTM in motorcycles.
Flores Seminario is in the 15th. place with his Yamaha in quads.
Lopez Palomino, Leon Munar, and Hiraoka Nakamura are in the 50th. place driving a Mitsubishi in cars.

Dakar's 2012 Stage 7. Follow The Peruvian Drivers

2012-01-08T20:01:00.000-05:00

This is the video of Dakar's 2012 stage 7:

Video courtesy of www.dakar.com

Stage 6 was suspended due to difficult weather conditions on the Andes mountains. These are the best ranked Peruvian drivers overall:

Rios is in the 48th. place with his KTM in motorcycles.
Flores Seminario is in the 16th. place with his Yamaha in quads.
Weber and Carrillo are in the 47th. place driving a Toyota in cars.

Dakar's 2012 Stage 5. Follow The Peruvian Drivers

2012-01-05T19:54:00.000-05:00

This is the video of stage 5:

Courtesy of www.dakar.com

These are the best ranked Peruvian drivers overall:

Rios is in the 54th. place with his KTM in motorcycles.
Flores Seminario is the 17th. place with his Yamaha in quads.
Lopez Palomino, Leon Munar, and Hirahoka Nakamura are in the 62nd. place driving a Mitsubishi in cars.

Dakar's 2012 Stage 4. Follow The Peruvian Drivers

2012-01-05T08:38:00.000-05:00

This is the video of the rally's stage 4:

Video courtesy of www.dakar.com

These are the best ranked Peruvian drivers overall:

Rios is in the 64th. place with his KTM in motorcycles.
Flores Seminario is in the 17th. place with his Yamaha in quads.
Lopez Palomino, Leon Munar, and Hirahoca Nakamura are in the 71st. place driving a Mitsubishi in cars.

Dakar's 2012 Stage 3. Follow The Peruvian Drivers

2012-01-03T20:15:00.000-05:00

This is the video of Dakar's stage 3:

Video courtesy of www.dakar.com

These are the best ranked Peruvian drivers overall:

Heinrich Del Valle is in the 60th. place in motorcycles.
Flores Seminario is in the 20th. place in quads.
Dibos and Medina are in the 52nd. place driving a Toyota in cars.

Dakar's 2012 Stage 2. Follow The Peruvian Drivers

2012-01-03T16:14:00.000-05:00

This is the video of Dakar's stage 2:

Video courtesy of www.dakar.com

These are the best ranked Peruvian drivers overall after stage3:

Rios is in the 59th. place in motorcycles.
Flores Seminario is in the 19th. place in quads.
Dibos and Medina are in the 52nd. place driving a Toyota in cars.

Dakar's 2012 Stage 1. Follow the Peruvian Drivers

2012-01-01T22:50:00.000-05:00

This is the video of Dakar's stage 1:

Video courtesy of www.dakar.com

These are the best ranked Peruvian drivers:

Heinrich Del Valle is in the 78th. place in Motorcycles.
Flores Seminario is in the 22 ND. place in Quads.
Ferrand Del Busto and Ferrand Malatesta are in the 59th. place driving a Volkswagen in Cars.

The bad news of this rally is that Argentinian Motorcycle rider Jorge Boero was the victim of a fall. We offer our condolences to his family and loved ones.

Welcome Dakar 2012

2011-12-17T11:29:00.000-05:00

The Dakar rally 2012 will begin soon. It goes from January the 1st. to January 15th. This edition will go through 3 countries (Argentina, Chile, and Peru), from Mar Del Plata to Lima. This is the Schedule for each day:

DATE	START	FINISH
01/01/2012	Mar Del Plata	Santa Rosa de la Pampa
02/01/2012	Santa Rosa de la Pampa	San Rafael
03/01/2012	San Rafael	San Juan
04/01/2012	San Juan	Chilecito
05/01/2012	Chilecito	Fiambala
06/01/2012	Fiambala	Copiapo
07/01/2012	Copiapo	Copiapo
08/01/2012	Rest day
09/01/2012	Copiapo	Antofagasta
10/01/2012	Antofagasta	Iquique
11/01/2012	Iquique	Arica
12/01/2012	Arica	Arequipa
13/01/2012	Arequipa	Nasca
14/01/2012	Nasca	Pisco
15/01/2012	Pisco	Lima

This is the map of the race:

Courtesy of www.dakar.com

I am sure that It`s going to be an exciting rally. Be sure to follow the rally here. Enjoy!

Excellent TV Ad With Big Bird

2011-04-15T14:28:00.000-04:00

This is an excellent TV ad about doing our part in preventing traffic accidents. We should act like Big Bird does in this TV ad. We have to do our part in stopping traffic accidents, and our goal should be to reduce traffic accidents to ZERO traffic accidents. GOD please help us all to reduce traffic accidents to ZERO traffic accidents.

Peru Will Host The Dakar 2012

2011-03-24T12:33:00.000-04:00

Now We know the route of the Dakar 2012, and 3 countries will host this rally (Argentina, Chile, and Peru). Peru will host the Dakar for the first time. This is what the official Dakar website published this week:

DAKAR 2012: IT’S PERU!

As the condor (rather than the crow) flies, almost 5,000 kilometres separate Mar del Plata from Lima. In 2012, the Dakar will be staging a pan-American adventure of more than 9,000 kilometres in total. Unlike previous year’s loops, the route will transport the rally from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to those of the Pacific, enabling its competitors to discover new lands and another aspect of South America. The scale of this challenge has also led to a change in the race’s format, which will include 14 days of racing in 2012. Constantly guided by the Andes Mountain range, the drivers and riders will be crossing the Atacama, and will experience in particular the diversity of the dunes as they head into Peru.

Argentina: heading for the hills. Grand Start + 5 stages. The competitors will be getting to the heart of the sporting matter on 1st January, after the starting ceremony at Mar del Plata. Used to journeying through Argentina, the riders, drivers and crews will this time be making a bee-line for the Andes Mountains. Only a few familiar landscapes as well as some first-rate sections, including dunes and canyons, have been selected for the Argentine part of the programme in 2012.

Chile: en route for the Atacama. 5 stages + 1 rest day. The rally will enter Chile with a spot of climbing. After having travelled over the Andes, the rally will then start to follow the range to its tip, working their way up between the mountains and ocean. During this journey northwards, the Dakar will be delving in to the heart of the Atacama Desert, where navigational skill is just as important as the ability to tame the dunes.

Peru: another face of the desert. 4 stages + finish. At sea level. This time the crossing of the frontier is painless, but the contrast is very real. Before arriving to Lima the most experienced participants can prepare themselves for the route because the Peruvian dunes seems endless. The participant's journey through the country to Lima will give them a good impression of the liveliness and cultural diversity of the nation, which possesses almost 50% of the population with mixed race Amerindian and European origins, and where Quechua is still the language mainly spoken by almost 15% of the inhabitants. The Dakar World Tour will be in Lima Peru on April 12Th. promoting the rally.

Courtesy of http://www.dakar.com/

Spectacular Volkswagen TV Ad With Little Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker) Aired During The 2011 Superbowl

2011-02-22T11:54:00.000-05:00

This is an excellent TV ad that was aired during the 2011 Superbowl. Listen carefully to the Star Wars music, and pay attention to the little Darth Vader ( Anakin Skywalker). Enjoy!

Latest Video From Ken Block. Enjoy The Driving

2011-02-06T22:45:00.000-05:00

This is the latest video from Ken Block the creator of gymkhana (a series of spectacular stunts with his Ford Fiesta). Can you drive this fast in snow? Enjoy the video!

Team Volkswagen Touareg Won The Dakar 2011. The Peruvian Team Finished 38Th.

2011-01-17T21:24:00.001-05:00

The Dakar Rally 2011 came to an end, and the winners for this year's edition are in cars Nasser saleh AL-ATTIYAH from Qatar with his Volkswagen Touareg with a time of 21:16:16, followed by his teammates Giniel DE VILLIERS 00:49:41 Minutes behind, and the Spanish Carlos SAINZ 01:20:38 hours behind. The Ferrands with its Toyota from Peru finished in the 38Th. position 54.39 hours behind the leader. A total of 53 cars finished the rally (141 cars started the rally.) In motorcycles the Spanish Marc COMA with his KTM took the first place, followed by the French Cyril DESPRES with KTM. Helder RODRIGUES from Portugal finished Third. The Peruvian Carlo Vellutino with KTM finished in the 91St. position. A total of 94 motorcycles finished the rally.

This edition of the Dakar Rally was a though one. In one stage of the rally the first ten motorcycles got lost, and the Touaregs from Volkswagen proved once again to be an excellent car. Its drivers drove them very fast, It looked like they did not care too much about the difficult terrain. The organizers are planning the Dakar 2012 to go all the way from Argentina to Lima, Peru.

Dakar 2011 Is Halfway In Arica Near Peru. So Far It Is A Close Race

2011-01-08T22:59:00.001-05:00

We are already halfway trough the Dakar 2011 rally. Right now all the competitors are having a rest day in Arica (Chile, Border with Peru), so far the results are as follow:
Carlos Sainz is winning with Volkswagen (20:39:41), followed by Nasser Al-Attiyah from the same team (20:42:23). Stéphane Peterhansel is third with BMW (20:54:32). In the 45Th. position is the Peruvian Fernando Ferrand with Toyota (17:09:08 behind the leader). There are still 71 cars in competition.

In Motorcycles the leader is Marc Coma with KTM (22:40:20) followed by Cyril Despres with KTM (22:49:08). The third place belongs to Francisco Lopez with Aprilia ( 23:02:32). The Peruvian Carlo Vellutino with KTM is in the 113Th. position (18:54:40 behind the leader). There are still 116 Bikes in competition.

This is the route map:

Ferrand's FJ Cruiser from Toyota departing from Buenos Aires.

Interesting Road Safety Ads

2011-01-02T10:49:00.002-05:00

I found these very interesting two ads about ROAD SAFETY. Check them out. Remember to always drive safely focusing only on the road, without distractions. Lets make 2011 and this decade free of traffic accidents ( ZERO traffic accidents).

I wish all People an excellent 2011 full of blessings.

Make Roads Safe. The Campaign For Global Road Safety

2010-12-10T21:06:00.000-05:00

I found this very interesting video about "MAKE ROADS SAFE. The Campaign For Global Road Safety". The Make Roads Safe campaign is coordinated by the FIA Foundation; And its purpose is to call on the international community to take urgent action to stop the daily tragedy of thousands of preventable deaths and injuries on the world’s roads. All of Us should support this campaign. Watch this very informative video:

Video courtesy of www.makeroadssafe.org

Please, remember to ALWAYS DRIVE SAFELY, AND OBEY ALL TRAFFIC LAWS. DO YOUR PART IN STOPPING TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.

Caminos Del Inca 2010 Champion Raul Orlandini Talks About The Traffic In Lima Peru

2010-11-25T08:11:00.000-05:00

     The traffic in Lima Peru is getting worse each year, the authorities have to do something about it in order to fix the problem. Lima will be a city with less traffic accidents if the authorities like the city mayor and the president and his government members, the police, the public transportation drivers, the pedestrians, the drivers, and all its citizens work together now to fix the traffic and transportation problem. If We all work together now to fix the traffic problem and create conscience about traffic and traffic accidents, the number of traffic accidents will be reduced. By doing this We can save lives.

I found this article in a newspaper (Depor.pe) where Raul Orlandini who is the last Caminos Del Inca rally champion says that He can not drive in Lima.
     Raul Orlandini had a traffic accident in a race at the beginning of the year. Fortunately He recovered very well from this incident and became the Caminos Del Inca 2010 Rally Champion on October. He said that driving in Lima is more dangerous than driving in a rally or in a circuit race.
    Orlandini is back to his job and has to deal with the traffic in Lima every day. He said "Before I was angry, but now I don't complicate myself. I just laugh because in Lima you can not run. If I could, I would move in a helicopter. Everyday It takes me one hour to go from home to the office, and one hour to come back.
     Raul Orlandini expects to win the Caminos Del Inca Rally again in 2011 with his Mitsubishi Evo IX.. He is the favorite for that rally. He wants to compete outside Peru next year. He wants to race in the Sudamerican Rally, The FIA-Nacam, and the World Championship. As you can see He has big plans. He is a good guy. Best of lucks for him.

Picture courtesy of http://www.deportemotor.net/

2010 Caminos Del Inca Rally. The Most Popular Rally In Peru. Great Win By Raul Orlandini

2010-10-25T17:25:00.001-04:00

This month the most popular and traditional Peruvian rally took place in Peru. The rally is called Caminos Del Inca. It starts in Lima, and continues to Huancayo, Ayacucho, Cuzco, Arequipa (all high altitude cities in the Andes), and Lima again. The drivers compete for an entire week. This year´s winner was Raul Orlandini, who after a difficult beginning in this year´s Peruvian rallies was able to obtain this well deserved triumph in Caminos Del Inca. The following is a video of the 2010 Caminos Del Inca Rally. Enjoy!

Picture courtesy of http://www.acpperu.net/

Can You Drive Like This?

2010-09-23T01:00:00.001-04:00

So you think you are an excellent driver! Watch this fun video and compare yourself with this driver:

Excellent driver uh!

Good News On Fox News Channel About Road Safety In The U.S.

2010-09-09T19:55:00.001-04:00

Today I was watching the Fox News channel on TV. and They gave good news about traffic safety in the U.S. The good news were about the U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announcing Lowest Traffic Fatalities in Six Decades. This is what He said:

DOT 165-10

Thursday, September 9, 2010
Contact: Olivia Alair
Tel: 202-366-4570

2009 Data Show Major Across-the-Board Declines in all Categories Despite a Slight Increase in Road Travel.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today released updated 2009 fatality and injury data showing that highway deaths fell to 33,808 for the year, the lowest number since 1950. The record-breaking decline in traffic fatalities occurred even while estimated vehicle miles traveled in 2009 increased by 0.2 percent over 2008 levels.
In addition, 2009 saw the lowest fatality and injury rates ever recorded: 1.13 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2009, compared to 1.26 deaths for 2008.
Fatalities declined in all categories of vehicles including motorcycles, which saw fatalities fall by 850 from 2008, breaking an 11-year cycle of annual increases.
“At the Department of Transportation, we are laser-focused on our top priority: safety,” said Secretary LaHood. “Today’s announcement shows that America’s roads are the safest they’ve ever been. But they must be safer. And we will not rest until they are.”
As part of the Department’s campaign to reduce traffic fatalities, Secretary LaHood will convene a National Distracted Driving Summit on Sept. 21 in Washington, D.C. The Secretary will bring together leading transportation officials, safety advocates, law enforcement, industry representatives, researchers and victims affected by distraction-related crashes to address challenges and identify opportunities for national anti-distracted driving efforts. This follows the first summit Secretary LaHood held in the Fall of 2009 that sparked a national conversation about texting and talking on cell phones while driving.
According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study based on 2006 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for those between the ages of 3 and 34.
In addition to the record-breaking drop in fatalities, the number of people injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2009 declined for a 10th straight year in a row, falling an estimated 5.5 percent from 2008, according to NHTSA data released today.
Alcohol impaired driving fatalities declined by 7.4 percent in 2009 – 10,839 compared to 11,711 reported in 2008. Overall, 33 states and Puerto Rico experienced a decline in the number of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in 2009 compared to 2008.
“Today’s numbers reflect the tangible benefits of record seat belt use and strong anti-drunk driving enforcement campaigns,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “But we are still losing more than 30,000 lives a year on our highways, and about a third of these involve drunk driving. We will continue to work with our state partners to strictly enforce both seat belt use and anti-drunk driving laws across this nation, every day and every night.”
Highlights of the latest Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and related NHTSA data include the following:

■33,808 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2009, a 9.7 percent decline from 37,423 deaths reported in 2008, and the lowest number of deaths since 1950 (which had 33,186).

■An estimated 2.217 million people were injured in 2009, a 5.5 percent decline from 2.346 million in 2008.

■30,797 fatal crashes occurred in 2009, down 9.9 percent from 34,172 in 2008. All crashes (fatal, injury and property damage only) were down by 5.3 percent in 2009 from a year ago.

■Forty-one states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico all had reductions in fatalities, led by Florida (with 422 fewer fatalities) and Texas (with 405 fewer fatalities).

For more information click on this link: http://www.nhtsa.gov/PR/DOT-165-10
Information provided by http://www.nhtsa.gov/

Remember always drive safely, and obey all traffic laws.

Raikkonen's First WRC Stage Win In Germany

2010-08-26T10:06:00.000-04:00

Kimi Raikkonen got his first World Rally Championship stage win at the Rallye Deutschland. He finished the rally in the 7th. position with a total time of 4:08:28.8; Sebastien Loeb finished first with a total time of 3:59:38.3. Kimi said the following after wining the final stage in Germany: "It’s a nice feeling, definitely, Maybe this stage was a bit more like a racing circuit! But it’s a sign that we’re moving in the right direction and learning all the time. Our work with the pace notes in Germany, for example, was nearly perfect". This is the video of his perfect driving at the final stage in Germany:

Raikkonen is considering his future for next year. He said “Nothing is decided yet, but I’m enjoying myself here. I also think that we’re making progress. Rallying is all about experience, so I think it would be good if we could use this experience next year”. If he stays in rallying with the Citroen Junior Team next year he would drive the new DS3 WRC: the same car as Sebastien Loeb.

Weird Maneuvers In F1.

2010-08-19T17:41:00.000-04:00

There has been some weird car maneuvers during this F1 season, Michael Schumacher, and Sevastian Vettel were involved in those.

Picture courtesy of http://news.bbc.co.uk/

The car maneuver shown in the picture above was made by Michael Schumacher during the Hungarian Grand Prix, as you can see He put Rubens Barrichello to great danger by almost pushing him into the pit wall. Because of this, Schumi was penalized a 10-place grid penalty at the race in Belgium. After reviewing the incident, 41-year-old Schumacher said: "I have got to say that the stewards are right with their judgment: the manoeuvre against [Barrichello] was too severe. I obviously wanted to make it difficult for him to overtake me and I also showed him clearly that I did not want to let him past, but obviously I did not want to endanger him with my manoeuvre". Lets hope that Schumi learned from his mistake, and stop this kind of driving. He is a good driver. We know that He is not having the best of seasons. We wish Him the best.

Sevastian Vettel touched his teammate Mark Webber during the race in Turkey.

Picture courtesy of http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Webber was leading from Vettel on lap 40 when the German, while attempting an overtaking manoeuvre, collided with his team-mate and crashed out of the race. David Coulthard who is a Red Bull Racing consultant gave the following opinion: "As for the crash, who was to blame? Webber held his ground, which he was perfectly entitled to do, and Vettel steered sharply towards the racing line once he felt he had cleared Webber’s car. Webber could have given him more room and Vettel could have kept going in a straight line towards the braking point. Both could have done more to avoid it. But one small problem, they are competitive animals".

Michael Schumacher is currently on the 9th. position with 38 points and Sevastian Vettel is on the 3th. position with 151 points. The leader is Mark Webber with 161 points.

Strong Road Safety Ads. Be Aware Of Road Safety

2010-08-03T12:40:00.018-04:00

I was navigating trough the Internet and found a very interesting article titled "40 years of road safety adverts". It's about the history of hard-hitting and thought-provoking adverts from the Britain's Department of Transport that stretch back over 40 years. The article finished by saying that the most recent campaigns which warns drivers to kill their speed or live with the consequences are very strong as well, but focuses on the grief and guilt of a man who has killed a young child in an accident. Reactions indicate that the powerful message has reached the intended audience. During these years with road safety ads, Road Deaths in Britain fell to under 3,000 in 2007 (lowest in 80 years.) In 1941 9,169 people were killed on British roads, with a fraction of the traffic on the roads as there is today. Finally it says that the importance of road safety advert is as clear as ever. To read the complete article click on this link: http://motortorque.askaprice.com/news/auto-0902/40-years-of-road-safety-adverts.asp

These are some very strong road safety ads from Britain:

Don't let any of these 3 ad stories happen to you or anybody you know. Please remember to always drive safely, obey all traffic rules, and pay attention to cars on the streets. Help all the People involved in traffic accidents. Save lives, be aware of road safety!

Road Safety Is Everyone's Business

2010-07-20T11:36:00.008-04:00

Watch this very informative video from Europe. It will make you more aware about Road Safety.

Remember, always drive safely and obey all traffic laws. They are there for a reason, and to save lives.

Good TV Ad

2010-07-06T18:48:00.003-04:00

Watch this good TV ad. I recommend to follow its very good advice which is: Always wear a helmet when you drive a motorcycle. It saves lives!

Road Safety Ads During The South Africa 2010 World Cup: Excellent Idea

2010-06-17T18:20:00.012-04:00

I was watching the South Africa 2010 World Cup the other day, and I saw this ad on one side of the pitch:

You can see the panel that Says "Stay Alert. Stay Alive" from the South African Road Safety Program. I think that it is an excellent advice for everybody on roads or streets (Pedestrians and Drivers included).

I found out that this organization is involved in this ad campaign:

The Organization is http://www.arrivealive.co.za/ and this is it's vision: " To develop an effective road safety information portal that will enhance awareness of road safety and save lives".

I think that it is an excellent idea to make this ad campaign during this World Cup. Many People will be more aware about traffic safety, and this awareness will reduce traffic accidents and will save lives. Visit the organization's website. Remember, Always obey all traffic laws and drive safely!.

A Traffic Jam Morning And Its Solutions.

2010-06-08T14:32:00.012-04:00

I was driving on the streets of Lima, Peru. It was 7:50 AM. and the traffic was horrible. I tried to take the route with less cars, but it was impossible, and I couldn't scape from traffic. Everywhere I looked there was a traffic jam. Later that day when I was at home I started thinking about the traffic problem in Lima, and I arrived to these conclusions:

First, There are too many road works at the same time, so most of the main roads are partially or totally closed, forcing the cars to take alternative roads, and because these alternative roads are not prepared to receive that many cars, accidents can happen. The traffic authorities have to plan ahead before any road work, and have to choose the proper alternative roads, and publish those alternative roads on newspapers or another media, so that the drivers would know in advance which road to take.

Second, There are too many road works because elections for new district authorities are coming soon, and some district authorities want to be re elected for another period, so they do road works to get more votes (road works that should have been done a long time ago).

Third, most of the drivers in the public transportation system do not have the proper driver license, and in some cases they drive awful. Public transportation buses race between them in order to get more passengers making the streets more dangerous.

Fourth, There are too many cars circulating on the streets, and some of them are very old, or don't work properly. They should be removed from the streets. The traffic authorities have to take care of that.

And Fifth, All the people involved in the traffic system has to make an effort to obey all traffic laws. Here in Lima Peru, most people (pedestrians and drivers) don't obey traffic laws.

These are some pictures of traffic jams in Lima Peru.

You can see a traffic jam in a tunnel with a public transportation bus that is not allowed to be there, an intersection with drivers that do not respect each other, a road work causing a traffic jam, and a public transportation bus going the wrong way.

Remember People, obey all traffic laws and drive safely!

Imagine Your Car With F1 Technology. It Is Real

2010-05-25T10:19:00.009-04:00

I found this really interesting article in the BBC website. It talks about F1 technology applied to the car you drive. How? You may ask. Basically it says That F1 will use new type of engines that are smaller and more efficient. They will consume less fuel. The F1 manufacturers do this because of diminishing supplies of fossil fuels and stricter emissions regulations. These new engines will feature a reduction in fuel consumption of as much as 50% and combine modern turbocharging with energy regeneration and other innovative technologies.

All of these technologies will be applied by road-car manufacturers to make our cars more efficient, with less fuel consumption, less polluting gas emissions, and smaller engines. This new technology will be used from the year 2013.

The following is the link to the article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2010/04/what_f1s_future_means_for_the.html

Picture courtesy of http://f1chronicles.com/

Teaching Traffic Safety To Kids. Teach Them

2010-05-14T09:46:00.017-04:00

The other day I saw a video on CNN about teaching young kids traffic safety. The Police and Firemen were teaching them in a practical manner. The kids drove go-karts in a small circuit with all the traffic signs, stop lights, and policemen. They taught the kids security features, like how to walk on the streets and how to cross them. Also the firemen taught the kids what to do in emergency situations. It was great for them. By teaching traffic safety to kids, they will be more aware of dangerous situations on the streets, and They will know how to react to emergencies. Also They will become excellent drivers in the future and will obey all traffic safety laws. It is great that the Police and the Fire Department do this kind of work. The following video is an example of how police departments can help to avoid traffic accidents.

The following is a Japanese video that shows dangerous situations on the streets to kids, and what not to do, and how to protect themselves.

Talk To Your Car And Listen

2010-05-04T09:39:00.009-04:00

How do you treat your car? Normally everybody likes his car, but some of us think that our car maintains itself, we tend to forget that at least we have to check it once a week. In married couples normally the man of the house (husband) is in charge of the cars or car, and women prefer to think in more important things than the car, which is OK. Some of us talk to our car, and treat it with love. When it doesn't start for some reason you talk to it so that it can start, and suddenly it starts working. I don't know if it happened to you but it is funny. You can see in movies that people talk to their cars (Of course in The Transformers, but in other movies too).

You also have to listen to your car, It talks to you with its engine sounds and noises ( In not automatic cars you change gear by listening to the engine or by watching the engine's revolutions), also by checking your car's dashboard you can listen (There are gadgets that tell you when the engine warmed up, or your trip mileage).

Picture courtesy of http://www.cartoonstock.com/

What can I say, treat your car with love, talk to it if you want, and also pay attention and listen to what your car is trying to tell you. Remember always drive safely.

Traffic Jams

2010-04-26T10:16:00.003-04:00

A big problem on roads in big cities like Madrid, Lima, Miami, Los Angeles, etc... is traffic jams (rush hours), and when you are stuck in one of these, you start looking at the time, and if you are in a hurry you transform yourself in an aggressive person. What should you do in this situation?

It is impossible not to stress in traffic jams, but then you have to calm yourself. My advice is to breathe calmly and relax, then tune in your favorite radio station, close all your windows and put your heat or air conditioning, that way you isolate yourself from all the noises from the outside world. Stop looking at the time every minute, and don't accelerate or drive like crazy. Always drive safely. Remember to take an alternative route the next day or give yourself more time the next time.

Picture courtesy of www.skyscraperlife.com

Raikkonen's Best Performance, And Still Not Happening For Schumacher

2010-04-19T08:56:00.007-04:00

It looks like success in the World rally Championship is starting to get to Kimi Raikkonen. He put a solid performance in the Rally of Turkey to finish fifth overall, his best result in the WRC. "The feeling is coming now, We weren't pushing too hard but We were still able to set times that were not so bad", said Kimi after the race. This is his 4th. rally this year.

On the other hand, Michael Schumacher is still having difficulties with his F1 car. He finished in the 10th. position in China after being overtaken by Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Fernando Alonso, Adrian Sutil and Felipe Massa. His teammate Nico Rosberg finished in the 3th. position and is getting strong results this season. This is Schumacher's 4th. race this season and has finished 6th., 10th., and DNF. in the previous 3 races. So far is not happening for Michael Schumacher. Maybe He will do better in Europe.

Picture courtesy of http://www.rallyofturkey.org/

David Coulthard Is Racing Again

2010-04-12T09:33:00.013-04:00

The great David Coulthard who is working now for team RBR-Renault as a consultant is going to race again. He is going to drive for Mercedes in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) this season. In the DTM He will join Michael Schumacher's brother Ralf. David said this to a BBC reporter: "I didn't actively look to race anything through 2009 but at the final race of the DTM season I really got the buzz and the tingle again for the competition. That led to a test with Mercedes, which led to me making the decision. The adrenalin is the thing I miss in everyday life".

Picture Courtesy of http://www.speedhunters.com/

Coulthard is a great guy. I remember when He came to Lima Peru last year with the Red Bull F1 car and made a great demonstration in the streets of Lima showing the power of an F1 car for the first time in Peru. It was great. He said the He enjoyed his visit and liked the Peruvian food. He even drove a public transportation bus (check the pictures) . It was a fun and nice gesture, He is a great guy. Best of lucks to David.

Pictures courtesy of http://www.todoautos.com.pe/ and http://www.abejita.lacoctelera.net/

More Patience For Schumacher And Raikkonen

2010-04-05T09:50:00.009-04:00

Raikkonen scored his first WRC points because He finished in the 8th. place after a mistake free performance. Know He is looking forward to the Turkish rally. This is what he said after the rally: "From the beginning my goal was to get to the end of the rally and I'm really pleased that we've been able to do that even though the conditions were difficult," said Raikkonen. "As the stages went on I've learned more and more, and my confidence has grown bigger as well. We came to Jordan with very little experience of the car on gravel and now we've practically doubled it. I'm getting to know the car better now, but the important thing as well is that I've really enjoyed these three days. We're making progress, which is why we are here, and hopefully this will continue on the next round in Turkey".

Picture courtesy of http://www.rallye-info.com/

In F1, Red Bull made an excellent performance in the Malaysia Race. The team already made the 3 pole positions in the first 3 races, and in this one they also won the race with Vettel in first place and Webber in 2nd. Third place was for Nico Rosberg who surprisingly is doing better than his team mate Michael Schumacher who had bad luck because He had to abandon the race because of a loose wheel nut in lap 10. I think that like Raikkonen in the World Rally Championship We also have to give more time to Schumacher to start winning races. We know what He can do, He just needs to adapt to the new F1 technology. Wait and see, He will start wining races.

Picture courtesy of http://www.bbc.co.uk/

Raikkonen's Jordan Adventure

2010-03-30T09:35:00.005-04:00

Kimi Raikkonen is ready for the Jordan Rally this Thursday, His main objective is to finish the rally and compare himself with the other drivers and from there try to reduce the time gap. We have to remember that the Jordan rally will be only Raikkonen’s fourth-ever world championship rally, and only his eighth-ever rally of any description. Like I said before we have to give him more time to adapt to the World Rally Championship. He is a brave person. He came from F1 champion to a novice rally driver. It looks to me that He chose what He likes to do over earning more money, and I like that way of thinking.

Kimi just tested his Citroen C4 WRC in the south of France for two days. He said after the test "The test went really well: we were able to have a bit more time in the car, which is what I need most. There was no real pain in the back and I’m feeling good: I’m looking forward to the rally. But Jordan is probably the most unfamiliar territory we will face so far".

Don't miss the Jordan Rally that starts this Thursday April 1st. You can follow it on http://www.wrc.com/

Picture courtesy of http://www.wrc.com/

Ferrari Is The Fastest. For Now

2010-03-21T08:59:00.004-04:00

The Formula 1 season started and the Ferrari Team is running faster than anyone. They did a top two finish in Bahrain (Alonso first and Massa second). The other teams have to catch up with them, like McLaren-Mercedes (Hamilton and Button), Mercedes Benz GP Ltd (Schumacher and Rosberg), and RBR-Renault (Vettel and Webber).

Niki Lauda said this about Schumacher's performance "I’d suppose he needs about three races to get back up to the same level he was at. When you take all that into account, he did a superb qualification lap, even compared to Nico who was only three-tenths faster. My guess is that in Kuala Lumpur he will have regained that ability to switch on for a fast lap that every permanent driver has to have." Meanwhile Ross Brawn from the Mercedes Benz GP team said "We accept we were not competitive enough and we have work to do to close the gap to the leaders, We have a development plan that should bring the required improvements."

We will have to wait and see what happens in Australia next weekend. Enjoy this new season!

Picture courtesy of www.mercedes-gp.com

We Will Be Much Stronger. Raikkonen Said After Mexican Rally

2010-03-16T12:49:00.008-04:00

Sebastien Loeb with Citroen won the Mexican Rally and is the current leader of this year's World Rally Championship. After the Rally last stage Loeb said "I had a good advantage today and I wouldn't take any risks for being the first car to take the road. I drove calmly the last two stages, and tried to maintain the concentration."

Picture courtesy of http://www.rtve.es/

Kimi Raikkonen couldn't finish the rally because He had an accident in the first stage of the rally. He said after the accident "I had bad luck, the car came all the way trough a braking zone, We touch the border of the road and the car turned over several times" Then he said "I expected good things from this rally, but it is only my seventh race and I am still learning. It is normal that when you are learning something takes you by surprise, and that is what happened". Kimi felt sorry that He couldn't race more, but then He said "I am sure that in the next race We will be much stronger".

This is the video of Kimi's accident and what He said after the accident:

Raikkonen Started His Transition from F1 To WRC

2010-02-23T08:20:00.008-05:00

Kimi Raikkonen completed his first ever World Rally Championship (Rally Sweden) finishing in 30th. place. 37 minutes behind the leaders. He is competing for Citroen. Generally He set good stage times within the top ten overall. His problem was that He drove into a snow bank on the opening day. Without this incident He would have finished within the top ten and scored points on his debut. According to his Citroen boss Olivier Quesnel He is in a learning process and We have to be patient (including the media).

Kimi said this after the event "It was a really encouraging event, which allowed me to learn so much. From the start to the finish I felt I was improving all the time, which is what I expected from having more time in the car. Sure, we still have a lot to learn because the whole feeling is so different to what I had in Formula 1. But I'm getting a good idea of how to use the pace notes now and I understand the car a bit better as well. We wanted to have some more experience of the car and especially get to the finish, so we have achieved everything we wanted this weekend. Now I'm looking forward to driving gravel on the next rally in Mexico; it should be a bit easier for me I think".

Source from http://www.wrc.com/

The fans have to give Kimi more time to adapt from Formula 1 to the World Rally Championship. It is a transition that takes some time. He is a good driver, I think that He should do well in this Championship, and start scoring his first points soon.

Picture courtesy of Benjamin A Ward from http://www.rallysweden.com/

Is It A Car Or An Airplane?

2010-02-08T16:34:00.007-05:00

This is an incredible jump made by Travis Pastrana with a Subaru Impreza WRX STI. He jumped 82 meters over the waters of Rainbow Harbour in Long Beach to establish a new world record. Enjoy the video.

The World Rally Car was flying like an airplane.

Picture courtesy of http://www.topgear.com/

The Experienced And Skillful Vs. The Young And Ambitious

2010-02-01T12:34:00.011-05:00

The Michael Schumacher return saga continues as He impresses in his first Formula 1 testing session of 2010 in Valencia. His best lap was 1:12.947 and was 3rd. just behind Massa (Ferrari) and La Rosa (Sauber). He said "I feel like a young boy again and really enjoyed myself out there". As you can see He looks happy doing what He knows best which is to drive an F1 car. It is going to be very interesting to watch Schumacher who was born in 1969 competing against the young drivers like Lewis Hamilton (25), Felipe Massa (28), Fernando Alonso (28), Sebastian Vettel (22), and his teammate Nico Rosberg (24). It is the competition of The Experienced and Skillful (Schumacher)Vs. The Young and Ambitious. So far, Schumi is doing pretty well.

Picture courtesy of http://news.bbc.co.uk/

A Closer look To The Volkswagen Team At The Dakar

2010-01-25T13:14:00.013-05:00

This is the Race Touareg 2 by Volkswagen. It is the winner of the Dakar 2010.

These are the main specifications:

Five-cylinder in-line TDI diesel engine, two-stage turbo-charging system with two exhaust turbo chargers and inter-cooling, longitudinally mounted behind the front axle. The displacement is 2,500 cc with a power output of 300 hp. It has a Sequential five-speed racing gearbox, and It is a permanent four-wheel drive car. It goes from 0 to 100 Kph in 6.1 seconds, and its maximum speed is 190 Kph.

This is how the cockpit looks like:

This is the process of loading the service trucks with all the replacement parts that the car might need during the race:

As you can see It requires a lot of organization, preparation, and hard work to win the Dakar. Congratulations to the Volkswagen team!

This is the Touareg that you can find at your local store in the U.S. It sells for approximately $40,850.00 U.S. dollars. For more specifications go to www.vw.com/touareg/completespecs/en/us/#engineering

Pictures courtesy of http://www.volkswagen-motorsport.com/

Volkswagen Takes 1, 2, 3 In The Dakar With Carlos Sainz As Winner. Team Peru Dakar Takes 47th. Place

2010-01-18T09:42:00.013-05:00

The Dakar finished last Sunday and as expected Carlos Sainz won the rally. He was very close to win it last year until he felt to a dry river. So this was like a rematch for him. The Volkswagen team made the top 3 places with Nasser Al-Attiyah taking the 2nd. place just 2:12 minutes behind Sainz after 9,000 Kilometers of race. This was a perfect race for the Race Touareg 2 from Volkswagen. The 4th. and 5th. places were for BMW. Peterhansel made a good job with his BMW X3 CC. He finished 2:17:21 hours behind Sainz. Watch this video of the whole race.

This is such a difficult race that most participants are just happy to finish it. Most of the pilots are Exhausted at the end of the rally. An example of this situation is the case of Team Peru Dakar with Fernando Ferrand driving a FJ Cruiser from Toyota who finished in the 47th. place from a total of 57 cars. He finished 64:19:27 hours behind Carlos Sainz, but still, the Peru Dakar team was very happy.

Picture of the Peru Dakar team courtesy of www.peruanosaldakar.com

Driving Through Dakar´s Halfway Point

2010-01-11T10:08:00.013-05:00

The Dakar is more than halfway, It is in its 9th. stage between Copiapo and La Serena in Chile. This is the route for today:

The Volkswagen team with its Race Touareg 2 model is dominating the event by grabbing the first 3 positions with Carlos Sainz being the leader. Their main rival Stephane Peterhansel driving a BMW X3 CC model is behind them on 4th. place but 02:02:25 hours away from Sainz. Peterhansel had transmission problems in stage 5, He had to drive half of that stage in only 2WD or 4x2 mode (imagine that in the Atacama desert). He managed to finish in the 33th. position in that stage. The following is a video from that difficult stage 5.

It looks that the fight for the first place in this Dakar will be between the drivers from the Volkswagen team. Enjoy the race!

The Dakar 2010 Edition

2010-01-04T08:58:00.011-05:00

The Dakar rally has just begun last Saturday. This year´s rally is located in Argentina and Chile. In The car category there are two teams that are favorites to win which are BMW and Volkswagen. Volkswagen main drivers are Giniel De Villiers and Carlos Sainz, and BMW main drivers are Stephane Peterhansel and Joan Roma. The race finishes in Buenos Aires on January 17th 2010. This map shows the route. The drivers will have to make a 9000 kilometers loop through the continent. They will have to drive through the Atacama desert which is the driest in the world. You can follow the race on the official website http://www.dakar.com/. Enjoy!

Picture courtesy of http://www.dakar.com/

Which Is The Cheapest Car In The World?

2009-12-14T16:33:00.008-05:00

Do you know which is the cheapest car in the world, and who makes it? Well, I found this article from the BBC where you can find all the answers. The car's name is Tata Nano and It is made in India. It sells for just 100,000 rupees ($1,979; £1,366).

Picture courtesy of http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Click on the following link to read the complete BBC article.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7957671.stm

Kimi Raikkonen To World Rally Championship 2010

2009-12-04T09:13:00.013-05:00

Kimi Raikkonen will race in the world Rally Car tournament next year. He signed for Citroen for 2010 and He will drive for the second Citroen team (Junior World Rally Team). His copilot will be Finn Kaj Lindstrom who was the copilot of Tommi Makinen. Kimi will drive a Citroen C4. French Sebastien Ogier will drive the other C4 and both cars will be sponsored by Red Bull. Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo are still the first option for Citroen to defend the world title in 2010.

The only time Kimi competed in a WRC event was in the Finland Rally this year, He was in the fifteenth position when he abandoned the rally because of an accident. He drove an Abarth Grande Punto S2000.

Michael Schumacher To Mercedes GP?

2009-11-23T09:00:00.006-05:00

A lot is happening in F1 right now, specially with the new Mercedes GP team. They have hired Nico Rosberg who is a German native who was a Williams driver this season. There is some speculation about who will take the other seat. Michael Schumacher is the number one candidate to take it, but first They will have to convince him to come out of retirement. Nick Heidfeld is another choice. He drove for BMW Sauber this season, and he is also German. Kimi Raikkonen who drove for Ferrari is a third possibility but It all depends if the team wants a German duo.

Jenson Button, and Rubens Barrichello left the Brawn-Mercedes team (Now Mercedes GP). Jenson went to McLaren to join Lewis Hamilton to form an all British lineup. Rubens went to Williams. Fernando Alonso moved from Renault to Ferrari to replace Kimi Raikkonen. As you can see there is a lot going on these days in F1.

Picture courtesy of http://www.topgear.com/

Surprise! Welcome Mercedes GP!

2009-11-16T12:27:00.006-05:00

The Brawn-Mercedes success story continues. Mercedes-Benz has bought Brawn-Mercedes (Brawn GP). The team will now be Known as Mercedes GP with Ross Brawn remaining as team principal. The drivers for next year´s F1 season are not known yet.

Fastest Car Ever On BBC TopGear's Track

2009-11-10T08:53:00.008-05:00

There is a very popular and high quality show on BBC called TopGear; Its presenters are Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May known as captain slow, and The Stig who is an unknown excellent car tester (nobody knows his secret identity). This is one of the best car shows that I have seen, and you can watch it on BBC. Its website is www.topgear.com.

They have a test track (TopGear Track) where The Stig tests all kind of cars, and they keep a record of the fastest cars. This is a video of the fastest car on the TopGear Track, as you can imagine It had to be a F1 car. Enjoy the video.

Jenson Button's 2009 F1 Season And Moves For 2010

2009-11-02T12:24:00.024-05:00

The F1 season finished this year with an spectacular last lap at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It was a good fight between World Champion Jenson Button and Mark Webber. Jenson finished third behind the Red Bull driver. The standings for this F1 season are as Follows:

Image courtesy of http://www.brawngp.com/

Driver Standings

1. Jenson Button Brawn-Mercedes 95 Points

2. Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault 84 Points

3. Rubens Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes 77 Points

Team Standings

1. Brawn-Mercedes 172 Points

2. RBR-Renault 153.5 Points

3. McLaren-Mercedes 71 Points

Some notes about Jenson Button:

He was born in United Kingdom on January 19 1980. In 2000 He Makes his Formula One debut with Williams and Scores 12 points to finish eighth in the standings. In 2002 Button enjoys a successful season taking seventh in the drivers' championship with Renault. In 2003 He moves to BAR and joins Jacques Villeneuve. In 2004 He scores in every race he finishes, with ten podium placings. In 2009 Honda (former BAR) was bought by Ross Brawn and renamed Brawn-Mercedes. The team continued with its two drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. Jenson Button and the Brawn-Mercedes team became the F1 World Champions.

Now We have to wait until next year, and see what happens. Rubens Barrichello is taking a Williams driving spot, and it looks like Jenson Button is going to stay at Brawn-Mercedes. Fernando Alonso is going to Ferrari joining Felipe Massa. Best of lucks to all F1 drivers for next season.

Image courtesy of http://www.brawngp.com/

A Lap At The New Abu Dhabi Circuit. First Ever Day Night Race

2009-10-30T13:58:00.011-04:00

This is the first lap video at The Yas Marina Abu Dhabi Grand Prix track. It is a top of the art circuit surrounded by luxury hotels. The permanent and covered grandstands can accommodate approximately 50 thousand people. It also includes VIP facilities. Watch the video, and enjoy this Sunday's race (the first ever day night race in F1). Best of lucks to Jenson Button the new F1 World Champion. This is a great opportunity for him to show everybody why He is the Champion.

Video courtesy of http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/

World Day Of Remembrance For Road Traffic Victims

2009-10-23T15:43:00.003-04:00

The World Day Of Remembrance For Road Traffic Victims this year is 16 November 2009. Lets pray, and give recognition to the victims (Pedestrians, drivers, and passengers), so that they are in an excellent place. Lets pray for their relatives and all the people involved in Traffic accidents, so that they can have an excellent life without unfortunate events.

The following article from The World Health Organization talks about this day:

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

16 November 2009

Road traffic crashes kill nearly 1.3 million people every year and injure or disable as many as 50 million more. They are the leading cause of death among young people aged 10 - 24 years.

In October 2005, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution which calls for governments to mark the third Sunday in November each year as World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. The day was created as a means to give recognition to victims of road traffic crashes and the plight of their relatives who must cope with the emotional and practical consequences of these tragic events.

WHO and the UN Road Safety Collaboration encourage governments and nongovernmental organizations around the world to commemorate this day as a means of drawing the public’s attention to road traffic crashes, their consequences and costs, and the measures which can be taken to prevent them.

Article courtesy of The World Health Organization http://www.who.int/

Avoid Traffic Accidents Now

2009-10-23T09:40:00.014-04:00

It is a purpose of this blog to help in any way possible to create conscience in all car drivers and pedestrians about pedestrians and drivers safety. It is a dangerous world out there, all of us have to help to reduce all kind of traffic accidents to a minimum, if possible to zero traffic accidents. All of us can help by obeying all traffic laws and paying attention to all traffic control signals and posted signs. We also must follow all the safety tips.

I mention this because I just have read an article about traffic safety in the world, and it says that if the current tendency of traffic accidents continue, by the year 2030 traffic accidents will be the fifth cause of deaths in the world. I feel that we have to do something now to change this tendency. We have to reduce traffic accidents. The study is from The World Health Organization. You can find this study at http://www.who.int/

This is the article:

The study "Traffic Safety in the World" from The World Health Organization is categorical. If the actual tendency of traffic accidents doesn't change (each year 1.2 million people die because of traffic accidents), the year 2030 can find humanity having 2.4 millions of annual deaths because of this cause. The car would be the fifth cause of deaths in the world. 90% of these deaths happen in countries with medium and low income, and with a fast motorization and urban phase (like Peru). The study from The World Health Organization also concludes that half the deaths are pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. What does The World Health Organization recommends to avoid such disaster? Well, It recommends the construction of new structures to separate motorized users from non motorized users, more investment in public transportation, and promotion of everyday walks and use of bicycles.

Courtesy of Ruedas & Tuercas (El Comercio).

New F1 World Champion Jenson Button

2009-10-19T11:03:00.008-04:00

We have a new world champion in F1 racing, and his name is Jenson Button from Brawn Mercedes. He is the second British driver to win the F1 championship in the last 2 years. Lewis Hamilton from McLaren Mercedes won it last year. They have good drivers in England, just remember Nigel Mansell.

Jenson started the race in Brazil in the 14th. position and finished 5th. It was an excellent race for him, He showed everybody the excellent driver that he is because he drove very aggressively pushing through the hole race. It was great to watch him singing "We are the champions" as the flag from Felipe Massa fell, by the way, Felipe looked in good condition, I hope him the best of Lucks for next season. I remember that when David Coulthard came to Lima Peru this year He said that Button is an excellent driver and has the experience to win the F1 championship. He was right, and Jenson won the championship in his 10th. season.

Congratulations to Jenson Button and the Brawn Mercedes team. It is a victory for all the fans.

Picture courtesy of http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

Old Car Vs. New Car. Surprising Results From Crash Test

2009-10-13T10:56:00.010-04:00

I found this very interesting article in The Wall Street Journal, and I think it will clarify our ideas about old cars safety features because surprisingly in this particular crash test the older car's structure proves weak compared with the modern model. Safety technology has made modern cars more crashworthy. Modern cars are much more safer than old cars. They are specially designed with safety technology to protect the passengers in crash situations.

If you need a car, try to buy a new one. Remember, always drive safely.

By Jonathan Welsh
They don't build cars like they used to -- and passengers are safer as a result.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently conducted a crash test between a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu and a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air. The test shows how safety technology has made cars more crashworthy.

This is an uneven match in part because the 1959 Chevrolet, like most cars of the era, doesn't have the simplest seat belts. Air bags, crumple zones and other energy-absorbing features were also decades away. But even the older car's structure proves weak compared with the modern model. The old Bel Air's body buckles severely. It loses its windshield, the driver's door opens and the rigid steering column rams the test-dummy driver. The 2009 Malibu holds together and protects its driver well enough to get the insurance group's top rating.

The accompanying link shows the video with several views of the crash and the resulting damage.

http://online.wsj.com/video/chevy-crash-test-1959-bel-air--vs-2009-malibu/81C56182-07AA-490A-BB32-60391DE4035D.html

Courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.

Careless Bus Driver

2009-10-05T13:36:00.015-04:00

Picture courtesy of http://www.rpp.com.pe/

This incident happened in an avenue in Lima which is Peru's capital city. As the picture shows, the bus driver tried to go through a tunnel which was only designed for particular or minor vehicles, not for trucks or public transportation vehicles. I have driven in this avenue many times, and I know that there are big signs before the tunnel that prohibit trucks and public transportation vehicles to go through this tunnel. You can read them clearly. There is also a sign showing the height of the tunnel. I have also seen a lot of public transportation vehicles going through the tunnel despite all the signs. They do this is in order to pass other public transportation vehicles and get more passengers. It is like a race for them, a fight for more passengers. They create a lot of unnecessary dangerous situations.

Most of these drivers don't have a licence to drive a bus for public transportation purposes, and they don't care when they break traffic laws. This picture shows the consequences of these drivers maneuvers: A damaged public transportation bus trapped in an main avenue causing damages to the tunnel, and also causing big delays on the road. What can you do about it? Probably the police should give a big fine to the bus firm or company, and suspend the driver's driving licence. By doing this the driver and the company will learn from the driver's mistake, and will obey all traffic laws.

Check the picture.

Big Scandal In F1. Renault´s Fake Accident

2009-09-28T14:53:00.008-04:00

I have never seen a bigger scandal in auto racing than the one caused by the Renault team last year in Singapore. Piquet was the driver of the Renault car, and he crashed his vehicle on purpose against a wall at the Singapore circuit last year. He did all of this under orders given by the team director Flavio Briatore who was expelled by the team´s owner last week when the scandal appeared. The crash benefited Fernando Alonzo (Piquet´s teammate) who was already in pits when the accident happened, and when the safety car came out all car went to pits and Fernando Alonzo came out first to win the race. This is no way to win a race, and this is not good sportsmanship. There will always be the doubt if Fernando Alonzo new about Briatore´s orders, I hope not because he is a good driver. Piquet was offered immunity by the Fia because he exposed the scandal; But he shouldn't have accepted those orders in the first place, and he only revealed the scandal when he was expelled from the Renault team.

It looks like the Renault team was under a lot of pressure to earn money, and perhaps by wining more races they could get more sponsorships, but this is not the way to do it. Watch the scandal in this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZrCVbU6pWQ

Picture courtesy of http://www.timesonline.co.uk/

Video Of Irresponsible Maneuver From Truck Driver

2009-08-19T13:36:00.010-04:00

I was driving in the Panamerican highway near Casma, north of Lima, Peru. Suddenly there were two trucks in front of me, one was passing the other and was invading my line. I made signals with my lights, and used the horn to alert the truck in front of me. The Truck driver completed his passing maneuver like nothing happened and acted like if it was a normal maneuver despite his mistake of passing in a no passing zone. I got the maneuver on video. check it out.

Everybody should drive defensively, and should be alert for other drivers mistakes and risky or stupid maneuvers. Expect the unexpected like this crazy truck driver's maneuver. Don't drive like this truck driver, He made a very irresponsible maneuver and created a very risky situation that was totally unnecessary.

Remember to obey all traffic laws, and always drive safely.

A Cinderella Story. Brawn-Mercedes

2009-07-10T10:05:00.010-04:00

Once upon a time there was a F1 team that was on sale because its owner was very affected by the financial crisis. This team was the Honda Racing team, and it was sold by Honda to Ross Brawn (the team's director.) Everything was uncertain. Mr. Brawn had to find the money for the team, The Honda car was not that good in the last years. It has been struggling in the races. Last year alone, most of the time the cars finished in the fifteenth place. The pilots could not do more and they were frustrated in most of the races; and the team spirit was low. As you can see this year's season was a big question mark.

Well, so far this F1 season is incredible for the new Brawn-Mercedes team. The team has won 6 of the 8 races. All of these races were won by Jenson Button who is an excellent driver, but until now did not have a competitive car. Before this year he has only won a few races in his entire F1 career. Rubens Barrichello, the other team driver, has been second in most of this year's races, and is second to Jenson in the F1 Drivers Championship. Ross Brawn is showing that he is a F1 genius because of all of his correct decisions in this year's races, and how he prepared the car for this season. F1 experts say that now in order to win a F1 race you have to have a good car (80%), and a good Driver (20%). As you can see the car is a very important factor.

This team was practically broke, for sale, and without an owner at the beginning of the year, and now It is the dominant team in F1 beating Ferrari and McLaren. It is very close to become this year's champion in the team and driver category and it is only half the season. Where is the trick?. I don't really know, but I guess it is a mixture of the experience of Ross Brawn, The driving abilities of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello (who is also a very experienced driver), the know how of the previous Honda team, knowing the correct people, and finally a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck. This is a real Cinderella story.

Image is a courtesy of www.brawngp.com

F1 Red Bull Team Showcar Run

2009-06-15T09:57:00.005-04:00

I had the opportunity to see this showcar run in Lima Peru, and it was very impressing. You could hear the noise of the Red Bull car's engine and it was pretty loud. David Coulthard reached a speed of 280 Km/h., and also used the car to spin a lot. You could smell the burning of the tires and watch the smoke coming from them while he was spinning with the F1 car. It was a great show. 50 thousand people showed to see the spectacle, and most of them were yelling at Coulthard's maneuvers. It is more impressive to watch these F1 cars live than on TV. because of the noise that those engines make. If you have the chance try to watch them live. Here you can watch a video.

Statistics Of Car Accidents

2009-05-25T11:28:00.016-04:00

These statistics show you the big picture in traffic accidents. They will help everybody to understand why we should consider that car safety, pedestrian safety, and traffic safety are very important. We should follow all the experts advices, and be more careful when we are on the streets.

Fatalities In Car Accidents Per Country

----------Year---U.S.---Peru---Total Cars U.S.---Total Cars Peru----------

1,998--41,501--3,323--- 215,496,003----------N/A
1,999--41,717--3,214---220,461,056----------1,114,191
2,000--41,945--3,118---225,821,241----------N/A
2,001--42,196--3,208---235,331,382----------1,209,006
2,002--43,005--2,929---234,624,135----------N/A
2,003--42,884--2,856---236,760,033----------1,290,471
2,004--42,836--3,166---243,010,549----------N/A

-------Year---Cars Per Fatality U.S.---Cars Per Fatality Peru-------

1,998----5,193--------------------N/A
1,999----5,285--------------------347
2,000----5,384--------------------N/A
2,001----5,577--------------------377
2,002----5,456--------------------N/A
2,003----5,521--------------------452
2,004----5,673--------------------N/A

As you can see, despite the bigger number of fatalities in the U.S. It is doing better in traffic safety than Peru, because the number of cars per fatality is much higher than in Peru. Approximately, there is one fatality every 5,500 cars in the U.S. And in Peru there is one fatality every 390 cars. Anyway, 42,000 fatalities in car accidents per year in the U.S. is a lot. Remember, always drive safely, and be a good pedestrian.

Statistics provided by The Bureau Of Transportation Statistics, www.Car-Accidents.com, Statistics Office Of The Peruvian National Police, Statistics Office Of The Health Sector In Peru.

Common Sense For Night Driving

2009-05-12T10:13:00.005-04:00

This picture was taken in a main avenue in Lima, Peru. You can see a big truck with no back lights and without proper signs. The truck is also overloaded; It is carrying too much stuff. The driver of this vehicle is putting himself and the drivers around him in danger because of the lack of back lights and proper signs such as reflective tapes. The truck can cause an accident specially at night because of lack of visibility. Remember to always have your car or truck in good condition for night driving. Always check your lights.

Common Sense

2009-04-30T18:00:00.007-04:00

This Picture was taken in the Pan American Highway in Lima, Peru; As you can see there is a crossing bridge for people to use, and it is very close to the two persons in the picture. There are also guardrails that are there to prevent people from crossing the highway without using the crossing bridge. These two persons in the picture look that They don't care about all the infrastructure the was built for safety reasons, the car drivers, and their own lives. They are not using their common sense. To avoid situations like this you have to give more education to the people, and teach them the basics of road safety. You can also give stronger penalties, like bigger tickets, or make them do community work.

Pedestrian and Driver Safety Tips

2009-04-29T20:05:00.005-04:00

Driver Safety Tips

Stay focused and alert for pedestrians.

Stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk when the pedestrian is crossing on your half of the road.

Stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk when the pedestrian is approaching from the opposite half of the roadway and is close enough to be in danger.

Stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk while executing a right or left turn and the pedestrian is in the half of the roadway that your vehicle is entering.

Look out for pedestrians that may be hidden from view by other vehicles that have stopped.

Be extra vigilant for pedestrians when driving at dawn or dusk.

Anticipate the difficulties of the elderly or young children who are crossing the street.

Obey all traffic laws and pay attention to traffic control signals and posted signs.

Courtesy of Honolulu Police Department
http://www.honolulupd.org/

Pedestrian Safety Tips

2009-04-28T19:03:00.010-04:00

Pedestrian Safety Tips

Always cross within marked crosswalks or at street corners.

Look left, right, then left again for vehicular traffic before stepping onto the roadway.

Yield to any approaching vehicles while crossing even if you have the right of way. Oncoming vehicles may reach you faster than you anticipate.

Make eye contact with drivers to ensure that they see you.

Keep to the right of the crosswalk, and be patient and alert when crossing the street.

Walk across the street, never run.

Obey all traffic signals and use the pedestrian signal button at intersections.

Cross the street only when the green "Walk" light is on. Do not begin crossing if the red "Don't Walk" or upraised hand is flashing or steady.

Be especially careful of vehicles that may turn right on red or turn left at an intersection. Drivers may be busy looking out for other vehicles instead of pedestrians.

If buses or other large vehicles are blocking your view, wait for them to pass before crossing. These vehicles may also be blocking the view of drivers in the other lanes.

Do not walk behind a vehicle that has its reverse lights on.

Walk on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, walk on the left side of the roadway so you can see oncoming traffic.

Stand at least ten feet away from the curb while waiting at bus stops.

Do not allow your children to walk near roadways or cross the street unsupervised. Parents should accompany their young children until they are sure that their children can cross the street safely.

Courtesy of Honolulu Police Department
http://www.honolulupd.org/

Jaywalking

2009-04-28T18:45:00.007-04:00

Facts about "Jaywalking"

Did you know that there are people who think that it is okay to jaywalk?
Some people feel that it is inconvenient to use a marked crosswalk or to walk to the corner to cross the street. Some are in a rush and think that they can get across the street before the approaching vehicle reaches them. They assume that once they're on the roadway the driver of a vehicle can see them crossing. Others assume that jaywalking is allowed because they see other people doing it all the time. But it isn't.

Jaywalking is crossing the street outside of a crosswalk or away from a street corner. It is against the law, dangerous, and deadly.

The majority of the fatalities occurred because people failed to use crosswalks and did not cross at intersections. The most common reason why pedestrians were struck is because drivers failed to yield the right of way or were inattentive.
Don't become a statistic. Don't Jaywalk.

Courtesy of Honolulu Police Department
http://www.honolulupd.org/

Driving At Night

2009-04-26T12:17:00.005-04:00

Driving at Night

Traffic death rates are three times greater at night than during the day, according to the National Safety Council. Yet many of us are unaware of night driving's special hazards or don't know effective ways to deal with them.
Why is night driving so dangerous? One obvious answer is darkness. Ninety percent of a driver's reaction depends on vision, and vision is severely limited at night. Depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision are compromised after sundown.
Older drivers have even greater difficulties seeing at night. A 50-year-old driver may need twice as much light to see as well as a 30-year old.
Another factor adding danger to night driving is fatigue. Drowsiness makes driving more difficult by dulling concentration and slowing reaction time.
Alcohol is a leading factor in fatal traffic crashes, playing a part in about half of all motor vehicle-related deaths. That makes weekend nights more dangerous. More fatal crashes take place on weekend nights than at any other time in the week.
Fortunately, you can take several effective measures to minimize these after-dark dangers by preparing your car and following special guidelines while you drive.

The National Safety Council recommends these steps:

Prepare your car for night driving. Keep headlights, tail lights, signal lights and windows (inside and out) clean.
Have your headlights properly aimed. Mis-aimed headlights blind other drivers and reduce your ability to see the road.
Don't drink and drive. Not only does alcohol severely impair your driving ability, it also acts as a depressant. Just one drink can induce fatigue.
Avoid smoking when you drive. Smoke's nicotine and carbon monoxide hamper night vision.
If there is any doubt, turn your headlights on. Lights will not help you see better in early twilight, but they'll make it easier for other drivers to see you. Being seen is as important as seeing.
Reduce your speed and increase your following distances. It is more difficult to judge other vehicle's speeds and distances at night.
Don't overdrive your headlights. You should be able to stop inside the illuminated area. If you're not, you are creating a blind crash area in front of your vehicle.
When following another vehicle, keep your headlights on low beams so you don't blind the driver ahead of you.
If an oncoming vehicle doesn't lower beams from high to low, avoid glare by watching the right edge of the road and using it as a steering guide.
Make frequent stops for light snacks and exercise. If you're too tired to drive, stop and get rest.
If you have car trouble, pull off the road as far as possible. Warn approaching traffic at once by setting up reflecting triangles near your vehicle and 300 feet behind it. Turn on flashers and the dome light. Stay off the roadway and get passengers away from the area.

Observe night driving safety as soon as the sun goes down. Twilight is one of the most difficult times to drive, because your eyes are constantly changing to adapt to the growing darkness.

Reprinted with permission from the National Safety Council

Courtesy of The Weather Channel
http://www.weather.com/

Safety Tips For Car Drivers

2009-04-03T10:46:00.003-04:00

You can have a very safe car to drive, but if you are not a responsible driver you can have an accident. You should not drive when you are sleepy, in this case it is better to rest and after that continue driving; Also you should not drive if you have been drinking, or have had a drink, It is very dangerous for you and the people around you. In this case you should give your car keys to a designated driver, or take a taxi. When you drive a car always concentrate on the road, and nothing else. Do not use your cellphone while driving; If you must use your cellphone park on the side of the road and use it, or use a hands free device (It is better if you do not use your cellphone while driving). Always follow the rules; Do not drive over the speed limit, and do not drive fast. Have your car in good condition with all lights working properly, the brakes working well, and don't forget to check the car fluids and the tyres pressure periodically.
It is very important for the car driver to drive defensively. This means that the driver should be alert and ready in case other drivers around him do stupid things, like drive drunk, drive too fast, etc. The driver should always consider that all the drivers around him don't drive well, and he or she should always be ready and expect the unexpected.
Remember, always be a good driver, and drive safely.

Safest 2009 Cars On Earth

2009-03-11T09:37:00.005-04:00

This is a list of the safest 2009 cars. All cars on the list earned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s highest crash-test ratings of five stars (though the SUVs earned only four stars for rollover resistance). The highest rating for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is "good" and these cars also earned triple "good" ratings in front-, side- and rear-impact testing. These are the top fifteen:

1. 2009 Mercedes-Benz M Class
2. 2009 Audi Q7
3. 2009 Acura MDX
4. 2009 Volvo XC90
5. 2009 Acura RDX
6. 2009 Subaru Tribeca
7. 2009 Honda Pilot
8. 2009 Ford Taurus X
9. 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
10. 2009 Saturn Vue
11. 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander
12. 2009 Subaru Forester
13. 2009 Acura RL
14. 2009 Acura TSX
15. 2009 Honda Odyssey

Keep this list in mind the next time you shop around for a new car. Remember, safety first.

Courtesy of Forbes.com

Lawyers And Auto Insurance Claims

2009-03-03T15:30:00.007-05:00

When you have an car accident, you should call your insurance carrier immediately and begin filling a claim. After that, a claim adjuster will contact you in order to determine the types of coverage you have, deductibles, and any coverage limits. For easy claims, you may get an estimate for repairs and send it to the adjuster, and he or she will send you a check. For complicated claims, there should be a longer negotiation process. Adjusters may do some investigations in order to assess the insurance company's liability; Then he or she will send you a settlement offer. You can agree or disagree with this offer. If you disagree, you may get a lawyer to advice you; because there are time periods you must have in consideration. You may lose the right to sue in court to get your recovery. Each state has a specific time limit for lawsuits.
As you can see, It is better to have a lawyer to advice you. By doing this you will be well informed about your choices, so that you can choose the best course of action. Also you will feel better knowing that a professional is helping you.

Car Insurance

2009-02-09T09:46:00.003-05:00

Remember that it is important to have a car insurance; It is required by law. This is a very good idea because accidents can happen anyway. When getting an insurance, you should know the minimum insurance level for your car; By doing this you can avoid getting in trouble when you are pulled over. You can find this information at several places, like an insurance agency, insurance company, the local police department, and you local department of motor vehicles. Fortunately, most states require bodily injury liability insurance, which is a good idea because it pays for injury to others. They also require personal injury protection insurance, and property damage liability insurance.
Used car owners can get better deals on their insurances by playing around with comprehensive and collision coverage levels. Keep this in mind when you work with your insurance agent. In general, new car owners will have to pay more for their car insurances than used car owners.
There is a number of good insurance companies that you can contact. Here are a few of them:
State Farm
Geico
Allstate
AAA Insurance.

Don´t forget to always drive safely.

Brakes

2009-02-05T15:59:00.009-05:00

Brakes are very important in a Car. Before a big trip, you should always check your brake fluid. There are several types of brakes in a car:

Disk Brake

Drum Brake

ABS Antilock Brake

All these type of brakes work well. Car manufacturers install a specific type of brake depending on the characteristics of the car; For a faster car you need a better brake.

Image is courtesy of "How Stuff Works"

Image is a Courtesy of www.aa1car.com

Image is couetesy of www.aa1car.com

Airbags

2009-02-05T10:43:00.001-05:00

Airbags.- Airbags became standard approximately since
the year 2000. They became very popular since then. Most of them are installed to protect the passengers in the front sit; But also there are some that are installed on the sides of the car. These later ones are relatively new. Most of cars manufactured before the year 2000 did not come with airbags as a standard safety feature.

Image courtesy of www.jeep.com

Seat belts

2009-02-05T10:38:00.002-05:00

Seat belts.- With the new cars you don’t have a big problem.
Most new cars comes well equipped with seat belts for the front sit, and back sit. Unfortunately most people don’t use the back sit seat belts. All the seat belts are important in a car. If you don’t use them , you can injure yourself flying through the front sits. So remember, always buckle up.
The main problem with seat belts comes with used cars. This is because most of them stop working properly. Always check for good seat belts when you buy used cars.

Image courtesy of http://www.renaultoloog.nl/

Prevention

2009-02-05T10:20:00.000-05:00

The main idea of car safety is prevention; by doing this you keep to an absolute mínimum the chances of an accident; So that everybody is safe.

Car Safety Ideas

2009-02-05T09:22:00.003-05:00

When you think about car safety many ideas comes to your mind. You start thinking about:
Seat belts
Airbags
Brakes
Materials the car is made off.
Crash tests
Speed
Tyres
How old the car is
Type of car
Recommendations from manufacturer
Car maintenance.
Which persons would more likely ride in the car
Drivers
Driving habits
So as you can see there is a lot of stuff that you can do to feel more secure each time you ride your car.