Have you talked to your teenage driver about auto safety?

Did you know that car accidents are the leading cause of death in teens and young adults ages 15 to 20? If you have a teenager or young adult in your household, what are you doing to keep them safe? With the accident-prone holiday season and a brand new year looming ahead of us, this is a great time to have a talk with the young people in your life about safe driving. The life you save may be theirs! The Prince William Public Schools, Virginia Department of Education, Virginia Department of Transportation, and Virginia Association of Driver Education and Traffic Safety have all partnered to form the Safe Teen Driving: A Teen-Safe Community Health Initiative. The mission of this initiative is to reduce the number of teen auto accidents, injuries, and deaths – who wouldn’t want that? I recommend that you check out their website, as it is geared towards parents. You’ll find advice on coaching teen drivers to drive better, information about automobile insurance for your teen, and reminders about Virginia’s driving laws. Click here to read Frequently Asked Questions about Teen Driver Safety, and click here for Safe Driving Tips for Parents. I urge you to take time out of your busy holiday schedule to spend some time connecting with your teen about the importance of safe driving. You could even make it your New Year’s Resolution to have a serious discussion with your teenage driver about auto safety – it’ll be a lot easier to meet this goal than, say, losing 20 pounds or cutting down on sweets… and much more rewarding!

Is your car watching you?

How much do you know about the “little black box” – or EDR (event data recorder) in your vehicle? Chances are if you’re driving a newer car, you have one installed and you don’t even know it. Check our latest library item entitled, “The Secrets in Your Car’s Little Black Box” for more information about these devices. If you’ve never heard about EDRs then you might be upset to learn that your movements are being tracked. It may sound very “Big Brother” – and it is, to an extent. However these devices are supposed to only collect information in the event of a crash. How do you know if your car is equipped with one of these friendly little boxes? According to a recent article in the Philadelphia Enquirer, General Motors, Ford, Isuzu, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Suzuki install EDRs in all of their vehicles. Surprised? You can also see a more detailed list of vehicles with EDRs posted by the Harris Technical Services website. So what do you think – are EDRs our friend, or our foe? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Mandatory arbitration – good for business, bad for you

Have you signed a mandatory arbitration clause when buying goods or services? Do you even know what one is? Mandatory arbitration is when you agree to waive your legal right to sue the business or person providing you with the goods or services you are purchasing. If you have a disagreement after signing the agreement, you are forced to allow a third party to determine (arbitrate) the outcome of the disagreement. But wait, it gets better – for business owners. Some mandatory arbitration clauses force you to use a pre-selected arbitration company – often selected by the business with which you’re signing the agreement. If this sounds like a conflict of interest to you, that’s because it is. For example, tt is common for car dealerships to include mandatory arbitration clauses in new or used car purchase agreements, and even nursing homes include these clauses in their contracts. What is being done about this apparent conflict of interest? Congress is starting to take note, and legislation is being proposed to outlaw or limit mandatory arbitration clauses in consumer and employment contracts. It won’t be an easy fight, but it’s one whose time has come. Tell us what you think – how do you feel about mandatory arbitration clauses?

New Virginia DUI Law Takes Effect January 1, 2008

There’s a new law that is going to take effect in Virginia on New Year’s Day 2008. It’s aimed at making it more difficult for individuals convicted of DUI to get a license from the Virginia DMV. People who have been convicted of one of the following offenses will be required to show proof that they have double the minimum automobile liability insurance coverage limits:

• Driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs
• Maiming while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs
• Driving while suspended/revoked for one of the above DUI-related offenses

If you’re wondering what double the insurance liability coverage limits comes out to, here it is:

• $50,000 for injury or death to one person
• $100,000 for injury or death to two or more people
• $40,000 for property damage

If the affected driver does not furnish the appropriate form to the DMV proving that this level of coverage was purchased, the DMV will suspend the person’s privileges. This includes the privilege to drive, register a motor vehicle in the state of Virginia, and obtain vehicle decals in the state of Virginia. Do you think this law goes far enough… or too far? Leave a comment and let us know. Also, please check out our article discussing what is being done to reduce accidents from impaired drivers.