Jun 29, 2025 | Accident prevention, Motorcycle
Many motorcycle riders tend to opt for using Bluetooth units while they’re riding. In fact, many modern helmets come designed with these devices in mind. But what is it about them that makes riders choose them? As it turns out, these devices have many features which help with both convenience and safety…
Bluetooth Units: Why They’re Useful
Phone integration
Practically every smartphone these days comes with Bluetooth options. These allow for them to easily connect and pair with Bluetooth units. This means that you can make use of features on your phone without having to ever pull it out while on the road.
For example, connecting your phone to Bluetooth units will let you get directions from apps like Google Maps or Waze. You’ll also be able to answer any potential phone calls you get while riding. All of this can be done without taking your eyes off the road or your hands off your bike, giving these units a nice added safety element too.
Listen to music
Another nice advantage of Bluetooth units is when using them to listen to music. It can be quite loud when you’re riding on a motorcycle, and standard motorcycle speakers just might not cut it. However, instead of investing in a sound system, you can chose to listen to music through one of these devices.
Streaming services make it easy to just open up a music app, connect your devices, and start listening to music. Also, most of these Bluetooth units have a “priority system”. If you have a GPS app open while playing music, your GPS will always take the priority and cut in to let you know when you’re coming up on the next turn before continuing your music.
Talk to other riders
Motorcycles being loud doesn’t just make it hard to listen to music. It can also be hard to hear or talk to other riders. This can be especially frustrating if you’re riding in a group. However, Bluetooth units can help solve this problem.
Older devices use Bluetooth connections between units to usually allow about 4 riders to remain in touch while within a few hundred feet of each other. However, newer devices use networking, which let’s your Bluetooth connection stay free and increases the amount of riders and distances you can have. While they are a bit more pricey, the added convenience can make them well worth it.
Jun 15, 2025 | Accident prevention, Driver Safety
Many people have been spending more and more time lately outdoors due to the pandemic. With so many people starting to take on new hobbies like biking, water sports and road trips, there has been an increased number of people hauling adventure gear. From bikes, to kayaks, and even boats, bringing these items along takes a little extra work than just throwing something in your car. These tips will help you securely and safely transport all of your outdoor equipment.
Hauling Adventure Gear: Things to Consider
Bikes
When hauling adventure gear like a bike, you will need some extra equipment. Exactly what you will need will depend on your vehicle. One example is a roof rack, which can work with a wide range of outdoor equipment. The downside is that you must be able to lift the bikes over your head, and they will make your car taller, which could be an issue for low-clearance areas. Another option is a hitch rack, which is secured to your trailer hitch. They’re easy to load and unload, but can require you to purchase a receiver if you don’t already have one on your car.
The other type of racks to haul bikes are trunk racks, truck racks, and spare tire racks. Trunk racks allow you to mount a bike to a trunk. As expected, truck racks are perfect for trucks, keeping the hikes neatly stowed as opposed to just being thrown in a truck bed. The spare tire on Jeeps, or similar cars, are the perfect place for a spare tire rack.
Kayaks and Canoes
Hauling adventure gear like a kayak or canoe will require a roof rack due to their size. There are several types of roof rack variations that will work with kayaks and canoes. These include j-cradles, saddle racks and foam blocks. J-cradles are great for hauling more than one kayak or canoe. However, unless you have a short car, they’re hard to unload with just one person. A saddle rack is easy to unload if you are by yourself. The cheapest option is a foam block, but this requires the user to make sure the boat is tied down extra securely.
Boats, ATVs, Campers
If you are hauling adventure gear that is big and heavy like a boat, ATV or camper, there’s some extra steps involved. First, make sure the vehicle you have has the correct towing capacity. Next, make sure the brake lights and turn signals work on the trailer. Otherwise, the lights need to be repaired.
Since towing a trailer or camper will make a vehicle much heavier, it will take much longer to brake. Anyone pulling something heavy like this will have to adjust their driving habits to being a slower, more careful driver. Make sure there is enough auto insurance to cover the trailer. Usually, this can be covered under the auto policy, but it’s a good idea to check with your insurance agent first.
Apr 20, 2025 | Accident prevention, Child Accidents
Beach safety is so important to remember during these hot summer months. A trip to the beach is a great vacation, but it can get dangerous quickly if you aren’t careful. Follow the posted rules regarding when it’s safe to swim and other beach concerns. Always remember to wear your sunscreen and lather up any children as well. Watch your kids at all times and never let them be unsupervised in the water. And finally, know how to identify riptides. You can enjoy your vacation to its fullest by being water-aware and safe while spending time at the beach.
Summertime Beach Safety Tips for Vacation: Protect Your Family
Follow the Rules
Beaches have rules posted, just like pools and other recreational areas. A big part of beach safety is knowing these rules and following them. Beaches often have flags indicating the threat level for riptides. Green indicates a low chance, while double red flags mean the water is not safe for swimming. Only swim in areas safe for swimming and it’s best to make sure a lifeguard is near. Drinking alcohol while swimming is not safe.
Sunscreen
Another important aspect of beach safety is remembering your sunscreen. The sun’s powerful UV rays can cause skin damage and even cancer. It’s best to stay out of the sun altogether when it is the hottest from 10 AM to 4 PM. However, when you do go in the sun make sure that you’re wearing sunscreen. Try to find one that is SPF 30 or above. Make sure and completely cover children as well, and reapply every few hours as needed. It’s also good to bring along umbrellas, hats, and sunglasses.
Watch Young Children
The most important thing for parents to remember about beach safety is to watch young children at all times. Drowning can happen in a minute, and often doesn’t have the splashing and noise that TV makes us believe. Children can go under the water and be nearly invisible and silent. If you are with a large party, designated a “lifeguard” to keep an eye on children at all times, and put phones away. Pass off lifeguard duty so everybody gets a break. It’s also a good idea to have a verbal command like “your children now” that is answered by “my children now” so that everybody is on the same page. Keep a hand on young ones in the water at all times.
Riptides
Finally, another part of beach safety that shouldn’t be ignored is the dangers of riptides. It’s really best to do some research on how to spot riptides so that you’re aware of what they look like. A general rule of thumb is that rip currents look like areas of water where the waves aren’t breaking. There might be foam or debris floating back into the ocean as well. The current is under the water’s surface and can pull you out to sea. But it won’t pull you under the water. If you get caught in one, remain calm, call for help, and attempt to swim parallel to the beach until you can follow waves that are crashing on land.
Beach safety is absolutely imperative if you’re vacationing with children in tow. Even if you are by yourself, it’s important to know the dangers of the ocean. Make sure that you follow all posted signs on the beach and stay where others can see you. Always have a buddy when swimming in the ocean. Wear sunscreen to protect your skin and reapply throughout the day. Always keep a close hand and eye on young children. And finally, be aware of what rip currents look like, and know the steps to take if you get caught in one. Hopefully, your trip to the beach will be fun and safe!
Mar 30, 2025 | Accident prevention, Motorcycle
Most riders try to avoid rush hour. The amount of cars on the road makes for an unsafe ride, but also for a unenjoyable one. Because of the heavy amount of traffic on the roads at this time, motorcycle riders have an extra responsibility to themselves to be extra cautious of others on the road. Sure, everyone should be paying attention to their surroundings, but as we know, that sometimes doesn’t happen. We have a collection of helpful tips for rush hour riding.
Rush Hour Riding: Tips for A Safe Trip
Be Ready to Brake
Braking quickly is an easy way to get into an accident, small or large. If you are ready to brake at any moment, you will be much more ready for whatever happens. It’s not uncommon for traffic to come to a screeching halt. Rush hour riding means preparing for anything to happen.
Watch for People Turning
When people coming the opposite direction on a two lane highway want to turn left (directly in front of you), they will probably do so last minute. This could mean they cut you off. Like previously mentioned, being prepared and alert is the only way to stay safe in these situations. Rush hour riding requires much more thought and preparation, since the road is wide open for you!
Keep an Eye Out
Watch out for others on the road. If you see someone driving dangerously, try to avoid being near that car if you can. Many times drivers assume rush hour is a lawless time where rules don’t apply. You can also spot drivers who have distractions most of the time! If you see the driver next to you is on their cellphone, try to safely pass. Rush hour riding can be dangerous if you are not aware of your surroundings.
To conclude, the main thing you can do for yourself when you are rush hour riding is just watch out for others on the road. While, yes, they should be watching out for you, too, often times they are not. Keep your brakes ready and your eyes open.
Jan 5, 2025 | Accident prevention, Personal Injury
Figure skating is a beautiful, graceful, and challenging practice. However, when you’re getting started, the practice can be difficult, and even dangerous. If you consider all of the pieces involved in figure skating, such as skates, blades, hard ice, and cold muscles— it is easy to see how you might incur some figure skating injuries along the way…
Figure Skating Injuries: Ice Issues
When you begin a serious, competitive practice…
For anyone who begins figure skating, you know it can be pretty addicting. Many people hit the ice for the first time and never want to leave. For this reason, overuse injuries are quite common— and come in many different forms. From stress fractures, muscle pain, shin splints, lower back pain, and even simple blisters and irritation. While these are only a few common overuse injuries, there are plenty more that even the most seasoned figure skater can fall victim to.
You’ll likely be spending between 2-4 hours on the ice, plus 1-3 hours off the ice, to increase strength, flexibility, aerobics, choreography, and so forth. In short, you’re putting your body under a lot of stress in a new environment.
Your skates
When you start figure skating, you’ll likely get a new pair of skates. As anyone knows, breaking in new shoes can cause blisters, discomfort, and other issues. This problem is not just limited to your every day shoes. In fact, the discomfort you feel when breaking in new skates is practically tenfold. Furthermore, a poor fit can actually be dangerous.
New skates look nice, bright, and shiny. However, breaking them in can cause friction, rubbing, and pressure that makes skating successfully… difficult. Furthermore, an ill fit can affect alignment, your ability to jump and land properly, and to skate comfortably.
Smaller injuries
These types of figure skating injuries are common to all skaters. However, there are plenty of smaller injuries that are going to be more common to beginners. Take, for example, slips and falls on the ice. Ideally, you will be wearing some sort of padding in a training setting. However, even if you are, a nasty fall can be pretty painful. Furthermore, your body is cold, your muscles are likely tight, and taking a tumble could lead to concussion, sprains, soreness, bruises, or even catching another skate to the fingers.
Figure skating is a beautiful, yet dangerous sport…
However, there are plenty of ways to avoid injury. Figure skating can be a ton of fun, especially when you begin to see your hard work pay off. Therefore, follow these tips, find ways to decrease injury, and skate safe. Having a good instructor can make all the difference…
Dec 15, 2024 | Accident prevention, Car Accidents
Driving can already be stressful enough dealing with other drivers. However, you’ll also have to keep an eye out for wild animals too. Animal accidents can be quite scary, as well as costly. That’s why it’s important to know how you can avoid them in the first place…
Animal Accidents: How To Avoid Them
Learn the area
The first step in avoiding animal accidents is to learn what animals are in the area. This is especially important for when you travel. For example, maybe you like to do some fall travelling. However, fall can be a time where there’s more deer around, potentially resulting in more of them on the roads. Knowing this can help you stay alert when you do your driving.
As for your own nearby areas, try to learn the times and areas where animals appear to be the most active. Usually, many are active from dawn and dusk, but many animals are becoming more active at night too.
Not to mention, roads with woods on both sides tend to be popular crossings for animals. In turn, these areas are at a higher risk for animal accidents. Keep these in mind so you can spot some areas which might be popular with animals next time you drive.
Avoid distractions
Distracted driving already increases the risk of you getting into an accident with other drivers. So, it makes sense that it also increases the chances of you getting into animal accidents too. If your focus isn’t on the road, then you’ll be setting yourself for danger.
Many times, animals can quickly run out onto the road unannounced. That gives you just a few seconds to react. However, if you’re distracted, then you’ll end up with very little to no time to react. Therefore, increasing your chance of animal accidents. That’s why it’s best to avoid any distractions as best you can.
Watch your speed
Often times, the speed limit will be lower than usual in areas with heavy animal activity. It can be easy to brush these restrictions off and pay them no mind. However, that’s just setting yourself up for a potential animal accidents.
These restricted speed limits are put in place for good reason. Going slower will give you more time to react to any animals on the road. It’s better to temporarily go slower rather than get into an potentially-avoidable accident.
