RV Safety

Vehicle and Trailer Accident Prevention Begins With Individual Awareness

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 13:25:47 -0400

Whether you drive a truck, SUV, RV or haul a trailer, it�s vital to always bring along one item � �safety awareness�! The safe operation of any vehicle is determined by the attentiveness, alertness and ability of an individual to focus on the task at hand. Increasing your own driver awareness can go a long way to help prevent the costly accidents, fatalities and material losses that affect us all.

For RV products that promote safety in your recreational vehicle, visit this page: MobileAwareness.com

Drowsy or Distracted, Both Are Deadly

Impaired mental faculty due to limited sleep, mixed with high demands on alertness and attentiveness, makes for a dangerous combination, one that has been attributed to some $12 billion in yearly costs and thousands of deaths (U.S. Department of Transportation). Driver distraction, or more precisely, driver lapses in attention caused by cell phones, MP3 players, GPS devices and other in-vehicle entertainment, has been named one of the leading safety hazards in the transportation industry. There is no shortage of overwhelming data supporting the need for more safety solutions to mitigate the horrific accidents and fatalities occurring as the result of drowsy or distracted driving. While new technologies are bringing better safety products to market, life saving changes can be made by increasing your individual knowledge about the causes of preventable accidents. Education is a powerful tool, understanding the dangers of unfocused driving may help you think twice. Before you end up on the wrong side of a senseless driving disaster, consider there were 43,443 deaths from motor vehicle accidents in 2005! My guess is numerous were preventable�

The Problem is Everyone�s

Over the last 50 years much has been discussed about the perils of sleep-deprived truck drivers, tired individual drivers and drivers not paying attention. Further complicated by the ever-increasing number of heavy duty trucks on the road, additional concerns arise as a result of the dramatic shortage of qualified drivers, moving an ever growing supply of consumer and consumable products. Moreover, the problem is not limited to truck drivers as is clearly detailed in a report from the NHTSA (National Survey of Distracted and Drowsy Driving Attitudes and Behavior, April, 2003). The survey findings show that most drivers at least occasionally engage in behaviors that draw some percentage of their attention away from their driving task. These behaviors include talking with other passengers (81%), changing radio stations or CDs (66%), and eating or drinking while driving (49%). making outgoing & taking incoming cell phone calls (25%) and dealing with children riding in the rear seat (24%). While it is estimated that more than a billion driving trips are made weekly by drivers engaging in each of these behaviors, fewer than one in four drivers perceive these particular activities as distracting or as making driving much more dangerous! Don�t take the risk of ignorance; always give your full attention to driving whenever you navigate a motor vehicle.

Dangerous Vehicles, Large & Small

It is a well-known and documented fact (Commercial Motor Vehicle Facts, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, April 2005) that commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver alertness/drowsiness is a major safety hazard in modern day society. There are approximately 7.9 million large trucks on our roads today, some driven by drivers working excessive hours, complicated by a shortage of qualified truck drivers. Large trucks alone make up over 400,000 accidents a year with an average cost of over $62,000.00 per incident. In 2002 alone, the Total Cost of Fatigue-Related Crashes (in 1999 Dollars) exceeded $2.3 billion! Furthermore, there is a lesser known and reported danger resulting from the ever-increasing number of overtired and highly distracted individuals driving noncommercial vehicles. With some 220 million small trucks, SUV's and cars on the road, the need for safety awareness becomes even greater with the growing popularity of horse trailers, carriages, trailer rigs and equipment trailers. While these automobiles (with or without a trailer) are smaller in size and weight, they are no less dangerous in the hands of a sleep deprived or inattentive driver.

Education Enhances Safety Awareness

There are many sources of vehicle safety and accident prevention information available from the US government, such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). If you are limited in time, I recommend reviewing the Essential Data articles listed on our web site as a convenient reference. The information is updated frequently and covers many critically important driver safety topics. By taking the time to learn about the hazards and risks associated with driving, it becomes apparent how increased attentiveness can lead to accident avoidance.

Clearly a driver�s ability to safely control a vehicle and be �aware� will continue to be tested as a result of the ever increasing distractions in our highly mobilized society. The fact remains that the safe operation of any motor vehicle is the responsibility of the driver. Doing your part to increase your alertness while driving, will not only make you a safer driver, it will benefit all that share our roads.

Tire Safety: Benefits of Temperature & Pressure Monitoring

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 10:15:20 -0400

Tires play a critical role in the handling, maneuvering and braking of any recreational vehicle. No matter what the type�RV, SUV, utility vehicle or commercial truck, tires are the only thing that contacts the road. Obviously, there is much more than just the recreational vehicle resting on those tires�its overall safe operation is as well. By following some basic tire safety practices, you will not only drive with a greater degree of security, you will extend the usable life of your RV tire investment considerably.By Gary S. Rothstein - Mobile Awareness

RV Tire Manufacturers Agree:

It is commonly agreed that a primary cause of early tire breakdown and poor tread life is under-inflation. Low tire pressure not only causes excessive heat build-up in the tire, creating dangerous RV driving conditions, but also shortens RV tire life. Unwanted heat will rapidly increase tread-wear and can even tear down retreads and destroy tire casings. As much as 90% of all tire breakdowns is the direct result of tire under-inflation.

The Low Pressure Problem:

Under-inflation of RV tires is a serious safety concern because it forces excessive flexing on the sidewalls. This additional strain on the tire can build up more internal heat, resulting in the aforementioned hazards and premature tire failure. Research completed by the U.S. National Traffic and Safety Administration shows that one in three cars or light trucks are being driven with at least one significantly under-inflated tire. These improperly inflated tires wear out more quickly because they put more drag on the road (rolling resistance). This also leads to a reduction in fuel economy, something most individuals, RVers and fleet owners definitely want to avoid.

Pressure Influences Tread Wear

Maintaining proper tire pressure levels improves tread mileage as indicated below:

A continuous 10% over-inflation reduces tread wear by 5%

RV Tire Life will be reduced by 30% if constantly under-inflated by 20%

For every 10 PSI (pounds per square inch) under-inflated, fuel consumption is increased 0.5%

A continuous 20% under-inflation decreases tread wear by 25%By example, consider at an average price of a $250, a 20% under-inflated commercial truck or RV tire costs about $50 each in lost usage. Add in the costs of downtime, repairs and service fees; the picture becomes even clearer.

Fuel Efficiency Impact:

RV Tire inflation also has a direct impact on RV fuel efficiency, since under-inflated tires can consume a greater percentage of each gallon of fuel, just because of rolling resistance. The US Department of Energy advises that tires can account for as much as a 3.3% difference in fuel efficiency. The Department of Transportation's (D.O.T.) studies have shown that the United States could save over 4.2 million gallons of fuel per day� just by keeping tires properly inflated!

Managing Fleet Maintenance Costs:

Tires can account for as much as 36% of a vehicle's maintenance cost. Yet this essential maintenance procedure, of regularly checking tire pressure, is one of the most difficult to enforce. Even the best preventive maintenance programs will discover truck drivers and even maintenance personnel will often short cut this time consuming procedure. In certain cases some tires are skipped, assuming if a few are good, the rest are as well. In other cases, this extremely important procedure is ignored entirely. With tires usually being the highest maintenance expense, can any fleet afford to ignore the direct cost consequence of poorly maintained tires?

Make Checking a Habit:

To guarantee the greatest tire life, keep RV tires properly inflated at all times. For smaller vehicles driven locally, check the tires at a minimum of once a month. If you travel longer distance for work or play, check the tires more often. If you�re a truck driver accustomed to "thumping tires," consider that this practice is unreliable and unsafe. An under-inflated tire is extremely difficult to detect by visual inspection or by thumping. Utilizing either of these methods is an accident waiting to happen.

Don't guess, don't thump, measure with a quality tire gauge or a real-time tire monitoring system.

Dealing with Duals:

Recreational Vehicles with dual tires have a hidden tire (inner tire position) behind the outside tire. They are more difficult to reach and easier to neglect. Checking the air pressure of the inside tires is an utter necessity. Even if an inside tire is completely flat, it will be supported by the outside tire, making it appear properly inflated. In the case of a flat inside rear tire, which appears properly inflated, the outer tire is doing all the work. The result is a tire at major risk to overheat, rupture or if a retread, the possibility of the tread releasing from the casing�something that leads to major highway accidents.

Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS).

In the case of multi-tire motor vehicles such as commercial trucks, RVs, fire trucks and EMS vehicles, there are many tires to monitor. This in itself makes for time-consuming work, plus these tires need to be checked much more often. By the nature of these types of vehicles, they are often in consistent use, over longer traveling distance, in demanding environments and isolated travel areas. To help with the task of supervising tires, there are products called Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS). . Utilizing a wireless sensor (which is either screwed directly onto the valve-stem or mounted internally in the tire) each individual tire on the vehicle can be monitored in real time. The actual pressure levels and temperature are then displayed on a small unit in the cab.

If you are considering investing in a Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS). at a minimum look for these feature and capabilities:

Alerts when tire pressure is too low

Alerts when tire pressure is too high

Alerts when the tire temperature is too high (heat is what destroys tires!)

Alerts driver with both visual and auditory warnings

Capable of monitoring both the vehicle and a trailer

Other things to consider when evaluating TPMS solutions:

Are the wireless tire-sensors internally or externally mounted? - External mount tire sensors are easier to install, easily removable in case of a tire change and can be moved to a spare if need be. The more tires you have, the greater the savings; it is costly to dismount/remount internal type sensors, as apposed to external.

Does it monitor the tires continuously, even when parked? - Tire pressure is most accurate when the tire is cold, before the vehicle is moving. Knowing the pressure level before setting out on a long trip can prevent uncertainty later on down the road.

Are the pressure (high and low) and the tire temperature alert levels adjustable by the user? - Setting the trigger levels can be advantageous for applications with varying loads, such as a truck/trailer combination. Some vehicles experience tire cupping after a load change that can also cause uneven and excessive wear.

Does it monitor tire temperature? � For safety reasons, it is very important to know tire temperature. A tire can be as much as 30% under-inflated and still appear to be normal (rolling resistance increases the heat, which in turn expands the tire). This is the same reason we measure pressure when the tires are cold.

General RV Tire Safety Recommendations:

Follow inflation guidelines indicated on tire sidewall, while making sure they are rated to support more than the gross weight of the vehicle

Commercial trucks, trailers and RV's require an accurate reading (of the fully loaded weight) for proper tire inflation to carry those loads. These types of vehicles are usually weighed to obtain an accurate reading.

Check the pressure on all tires including those on the tow vehicle, trailers, 5th wheels, etc.

Check pressure when the tires are cold, prior to driving the vehicle

Replace tires every three to 5 years (regardless of mileage)

Visibly inspect tires for blemishes, uneven wear and tire pressure at least every 30 days.

By monitoring your recreational vehicles tires, you will increase their life, reduce fuel consumption and provide unprecedented value in improved handling and ultimate safety.

About the Author:

Gary S. Rothstein is the President of Mobile Awareness, a company which designs and markets recreational vehicle safety products. Mobile Awareness, 34305 Solon Road, Solon, Ohio 44139, 866-653-5036, gsr@MobileAwareness.com Copyright 2007

More vehicle safety articles and products are available at www.mobileawareness.com

RV Safety - Cell Phones & Driving Don't Mix

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:48:00 -0400

Cell Phones and Driving Don`t MixMultitasking: You can`t Pay Full Attention to Both Sights and SoundsThe reason talking on a cell phone makes RV (recreational vehicle) drivers less safe may be that the brain can`t simultaneously give full attention to both the visual task of driving and the auditory task of listening, a study by a Johns Hopkins University psychologist suggests.

For RV products that promote safety in your recreational vehicle, visit this page: MobileAwareness.com

The study, published in a recent issue of "The Journal of Neuroscience," reinforces earlier behavioral research on the danger of mixing mobile phones and motoring.

"Our research helps explain why talking on a cell phone can impair driving performance, even when the driver is using a hands-free device," said Steven Yantis, a professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in the university`s Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.

"The reason?" he said. "Directing attention to listening effectively `turns down the volume` on input to the visual parts of the brain. The evidence we have right now strongly suggests that attention is strictly limited -- a zero-sum game. When attention is deployed to one modality -- say, in this case, talking on a cell phone -- it necessarily extracts a cost on another modality -- in this case, the visual task of driving."

Yantis`s chief collaborator on this research project was Sarah Shomstein, who was a doctoral candidate at Johns Hopkins. Shomstein is now a post-doctoral fellow at Carnegie-Mellon University.

Though the results of Yantis` research can be applied to the real world problem of drivers and their cell phones, that was not directly what the professor and his team studied. Instead, healthy young adults ages 19 to 35 were brought into a neuroimaging lab and asked to view a computer display while listening to voices over headphones. They watched a rapidly changing display of multiple letters and digits, while listening to three voices speaking letters and digits at the same time. The purpose was to simulate the cluttered visual and auditory input people deal with every day.

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Yantis and his team recorded brain activity during each of these tasks. They found that when the subjects directed their attention to visual tasks, the auditory parts of their brain recorded decreased activity, and vice versa.

Yantis` team also examined the parts of the brain that control shifts of attention. They discovered that when a person was instructed to move his attention from vision to hearing, for instance, the brain`s parietal cortex and the prefrontal cortex produced a burst of activity that the researchers interpreted as a signal to initiate the shift of attention. This surprised them, because it has previously been thought that those parts of the brain were involved only in visual functions.

"Ultimately, we want to understand the connection between voluntary acts of the will (for instance, a choice to shift attention from vision to hearing), changes in brain activity (reflecting both the initiation of cognitive control and the effects of that control), and resultant changes in the performance of a task, such as driving," Yantis said. "By advancing our understanding of the connection between mind, brain and behavior, this research may help in the design of complex devices � such as airliner cockpits � and may help in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders such as ADHD or schizophrenia."

This type of work also informs debates about the safety of mobile phone use while driving. It suggests that when attention is focused on listening, vision is affected even at very early stages of visual perception. A paper describing the research appeared in the Nov. 24, 2004, issue of the Journal of Neuroscience (10702-10706).

Steven Yantis: http://www.psy.jhu.edu/fs/faculty/yantis.htm The National Institute on Drug Abuse funded this research

Search more for this topic under: recreational vehicle safety, cell phones and recreational vehicles, recreational vehicle cell phone safety. Many more safety and mobile awareness products are available to help make your RV experience stress-free. Visit MobileAwareness.com

For RV products that promote safety in your recreational vehicle, visit this page: MobileAwareness.com