What About the Other Guy? Top Five Defensive Driving Tips

Driving is the most dangerous activity we engage in daily.  You know this, so you wear your seatbelt, don’t speed, and never drive drunk or text while driving.  You check for side effects of your medications and get enough sleep before driving so that you won’t be impaired by drowsiness.  What about the other guy? How can you manage the risks from other road users?  Here are five tips to help you stay safe.

1.  Pay close attention to your surroundings to spot driving behaviors that can signal trouble.  A driver who suddenly slows down, appears to be wandering, or is weaving may be impaired by any one of the above factors.

2.  Drop back, get out of the way, and call the police after pulling over if you suspect a serious problem.

3.  Watch also for speeding, tailgating, rolling past stop signs, hard breaking, cutting off other vehicles, and failure to yield the right of way.

4.  If someone cuts you off, resist the urge to “teach him a lesson.”  Just let it go.  Avoid honking, making eye contact, or gesturing in such a way that the situation might become escalated.  Never let an aggressive driver add to your own risk.

5.  Use turn signals to communicate your intentions to other drivers, make gradual lane changes, and keep a safe distance between vehicles.  Keep yourself fully engaged in the task of driving – you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Tips based on an article by Wayne Northey, President, AAA of West Virginia

Deadly Infection Lurks in Nail Salons

Many women treat themselves with a pedicure as a reward for a hard week of work, but according to AOL News, Nancy Swanson got a lot more than she bargained for at her local nail salon.  Nancy began to experience flu-like symptoms and then noticed that her skin had started to take on a yellow appearance.  She became so ill that she felt close to death and sought a doctor’s opinion.  Her medical providers found that she had contracted Hepatitis B, an incurable liver disease.

Since thousands of Vietnamese are employed in U.S. nail salons, Dr. Robert Gish of UC San Diego has written a health policy for the Vietnamese government outlining the risks associated with Hepatitis B.  People can be carriers of Hepatitis B without presenting any symptoms and are capable of infecting others.

To protect yourself from infection, look for a prominently displayed business license, make sure all clippers and scissors are disinfected properly and only disposable nail files are used.  For extra protection, take your own polish to the salon.  Also, keep in mind that the whirlpool jets and drains of the foot tub are places where the deadly bacteria can lurk.

For more information about personal injury claims, visit us at http://www.robinettelaw.com or call 304-594-1800.