Travel | Fast Lane

Handling The Emergency

No one starts out on a trip expecting there to be an emergency. Fortunately, there are not a huge amount of emergencies and most people will not experience a serious emergency in the entire time they drive a car or travel in any way. However, if an emergency should occur, it is most important to be prepared. Having a knowledge of what to do in an emergency may never be used, but if an emergency occurs, it will be the most important thing you ever learned.

There are minor emergencies, flat tires, running out of gas, someone getting sick and needing to pull over. These emergencies will be more likely to occur than the more serious ones. Knowing how to change a tire or pump your own gas becomes essential in these types of emergencies, and you will be so happy you took the time to learn either skill. Make sure your spare tire is okay before going on a long trip, thereby avoiding the added expense of having to be towed somewhere to get the tire fixed. Making sure your gas gauge is working properly can avoid the problem of running out of gas.

Having an emergency kit in your car is a valuable friend in an emergency. It may sit in the back of your car or in your trunk for years, but when it is needed, it will be the best investment you ever made. Maybe you need a flare to warn other cars of a breakdown, or a patch for a quick fix.

Even though you may never, ever need it, you should be prepared for a serious emergency, a car run off the road, someone getting into your car and taking over or your car being abandoned on a side road. Being prepared for anything will make your emergency less frightening and hopefully you will get through it with the least amount of damage.

Filed Under: Cars, General, Modes of Transportation, Safety, Travel Tagged With: Automobile, Emergency, Parts and Accessories, Spare tire, Tire

Go Green On Vacation

The family is ready. The time off from your job has been taken. All the new clothes are bought. The suitcases are packed. This is the trip you have been waiting for, that relaxing time with your family that we all wait for, even if it only comes once a year. We plan forever. Where will we go? What do we want to see? How do we want to spend that precious “week of freedom” from all the things we have to do all year? You ask the kids where they want to vacation. You and your spouse consider all the possibilities. You check your budget to make sure you can afford the type of vacation you would like to take.

In all of your planning, have you taken the time to consider the type of travel that is best for the environment as well? You save plastic bags, put out the glass and plastic for recycling, bundle the papers and save the can tabs. You try to carpool when you can, and you purchase products with the recycle symbol on them to insure that you are doing your part to ensure the future of our planet. Good for you.

You can carry that same diligence to your vacation. Plan a trip that involves a destination that is just as concerned as you are about going green. There are plenty of them out there. Make sure your type of transportation is the most environmentally safe. If you are taking your car, make sure that it is working properly and has the right fluids in it that will make the car the safest for the environment. A vacation taking your hybrid car is just as fun as one burning the planet’s fuel at an alarming rate.

If everyone vacationed this way, just think of the positive effect this would have on the planet for our children and generations to come.

Filed Under: General, Safety, Travel Tagged With: Business, Environment, Travel

The Best SUV for Your Family

SUVs were quite the rage back when gasoline costs were under $2. Truthfully, they’re still pretty popular with young families, but the question remains: what are the most suitable ones for any given family? There’s almost no comparison with any brand. Each SUV has its own perks and quirks, so make your decision on a well-informed basis, and consult a dealer. Here are three of some of the most popular SUVs for families, though, for your review.

The Nissan Rogue

Aimed more for younger families, this sleek vehicle has a driver-oriented cockpit which allows for better visibility, hence better safety. All the safety features you’d expect from any other vehicle are also available through the Rogue. Another benefit is its variety of packages to go with it.

The Toyota RAV4

Designed for larger families, it’s the only SUV with optional third row seating, an amazing feat for SUVs as it is. Complete with 4-wheel drive for optimal strength and ability, it also sports a sleek sports car style that would suit the automobile buff in the best way.

The Honda CR-V

Touted for the all-American traveling family, this vehicle sports probably one of the most impressive gas mileages of any car and also has a rear lift gate along with a side-hinged rear door for optimal storage ability. Its trademarked rear-mounted spare tire is a staple of traveling, especially when hitting that flat tire!

Each vehicle is unique in its own right and caters to a unique type of family. Knowing yourself and how your family operates is essential to getting the right SUV. It’s also important to get insurance quotes from such places as Allstate, State Farm, or Farmer’s when dealing with a full family vehicle. The SUV, a staple of American tradition. Do the research necessary to find out what SUV is best for you and enjoy the ride!

Filed Under: Safety, Travel Tagged With: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Sport utility vehicle, Toyota RAV4, United States

Cross Country On A Budget

Taking a long trip, especially one across this great country of ours takes a lot of planning. While the anticipation of a great sight seeing adventure builds, the preparation for such a trip is an immense responsibility.

First there is the transportation. Is it more economical to fly, take a bus, take a train, or pile into the car? While all types of land travel will give you the opportunity to see the country while you are traveling, which one is the most economical? There is the added expense of food and lodging, which leaves you much less of a choice with the bus or the train, wherever they stop is where you have to stay and eat.

If you choose to travel by car, you can plan your route, keeping in mind that you want to take the most economical route. You can get on line and find out how much food and hotels cost in all areas along your trip route. Taking some snacks and drinks along, maybe even packing sandwiches or cold food can save you quite a bit along the way. You may not need to stop three times a day just to eat. You may not need a four star hotel to stay in for the evening. If you want to just get some sleep and get an early start, there are many economical choices. It is probably a good idea to find out, before you go, how much gas you are going to need as well as the gas prices for each state through which you will be traveling. Of course, keeping a supply of things you will need for the car, washer fluid, oil, and various other fluids, will prevent you from having to stop and pay for them along the way.

A little preparation will help you enjoy your trip more, and maybe have a little extra spending money when you get there.

Filed Under: General, Modes of Transportation, Planes, Safety, Travel Tagged With: Tourism, Travel

Train Travel On A Budget

: Image via Wikipedia

You have decided to leave the car home this time. This trip will be by train. Maybe it was a price issue, maybe it was an accommodation issue, maybe you just want to see the country by railway. Whatever the reason you have chosen to travel by train, there are ways to make this form of travel fit into your budget. You take your luggage on with you, thereby avoiding extra baggage charges, as airlines are now charging per bag, and the fees can add up. You certainly don’t have the expense of the gas, and with the current gas prices it can actually be more cost effective to travel by means other than an automobile. If it is a long trip, you can choose to have a bunk on the train, or you can just sleep in your seat. The choice is yours. Sleeping on the train saves the expense of stopping when you are tired and having to get a hotel room for the night, possibly in a town where you have no idea where to get the best deal.

If you are traveling with children, you can always pack a bag of snacks. There is a dining car on long train trips, and you will want to go there for dinner, but during the day if the kids just need something to hold them over, you can have a variety of snacks ready, saving you the expense of the dining car.

Each trip and each family needs to decide what is the best way for them. It is just a really good idea to check out each form of travel and what would be best for you and your family for this particular trip. Sometimes it makes sense to take the car, sometimes it may be necessary to fly, but sometimes the good old American railways can take you where you need to go.

Filed Under: Advancements, General, Safety, Travel Tagged With: Dining car, Train, Travel

Being Prepared for Anything

: Image via Wikipedia

When traveling, whether you are going down the street or thousands of miles away, you should be prepared. Emergencies, while infrequent, do happen and can happen at any time to anyone. Being prepared for all types of emergencies will ease your mind as you make plans for your trip.

You can have an emergency kit, “first aid for your car” if you will. Some car emergencies can easily be fixed by a handyman with the right equipment. Someone on the trip should know how to change a tire. If you don’t aware about that process need not worry, because we can easily learn from some short term health care online classes. Someone on the trip should also know how to check the oil and other fluids in the car, as well as knowing how to replenish them if needed. Your first aid kit should also contain a flashlight, flares, water, as well as a white flag if you need to leave your car abandoned.

It probably is not a bad idea to have available a personal first aid kit as well. Even a fender bender or a slip off the road can cause someone to have a minor cut or scrape that needs attending. You can stay focused on your trip if you don’t have to stop just to bandage a cut.

Make sure you have emergency numbers at your fingertips. We can all use 9-1-1 if needed, but if you know your destination, you can have the phone numbers for local help available if needed. Also, if your destination is with family members, keep them abreast of where you are on your trip. Let them know when they should be expecting you, and notify them if you should get held up, or are not be able to get there exactly as planned. They can keep an eye out for you as well, thus being keenly aware if you do not show as expected.

Now you can enjoy your trip as much as everyone else, knowing that you have prepared well.

Filed Under: Advancements, General, Safety, Travel Tagged With: Emergency, First aid, Injury

The Hybrid And The Environment

Since the first hybrid car, a car running on both gas and electricity, hit the US market on May 27, 2006, we have had a fascination and a curiosity as to whether this car is actually better for the environment. Being that the hybrid is so new to the market, and there are only a few automobile manufacturers who have made hybrid cars, it is an expensive investment. Is the investment worth it? Will the hybrid car really help the environment, is it truly a “green” car?

There are a few factors as to why the hybrid car is good for the environment. A long known problem with a solely gasoline-powered car is obviously the air pollution of the emissions. Cars are not going away, our highways are packed with gas guzzling, pollution emitting automobiles. Cars that run on gas emit large amounts of chemical fumes, polluting the air. The hybrid car has fewer and cleaner emissions, as part of the time the car runs on electricity. Reduction in smoke and chemical fumes on a large scale has been said to improve the plight of global warming.

As far as noise pollution is concerned, the hybrid is a much quieter ride, being virtually silent running when switched over to running on electricity. The hybrid car engines do not produce excessive noise when turned over or accelerated. The hybrid car also outperforms the gasoline-powered cars by 20 to 30 percent, making it much more fuel efficient.

While these steps are small on one car, they are huge on a large scale. If everyone considered the planet that we are leaving to our children and grandchildren being completely overrun by pollution, maybe we would think to do something about it now, while we still have a chance to contribute to a cleaner, safer world. Is the hybrid the right choice for you?

Filed Under: Advancements, General, Travel Tagged With: Environment

Who Makes Our Cars Safe?

When purchasing a new or used car, you take many things into consideration. What exactly are you looking for? Purchasing a car, whether new or used, is a huge investment. You want to make sure that your purchase is exactly what you want and has all the necessary things you need in a car. What kind of car do you want? Is it an SUV, a sedan, a luxury model, or are you open to all models? Maybe the car company itself is the most important factor, you will only buy American made or one company has always had your family’s business. Whatever choice you make, you count on the car company to make sure the automobile you will be driving for years to come is safe. How do we know it is safe?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issues the minimum federal motor vehicle safety standards and regulations that the car manufacturers must comply with. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an independent group that conducts crash tests and issues safety ratings approved by insurance companies. Crash tests are performed for front impact, side impact, rear impact. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is the only body that tests rollover type accidents. These tests are done with different weights of passengers, sitting in different seats within the car, using different passenger or driver “dummies” that represent the weight of an adult or a child. The crashes are simulated and the damage is observed.

Different cars are tested from different manufacturers, and are given ratings from poor to excellent. The “star” rating is then given based on these ratings. These ratings are across the board for car manufacturers and insurance companies all using the same system, thus regulating that cars have a minimum overall rating to insure the safety of its passengers. It is comforting to know that these regulations will keep us safer on the road. And just like taking the time to meet with your CPA, do your taxes and file now rather than late, it is a smart move to make sure you check out the safety reports and buy a safe vehicle.

Filed Under: Cars, General, Modes of Transportation, Safety, Travel Tagged With: Automobile, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Sport utility vehicle

How Should We Travel?

Making the decision on how you should travel is almost as important as deciding the where and the when. Once you have decided where you are going, you then have the decision to make of how to get you there. Many factors come into play at this point. Do you need to get there in a short amount of time, as in a business trip planned with very little time to spare? The only option may be air travel, depending on how far you have to go and how soon you have to be there. If it is a business trip, the company you work for may have their own set way of traveling, thus taking the decision out of your hands.

However, when you are making the decisions for, perhaps a family vacation, you can decide how you want to travel. Is the expense the most important factor? If it is, you may just want to load up the car and head on out to the open road. Obviously if you are traveling abroad you are limited in the form of travel available to you. Even if you do decide to go by boat, you will need to use some other form of travel to get you to the boat. This may just be the way to travel if you want your family to experience it.

Some people have a fear of flying, or going by boat. These factors will play an important role in choosing your form of transportation. It may be just as economical to fly as it is to drive, if you are going a far distance. When you take into consideration the expense of gas in the car, having to stop to eat and paying for hotels, an airline ticket might just be more economical.

Do your research before you go and you will feel better knowing you made the most informed decision for you and your family.

Filed Under: General, Safety, Travel Tagged With: Business trip, Preparation, Tourism, Travel

Cross Country Travel

When you think of traveling a long distance, for example, across this great country of ours, the first form of travel that comes to mind is the airplane. Air travel is considered safe and probably the fastest way to get from point A to point B. It is not the most economical way to travel, however if you have chosen to travel by air you have probably already considered the cost of air fare in your vacation budget.

Coast to coast travel is very popular. The west coast offers many attractions that people from the east coats do not see on a regular basis. The east coast has the same appeal. From New York to Hollywood, coast to coast travel can be done several ways. You can get on an airplane in New York and be in California in roughly five to six hours. Short and sweet, considering how long it takes for other forms of travel.

However, the other forms of travel available, car, train, or bus, each have their own unique way to get from coast to coast. While these other three forms of transportation will definitely take longer, at least a full day even if you do not stop, this type of travel offers ways to vacation along the way. You can plan your route with specific stops at landmarks throughout our country, or perhaps a certain state or attraction friends or family have told you about and you always wanted to see. If you take your car, you have the freedom of planning every mile of your trip. The bus or train may have the route you want to take, but will they allow you to stop and see the sights? These are things you can plan in advance. Looking into this ahead of time, you can make sure that the way your travel is as much your decision as the destination you have chosen.

Filed Under: General, Safety, Travel Tagged With: Tourism, Travel