Showing posts with label cars and technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cars and technology. Show all posts
Did you know that August is the most
dangerous month to drive in, and Saturday is the most dangerous day, according
to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration? Not everyone considers
their car to be a deadly weapon—but they should. In 2010, 32,885 people
in the U.S. were killed in car crashes. As our constant need to be digitally
connected increases, the number of accidents and car-related deaths is likely
to shoot up as well.
Would you drive the equivalent of a
football field going over 55 mph—blindfolded? You probably answered, “Of course
not. That’d be crazy!” But, anyone who has ever sent a text while driving, has
actually done just that. This means, every time you get behind the wheel,
you’re sharing the road with a lot of people driving big machines, who aren’t
really paying attention. Whoa.
Most Dangerous for Young People
According to an article by Instant Checkmate, vehicle accidents are the
leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15-20. This means that
cars cause more deaths for people of that age group than drugs, guns, or
violence. People within this demographic are more likely to engage in
“distracted driving” habits such as talking to other passengers in the car,
texting, or changing radio stations.
Human error accounts for a staggering
majority of all car crashes—over 90%. According to Alert Driving magazine,
“There are 3,500 deaths a day or 150 every hour, and nearly three people get
killed on the road every minute.” The truth is, driving our cars is one of the
most dangerous activities we will participate in over the course of our
lifetimes, and we do it everyday.
What if Cars Drove Themselves?
Google has been putting major funding
towards research focused on developing a self-propelled car. The exciting part
is, cars that can drive themselves are not something that only exists in
science fiction books—the technology is closer to becoming a reality than you
might think.
In fact, in 2012, California stepped
ahead of the curve and legalized Google’s self-driving cars, as long as a human
passenger came along for the ride. Google's co-founder Sergey Brin said that he
hopes self-driving cars will be ready to hit the road in less than five years.
What’s more, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
recently released predictions that autonomous cars will account for up to 75
percent of vehicles on the road by the year 2040. They also speculate that by
mid-century, people will no longer need to obtain a driver’s license. In safety
tests, the self-driving car has so far exceeded expectations.
Volvo's aim is that by 2020 no one will
ever be killed or seriously hurt driving its latest models. Cheers to that.
Portable DVD Players For Family Cars
We’ve all been there, trapped in the
car for hours on end on the way to or from a holiday destination with kids
screaming, fighting and generally misbehaving in the back of the car. It
doesn’t matter how well behaved your children are normally, when you put them
in the car for anything over twenty minutes, they turn into demanding, demented
little monsters. Luckily there is something you can do to alleviate their
boredom, buy them a portable DVD player for the car. Here are just a few of the
ways a portable DVD player can be used to entertain the children:
For Watching Movies
Obviously the main reason for buying a portable DVD player for the car is to allow your children to watch movies whilst in the car. Most children will happily sit in front of a film for a couple of hours if it’s interesting and exciting enough. There are a wealth of movies available on DVD from the latest releases through to older family favourites. They can be bought in a wide range of stores or cheaply second-hand. Stocking the car with enough movies to keep everyone entertained couldn’t be easier.For Watching Television
As well as movies, you can also get a number of children’s programmes on DVD such as In the Night Garden, Teletubbies or even Horrible Histories for the older child, These are a great way of passing the time on slightly shorter journeys by just watching one or two episodes whilst several episodes can be played in a row for longer journeys.For Playing Games
If the DVD selection you have for your children is well-watched, children may begin to tire of watching DVDs, making boredom rear its ugly head in the car again. A great way to re-invent a movie on DVD is to play a game whilst the movie is on. For example when watching a film like Toy Story, you may decide to set your children a counting challenge, perhaps counting how many times the word Buzz Lightyear is used. This will not only give your children something to do but ensure that the film grabs their attention too, hopefully giving you some respite from the kids for an hour or so.For Interaction
Many children’s DVDs now come with addition bonus features pre-loaded onto the disc too. These can help to keep children entertained and help to pass the time on long journeys too. Examples of DVD extras or bonus features include spin-off short movies, previews or clips of other films, film related extras such as outtakes or information on the making of the film and occasionally games too. Whilst in the car with the children, every little extra bit of entertainment helps to alleviate their boredom. There are many websites where DVD’s and portable DVD players can be purchased online.
With so many great ways to entertain
for hours on end, you’ll wonder why you never thought to buy a portable DVD
before.




