Should you pump the breaks when a quick stop is needed? What blood alcohol level indicates drunk driving? Test your safe driving knowledge with our Everwell Challenge.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
No question, we love our cars, and without them, we wouldn’t get very far. But they’re also a leading cause of injury and death. Take a spin with us as we pose an Everwell Challenge to drivers, and see if you’re up to speed when it comes to car safety.
1. Here’s your first question: if you get drowsy while driving, which is effective for staying awake?
A. Drinking a cup of coffee
B. Rolling down the window
C. Pinching your leg, or
D. Turning on the radio.
2. True or false, your driving ability starts to be impaired at a blood alcohol level of .08.
3. To reduce the risk of whiplash, where should the top of your head restraint be positioned?
4. If your car has ABS, or anti-lock brakes, you should handle emergency stopping situations by:
A. Pumping the brakes
B. Pressing down hard for two seconds and then pumping the brakes
C. Not using the brakes at all, or
D. Stepping on the brakes as hard and as fast as you can.
5. True or false: it’s safe for a child to ride without a booster seat when he or she turns seven.
6. What’s the safest seat for a passenger in a car?
Answers:
To steer us in the right direction, we turned to driving safety expert William Van Tassel.
1. None of the above. The only cure for drowsiness when driving is to get rest. And that’s where a 15-20 minute nap can help, in a safe place on the side of the road or if it’s been a long day on the road, call it a day and get a good night’s rest.
2. The legal limit is .08. Impairment actually starts the moment you start drinking. Even the alcohol contained in a single drink can impair your driving ability.
3. The answer is the top of the head restraint should be positioned between the ear level and the top of the head, and that will give maximum protection against whiplash. Most people have their head restraints positioned too low. That’s the most common error with head restraint positioning.
4. A lot of people get this wrong, but the answer is d. If you find yourself in an emergency braking situation, use the brakes as hard as you need to, and continue to look and steer where you want to go. That’s one of the main benefits of abs. It allows the driver to retain some degree of steering control in an emergency braking maneuver.
5. Parents and grandparents, you really need to listen up. This one is false. Children should be in booster seats until they’re at least 4’9″ in height and 8 years old.
6. While many people call shotgun and want that right front seat, the safest seat is actually in the center rear position. Back there you’ve got space to both sides. If your car is hit from the side, that space can be used as a crush zone to dissipate energy before it hits your body.