Safe2Drive Blog

March is National Women’s History Month! This year, we’re taking a look at three incredible women who made a mark on the automotive industry and continue to do so to this day.

Mary Anderson and the Windshield Wiper Blade

You’re driving along the highway when suddenly, the sky opens up and it starts to pour. What’s the first thing you do? We’re guessing you said turn on your windshield wipers, so you can actually see the road ahead.

Now imagine you’re in the same downpour with no windshield wipers. You probably have to stick your head out the window in an attempt to see the road clearly, and you can probably imagine what would happen next.

Early motor vehicles did not have windshield wipers. Instead, you just kind of had to hope for the best. That’s what the driver of the trolley car Mary Anderson was traveling in one day in 1902 did. As sleet fell and blocked his view out the windshield, Anderson watched the man stick his head out the window in order to see and knew there had to be a better way to deal with adverse weather on the road.

Anderson’s expertise was in real estate, so she hired a designer to help bring her vision to life. In 1903, Anderson was issued a patent for her windshield wiper blade that the driver controlled with a lever from the inside of their vehicle.

Unfortunately, Anderson never profited from her invention, as motor vehicles weren’t popular enough yet. Manufactures did not purchase the rights to the design because they did not know how valuable windshield wipers would end up being. By the time manufacturers realized this equipment should be made standard, Anderson’s patent just so happened to expire, leaving her without payment for her contribution to the industry.

Bertha Benz’s Road Trip

Bertha Benz made history for being the first person to drive a motor vehicle over a long distance. Benz and her business partner and husband, Carl, worked together in the late 1800s to produce early versions of the automobile. Benz tasked herself with testing the company’s models out in the field. She identified flaws in the designs of early versions of the Motorwagen and proposed solutions, including what went on to become brake lining and a better fuel line design.

Because Benz was a married woman, the law at the time wouldn’t allow her the rights she deserved as an inventor on the Motorwagen patent. This didn’t stop her from funding and testing the Motorwagen as the designed evolved over the years.

In 1888, Benz made the first cross-country drive in an automobile, traveling 66 miles with her teenage sons in order to prove that motor vehicles had the potential to travel greater distances than anyone imagined. It wasn’t an easy trip, but as one of the inventors of the vehicle, Benz used her experience and ingenuity to solve problems with the vehicle as they arose.

Benz used the drive as an opportunity to present the Motorwagen to the public, while also proving to her husband she could market the vehicle and get a return on her significant financial investment. Benz’s testing, problem-solving, and determination showed the auto industry what was possible if they kept moving forward.

Patrice Banks, Amanda Gordan, and WOCAN

Fast forward to present day, and women are making more moves in the auto industry than ever before. One way women are disrupting the traditionally male-dominated auto industry is thanks to the efforts of Patrice Banks and Amanda Gordan, the founders and CEOs of WOCAN (Women of Color Automotive Network).

Banks and Gordan founded WOCAN to create a much-needed community of women of color in the auto industry. Banks, a graduate of engineering from Leigh University is a self-described "auto airhead." She created a business model to specifically cater to the #1 customer in the auto industry: women! Banks’s ideas evolved into an auto repair shop run by women mechanics. She’s also an author and is currently working on a scripted comedy series about her Girls Auto Clinic repair shop.

Amanda Gordan has over 18 years of experience in the auto industry. Notably, she is the first Black woman in Colorado to own a car dealership. She’s an auto expert and an advocate for diversity in the industry. Gordan is a natural leader and mentor and helps women break into the auto industry.

Banks and Gordan’s work with WOCAN creates opportunities for women of color to become leaders in the automotive industry, in turn making the industry stronger than ever.

It’s safe to say that the automotive industry wouldn’t be where it is today without the creativity, ingenuity, and leadership of women. As we continue to celebrate Women’s History Month, let’s take the time to appreciate the invaluable contributions women have made historically and continue to make to the automotive industry.

Are you interested in learning more about traffic safety?

Are you looking for defensive driving and traffic school courses? Do you want a discount on your auto insurance? Do you know a teen who’s ready to take an online driver education course?

Safe2Drive is here to help! We offer convenient online courses for drivers of any age! Visit our website today to learn about the online courses we offer in your state.

March is National Women’s History Month! This year, we’re taking a look at three incredible women who made a mark on the automotive industry and continue to do so to this day.

Spring is in the air, and so is the anticipation of spring break. Warmer weather and budding trees are a welcome break from winter frost and heavy coats. As the school year starts to wind down, it’s the perfect time of year to hop in the car and head somewhere relaxing. Road trips can be a lot of fun, especially when you make pit stops along the way, but beware: tourist traps can pop up when you least expect them.

A tourist trap is a store, attraction, or other type of establishment strategically placed in areas with high tourist traffic. They may look like a nice place to stop, and there are definitely tourist attractions worth visiting. More often than not, though, they are a cheap ploy to get tourists to buy overpriced, low quality souvenirs and lackluster food or entertainment.

While there are tourist traps all over the country, some areas have more than others. Here are three ways to ensure you don’t get caught in an unexpected tourist trap on your next long drive.

1. Plan your route ahead of time.

It’s a good idea to plan your route ahead of time when you go on a long drive. This can help you avoid unexpected tourist traps! There are lots of ways you can prepare ahead for your drive. Here are a few steps we recommend:

• Enter your destination using your preferred navigator. This will give you several options to choose from for your route.
• Decide which route you’re going to take in advance. Don’t leave this until you’re getting in the car to begin your drive. Choose your route and save it so you can access it easily when it’s time to go.
• Plan your stops. Most navigation apps allow you to search along your route for rest areas, restaurants, and other important stops and attractions.

Take your time and prepare ahead to avoid surprises along the way.

2. Don’t let billboards lure you in.

Billboards are an effective advertising tool specifically designed to catch travelers’ eyes. When you’re on the highway and see a sign for an attraction 100 miles ahead, then 75 miles ahead, and so on until it’s just a short 5 miles off the next exit, it’s probably a tourist trap. You’ll be loaded up on plastic souvenirs and overpriced food before you know it!

Billboards are especially appealing to children. The world’s largest waterslide? A giant meatball? One thousand types of candy up ahead? They are designed to make you want to check them out. If you’re traveling with kids, talk to them beforehand about billboards and why you won’t be stopping at these places along the way. Playing fun games in the car is a great way to distract kids without using screens!

3. Set your budget and stick to it.

While you should be aware of tourist traps, you don’t have to avoid them altogether! When you plan your route, take a look at tourist attractions along the way. If there’s something that really catches your eye, great! Do some research and look up reviews. If it still sounds good, stop there. Just make sure you plan a budget for these attractions, and stick to it!

We hope these tips help prepare you for spring break. Stay safe, and don’t get caught in tourist traps!

Are you interested in learning more about traffic safety?

Are you looking for defensive driving and traffic school courses? Do you want a discount on your auto insurance? Do you know a teen who’s ready to take an online driver education course?

Safe2Drive is here to help! We offer convenient online courses for drivers of any age! Visit our website today to learn about the online courses we offer in your state.

Spring is in the air, and so is the anticipation of spring break. Warmer weather and budding trees are a welcome break from winter frost and heavy coats. As the school year starts to wind down, it’s the perfect time of year to hop in the car and head somewhere relaxing. Road trips can be a lot of fun, especially when you make pit stops along the way, but beware: tourist traps can pop up when you least expect them.

Getting behind the wheel for the first time can be pretty exciting! Many people look forward to learning hands-on driving skills like how to start the car, how to turn, and how to park. What’s sometimes a little less exciting is the classroom portion of your driving journey. While driving itself is an engaging experience, learning the ins and outs of traffic laws and safety can be a bit boring at times. If you’re getting ready to start driving school but you’re not so sure about the classroom portion, you’ve come to the right place!

How to Make Driving School Successful

1. Take an online course!

Unlike in-person classrooms, online courses allow you to learn at your own pace. Even though most states set a required number of hours of driving school you have to take, you have the opportunity to spend as much or as little time on certain topics as you need to. For example, if you’re a pro at naming road signs, you might breeze through that portion of the course. And if you’re having a hard time learning right-of-way, you can spend more time on those sections.

This isn’t possible with in-person courses because instructors in traditional classrooms have to accommodate everyone in the class regardless of their learning style. It isn’t productive for in-person instructors to spend extra time in one area when the rest of the class is ready to move on. Here at Safe2Drive, we appeal to all learners by using a combination of videos, illustrations, games, and stories to teach you important driving skills and traffic laws. If you take your course online, you can learn in the way that works best for you, whatever that may be.

Online driving school is also great because you can take the classroom with you anywhere you go! Instead of spending extra hours in a classroom after school, you can take the course on the bus ride home on your phone, or in the school library during your free period-anywhere with an internet connection. Learning in your own environment, where you’re most comfortable and have time to focus, will make your time in driving school much more successful than if you were sitting in a classroom, struggling to stay awake.

2. Take notes.

Driving school isn’t a class where you can memorize information, ace your test, and then forget everything you just studied. You have to apply what you learn in driving school out on the road for the rest of your driving career.

One of the ways we help our online driving school students take notes is by previewing the topics that will appear in each lesson, and providing a summary at the end each lesson. A great way to take notes in online driving school courses is writing down the topics previewed at the beginning of the lesson, then making note of a few important points about each topic.

When you’ve reached the end of the lesson, compare your notes with the short summary. If there’s anything in the summary that looks unfamiliar or that isn’t in your notes, go back to that section of the lesson and review the information. This style of note-taking will keep your brain awake while you complete the course, and help you pinpoint what topics you need to focus on moving forward.

3. Read out loud.

Okay, this one sounds silly, but trust us. Driving school will require some reading on your part, and one of the best ways to retain what you read is to say the words aloud to yourself as you go along. Sometimes our brains skip over words, especially if you’re reading something that isn’t so exciting. Reading aloud helps you focus on the words you’re reading, helping you understand the material better. It’s also easier to remember information once you’ve read it aloud.

This is useful for studying, too! As you practice learning your road signs, try using flashcards and say the answers out loud. Maybe even try it in a funny voice! Next time you’re on the road and see a sign that you don’t recognize right away, remembering the way you said it out loud while studying might help jog your memory.

4. Ask questions, then check the answers.

Chances are you know an experienced driver or two. Here’s the thing: experience doesn’t always equal skill. For example, adults who took driving school 20+ years ago might tell you to keep your hands at "10 and 2" on the steering wheel. Well, that might have been true when they learned how to drive, but we’ve learned that a safer position is "8 and 4" or "9 and 3."

This is another reason why it’s important to take notes. If you ask another driver a question, they may not have the most up-to-date answer, or they may have learned something incorrectly in the first place. Always ask questions when you need help, but keep in mind that your best asset in driving school is the professional driving instructor who is teaching your course.

Our online driving school courses are created by professionals in the field, and we’re always updating our courses as new information and techniques come out. You can count on our online courses to answer your questions correctly the first time.

5. Never stop learning!

Driving school covers a lot of information in a relatively short amount of time. The way to make driving school a success is to remember that driving is a lifelong learning journey-it doesn’t stop once you’ve gotten your license.

We want to help you succeed in driving school and out on the road. That’s why we offer our free driver resources center to all drivers, including current, past, and future students. We want you to succeed way past just acing your driving test. Bookmark our driver resources center and come back to it often. We’re always adding new and useful articles to help you succeed in and out of driving school.

If you want to succeed in driving school, keep these strategies in mind. Good luck out there!

Are you interested in learning more about traffic safety?

Are you looking for defensive driving and traffic school courses? Do you want a discount on your auto insurance? Do you know a teen who’s ready to take an online driver education course?

Safe2Drive is here to help! We offer convenient online courses for drivers of any age! Visit our website today to learn about the online courses we offer in your state.

Getting behind the wheel for the first time can be pretty exciting! Many people look forward to learning hands-on driving skills like how to start the car, how to turn, and how to park. What’s sometimes a little less exciting is the classroom portion of your driving journey. While driving itself is an engaging experience, learning the ins and outs of traffic laws and safety can be a bit boring at times. If you’re getting ready to start driving school but you’re not so sure about the classroom portion, you’ve come to the right place!

When the pandemic started, fewer cars were on the road as people quarantined and worked from home. Many people assumed that traffic collisions would decrease because of this, but here in the US, that wasn’t the case. In fact, US traffic fatalities have increased since the start of the pandemic, whereas other countries experienced a decrease in traffic fatalities. Why is the US falling behind in traffic safety? And is there anything we can do about it?

The list below shows US traffic fatality numbers over the last few years.

• 2016: 34,439 fatal crashes
• 2017: 34,560 fatal crashes
• 2018: 33,919 fatal crashes
• 2019: 33,487 fatal crashes
• 2020: 35,766 fatal crashes

As you can see, there was quite a jump in traffic fatalities from 2019 to 2020. The fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled increased as well-it was 1.11 in 2019 and 1.34 in 2020. Early estimates for the first quarter of 2022 report an increase in fatal crashes of around 7% as opposed to the same quarter the previous year. One thing is clear: the US is falling behind, with no signs of stopping.

There are a few factors that contribute to the fatality rate increasing, and most of them have to do with driver behavior.

Driver Behaviors

With fewer vehicles on the road, drivers felt more comfortable speeding than they did in previous years. Twenty-nine percent of total traffic fatalities were speeding-related in 2020. In both 2019 and 2018, 26% of fatalities were speeding-related. More than half of those killed in speeding-related collisions were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision.

The number of alcohol-related fatalities has increased, too. Thirty percent of traffic fatalities in 2020 involved at least one alcohol-impaired driver. This is a 14.3% increase from the previous year. More drivers involved in speeding-related fatal collisions were alcohol impaired than drivers who were involved in fatal collisions that were not related to speeding.

Can We Catch Up?

Now that we’ve discussed what causes collisions, let’s take a look at how to avoid them.

The safest drivers are defensive drivers. Defensive driving is when you’re constantly alert to potential hazards and you actively look for ways to keep you and your vehicle safe. It’s driving to prevent collisions and compensating for the actions of drivers around you who may not be as prepared.

Unfortunately, the decrease in the number of cars on the road in recent years seems to have made drivers less likely to practice defensive driving techniques. Even if you’re following all traffic laws, you’re not driving safely unless you’re driving defensively.

Take the Next Step

Most of us take a driver education course as teens and never revisit the topic. The problem is, things in the traffic safety field are constantly changing. One of the best things you can do as a driver is to keep up on current traffic laws, trends, and defensive driving techniques.

Safe2Drive is here to help! We offer convenient online courses for drivers of any age! Visit our website today to learn about the online courses we offer in your state.

When the pandemic started, fewer cars were on the road as people quarantined and worked from home. Many people assumed that traffic collisions would decrease because of this, but here in the US, that wasn’t the case. In fact, US traffic fatalities have increased since the start of the pandemic, whereas other countries experienced a decrease in traffic fatalities. Why is the US falling behind in traffic safety? And is there anything we can do about it?