Safer driving can net you lower insurance premiums, offering a tantalizing reason to learn how to drive defensively. It keeps you safer on the road, too. Protect yourself and others on the road by implementing these tips.

Turn Off Cell Phones

When driving a motorized vehicle, you should focus and concentrate on the road and your surroundings. Remain mindful of other vehicles, motorcycles, pedestrians and bicyclists. Using your phone takes your mind off of the road, so shut it off or disable all notifications. This stops it from ringing and ensures you won’t get notified of texts or emails. Cell phones top the list of culprits that contribute to distracted driving.

Avoid Driving While Intoxicated or Under a Drug’s Influence

Every driver needs their full faculties when operating a motor vehicle. Consuming even one alcoholic drink erodes that; so does smoking weed or eating an edible. Driving after consuming drugs or alcohol carries huge penalties. For instance, prosecutors can charge an individual with a DUI or drug offense as a misdemeanor or felony, the latter of which carries much stronger punishments.

Improve Your Seldom-Used Driving Skills

Long after you’ve passed your driving exam, practice parallel parking, navigating a roundabout, and backing long distances. Roundabouts are required to practice with them, but the rest of the skills you can practice in your own driveway. Spiff up your driveway by resurfacing it in asphalt, something that according to The Spruce, costs just $5 to $7 per square foot.

Bone Up on Little Know Driving Facts

Although every U.S. state uses the same line styles on roadways, did you know that different locations use different colors for their asphalt stripes? According to Asphalt Kingdom, white, blue, and yellow stripes are used across the country, in Canada and Mexico. Review what the lines and colors mean before driving in a state or foreign country.

Adjust Your Vehicle’s Mirrors

Don’t become over-reliant on driving assistance features. It would help if you still used your mirrors when you drive. Adjust your mirrors each time you get in your car to drive, especially after someone else drove it. This adjustment ensures that you can see everything around you, and you won’t need to worry if your mechanical system fails to load the assistant feature.

Use the Vehicle’s Indicator Lights

When you slow down or stop, brake lights notify the driver behind you. When you turn left or right, you must signal your intention in advance to inform the surrounding drivers. This signal light allows them to prepare for your move into the next lane or your intent to pass them. Signaling turn and lane change intent helps avoid accidents.

Wear Your Seatbelt

Accident research proves that wearing seatbelts saves lives, so click yours shut over your lap or shoulder. Modern vehicles use shoulder harness designs, but classic cars feature only a lap belt. Also, have your mechanic check your airbags when you take the vehicle in for its manufacturer-recommended maintenance.

Don’t Skip Your Vehicle Maintenance

Most manufacturers offer at least the first year of the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance of their new vehicles. Some offer up to three years. This warranty service improves vehicle safety if the owner uses the provided services. Avoid delaying these service visits to keep your vehicle in the best condition. These maintenance plans include many necessary services, including oil changes, tire rotation, brake fluid, and other fluid changes. Some manufacturers include re-optimization of the vehicle’s camera and driving assistance systems.

Improving your driving takes time and effort. Start by picking one thing from this list to improve, then stick with it for at least two weeks. Developing new habits becomes easier when you put in the work every day. Once you master one change to your driving habits, choose another to tackle.

Every parent is proud when their teen passes the driver’s test. Nevertheless, driving remains one of the most dangerous things, thus it is crucial to ensure your teenager is ready for the road before putting them out there or allowing them to own a car. These pointers can help you decide whether your teenager is ready to own a vehicle or even drive without supervision.

Discipline

Discipline involves more than the ability to follow instructions. It’s also the subconscious will to think of others and do what is right, even without supervision. Parents can identify such traits early in their kids’ lives. If your child does chores on time, looks out for their siblings, and generally respects basic home rules, they most likely will obey traffic rules and remain on the safe side of the law. Most kids- including teenagers- are guilty of breaking speed limits, driving under the influence, or even texting while driving. While all these no-go zones often sound thrilling, a disciplined child understands that rules and laws are established for their safety.

Responsibility

If your child remembers to complete simple tasks like cleaning their room, packing their books, and clearing the dining room table, they will probably remember to service the car, keep it clean, or even come home on time when they get their own. Additionally, your teen should know to look out for other road users, including drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, and prioritize their safety. While your child may be responsible, they will likely meet reckless individuals and bullies. Responsible teenagers do their part and are prepared to handle various situations without endangering their lives and those of others.

Immunity to Distractions

Irresponsible habits are a major cause of accidents. In a recent statement, it was reported that more than 40% of car accidents that led to death or injury were caused by drivers using their phones while driving. Most teenagers are culprits as they are attached to their phones and other devices. Making them understand the importance of paying attention while driving is crucial to minimizing the risks of accidents.

Another common distraction is the car radio. About half of Americans aged thirteen years and above listen to the radio while on the road, driving or not. Subtle background music can help in reducing stress while enhancing relaxation. On the other hand, music (usually loud) can also be distractive as it may affect the driver’s cognitive focus on the road. Navigating the entertainment system is also a huge distraction to point out to your teenager.

Ability to Maintain the Car

Since a car is a machine, something is bound to fail every once in a while. It is up to the driver to remain keen on these signs. For example, vibration from a vehicle’s undercarriage is the number one indication of a bad drive shaft. While you may need to catch up with whether or not your kid’s car is in perfect shape, you can teach them the basics, so they know when to see a mechanic. Start by showing them how to change a flat tire, jump start a dead battery, look for the oil warning light, and other common troubleshooting techniques.

Ability to Make Reasonable Judgment

When it comes to a teen’s ability to make good judgments, maturity plays a huge role. Some children mature faster than others. Therefore, you can trust them to make sound decisions. While most people began driving in their teens, others also began drinking around the same age. As a parent, you cannot control everything your teenager does, but paying attention to their behavior and company can help you determine when to give them a vehicle. If your child follows or tries to please everyone else, you might have to think twice. Most teenagers fall into peer pressure due to the urge to impress, often leading to mistakes. Your child should understand the value of independence before owning a car.

For most kids, driving is an essential rite of passage that ushers them into society. The bottom line remains, your kid’s character can significantly help you decide when they can own a car. Parents must set strict boundaries and thoroughly evaluate their children’s strengths before entrusting them with vehicles. This is an integral step to ensuring that they nurture mindful, reliable, and responsible adults.

You’ve just been to the doctor to confirm your long-awaited hope; you’re expecting! Your partner is the most delighted because the wait for a baby has been very long. Indeed, congratulations on this new milestone in your lives! What you’ve been dreaming of is finally here. One thing, though, with a baby in your home, your lives as a family will change forever. So get ready for an exciting ride by planning early. Here are three tips to remember when having your first child.

1. Plan Your Estate

Starting life with the end in mind is awkward. But this is why you must do it early: planning your transition sets your family priorities straight and early. As it’s your first baby, this is the best time to sit with a legal professional to develop a will and an estate plan.

Transitions in life, such as getting married, inheriting property, buying property, and getting a baby, are great times to update your will.

Only about 32% of adult Americans have an estate plan, trust, or will. Out of this, a fifth has not updated their will for five years. A higher number of seven in every ten women don’t have a will. You can change this trend. You don’t want surprises down the road when you need to access your wealth, but someone else has already claimed it.

2. Maintain a Healthy Work-life Balance

As a working adult, you’ve enjoyed a relatively smooth run with job-related schedules to which, at times, you’ve been dedicating long hours. If you’ve been ignoring your leave days, this is about to take on a new meaning.

Although you’re most likely entitled to three months of parental or family leave, according to American labor laws, you’ll need to make more plans to ensure quality time with your baby. You’ll always find that parental leave days expire quickly so be sure to work with your employer.

You might be expected to put in the same hours as you did before you had a child, which could affect you. Besides, your employer may not allow you time to dash home and assist in child care over lunch break. How you juggle between concentrating on work obligations and getting innovative ways to ensure your baby is in good care will be a tricky balancing act.

Think of getting nursing care. A babysitter experienced in handling babies may take some of your anxiety away. How about buying a milk pump to help store baby’s milk during work hours? America’s Fair Labor Standards Act has got you sorted in this regard. You can use your breaks to save breast milk for at least one year while working full-time.

Plan for your child without expecting too much support from your employer. While they may be willing to work with you, you should prepare for the alternative. According to Glassdoor research, 87% of workers expect their employer to help them balance their job and other personal duties.

3. Your Baby’s Health Is In Your Hands

Taking care of your new baby’s health should be your number one priority. This starts with securing health insurance for them. By 2021, 4.1% of children under 18 years weren’t insured, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s why it’s essential to plan by getting your baby good health insurance.

Having a baby comes with great joy and responsibilities, especially if it’s your first. You’ll first need an insurance policy that includes your baby. This is especially vital due to their low immunity. Most likely, your employer has insurance coverage for you and your child. Remember to work with your employer to find enough time off to care for your child. These are just a few tips to get you started, remember to speak with doctors and other parents for a full plan.

It’s overwhelming to take care of a toddler when you are pregnant. As you battle the body changes caused by pregnancy, you still need the energy to care for yourself and show love to the toddler. If you are in this challenging situation now, try the below tricks to balance your pregnancy and toddler.

1. Keep Them Entertained

Pregnancy is an exhaustive task that calls for rest. Since you already have a kid who needs your time and attention, you must find an effective way to entertain them to allow for some respite. For instance, you can allow the kid to play their favorite game on your tablet or to watch their favorite show on Netflix. The goal is to ensure your toddler is happy and that you don’t diversify all your attention to the pregnancy.

2. Watch Your Toddlers Health

A healthy toddler will generally eat and sleep well. Observe your child’s health, weight, and sleeping habits to ensure everything is well. If possible, consider annual checkup tests for dental issues and even cancer, considering that the risk of cancer among children and youths continues to increase.

According to NCI, approximately 16,850 children and adolescents aged between 0 and 19 suffered from cancer in 2020. Timely screening and diagnosis can help identify problems while it’s still early and initiate treatment immediately.

3. Seek Help

You will need extra help balancing your pregnancy and caring for a toddler. If you have a partner, communicate your expectations regarding the toddler’s needs so that you can create enough time for the kids.

Similarly, you can allow visitation rights to your partner to avoid visitation abuse and strengthen the bond between your partner and the kids. Visitation abuse happens when a party denies their partner the right to visit their children in a way that harms the child and disobeys the visitation law. Therefore, seek help when possible, and give the child a conducive environment in the company of people they love.

4. Improve the Comfort of Your Toddler

Don’t neglect your toddler’s well-being simply because you are expecting another baby. Your toddler still needs a comfortable life. So, how do you make your child comfortable and happy? One great way is to go shopping with them if you can manage.

Does the baby have enough clothes? NewFolks suggests that an average American child should have nine sets of clothes. If it’s been a long since you changed your toddler’s wardrobe, do so to increase their comfort and happiness as they await their sibling. Similarly, change beddings and ensure their crib is far from things that could harm them.

5. Encourage the Toddler to Be Independent

The fact that you are expecting means that your toddler will not be a small baby anymore, so you should start teaching them to be independent. You don’t have to give them hefty tasks; you can start training on small tasks like preparing the table before meals, placing the laundry basket in its respective place, and so on. The small duties you assign your toddler will keep them busy and relieve you of the many house movements considering that you are still pregnant and need some rest.

6. Prepare Your Toddler

Since the toddler is already used to being the only child, they will need a prepared mind before meeting their sibling, so it’s important to hold the discussions. Let your toddler know that you are carrying a baby, so they will have a baby brother or sister. Regular talks with your toddler will keep them prepared and make them happy about the baby.

Kids are blessings to us, and we should always embrace their presence. If you are pregnant and still have a toddler to care for, follow the tips above to smoothen the experience and make the toddler feel loved. Check us out to learn more about happy parenting.

Use and abuse of drugs have affected many families, and yours might not be exempted. Dealing with those caught in the drug web can be challenging, often throwing unique dynamics into the family as members cope differently. Happily, there are healthy ways of coping you can learn as you go.

1. Understand that the Drug is the Surface Issue

Granted, a first drink or smoke might be encouraged by mere curiosity, but continued use may indicate more complex issues. Some underlying issues could be undiagnosed or untreated mental disorders and identity crises that lead one to experiment with different things.

Sometimes, this may be due to a need for a sense of belonging among their drug-addicted peers. In other cases, the pressure and failure to cope with life stressors healthily, chronic pain, and so on may lead someone down the addiction territory.

According to Payerally, projected spending in the U.S. on specialty medication in 2020 was over $500 billion. It’s, therefore, essential to focus on drug use and investigate what else could be happening. This can only be achieved by extending empathy and listening to what your child’s concerns are.

2. Their Choices Aren’t Your Responsibility

If your child is an adult, accept that they’re self-governing and’ll make their choices with or without your input. Watching a child you love choose a self-destructive path can be extremely difficult, but there’s only so much you can do, especially if they insist on going down that way. You can lessen your load by acknowledging that their choices are not a reflection of you, and that they’ve their life to live, and so do you.

3. Establish Healthy Boundaries

The most essential part of maintaining your sanity while providing an environment for your child to seek the help they need is to maintain your individualism. Boundaries liberate you from false responsibilities while similarly protecting you from the abuse and manipulation of drug users, which they often inflict on family members to get their way.

If your child still lives under your roof, continue to demand that they pull their weight and contribute to the family. According to Jobber Academy, 80% of households will use cleaning services by 2024. Exempting your child from house chores and responsibilities only fuels their entitlement, making them more irresponsible.

4. Do Your Research

Find out where you can get the help and support you and your other family members need, like Al-Anon meetings near you. Similarly, find places where your child can get the help and support they need, like AA or NA meetings and outpatient and residential treatment facilities.

Also, learn about the effects of the drugs your child may be using. This will not only help you understand the severity of the addiction but also help you explain to them just how serious a problem they’re in, such as the drug’s effect on their physical, emotional, mental, and behavioral well-being.

All drugs, if taken in large doses, can cause serious harm, but an overdose of some, especially opioids, like heroin, can cause death. According to LA Valley Recovery, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine; hence you need to know what to do in an extreme case.

5. Observe the Progression of Use

There may be little you can do to control how much and often your child uses drugs, but the progressive nature of addiction may require making treatment choices for them. Your child may use drugs recreationally and still manage to function generally. However, it can reach a point where they aren’t functional, a time when it becomes addictive.

When they reach this stage, they’re likely to be categorized under the spectrum of persons with mental disorders. They’ll no longer be considered capable of consenting to treatment. Here, you will have to sign, on their behalf, a consent form for involuntary admission or treatment.

Don’t give up on your child, no matter how bad the drug addiction gets. Others have overcome this dangerous habit and are thriving today, and you could be the only hope your child has for kicking the habit.