Safety First: 3 Reasons You May Be Required to Take a Driver Improvement Course

It is undeniable that getting a traffic ticket can be an extremely stressful experience and finding a way to deal with the traffic violation can be equally challenging. Many driver improvement courses provide drivers of all ages with an effortless, easy, and convenient way to reduce points from your driving record, dismiss a traffic ticket, or reduce your monthly insurance rates. In Texas, there are different types of driver improvement courses that you can take depending on your reason for completing the course, according to the site DMV.org.

Get Your Tickets Dismissed

If you've recently gotten a traffic ticket, you can enroll in a driver improvement course to dismiss the ticket to keep your driving record clear and avoid the dreaded insurance premium rate hike. If you are a Texas resident, you can complete in person at a commercial driving school, or through an approved online provider. While both options can provide you with valuable driving safety tips, courses that are offered online through americansafetycouncil.com/content/texas-adult-drivers-education, have been found to be more convenient. When you sign up for an approved online defensive driving course, you will be required to complete the course within a specific period after enrolling. If you fail to complete it in the required timeframe successfully, you will fail the class and be ineligible for a refund.

Insurance Discounts

Taking a defensive driving course in Texas won’t just help you dismiss a recent traffic ticket but can help you to reduce your monthly car insurance premium as well significantly. Many insurance providers will provide discounts to customers who take a driving safety course. Online defensive driving courses make it easy to get your insurance discount. They allow you to study from the comfort of your own home, all you need is a computer and access to the Internet. It is essential that you always check with your insurance company before you enroll in a course. Some insurance companies may not offer you a discount for completing a defensive driver, traffic safety course.

It Is Court Ordered

In Texas, all drivers and passengers are required to be secured by a safety belt, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. While a safety belt violation can result in you receiving a fine, it can also land you in a court-ordered traffic safety course. Before you sign up for a class, you must make sure that it is approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations to ensure that you are getting the information that you need to fulfill the court requirements successfully. An online Texas Seat Belt Course is the easiest way to satisfy your court requirement, as they provide you with a comfortable pace that is 100 percent online, allowing you to start and stop the course as needed.

While nobody starts their day hoping that they get a traffic ticket, sometimes it’s inevitable. Don’t let your recent traffic violation ruin your driving record. Taking a driver improvement course can allow you to dismiss traffic violations and possibly reduce your car insurance premium, helping to keep you on the road and driving safely.

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Winter Roads and Driving: Six Important Things to Keep in Your Car in Case of Emergencies

Freak winter snowstorms can strike almost anywhere at any time. In fact, over 600,000 motorists each year get stranded in winter weather. Typically, help is only a phone call and a few minutes away. But that’s certainly not always the case.

To prevent hours of discomfort or something much, much worse, we’ve compiled a list of some things that every vehicles should have during the winter months. These items should protect you in the event of an accidental breakdown, such as a dead battery, flat tire, or low fuel. However, if you or a loved one is injured because of events that are beyond your control, such as a defective product or someone else’s negligence, partner with a law firm for personal injury near you.

Wireless Cell Phone Charger

These devices are incredibly handy and only cost a few dollars at most local or online retailers. Most of them charge very quickly when attached to a power outlet and hold that charge almost indefinitely. Be sure and check the charger frequently, at least once a week or so, to see if it needs more juice.

If you never leave the city limits, this charger might be about the only item you need. But many parts of the country are still very rural, and cell phone service is spotty at best. Other more advanced features, like GPS locators, may not work at all, especially in a heavy storm.

Jumper Cables

All wireless cellphone chargers are about the same, as long as they have good charging indicator lights. But the same is not true of jumper cables. A good pair of jumper cables needs to meet the following standards:

●       Length: The cables should be at least twelve feet long. Sixteen feet long is even better. Anything longer is probably overkill.

●       Connectors/Wires: These parts should be copper. This high-quality material will cost a little extra, but the investment is well worthwhile. Also, be sure the alligator clips are pressed and not soldered, because soldered connections can melt.

If you’re travelling a fair distance and driving alone, it may be a good idea to put your cables in the passenger compartment instead of the trunk.

Flashlight

The choice is basically LED or incandescent. LED flashlights are usually long-lasting and do not rely on bulbs that can burn out; incandescent flashlights are usually a little brighter and cheaper. In an emergency situation, you can’t go wrong with either one.

Fire Extinguisher

Many people forget about this emergency device, but it can be the difference between a burned hose and a burned car. There are different classes of fire extinguishers for different kinds of fires (Class A for wood and other combustibles, Class B for flammable liquids and gases, Class C for electrical fires, and Class D for metal), so be sure you have the right type of fire extinguisher. Many of these devices also require some routine maintenance.

Blanket

There’s almost always room for a thick blanket or quilt. At the very least, it will make the wait for the tow truck much more bearable in bitter cold weather. In the summer, blankets are also good for treating accident shock victims.

Food and Water

As any combat veteran will attest, an MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) is no banquet. But if there is no other food and you have been stranded for several hours, it may taste like one. At least two bottles of water are a good idea as well. There’s no need to pack them in ice.

Honorable mention goes to a first aid kit, the ability to change a flat, and road flares.

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Ford Figo Crossover

First ever spy pictures of Ford Figo Crossover without camoflage

Picture courtesy: Carwale

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Could Nissan Titan Pickup Trucks Be on Their Way to Australia?

If you're looking for a way to take your pickup experience to the next level in the coming years, then you might just be in luck. Recent reports suggest that the powerful Nissan Titan could be on it's way to the Australian market - ideal for those who need a strong driving solution to get their business out on the market.

Known by many as the bigger, meaner version of the Nissan Navara, the Titan has been available exclusively in left-hand drive up until now - which was fine for the US market, but a nightmare for anyone who wanted to access the potential of the Titan in Australia. The good news is that Nissan recently announced it would be embarking on a plan of global expansion perfect for delivering the Titan in hundreds of countries around the world.

It makes sense that Australia would be one of the targets for Nissan, given the success of thee Nissan Navara, and the company are already working on a right-hand-drive option, according to the head of light-commercial operations for Renault-Nissan, Ashwani Gupta.

The Arrival of a Brand-New Truck

Before you start looking for popular Ute canopies in Australia, it's worth noting that it might be a few months before the product officially arrives in Australian markets. For now, Nissan have only confirmed that they're exploring the expansion of the full-size Titan pick-up truck in markets beyond the US, so we're not sure for certain when the truck will come to Australia.

For now, the primary aim of Nissan is to develop itself as the number one retailer for light-commercial vehicles. According to Gupta, this is one of the many reasons that the company decided to welcome Mitsubishi within the pre-existing Renault-Nissan Alliance during 2016.

Overall, Nissan has been focusing heavily on finding new ways to improve and upgrade their access to the current marketplace, with new and improved offerings for all their customers. So far, the brand is aware that around one in four of the vehicles in the market is a light commercial vehicle, or LCV, so it's a potentially very lucrative market to excel in.

The Power of the Nissan Pick-Up

Over the years, Nissan has quickly emerged as one of the most competitive pick-up brands in the world. The upgraded "Titan" currently sits in a position far above the existing UTEs that sell well throughout Australia, such as thee Nissan Navara. This could mean that by bringing the Titan to Australia, Nissan can give customers access to a completely new standard of pick-up truck.

So far, it's difficult to predict whether the Nissan Titan designed for Australia will have any special features to speak of. However, the US versions of the pick-up have King, Crew, and Single cab options to choose from, as well as a V8 6.5 litre engine as standard. Customers can also select a V6 option, which comes with another V8 5.0 litre engine.

Nissan believes that they have a great deal of potential to take advantage of in Australia, even though their Titan programme has yet to deliver any specific results. The passion for Utes in Australia is high, so the sales opportunities are there.

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Volvo XC40 Specifications

XC40	D4 AWD (190 hp) aut (A tyres)	D4 AWD (190 hp) aut (B tyres)	D4 AWD (190 hp) aut (C tyres)
Engines
Engine Name	D4204T12	D4204T12	D4204T12
Engine Description	Four-cylinder turbo charged diesel	Four-cylinder turbo charged diesel	Four-cylinder turbo charged diesel
Drivetrain	All wheel drive	All wheel drive	All wheel drive
Number of Cylinders	4	4	4
Engine Displacement	1969 cc	1969 cc	1969 cc
Engine Bore	82 mm	82 mm	82 mm
Engine Stroke	93.2 mm	93.2 mm	93.2 mm
Max Engine Power (kW)	140 kW	140 kW	140 kW
Horsepower	190 hp	190 hp	190 hp
Rev at max engine power	4000 rpm	4000 rpm	4000 rpm
Torque	400 Nm	400 Nm	400 Nm
Rev at max engine torque	1750 - 2500 rpm	1750 - 2500 rpm	1750 - 2500 rpm
Fuel type	Diesel	Diesel	Diesel
Capacity
Fuel Capacity	54 l	54 l	54 l
Cargo Capacity	1336 l	1336 l	1336 l
Towing Capacity
8-speed Geartronic™ automatic transmission, AWD	2100 kg	2100 kg	2100 kg
Weights
Serving Weight	1733 kg	1733 kg	1733 kg
Total Weight
8-speed Geartronic™ automatic transmission, AWD	2250 kg	2250 kg	2250 kg
Exterior Dimensions
Height	1652 mm	1652 mm	1652 mm
Length	4425 mm	4425 mm	4425 mm
Width	1863 mm	1863 mm	1863 mm
Width inc. Mirrors	2034 mm	2034 mm	2034 mm
Wheel Base	2702 mm	2702 mm	2702 mm
Track Front	1601 mm	1601 mm	1601 mm
Track Rear	1626 mm	1626 mm	1626 mm
Turning Circle	11.4 m	11.4 m	11.4 m
Interior dimensions (w/o sun roof)
Head Room Front	1030 mm	1030 mm	1030 mm
Head Room Rear	994 mm	994 mm	994 mm
Shoulder Room Front	1440 mm	1440 mm	1440 mm
Shoulder Room Rear	1429 mm	1429 mm	1429 mm
Leg Room Front	1040 mm	1040 mm	1040 mm
Leg Room Rear	917 mm	917 mm	917 mm
Hip Room Front	1390 mm	1390 mm	1390 mm
Hip Room Rear	1388 mm	1388 mm	1388 mm
Miscellaneous
Environmental Classification	Euro6d-TEMP	Euro6d-TEMP	Euro6d-TEMP

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