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(ARA) - As thousands of American families pack up their sport utility vehicles for the lengthy ride to their summer getaway, it is essential to take note of some key safety precautions. The ESUVEE Safety Campaign provides summer driving tips that can mean the difference between life and death for you and your family. They are:
* Handling: SUVs possess a higher center of gravity than passenger cars, which contributes to a greater risk of rollover. Incidences of rollover can be exacerbated by speeding, abrupt maneuvers, inattentiveness, tailgating, recklessness, aggressiveness or impaired driving.
* Loading: The center of gravity of an SUV is affected by the number of people carried, as well as the amount, weight and distribution of cargo. Unfortunately, your extra summer gear -- ice chests, suitcases, toys and car seats -- can overload the vehicle and raise the center of gravity, increasing the risk of a rollover.
* Tires: Tire size, pressure and maintenance are keys to SUV safety. Drivers should monitor each of these elements before leaving for their summer destinations, and always take them into account when loading and driving an SUV.
* Seat belts: Perhaps the most preventable cause of death in the event of an SUV rollover is ejection from the vehicle. Eighty percent of deaths in SUV rollovers occur because occupants are unbelted.
“The guidelines appear to be simple, but they are the foundation for preventing rollovers and saving lives,” says Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller. “While the size and strength of SUVs may give people a feeling of invincibility, the reality is that they require very different handling than regular cars.”
Launched in January, the ESUVEE Safety Campaign is a national education program to combat the increasing trend toward SUV rollover accidents, particularly among younger drivers. The 50-state Campaign has created events and initiatives throughout 2005 designed to raise public awareness of the issue and to decrease the number of victims of such incidents. The Campaign has attracted the attention of the major national daily newspapers and the three network morning shows, and is supported by a number of prominent organizations, including Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports), trafficschool.com and Weather.com.
“We are pleased with the widespread support and nationwide recognition the campaign has received,” says Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist. “We want people to understand that traveling with family and extra luggage can significantly alter an easy drive, making it much more challenging and risky.”
To underscore the importance of SUV safety, the Campaign’s Web site (www.esuvee.com) recently launched the Esuvee Challenge Course, an interactive game that highlights the handling differences between SUVs and regular cars. The game promotes awareness -- in an engaging and entertaining way -- of how various conditions affect the vehicle, subjecting the driver to changes in terrain type, tire pressure and cargo.
The Esuvee Challenge Course can be played on the Campaign’s Web site, www.esuvee.com. The site also features additional safety tips, a chance to take the “safe SUV driving pledge,” and details about upcoming SUV Safety Days around the country.
Courtesy of ARA Content