States move to ban text messaging while driving
Legislators in several states say multitaskers are taking it too far, using their knees or little fingers to steer their cars while punching in cellphone messages.
Washington is the first state to pass a law banning “driving while texting”. The law takes effect in January and calls for a $101 fine for DWT. So far this year, nine other states have considered such legislation.
Driving while texting is a newer form of driver distraction. It joins such crash-causing activities as making calls on a cellphone, eating, and talking to passengers in the car.
Researchers at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute show that driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes. And texting takes a driver’s eyes off the road.
If the drivers’ eyes are away from the roadway for two seconds or more in a six-second window, their risk of being involved in a crash is two times higher than that of an attentive driver.
A 2006 joint report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found 78 percent of crashes involved a driver distracted within three seconds before an accident.
At the Center for Mobile Communications at Rutgers University, they say it’s human nature to know something is dangerous but to believe you can handle it better than others. This false sense of confidence could cost you your life and someone else’s life as well.
Think about it next time you want to be DWT. The time you save could be multiplied many times over as time lost if you are injured in a car crash. You couldn’t call it “an accident.”
Drive Safely!
Are You Using A Rewards System For Good Behavior?
Sometimes, all children need is a little encouragement and positive reinforcement to ensure they are on their best behavior. Using the for good behavior is a controversial subject. While some proponents believe it can be a good thing, others think it can be overused, thus having no affect at all. Here are a few positive reinforcement ideas for kids, when used properly, can help you tame the unruly child.
How do you reward your child for good behavior? Do you buy a toy which he or she has been asking for? Do you allow them an extra hour of TV? Or do you use another approach? There are several methods you can use to reward your child for good behavior which will not cost anything at all. One is praise. Children need to feel loved and accepted. Praising them for an accomplishment or behavior can reinforce that love.
According to experts, verbal reinforcement is very powerful. Yes, words are very powerful; and when used appropriately can make all the difference in the world to a child. It is positive reinforcement at its very best.
If your child had an especially good day in school, or shared with other children during playtime, or helped you with a specific chore at home, reward the child by allowing him to pick a movie, or choose what to have for supper, or allow additional time for his favorite program. Another choice would be to give the child a day off from walking the pet, or taking out the garbage for a week. While rewarding a child for good behavior may seem appropriate, it can be overused to such a degree that the child would do anything for that particular reward.
To infuse good behavior is to properly raise the child from the get-go. Certainly, children at some time become unruly, but the reward system may work one time, and one time only. Using positive reinforcement to ensure your child has not only been good, but is loved and accepted for who he or she is. Once that is established, the rest will follow.
Are You Teaching Your Kids How To Handle Money?
It is up to us as parents to provide financial prowess in teaching kids how to handle money. Here are some tips on how to accomplish this difficult process.
Kids learn by example. If you are in debt, odds are they will be too. You need to teach fiscal responsibility at an early stage. The earlier you discuss money with your kids, the better prepared they will become. Open up a savings account with your kids; allow them to deposit and make withdrawals. Give them the option to use the account in whichever way they decide. By allowing them this freedom to choose, you are also giving them the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them. Always be there in case they need your advice in this regard.
Give them an allowance. If they run out of money before the following week, do not replenish it. This will teach them about choices: the good and the bad. This is especially true if they are saving to buy something special. If they use their money unwisely, and cannot buy that which they were saving for a valuable lesson will be learned.
Do not spoil your kids by giving them everything they want. Give them just enough money via a weekly allowance and no more. If they choose to buy something you think is not appropriate, discuss it with them. Teach them about the importance of saving money and what they can look forward to as they get older. Give them examples of your own experience as a child, particularly if you had a problem handling money.
Finally, teach them the pitfalls of borrowing. If they ask for money to buy a certain item; inform them they will have to pay it back with interest. Tell them exactly how much they will have to pay back and figure out together how long it would take. Undoubtedly, they may change their mind; but if not, stick to the terms you set. Teaching your kids how to handle money begins with you. Whether you were a saver or a spender, it is incumbent upon you to pass on to your child all the tools he or she needs to make worthwhile decisions now and in the future.
