Obama & the Birth Certificate

Each American, at watershed moments in his or her life -- to get a driver's license, a marriage certificate, a passport -- must produce a paper birth certificate for official inspection and analysis. Now it's Obama's turn.

One wonders why a presidential candidate would even need to start a 'Fight the Smears' campaign. It generally means that something is coming. (Remember Bill Clinton and the Bimbo Brigade?) But something about Obama's problem with his birth certificate doesn't feel right. Not a Karl Rove smear, but a bothersome situation created by the candidate himself. This won't go away until it's addressed. Here is the story from the IsraelInsider:

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A senior official in the State of Hawaii's Department of Health, Director of Communications Janice Okubo, confirms that the image published and circulated by the Obama campaign as his "birth certificate" lacks the necessary embossed seal and signature. Backing away from a quote attributed to her that the image on the campaign site was "valid," she told the St. Petersburg (Florida) Times in an article published yesterday: "I don't know that it's possible for us to even say beyond a doubt what the image on the site represents."

Barack Obama has claimed in writing to have a valid printed document: In the first chapter of his book Dreams From My Father, describing his origins, he wrote about finding a local Hawaiian newspaper article about his Kenyan father: "I discovered this article, folded away among my birth certificate and old vaccination forms, when I was in high school."

So where is that birth certificate? It got lost? The dog ate it? No matter. Barack Obama or an immediate family member can plunk down $10 ($11.50 if he orders online) and have Hawaii mail a certified document to him within a week or two. But more than two weeks have passed since the Obama campaign adopted the suspect, uncertified image of a purported birth document published by a left-wing blog Daily Kos, and nothing certified and nothing on paper has since has been forthcoming. Nor has there been any official comment about the issue from the campaign. They may cling to the hope -- however audacious -- that the one issue that could disqualify their man constitutionally from gaining the presidency will just go away.

Amy Hollyfield of the St. Petersburg Times, and a reporter for the paper's "Politifact" blog, said that she has been seeking the birth certificate "for months." She was frustrated: "Hawaii birth certificates aren't public record. Only family members can request copies, so when the campaign declined to give us one, we were stalled."

Finally, the campaign released the image (resembling the one at the top of this article). Hollyfield e-mailed it to the Hawaii Department of Health, which maintains such records, to ask if it was real.

"It's a valid Hawaii state birth certificate," spokesman Janice Okubo told us.
Then the firestorm started.

Israel Insider contacted Okubo several days. She could not refer to Obama's specific case, she said, because no one but an authorized family member can do so. But she did confirm that a valid "certification of live birth" would need to have an embossed seal and signature and that it can only be printed and mailed. There is no such thing as an electronic only certification.

There's more, the total article is here: As Obama Stonewalls on Uncertified Birth Certificate, Official Doubts Mount

Kudos to the author who is not credited at this link.

Hydrogen Cars, The Other Side of the Story

The new breed of hydrogen fuel cell-powered auto isn't as environmentally friendly as you think.

A different take on what it's going to take to change the dependency on oil. The problem has been that most of the alternatives actually use more energy to create the alternate energy source that what it takes to produce a gallon of gas. The ethanol test has hardly been a rousing success, and the hydrogen powered car option seems unlikely to ever happen after reading the rest of this article. I personally like the option of electric cars ( go to Tesla Motors to see where we are heading). But what happens when we all get home at the end of the day and plug our cars into the electrical grid? We'd better be thinking about that ahead of time. Anyway, here is an interesting take on hydrogen from an article in The Guardian:

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Would you buy a car that costs 10 times as much as a hybrid gasoline-electric one, like the Toyota Prius? What if I told you it had half the range of the hybrid? What if I told you most cities didn't have a single hydrogen fuelling station? Not interested yet? This should be the deal closer: what if I told you it wouldn't have lower greenhouse-gas emissions than the hybrid?

Other than the traditional media, and some presidential candidates, who are as distracted by shiny new objects as my 16-month-old daughter, nobody should get terribly excited when a car company rolls out its wildly impractical next-generation hydrogen car. Too many miracles are required for it to be a marketplace winner.

Take Honda's new FCX Clarity. As the New York Times reported, "the cars cost several hundred thousand dollars each to produce," although Honda's president Takeo Fukui "said that should drop below $100,000 in less than a decade as production volumes increase."
But why would production volumes increase for a car that delivers no real value to the consumer and has no significant societal benefit to motivate government support? Answer: they wouldn't, so prices may never drop below $100,000.

And who, exactly, is going to buy a car that can't easily find fuel? On the other hand, who is going to build tens of thousands of fuelling stations - price tag $2m apiece or more - until the cars are wildly successful? That is the so-called chicken-and-egg problem, which is especially acute for hydrogen. After all, why should oil companies spend tens of billions of dollars building a hydrogen fuelling infrastructure, which at best will take away business from their tremendously profitable gasoline sales, and at worst will be a complete business loss, assuming, as now seems likely, that hydrogen cars never catch on?

And yet the media can't get enough of these hi-tech Edsels. The New York Times, of all places, writes:

Fuel cells have an advantage over electric cars, whose batteries take hours to recharge and use electricity, which, in the case of the United States, China and many other countries, is often produced by coal-burning power plants.

Is the Times unaware that electricity is pretty much available everywhere, whereas hydrogen is essentially available nowhere? Is the Times unaware that the per-mile fuel cost of an electric car is probably one-quarter that of a hydrogen fuel-cell car? Is the Times unaware that electric-car manufacturers are working on "exchangeable batteries", which would make a battery swap about as fast as it takes to refuel a car with hydrogen?

Most egregious: Where, exactly, does the Times think hydrogen comes from? Santa Claus? More than 95% of US hydrogen is made from natural gas, so running a car on hydrogen doesn't reduce net carbon dioxide emissions compared with a hybrid like the Prius running on gasoline. OK, you say, can't hydrogen be made from carbon-free sources of power, like wind energy or nuclear? Sure, but so can electricity for electric cars. And this gets to the heart of why hydrogen cars would be the last car you would ever want to buy: they are wildly inefficient compared with electric cars.

Electric cars - and plug-in hybrid cars - have an enormous advantage over hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in utilising low-carbon electricity. That is because of the inherent inefficiency of the entire hydrogen fuelling process, from generating the hydrogen with that electricity to transporting this diffuse gas long distances, getting the hydrogen in the car, and then running it through a fuel cell - all for the purpose of converting the hydrogen back into electricity to drive the same exact electric motor you'll find in an electric car.

The total power-plant-to-wheels efficiency with which a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle is likely to utilise low-carbon electricity is 20-25% - and the process requires purchasing several expensive pieces of hardware, including the electrolyser and delivery infrastructure. The total efficiency of simply charging an onboard battery with the original low-carbon electricity, and then discharging the battery to run the electric motor in an electric car or plug-in, however, is 75-80%. That is, an electric car will travel three to four times farther on a kilowatt-hour of renewable or nuclear power than a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle will.

No wonder the Wall Street Journal reported this in March:
Top executives from General Motors Corp and Toyota Motor Corp Tuesday expressed doubts about the viability of hydrogen fuel cells for mass-market production in the near term and suggested their companies are now betting that electric cars will prove to be a better way to reduce fuel consumption and cut tailpipe emissions on a large scale.

So why do a few car companies persist in rolling out generation after generation of overhyped Hindenburgs? Maybe it's because they keep getting so much free positive publicity.
The Times story includes not a single critic of hydrogen cars and reads like a Honda press release. The Times opens the story by saying that the FCX "may have just moved the world one step closer to a future free of petroleum." Not quite.

The story does end with some illumination: "For now, the first batch of customers seem drawn by the car's novelty as much as anything else." The same might be said of the media.
If you build it, the media will come, but don't hold your breath waiting for mass-market hydrogen-car buyers. In two years, GM and Toyota have promised to deliver plug-in hybrids. That will be a real step closer to a future free of petroleum.
This article originally appeared in Technology Review.

Joseph Romm
guardian.co.uk,
Monday June 23, 2008

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The Manipulation of Oil Prices and What Can Be Done!

What Can Be Done About the Price of Oil?

There is no end in sight to the rising oil prices, and it often feels like there is price manipulation in the market place. Is there a cheaper energy source available today that we can use instead of gasoline? Can I run my car on Water?

With gas prices rising and gas consumption in the USA dropping, one would expect that prices would stabilize and eventually drop. Yet this is not the case.

In an efficient market, the forces of Supply and Demand would lead to equilibrium rather quickly. Let's take a look at the market to see if we can determine who controls oil prices.

On the Supply side, the disparity between growing oil resources (new oil discoveries) and oil production has been increasing since 1980 as the growth in production outpaced the growth in oil resources. Economists are predicting that oil prices will continue to rise until a new market equilibrium is reached where supply satisfies world demand. Also, the turbulence in the Middle East, especially in Iraq, and the instability in West Africa, has led to a reduction in oil exports.

On the Demand side, the most significant factor affecting oil prices has been the increasing demand worldwide by emerging industrial countries: India and China, specifically. These two countries are becoming huge oil consumers as rapid urbanization, growing industries, and higher living standards dramatically increase energy usage. China has seen a doubling of oil consumption over the last 10 years, and expects another doubling in less than a decade, as oil consumption has been increasing by 8% per year since 2002.

The largest component of oil consumption is Transportation, reflecting our love affair for big cars and trucks. In China and India, the rapid growth in vehicle ownership is driving oil consumption rapidly higher, accounting for 75% of the increase in the consumption of oil. In this country, that compares to 70%.

World population growth is an additional factor pushing demand higher for oil. In 1979, production of oil per capita peaked. Since that time, per capita has been steadily declining. It is expected that by 2030, world population will have doubled since 1980.

So, who controls gas prices? Perhaps OPEC by controlling exports. Or the large integrated oil companies like Exxon Mobile and ConocoPhillips who are making record profits. Or even the companies in the distribution chain: the refiners and gas station owners.

Most would answer who controls gas prices by pointing to the large integrated oil companies. The production units of these companies actually sell their oil to the highest bidder, and purchase oil for their refineries from the lowest cost sources. And there's the problem.

The answer to who controls gas prices is the Institutional Investors. They set the spot price for oil. Hedge fund manager Michael Masters went before Congress to testify in May of this year. During his testimony, he said "What we are experiencing is a demand shock coming from a new category of participant in the commodities futures markets: Institutional Investors...". The general media emphasizes the emerging industrial countries (China and India) as the primary cause for price rises over the last five years. But little attention is given to the Index Speculators (Institutional Investor) whose demand for oil, over the same five year period, was equal to China.

Rampant speculation in the spot market for oil is responsible for the sharp rise in oil prices, says OPEC Secretary General Abdullah al-Badri. In June '08, he presented his findings showing that the 'paper market' for oil has reached 1.36 billion barrels daily. This is 15 times the 87 million barrels per day that is consumed worldwide.

Without proper oversight (most of the oil market remains unregulated), Institutional Investors are free to manipulate the market by pushing prices higher. Hence, they are the group who controls gas prices.

So, what can we do about it? Short of waiting for Congress to implement legislation, or the Chairman of the SEC to take action, we can take action and effectively be the one who controls gas prices. How? We can effectively control prices by dramatically improving the gas mileage of our cars and trucks.

The automakers will be introducing high mileage vehicles in the near future. GM has announced its Chevy Volt, an EV (electric) for 2010 with a small engine for recharging the batteries. The Volt is expected to average over 150 mpg.

There is also the Hydrogen Fuel Cell car, which is at least a decade away (I don't hold much promise for this design).

And there will be the next generation of the current Hybrid car: the pluggable Hybrid. With advances in battery technology, this next generation Hybrid will average over 100 mpg. It is slated to be introduced in 2010.

But there is something we can do today with existing technology. It is not expensive, and it's easy to implement. It is not harmful to the engine (it is actually beneficial) and it promises to increase your gas mileage by as much as 50%.

The system improves gas mileage by capturing wasted energy from the engine and then reintroducing it to the engine as needed. This is same approach that Hybrid car technology applies. Wasted energy occurs when the engine is idling, usually when the vehicle is at a standstill or when it is coasting down a hill. The system captures the wasted energy by converting water to a highly combustible gas, oxyhydrogen (HHO) through electrolysis. It's like running your car on Water.

Link to the Author:

Fight back against the oil companies. A simple inexpensive system will show HOW TO RUN YOUR CAR ON WATER

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Unique Content Article: Introduction To Hybrid Cars

Introduction To Hybrid Cars

by Joseph Then

Let's face it; we need to do our part to save the environment. Well, if you own a car or have heard the news, there is something called hybrid cars? What exactly is a hybrid car? Do you know? Well, if you don't, do yourself a favour and read on.

A hybrid car, or commonly known as hybrid vehicle, uses at least two distinct power sources to propel. Some of the most common power sources are: rechargeable energy storage system (RESS), a fueled power source, air or electric motor or gas engine.

Most hybrid cars are known as hybrid-electric vehicle or HEV. What is a HEV? For starters, I am going to tell you that HEV uses combustion and electric motors. Get he hint? It's okay if you don't.

A conventional propulsion system and RESS are usually combined together to make a HEV. Yes, you read it right; they are combined. They are combined to achieve better fuel economy..

However, HEVs are considered more expensive as they are known as the hybrid premium vehicle. They are more expensive as they have extra batteries and more electronics than a basic hybrid vehicle. So, how do you sell you hybrid car if you want to buy a new one? Well, let me tell you this; to sell your car, you have to take a look at the trade-off between higher initial costs and lower fuel costs. This is dependant on the usage of the vehicle. This differs greatly from the traditional direct cost of a car.

Why choose hybrid cars? The most obvious benefit of having a hybrid car is that we can do our part to save the planet as a hybrid car is environmentally friendly. The other thing you have to trust me on is that a hybrid car is fun to drive. If you ever have an opportunity to test drive a hybrid car, you should jump at it right away.

I am sure you are dying to know the other benefits of driving a hybrid car and I am sure I have to do better to convince you that a hybrid car is much better than a conventional car.

You have to trust me on this; it has been proven that the fuel consumption of a hybrid car is much lesser than a normal car. This s because a hybrid car uses three mechanisms.

Durability of a hybrid car is like the durability of a range rover. Sounds unbelievable but you have to trust me. Its gasoline engine, brakes and also batteries are so durable that the cost of maintaining them are close to nothing.

Are you ready to own a hybrid car? Well, let me tell you this; in a about 10 year's time most cars on the roads will be hybrids. Even the most popular hybrid car company, Toyota is going to increase production to a million in less than a decade's time.

Your next step? Put this to the test right away. Maybe you should start plannig to do your part to save the planet by trading your conventional car with a hybrid car.

About the Author:

Hybrid cars are the cars for the future and you should try to own one too. Find out more about Hybrid Cars and the various models that are selling in the market right now. Visit our website today ==> http://www.hybridcarsmoney.com

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Title: Introduction To Hybrid Cars
Author: Joseph Then
Keywords: cars,automotive,automobile,autos,cars,automobiles,autos,vehicles,trucks,transport,technology
Word Count: 518
Category: Vehicles:Cars
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Unique Content Article: Learn How Save Hundreds Of Dollars With Alternative Fuel Cars

Learn How Save Hundreds Of Dollars With Alternative Fuel Cars

by Yomi A

For the first time in history the average gas price per gallon has risen to $4 in US. This has altered the lifestyle of people in ways that they never imagined before and at the same time this has had them look for alternate fuels.

Beyond the obvious changes like cutting down on the trips to grocery stores there have been impacts on how one drives or whether one drives at all because of these high prices. One corporate businessman decided to take the bus every day to work in order to bring down the gas budget which had gotten close to $400 per month for his family. The effects were tangible like waking up early to catch the bus and then getting off at a certain hour to make it to the bus or walking up a mile to his office from the bus stand. More than the tangible effects there were emotional effects of suddenly feeling 'poor' and feeling that you are not able to provide enough for your family.

Another employee working at an insurance company had to hunt out foods in the grocery section which could remain frozen for his lunch as he was no longer in a position to afford his trips to restaurants during lunch break. Not because of the food prices but the gas prices.

Some other families have decided not to take a vacation and drive down to their parent's house as the gas prices are too high. And yet others have bought smaller cars in order to be fuel efficient even if it means that some members of the family have to be cramped in the back seat.

They say necessity is the mother of invention and all of these factors have led the American consumer to look for alternate fuels. What this has meant for companies is to create technology which can use alternate sources of fuel and they have done a good job at it too.

Ethanol has fast risen the popularity chart as an alternate fuel or rather something that can blend with the gas that you are using and provide an alternate source of energy and be cost effective. Biodiesel has been in use by companies lately and there are many cars which use a blend of biodiesel and gas to fuel cars and even homes.

The Japanese are far ahead in the game when it comes to creating hybrid cars and many of the hybrid cars are much more fuel efficient and as effective when it comes to power as the conventional cars. However the most path - breaking technology in fuel efficiency has got to be the ability to fuel your car using water. There has been research going on to blend water with fuel over the years and the technology is now finally feasible. Hundreds have already adopted it and many more are joining every day in buying conversion kits that helps them run their cars on a blend of water and fuel. This technology is very safe and is already in use by many families.

Best of all it can save up to 40% of your gas prices and is not difficult to install too. This technology is environment friendly as well because it helps you to reduce emissions and stay green.

Everyone who is feeling the pinch of gas should try this technology out and find for themselves that there is really no need for them to make the sacrifices they are making just for the sake of gas prices.

About the Author:

Yomi A. is a freelance writer and normally blogs about alternative fuel cars. You can can get more information about alternative fuel cars on his website www.gas-price-relief.net

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Title: Learn How Save Hundreds Of Dollars With Alternative Fuel Cars
Author: Yomi A
Keywords: alternative fuel cars,gas prices,biodiesel,automobile,cars,vehicles,product reviews,cars
Word Count: 585
Category: Vehicles:Cars
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Brief History of Budget Rent A Car

Budget Rent A Car

Part of our local Avis/Budget Group
Budget Rent A Car is a name widely known in the rental industry. It has been around since the early days of car rental and one of the first to target travelers on a budget (hence the name). The company has had a bumpy ride and seen many ups and downs but the name and company values have remained. Here is an overview of how this company has survived.

Budget Rent A Car was the brainchild of Morris Mirkin who established the business in Los Angeles in 1958. He started the business with just $10,000 and only his wife and himself as employees. He only had a fleet of 10 cars but with a 4 dollars a day and 4 cents per mile rate, his rentals were popular for their value.

Budget was doing good business but Mirkin wanted rapid expansion and knew that to be successful he needed to have a number of locations. Funding was provided a year later by his relative, Jules Lederer. This enabled the company to create a leasing company and increase its fleet. Lederer and Mirkin established Budget Rent A Car Corporation in 1960 in Chicago, Illinois. The company started to rapidly expand both nationally and internationally.

The 60s and 70s were a very successful time for Budget. Like many companies in the industry, they moved their location to the airport so it was more convenient for travelers. They maintained their low rates to attract the budget-minded customers and they gained about 20 percent of the leisure market every year. They also increased their market reach by attracting smaller businesses and medium size corporations.

The 80s and 90s were a rough time for Budget Rent A Car. The company changed hands a few time and profit rose and fell. A tax credit law was repealed in 1986 allowing rental car companies to exempt taxes on new car purchases. A management restructuring took place and many car rental companies felt the financial blow. Despite this upset, the company was taken public in 1987 and had an initial offering of 3.2 million shares.

Changes continued in the late 80s and 90s. Budget was bought out for 3.3 million by various corporations and taken private again in 1987. In 1997 it was bought by Team Rental Group and changed its name to Budget Group, Inc. and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Things seemed to be looking up with expansion worldwide but by 2002 sales of public stock dropped and the company was de-listed. Budget was forced to sell most of its assets.

Today Budget maintains its name and corporate identity but is now a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group. Budget Rent A Car has almost 2000 car rental locations such as the alicante airport and is again listed on the NYSE.

About the Author:

Peter Wilson frequently makes newsletters on information much like alicante airport tips and car hire companies. On his site you can have a look at his comments on car hire companies and alicante car hire at the airport.

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Brief History of Our Local Dollar/Thrifty Car Rental Company

Dollar/Thrifty Rent-A-Car

Dollar Rent A Car is a company that is well known in the car rental industry. There are more than 650 locations worldwide with more than 350 of those in the US and Canada. They have survived the ups and downs of the industry and are today a leader in the car rental market. They have been first in many aspects of technology, especially with the internet. Here is a brief history of this successful company and how they are able to prosper.

In 1965 Dollar Rent A Car set up its corporate offices in Los Angeles, California. While that may seem like a long time ago, car rental companies existed long before that; Avis got its start 20 years earlier. Since Dollar was going up against the established rental agencies, it had to promote itself as something different. Its marketing was not just aimed at the business traveler but also budget minded vacationers. It also touted its high level of customer service.

Dollar Rent A Car marketing strategy worked and not only were they able to survive against their rivals but they soon grew and expanded their operation. Though they started late in the rental game, they were able to establish themselves and compete against the other car rental players.

Chrysler's Involvement

Chrysler Motors was looking to expand and promote the new Pentastar Group Chrysler - a network of rental car companies. In the early 90s Chrysler purchased Dollar Rent A Car along with Thrifty Car Rental and General Car Rental. Chrysler wanted to enter the rental car business as a way to promote their cars. They hoped that if customers rented their cars they'd be more inclined to purchase a Chrysler vehicle.

Since Dollar and Thrifty were established rental car companies, they retained their name and corporate image. General Car Rental merged with Dollar Rent A Car so their client base and number of locations greatly increased.

Dollar Rent A Car Today

Today Dollar Rent A Car continues to exclusively rent Chrysler vehicles - a sign that Chrysler's plan has worked. Its marketing is geared towards vacationers who are looking for a bargain but due to its low rates and numerous locations, Dollar also attracts business travelers. They have a large customer base and a large number of repeat customers part of their loyalty program. With locations such as Atlanta, GA and the Murcia airport, car rental is a breeze.

Booking with Dollar Rent A Car

So the next time you need to rent a car, why not rent a Chrysler vehicle with Dollar? Chrysler has many models ranging from compact to luxury. Visit Dollar's website or call their reservations department to make a reservation. You'll see why their low rates and service standards make them an industry leader.

by Kurt Schefken

About the Author:
Kurt Schefken usually produces reports on topics similar to cheapest car hire in murcia area. His work on cheapest car hire in murcia area and murcia airport car rental are published on his website .

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Unique Content Article: Not All Rental Companies Are at the Airport

Not All Rental Companies Are at the Airport

by Leroy Calstard

Enterprise Car Rental is a company that is well known in the car rental industry. They have been around a long time but joined the car rental game a bit late. Even so, they have grown and offer a unique product that has proven successful over the years. They credit their success to listening to what their customers want and it has worked. Here's a brief history of Enterprise Car Rental and how they became an industry leader.

Early Beginnings

Enterprise Car Rental actually didn't start out as a rental company at all. Jack Taylor owned a car leasing company in St. Louis, Missouri called Executive Leasing Company. He started the leasing business because he thought that people would be as interested in leasing a car as they would with purchasing one. His idea worked but he found that his customers wanted a car to use while their's was in the shop. Taylor soon started Executive Car Rental in 1962. The business grew and soon Taylor wanted to expand the rental business.

The Enterprise Name

In 1969 Taylor expanded outside of St Louis but needed a unique name since "Executive" was used widely in the car business. Taylor decided to name the business after an aircraft carrier he served on in World War II and so the name Enterprise was born.

Keeping Cars for Locals

In the 1960's most of the rental companies had moved from the city to the airport. Most of the travelers needed a car when they arrived and so the airport was a convenient location. However John Taylor saw the market for hometown rental offices that provide rentals to locals who need a car. With this thinking, John Taylor focused on this market and opened up locations outside the airport and in cities without an airport. His idea worked and his business expanded.

In 1974 a branch manager in Orlando, Florida came up with the idea of a drop off and pick up car service for customers. This was again revolutionary for the industry. Most of the other car rental companies remained at the airport where this wasn't needed. This service proved to be popular with their target customer who needs a local rental.

Enterprise Car Today

Enterprise Car Rental continues to grow and still listens to what customers want. They continue to open in-town locations and serve cities that aren't served by an airport. Their pick up and drop off service is still available and touted in the marketing. You can see why this company has grown in popularity and has become a big player in the rental car industry.

About the Author:

Leroy Calstard regularly creates online reports on issues relating to tips on car rental in spain. His abstracts on car rental in torrevieja are published on his website .

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Title: Not All Rental Companies Are at the Airport
Author: Leroy Calstard
Keywords: car rental,airports,rental companies,vehicles,cars,Car Rental,advice,tips
Word Count: 432
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Safe Driving Plan for Teenagers

Safe Driving Plan for Teenagers

by DrProactive, Randy Gilbert, Producer of Inside Success Radio

Car crashes kill more teenagers every year in this nation than guns, drugs, alcohol, suicide, and violence combined. With those statistics it is no surprise that parents are apprehensive about handing their car keys over to their teenager.

If a parent does not recognize the importance of their own teaching role to insure the safe driving habits of their children, they are right to fear the worst. Unfortunately, many parents feel that driver education programs ought to be enough to teach their teen how to handle a vehicle and the rules of the road.

Teenagers need at least 30 to 50 hours behind the wheel before they begin to understand the real dangers of the road and develop safe driving skills. In reality, our teenagers are only getting 1 to 6 hours behind the wheel of a car in driver's ed, in every state. That is barely enough time to understand the laws required to pass the driving test and handle the car in even the most basic traffic situations.

Parents have the ultimate responsibility to ensure their teens are properly educate with the skills and behaviors required to be safe and smart drivers. Timothy Smith, author of Crash Proof Your Kids, Make Your Teen a Safer, Smarter Driver believes "Either underestimating their role and lacking effective methods parents are failing to equip their teenagers with the skills to handle the single most dangerous thing they will ever do in their life and at their most risky age."


Smith, a father of three teenagers, decided it was time to get more involved after a series of fatal car crashes happened in his neighborhood involving mistakes by teen drivers. He began looking for information that would help his own teenagers develop safe driving skills but found little that was cohesive and useful. Nothing seemed to be available beyond basic driver's ed.

Smith, an award-winning author and trained race car driver decided to do further research and created a step by step plan designed to Radically reduce teen automobile crashes. Following the Crashproof Plan he developed will give your teenager the skills needed to be successful drivers and survive in all adverse driving situations.

Here are just a few tips that you can put toward saving your teens life:

Sit down and discuss with your teen all the dangers and issues involved: speeding, road rage, drinking, drugs, distractions, cell phones, passengers, curfews etc. The steps to learning how to drive are complex but signing a Crashproof Contract to outline the boundaries, penalties, and incentives involved for driving decisions will help them understand the process.

Get your teen's participation in this process and agreement, to create a plan for your teen to safely assume the responsibility for use of a car. Help them understand this is about helping them deal with the single most dangerous thing they will probably ever do.

It is important to always remain a positive role model. Your children learn from you, they will emulate the driving habits you have showed them long before it was even time for them to starting thinking about learning. You cannot expect your teenagers to get into the car, use their seat belts, and practice safe driving practices if they don't see you doing the same thing.

Follow the driving rules you learned when you were teen but that so many of us fail to use today; such as driving within the speed limit, using your turn signals, being a courteous driver, and never using a cell phone while driving. Don't forget that your children are always surveying your every move, learning from your behavior and imitating your own actions

Communicate with your children about becoming safer and smarter drivers. Take an approach that does not criticize your teen, but emphasizes the measures needed for driving safely. Remain calm while driving with your teen, and focus on constructive ways to focus on their driving more effectively. You don't want your teenagers to turn you off, so make your time together and your lessons positive, with specific goals for each driving session.

Use simple exercises that reinforce step by step safe driving habits. Get them behind the wheel in every type of driving condition and help them with the specific hardships they will face in each situation. Practice driving in all types of weather, drive in the dark, in the city and on the highway.

Get started with these proactive strategies excerpted from the Crashproof Plan to help your teens be safer, smarter drivers. You will sleep better at night knowing that you did your part in giving your children the skills they need to return home safely every time they take a drive.

About the Author:

For more teen crash proofing strategies from Timothy C. Smith catch his entire enlightening interview with Randy Gilbert host of The Inside Success Show for FREE!

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