Tag Archives: safety

Tips for Your First Time Snowboarding

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Snow Boarding | High River, AB

With the Winter Olympic Games upon us, excitement surrounding winter sports is at an all-time high. If you’re itching to pack up your Toyota Tacoma or 4Runner and head out to the slopes, here are some snowboarding tips from our team at High River Toyota.

Get the gear

Safety is crucial when you’re gliding down the side of a mountain. While it may seem fun to just jump on a board and go, you need to be prepared with the right equipment. SnowboardHow founder Lorraine Lam suggests buying a helmet, knee pads, wrist guards, and hip pads in addition to your boots, jacket, pants, goggles, and base layer of clothing.

Hire a pro

There’s no shame in hiring an instructor to help you on your first few snowboarding outings. These trained professionals will teach you important lessons so you can stay safe and have fun. Even after you’ve got the basics down, it might be a good idea to take refresher courses at the start of a new season.

Prepare physically

If you’re not in great physical shape, it will be difficult to take on snow-covered mountains. Even though it looks like you’re just swaying back and forth on the board, snowboarding takes a lot of core and leg strength to succeed (and not fall down a hill).

The most important tip we can provide is to have fun! Getting out there and taking on a new skill can be daunting yet incredibly rewarding.

Tips for Teaching Your Teen to Drive

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Teaching Your Teen To Drive | Calgary, AB

Whether your teen driver is starting off right at 14 with his or her permit or waiting a bit longer to get behind the wheel, good driving habits can go a long way towards giving both of you peace of mind when they’re out on the road. Here are some tips for teaching your teen to drive.

Go through the vehicle. Before your teen even touches the gas pedal, make sure you give him a tour of the vehicle. Show him the basics, including how to adjust the seat for their perfect position, and show him the controls and features of the car.

Pick a safe place to start. It’s important that your teen doesn’t start right away on busy roads. Instead, try to let her get a feel for the vehicle in a location like an empty parking lot. This will allow your teen driver to practice using the gas and brakes, turning, and backing up before there’s the added pressure of traffic.

Build up to the big stuff. Once you’ve practiced a bit in a safe place, don’t immediately go to the highway. Instead, start out in slow, less populated areas, eventually getting to the point of highway driving.

Correct by asking questions. Rather than being forceful with your feedback, in non-emergency situations, try taking a question-asking approach. For instance, instead of saying, “Slow down, you’re going to get a speeding ticket!” simply ask, “What’s the speed limit here?” This will help your teen become more aware of surroundings and stay relaxed behind the wheel.

If you’re looking for a car to keep your teen safe on the roads, come talk to us at High River Toyota to learn more about our inventory.

How to Practice Defensive Driving

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When you’re behind the wheel, it’s important that you follow the rules of the road. You should also drive defensively, which means anticipating potential hazards. But how do you practice defensive driving? These tips should help you become a better defensive driver.

Stay alert and avoid distractions. To drive defensively, you need to be aware of your surroundings. That means you shouldn’t drive when you’re not alert, so avoid any possible distractions. This includes your phone, radio, or eating while driving.

Keep a safe following distance. You need plenty of space between you and the car in front of you so you can stop with enough space to avoid a collision. Consider following the three-second rule. It should take you at least three seconds to catch up with them if they come to a full stop. Increase this time to six seconds if it’s nighttime or if there’s bad weather.

Drive at a safe speed. Speed limits exist to keep you safe. Staying within this range will allow you to anticipate potential hazards easily.

Check your mirrors. Being aware of your surroundings is imperative to defensive driving. Continually check your mirrors so you know where pedestrians, other vehicles, and other obstacles are at all times.

The vehicles at High River Toyota have many safety tools installed to help you become a safer driver.

Don’t Drive Distracted: Tips for Safe Driving

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Tips for Safe Driving | High River, AB

The number of collisions caused by distracted driving is increasing every year. Because distracted driving has become such a large issue, all 10 provinces in Canada have some form of cell phone/distracted driving legislation. In Alberta, that includes a fine of $287 and 3 demerits on your licence. Here, we look at some tips for safe driving that will help reduce distractions.

Put Your Phone Away

Texting and making phone calls when driving is dangerous. To avoid the temptation to do so, consider putting your phone in your glove box or centre console storage. That way, even if you get a message on the go, you won’t even know you have.

Don’t Eat While on the Road

Eating snacks while you’re driving might seem like a good idea – especially on long road trips – but it can pull your eyes away from the road ahead. If you’re hungry, consider parking in a parking lot or, better yet, taking an hour’s break from your drive and sit in at a local restaurant.

Set Your GPS Before You Leave

Fiddling with your navigation system when your car is moving is as dangerous as sending a text. Enter your destination into the system before you leave or pull over to do so.

Turn Down Your Music

There’s nothing more enjoyable than rolling the windows down and blasting some tunes when the weather’s nice. This can qualify as distracted driving, though, and make hearing emergency sirens difficult. Consider turning the music down to ensure you’re not distracted by your favourite song while behind the wheel.

Follow these tips to make driving much safer. Contact us at High River Toyota if you need a new ride to drive better in.

Study Finds That Canadian Seniors Could Be Key for the Adoption of Semi-Autonomous Vehicles

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The Toyota Canada Foundation funded a recent study from the Traffic Injury Research Foundation that suggests Canadian seniors could play an integral role in the wider adoption of semi-autonomous vehicles.

 

 

“Our findings were quite surprising and showed that older drivers are very receptive to using semi-automated vehicles,” said Robyn Robertson, President and CEO of TIRF. “This is counter-intuitive as the adoption of new technologies is typically associated with a young demographic.”

 

According to the TIRF, older drivers better recognize the benefits of semi-autonomous technology in terms of improving safety. They’re also more likely to see the advancement of technology as a means to prolong their mobility safely as they begin to reach ages where cognitive and physical decline can occur.

 

Robertson suggests that Canadian seniors could take the reins and become leaders with respect to the adoption of self-driving vehicle technology, saying, “Senior drivers seem to possess important characteristics that make them ideal candidates for safe early adoption.”

 

Toyota has proven itself a leader with respect to cutting-edge safety, offering Toyota Safety Sense™ technologies like Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert, and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control as standard equipment in much of its lineup. To see more of what Toyota is doing to improve the quality of life on the road for all Canadians, visit High River Toyota.