Several studies have recently taken place on road and driving safety at leading universities and the Institute for Highway and Traffic Safety. These studies show that many accidents can be avoided. Also, these studies have shown that the severity of accidents that cannot be avoided can be greatly reduced. Below are the results of the studies and tips that will help increase your driving safety.

First, dirty or scratched windshields and headlights are a big safety risk. If you receive glare from an oncoming car and cannot see due to a dirty windshield your risk of having an accident is greatly increased. Dirty or scratched windshields will actually reflect the light causing more glare and possibly blinding your vision. It is a good idea to properly clean your windshield every time you fill up. Many service stations have windshield washing fluid and brushes free for you to use. It is also a good idea to check your headlights.

If your headlights are worn or yellowed from the sun and weathering, they will be ineffective and greatly reduce your night time vision. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety:

An average of 9 out of every 10 cars on the road today has dirty or yellowed headlights that greatly reduce vision and need to be replaced or restored.

There is now a patented headlight cleaner and restorer kit readily available from one company that have been proven effective in restoring headlights to like new and greatly increasing your night timedriving safety.

Another study has shown that just the color choice for your car or truck could be the difference in whether or not you get in an accident. The safest color was found to be silver as it reflected more light and was easier to see. Dark colors like dark blue, dark green, black and similar actually blended in with the environment in certain tests and were harder to see. Some dark colors actually had a 50% higher accident rate like dark blue and dark green. It was shown that light reflecting colors and bright colors were easily seen and much safer. Ever wonder why some auto insurance companies ask what color your car is? Its not for informational or replacement records. Its because certain colors will increase your risk and thusly your insurance premium.

The research done to date on the effects of weight training on cyclists has brought mixed results. The study done by Ben Hurley at the University of Maryland had 10 healthy men take up strength training (bench presses, hip flexions, knee extensions, knee flexions, press-ups, leg presses, lat pulldowns, arm curls, parallel squats, and bent-knee sit-ups) for 12 weeks, while eight other healthy men served as controls.

After 12 weeks, the strength-trained men improved their endurance while cycling at an intensity of 75 per cent V02max by 33 per cent and also lifted lactate threshold (the single best predictor of endurance performance) by 12 per cent.

However, these men were untrained prior to the study and did not carry out regular cycling workouts during the research, so the applicability of these findings to serious athletes is questionable

The study carried out by R. C. Hickson and his colleagues at the University of Illinois at Chicago was considerably more practical. In that investigation, eight experienced cyclists added three days per week of strength training to their regular endurance routines over a 10-week period.

The strength training was incredibly simple, focusing on parallel squats (five sets of five reps per workout), knee extensions (three sets of five reps), knee flexions (3 x 5), and toe raises (3 x 25), all with fairly heavy resistance. The only progression utilized in the program involved the amount of resistance, which increased steadily as strength improved.

Nonetheless, the strength training had a profoundly positive impact on cycling performance. After 10 weeks, the cyclists improved their ‘short-term endurance’ (their ability to continue working at a very high intensity) by about 11 per cent, and they also expanded the amount of time they could pedal at an intensity of 80% V02max from 71 to 85 minutes, about a 20-per cent upgrade.

On the negative side, we have research, carried out by James Home and his colleagues at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, seven endurance cyclists who averaged about 200 kilometers of cycling per week incorporated three strength training sessions into their normal routine. The strength program was relatively unsophisticated, consisting of three sets of up to eight repetitions of hamstring curls, leg presses, and quadriceps extensions using fairly heavy resistance.

After six weeks, the strength training had produced rather impressive gains in strength (the gains averaged a bit more than 20 per cent). However, actual cycling performances were not improved; in fact, they were worse than before the strength training was undertaken! 40-K race times slowed from 59 to 62 minutes, and the strength-trained cyclists complained of feeling ‘heavy’ and tired during their workouts.

Why did Hickson’s study uncover clear advantages associated with strength training for cyclists, while Home’s work revealed the reverse?

No one knows for certain, which means it’s time for a personal observation. It seems quite likely that the strength training carried out by Hickson’s charges improved fatigue resistance in their muscles, permitting them to persist longer both during high-intensity tests of endurance and prolonged efforts at a submaximal (80% V02max) intensity.

Meanwhile, it’s likely that Home’s added strength training sent his athletes into the overtrained – or at least ‘stale’ – state. The feelings of fatigue which originated shortly after the beginning of strength training suggests that the athletes were simply doing too much work.

Home’s cyclists were averaging 124 miles of weekly riding when they started their strength training, while Hickson’s athletes were logging considerably fewer miles, so one might be tempted to suggest that strength training can produce major benefits for low-mileage cyclists but does much less for experienced, higher mileage competitors who have already built up considerable strength merely by riding.

That certainly wouldn’t be an unreasonable thought, but it doesn’t explain why strength training per se would actually slow down endurance performances, as it seemed to do for Home’s performers (no other study has shown this). It seems very likely that Home’s added strength training was simply the straw that broke the camel’s back; it wasn’t the strength training which slowed the cyclists but the total amount of work they had to complete.

Another issue that was not kept controlled in the studies was nutrition and supplementation which also would have a major impact. It is my personal feeling after three decades in the physical training world that weight training is advantageous in almost all sports when done properly and paired with the correct nutrition.

Source: articlesbase.com

Because the mouth contains many millions of bacteria, all possible precautions are taken to prevent entry of the germs into the tooth socket. Bacteria may get out control and may cause periodontal disease. If the pulp is exposed, special materials maybe applied to help the pulp recover from the irritation of the procedure and to form a firm base for the amalgam, inlay or other restorative substance that becomes filling.

Many dentist believed that ceramics could provide more natural-looking restorations. With ceramics, also teeth would be less sensitive to changes of temperature – a problem with some more traditional materials.

If you are inquisitive about which brand of teeth whiteners will work well for your teeth, you should go and ask your dentist. There are loads of teeth whitening systems that are available to you as consumers. And each of them claim to provide the best whitening results. It always depend on who you believe in. All natural teeth whitening is now the most popular of all. Ask your dentist on which system would be beneficial for your teeth.

From these cracks, bacteria will start to lurk and begin to multiply and cause damage to teeth and gums. The individual may experience swollen and bleeding gums every time they brush and floss teeth. These are the common symptoms of early gum disease.

The choice of foods and the lack of proper dental care can have an impact on gum health. Dental visits can help you learn the proper ways of caring for teeth and gums.