National Road Safety Week

Hey Canada! It’s National Road Safety Week (May 15-21) and with the long weekend here, this is the perfect time to remind drivers to keep your eyes on the road and keep safe.

When you get behind the wheel, drop the distractions and keep your focus on the important task at hand: driving. “Accidents” are predictable and preventable. A collision may occur every 2.5 seconds in North America but driving defensively and preparing for the road ahead will help protect you and others on the road.

Buckle up and read on about what this week means to Canadians like the wonderful Stacey and her Did You Know Canada post.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend everyone!

EcoDriving: Tire Pressure Tips That Equal Savings

Green driving by maintaining your vehicle and keeping your tire pressure in check can go a long way when it comes to fuel savings. Check out this video to learn simple EcoDriving tips that will help you prepare for a smooth road ahead.

Road to S.M.a.R.T. Business Contest

Young Drivers of Canada is proud to support The 2nd annual Women in Biz Network Conference and announce our Road to S.M.a.R.T. Business Contest.

You could be 1 of 9 lucky professional and entrepreneurial women to join me at our Young Drivers table and have your WIBN Conference admission ticket paid for – on YD!

How awesome is this Conference? Hear it from past attendees! Lets get ready to prepare for the road ahead ladies and:
-Network and learn new skills over 2 fun filled days.
-Enjoy workshops, mentorship, conference sessions, free business coaching and networking parties where you can connect and learn from liked minded women.
-Get inspired by Conference speakers such as noted author and CityLine regular Kimberley Seldon as well as CBC’s Nora Young and radio personality Judy Croon
-Learn practical content such as social media, marketing, branding and business planning.
-Reinvent S.M.a.R.T. with social media, mentoring, agility, return and theory.

More information on the WIBN Conference and the S.M.a.R.T. approach available here:
http://womeninbiznetwork.com/2012conference/

Location: Admiral Radisson Hotel, 249 Queens Quay West, Toronto, Ontario
Conference Date: Thursday, May 31 & Friday June 1, 2012

To get your FREE admission ticket to the The 2nd annual Women in Biz Network Conference, fill out this entry form. Don’t forget to let me know why you want a S.M.a.R.T. seat. Contest closes May 20th at 11:59 EST. Winners will be contacted Monday, May 21st, 2012.

Hope to see you there! Suzanne

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How to Drive in the Fog Safely

April showers can bring May flowers and…. lots of fog.  Be sure to watch this video to help you safely prepare to drive in foggy weather.    Learn what mistakes to avoid while driving in the fog and how to make yourself more visible on the road.

Win a $100 Young Drivers of Canada Gift Certificate

**THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED**

I am happy to share my love for everything road safety with you and enjoy writing these blog posts.  Now I would like to turn it over to my wonderful community of blog readers.   I would love to hear your thoughts on how the actions of drivers can make our roads safer.

One lucky person will win a $100 Young Drivers of Canada gift certificate.  This certificate is transferable and good for any of our Young Drivers Centres across the country.  There is a wide array of driver training options available from Young Drivers, whether you are a new driver, already licensed, senior driver, or corporate fleet driver.  Maybe you failed your road test, are getting ready for a G1 or G2 exit road test or just want a few driving lessons to help you feel more confident on the road.  Enter to win and this certificate will help you prepare for the road ahead with the most comprehensive safe driver training courses in Canada.

Mandatory Entry: It’s easy.  Post your answer to the following question in the comments section of this post -What driving tip would you give someone to improve their driving?

Optional Entries: 1 comment per each optional entry.  For all of the items you do below, please leave a comment so it can be verified.

* Like Young Drivers of Canada on Facebook

* Follow @YoungDrivers on Twitter

* Tweet this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet in the comment section below.  Here is an example tweet:

Enter to win a $100 Young Drivers of Canada gift certificate. Contest ends March30 @YoungDrivers http://wp.me/p1bZK9-bG

This contest closes Friday, March 30th, 2012 at 11:59 EST.  The winner will be randomly chosen. Good luck!

Congratulations to Brenda Plowright Giovanatto!  Thank you to everyone for your wonderful comments and entries.

What To Do if your Car Brakes Fail

Young Drivers Director of Training Scott Marshall shows drivers what to do if they experience brake failure.  Drive safely.

Drive Cancer Out: Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life

Young Drivers of Canada is dedicated to saving lives on our roads and now, the Young Drivers Thunder Bay team has also made it their mission to help drive out cancer.

Starting this February until June 8^th, Young Drivers Thunder Bay will donate $10 for every student who enrolls in a Young Drivers of Canada Thunder Bay program to the “Agony of Defeet” team in this year’s Canadian Cancer Society: Relay for Life.

YD Thunder Bay Centre Director Ron Manduca’s decision to sponsor and support this team has a very personal meaning for him, “Too many families have been affected by this disease and so many of us want solutions to drive out cancer.  The Relay for Life event gives each Canadian the opportunity to be surrounded by those who feel strongly about this cause.  This team is a way for me to relay for my grandfather and friend Michael who are currently battling cancer. Being a part of this event is also a way to honour and remember my father in-law’s dad who passed away from pancreatic cancer and my uncle who died of throat cancer.”

Young Drivers has proudly been a part of the Thunder Bay community for 34 years. Ron says, “Being part of a community means being there to help one another.  My hope is that together our efforts will bring change.”

To contact Young Drivers of Canada Thunder Bay to enroll ph: 807-623-6109, email: thunderbay@yd.com or enroll online at: yd.com/thunderbay

To get involved: Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life

Cost of Driver Training Saves

I often hear from people that they know Young Drivers offers the best driver training in Canada but they question the cost of the program.  Here is some insight into how individuals and families save:

Winter Driving Tips for Icy Roads

Great tips from this video and article on how to handle treacherous winter driving conditions.

Storm aftermath: Icy roads, hydro outages | Ottawa & Region | News | Ottawa Sun.

*Story from Ottawa Sun January 17, 2012

Ultimate Test of Winter Emergency Kit: Canadian Video Series

We’re Canadian and we know what winter is all about.  Weather alerts have been popping up across the country with snow pushing into BC, frigid air in the Prairies, messy roads in Ontario and Quebec and flurries on our East Coast.  If we actually did get stuck on the road in our vehicle, what would we do and really need?

Mom and Driving Instructor Rachel Hesson-Bolton put herself  up to the ultimate test to help keep you and your family safe on our roads this winter.   Watch Rachel, who willingly “stuck” herself in her vehicle in -16°C weather for 24 hours, test the items in her kit with mixed results. You’ll be surprised that a lot of the items you need you already have at home.

Bottom line is -  If you don’t have a kit packed, what do you really need to get in that trunk that will work?  Better to have something in your vehicle then to be wishing you did have a kit when you’re stuck.  Remember it gets cold.  It gets cold really fast. If you already have items in your emergency kit, good to check out the series and learn the #1 must-have item and pull Rachel’s final emergency kit checklist to compare.

Families in mind, the kit will  fit in your vehicle and the episodes are all less than a couple minutes each. 

Watch, learn, laugh and prepare with the videos & checklist here: https://www.yd.com/24HourChallenge.aspx