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Off The Road, On The Phone

What's the safest way to make a cell phone call or text while driving? The simple truth is, there isn't one. "Get off the road to make a phone call -- period," says Phil Rivers, a deputy sheriff who runs driving safety programs for the Florida Sheriffs Association. "That's the safest way to do it."

If the call is too important to wait until you reach your destination, here's where -- and how -- to pull your vehicle off the road:

• If you're driving on a two- or four-lane highway, exit onto a side road.
• Stop on the shoulder only in a real emergency. You risk being sideswiped by fast-moving traffic, and some shoulders are narrow or have drop-offs that put you in danger of damaging your vehicle and injuring yourself. Be sure to use your hazard lights.
• Rest areas and malls are good options when you need to stop somewhere to return a call or text. However, keep personal safety in mind. Only stop if the area is well-lit and filled with other people.

Locate-Me-Not

A chain email has been circulating for a few years warning about the danger of programming your home address into your vehicle's GPS. Why? If your vehicle is stolen, thieves can find out where you live by powering up the GPS. Although only a handful of crimes appear to have been connected to stolen GPS units, you can eliminate this threat by programming a nearby business address instead of your real home address. Better yet, don't tempt car thieves in the first place. Fight crime with these three low-tech (but ultra-effective) techniques: Hide GPS and other valuables in a trunk. Lock your car doors. And never leave keys in the ignition, even for a minute.

Spring Back Into Yard Work

Before you start another satisfying season of lawn and garden care, take these three simple steps:

• Inventory your equipment. Replace old yard care tools and get rid of stuff you don't use. A clutter-free garage is a safer garage.
• Examine power tools. Things can happen in storage, like critters chewing on cords.
• Walk your yard first. You never know what potential projectiles have landed in the area since you last mowed, raked or tilled.

All Tired Out

The Symptom: Your trusty car has made it through another tough winter of dodging potholes and commuting on rough roads. But your vehicle now pulls to the left or the right, even when you're driving straight on a flat road; or its tires have irregular or uneven wear.

The Bumpy Causes: Typically it's those poor road conditions, which throw vehicles out of alignment sooner than normal, says Patrick Curtin, a Tire Industry Association certified trainer at Sullivan Tire, a chain of tire service centers in New England. Unusual tire wear also could be caused by under- or overinflated tires or by worn suspension components on the vehicle.

The Cure: Often it's as easy as getting your alignment fixed, then checking it at least once a year. But don't put off the trip to the mechanic, says Curtin: "The longer a misaligned vehicle is driven, the tires are more susceptible to irregular and premature tire wear." Your mechanic may also suggest a tire rotation or tell you it's time for new tires.

 

Rain, Rain Come This Way

Rain gardens are absolutely dripping with popularity. Cities across the country are embracing rain gardens because they keep rain from leaving a home's property, which helps minimize water pollution problems associated with storm waters that dump into lakes, streams and ponds. They're also beautiful additions to a yard, says Michael Dietz, a water resources educator and author of Rain Gardens in Connecticut.

Rain Garden Defined: "Very basically, it is a depression in the landscape that collects water that could run off your property and get into the local water system," says Dietz. They're usually planted with perennials and shrubs; in fact, they look a lot like any flower bed.

Why They're Important: As rain hits roofs and driveways, it picks up low levels of pollution and bacteria. If that rain is diverted into storm drains, the accumulation of low levels of pollution becomes a much bigger problem. The solution, says Dietz, is simple: "You want the rainwater to sink into the ground as close to where it is generated, such as from a downspout, as possible." More good news for homeowners: By reducing storm water runoff, flood potential also is reduced.

What Rain Gardens Are Not: They aren't cures for a yard's troublesome wet spots. In fact those are some of the worst places to put a rain garden, which requires good drainage.

Installation and Maintenance: Rain gardens are typically easy DIY projects. If you can dig soil and grow plants, you can create one yourself. Just remember that to prevent basement water problems, rain gardens should be at least 10 feet from foundations.

For more information about designing and installing a rain garden, contact your state's cooperative extension system, which is typically associated with a university or college.