Prior to 2007, side-installed airbags were optional. Automakers were not required to install them within their fleets. That changed toward the end of 2007. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) helped pass legislation requiring all automakers to have them installed by September 2013. Today, a growing number of vehicles come equipped with side air bags (SAs).
But how do they protect you and your passengers from injury in the event of an accident? We'll explore this issue below. I'll describe how these airbags protect your chest and head during a collision, and explain why many people are concerned about potential safety issues.
Types Of Side Airbags
There are three main types of SAs. The first type is designed to protect your head - and those of your passengers - in the event your vehicle is hit from the side. In this type of collision, an occupant's head can potentially slam into a side window. The second type is designed to protect your chest during a side collision. The third and last type is a combination of the previous two.
Protection For Your Head
Suppose you are involved in a front-impact collision. Following the impact, your body and head lurch forward toward your steering wheel and windshield. If you make contact at high speeds, the impact can prove fatal. Front airbags were designed to prevent your body or head from making contact after a front-impact collision.
As noted earlier, side-impact airbags are designed to protect your head from your side windows. For that reason, they are typically installed along the roof of your vehicle. Upon impact, they deploy downward and provide a buffer between you and the window nearest your head.
Sometimes, these bags cover the entire window. Other times, they cover the top portion and thus, are designed to protect adults. Moreover, some vehicles only have them installed for the driver and passenger in the front seat. Others have them installed for those in the row - or rows - behind. They are not meant to offer protection for occupants sitting in the middle.
Protection For Your Chest
Chest-protection side airbags might be installed within your vehicle's door panels or the sides of the seats. Currently, most automakers that have already begun installing them only do so for occupants sitting in the front of the car. Upon impact, the bags deploy sideward to provide a buffer between your torso and the door.
Combo SAs are primarily designed for installation into convertible cars. Because the roof on such vehicles can be removed or "taken down," these combination airbags are installed into the doors or seats.
Is There Safety Issues?
According to the NHTSA, there are no safety issues associated with side airbags. However, it is worth noting that the same claim was made regarding front air bags years ago. This was prior to reports surfacing of injuries and deaths involving children caused by the deployment of early versions.
Safety issues surrounding front-protection airbags have been all but eliminated over the last several years. The same may not yet be true regarding side-protection bags. As we approach the September 2013 deadline set by the NHTSA, the installation, materials used, and deployment protocols among varying automakers will likely become standardized. This will help resolve potential safety issues that exist today.
Automakers continue to test designs for their side-protection airbags in a variety of circumstances. This includes testing them to determine how effectively they can protect children and small adults during a side collision. Testing also involves placing crash dummies within the vehicle's cabin in specific body positions (e.g. laying across the back seat) to identify potential areas of exposure.
Like the development of front air bags, side-installed bags will likely continue to evolve over the next decade. As they do, they'll offer even higher levels of safety and protection from injury.
2010/05/13
Tips For Kitchen Storage Organization
A kitchen is a place where you cook and prepare dishes and special foods for your subsistence and of course for the enjoyment of other people. It is essential to have properly stored and organized food storage around the kitchen for the following reasons:
•You would not want ingredients to be mixed up. You want to know where to get things and where to keep them.
•You would not want smells and tastes to get mixed up and spoil good food.
•You would not want clutter in your kitchen and have insects and other animals living in your kitchen.
With these reasons, you would know that a good kitchen storage organization is as essential as cooking and eating your food. Here are some good ways to store your food:
•For meats it is essential to keep them in the freezer especially if you do not want to use it at once. It is also good to store them in containers to keep meat parts separated and to know which ones should be used.
•For fish, it is good if you treat the fish first with salt or lemon with lukewarm water. These preservatives will minimize the odor and increase its flavor.
•For vegetables, not all of them need to be refrigerated. Some precut vegetables need to be stored in a cooler temperature to avoid spoiling. Newly picked vegetables need to be stored in a place of low humidity and great ventilation. This is the reason why the kitchen should always be well ventilated.
•For boxed food items, it is essential to organize your cabinets. For a more decorative and fancier looking organization, glass or porcelain containers can be used to put pasta, cereals, oats and even cookies in. be sure that the containers have a tight lid with stopper preferably to ensure that the air won’t mess up with the quality of the products.
•For canned goods, it is best to store them in places that children cannot reach. You should also make sure that the canned goods are stored in a good and well ventilated place so as to prevent rusting and spoiling your products.
•Condiments and spices are best stored in a rack that is accessible for you anytime you want to use them. Again, ventilation is important to keep them fresh for a long time.
•Utensils should always be kept in the dish drawers and electrical equipment should be out of reach for children.
•Knives should have a very stable foundation and should be stored away from the reach of children.
Kitchen organization does not need any elaborate equipment to get things done. You just have to know how to make your space more efficient and be practical and practice safety precautions as well as proper food storage to lengthen the freshness of your foods and protect your children and even yourself from accidents as well as insect and small animal infestations. An organized kitchen is a fun place to be in!
•You would not want ingredients to be mixed up. You want to know where to get things and where to keep them.
•You would not want smells and tastes to get mixed up and spoil good food.
•You would not want clutter in your kitchen and have insects and other animals living in your kitchen.
With these reasons, you would know that a good kitchen storage organization is as essential as cooking and eating your food. Here are some good ways to store your food:
•For meats it is essential to keep them in the freezer especially if you do not want to use it at once. It is also good to store them in containers to keep meat parts separated and to know which ones should be used.
•For fish, it is good if you treat the fish first with salt or lemon with lukewarm water. These preservatives will minimize the odor and increase its flavor.
•For vegetables, not all of them need to be refrigerated. Some precut vegetables need to be stored in a cooler temperature to avoid spoiling. Newly picked vegetables need to be stored in a place of low humidity and great ventilation. This is the reason why the kitchen should always be well ventilated.
•For boxed food items, it is essential to organize your cabinets. For a more decorative and fancier looking organization, glass or porcelain containers can be used to put pasta, cereals, oats and even cookies in. be sure that the containers have a tight lid with stopper preferably to ensure that the air won’t mess up with the quality of the products.
•For canned goods, it is best to store them in places that children cannot reach. You should also make sure that the canned goods are stored in a good and well ventilated place so as to prevent rusting and spoiling your products.
•Condiments and spices are best stored in a rack that is accessible for you anytime you want to use them. Again, ventilation is important to keep them fresh for a long time.
•Utensils should always be kept in the dish drawers and electrical equipment should be out of reach for children.
•Knives should have a very stable foundation and should be stored away from the reach of children.
Kitchen organization does not need any elaborate equipment to get things done. You just have to know how to make your space more efficient and be practical and practice safety precautions as well as proper food storage to lengthen the freshness of your foods and protect your children and even yourself from accidents as well as insect and small animal infestations. An organized kitchen is a fun place to be in!
2009/12/28
Cesc Fábregas's two goals worth the risk of injury says Arsène Wenger
Fans at the Emirates relished Cesc Fábregas's match-winning cameo. Just as well, the recurrence of a hamstring injury means they may not see him again for almost a month. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/EPA
Arsène Wenger said he had no regrets at bringing Cesc Fábregas off the bench in Arsenal's 3-0 victory over Aston Villa this afternoon even though his captain suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury which could rule him out for three weeks.
Fábregas's 57th-minute introduction transformed a game which was goalless, the midfielder scoring twice to secure a win which underlined Arsenal's title credentials. Wenger's team are four points behind the leaders, Chelsea, and trail the second-placed Manchester United by two, with a game in hand on both.
Fábregas had started among the substitutes because of a hamstring strain suffered at Burnley 12 days ago and lasted only 27 minutes here before limping off to be replaced by Aaron Ramsey after suffering yet more pain.
"Was it a gamble? You never know," said Wenger. "If you can prove to me we would have won the game without him coming on the pitch I was wrong. But we'll never check that. I feel I did the right thing. Of course he adds some creativity in your game and at that moment I felt that was needed. Had we been 1-0 up I would not have done it. But at the end of the day you do what you think will win the game. I would do it again."
Fábregas's injury will be assessed on Tuesday morning. In a worst-case scenario he will miss Wednesday's game at Portsmouth, a further three Premier League matches and the FA Cup third‑round tie at West Ham.
"If it's scar tissue it's a few days, if it's a recurrence of the pull it's three weeks," said Wenger, before adding that the player felt dejected after the game, which seems extraordinary considering how outstanding his time on the pitch had been. "You can be down when you have scored two goals," mused Wenger.
The manager's frustration over Fábregas's fitness is compounded by an injury suffered by Denílson, whose back problem cost him a two-month absence this season, and the impending departure of Alex Song to the African Cup of Nations. "In midfield we could become short if we lose players. I may have to look maybe at midfielders [in the transfer window], depending on how big the damage is."
He has been juggling resources all season and as such it is a minor miracle that his team remain so close to the leaders. Arsenal have made up ground that seemed impassable earlier this month, when they trailed Chelsea by 11 points. "When you look where we were a few weeks ago, credit to the team, they didn't give up when everybody had written us off," Wenger said. "That shows that the team has mental strength and hunger. We are in a strong position now but we have done nothing yet.
"After the Chelsea game I said openly that Chelsea would drop points on the basis of what I had seen. And they did. It makes it interesting now. I just think the Premier League is very open. We go to Portsmouth on Wednesday and you know it will be another tough game. What has changed in the league this season is that all the teams can make results. It is like that anywhere. The days when you turn up and take three points have gone."
Villa had been as consistent as anybody in recent weeks, and Martin O'Neill called upon his team to respond to this setback to ensure there is no repeat of last season's second-half dip.
"We are enjoying it immensely to be in there but it is a major effort to go again. We got ourselves into a decent position last year and could not carry it through, and that is what we have to be looking at again. The end of January, after the FA Cup and League Cup matches, will give us a pretty good indication of whether we can sustain it to be in this company.
"We were right in this until the free-kick [Fábregas's first goal], and Fábregas's contribution was immense in the time he was on. We do not have much time to reflect on it, we just have to get on with it as we have a major game coming up." Liverpool visit Villa Park on Tuesday.
The Best Way To Prevent Identity Theft
Because everyone is at risk of becoming a victim of identity theft, we should all have identity theft protection. Here is a simple guide on how to reduce or minimize if not totally preventing the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft.
The first thing to remember as an identity theft protection tip, is to be cautious on giving out personal information or personal data to others, unless there is a reason to trust the person who will receive these information or data.
Identity theft can happen even at home so here are do's and don'ts when it comes to giving personal information when at home:
1. Be watchful when giving unnecessary personal information especially on the phone. For example your credit card company is asking for your mother's maiden name to verify your identity, don't. Credit card companies already know these kinds of information, so it is very unlikely for them to ask you, the only reason of such a call is to acquire that information for that person's personal benefit.
2. Also, be watchful with phone calls from someone you don't know that offers you prizes, but asks you for personal information like Social Security Number, credit card number, or mother's maiden name. Instead of answering these questions on the phone, ask them to send a written application form.
3. If they won't send such forms, you should just hang up. And if they did send an application form, review the form carefully and before mailing it check the company or institutions reputation with the Better Business Bureau.
Being at home is already a risk of becoming an identity theft victim, and so much more when on travel. Here is also a to-do and not to-do list when it comes to giving personal information when on travel:
1. When you are away from home and on travel, you should have your mail held at your local post office, or ask someone you know and trust well to collect and hold your mail while you're away.
2. And if there is a need to call someone and pass personal information while on travel, do it in a place where there is less people around.
Aside from being cautious when giving personal information, the next thing to remember as an identity theft protection tip, is to check financial information regularly. And when checking these financial records you should be careful in looking for what should be there and what shouldn't be. Always keep a record of your transaction slips.
There should be monthly statements that list transactions for the reporting period for those people with bank or credit accounts. If there are no monthly statements, it is advisable for you to contact the financial institution or credit card company immediately.
And though these are effective identity theft protection tips, becoming a victim of identity theft is still possible. So as an advice, be vigilant; be very vigilant.
The first thing to remember as an identity theft protection tip, is to be cautious on giving out personal information or personal data to others, unless there is a reason to trust the person who will receive these information or data.
Identity theft can happen even at home so here are do's and don'ts when it comes to giving personal information when at home:
1. Be watchful when giving unnecessary personal information especially on the phone. For example your credit card company is asking for your mother's maiden name to verify your identity, don't. Credit card companies already know these kinds of information, so it is very unlikely for them to ask you, the only reason of such a call is to acquire that information for that person's personal benefit.
2. Also, be watchful with phone calls from someone you don't know that offers you prizes, but asks you for personal information like Social Security Number, credit card number, or mother's maiden name. Instead of answering these questions on the phone, ask them to send a written application form.
3. If they won't send such forms, you should just hang up. And if they did send an application form, review the form carefully and before mailing it check the company or institutions reputation with the Better Business Bureau.
Being at home is already a risk of becoming an identity theft victim, and so much more when on travel. Here is also a to-do and not to-do list when it comes to giving personal information when on travel:
1. When you are away from home and on travel, you should have your mail held at your local post office, or ask someone you know and trust well to collect and hold your mail while you're away.
2. And if there is a need to call someone and pass personal information while on travel, do it in a place where there is less people around.
Aside from being cautious when giving personal information, the next thing to remember as an identity theft protection tip, is to check financial information regularly. And when checking these financial records you should be careful in looking for what should be there and what shouldn't be. Always keep a record of your transaction slips.
There should be monthly statements that list transactions for the reporting period for those people with bank or credit accounts. If there are no monthly statements, it is advisable for you to contact the financial institution or credit card company immediately.
And though these are effective identity theft protection tips, becoming a victim of identity theft is still possible. So as an advice, be vigilant; be very vigilant.
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