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Do you ride your motorcycle religiously?

Are you an occasional rider?

Have you lost a friend or family member in a bike accident?

Whatever your motivation for hopping on two wheels, this is a great time to do it as Austin celebrates Bikers Awareness Day.

On Sunday, May 20th, motorcyclists from all over the country will take to the road in support of a great cause. That includes hundreds, or even thousands of Texans.

If you wish to join the ride, which is meant to encourage all drivers to have more awareness of those on two wheels, then you can meet with the rest at Barton Creek Square Mall at the Northeast Corner at ten o’clock on Sunday, May 20, 2012.

T-shirts may be available by contacting Amy at the South Austin Area Motorcycle Enthusiasts.

The riders in the event will be from many different biking organizations.

A photo shoot is in the plans, to be held at the Barton Creek Square Mall as well, at 10:30 AM.

The route for the ride will take the entourage downtown and then back south again, ending at Little Woodrow’s Southpark Meadows. The entire route is approximately sixteen miles. It is highly recommended that riders bring a copy of the ride map with them to the event.

For more information about the event, check it out on MeetUp.com here.

Photo: BikeWeek0147 / DeusXFlorida / CC BY 2.0

It’s not always the dashboard lights that signal a need to pull over.

Have you taken unnecessary risk when presented with one of these situations?

12. ‘Dropped It’
Have you ever tried to bend over, while driving to pick up the CD, beverage, cell phone, or other dropped item? If so, you have risked your car, your life, and the lives of others on the roadway. Next time, let it sit or pull over before retrieving it. It’s not worth the possible consequences.

11. ‘If you don’t knock it off…’
Don’t just threaten to pull over or turn the car around, get off the road if the chaos in the car reaches unbearable levels. A distracted driver is far more likely to make a serious and costly error.

10. ‘I’m not feeling so good…’
Think you are having a heart attack? Has something found its way into your eye? Is a child in the backseat suddenly feeling on the verge of losing his lunch? Whether it is you or someone else in the vehicle, get off the road until help has arrived or the situation has righted itself.

9. ‘I’m out of washer fluid…’
Whether it is a result of dense fog, heavy rain, mud and dust, or some other unexpected force, when visibility is low you are at major risk of an accident, injury, or worse. Get off the road!

8. ‘What is that noise?’
Nearly every driver has muttered these words in his or her own head, or out loud to others in the car. If you have to ask, then it is best to pull over and check it out, rather than risk permanent engine complications, accident, or other unforeseen side effect.

To continue reading about serious driving risks, visit the full article here.

Photo: Untitled / Adriano Agulló / CC BY 2.0

As most now know, Austin is the new home of the Circuit of Americas Formula One Race Track, but the good news continues for the city and its newest entertainment venue.

In April, news was released regarding a new sponsor – John Paul DeJoria. The American billionaire is both a businessman and a philanthropist.

He is also the founder of John Paul Mitchell hair care products and a major player in the Patron Spirits Company, tequila producer. In fact, DeJoria has been involved in numerous start ups and plans to continue that trend with an investment in Austin’s race track.

DeJoria, upon announcing his involvement, was also willing to discuss his appreciation for Formula One racing. He was introduced to the sport by the well-known and loved entertainer, Cher, and fell in love with it thereafter.

He has also invested directly and through his companies in other types of racing, such as the American Le Mans Series and the World’s Premier Sports-Car racing series.

One might think it odd that a man who made his name in the world of hair care would be so involved in the world of racing, but his daughter, Alexis DeJoria, successful drag racer, would say otherwise.

DeJoria’s interest is a wonderful thing for the city of Austin and the millions of Formula One fans ever, as his generous investment will make the development of the Circuit of the Americas a much smoother and speedy process.

For more information on the man and the investment, continue reading the full article here.

Photo: Lotus Type 79 – Snetterton Lotus Festival / Bob Bob / CC BY 2.0

Do you spend endless hours in your vehicle? How about the doctor’s office?

If you are far more likely to be found behind the wheel then in a medical exam room, then you may just want to read more about the new developments of some BMW Group researchers working in conjunction with a team from Technishe Universitaet Muenchen.

Together, the brilliant minds have developed a system that can accurately monitor vital signs, including heart rate, skin conductance, and oxygen saturation, while a person drives.

The sensors to measure these health aspects will soon be built into the steering wheels of BMW models.

While other, similar, systems have already been created and put to use in special situations, nothing had been created that would be easily used in a mass market.

Of course, these modifications are not just meant to act as a check for the driver; the underlying purpose is to give the car (the computer) a means of knowing the driver.

In the future, cars could send out instant alerts to medical teams if a driver was suffering or it could react to situations of the roadway simply based on the stress levels of the driver.

This system is not yet available and there is no word as to when it will first hit the market, but this may soon be providing some comfort to those at high risk of medical complications.

For more information, keep reading the full article.

Churchill Downs Raceway in Louisville, Kentucky has said goodbye to one of their longtime operations players, David Sweazy. But the news is not all that bad, especially for those in Austin.

The Formula One race track, known as the Circuit of the Americas, is still underway, but Sweazy has already agreed to join to team.

He has been at his former employer for more than forty years and had most recently served as the vice president of operations. Though his title won’t be changing right away, his location will.

The Austin facility recently released the news of his hiring, suggesting that his position will require preparations for and execution of several big events at the raceway.

The president was announced a while ago to be Steve Sexton, who was also very familiar with the Louisville track, where he had held the title of president as well.

Sexton was quick to give his support of the new hire, suggesting that the man had an excellent background in the exact areas that this new racetrack will need work in.

Churchill Downs has lost two impressive men, with ‘a proven track record of developing outstanding community partnerships…”

Perhaps Kentucky has a reason to shed a few tears, but Austin is ready to celebrate in their new Circuit of the Americas facility.

For more information on the man and the announcement of his hire, continue reading the full article.

A recent survey set out to learn about eye injuries in active individuals. What was discovered was not overly surprising, but it may shock some to know that motorcyclists landed on the list of the most at risk individuals.

The good news for those who are getting ready to take to the roads in 2012 on two wheels is eye protection can effectively defend against serious eye injury and those protection doesn’t have to look out of place.

Not long ago Andrew Bailey, professional baseball player, was struck in to face of a line drive. His sunglasses, build with safety lenses and frames, saved his eye from lasting damage by absorbing some of the force.

The same concept can come into play for those who are speeding down America’s roadways. However, one must choose wisely because not all sunglasses are built the same.

It is essential to choose those with shatterproof or ‘unbreakable’ lenses, but also those that will block one hundred percent of UV light, which is just as much of a concern when it comes to eye health.

Be sure that the glasses fit tightly, but comfortably, so they will not fall off during the ride or cause discomfort.

It may also be a good idea to choose glasses boasting hydrophobic lenses. If a sprinkle suddenly falls through the sky, the coating on the glasses will quickly wick the droplets away, keeping your visibility high.

Finally, a polarized pair can help with glare off wet roads or shiny surfaces. When you can see well, you can better enjoy the freedom of riding atop a motorcycle.

As an added benefit, there will be less to worry about because those shades will help defend against injury.

For more information, continue reading the full article.

How is it that a woman could blatantly run a red light, failing to touch her brakes, and smash into the side of another car, despite the fact that she was looking straight ahead the whole time?

This accident, which took the life of a twelve year old boy, is a reality. It did occur and the woman, who drove past several vehicles already stopped at the light, was busying her brain with a cell phone conversation.

It is thought that the distracted brain can make it impossible for a person to see up to fifty percent of what he or she looks at, causing a sort of blindness.

In fact, experts refer to this phenomenon as ‘inattention blindness’ and it is a scary fact to face as an increasing number of drivers take to the road with a cell phone by their sides each day.

There are hundreds of millions of Americans with a cell phone plan today and more than ten percent of those on the road, at any given time, are likely to be in the midst of a conversation.

While laws in some states have cut down on the use of handheld devices by drivers, experts believe that it is providing a false sense of security when using hands free devices in their place.

The human brain is not able to handle more than one task at the same time. It may seem this way because our brains are able to move so seamlessly from one to the other, but when doing two things at once, the brain is actually switching back and forth.

When doing two things at the same time, we overload our brains and decrease the attention that can really be paid to either of those tasks. During those split moments when the brain switches from one task to the other, there exists inattention blindness.

On the roadway, those ‘switches’ can cost lives.

Keep reading about this phenomenon and National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in the full article here.

In order to keep your vehicle in tip-top shape, there are certain components that should be checked regularly for wear, tear, and potential defects.

This list includes the brake pads.

The ease of doing so will depend on the make and model of your vehicle. Some, especially those equipped with sport tires, make it relatively easy to inspect the thickness of the pads. On others, it may require a rectangular telescoping inspection mirror to see in and between the rotor and caliper.

Pads that are too thin can make quick stops on the road nearly impossible. These should, obviously, be replaced.

However, there are other signs of trouble that one may note when inspecting brake pads. If, for instance, the pads appear thinner on one side of the vehicle than they do on the other side, then uneven wear is occurring. This can be a warning sign of trouble with the caliper piston.

Uneven pressure to the pads on the two opposing sides of the vehicle can occur when this component sticks. It could also be due to one brake failing to release completely after the driver lets off the brake pedal.

Another issue that may be noted during your visual inspection is an abnormally colored rotor. All of them should be consistent in hue, but if one demonstrates a bluish-purple hue it could be a sigh that the brakes are dragging while on the road.

That, in turn, can point to a disc brake caliper complication or a restricted brake hose.

For more information on checking brake pads, continue reading the full article.

Like all of the gauges on a vehicle, the tire pressure gauge has a very significant purpose, which drivers should understand before they take to the road.

This system first appeared on vehicles in 2004. What started as a sort of selling gimmick was received very well by the public and the government officials, who soon set a law to mandate its presence on all vehicles built in 2007 or later.

It would help to reduce the impact of under-inflated tires on the American roads.

A major complaint of motorists, however, is being able to reset the light after it has popped on.

There is hope that the monitor will become more user-friendly as the technology improves. Currently, though, one has to be aware of the sensor when changing tires.

Damaging the sensor is very easy when removing the worn out tires, but this won’t be detected until the individual drives a few miles down the road. Suddenly, the sensor will pop on.

Replacing a broken sensor can costs approximately ninety dollars, so if the mechanic happens to break all four sensors accidentally, the cost can run upwards of $400 after tax. The shop should pay for this expense, if you are prompt in reporting the problem.

After all, they are in the business of knowing cars and should recognize that the model is equipped with the pressure sensors. Once repaired, some sensors will reset themselves.

Others may require more involved processes to reset. Consult the owner’s manual for more information on your particular model. There should be clear instructions regarding how to do so.

You can also keep reading, for more information in the full article.

A Stanford University research team has revealed information that has many people very excited. Their recent efforts with building electrical current could transform this country in a very good way.

They are in the process of creating a high-efficiency charging system, which involved the use of magnetic fields that can transmit a wireless charge between metal coils, when evenly spaced, with a system called magnetic resonance coupling. Two adjacent coils resonate at the same frequency, while one is connected to an electric current. This causes a stream of electrical current to pass between them.

In the right setting, this could have a huge impact on the world as we know it. The ultimate goal of the research is to develop an electric highway that uses those currents to keep cars moving without the need for fueling or recharging stations. Yet, this current would have no impact on people coming in contact with it. It would only reach out to cars with receiving coils affixed at their base.

The need for gas to keep cars running would be erased and people would be able to travel hundreds or thousands of miles without a charging station, if this style of highway is implemented.

Of course, to make this a reality would involve large scale construction projects to revamp the American highway system, but ultimately, it could mean a huge decrease in gas consumption in this country.

Currently, the problem with many electric cars is that they go so short a distance between charges. For those who travel most frequently, it is not practical to have to stop and charge every 100 miles. Technically, with this system, the team says, a person could exit the highway with more charge than he had when getting on.

In 2006, this science was used to power a light bulb, bringing hope to researchers for something much larger. Scientists still believe that a car battery would be necessary to provide speed boosts when driving on inclines, but the battery would remain well charged as the person drove.

More testing is necessary, but this brings great hope in a time when relying on gas is no longer practical.

For more information, keep reading the full article.