Last month we covered what to do if you are in a collision with wildlife for RoadKill Day, and how to handle the situation safely.  Today we’re going to share some additional pointers for how you can best avoid the collision in the first place as part of acknowledgements of World Animal Road Accident Awareness Day. 

Here are some thoughtful pointers to consider as a defensive driver sharing roadways with wildlife:

• Be on high alert when driving through wildlife areas such as parks, rural areas, undeveloped land, wetlands, woodlands and forests, and/or through places such as national and state parks and wildlife preserves. If possible, limit your driving through these areas at dawn and dusk, when wildlife has the highest probability of crossing.  If you must drive through these areas, be sure to stay informed about the behavior and patterns of the animals in the region so you can notice subtle signs and movement more keenly.
  
• Avoid littering!  If you’re camping outdoors, stopping at a rest stop, having a roadside picnic, or visiting a nature site, be sure to bring all food and trash back out with you when you return. Leaving litter or food waste behind in public outdoor areas can increase the presence of wildlife, and create further wildlife attraction to roadside locations by way of easy food sources. Bring out what you take in!
• Be alert and aware of the road signs along the highway, as they’re usually placed in areas of high-collision probability. These may be depicted with a graphic of the particular species of animal, or may be generalized to “wildlife” crossing text signs.
  
•  It’s advisable to also ask your passengers to assist you in scouting any potential hazards along the way, as they can help you navigate while you keep your eyes safely on the road ahead. As a driver, you should always scan the road from left to right, and from right to left, ensuring that you’re thorough and frequently inspecting the roadside for incoming wildlife.
  
• Always make sure you and your passengers are fully seatbelted and properly seated in the vehicle in case you have to stop short, or in the event collision with an animal is unavoidable.
  
• Slow down and keep extra car length distance between you and the cars ahead of you; this allows for increased stopping distance and less chance of collision with another vehicle.
  
• When driving at night, keep a lookout for animals eyes which will be very reflective in the glare of headlights.  Unless in the case of extreme weather such as low-visibility fog or snow, it’s recommended that you employ your high beams to scan the road at further distances for incoming wildlife.  Bear in mind that headlights do not illuminate objects as easily when driving at higher speeds, so when possible drive at a slower speed for safety.
  
• Make sure you have proper visibility by ensuring a clear windshield, free of cracks, muck, and debris; be sure to replace your windshield wipers and consider adding a hydrophobic coating to the glass for increased visibility in inclement weather.  Ensure that your headlights are in proper working order, and consider opting for headlights with higher luminous intensity.
  
• If an animal crosses safely through traffic to the other side of the road, do not presume that it will stay there. Many animals often make split-second decisions to turn back and go across where they came from.  Be aware and alert for animals that change direction!

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Today is National LED Day!  We’re celebrating this handy invention of modern society with a great blog dedicated to a little history lesson followed by recommendations for best LED car lights.

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The Rebelle Rally event is back and better than ever for 2023, especially if you’re on Team Toyota!  Toyota Motor North America has announced that it will have six different teams competing in this year’s event, doubling the number of participants from 2022.  The 12 participating team members represent a large swathe of professional disciplines and skills, but for this event they’ll be showcasing their precision driving skills and navigational prowess.

• This year, six teams will showcase the broad range of resilient trucks and unyielding spirit
• Toyota is presenting sponsor of Rebelle Rally’s Live Webcast again for 2023

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Here at Classic, we love any holiday or event that gives us a chance to give back and connect with our community. Today is National Do Something Nice Day, and we’d like to celebrate by illustrating some amazing ideas for you to give back and help out other people. The world could always do with a little more kindness, so why not use today’s blog list as a springboard!  Feel free to contribute to the conversation by pitching in your own community-centric, neighborly suggestions in the comments on our social media, too.

Here are four great ways to inspire others around you, and get you started with thinking in a community service oriented mindset:

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We’re back with another fun edition of Automotive Terminology, where we demystify vocabulary, phrases, and terms used by industry professionals. We understand that buying, selling, and fixing cars is not a part of most of our customers daily or even weekly lives, so we’re here to help take the stress out of selecting or repairing your vehicle!

Through our Classic Auto Group Decoder series, we’re giving you the tools to decode and navigate conversations with automotive professionals be they salesperson or mechanic.  And of course, if you have any questions or something you’d like to know more about, feel free to leave a comment and we’ll keep it in mind to answer for future posts!

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We love a fun, pop culture moment, and October 3rd is the best of the best: Mean Girls Day!  In celebration of this silly cinematic holiday, we’re bringing you a post filled with super fun Pink items for your vehicle. Because as everyone knows… on Wednesdays we wear pink, but our car is bedecked 24/7/365.

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We’re back with another fun edition of Classic’s Community Calendar of Events for the month of October. We’ve scoured the internet and local postings to find you some of the most fun and exciting events around the Lake County and Greater Chicago areas.  If you’ve got a local event coming up, feel free to drop it in the comments section of our Calendar post on social media so our readers can find it, too!  From dance class to painting to concerts to seasonal fun, we’ve got a little bit of everything for our community to enjoy. There’s plenty of family fun for everyone, too.

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With October just on the precipice, we’re gearing up for Halloween like nobody’s business! What better way to usher in the scariest time of the year than spending our commute with some ghostly paranormal podcasts. And wouldn’t you know, today just happens to be National Ghost Hunting Day AND National Podcast day. So take a look at our list for best picks for Paranormal Themed Podcasts for your morning commute and get into the Halloween spirit with us!

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We are so excited to usher in the cooler temps of autumn, because we are more than ready to get out there and do our best “leaf peeping”.  There’s nothing like traipsing through woodland paths strewn with crunchy leaves!  What could be better than immersing yourself amidst golden sunset yellows, vivid rusty oranges, lush scarlet and ruby, and sepia tans of the foliage around you for a family photo op to post to the ‘gram.  It’s one of the most beautiful times to get back to nature, for as the pensieve scholar Albert Camus said “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” So what are you waiting for? Save this handy guide to your bookmarks so you can get the most out of autumn and find the best backdrops for your selfies before the season disappears.

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Since today is World Tourism Day, we thought we would do something a little different with our usual travel blogging content. This week, we’re looking outside of our own backyard and doing a little globe trotting!  Let’s check out four of the most scenic places to drive from all around the world.

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