23 Apr, 2024
3 mins read

DOT Drug and Alcohol Test Consortium | Drugged Driving

Staying Safe and Sober: FAQs About Drugged Driving (H1)

Around 20 to 50 million people around the world get caught into a road traffic crash each year, which leads to the death of over 1 million of them. This is according to the data collated by the World Health Organization that has been published this year. 

 

There are many reasons why road accidents happen, and one of them is driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or drugged driving. Since this is the most concerning issue among others, government agencies make an effort to harness awareness and set up action plans in preventing this. For example, those who hold or are in the process of obtaining a commercial driver’s license are required to enroll in a DOT Drug and Alcohol Test consortium and get tested.

 

Drugged driving is indeed dangerous, but, unfortunately, not many people are aware of its risks. This article lists down some of the facts and figures related to this topic. Read on to learn useful information, like the common drugs used and laws surrounding the issue.

 

What Is Drugged Driving, and What Dangers Does It Pose?

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) defines “drugged driving” as being impaired while driving a vehicle due to the intoxicating effects of the drugs the user has taken. It is illegal in all 50 states in the country because of the inherent danger that comes with it. For instance, a driver can be caught in an accident that will cause them to suffer injuries, ranging from minor concussions to fatal conditions.

 

Drugged driving does not only affect and trouble the user. After all, if a traffic collision were to occur, everyone near the vicinity is put at great risk, including fellow operators or motorists, pedestrians, and bystanders. It can also cause great damage to property, both public (such as road signs and barriers) and private (such as roadside establishments and vehicles owned by other people).

 

How Often Does Drugged Driving Happen?

In 2017 alone, over 12 million individuals who are 16 years and older drove after using illicit drugs. This is ؘbased on a report of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Illicit drugs refer to highly addictive substances that are illegal to be made, taken, or sold, such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Also, in 2016, nearly half of the drivers who were killed in a road crash tested positive for drugs, like amphetamine and marijuana. This is according to a separate study conducted by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA).

 

What Drugs Are Commonly Used, and How Do They Affect Drivers?

Illicit drugs impair a person’s senses and ability to process information, which makes it difficult for them to think and judge based on different circumstances. Here are some of the drugs commonly used by people involved in drugged driving, according to NIDA:

 

  • Marijuana – In certain amounts, it can lead to drowsiness and hallucination. It
3 mins read

Dental Insurance | COVID-19 Pandemic

Finding Affordable Insurance and Medical Help Amidst the Pandemic (H1)

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had a massive impact globally. The event led to the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives and changed how people all over the world engage with one another.

 

Not only is COVID-19 a health crisis, but it’s also an economic nightmare as it led to the disruption of businesses and loss of livelihoods. These changes could also mean the loss of job-provided coverage plans such as health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, and more.

 

If we’ve learned anything about 2020, it’s that being equipped for uncertainty is a really valuable asset. For that reason, individuals need to find a way to gain access to health benefits despite the challenges the pandemic presents. Listed below are some ways you can find low-cost insurance and medical assistance.

 

Use the Government’s Insurance Exchange Website

Visit Healthcare.gov and look for assistance programs that you are qualified for. No matter what your financial status is, this website will show you what kind of aid you can get to pay for a portion of your insurance.

 

Under normal circumstances, this website is used every enrollment period by individuals who need to purchase insurance for the following year. But that’s not its only purpose. All year round, this website allows people to buy coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

 

People with major life events are qualified for health insurance subsidies under the act. Losing employment is considered one of those events. If you happen to have lost medical care coverage because the person whose plan you were covered by lost theirs, you are also qualified for financial assistance.

 

If you aren’t eligible for financial help due to your overall income, you can also utilize the website to find affordable health and dental insurance plans from local agents.

 

Financial Loss Opens Up New Doors

As your financial status changes, there are new assistance plans that are made available to you. If you’ve suffered a decrease in income, you might be eligible for health insurance programs you weren’t previously qualified for.

 

One of these programs is Medicaid, which grants free health coverage to individuals and families who fit into an eligibility group. Should you qualify, Medicaid will send payments directly to your health care providers. 

 

You should still apply for Medicaid even if you’re not eligible based on your income. It’s possible to qualify for your state’s program if you have kids, are pregnant, or have a disability. Depending on your state’s rules, however, you may be required to pay for a small portion, called co-payment, for some medical services.

 

Look for Free and Charitable Clinics

Across the United States, several health centers are accessible to economically disadvantaged people. These clinics are established to provide free or low-cost medical care, depending on the patient’s financial capability.

 

Charitable health centers allow patients, who otherwise may not have access to high-quality medical care,

3 mins read

Why Would Buyers Want to See a Classic Auto Appraisal MD?

If you’re selling one of your classic vehicles, it’s a good idea to have it appraised before you begin to promote it on the open market. That’s because may potential buyers will want to see the appraisal before they will enter into any serious negotiations. Why would the classic auto appraisal MD be so important to a classic car collector? Here are a few examples of why seeing the appraisal will matter.

Confirming That All the Parts are Original

Many collectors are only interested in vehicles that are all original. That means that the car or truck still has the same components as the day it rolled off an assembly line. It can also mean that if the vehicle has been damaged in some sort of accident, all the replacement parts were produced by the original manufacturer.

If the appraisal indicated diminished value because of the use of parts that are not original, the collector may not want to go any further. On the other hand, confirmation that all the parts are original may be the motivation for continuing the discussion.

Determining if the Asking Price is in Line With the Current Value

Serious collectors already have an idea of how much they are willing to pay for a classic vehicle with all the original parts. What they may not know is how much the current market value happens to be for a specific vehicle. An appraisal can bridge the gap between the two figures and provide the buyer with some idea of how much of an offer to make.

The buyer may find that what he or she is willing to pay is very close to the appraised value. At other times, the appraisal may reflect a figure that is much higher than what the buyer will pay. In the latter scenario, the buyer may choose to focus on other vehicles that have an appraised value that’s more in line with what he or she can afford.

Proof That the Vehicle is All The Owner Claims It to Be

There’s a lot of detail in a classic auto appraisal MD that buyers want to know. It’s not just original parts or the fact that the vehicle has not been through an unusually high number of accidents. Little details that are documented as part of the appraisal make it easier to determine that the seller is being transparent about the overall condition and quality. That’s important when the plan is to add a classic vehicle to a collection.

Knowing the Vehicle Was Recently Examined by a Professional

Appraisals are only done by professionals who are certified for that purpose. The fact that an appraisal exists provides a lot of comfort to the prospective buyer. Along with a date that’s fairly recent, the appraisal confirms that an expert has been over the vehicle and considered every line item on the checklist. Combined with the maintenance records that the current owner maintains, it’s easier to get an idea of whether or not …

3 mins read

What to Expect from a Reliable Classic Car Appraisal Detroit

When it comes to investment options, there are many options to consider. One of such ways is owning a classic car as these assets only tend to appreciate with time. If you own one however and want to know what it’s worth currently, you might need to carry out a classic car appraisal Detroit.

Whether you are employing a professional appraiser or making it a DIY project, your appraisal reports must have the following information.

Full Description of the Vehicle: an appraisal is worth nothing if it doesn’t give a detailed description of the physical, electrical, and mechanical components of the appraised car. Details such as Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), serial number, year, make and model should be included in the report.

For a thorough description to be carried out, the car must be inspected as well by a professional appraiser. The purpose of an inspection is to ensure that all part of the car is in prime and perfect working conditions.

Since a full description can’t be carried out without a physical inspection, it is always advisable to avoid the services of appraisal companies who only request for a pictorial representation of the car and conduct appraisal using the picture provided.

A History of Necessary Documentation: For a regular car, documentation would include service history, date of manufacture, maintenance records, list of previous owners (if any), repairs and restoration records, and receipt of purchase made available by the present owner. For a classic car, however, a little more might be included in an appraisal. There should be a clear mention of awards, trophies, or other sorts of achievement that is in the cars’ history. All history recorded in the report must be backed up by photos or paper documentations.

Its Current Market Worth: while different appraisers might have their own way of determining the current market value of your classic car, the report would be nonetheless incomplete without that information. While determining the value of a classic car on the market might be tricky because no two cars are exactly the same considering factors such as mileage, repairs, upgrades, etc., an experienced appraiser would know how to get the information he needs to determine a fair market value. This might involve going through several sources of listings of vehicles that are both on the market and that have been sold.

An Appraisal Report: an appraisal report can serve a number of purposes. It might be required by someone who wants to buy a car and wants to know if it’s worth it or could be required by an insurance agency before they issue a policy on a car. Whatever it is, an appraisal must come with a very detailed and easily understood report. This should include the name or company of the appraiser, as there might be a need to refer to their credibility.

There are a number of other details that a classic car appraisal Detroit should contain, but the above mentioned are the …

3 mins read

What Factors Could Lead to a Car Diminished Value Tacoma?

Diminished value has to do with a change in the value of a vehicle after some sort of event has taken place. Depending on what has taken place, this can impact the class or state that can be used in offering the vehicle for sale. What could lead to some sort of car diminished value Tacoma? Here are a four examples.

Decrease in Value Immediately After an Accident

Assume that your vehicle is damaged in an accident. Instead of choosing to repair the vehicle, you decide to sell it as is and use the money as a down payment on a new car or truck. In this scenario, you would not be able to sell the vehicle for typical market value; it would be necessary to reduce the price due to the damage. An appraisal can help you set an equitable price for the damaged vehicle.

Repairs That Don’t Fully Restore the Vehicle

You’ve opted to repair the vehicle and it’s once more road-worthy. However, the repairs did not fully restore the vehicle to the former state. For example, the paint used on the replacement fenders is close to the rest of the body, but it’s not a perfect match. That difference would be all it would take to lessen the vehicle’s value. While you may plan on driving the vehicle for several more years, that slight difference in the paint will mean that the market value will remain lower.

Use of Anything Other Than Original Parts

When making repairs after an accident, opting for original parts is always the way to go. Even if you own a classic vehicle and will need to rely on finding used original parts, that’s a better way to go than opting for third-party components. By choosing to only use original parts made by the same manufacturer, you can still claim that the vehicle is all original. Using third-party components – no matter how high in quality they happen to be – means that the vehicle is no longer fully original. That will lead to a car diminished value Tacoma that must be taken into account when you decide to sell the car or truck.

Multiple Accidents Over Time

A series of accidents over time can also lead to a diminished value for a vehicle. Even if the car or truck is repaired using original parts, there’s the assumption that some unknown damage has occurred due to the multiple accidents. In effect, this has to do with the risk that a buyer assumes that some mechanical or other issue will develop that tracks back to the series of accidents. This is true even if the vehicle looks perfect and it seems to perform like new.

Diminished value does not mean that a vehicle is unsafe or that whatever damage is present cannot be repaired. What it does mean is that the car or truck cannot command the same market value as a vehicle that has sustained minimal or no damage, or one that …

1 min read

1000 Ideas About Well being Suggestions On Pinterest

When it comes to healthcare, men have a reputation for being notoriously ostrich like – in that they bury their head in the sand, hoping the problem will go away. Instead of responding to each invitation with an iron-clad acceptance, be keen about your hope to go. Buffer just a little by saying, ‘I’m going to attempt to make it,’ or ‘I would love to attempt to come,’” Howes says. Remember that many kids and adults expertise a sense of loss, sadness or isolation throughout the holidays.

Nicole Charles, a cardiology nurse practitioner with Lee Well being, says reducing your ldl cholesterol can typically mean changing your weight loss plan. Some medicines, similar to steroids (medication used to reduce swelling) and some medicine for melancholy and different psychiatric disorders, might lead to weight achieve.

One third of sufferers surveyed at the College of Pittsburgh Medical Center mentioned they didn’t see docs wash their fingers , though the apply is a major strategy to management infections in well being-care settings. This fats builds up across the organs, and is strongly linked to metabolic disease ( 99 , one hundred ).

Nonetheless, with holiday baking comes extra calories, sugar, and fat added into our diets. Switch to fats-free or low-fats milk: Fat-free and low-fat milk have the identical quantity of calcium and different important vitamins as whole milk, but much less fat and calories.…

3 mins read

7 Incredible Health Benefits of Flowers

Nature has always treated all your health problems, and this is true for a beautiful, colorful part of nature – flowers. Some flowers look just ornamental and have no medicinal properties, while some are actually useful when it comes to health benefits. Some flowers have been used for centuries for wounds, digestive troubles and to treat the body with infections and diseases.

Many flowers such as hibiscus, marigold, begonia, jasmine, etc. have various health benefits. Some of these include soothing digestion, improving immunity, healing wounds, calming the mind, reducing anxiety and insomnia and providing relief to the eyes. In today’s post, we will discuss some amazing benefits of flowers.

Flowers Can Help Improve Mood

At the most basic level, getting flowers from someone can help lift a mood because it means that someone cares, and is always influential. And a better mood often leads to better health. People who are in a good mood are more likely to return quickly from injury or illness.

Aid in Relaxation

Many stress-prone people have a reason to do gardening to cope with the blues; Not only does one experience growing things, but the smell of flowers can do a lot to reduce stress. Bring home a bag of something soothing like lavender or chamomile and overcome your stress.

Increase Productivity

Whether in the workplace or in a home office, flowers and plants are proven to improve performance. One such plant is the snake plant that helps increase productivity.

The snake plant improves energy levels and can help those who suffer from eye irritation, breathing problems or headaches. Other benefits include improving reaction time, increasing concentration and lowering anxiety levels.

Strengthen your relationship

Research has found that living around flowers increases the level of compassion they feel for others and is more willing to help those in need. As such, they enjoy better relations with others.

Flowers improve memory

What? Could this be true? It’s a proven fact! Plants and flowers provide oxygen to the air, increasing brain cells, which improves memory, clarity and concentration.

Colors help you feel relaxed and calm

Did you know the colors of the flowers also have an effect on your mental health? Yes, it is true. For example, orange flowers promote you and happiness; Yellow flowers represent compassion and respect; Pink is the color of friendship; And greenery is synonymous with harmony and good luck.

Fragrance can help with anxiety

Sometimes, it is not possible to have flowers where you live or in. In these situations, trying to infuse floral fragrances in the air helps to reduce your anxiety and encourage a good mood.

Although you may only get accustomed to seeing flowers as a decoration, you can include many of them in your diet for color and texture. Additionally, many edible flowers are nutritious and contain powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that can support your health. You can serve them raw, cook them with vegetables, roast them as breakfast or sprinkle them on your desserts. Hope you …

2 mins read

Why Do You Need A Roof Inspection?

Do you own your home or commercial building? Have you had your roof inspected recently? 

If not, you could be missing signs of serious, costly damage. Hiring a professional roof inspector to take a look at your roof at least once a year is the easiest way to save yourself from high repair costs. 

You might not think you need to pay for a roof inspection, especially if you recently bought your home. But it’s always worth it. 

Here are a couple of ways local roof inspectors can help you out:

Storm damage inspections

Storm damage to your roof isn’t always obvious. You might notice a cracked shingle or a missing tile after a big storm, but what you can’t see is the damage to your roof’s internal structure. 

The longer you wait to have your roof inspected after a serious storm, the more you’re risking leaks, mold, and other issues spreading. Most experts recommend calling a roof inspector anytime you think your roof took a hit from storm damage. 

Remember, the cost of that inspection is always worth it compared to the cost of serious repairs later on. 

Commercial roof inspections

Want to keep your bills low as a business owner? You should have your roof checked out by a commercial roofing contractor. 

Commercial roofs require regular upkeep, just like residential roofs — the main difference is, they’re generally bigger and more complex. That means maintenance and repair costs will be much more expensive!

Stay ahead of potentially costly damage with regular commercial roof inspections, and save your business money.

Where to find a roof inspector

Looking for a great residential or commercial roof inspector? 

Get in touch with a top-rated Loomis roofing company. The best contractors will evaluate your roof for a reasonable price, keep you informed, and advise you on the next steps to ensure the safety and quality of your roof in the future. 

A professional roof evaluation is the best way to protect your home for years to come — it’s always worth it!

2 mins read

How Do You Know When You Need To Replace Your Septic System?

How Do You Know When You Need To Replace Your Septic System?

The septic on your home or commercial property is designed to be durable. In a lot of cases, a septic tank can last for over 50 years without needing to be replaced.

But nothing lasts forever. Eventually, your septic system will need to be replaced or updated.

So, how do you know when it’s time to call a Northern California septic repair company? Here are a couple of telltale signs to watch out for.

1. Toilets aren’t flushing properly

Noticed your toilet flushes are weaker than usual lately? That’s a good sign that something is going wrong with your septic system.

It could mean a leak, clog, or serious backup in the system. Whatever the issue, it’s important that you call in an expert right away. Weak flushing is an early sign of serious problems, and it’s only going to get worse the longer you wait.

2. Floods or sludge in the yard

If a lot of moisture is suddenly bubbling up in your yard, you didn’t just discover a fresh spring. Chances are, that’s wastewater from your septic system.

Leaks and cracks in your septic tank or pipes can lead to water escaping and pushing its way up through the soil on your property. It’s extremely important to take care of this right away — all that contamination can lead to serious pollution around your home or business.

The best move is to replace your septic tank with a newer, more eco-friendly septic system design.

3. Overuse

Finally, if your septic system gets a lot of use — like with a commercial or municipal septic design — and you haven’t had it looked at in a while, you might be dealing with a ticking time bomb.

A large-scale wastewater treatment system that is used heavily shouldn’t be treated like an everyday, residential system. Have a septic maintenance professional check out your system at least once a year.

The last thing you want is an unexpected septic breakdown — stay prepared by keeping an eye out for signs of damage and investing in regular inspections.…

2 mins read

Optimized Home Solutions To Help You Save Money

Want to design a home that’s eco-friendly, comfortable, and affordable to maintain? That used to be just a dream for most of us, but today it’s easier than you might think. 

Modern home improvements are more accessible now than ever before. Consult with a California home solutions professional about the best affordable roofing, HVAC, solar, and more. 

Investing in a more efficient home is an investment in your future. Here are the four top ways you can optimize your home to go green and save your money. 

1. Efficient Roofing

Modern eco-friendly roofing in California will regulate the temperature in your home and improve airflow. That means less energy wasted running your heater or air conditioner. 

On top of that, there are some awesome tax incentives for homeowners who choose energy-efficient roofing and other green tech in California. 

2. Upgraded windows and doors

Do you know how much your single-pane windows and old doors are costing you?

By upgrading to energy-efficient windows and doors, you can block out the outside temperature and lower your energy usage year-round. Those new systems will also be much more resistant to storm damage, and durable enough to last for years without replacement. 

3. Better HVAC solutions

Your heating and cooling system could be wasting a lot more energy than you think. With some older systems, only about half the energy used actually goes to cooling or heating the air inside your home!

Talk to your local Placer HVAC company about installing a more energy-efficient, low-cost system that will keep your home comfortable, without the waste. 

4. Switch to solar

Finally, installing solar in your home will reduce your energy consumption and help you save hundreds every year.

As solar technology continues to develop and improve, it’s becoming more and more affordable to homeowners every year. Consult with a local solar representative — you could invest in solar panels or microgrids today!