Did you know that 20% of all car accidents happen in parking lots?

According to the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers Association, one out of every five auto accidents occurs in a parking lot.

And that total does not even include all the small nicks, dents, scratches and dings that usually go unreported.

If you are going on vacation in your own car, or renting a car, here is some timely advice on how to stay safe.

Parking lot crashes often occur at low speeds, but they still can lead to expensive repairs, and higher insurance premiums, not to mention hassle.

Even worse, sometimes drivers and pedestrians can be injured in the car park if they are not vigilant.

It is bad enough having an accident on your own home turf. It can be even worse having one when you are on vacation, especially if you are travelling overseas.

Here are some hints and tips to minimize your parking lot risks and stay safer in the car park, whether you are a driver or pedestrian.

Another option for a Caribbean vacation is the all inclusive resort holidays, a great choice for the budget conscious traveller. Room, food, entertainment, are all included in one low price, and the food is usually buffet style, to accommodate a variety of tastes.

The Dominican Republic has some very good ones, though do always check to see how far away from the airport and the main attractions of the locale your resort is, and whether or not you will need a rental car.

Many places offer free shuttle service to all the main attractions, and/or offer daily tours, but if you want to go off the beaten path, you may need to add a rented car to your package.

When you are looking for a hotel, resort, or cruise ship, make sure it has the activities that you are most interested in, swimming, snorkeling, windsurfing and so on. Comparison shop on cruise ships in terms of price, type of room, inside and outside, with or without balcony, and above all, which ports of call you will get to enjoy.

If you are choosing the locale yourself, make sure there is enough to do for the time you are going to stay there, and contingency plans if the weather does not turn out as great as you hope.

With sunshine, good food and stunning natural features guaranteed, your vacation in the Caribbean, whichever island you choose, is sure to be unforgettable.

Caribbean culture is a vibrant mix of African, Indigenous, European and North American traditions. This has resulted in unique forms of dance, art, architecture, language, cuisine and much more.

During your vacation, you may like to wander through museums of Caribbean art, visit a traditional village or witness a national dance performance. The music of the Caribbean - reggae, salsa and soca are just a few of the styles are an essential part of everyday life. Rhythm and soul are very important to many people in the Caribbean islands.

You will find a very laid back atmosphere, but do keep in mind that you can’t be too relaxed, as crime against tourists happens all over the world now.

Each of the Caribbean Islands has its own special appeal, and the most difficult decision will be deciding between them for your vacation. Another good choice might be to select a cruise for 7 to 10 days, so you can experience various ports of call.

Cruise ships for the Caribbean mainly leave from the Gold Coast of Florida, but you can usually find trips from various ports of call up and down the Eastern seaboard, and the Gulf coast of Texas too.

The great thing about a cruise is that food, accommodation, transportation, and entertainment are pretty much all included in the one price. Pack and unpack once, and yet get to experience a wide variety of relaxing and romantic spots.

The whole aspect of life on board ship is also very laid back, though it can be as active as you want it to be, with swimming pools, rock walls, casinos, and all manner of other actitivies you can participate in.

Why choose to have your vacation in the exotic Caribbean? The Caribbean Islands are some of the most beautiful island destinations in the world! Palm-fringed beaches, turquoise seas and stunning sunsets, make a Caribbean vacation a relaxing and romantic experience never to forget.

Jamaica, Aruba, Barbados, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, the Cayman Islands, and Puerto Rico each have a distinct cultural identity with a fascinating variety of influences.

Sunshine and a relaxed atmosphere are common to all the Caribbean Islands. The idyllic white sand beaches are perfect for soaking up the sun’s rays, and the many miles of coastline offer countless other activities.

These include swimming and snorkeling in the warm waters, to surfing, diving or water skiing for the more adventurous! There are beautiful coral reefs in the waters around Puerto Rico that you can explore.

The interiors of the Caribbean Islands feature mountains, waterfalls, hills, underground rivers, caves, tropical rain forests and much more stunning scenery. Protected national parks showcase some of the most impressive natural landscapes on earth.

There are guided tours available to help you explore and discover areas in safety. Ecotourism is also becoming more and more popular, for those of you who want to go green.

Quality designer sunglasses can be polarized to reduce the glare of the sunlight reflecting off surfaces like the highway, cars, water or snow. Polarized sunglasses work by blocking off the horizontal light reflections and only let in vertical light reflections. The polarization of designer sunglasses makes them fashionable in other areas of lifestyle like golfing, boating, biking, swimming, fishing and aircraft flying.

You might also consider mirrorshades, which block 1005-60% of the light coming through, and prevent anyone from seeing your eyes.

Marketers of designer sunglasses target children who enjoy the same hot styles and brand-names as their parents and their idols. Sunglasses for children have Disney and cartoon characters in many colors, shapes and styles.

Children’s designer sunglasses can also be polarized to block the harmful UV radiation. Sunglasses should be part of children’s daily wear as they play outside and engage in outdoor sports and activities. Sunglasses can prevent them from the long-term affects of sun damage to their eyes, in the same way that sunblock protects their skin.

When most people grab a pair of sunglasses, they are only thinking about shading their eyes, or looking cool and mysterious. Sunglasses in any shade, shape or size, by any name may be a “hot” fashion accessory for trend-setting stars, men, women and children.

But the importance of protecting the eyes from damage far outweighs the importance of looking good. The next time you head out into the sunshine, be sure to grab your designer polarized sunglasses and give some thought to the fact that you and your sunglasses are protecting your eyes and your eye sight. Having healthy eyes is cool.

When it comes to fashion, designer sunglasses are hot. Many of the world’s most popular celebrities can be seen just about anywhere, day or night, wearing the latest in designer sunglasses.

Sunglasses have become so much of a designer accessory how that they have come a long way from the first Ray-Bans, and now sport names like Vera Wang, Dior, Valentino, Gucci and Armani.

Stars like Donald Trump and Britney Spears have their own name brand sunglasses, on the market while others may be wearing Marc Jacobs or Armani sunglasses for a classy look, or Baby Phat for a punk style. The mood for the day might be also be for the retro 1950s look of Fossil sunglasses. anything goes these days in the world of sunglasses.

Of course, you have to keep in mind that the whole point of wearing sunglasses is to protect your eyes in the same way that you protect your skin by using sunblock.

But everyone wants to look in style as well, and so sunglasses have become a must-have accessory.

Your favorite clothing designer may also be the designer of the sunglasses that you choose to accessorize your brand-name clothing. For instance, the smart Tommy dresser can add to the look of a Tommy Hilfiger clothing ensemble with Tommy Hilfiger sunglasses.

For casual wear, Kate Spade sunglasses might do nicely. Carrera is known for a sporty look. For a sensual style, Valentino frames that have smooth round edges and Swarovsky crystals might just put you (or whoever is looking at you) in the mood.

If you can afford them, trendy, cool-looking name-brand or designer sunglasses, are a status symbol showing everyone that you have the cash (or credit card) to buy them.

However, in order to be fashionable in sunglasses, you do not have to spend a fortune, or give up quality. Sunglasses are used to protect your eyes from damage caused by the sun’s UV (ultra-violet) rays.

Designer prescription sunglasses can improve vision, and reduce eyestrain just like ordinary glasses. They come in a wide variety of prices, colors and styles, and so you should find something that will suit both your budget and your taste.

Buying a bag which will hold up to various weather conditions is ideal as well. One with compartments will help you sort all of your personal items you will be carrying on board with you to help pass the time on the plane, bus or train.

One with wheels and a handle is almost a must these days if you want a traditional suitcase. I have had the same Antler bag for over 12 years and it is still going strong.

For trips of a week or less, I carry my Jansport back pack because it fits so much, including my laptop. You can also get a wheeled back pack, though it does add to the empty weight of the bag before you ever start putting anything into it. But otherwise it adds to your flexibilty. So does a back pack, easier to get up and down stairs with, though it can start to drag on your shoulders if you don’t have a waist strap for it.

If you are a business traveller, you might think about an ‘office in a bag’ which allows you room for clothes but also unzips at the front with all your pens, pencils and so on on one side, and a zippered accordion file section on the other to help keep you organized.

I have a great one from Tutto which I couldn’t live without on business trips. Best of all, they are ergonomically designed, recommended by the Arthritis Foundation as offering the least wear and tear on your body when you are pulling it on its 4 multi-rotational wheels, and it doubles as a seat, the plastic frame is so tough but light-weight.

Tutto luggage may seem a bit pricey, but worth every penny, especially for older travellers, lightweight, durable, and soft-sided enough to really be able to pack them tightly to get them on board. And best of all, when you are done travelling, just take off the towing handle, and with a couple of presses of the button, they pack flat, about 4 inches high, to go up on your shelf.

By looking into these different reasons and aspects of carry on luggage buying, you will see why it is a good reason to invest in a high quality bag for your various personal effects. You will find that any number of luggage manufacturers make handy and yet very versatile pieces of luggage that you can carry with you or wheel along.

With choices so varied you can easily find a piece of luggage that will accommodate today’s flying rules and regulations for carry on luggage, and still look stylish and be able to take what you need with you all at the same time.

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Then there is car or bus or train travel. Choosing a small, versatile carry on bag,especially a soft sided one, with wheels, or perhaps a backpack feature, or both, will give you lots of flexibility.

I had an amazing denim 3 piece set, large bag, medium sized one, and a purse that doubled as a camera bag which I used for years going back and forth to college in Europe, and to all sorts of conferences. It was soft sided with a lot of pockets. It was worth its weight in gold, it was so light and could be absolutely stuffed with clothes, presents and so on.

Alas, the zipper on the big bag eventually got shredded by an airline conveyor belt when they forced me to check it one summer on my way back to the States, but it gave me over a decade of sterling service, and the two smaller bags went to friends who still use them. So a good piece of cary on luggage can be a real sound investment which will pay for itself 100 times over if you shop carefully now.

Once you start shopping for carry one luggage, you will see the various types of carry on luggage that people like to use. These pieces of luggage can be used for other purposes like taking on a road trip to another city, going sightseeing or even camping. For these excursions you will need to keep the amount of room that you have in your car in mind.

As we said, for airplane travel you will need to find out the onboard luggage restrictions which may be in place. The type of carry on luggage that you can think about buying for this purpose will need to stay within these parameters but will still let you take your most important items with you.

A lot of people like to use those space bags to try to pack things flat. They can be very helpful in winter for bulky items like sweaters, and help keep things organized in the bag. Just make sure that the bag is not so heavy when packed that you won’t be able to heave it up into the overhead storage lockers.

One final but very obvious point when you look at the different types of carry on luggage which is available is that you will need a bag that is strong enough to take being pushed, squeezed and stuffed into a small space. For this reason when you are choosing any carry on luggage it’s best if you look for a well known and reputed luggage manufacturer. They have a great deal of experience, with well designed luggage, and also, they usually offer a warranty for at least a year.

People have traditionally complained about airlines: the long lines, bad food, you name it. Now we have even more reason to complain—they are charging for checked in baggage now, in addition to a whole host of other fees, including even charging for blankets and pillows!

One thing is for sure, travel is not what it used to be, and as fuel prices remain high, and they get into the habit of charging for these things, they are not going to suddenly start giving them away for free again.

So what can the budget conscious traveller do? Think carefully about your carry-on luggage, to be able to pack the most in the smallest space, and not have any hassle either before, during or after your flight.

After all, there is nothing worse than being on long lines to check luggage, or waiting at the carousel for ages afterwards. So a good carry on bag is a must.
There are many different types of carry on luggage that you can buy. These include bags from well known luggage designers. The type of carry on bags that you select should be based on your travel needs and a realistic expectation of how much you should take with you if you go away on vacation or a business trip.

Speaking as a seasoned traveller, the more you carry, the more you are weighed down, literally as well as figuratively. If something goes wrong with your travel plans, at least all you have to worry about is your carry on, not three suitcases.

There is also another consideration that you should keep in mind when you are looking at the various carry-on bags. This consideration is the size of onboard bags that you are allowed to take with you. Do your research online and find out the permiitted dimensions.

Many times I have seen ridiculously large bags that people have got through security with due to self-service check in and no on looking at the bag, be taken from that person as they try to wheel it on the plane. It gets tagged and put in with the rest of the bags, and that person has been hauling it all over the airport for no reason.

The overhead storage lockers on a plane are very limited in size, and there are fewer of them than there are passengers, with one locker doing duty for six to nine passengers. By the time you then deduct lockers for the crew, blankets, pillows, emergency equipment, you may not get any space for your bag, especially if you board late.

Even if you do get a share of the overheard locker to put your carry on luggage in, it might not fit if you have not followed the guidelines.

There is the under the seat option, but again, most of the time it is only the middle area of the row that has any real room, and so if your bag is too big, it might not fit. Also, you will be compromising your leg room and perhaps even those of your row mates, with an oversized bag.

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