2021 New Year's Resolutions

 

This past year has been a doozy. It didn’t take long for all of our New Year’s Resolutions for 2020 to become nearly impossible to complete with isolation orders, businesses closing, and other obstacles. Surely 2021 will be better (right?!), but there’s still a lot of uncertainty, so what are some productive and realistic New Year’s Resolutions for 2021? Understanding the stresses of this past year aren’t past for most people, the focus of this list is adding positivity to your life, compared to trying quit negative things (which adds more stress and may not be realistic).  Here are 8 ideas to get you started!

·         Read 3 more books than you did last year

·         Try 1 new food each month

·         Become a plant owner! Indoor plants are an inexpensive way to better emotional health and air quality of your living space.

·         Drink more water!

·         Already working out? Try listening to books or novels instead of music during your workout!

·         Start or write in more frequently a journal! This can be good for your mental health as well as record your experiences during this historic time.

·         Eating more vegetables is a common resolution, so how about a resolution to eat more citrus fruit! Citrus fruit is full of vitamins and other good stuff our bodies need, plus they are low calory and so tasty.

·         Try meditation and/or yoga to better your physical and mental health. There are many free or low-cost programs to help guide you through meditation/yoga and the benefits include better self-awareness and overall wellness. It also carves out “you alone” time during a time many of us craving alone time because we are inside with our families so much.

Staying Safe on the Road and Knowing the Laws in the Age of Distraction

 

Along with much of what was once normal life, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended driving patterns. Gone for many drivers are commutes, carpooling, routine trips and visiting family and friends. In their place have come relocations, new styles of vacations, and unfamiliar territory to navigate. Newness and uncertainty are distracting enough all on their own. When driving, they only add to the other distractions competing for attention. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) state-by-state distracted driving laws summary1 is a practical tool to share with loved ones.

As with all rules for safe and legal driving, education is the key. Distractions may arise while driving, but there are many we can prevent.

Certain tasks should never be done while driving: holding a cellphone, texting, eating with utensils, reading or writing, applying makeup, and reaching for something in the backseat.  Recently, as the COVID-19 pandemic causes changes to routines, drivers may not be on familiar ground as they quarantine in temporary homes or drive rather than fly to some destinations for the first time. Multiple generations are together in new ways as well, often in the car as a family unit.

“Driver distraction is much more than just an electronic device,” says Tina Sayer, principal engineer for the Collaborative Safety Research Center at Toyota Motor North America. “It’s much more than just a phone. A distraction can be reading billboards, or handing a rear-seat passenger a sippy cup, or something like that. We need to remember that it’s not just the electronic device.”2

When electronic devices are distractions, the data is significant. According to NHTSA3, sending or reading a text can take a driver’s eyes off the road for  five full seconds. For comparison, at 55 mph, that’s like driving the entire length of a football field with your eyes closed.

To counter this risk, most U.S. states have passed laws that ban both handheld cell phone use and texting while driving. One group in particular warrants special focus: younger drivers. NHTSA estimates that at any given moment  470,00 drivers are holding a phone to their ear. And, 15- to 24-year-olds account for the largest percentage of handheld cell phone use4. Seven percent of those who died in distraction-related crashes in 2018 were teens 15 to 19 years old.5

Keeping Teens Safe Behind the Wheel

Solutions, though, are available. Research6 shows that teens can help lower distracted driving-related injuries and fatalities just by speaking with their peers. Teens listen to one another. So simply reminding a friend about the risks associated with distracted driving can save lives. Therefore, crafting compelling and intentional messaging that speaks directly to this specific demographic is crucial.

“Sharing a message to a population in general doesn’t necessarily get to the right people,” explains Sayer. “If the targeted group doesn’t look up to those giving the message or isn’t concerned about how those other people feel about them, then it loses all of its effectiveness.”

While peers can play a big role in promoting safe driving, parents, teachers and employers can also raise awareness, and most importantly, lead by example.

Toyota recommends parents take a step farther by drafting a formal agreement between their teen or younger driver and them. Sayer suggests printing out the agreement and keeping it somewhere visible, such as the by the door leading to the garage or on the front of the fridge.  Sayer says it’s also important to review the agreement periodically.

“You can use a parent-teen mutual driving agreement7 that outlines what’s okay in the vehicle and not okay,” says Sayer. “We  encourage putting the distracted driving laws for your state in your agreement.”

Here are 3 tips for communicating with teens:

Start with the laws: “Do you know what the laws in your state are? Are they different for teen drivers vs. adult drivers?”

Then move to the personal: “What are the “laws” in your family?  Are the expectations for the parents the same as the teens?”

Finally, a solution: Use a written mutual parent-teen driving agreement, such as the one on Teendrive365inschool.com8, that outlines what is acceptable and unacceptable for your family.

Parental Guidance

Additionally, Sayer suggests that  parents are a teen’s most influential role model and should  pay attention to their own driving behaviors with that in mind.

“You need to be the best example, because even younger children are watching you. They are learning how you are driving now and will imitate those behaviors in the future,” she adds. And it doesn’t stop there. Sayer believes that even after teens pass written and road tests and are ready to drive solo, they still need parental supervising.

“After your teen gets their independent license, you need to get back in the car with them,” Sayer suggests. “Lots of times we see supervised driving decrease significantly as soon as the teen gets their license, but you need to check back in and make sure that the teen is still following the rules and the things that you think are important, as well as the rules of the state.”

As the nation gets back on its feet and we discover a new normal, all drivers—teen and adult—will benefit from understanding the laws wherever they are now living, working, and going to school.

To learn more about NHTSA’s efforts to combat distracted driving, click here9. Below, find more information about distracted driving laws by state.

¹https://www.ghsa.org/sites/default/files/2020-07/DistractedDrivingLawChart-July20.pdf

2https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving

3https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving

4https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812818

5https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812931

6https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/documents/13905_peer2peerbrochure_031519_v4-blankpages-tag.pdf

7https://www.cdc.gov/MotorVehicleSafety/pdf/Driving_Contract-a.pdf

8https://www.teendrive365inschool.com/

9https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving

Celebrate the Winter Holidays Safely and Have a Happy New Year

There is a lot to celebrate with the ending of 2020 and beginning of 2021, but Covid-19 cases still on the rise around the country, the safest way to celebrate winter holidays and New Year’s Eve is still at home. But that doesn’t mean it has to be boring or even with just household members. Here are some ideas to help you celebrate safely.

·         Do a photo backdrop challenge for you and/or your kids with other families. Best photo background wins!

·         Make lists of predictions for 2021; they can be silly or not. At this point nothing is off the table!

·         Play fun games like Musical Chairs, Apples to Apples, Charades and others. Some of these games can easily played with other groups over zoom!

·         Give your holiday a fun theme. Make it an 80s Christmas or Grinch New Year’s Eve (seems very appropriate). Even if your celebrations are smaller this year, fun themes like this will make them memorable and fun.

·         Build fun breaks into your celebrations. Random dance breaks. Everyone has to freeze throughout the day when 1 family member yells freeze. You have to say something your thankful for anytime someone asks you all throughout the day. Make it fun or meaningful!

Bevy of Toyota Hybrids + Fuel Cell Get Autotrader’s Stamp of Approval

Toyota Sienna, Venza, RAV4 Prime and Mirai Among Best New Automotive Technology of 2021

Toyota Hybrids and the fuel cell Toyota Mirai received praise as part of Autotrader’s Best New Automotive Technology for 2021. Announced this week, the Autotrader list, which is designed to help car buyers navigate the breakthrough technology in vehicles, highlighted the major influence and strong leadership Toyota Hybrids and electrified vehicles have had in the automotive industry.

Honors were given to the recently launched, all-hybrid and all-new 2021 Toyota Sienna and 2021 Venza – as well as the plug-in hybrid version of the Toyota RAV4, the RAV4 Prime. The recently launched fuel cell 2021 Mirai was also featured.

Overall, Toyota offers 11 hybrids across its entire lineup. Additionally, Toyota has sold more than 16 million hybrid electric vehicles globally and more than 3.7 million in the U.S. We will continue to benefit from a balanced portfolio that meets the needs of all our customers. And by 2025, our global goal is for an electrified option to be available on all Toyota and Lexus models, with 25% of U.S. sales that year being an electrified vehicle.

To view the entire Best New Automotive Technology list from Autotrader, visit https://www.autotrader.com/car-tech/best-new-automotive-tech-of-2021.

Coming Together for Giving Tuesday

Toyota celebrates global day of giving with $700,000 in grants to nonprofits across the U.S.

This holiday season is unlike any other, and a little holiday cheer can go a long way to uplifting communities across the country. This Giving Tuesday, a global day of generosity and giving, Toyota Motor North America is supporting more than 25 nonprofit organizations with grants totaling $700,000, providing basic needs, holiday gifts, school supplies, and more.

Toyota employees are also making a difference through company-matched donations supporting eligible non-profit organizations, and donating to employee led drives for food, clothes and holiday gifts.

“With traditional giving events postponed or canceled this year, we can still come together for a good cause to help our neighbors in need,” said Sean Suggs, group vice president, Toyota Social Innovation. “We hope these grants help organizations bring holiday cheer to families in need, further support front line responders, and provide additional resources for teachers.”

Toyota’s Giving Tuesday activities impact a variety of causes and organizations local to its U.S. facilities and operations, including:

• Children’s health centers
• Homeless shelters
• Food banks
• Senior meal delivery services
• Rehabilitation and recovery organizations
• Museums, orchestras and the arts
• Emergency and needed supplies for children and teachers
• Counseling, medical, utility and mobility assistance

Toyota’s Giving Tuesday grants include:

Team Toyota Welcomes Four New Winter Athletes to All-Star Roster

 

Reaffirms Toyota’s Commitment to Olympic and Paralympic Movements

Toyota Motor North America is turning up the heat on the journey to the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, welcoming four new winter athletes to the Team Toyota family: U.S. Olympians Erin Jackson and Chris Mazdzer; U.S. Paralympian Andrew Kurka; and Olympic Hopeful Alysa Liu. As a mobility company, Toyota is proud to support Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls in achieving their goals — because no matter the challenge, when a person is free to move, anything is possible.

“At Toyota, we celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic Games and support the athletes who compete — or one day dream to compete — 365 days a year,” said Ed Laukes, group vice president, Toyota Marketing, Toyota Motor North America. “The athletes on Team Toyota inspire everyone within the company as they continue to defy odds, break down barriers, and challenge the status quo.”

After launching its global “Start Your Impossible” campaign prior to the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, Toyota continues to emphasize its commitment to creating an ever-better society through the freedom of movement. In partnering with Team Toyota athletes, the company has been able to share in this dedication and encourage others to do the same.

“We’re so happy to welcome Erin, Chris, Andrew and Alysa to the Team Toyota family,”  said Dedra DeLilli, group manager, Olympic and Paralympic Marketing, Toyota Motor North America. “They’ll be in the company of some of the world’s most elite athletes on Team Toyota, and we look forward to supporting them on their road to Beijing 2022 and beyond.”

Team Toyota winter Olympic and Paralympic athletes include:

Nathan Chen (Figure Skating): Skating since the age of three, Chen landed six quad jumps in the men’s free skate at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, becoming the first skater to do so at an international competition. At the same Games, he received a bronze medal as part of Team USA in the team figure skating event. The two-time World champion and three-time Grand Prix Final Champion completed his sophomore year at Yale University, and he is currently taking time off to train for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

Red Gerard (Snowboarding): After learning how to snowboard at the age of two, Gerard became the youngest American male to win an Olympic winter gold medal since 1928 at Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, when he was just 17 years old. Gerard recently partnered with Copper Mountain to create Red’s Backyard, a new zone featuring rails of varying difficulty modeled after the 2019 Burton U.S. Open champion’s own backyard.

Erin Jackson (Long Track Speedskating): Jackson was named to Team USA after only four months of training on ice as a speedskater and went on to compete at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. She is the first black woman to compete for the U.S. Olympic long track speedskating team. A native of Ocala, Fla., Jackson is a 2015 University of Florida Materials Science and Engineering alumna, and trains in Salt Lake City as a member of the 2020-2021 Long Track National Team.

Chloe Kim (Snowboarding): At 20 years old, Kim’s achievements include four X Games gold medals and Olympic gold in women’s halfpipe snowboarding at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. In PyeongChang, she made history by becoming the first woman to land back-to-back 1080s in Olympic halfpipe competition. Kim is world, Olympic, Youth Olympic and X Games champion in the halfpipe, and the first to win all four titles.

 Andrew Kurka (Para Alpine Skiing): After an ATV accident sidelined Kurka’s Olympic dreams of competing in wrestling, he’s found success on the slopes and was even the first person in a monoski to ski the Christmas Chute on the North Face of Mt. Alyeska in Girdwood, Alaska. Two-time Paralympic medalist, Kurka won gold and silver at the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 in downhill and super-G, respectively.

 Alysa Liu (Figure Skating): Skating since she was five years old, Liu became the first woman to win two U.S. titles by age 14, and the first American woman to successfully land a quadruple Lutz in competition. The Northern California native is also the first female skater to land a triple Axel and quad jump in the same program and has her eyes set on her Olympic debut in Beijing.

Oksana Masters (Nordic Skiing): A four-time U.S. Paralympian, Masters is looking to add to her Paralympic accolades at Beijing 2022 just six months after hopefully competing in Tokyo. Masters has competed at the Paralympic Games in both the winter and summer in Nordic skiing, cycling and rowing, winning eight medals overall. As a child, Masters had both legs amputated above the knee after she was born with birth defects as a direct cause of the nuclear accident at Chernobyl in Ukraine.

Chris Mazdzer (Luge): In his third Olympics, Mazdzer won silver at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, the first U.S. medal in Men’s Singles Luge. Mazdzer has 24 World Cup medals, 8 National Titles and has been elected by his athlete peers to represent them on the USA Luge Executive Board, International Luge Federation Executive Board and at the IOC.

Toby Miller (Snowboarding): Hoping to make his Olympic debut at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, 20-year-old Miller won his first Junior World Championships in 2018. Snowboarding since the age of six, the California native’s accolades also includes the U.S. Snowboard Association’s National Championships in halfpipe and a bronze medal in SuperPipe Session at the 2020 X Games.

Alana Nichols (Para Alpine Skiing): Five-time Paralympian and six-time medalist, Nichols is the first U.S. female Paralympian to win gold medals at both summer (Wheelchair Basketball) and winter (Alpine Ski Racing) Paralympic Games. An avid snowboarder throughout her youth, Nichols suffered an injury at age 17 while attempting a backflip on her snowboard that caused her to become paralyzed from the waist down.

 Amy Purdy (Snowboarding): Two-time Paralympian and three-time Paralympic medalist, Purdy won silver (snowboardcross) and bronze (banked slalom) at the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. She lost both of her legs below the knee due to a bacterial meningitis infection and went on to become a co-founder of Adaptive Action Sports, a non-profit dedicated to introducing people with physical challenges to action sports.

Rico Roman (Sled Hockey): A retired Army Staff Sergeant, Roman had his left leg amputated above the knee when wounded by an improvised explosive device while serving his third tour in Iraq in February of 2007. The two-time Paralympic sled hockey gold medalist made his debut on the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team in 2011 and went on to secure a spot on his first Paralympic Team in 2014.

Evan Strong (Snowboarding): Strong’s dreams of becoming a professional skateboarder were shattered just days before his 18th birthday when he was struck by a drunk driver in a head-on collision while riding a motorcycle which led to the partial amputation of his left leg. Strong’s success on the snow has won him gold (snowboardcross) at Paralympic Winter Games Sochi 2014 and silver (banked slalom) at Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.

Danelle Umstead (Para Alpine Skiing): Despite having no central vision and losing her peripheral vision, Umstead has found passion and success on the slopes where she and her guide (husband Rob) have been the first husband and wife duo to represent Team USA and win three bronze medals across their Paralympic Winter Games appearances. In addition to competing, Danelle is mentoring other disabled athletes and creating her own non-profit called Sisters in Sports Foundation.

Louie Vito (Snowboarding): Having attended a ski and snowboard academy from eighth grade through high school, it’s no wonder that Vito has been so accomplished on the slopes. In addition to being four-time Grand Prix overall halfpipe champion and two-time Dew Cup overall champion, Vito is also the first athlete ever to both co-host and compete in the X Games at the same time.

Torin Yater-Wallace (Freestyle Skiing): Yater-Wallace is a two-time Olympic freestyle skier and became the youngest medalist in Winter X Games history, winning the silver medal at X Games Aspen at age 15. After recovering from a serious injury that took him out of most of the 2018 – 2019 season, the eight-time X Games medalist made his return to snow in late 2019.

The roster of Team Toyota summer Olympic and Paralympic athletes can be found here.

In March of 2015, Toyota joined The Olympic Partners (TOP) programme of the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee in the newly created mobility category for 2017 through 2024. In addition to its relationship with the IOC and IPC, Toyota is a partner of Team USA; US Speedskating; U.S. Figure Skating; USA Hockey and the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team; USA Curling; USA Skateboarding; USA Surfing; USA Swimming; USA Track & Field; USA Triathlon; the National Wheelchair Basketball Association; U.S. Masters Swimming; U.S. Paralympics Alpine Skiing; U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing; U.S. Paralympics Snowboarding; U.S. Paralympics Cycling; U.S. Paralympics Swimming; and U.S. Paralympics Track & Field.

Fans can keep up with Team Toyota on Instagram (@TeamToyota).