by James J. Baxter, President, NMA - National Motorists Association

4NATIONAL MOTORISTS ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION NEWSEstate BequestsThe NMA Foundation is at adisadvantage when it comes toseeking financial support. Wedon't provide homes for soft, cuddly,furry creatures, find cures fordevastating diseases, or providemedical treatment for needy children.Our goal is to protect and enhancesomething that almost everyone takesfor granted; Individual mobility andthe freedom and opportunity itprovides.The emotion, sympathy, andurgency of other deserving causes isdifficult to harness in the name of"driver's rights" or rational traffic laws.But, the next time you walk out thedoor and head for your car, think whatit would be like if it wasn't there, andthe ability to travel "when you want"and "where you want" was just amemory.With that said, the NMAFoundation would like you to keep itin mind when thinking of the future.Donations come in many forms, butone that is often overlooked is estatebequests. These generous donationsare made in the context of an overallestate plan that dictates provisions forone's heirs as well as charitablecontributions.Bequests are easy and flexible. Youcan simply state that "I give $XXX tothe NMA Foundation, a non-profitorganization, for its exempt purposes."You can even be as specific as youwould like to be. You can direct thatyour donation be used to addresscertain issues or certain projects.Bequests help preserve as much ofan estate as possible through taxsavingdevices and opportunities.Under current law, some assets aresubject to extremely high tax rateswhen passed to heirs through an estate.Such assets are ideal resources to usein making a charitable gift by will ortrust.For more information on thebenefits of estate bequests, you shouldtalk with your estate planner or callNMA Foundation Executive DirectorJim Phend at (317) 844-1932 orjphend@indy.rr.com.Why Can’t Everyone Drive Like Me?By David TatlockIprefer to travel alone. Not easyin a day of crowded roads. Likesome drivers, there's a little bitof the drifter in me. If faced with a seaof brake lights, I'll get off at the firstexit.I drive at an optimum speed to keepmy inner thoughts in contact. One ofthe reasons I like driving is that I thinkwell behind the wheel. I'd like toimagine I pioneered the gratuitousslow-down, putting on my right-handblinker, and letting the fast guys (or thepoliceman) deal with the horizoninstead of my bumper.Admitting my own innocuousidiosyncrasies, I'll offer a few of mydiscoveries about obtuse driving thatare potentially dangerous. Cars tend totravel in clumps thus relinquishing thecode that underlies the carefree imageof car, road, and freedom. Ignored isone rule after another such as "drivingaccording to the conditions" or, "notovershooting your headlights" andmost important, "leaving yourself anout."MARCH/APRIL 2002Speeding is not a primary cause ofaccidents; It is the driver who can'tmake up his mind. Then there arethose who can't parallel park, parkselfishly, or park so there is no roomfor another vehicle. How about thedriver who camps out in the middle ofthe lane, waiting to make a left-handturn, with nary a look to see if cars arestacking up?I gear my driving life to avoid thoseagonizing Sunday trains of forty andfifty cars, engineered by leaf peepersyo-yoing from thirty-five to forty milesper hour.I attribute smooth driving to criticalroad skills learned as a one-time cabbieand a lifetime motorcyclist. Being twoor three steps ahead of other drivers isno accident.One trick learned from road racingmy motorcycle is, what to do with youreyes when entering a turn. Mostdrivers look at one specific spot. Thisis called "target fixation." Crankingyour head, letting your eyes play ontothe tapestry up ahead, allows forgreater "carrying speed." You gowhere your eyes are.When you are wondering what theother vehicle is going to do, lookdirectly at the front wheel for signs ofits very first movement.Like much else in life, drivingability is an ancillary feature ofsomething long embedded in ourpersonality. In this country, there is atendency for people to spout theiropinions as though they were truisms.Brash, aggressive behavior, by a turn,can become smooth, conciliatorybehavior, and nowhere better judgedthan on the road, where all is influx.With just the click of abutton, renew your NMAmembership online!www.motorists.org