Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Have Road Rage? Find Out in Our Quiz



When I was a young boy, I remembered a phrase my mother used to tell me on occasion.  She would begin to speak loudly, pause to look at me and say “earmuffs”.  At that moment, I would press my hands over my ears, drowning out the onslaught of curse words that proceeded to leave her mouth.  The more the vein pulsed on her neck, the more feverishly she would curse. This happened most often in the car when one of two occasions occurred: One, she was cut off by another driver, or two someone did something completely reckless, putting our lives in danger.  Road rage was funny to me then, but since those moments as a child, I’ve come to understand its power.  Do you have road rage?  Find out in a quiz courtesy of Progressive to find out if you fit the bill.
Yes or No, Do You ...
  1. Overtake other vehicles only on the left?
  2. Avoid blocking passing lanes?
  3. Yield to faster traffic by moving to the right?
  4. Keep to the right as much as possible on narrow streets and at intersections?
  5. Maintain appropriate distance when following other motorists, bicyclists, motorcyclists, etc.?
  6. Provide appropriate distance when cutting in after passing vehicles?
  7. Use headlights in cloudy, rainy, and other low light conditions?
  8. Yield to pedestrians?
  9. Come to a complete stop at stop signs, before right turn on red, etc.?
  10. Stop for red traffic lights?
  11. Approach intersections and pedestrians at slow speeds to show your intention and ability to stop?
  12. Follow right-of-way rules at four-way stops?
  13. Drive below posted speed limits when conditions warrant?
  14. Drive at slower speeds in construction zones?
  15. Maintain speeds appropriate for conditions?
  16. Use vehicle turn signals for all turns and lane changes?
  17. Make eye contact and signal intentions where needed?
  18. Acknowledge intentions of others?
  19. Use your horn sparingly around pedestrians, at night, around hospitals, etc.?
  20. Avoid unnecessary use of highbeam headlights?
  21. Yield and move to the right for emergency vehicles?
  22. Refrain from flashing headlights to signal a desire to pass?
  23. Drive trucks at posted speeds, in the proper lanes, using non-aggressive lane changing?
  24. Make slow, deliberate U-turns?
  25. Maintain proper speeds around roadway crashes?
  26. Avoid returning inappropriate gestures?
  27. Avoid challenging other drivers?
  28. Try to get out of the way of aggressive drivers?
  29. Refrain from momentarily using High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to pass vehicles?
  30. Focus on driving and avoid distracting activities (e.g., smoking, use of a car telephone, reading, shaving)?
  31. Avoid driving when drowsy?
  32. Avoid blocking the right-hand turn lane?
  33. Avoid taking more than one parking space?
  34. Avoid parking in a disabled space (if you are not disabled)?
  35. Avoid letting your door hit the car parked next to you?
  36. Avoid stopping in the road to talk with a pedestrian or other driver?
  37. Avoid inflicting loud music on neighboring cars?
Score Yourself ...
Are you an Aggressive Driver or a Smooth Operator? Answering "No" to more questions means you're a more aggressive driver.
Number of "No" Answers
How You Rate as a Driver
1-3
4-7
8-11
12+
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

National Teen Driver Safety Week




Handing over the keys to your teenager can be a scary thought for many parents and makes many very hesitant as to letting them drive. This week, October 20-26 is National Teen Driver Safety week and here are some helpful tips to discuss with your teen about the safety of driving.
·      The phone and texts can wait.
o   To many drivers today are becoming more distracted by their cell phones and paying less attention to the road. Talk to your teen about staying off their phones until they have reached their destination.
·      Developing a Parent-Teen Driving Contract
o   By having establishing certain ground rules as to who can travel in the car and a curfew can help protect your teen and make you feel at ease.
·      Going over safety
o   Whether it would be to remind your teen to always wear their seat belt to making sure their vehicle is safely equipped is always important to discuss safety concerns before your teen heads out on to the road.

By discussing some of the following topics will help to better protect and to be more comfortable with your teen driving on the road.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

5 Facts About Kids and Car Safety



Kids are the future of our nation, the bubble gum popping and bike riding youths of the new world.  Keeping them occupied in the back seat of a moving vehicle is difficult enough.  Today, in our weekly blog, we describe 5 facts about kids and car safety. 

1.)     Most accidents happen near home: Most accidents occur on residential, rural roads that are local, during a routine trip to the grocery store or day-care center.  No matter what, always buckle your child into their seat, even if the drive is two minutes away.  "Always buckle your child up, no matter how near or far you're going," says Marilena Amoni, associate administrator for research and program development at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). "And never forget to use your own seat belt. Kids watch everything that you do, so it's important that you set the right example."

2.)     Kids are at more risk than babies and toddlers: If your child is between 4 and 8 years old, they are more likely to be hurt in an accident than their smaller counterparts.  Most parents strap their infants into rear facing car seats, but only 20% of kids between 4 and 8 ride in booster seats as safety experts recommend. Some children even sit in the front seat before 13 years old.  Children are the safest in the backseat, putting them far away from the impact of a frontal crash.

3.)     SUVs aren’t safer: It’s BIG, bad, and menacing, but SUVs are no safer than ordinary sedans.  They’re more likely to rollover.  The safest vehicles are low to the ground and larger (station wagons).

4.)     A car does NOT have to move to be dangerous: Parked cars are also, surprisingly deadly.  As many as 220 children per year are killed in non-traffic auto accidents.  Some are strangled by a window when they’re leaning out, inadvertently leaning on the rocker-type power window switch.  Other children, when alone, release the emergency brake, setting the car in motion.  Finally, at least 30 kids die each year when their parents leave them in the car and they suffocate from overheating. "Children should never, ever be left alone in an automobile -- not even for a minute," says Terrill Struttmann, executive director of Kids in Cars, an education and advocacy organization he and his wife started after their 2-year-old son was killed by a car set in motion by two kids playing alone inside.

5.)     Kids don’t need to be inside a car to be hurt by one:  nearly 400 children are killed each year when they’re hit by an automobile.  ALWAYS keep an eye on your little ones, no matter how many times you’ve warned them to stay out of the streets.  A survey conducted by Safe Kids Worldwide found that a majority of drivers speed in school zones, and that nearly a third violate stop signs in neighborhoods where there are kids.

Do you have any tips of your own?  Feel free to comment below:

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

5 Ways to Devalue Your Vehicle



So, you’ve got a reliable vehicle that’s great on gas, looks great, and gets you from point A to B in style.  You want to keep it for a long time, bu you also want to maintain a lot of the value associated with it so you can trade or sell it when you’re ready to update.  In today’s blog, we’re describing 5 ways to devalue your car quicker than you can say “junk it”  So, hold on and be prepared, it’s going to e a bumpy ride (pun intended).

1. Lack of Maintenance and Servicing

Every buyer wants piece of mind.  A feeling of tranquility when they purchase their car AND verification that the vehicle is in a good state of reliability.  Each car comes with a service book, which will be marked and stamped by the dealer, so keep ALL of your records to show prospective buyers (dealerships, too) that your car has a great history.

2. Lackluster Paint Care

DO NOT neglect your paint job.  In most cases, vehicles these days maintain their paint jobs due to the detailed precision of application during the car’s inception.  Don’t buy discount car care products.  The best wax kits include: washes, waxes, polishes, and extra protective layers.  Don’t use brushes to wash your car, but rather soft clothes.

3. No Friggin Insurance

Always get insurance for your vehicle.  Why?  Because it’s the single most important remedy for accidents that can happen when you’re driving.  It also means any damage will be fixed properly, usually by us or a reputable bodyshop. 

4.  Smoking Cigarettes

If you EVER want to resell your vehicle., don’t smoke in it.  Smoking seeps into fabric surfaces, seats, headlining and carpets and is virtually impossible to extract.  This will depreciate any potential buyers who are repulsed by smoke, or potential buyers with children

5. Not Cleaning Vehicle Interior

For some parts of the day, your vehicle is your home.  Treat it well.   Make sure you keep your car clean and vacuumed.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

A Great Way to Beat the Traffic



Hello, Fans! In today’s day and age, most commuters spend at least an hour daily sitting in traffic, waiting for a light to change, and agonizing every moment they’re at a standstill.  Traffic has always been a huge part of the daily drive and in most cases, has been an unwelcome addition to the daily routine.  Gone are the days of empty roads and long stretches, especially between the times of 9am and 6pm.  We’ve got news for you!

There’s a new smartphone app (available for iPhone, android and Blackberry devices) that provides real-time traffic information for mobile devices and it’s FREE.  Beat the Traffic allows commuters to instantly view real-time traffic conditions – including accidents; traffic congestion and roadway delays-and adjusts to travel plans if necessary.  This saves you time, fuel and frustration. .  Beat the Traffic has interactive maps and street details to assist you in finding the fastest and safest route to your destination!  Traffic also lets motorists retrieve travel times and live camera views. Even more tools, such as personalized traffic reports and saved routes, are available for a small subscription fee.

Check it out:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/beat-the-traffic/id339660839?mt=8