Our Favorite Instagram Photos of the Month

Every once in a while, we’ll find some really awesome photos that deserve some recognition.  These photos embody the style and panache we aim to achieve with our vehicles.  In today’s blog, we’re providing our FAVORITE Instagram photos for the month of May.  Vote for your favorite below!

3 Important Safety Features !

Ever since your children were born, you’ve had the unwavering confidence to protect them against all odds.  Your parental skills acting as an impenetrable field against anything put in their way.  You're a knight, slaying dragons that breathe fire of pestilence, laziness, and the occasional Social Media stint that your kids can’t escape.  As your children get older, however, they begin to drive, literally.  A 16-year-old behind the wheel is usually a scary thought; a fear for any caring parent.  In today’s blog, we discuss 3 awesome options for keeping safe while you drive. 

1.    A Vehicle with High Crash Test Scores – this isn’t really a safety feature, but it should be something you search for in a vehicle.  Look for four or five star crash test ratings for front and side impact, as well as an endorsement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  The side impact test conducted by the IIHS is designed to measure the level of occupant protection when a vehicle is struck by an SUV or truck.

2.    Frontal Airbags – most vehicles come with these stock, featuring sensors which consider factors like occupant size, seat position and crash sensitivity to determine the level they should inflate.  Advanced airbags effectively reduce the risk of an injury.

3.    Side-impact and side curtain airbags – These are mounted in either the seat backs or doors and protect the torso during side-impact crashes.  Generally, they’re usually for front seat occupants, but manufacturers give you the option to have them for the backseat.  These airbags span the length of the cabin and provide head protection for outboard occupants in side-impact collisions.  Also protecting during a rollover by keeping everyone inside safe.  A lost of crash related deaths stem from ejection for the vehicle.

What are some additional safety features you would recommend? Let us know!

Safe Driving Tips for the Holidays

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It’s an exciting and hectic time.  If you’ve been running around frantically, searching for the best gift, buying decorations, or trying to balance work and home life lately, you’re not alone.  The holidays are a time of love, compassion and the occasional MAYHEM.  While you’re out and about this time of year, take precaution.  Traffic is heavy this time of year and its important to still keep your driving skills up to par.  Here are some tips on maintaining your safety this holiday season.

Vehicle Maintenance

Get a tune up and make sure your car is prepared for travel if you’re taking a road trip.  This is CRUCIAL, especially regarding winter driving conditions.

Restrain Yourself Properly

This should be the norm.  Remember, the rear seat is the safest place for any children to ride.

Stay Alert and Energized

Take plenty of breaks and don’t push to meet unrealistic schedules like finishing all of your holiday shopping in a few hours.  If you feel yourself getting tired, pull over into a rest area or business, and get out and stretch.  If that doesn’t work, find a place to rest.  These crashes most often occur during the late night/early morning hours and the late afternoon hours to drivers who are sleepy.

Keep Speed Down

Hey, Ricky Bobby, give yourself plenty of time and distance to react to the traffic around you.  Let impatient and aggressive drivers pass you.

Choose a Designated Driver

There will be tons of intoxicated drivers on the roadways.  If you absolutely have to drive during this time of year always have a designated driver.

So, do you have any tips?  Feel free to comment below!

Big Brother: Traffic Cameras and How They’re Making Us Paranoid

I know you’ve seen these inconspicuous little buggers on top of stoplights, on street corners, and in your nightmares.  They record your movements through traffic with the flicker of a flash, causing paranoia that could lead to a citation in the mail, with a photo of you disregarding the law.  A smile planted on your face as you cruise through a stoplight is all the evidence they need. 

Red light cameras are made to deter running red lights. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), in 2007, almost 900 were killed and nearly 153,000 were injured in crashes that involved red light running. About half of the deaths are pedestrians and occupants in other vehicles who are hit by the red light runners. The IIHS has reported huge decreases in red light running in several cities in which the cameras were used.  Since they’re working, the cameras have been installed in more major intersections. 

Some drivers ask if this is an invasion of privacy.  Nope. Driving is a regulated activity on public roads.  When you receive a license, you must obey the laws of the road, which contains nothing to prevent local governments from documenting violators.  According to an article appearing in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the city of Lilburn, GA issued about 1,500 citations in January 2008. The citations dropped by 80 percent to around 300 in January 2009, after a new Georgia law mandated a longer yellow light duration. The extra second on the yellow light may have reduced the problem of red light running for the driver, but it almost worked too well for the city. Red light cameras were no longer issuing enough citations to keep them "profitable" and as a result, Lilburn and four other cities in the same county suspended their red light programs.

The red light camera system looks like it’s here to stay, for mow.  For more info on how they work, visit: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/safety-regulatory-devices/red-light-camera1.htm

The Top Car Technologies Voted By Car Buyers

A J.D. Power Report discussed car buyers’ favorite technological advances when it comes to their vehicles.  We all play victim to the vast power and influence of electronics.  From the DVR recorder in our homes we use to record shows like Desperate Housewives and Top Gear, to the iPad that sits on our lap at the dinner table, we’re all connected in one way or the other.  At the dealership, we love new technology.  So, according to J.D. Power and Associates, these are the top 10 technologies car buyers’ need:

• 1.    Run-flat tires – these tires protect you from a flat by providing an additional 50 miles at 50 mph to get to a gas station after your tire pops.
• 2.    Navigation Systems – an in-dash navigation system is a great tool for finding your away around.  Use this to find local restaurants, navigate a new city, and in some cases, avoid traffic.
• 3.    Premium Surround Sound System – everyone can appreciate a great sound system.  How else can you listen to Michael Jackson’s Thriller at full blast?
• 4.    Back-up Assist – SUVs are especially avid at including these.  Back-up assist acts as a rear-view camera that boosts your visibility when backing up.  Great for avoiding objects like bicycles and other vehicles.
• 5.    Heated/Cooled Seats – These seats have small “pinholes” that emit cool (or hot) air to flow from a fan or air condition unit embedded in the seats.
• 6.    Keyless Entry System – Keyless entry is easy because the small keyless sensor stays in your pocket or purse, allowing you to start your car remotely.  By being in close proximity you can unlock dorrs and push a button on the dash to start your engine. 

These are just a few of the tech that people need to have, for the full list visit http://www.latimes.com/classified/automotive/highway1/la-hy-tech.pg,0,5168532.photogallery