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  • Tips for Safe Driving With Pets In The Car

    Pets aren’t just pets – they’ve treasured friends and family members. As pet owners, we want to keep our buddies safe both at home and on the road. Whether they’re headed for fun times at the park or a trip to the vet, here are a few tips for safe…

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  • Vehicle Theft Protection Guidelines

    Vehicle theft is a multi-million-pound crime, with the cost of stolen vehicles is huge. Summers prove to be the worst season for vehicle theft. Thieves want vehicle parts and valuable items, too. Radios and wheel covers aren’t the only popular stolen vehicle parts thieves take. They want whatever sells, from the mandated labeled parts to those that aren’t. Some of the most popular vehicle parts or valuable items stolen from vehicles include doors, engines, transmissions, air bags, radios, GPS units, cell phones, iPads, laptops, and purses.

    As an auto owner, it’s to your advantage to learn more about how to protect yourself from car theft and safeguard your personal property.

    These days, it seems we’re all attached at the hip to our smartphones. We rely on them for just about everything — shopping, reading, communicating, working and being entertained. Every driver should important to do some research before making any purchases. Understanding Auto…

    Auto Theft Protection Guidelines

    As an auto owner, it’s to your advantage to learn more about how to protect yourself from car theft and safeguard your personal property. The following vehicle theft protection guidelines gives greater insight into what measures you can take to secure your vehicle. These measures may seem elementary but they produce successful results.

    • Always close and lock all windows and doors when parking your vehicle.
    • Always put your emergency brake on when parking your vehicle as it makes it more difficult for thieves to tow away your car.
    • Never leave your vehicle running while you run to the ATM, convenience store or into your home even for the shortest amount of time.
    • Never hide an extra set of keys inside or outside of your vehicle.
    • When out, always park in well-lit areas where there’s a steady flow of pedestrians or within an attended parking lot.
    • At home, always lock and park your vehicle inside your garage.
    • Never leave valuable items within plain sight inside your vehicle as this can attract potential thieves.
    • Never carry the title or registration of your vehicle inside your car as it provides thieves with the legal paperwork to easily dispose of your vehicle after stealing it.
    • If you own a GPS, program your personal address under a different title than “Home” to protect your personal information in the event your car is stolen.
    • Have your VIN or personal ID number engraved on your vehicle’s windows, major parts and costly accessories so these can be easily identified by police when tracing stolen property.
    • If you plan to leave your vehicle unattended for quite some time, consider disabling it by removing your distributor, rotor or fuse to your electronic ignition, etc.
    • Install an audio alarm to alert you when someone is trying to break into or steal your vehicle.
    • Consider using anti-theft devices such as kill switches, floorboard lock, steering wheel lock or tire locks, especially if you live in a high theft area.
    • Install a vehicle tracking system to help recover your stolen vehicle quicker.

    These vehicle theft protection strategies can help reduce the risk (and worry) of car theft, letting you enjoy your vehicle to the full for years to come.

  • How to Get the Best Deal on a New Car

    When buying a new car, you definitely want to score a great car for a great deal. However, dealing with push salespeople can leave you feeling frustrated, and sometimes it’s difficult to figure out how to negotiate a good price on the vehicle you want. If you’re wondering how to get the best deal on a new car, here are a few helpful tips that will help reduce your stress and save you money.

    Spend Time Doing Research

    Before you even walk into a car dealership in Maryland, make sure you spend time doing some research on the type of car you plan to buy. According to Moneycrashers.com, well-informed buyers are more likely to score a good deal. Spend some time researching the specific cars you’re interested in and check features and prices ranges online so you have a good idea of the going rate for the vehicle you want.

    Compare Financing Options

    While car dealerships offer financing, it’s important to compare your financing options before heading to the dealership. In many cases, a dealership’s interest rates will be higher than car loan rates from credit unions or banks. You may be able to get a good discount on a car loan rate at your current credit union or bank. It’s also possible to compare current interest rates online. If you get a car loan quote from a financial institution, make sure you get the quote in writing. Obtaining a car loan with lower interest rates can save you a huge amount of money when buying a new car.

    Pay Attention to Your Trade-in Value

    When you’re trying to figure out how to get the best deal on a new car, it’s easy to simply look at the new vehicle’s purchase price. However, Edmunds.com recommends that you also pay attention to your current vehicle’s trade-in value. You can lose thousands of dollars if you accept a bad trade-in deal. Before you head to the dealer, make sure you know your vehicle’s trade-in value. If the dealer won’t give you a good trade-in price, you can always sell your car privately.

    Investigate Potential Incentives

    Don’t forget to investigate potential incentives if you want to save money when purchasing a new car. Visit automakers’ websites to look for special offers, which may include sales incentives, such as cash rebates. However, if you have an incentive, CNN.com recommends that you don’t bring it up until you make the final deal. This way you can subtract the incentive from the final deal, helping you to save more money.

    Compare Prices Between Dealers

    To score a great deal on your new care, take the time to compare prices between multiple Maryland dealers. Many car shopping websites make it easy for you to get offers from nearby dealerships, according to Forbes.com. It may be worth your time to head to another city to purchase your vehicle if you find a lower offer. If you won’t want to leave your area, take the lowest offer with you to a local dealership and see if they’re willing to beat the deal.

  • Things To Do During Winter School Closings

    During winter school cancellations, it’s important to find something to do. Just sitting at home doesn’t get anything accomplished, and there are always adventures to have. Of course, you also want to be safe during those adventures, which is why it’s so important to be a good driver.

    During winter school cancellations, it’s important to find something to do. Just sitting at home doesn’t get anything accomplished, and there are always adventures to have. Of course, you also want to be safe during those adventures, which is why it’s so important to be a good driver. If you’re thinking about getting your learners permit, provisional license, or Maryland driver license, winter school closings can be a good time to focus on those things.

    Those times are also great for taking a driver education class if you’ve received a traffic ticket you need to take care of. The more you get done during winter school cancellations, the more prepared you’ll be when school resumes and you have more things you need to do each day.

    The Myths of Winter Driving

    While you’re learning about winter driving, be sure to consider some of the myths you’ve been taught about cars and cold weather. For example, you don’t need to let your vehicle warm up before you drive it. That won’t protect the engine, or make any real difference in how the car operates. While warming up the inside of the car might be nice, you’re really just wasting gasoline.

    Another debunked myth is that you don’t want to use hot water to take that ice off your windshield. You can risk the glass cracking and even shattering. It’s tempting, especially when you’re in a hurry, but it’s better to scrape the ice off the windows, rather than pour water on them.

    Surviving Winter Weather

    Getting your permit or license can mean the opportunity to get winter driving experience. You want to do that safely, of course, so you’ll need to focus on how to drive in snow and other types of inclement weather. The State Highway Administration provides some great tips for snowy weather driving. These include:

    • buckling up,
    • taking extra time getting to your destination,
    • increasing your following distance, and
    • staying off the roads as much as possible.

    If you don’t need to be out, you really should just stay home.

    If you do have to drive in inclement weather, focus on the road. Don’t talk or text on your phone, and keep the radio volume low. Make sure the windows are clear, so you can see as well as possible. Have a winter driving kit with you and keep your car full of gasoline. If you get stranded or stuck, stay with your vehicle. Getting your permit or license is a big deal, but it’s important to remember that it doesn’t mean you’ve learned all you need to know. There’s still a lot to learn once you pass the minimum requirements to get on the road.

    Winter school cancellations are the perfect time to get your permit, provisional license, or driver license. Then you can get some practice driving in winter weather. You have to learn sometime, and it’s hard to simulate winter driving conditions during the summer months. While you want to go slowly and make sure you have someone to help you, the only way you’ll get good at winter driving is to practice.

  • http://www.drivingschoollink.com

    Teen Driver Statistics On Car Accidents and Drunk Driving

    Throughout the U.S. drinking alcohol is against the law for anyone under 21 years of age. The drinking age, however, had not prevented people under 21 from disobeying and drinking, nor has it stopped them from getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol or other substances. According to teen car accident statistics from the Center for Disease Control, 2650 teens between 16 and 19 were killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2011, with another 292,000 receiving emergency room treatment due to crash injuries. Further teen driver statistics from the CDC points out that motor vehicle crashes happen most to people between 16-19, which is more often than other age groups. Teen drivers in this group are three times more likely to be in a fatal crash than drivers 20 years old or older.

    Age isn’t the only factor in these crashes. Male drivers and passengers in this age group experience twice the fatalities as females. Who is in the car matters too. The more teens that are riding in the vehicle, especially without supervision, the more likely it is that a crash will occur. Teens with a new license are also at a higher risk of being involved in a crash.

    Drinking and Driving is Still a Problem

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