Apocalypic Proportion Disaster: Which Car for Which Situation?

Public Service Announcement: The zombie apocalypse is here! Well, not really.  But if it were true, would your vehicle be properly prepared for it?  If not, check out this blog on the necessities for different disaster scenarios:

Alright, so let’s say that your city or town has been taken over by giant monsters running rampant through the streets. You’ve got to get out of there or at least be able to get around safely, but how do you do it? Which method of transportation would you use? What if it were zombies instead of giant monsters? What about just a good old-fashioned apocalypse? Transportation is definitely key in any of these situations.

Today’s fun infographic from Jalopnik.com gives us some answers as to what cars would (theoretically) be best for a variety of disaster-movie type scenarios. If you’re trying to fend off the zombie horde, for instance, you’re obviously going to want some kind of armor/barrier over your windows so those pesky undead can’t get to you and your loved ones. You’d also need to be able to stay mobile in the face of a swarm, so a front-end plow would do nicely and who could say no to some spikes and a remote-controlled chainsaw?

For more information and to check out the necessities for your apocalyptic vehicle, take a look at the infographic and original article: http://bit.ly/11qDX2S

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10 Most Annoying Things Driver Do

When it comes to driving we are perfect and everyone else is no good…right? But what is it exactly that makes each of us tick when it comes to sharing the road? An article from Cars.com explores the 10 most annoying things that drivers do. Here is a brief rundown of the list:

1. Talking on a Cell Phone – Did you know you’re just as likely to cause an accident talking on a cell phone as you are when you’ve been drinking. Of course we don’t like it when somebody else when somebody else could potentially be risking our lives just to order a pizza or chat with grandma.

2. Driving too fast for road conditions – Just because the speed limit says 60 doesn’t mean you should always be driving 60. Some people like to drive a max speeds when it’s raining…or worse…snowing. These people are not only annoying, they are putting the rest of us at risk.

3.  Not cleaning snow off cars – Only one thing can happen when someone starts driving 60 mile-per-hour with a foot of snow on their roof, it flies off! And it’s very likely that when that snow falls off it hits your car. Anyone who has had this happen to them know just how terrifying this can be.

4. Not signaling when changing lanes or leaving a signal on – Turn signals should only be used for one reason, and that’s when you’re turning. If someone forgets to turn their turn signal on it can cause massive confusion for drivers behind them. It can be just as confusing when someone tries to turn with no turn signal.

5. Leaving high beams on- This one is self-explanatory. No one likes trying to drive while staring into a bright beam of light.

6. Faulty equipment – Yes, getting things fixed can cost a lot. But when your car has so much smoke pouring out of the exhaust that other drivers can breathe or see, it’s probably time to do something about it. Not getting equipment checked or fixed may even make it so that a vehicle is not safe to drive.

7. Taking two spaces in a parking lot – Nothing says jerk more than taking up two parking spaces, especially in a crowded lot or parking garage. Apparently the paint job on their car is more important than you being able to park or not.

8. Staying in the far left lane – We all know the left lane is the passing lane. So why do people driving slower than everyone else have to ride in it for miles?

9. Not acknowledging making a mistake or overreacting to an honest mistake – We all make mistakes. And it’s a normal reaction to be mad about somebody else’s mistakes, especially when driving. But when a driver tails you for miles or screams at you out their window, flipping the bird, they just look plain crazy.

10. Dangerous loads improperly secured – This one is similar snow not being cleaned off of a moving car, but having a folding chair fly out of a car is much more dangerous than snow. Not only will it scare you and possibly cause an accident, but it could damage your car as well.

Click the link to read the full article from Cars.com: http://bit.ly/itnzFb

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How Long Do Tires Last?

- Tires are important. They are your car’s connection to the road, and it’s crucial that tires stay in good shape to keep your car running smoothly. But how long do tires really last? This article from Cars.com will tell you how:

We would expect at least 50,000 miles from the tires that come with any new vehicle, but tire life depends on so many factors that it's impossible to give anything other than broad guidelines.

Among the factors are the quality of the tire, the treadwear rating, whether it is a performance summer tire or an all-season tire, the type of vehicle it is mounted on and how it is driven. Performance tires may grip like leeches on dry pavement, but they tend to wear out faster than tires with less rolling resistance. If you drive your vehicle like you just stole it that also will wear tires faster. The Tires 101 information in the Cars.com Advice section, found here, will help you sort out the different types of tires and which is best for your driving style.

Driving for extended periods on underinflated tires shortens their lifespan, as will driving a vehicle whose wheels are out of alignment. If you never or seldom have your tires rotated, that also can accelerate wear, especially the tires mounted in front on a front-wheel-drive vehicle. They not only carry most of the vehicle's weight but also carry most of the load in braking, cornering and jackrabbit starts.

Though we would expect at least 50,000 miles from original-equipment (and quality replacement) tires, the reality can be quite different. Owners of late-model Honda CR-Vs have complained to us, for example, that they had to replace all four tires around 20,000 miles. We also hear complaints from people who bought replacement tires that were supposed to last 50,000 miles or more but were good for only 30,000 miles. In other words, there are no promises.

Here are some additional guidelines: You don't have to spend lavishly on tires, but don't automatically buy the cheapest ones either. Tires are the only part of your vehicle that are supposed to touch the ground, so make sure they're up to the task. Choose tires that have high treadwear and traction ratings, and bear in mind that performance tires with higher speed ratings may not last long. A balanced combination of wet traction, ride comfort, low noise levels and a high treadwear rating will probably be your best bet.

Article courtesy of: http://bit.ly/13x3aNS

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What You Need to Do to Prepare for a Road Trip

Are you planning a road trip for the summer? Don’t you wish you could just hop in the car and go without a plan? Unfortunately that might not be the best idea if you want to make the most out of your trip. Tom and Ray Maliozzi from Cars.com have come up with a list of top 10 tips for road trips (http://bit.ly/Ka9Iqi). These are some of our favorites:

·         Get Your Car Checked Out – You don’t want to risk your car not working in unfamiliar territory because of something that could have been prevented. Plan to have your vehicle thoroughly serviced before your road trip.

·         Build in Rest Days – You’re going on a road trip to have fun, not wear yourself out! When planning your itinerary add a few extra rest days in between driving.  That also means you’ll be easier on your car, which makes it less likely to break down.

·         Bring a Basic Repair Kit – Have a repair kit ready for little things you can fix yourself. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy, a few different sizes of regular and Phillips-head screwdrivers, vice grips, etc.

·         Join a travel club – Joining a travel club like AAA will save you a lot of hassle if you do break down or blow a tire. Also check with Better World Club or an auto club offered by your car’s manufacturer.

·         Check the Air Pressure, Including the Spare – A car has 5 tires, not 4! Before you leave for your trip, check the pressure on your 4 main tires, but on your spare tire as well

·         Don’t forget to have fun! – No matter how much you prepare, unexpected things can still happen. Don’t sweat it too much though. Remember, you’re on vacation!

Read all 10 road trip tips here: http://bit.ly/Ka9Iqi

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What Your Check Engine Light is Trying to Tell You

A check engine light coming on in your car is never something a driver wants to deal with. The light could mean a vehicle needs expensive repairs, or it could be something as simple as a gas cap not being screwed on tight enough. But not matter what it is, the matter of the fact is you’re going to have to get your engine checked.

In 2010 CarMD published a list of the five most common check engine light codes. Here they are in order or frequency.

·         O2 Sensor (part of the emissions system monitoring and helping adjust the air-fuel mixture)

·         Loose gas cap

·         Catalytic converter

·         Mass air flow sensor (monitoring the amount of air mixed in the fuel injection system)

·         Spark plug wires

To read the whole article click here: http://edmu.in/im4vWF

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The History of the Garage: An Infographic

Car garages. We don’t really think about them, do we? Garages are one of the things we take for granted; they protect our cars from the elements, are great storage centers - and are everywhere. No, really: the U.S. alone has 82 million homes with a garage; that’s enough to store every car made in the world last year.

Don’t forget: in the beginning, drivers didn’t have actual, personal garages; they used converted carriage houses that once held horses. Nowadays, the garage is so common we don’t even think twice about it.

Check out Autoblog’s full-length infographic to see even more cool facts about these underappreciated buildings!

 

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An Infographic: The 10 Greatest Road Trip Destinations & Money Saving Tips

Summer’s almost here, and as the sun begins to shine and we start to come up with ideas for what to do during weekends or vacations, the road is beginning to call to us.

A good road trip can be a truly wonderful and relaxing escape from our daily routine. But after the excitement of a possible road trip comes the questions: where in the world should I go during my road trip? And what sort of budget should I prepare?

No idea where to start and how to begin planning your amazing summer roadtrip? Have no fear, fellow drivers: use this handy infographic to see some of the most popular road trip destinations. It even has a formula to help you calculate how much money you’ll need for that great trip you’re planning! Click here to view a larger image if you need to.

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