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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How To Handle An Engine Fire

While driving can be an extremely fun activity, there are always dangers that drivers need to be aware of. One of those dangers are car fires. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that there is a vehicle fire every 96 seconds in the United States.

The dangers of car fires are further highlighted by articles like one on Detroitnews.com that tells one man’s tale about how his truck went up in flames within three minutes. “A fire in a modern vehicle burns fast and furiously,” the writer states. “What's intact for the moment can be gone or enveloped in toxic smoke in a matter of seconds.”

All drivers need to be aware of this potential danger, especially since most fires start due to electrical problems, which can’t be seen and can be undetected. Signs of potential problems, according to Statefarm.com, are:

·      Fuses that blow repeatedly

·      Spilled oil under the hood left over from an oil change

·      Oil or other fluid leaks under the vehicle

·      Cracked or loose wiring, or wiring with exposed metal

·      Very loud sounds from the exhaust system

·      Rapid changes in fuel level, oil levels, or engine temperature

·      A missing cap from the oil filler

·      Broken or loose hoses

Should the warning signs lead to a real emergency before any problems can be fixed, remember to stay calm and do the following:

·      As highlighted in the Detroitnews.com article, if anything seems “off” in your car, pull over and get out – you’ll be able to see if anything is obviously wrong.

·      If you smell gasoline, don’t just assume it’s coming from another car – it could be a sign of trouble in yours. Pull over.

·      When you pull over, turn off your car’s ignition immediately. Exit the vehicle and do not go back for personal items.

·      If you see flames once you exit the vehicle, call 911 immediately and keep away from your car.

·      Do not open the hood of your car and attempt to fight any fire yourself; opening the hood adds extra oxygen to the blaze and makes the situation worse.

As with all accidents, you should also find ways to alert oncoming traffic to the danger your car poses, and take pictures of the damage to show to insurance agents later.

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The 10 Most Common Car Myths

Did the Model T Ford only come in black? Do bigger wheels make you go faster? Do red cars cost more to insure than other colored cars?

If you answered yes to any of the above, we’re sorry to say you’ve bought into at least one common perpetuated car myth, if not more. Don’t worry - it happens to the best of us.

Curious to know the truth and see what other myths you and your friends may be confusing with the truth? Check out this entire list of 10 most common car myths. We guarantee you’ll be surprised!

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The Secret Lives of Drivers: An Infographic

Have you been checking out other drivers to see if they’re attractive? Or maybe you’ve been applying makeup to yourself while behind the wheel? Whatever it is, we’re sure you’re not alone. Everyday both men and women get behind the wheel and practice driving habits that we were all warned against back in drivers ed. and yet, nearly 70% of both men and women believe that their driving habits are not dangerous!

Check out the rest of these crazy driving habit statistics by viewing this great infographic here: http://bit.ly/w7Irv3

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The Future of Driving: A Video

Electricity! Alternative oil! Solar power! The future of automobiles and alternative fuel has been a driving force of discussion over the past few years, but finding a new fuel to use is not the only concern that is out there. A large cause of wasted fuel are everyday occurrences like traffic, gridlock or even trying to find a parking space! The following TED talk, given by Bill Ford Jr. - Executive Chairman of the Ford Motor Company, talks about these everyday occurrences and the idea of not building more roads, but of more innovative ways of thinking, for example, developing cars on the road that can communicate with each other to a point where they know where traffic is, and then will rearrange your driving route before you too are bumper to bumper.

To check out what Bill Ford Jr. says about the future of driving, click this link here: http://bit.ly/lWAlXd

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Teenage Drivers

Teaching your teenager to drive can be a real pain! And after having seen teenagers do some pretty reckless things, getting them behind the wheel can be terrifying! That’s why when you’re teaching your teenager to drive, you need to be prepared, know exactly what you want to go over, the order in which you’ll go over it and exactly how you’ll go over it.

This About.com article, “The Five Stages of Learning to Drive,” is a great place to start the journey of teaching your teenager the road: http://bit.ly/jTpB0L

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13 Weirdest Ways to Clean Your Car

As a car owner, you want to treat your car similarly to how you would treat your own body. A car has a skeleton and an entire system of interconnecting pipes and motors that, much like your own body, you want to keep clean and running smoothly. Additionally, a car has a superficial layer that, as an owner, you want looking nice since that is generally what others will see. Besides for these two aspects, however, is a car really that much like a person? Well, according to Reader’s Digests, “13 Weird Tricks to Clean Your Car,” it might be way more like us than you would think. For instance, did you know that using hair conditioner with the ingredient lanolin to clean your car will keep it looking waxed and even repel rain water? How about the fact that a jug of cheap vodka mixed with water and liquid detergent is a way to make your own windshield wiper fluid? And we won’t even go into what they recommend you do with Maxi Pads, but you can surely check it out for yourself by clicking on the link here: 13 Weird Tricks to Clean Your Car

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