All posts in On the Road

Driving Record: Tips for Cleaning Up Your Act

by Carsurfer Admin on 2015/03/18 in On the Road with Comments Off

We know by now that an adverse driving record affects how much we will pay for auto insurance. Like credit rating, our driving record may be cleaned up, gaining us the best rates. Here are a few ways to accomplish that goal and make driving a better experience for everyone.

Know Your Record

Does it contain accidents? Multiple tickets? Driving while suspended? Knowing this will help you focus on violations that are your particular issue to resolve. If you have 3 speeding tickets, no one has to tell you to let up on the gas pedal.

Look for Renewals

Get a new copy every year on your renewal date. Entries fall off after three years, except the worst of them, such as DWS and Negligent Homicide. You can learn more here about which strikes against you will count for a while. Time may be just what you need to get it cleared up in time.

Get Enough Sleep

Driving when you are tired or sleepy puts you in a vulnerable position. It is harder to focus on what you’re doing than if you get 8 hours of sleep every night.

Know the Law

Know and obey speed limits, not just patrol car locations. If you don’t know a particular speed in an area, review a driver’s manual. If you are near a school in a residential area, 25 mph is too fast. Slow down.

Keep Your Eyes Open

The most dangerous driver on the road is everybody else—and you. Be aware of who is in front, behind, and beside you. If they get too close, get out of their way. Let them have an accident somewhere else.

Keep Your Distance

Honor the rule of thumb about putting distance between you and the car in front of you. It is 1 car length for every 10 MPH. Most car lengths average around 16 feet. At 20 MPH, there should be thirty feet between you and the car in front. Learn how far that is by checking the distance between cars parked on the street. It’s more than you think it is.

Downgrade Distractions

Keep distractions to a minimum. Do not slide in a new CD, answer your cell phone, or reach over the back seat while driving. If you drop something, leave it where it lands, even if it’s your lunch. Pull over to take care of it later. Caution passengers about distractions, and don’t permit them to continue. That’s why teens can’t ride with teen drivers.

Set short-term goals for yourself. When you’ve reached your goal, put the savings away for that new car or insurance policy you want. But check how much the insurance will cost before you buy it.

5 Reasons why Truck Sales are So High Right Now (and Still Climbing)

by Carsurfer Admin on 2015/03/16 in Trucks with Comments Off

The U.S. auto industry has displayed strong growth throughout 2014 and into 2015, with automakers selling over 16.7 million units last year and that growth only expected to continue. Nowhere is the gain more apparent than in pickup truck sales, where Ford, RAM and GM have all seen double-digit percentage gains in January 2015 after a strong 2014.

What are the driving factors behind so many pickup trucks finding their way into American driveways? Here are five contributing reasons:

The Return of the Midsize Truck

Smaller, lighter trucks used to be a common sight on American roads, but U.S. automakers bowed out of the segment entirely for several years, leaving Toyota, Nissan and Honda as the sole players. The Toyota Tacoma has dominated sales even as its platform and powertrains were getting a little long in the tooth. For 2015, General Motors storms back into the midsize segment with the 27-mpg-highway Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon trucks. Buyers have responded, driving up segment sales as Toyota prepares to release a heavily updated version of its Tacoma for 2016.

New Full-Size Trucks from Ford and GM

Profitable full-size pickup trucks make up a huge portion of the Detroit Big Three automakers’ revenue. In the last 2 model years, Ford and GM have each released all-new versions of their popular full-size models, leading to an uptick in buyers who were waiting for the new-generation trucks to hit the market. The new-for-2015 Ford F-150 has made a particularly big splash with its aluminum-intensive body, bed and chassis helping cut around 700 pounds of weight when compared with the 2014 truck. While less ground-breaking, Chevrolet and GMC’s newest full-size trucks have struck a chord with legions of buyers as well, thanks to much more fuel efficient engines and comfortable interiors.

Low Fuel Prices

Toward the tail end of 2014 and into 2015, fuel prices hit their lowest levels in more than 5 years, with regular gasoline selling at less than $2 per gallon in nearly all U.S. markets. When gasoline prices go down, consumers tend to drift more toward large, powerful vehicles and away from compact cars and hybrids. The trend toward ultra-low fuel prices appears to be reversing itself, particularly on the West Coast where an explosion at a large Exxon refinery in Torrance, California has contributed to a 70-cent rise in prices in just a few weeks. Still, experts predict fuel should stay relatively affordable at least into 2016.

Luxury Truck Trim Levels

From Ford’s Platinum and Raptor trim levels to the Chevrolet High Country, RAM Laramie Longhorn and GMC Denali, pickup trucks can now be ordered with all the interior luxury and quality of a finely crafted German sedan. This luxury truck segment, with base prices reaching $50,000 or even $60,000, courts a different sort of truck buyer, one who needs the capability of a pickup but will make no compromises in comfort. These trucks, usually offered in crew cab form with expansive interiors, bring conquest buyers that may have otherwise opted for a crossover or luxury car. They are also hugely profitable for the trucks’ producers.

Incentive Wars

The mighty F-150 has been the nation’s best-selling consumer vehicle for more than 30 years. In the lead-up to the long-awaited 2015 replacement’s release, GM and RAM slashed prices and upped the level of available incentives on their own full-size models in an effort to cut into Ford’s market share. The strategy worked, with RAM gaining ground to control 21.3 percent of the truck market in the third quarter of 2014 to over 35 percent when combining totals of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Whether the strategy of offering up to $8,500 in incentives on a new pickup is sustainable or not is another question, but buyers are the clear winners here.

What can truck buyers look for in 2015 and 2016 going forward? Nissan just debuted its all-new 2016 Titan full-size, offering 12,500 pounds of towing capacity thanks to a powerful turbo-diesel V-8 built by Cummins. Honda will debut its next Ridgeline midsize soon, and Toyota’s updated Tacoma will seek to steal back some of the midsize thunder from GM. Truck buyers have more credible options than at any time in recent memory, and sales are expected to keep flying high.

The information for this article was provided by the professionals of 99 Truck Parts & Industrial Equipment Ltd., who specialize in truck parts in Vancouver, BC.

On the Road: How to Stay Safe on Your Next Road Trip

by Carsurfer Admin on 2015/03/10 in On the Road with Comments Off

Road trips are great adventures. But whether you know exactly where you’re headed or are going wherever the wind takes you, there are plenty of things to keep in mind for your own safety, and that of your travel companions.

Get Your Vehicle Checked

Before you leave, have your vehicle checked for wheel bearings that may come loose, transmissions that may fail, and anything else that could break down. That way, you can repair what needs to be done before your trip, saving you a potential breakdown. A Colorado hit and run attorney says if your trip will take longer than a week, it is always a good idea to have the numbers of a few local repair places in every city you plan to visit on your journey. You should also carry a spare tire and toolbox just in case you get in a car accident in Colorado or a flat tire along route 66.

Look Like a Local

Don’t advertise your tourist status on your face or your vehicle. Looking confused with your face glued to a guidebook, and leaving a map on the dashboard of your parked car are bad ideas and will show that you are not from the area. Instead, look like a local. Walk as if you know where you are going, be confident when asking locals for information, and keep your maps and travel plans in the glove compartment.

Keep an Eye on Your Belongings

Park your car close to your hotel room where you can watch it from the window. The same goes for when you stop at a restaurant. You may feel silly asking to be reseated so you can be near the window with your car, but it is far better than having something get stolen while you’re eating. If you have valuables you can bring into your hotel room with you from the car, it is safest to keep them with you.

Find the Safest Places to Stay

If you know what cities you will be going to, book your hotels in advance and check the reviews. Don’t book a motel that seems like it’s in a bad area. Take note of any cancellation policies just in case you need to cancel a reservation during your travels. If you don’t know where you’re staying in advance, make sure the lodgings you find during your travels are safe and sanitary. If you find a small motel with a sign that says No Refund for Early Checkout, that likely means they get people leaving in the middle of the night due to unsavory conditions, and staying there may not be in your best interests.

"Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking and gardening. For more information contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan."

Defensive Driving: Techniques to Keep You Safe on the Road

by Carsurfer Admin on 2015/03/06 in On the Road with Comments Off

There is always a chance of a serious accident every time you get behind the wheel. Not only are you traveling at high speeds, you also have to keep an eye on everyone else around you. Since so many things can go wrong on the road, the best way to stay safe is to practice defensive driving techniques. While there are dozens of defensive driving techniques, these are the four of the most effective.

Eliminate Distractions

A distracted driver is far more likely to cause an accident than a driver that is focused on the road. If you regularly eat, talk or text while driving, then it is time to change those harmful tactics. Studies have proven that using a cell phone while driving can reduce reaction times up to 20 percent. Your conversation or meal is not important when you are risking your life and the lives of everyone else on the road is not

Stay in One Lane

It is far easier to remain safe when remaining in one lane on the road. Changing lanes requires you to change your focus, which is always dangerous on the road. You also have to rely on the other drivers seeing you changing lanes, which is always a dangerous proposition. It is impossible to go anywhere without ever changing lanes, but you should do it as little as possible.

Do Not Tailgate

Tailgating the car in front of you is one of the most dangerous things you can do while driving. You need to have plenty of room between cars in case you need to suddenly react to avoid an accident. If you are tailgating and the car in front of you suddenly hits the breaks, then you are not going to have enough time to slow down to avoid hitting them. You should be at least three to four seconds behind the car in front of you on the road, and this number should be doubled during poor driving conditions.

Be Aware of Surroundings

Defensive driving only works if you are looking out for everyone else on the road. A bad driver can always hit your car while you are driving extremely carefully. The only way to constantly stay safe is to keep an eye on your fellow drivers, especially if any appear to be driving erratically. If you are constantly expecting the other drivers to do something dangerous, then you will always be prepared for anything that can happen.

Getting to your destination safely should be your top priority every time you sit behind the wheel. If you use these four defensive driving techniques, then you should be safe no matter what you experience on the road.

Informational Credit to Moses and Rooth, Attorneys at Law

Wrongly Charged with a DWI? 4 Keys to Setting the Record Straight

by Anica Oaks on 2015/02/23 in On the Road with Comments Off

The criminal justice system is far from perfect, and every year, innocent people find themselves defending against criminal charges for alleged acts that never occurred. People who are wrongfully charged with a DWI should take action quickly in order to adequately defend against the accusations. After a case is dismissed, there are further steps those who have been wrongfully arrested and accused of a DWI may take in order to be vindicated, as well as to remove any notation of the arrest from their permanent criminal record.

Challenging Probable Cause

According to the protections afforded by the federal and Texas state constitutions, officers must have probable cause to believe a person has committed an offense prior to arresting them. For DWIs, probable cause can be obtained through roadside sobriety testing, preliminary breath tests, bad driving, a smell of alcohol and bloodshot eyes. By filing a probable cause motion, it is possible to challenge the arrest and get the case dismissed if probable cause is lacking.

Independent Testing and Review

In some cases, a blood sample is taken and sent to a laboratory. Blood analysis is dependent on the analyst’s ability to interpret the data. If a blood alcohol concentration is obtained that indicates a driver had a blood alcohol concentration above .08%, the driver should request retesting by an independent lab.

Breathalyzer machine operators may have conducted breathalyzer testing in an inappropriate manner, rendering the results obtained unreliable. A careful review of breathalyzer results, calibration logs and the expiration date of the solution used can prove fruitful. If you would like to pursue this option, contact a DWI defense attorney.

Filing a False Arrest Lawsuit

In the event that an officer charged a person with DWI when he or she lacked probable cause to do so, the person may consider filing a false arrest lawsuit against the errant officer. According to FindLaw.com, such a lawsuit is possible through Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act as a civil rights violation.

Expunction

After a case has been dismissed or a person has been found not guilty, they are eligible for expunction of the offense and arrest from their record. Expunction will remove any notation of the arrest or the charge, effectively clearing the person from future harm.

It can be terrifying to be accused of a DWI when a person knows they are innocent. By being proactive and actively defending against the charges from the start, people may be able to protect both themselves and receive vindication for the wrongs they have experienced.