Need A New Ride? 4 Hot Features Sure To Make You Drool

It seems like just about every car these days has some sort of new technology. We’ve all heard about back-up cameras, automatic trunks, and blind spot alerts. Don’t get me wrong, these are all great features to have on your next car, but these aren’t the hot features that will really set your car apart and make your neighbor jealous of your ride. When you get a new car, from somewhere like Jack Burford Chevrolet, you want to make sure to get the best car for you with all of the hottest new features. Here are a few great new features to look into for your new car.

Built-in Vacuum

This is the cup holder of the 21st century. It’s a feature that most parents don’t even know they need. Think about all the soccer snacks, fast food wrappers, and dirty shoes that are sure to make a mess in the back of even the most careful parent’s new car. The days of rushing home and dragging the vacuum out to the car are over. This vacuum is conveniently already in your car and ready to clean up any mess life may throw your way. The Honda Odyssey is the first van to have this convenient feature, but I’m sure more cars will start including vacuums in the near future.

Hands-Free of the Future

Everyone knows that it’s a huge mistake to use your phone while you’re driving. However, most car manufacturers have realized that you often need to see information from your phone while you’re driving. Luckily, now-a-days there are things like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Both of these offerings let Android and iPhone users see their phone screen right in the dashboard of their car. This is a much safer way to have access to all that smartphone information while driving.

Auto-pilot for Parking

There isn’t a situation much more stressful than trying to parallel park on a busy street while lots of traffic is piling up behind you. That’s why the automatic parking feature on many new cars is so genius! It takes out all the guesswork and automatically parks using a series of sensors and cameras. This can definitely help make the most difficult parking a breeze.

360-Degree View

While it’s true that many cars today have backup cameras to help you see directly behind you, a true drool-worthy feature to have on a new car is the ability to see everywhere. The new 360-degree view camera systems allow drivers to park with confidence and see hidden obstacles by providing a birds-eye view from above the car. This is the perfect feature for anyone who needs to park in tight situations.

Hopefully the features listed above will whet your appetite and give you some inspiration as you are searching for your next new car. These features are useful, practical and will hopefully help you determine which new car has the features you need the most.

Disastrous Crash: Should You Scrap Your Car?

After a serious car accident, your car can be severely damaged. This begs the question of whether you should repair it or opt to scrap it instead. While the answer may not be the same for everybody, let’s look at some good reasons why it may be best to get rid of your car as opposed to repairing it.

The Insurance Company Declares It a Total Loss

If your car insurance company declares your car to be a total loss, they will write you a check for its current value. In the event that this amount is more than what you owe on the car, you may want to consider getting a new vehicle. However, should you owe more than that amount or think that the insurance company isn’t offering you true market value, you may want to get a second opinion. It also may be a good idea to talk to Toledo car wreck lawyers about a possible personal injury case if another driver caused the crash.

The Car Suffered Frame Damage

Cars that have a rebuilt frame may not be as sturdy as those who still have their original frames. In addition, the car will not be worth nearly as much after a serious accident even if there isn’t any work done to the frame. Therefore, it may the better decision from both a financial and safety standpoint to get a new car.

How Old Is the Car?

If your car is more than a few years old, it may be a good idea to scrap it and get a new one. However, it may be best to at least get some repair estimates if you are driving a vintage automobile or a luxury vehicle regardless of its age. In such a scenario, it may be worth your time and money to restore it if you really like the car.

How Valuable Are the Parts?

There are times when selling the parts to a car individually nets more than selling the car as a whole. If you can salvage some of the car’s components, you may want to think about getting rid of the car and selling those components online to raise money for a new vehicle.

If you have been in a serious accident, the most important thing is to make sure that you and others involved are OK. However, once you have gotten yourself checked out, it’s time to decide what to do with your damaged vehicle. Talking to your insurance company or with a trusted mechanic may help you decide what the best option is for you.

Motorcyclists: 6 Tips For Staying Safe On The Road

There’s nothing like hopping on the Harley and feeling the wind in your hair, taking in the scenery, and getting that rush of freedom that can only come from riding a motorcycle. However, bikers have to play it safe in order to keep from having that freedom taken away from them by a fatal accident.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that motorcycle riders are more than five times more likely to be killed in a traffic accident than people who ride in cars. Since motorcyclists do not have the protection of a vehicle and are likely to be thrown from their bikes, many bikers will sustain serious life-altering injuries like broken spines or traumatic brain injury. In order to prevent traumatic injuries like these here are some tips to follow to help you stay safe on the road.

Always Wear a Helmet

It’s not enough just to wear any helmet. You have to make sure your helmet fits securely so that it isn’t too tight or too loose. You also want to get one that is sturdy and hasn’t had a lot of damage. If your helmet gets dropped or damaged you should get a new one right away. It is essential to not wear that same helmet again because helmets are only made to absorb the impact of a crash once.

Wear Protective Gear

Although it can be tempting to ride in shorts and a t-shirt during the summer, you are more likely to be burned or scraped up without protective clothing. You will want to wear a leather jacket and pants if possible. You will also want to wear full-finger gloves and protective eye-wear. Make sure your eye-wear has good visibility and isn’t scratched. Also make sure that your slip-resistant boots cover your ankles.

Prepare For Inclement Weather

Always check weather conditions before you head out, especially if you’ll be driving in the desert or in congested parts of the city. Dust storms can cause very poor visibility for you and other drivers on the road, which will increase your chances of an accident. If the weather is hot, bring extra water to keep hydrated. Prepare an alternative route home in case of bad weather.

Be Visible To Other Drivers

While you might not be at fault if someone hits you, your priority is to remain alive. Use a headlight at night to make it easy for other drivers will be able to see you easily. Also, be sure to always be mindful of the blind spots of drivers on the road. It is also a good idea to honk your horn in traffic if you are in an area of poor visibility.

Avoid Areas Known For Drinking

Whenever possible, plan your route to avoid the casino areas especially at night. Your chances of getting hurt or killed on the road are much higher when you’re surrounded by vehicles in which people are likely to have just come from the bar. By avoiding those areas completely you can really help prevent a lot of potential danger.

Remain Alert

Don’t drive if you’ve been drinking. Even if you aren’t over the legal limit, motorcyclists have to be more alert than other drivers on the road. It is also a good idea to take a break from driving if you’re too tired or are sick, because your reflexes will not be at their best.

There is nothing worse than getting into a motorcycle accident. Luckily there is help out there for you and your loved ones if it happens. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident it is a good idea to get professional help from someone such as a motorcycle accident attorney in Las Vegas, to help you handle your personal injury claim. Be sure to seek help right away so that you can be sure to get all the care you stand in need of.

Automated Cars: How Might They Be Safer and More Efficient Than Human-Driven Cars?

With the roadways becoming more crowded every day, there are many concerns that come into play. Whether it’s the daily commute, family vacations or road trips, or a quick drive up to the store, getting from point A to point B in our Western world means having many vehicles on the roads at all times. People want to reach their destination quickly and with as little hassle as possible. It’s important to consider the prevalence of issues like safety and efficiency on the roads. So, with more people on the roads in general, what can be done to help keep us safer as well as save us time and effort?

The introduction of automated cars means the future is quickly arriving. As we strive to save time and remain safe on the roadways, what are automated cars doing to contribute, and what can be changed to improve their design in an effort to meet these needs?

In the densely populated Texas Triangle – an area formed by Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston – the death toll between 2005 and 2014 averages around 3,363 deaths each year. In many cases, driver error is a leading cause, such as driving while under the influence of alcohol, failing to drive in a single lane or failing to control their speed. These are all preventable human errors that bring about the question of whether or not the roads would be safer if human error wasn’t an issue.

While it may feel strange to consider a robot driving a vehicle, computers use complicated algorithms that take into account a great deal of data when determining their next move such as appropriate stopping distance and distance from another vehicle. If self-driving vehicles are safer overall than human-driven cars, there will be less injuries and lives lost, which also mea less money spent on medical bills and with insurance companies.

Saving lives and money are both huge benefits of automated cars. Additionally, it’s important to consider the amount of time that can be saved with owning a self-driven vehicle. Consider how much time you spend commuting daily. What if you could get work done, read or use the time to catch up with friends or family?

It would, however, require enough self-driving cars on the road to learn information from each other regarding road conditions and traffic early on. This would be key in providing an efficient and safe journey. This does mean that there would be more opportunity for hackers to work their way into these systems. There is also a fear that with all of the data these computers will need, they may begin collecting and storing personal information as well.

While there are many positives to self-driving vehicles, in order for those positive effects to take place, roads would need to be filled with automated vehicles. The cost of implementing self-driving vehicles fully would be great. With human-driven vehicles still on the roads, accidents can and will happen. The more self-driving cars we have, the more smoothly things can run.

5 Reasons You Should Quickly Fix Even Minor Repairs Following An Auto Accident

A minor car accident or fender bender is a giant blight on an otherwise busy day. Worse, it’s not an event that only impacts that single day, but can actually have ramifications that lasts for weeks as you work with a mechanic to fix the damages. Sometimes, people decide to skip the repairs and instead keep the money paid by the at-fault driver or insurance company. Let’s take a look at five reasons this might not be such a great idea.

There Could Be Legal Ramifications

If you aren’t technically the owner of the car because you’re still making loan payments, then you are technically responsible for keeping the car in good repair for the actual owner. If the insurance company writes a check for the damage and you cash it, but the check also lists your lender, then you may actually be committing a crime by keeping the money.

You Never Know When You’ll Need to Sell

Most people don’t plan to keep their current cars forever. There will eventually come a day when you want to sell your car or trade it in. Making sure you’ve dealt with all minor repairs will make it easier when it comes time to sell or trade in the vehicle. Buyers are turned off from even minor problems with vehicles, so taking care of repairs quickly can help ensure your car is back to normal and safe to drive again.

Minor Damage Can Turn Into Major Problems

What looks like minor damage to the unskilled eye can actually become a major contributor to bigger problems when it’s ignored. For example, a small fender bender might have also resulted in a small water pump leak that could grow and lead to an engine overheating. Additionally, ignored suspension and steering issues can lead to dangerous wear and tear patterns on tires and poor handling — which in turn can even lead to more accidents. By taking your car to professionals like those at Chehalis Collision Center, you can be sure repairs are done quickly and expertly. By having professionals take a look at the damage, you can prevent major problems that be costly in the end.

You May Miss the Statute of Limitations

A car accident claim, even for minor damages, is not something you can wait forever to file. Each state has its own statute of limitations. Bringing your car in for a quick fix of minor repairs ensures that you get a quote to submit to the insurer well before the statute expires and you’re left holding the bag for auto repairs on your own.

Minor repairs can prevent big problems. They ensure your lender stays happy and that your vehicle is always in the best possible condition for resale. There’s no excuse for skipping such a simple yet vital step in the regular maintenance of your automobile.