What Not To Do at a Stoplight

Remember the days when you stopped at a traffic light, not a care in the world, before we all felt the need to be doing multiple things during every moment?  These days, we’re all guilty of trying squeeze in every little thing at a stoplight. The truth is, it may not be saving us time. A lot of people are focused on anything but the road. When you become so engrossed in something else that you forget to be aware of your surroundings it can cause time loss, create traffic problems and jeopardize safety. 

Whatever is distracting you can’t be that important that you forget you’re behind the wheel. Driving is a privilege and a responsibility to yourself and to others around you.  There’s a lot of precious cargo travelling around daily.

Being alert to where you are in line and the traffic patterns is helpful. Don’t be the person everyone’s honking at because the green arrow expired while you completed that Facebook status update. So when you’re in a hurry and you’re behind “that person” and the tables are turned, remember to set an example by changing your behavior and not be mad. People are more likely to mimic what they see rather than what their told.

Some of the examples that follow are more common and familiar offenders while some are plain ridiculous. You know who you are. There are usual suspects like texting, posting, playing video games and tearing the car apart in search of something that fell between the seats. Then there are those who change clothes, get out and rifle through the trunk, put on make up, dry shave, give over zealous affection, read, watch a movie on an overhead DVD player, cut their toe nails, paint their toes or try to figure out directions. What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen?

It’s ok to do certain things at a red light so long as you’re not oblivious to everything else around you. So if you must do it, glance up and around you frequently so you’re ready when the light changes. Kind of like checking your rear view mirror when you’re driving. It will eventually become a good habit.

If something is really so important that it’s distracting you from driving, it’s probably in everyone’s best interest that you pull over and resolve the issue before continuing on. A little preparation before departing can alleviate much of the strange behavior we observe at traffic lights.

People tend to think things won’t happen to him or her.  Until it does.  That’s when the resolution is made NOT to do whatever caused a problem again. Don’t let it happen at all. Let’s all try to be more courteous and aware on the road. Together we can improve our environment and interactions while arriving safely and happily at each destination.

How to Change a Flat Tire

Imagine driving you car down a rural road on your way home from work.  Your favorite song is blaring on the radio, and you finally feel a sense of ease from a busy day.  At your favorite part of the song, you hear a loud pop, then the slow roll of a popped tire as you cruise to the median.  First, you make sure that you’ve steered clear of any hazards.  Then, you realize that your front left tire has become a disheveled piece of rubber.  Hands on your hips, foot tapping the ground, you take a long sigh, but not one of relief, one of frustration.  Darn! A flat tire.

Now, if you own a vehicle with run-flat tires or a low tire pressure warning system, you most likely won’t have to deal with these frustrations, if you don’t own those options, you’re in luck.  We’ve got a step-by-step guide to helping you change that tire.

1.    Get your tools – find your car’s spare tire, jack and tire iron.  The spare is usually in the trunk under the floor mat, or in a minivan mounted on the back of the tailgate or underneath the vehicle.

2.    Check air pressure- if you have an air pressure gauge check the tire’s pressure on the spare, hopefully it should be fine.

3.    Remove flat tire- MAKE SURE CAR IS IN GEAR OR PARK, and that the emergency break is set. Also, make sure your car is on a flat surface.

4.    Use the tire iron- (the L shaped bar that fits over the wheel lugs) to loosen each lug.  They are usually very tight, so use a little force, they should loosen after a couple tries.  Leave the lugs loose and move the jack under the car (shown on directions of jack).  Raise the jack until it contacts the car’s frame.  Continue to expand it.

5.    Once the tire is completely raised off the ground, remove the wheel lugs completely.

6.    Take the spare tire and line it up over the wheel studs, you’ll have to hold up the tire and try to line up the holes in the wheel. One tip is to balance the tire on your foot while you move it into position.   Once done, the lugs should screw on easily. Once each of them is snug and you can't tighten them any further by hand, use the tire iron to finish the job.

7.    Lower the jack- carefully, and then pull the jack away from the vehicle.  Once the spare tire is on, carefully lower the jack. Pull the jack away from the vehicle. The final step is to tighten down the lugs completely. The reason you tighten the lugs now is that the tire is on the ground and it won't rotate around like it would if it was still hanging in the air.  

Congrats, you’ve just changed a flat tire!!

6 Things to tell your insurance agent that could lower your bill

Recently I moved from a major city in which public transportation was my most logical means to get around.  (Perhaps you can relate?) Since I was no longer privy to public transpo.  I decided to lease one of our fine vehicles. Now, I’ll admit, insurance was the one thing I hadn’t researched before my purchase.  So needless to say two months later I realized I was getting hosed.  Has this happened to you?  Well I quickly came up with a game plan that might help to save you some money.  Read on to learn more.

1.)  Since I hadn’t been in an auto accident in over 2 years I began my negotiation there.  The agent looked at my record and gave me a discount.  I’ve become aware that insurance agents are on a “Don’t ask, don’t tell” mentality.

2.)  I am definitely over 25, so I was under the impression that I shouldn’t be paying more than when I first started driving.  The agent told me that policies go up and down as we age.  I pressed a little and was able to persuade the agent that I should be rewarded for the fact that I have never had a car accident in the entire 31 years I’d been driving and that my maturity shouldn’t be a benefit.  Moral: A little sniveling and groveling can put a little extra money in your back pocket!

3.)  Since I was leasing the car; I was allotted 12K miles per year.  I was a perfect candidate for a lease since I only drove to work and back less than 10 miles each day.    I asked again if there were any special rates for someone driving with that mileage that low.  The agent took off another chunk of money.  Moral: Getting lower insurance rates could be fun!

4.)  He asked if I had airbags all over the car and an alarm system.  I replied well most cars are built with airbags aren’t’ they?  I’m sure that my sarcasm was far from welcome. However,  I did purchase LoJack, which eliminated that hit.  Pow! Take that Insurer!

5.)  Next I asked if I was being charged for my credit?  The insurance agent explained that I was being charged additional fees for not having insurance for the past 2 years.  When I explained to him that I didn’t own a car for two years I was told that didn’t matter.  (Apparently you should buy insurance for invisible cars or insure air?).  I pleaded my case and explained that I had good credit and felt that this was unacceptable treatment.  Cha Ch’ing! They lowered my rate once again.

6.)  Last but not least; a big pet peeve of mine is drinking and driving.  Since I have never and I mean NEVER, gotten busted for DUI I politely asked the rep if I could get rewarded for having never gotten one of these offenses.   After the harps stopped playing and I took off my halo, the agent came back with a new payment that was $185 cheaper per month! 

Last moral: Ask and Ye shall receive.  I could have saved myself $688 had I done my research first.  While we don’t endorse insurance companies I am hoping that this might help save you some serious cash.  It never hurts to try!

For more information on Automotive Issues contact us at: 720-746-2697

What Exactly is the Autobahn?

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When Autobahn comes to mind, I can’t help but reference Michael Jackson’s hit “Speed Demon, “ a fast-paced song about the repercussions of speeding down an infinite highway.  THAT is how I picture the Autobahn.  Millions of people have heard references to the famed speedway, but what exactly is it?  Is it a motorway system that lasts an eternity without a speed limit or a racetrack for the fastest cars in the world?  In today’s blog, we break down WHAT the Autobahn is and how you can see it for yourself.

The Autobahn, by definition, is a superhighway or expressway in Germany that stands as one of the last places on earth where you can drive as fast as you want.  The highway is in no means a free-for-all, with some sections of the autobahn having speed limits, though great stretches still remain unrestricted. 

The Autobahn national highway system stretches over 6,800 miles and is designed to connect all of Germany’s major metropolitan areas.  The presumption is that there are unlimited speeds on the entire Autobahn, but many heavily trafficked sections of the freeway have speed limits in the 50 to 75 mph range. The suggested speed for the unlimited sections is 81 mph, though various speedsters and adrenaline seekers routinely break the fold.

So, you must be wondering HOW fast someone has ventured into the record books.  Well, in 1938, driver Rudolf Caracciola set an autobahn speed record of 268.8 mph.  WOW.