You Don’t Have to Buy a Green Car to Go Green

If you want to help the environment, you may think about things like using non-toxic cleaners in your home, using less electricity in your life, and even going vegetarian. In some extreme cases, you might even consider ditching your car for a bike! But you can keep your car and help the environment (even if you’re not driving a hybrid or an electric car) by taking a few simple steps. Tweaking your existing car maintenance routine can help you save gas and help the environment. This article at Huffington Post explains what you can do: Maintain proper tire inflation. Tires are meant to be inflated according to the recommended pressure standard for your car. Information regarding your vehicle's recommended pressure is usually listed inside your car's doorframe, or look for it in the owner's...

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Gearing Your Car Up for Spring

We know, we know - it’s still winter and it’s cold and gray too often. But look on the bright side: Spring is less than a month away! Getting your car ready for warmer weather may not seem critical, but winter can damage your car in lots of little ways. By “thinking spring” now, you can prepare for erasing winter’s damage, restoring your car back to its warm-weather beauty. Edmunds recommends taking the following steps to restore your car in the spring: 1. Get rid of road salt on the undercarriage. 2. Check the tires. 3. Check wiper blades. 4. Rotate the tires. 5. Change the oil and oil filter. 6. Change the air filter. 7. Flush...

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Helping Your Teen Learn to Drive

When it comes to raising a teenager, there are few things scarier than teaching your kids how to drive. Driving comes fraught with many different dangers, but with experience and proper preparation, you know how to mitigate many of these dangers. Your teen, unfortunately, may not. That’s why it’s so important to teach them how to drive. KidsHealth.org suggests remaining calm and having a plan when teaching your teen to drive: When it comes to driving, experience is an important teacher. The more time young drivers spend building a variety of skills in different road and weather conditions, the more calm and confident they will feel and...

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Is Texting and Driving an Addiction?

A recent study, commissioned by AT&T, has found that compulsively checking your phone or texting while behind the wheel has a similar effect on the brain as drug addiction. The study found that more and more people are demonstrating compulsive behavior — dubbed "cell-phone addiction" — with three-quarters of people admitting to at least glancing at their phones while behind the wheel. That's despite 90 percent of people reporting that they know better.  "We compulsively check our phones because every time we get an update through text, email or social media, we experience an elevation of dopamine, which is a neurochemical in the...

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Staying Safe on the Road for the Remainder of Winter

While we all may be dreaming of spring, winter is still in full swing. Make sure you're staying safe on the road with these tips from the NHTSA: Take Precautions Check the weather. Don't hit the road if it's too treacherous to depart. If you absolutely need to go outside, plan to leave earlier or arrive later than usual. Keep your gas tank at least half-full. If you get stuck in a traffic jam, you might need more fuel just to stay warm. Pack a shovel, broom, ice scrapper, flashlight, jumper cables and warning markers or flares. Have an abrasive material, such as kitty litter or sand, ready to help with traction. Have a blanket,...

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