Fun Car Facts

Start your Monday off with a little humor and check out the fun facts about cars that many people rarely know about!

Americans have been driving for over 100 years now. The United States is currently ranked first worldwide in cars per capita.  Along the years, there have been an abundant of funny facts on cars and the culture. Keep reading to see the most outrageous true facts!

The Early Days:

·         The first speeding tickets were given out in 1902.  The top speed of most cars then was approximately 45 miles per hour in that time.

·         Some of the first cars used a pair of levers to steer the automobile.  The invention of the steering wheel was not introduced for several years later.

·         Before the 1920s, cars were not equipped with gas gauges.  This forced the drivers to estimate their fuel level.

Drivers:

·         In 1914, Cleveland, Ohio was the first city in the United States to incorporate a traffic light for their roads.

·         On average, Americans will spend a total of two weeks of their life at red lights.

·         In order to drive on all paved roads in the United States, you will have to drive nonstop at 100 miles per hour for over four years.

Miscellaneous:

·         Most car horns play in the perfect pitch in the note of F.

·         The average car contains over 3,000 feet of electrical wires.

·         One out of every 7 seven cars sold in the United States were bought in Southern California.

 

Read more funny facts from the eHow article by clicking the link: http://bit.ly/hHH1RC

Car Seat Safety Tips

To ensure that your precious cargo is safe during the summer trips, check out theses helpful tips on car seats.

Engineers are working hard to ensure that cars and car seats are designed to keep kids as safe as possible. But it’s up to every parent to take full advantage of these innovations by making sure car seats and booster seats are used and installed correctly. Here’s what you need to know to ensure that your most precious cargo is safe in cars.

Hard FactsRoad injuries are the leading cause of preventable deaths and injuries to children in the United States. Correctly used child safety seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent.

Top Tips

·    Seventy-three percent of car seats are not used or installed correctly, so before you hit the road, check your car seat. Here’s a quick car seat checklist to help you out. It takes only 15 minutes. If you are having even the slightest trouble, questions or concerns, certified child passenger safety technicians are able to help or even double check your work.

·    Learn how to install your car seat for free. Safe Kids hosts car seat inspection events across the country where certified technicians can help make sure your car seat is properly installed. They will teach you so that you can always be sure your car seat is used correctly. Find a Safe Kids car seat checkup event near you. 

·    Buy a used car seat only if you know its full crash history. That means you must buy it from someone you know, not from a thrift store or over the Internet. Once a car seat has been in a crash, it needs to be replaced.

·    We know that when adults wear seat belts, kids wear seat belts. So be a good example and buckle up for every ride. Be sure everyone in the vehicle buckles up, too.

·    Never leave your child alone in a car, not even for a minute. While it may be tempting to dash out for a quick errand, the temperature inside your car can rise 20 degrees and cause heatstroke in the time it takes for you to run in and out of the store.

Learn More

While it may seem like you need an engineering degree to figure out which child safety seat is best for your child, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.

 

Article courtesy of: http://bit.ly/14BaDZ9

Backseat Drivers

What’s worse than annoying driver? Someone telling you how to drive in your own car…aka, a backseat driver. This blog breaks down what the biggest annoyances are that backseat drivers cause.

On the road, other drivers have plenty of bad habits that irritate and distract us, but what about those coming from inside the car? The most annoying is "advice" from other passengers, and according to an Insurance.com study, spouses make the worst backseat drivers. 

The agency polled 500 drivers, and 34% of women said their husbands are the worst backseat drivers, followed by their mothers at 18% and friends at 15%. Men responded similarly: 40% said their wives are the worst passengers, with 17% listing friends and 15% mothers.

Both men and women ranked children fairly low on the list, especially teens. Only 7% of respondents listed adult daughters and 4% sons. Even lower, only 3% cited teen daughters and sons.

According to Insurance.com's study, the biggest annoyances include:

•    Comments on driving speed: 47%

•    Gives directions: 29%

•    Talks too much: 19%

•    Pushes imaginary "brake" with foot: 15%

•    Fiddles with radio or CD player: 10%

•    Talks on phone or texts: 7%

•    Sings: 6%

•    Eats: 3%

Family therapist Jane Greer recommends that passengers think before they speak. "Rather than commenting on how fast or how badly someone is driving, speak to the impact it is having on you. So instead of saying, 'You're going too fast,' say, 'I'm feeling scared and unsafe, this is making me uncomfortable, please slow down,' " she said in a statement. If that doesn't work, you can always try the ejector button.

 

Article courtesy of: http://bit.ly/14pp1Um

Engine Oil Myths

-In order to operate smoothly, it’s essential that your engine is properly oiled.  The oil keeps the moving parts lubricated and protected from corrosion, sludge, and gunk free.  However there are many myths about engine oil and in this article, “5 Engine Oil Myths”. Here are some highlights:

·         The “W” in 10W-30 oils stands for “weight” -- the most important thing to know about oil  is viscosity  Oil is measured in single grade or multi-grade, and the oil is timed in seconds.  Example: SAE 30 means the oil takes approximately 30 seconds to flow through the tubes.

·         When engine oil turns dark, it’s dirty and should be changed – dark oil is dirty oil, which is false! Most modern oil disperses tiny particles called detergent additives. That’s why the oil appears darker. This in no way impedes the oil from performing its normal functions of lubricating and protecting the engine.

·         You should change your oil every 3,000 miles – modern detergents oils viscosities are better auto engineered to allow cars to travel 7,500 miles between oil changes.  Consumer Report has debunked this myth and driving 7,500 miles between oil changes shouldn’t harm your vehicle in any way.

 

You can read all 5 of the most popular engine oil myths at: http://bit.ly/Zgk046.