A recent study found that more than half of teen drivers often take phone calls from their parents while they are behind the wheel. This can result in distracted driving, putting these young drivers at risk.

The findings presented at the American Psychological Association’s 122nd Annual Convention show that out of the 408 teen drivers ages 15 to 18 that participated in the study, more than half reported being on the phone with their parents while driving.

Despite the bans, warnings, and the well-known dangers associated with distracted driving, many teen drivers feel that they still need to answer the phone behind the wheel, because parents expect to be able to reach their teens at all times and even get angry when they don’t answer their calls.

Distracted Teen Driving Statistics

A National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) report in 2013 showed that 11 percent of distracted teen driving accidents were fatal, with 21 percent of those car accidents involving cellphones. The NHTSA also reported that 78 percent of teen drivers say they’ve read a text message while driving and 71 percent say they have typed and sent a text message while behind the wheel.

What Can Parents Do About Distracted Teen Driving?

The study presented at the APA showed just how surprising it was to see that parents are often directly involved in distracted teen driving. Making parents more aware about this problem is the first step in reducing distracted teen driving.

The teen drivers surveyed in the study also said that their parents often used their cell phones while behind the wheel, so they felt that it was okay because “everyone is doing it”. Parents need to set an example and not use their cellphones while driving to emphasize that distracted driving is not safe or acceptable behavior for anyone.

When parents call their teens, they should first ask if they are driving. If they are behind the wheel, tell them to call them back when they are not driving or find a spot to pull over so that they can talk safely. There are also several smartphone driving and GPS apps available that can alert a parent if their teen is currently driving and can communicate the location of their teen if they need to know where they are.

Sources

NBCSanDiego.com

USAToday.com

We all have maps, GPS or navigation apps that come with our smartphones. Take advantage of your smartphone by downloading more advanced driving apps that can help you become a safer driver, block texting while driving, monitor your teen’s driving habits, boost your gas mileage, prepare for a road trip, or help you maintain your car.

Here is a list of driving apps that are a great addition for your smartphone:

TextArrest

The TextArrest app senses when the car that you are in is traveling faster than 5 mph and disables texting and email so no text or emails can be sent or read while driving.

Safe Driver

Parents can use this driving app to monitor the location and driving behavior of their teens. It can send alerts to parents via text or email when their teen exceeds a specific speed and shows where infractions occurred.

Waze

This driving app can report traffic conditions like accidents, police presence, and hazards to let you know what to expect when heading out on the road. It can also send someone your calculated ETA to give them a more accurate time when you will be arriving.

Gas Buddy

Don’t get caught running out of gas. This driving app allows you to locate the nearest gas stations closest to you as well as providing the gas prices to find cheapest stations.

Drivesafe.ly Pro

This driving app allows you to stay connected while behind the wheel by reading texts and emails aloud.

Key2SafeDriving

This driving app restricts phone use while the car is running and sends automatic replies to incoming text notifying the caller that the person they are trying to reach is currently driving.

My Max Speed

This driving app logs speed and location every 5 seconds and makes the data available for exporting to a spreadsheet. This can be useful when monitoring a teen’s driving habits and tracking location history. It can even send you an alert if your teen drives outside a preset location perimeter. It can also provide an accurate record of your actual speed if you need to argue your way out of a speeding ticket.

Road Trip

This driving app allows you to track fuel economy, logs your maintenance history, reminds you when you’re due for an oil change, and adds up how much you’ve spent on your car.

Alcohoot

Transform your smartphone into a breathalyzer in seconds! The makers of the Alcohoot promise “police-grade” accuracy using the same fuel-cell technology in professional breathalyzers.

Carwise

If you need to take your car into an auto body shop, the Carwise mobile app allows you to stay on top of your car’s repair status. Simply enter your phone number or your car’s VIN and the repair status will automatically appear, along with photos of your car repair in progress.

At some point of time, we’ve all received a text message while driving–and we’ve all sneaked a peek to read it. Maybe you have even typed a reply back while behind the wheel. In the back of your mind, you know that texting while driving is dangerous, but you say to yourself that it could be worse. At least you’re not drunk driving.

Texting while driving is a dangerous habit, but have you ever wondered how dangerous texting while driving really is? Could it actually be worse than drunk driving?

In 2009, Car and Driver put this question to the test and conducted a driving test to investigate if texting while driving is more dangerous than drunk driving. The experiment’s first step was to test and measure the reaction times of two drivers while driving sober without any distractions, and then while texting while driving.

A red light was mounted to the front windshield to simulate a car braking in front of them. Car and Driver tested the drivers’ reaction time to see how long it would take for each of them to hit the brake when sober, when legally drunk, when reading an email on their phone, and texting while driving by sending a text.

The results were surprising!
• Driving sober = .54 seconds to brake
• Legally drunk (.08) = added 4 feet
• Reading an email while driving = added 36 feet
• Texting while driving = added 70 feet

The reaction times for both drivers were better while driving drunk as compared to reading an email or texting while driving while they were sober. Car and Driver’s Mike Austin said, he was “way worse” while he was emailing or texting.

Millions of people text, talk, or email while behind the wheel. According to the United States Department of Transportation, 1.6 million car crashes and 6,000 fatalities are due to cell phone use behind the wheel every year.

Americans view drinking and driving as wrong, and we go through extra measures to avoid it like assigning a designated driver, calling a cab, or setting limits. But when it comes to texting while driving, we are not as careful and think much less about doing it.

Texting while driving is much more dangerous than drunk driving. Informing the public about just how dangerous it is will be the first step in changing America’s attitudes about texting while driving.

Sources:

Car and Driver
CNBC.com

In the U.S., teens drive less than older people, but the numbers of car accidents are disproportionally high amongst teenage drivers. The fatal crash rate per mile driven for teen drivers between 16 to 19 years old is nearly three times the rate for older drivers who are 20 and over. The risk for car accidents is highest between the ages of 16 to 17 years old, and statistics show that one in five 16 year old teen drivers has been involved in a car accident.

In a recent study conducted by WalletHub.com, state-by-state comparisons showed that some states are better for teen drivers than others. Factors in this study included average cost of auto body or car repairs, teen driver fatalities, and impaired-driving laws. The teen driver study ranks all 50 states from best and worst, excluding the District of Columbia.

Top 10 Best States for Teen Drivers

1. New York

2. Hawaii

3. Illinois

4. Oregon

5. Rhode Island

6. Massachusetts

7. Maryland

8. Delaware

9. Washington

10. Nevada

Top 10 Worst States for Teen Drivers

1. South Dakota

2. Mississippi

3. Nebraska

4. Oklahoma

5. Wyoming

6. Arkansas

7. Montana

8. South Carolina

9. Missouri

10. Arizona

The state with the highest population of residents, California ranked 11th best on the teen drivers list. Texas and Florida, which have the second and fourth largest populations, were ranked 19th and 34th.

Sources

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

USAToday.com

GEICO

When you buy a classic car, you will almost certainly need to have some kind of auto body work done to restore the car to its former glory. Although it can be very satisfying to restore a classic car yourself, it can be hard work, and you may not be able to get the same quality as a professional repair.

Many rare or classic cars appreciate in value depending on the condition or what has been done to the vehicle. Any alterations or repairs can affect a classic car’s value, so it’s best to leave the auto body repair to the professionals to protect your investment.

Classic Car Value

According to the Historic Automobile Group Index (HAGI), the value of classic cars jumped 39% in 2013 and has outperformed other collectibles such as gold, art, wine, coins and stamps over the last 10 years.
The founder of HAGI, Dietrich Hatlapa said, “Classic cars have been a very good performer in terms of value appreciation, and the financial crisis helped classic cars and collectible markets.”

David Gooding, president and founder of auction house Gooding & Co., has sold thousands of classic cars over the years. Gooding said that classic cars are becoming more valuable and coveted by collectors from all over the world. “People are realizing [classic cars] are exciting to collect. You can drive them and take them around the world. A car can be a passport to adventure,” he said.

Classic Car Auto Body

Auto body work for your classic car can turn your automobile into a beautiful piece of art–or it can make it look like a polished piece of junk. Besides risking the investment value, a DIY classic car repair might initially seem simple to do, but you may find out that it is very time consuming and really not worth your time as you get into the project. If you’ve never worked on a classic car before, there may be a learning curve or you may run into unexpected hiccups while doing the repair. A car restoration that takes an auto body shop three hours to do might take you 15 hours, especially if it is the first time working on your classic car.

Choosing an auto body shop to do your classic car restoration might also be a daunting task. Carwise.com is an auto body repair shop review website that helps make selecting a reputable auto body shop easier. You can find an auto body shop near you, read actual customer reviews, as well as track the progress of your classic car’s repair.

Sources

Yahoo Finance

Historic Auto Group

As we enjoy the warm summer weather, there are more days where your car is exposed to the hot sun which can lead to fading or premature rusting. During the summer, your car is also exposed to more grit and grime from road trips like bird waste, bugs, and other debris that can cause damage to the surface of your car’s paint. The summer sun adds to this by baking debris into your car’s paint, making it harder to remove.

There are some precautions you can take to protect your car’s paint from fading or getting ruined by the summer sun.

Wash your car frequently

Washing your car regularly will reduce the possibility of dirt or other debris from ruining your car’s paint job. The longer dirt or debris bakes and dries into your car, the more likely it is to penetrate the paint and the more difficult it may be to remove. Washing or rinsing your car off ASAP after objects have dirtied your car is highly recommended.

Hand dry your car after a wash

It’s easy to let your car air dry after you wash your car, but water spots can leave minerals behind that can lead to the fading of your car’s paint job. To prevent fading, make sure you use clean cotton rags to absorb and dry away the water spots.

Wax your car

Waxing your car creates an extra level of protection from dirt, debris, and also helps protect your car from the summer sun’s rays.

Keep your car in a cool place

Parking your car in a garage, under trees or somewhere where you can shield your car from the summer sun will not only prevent your car’s paint job from fading, but also helps keep your interior, headlights and tires in better shape.

We hope these tips are helpful to protect your car from the hot summer sun, but if you do end up getting fading or blemishes, you can find an auto body shop near you at Carwise.com to help restore your car’s paint job to its original state.

With the arrival of spring, many drivers are glad to see the snow melt away and temperatures rise. It’s a common assumption that spring weather conditions make maintaining and driving a car much easier. However, spring presents its own set of challenges for drivers, and certain precautions should be taken by any driver to maintain his or her car, as well as safety.

CARWISE RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING SPRING DRIVING TIPS:

• Ensure your vehicle is in peak operating condition as you would in winter. Pay particular attention to the tires, brakes, tail and brake lights, as well as windshield wipers. After winter, examine the treads on the tires and see if they need to be replaced; also, make sure the tires are properly inflated; have your mechanic inspect the brakes and lights in case a tune-up and bulb replacements are required; and look closely at your windshield wipers to make sure they weren’t damaged during the winter and need to be changed.
• Road conditions have changed, and wet, rainy conditions warrant a different approach than icy conditions. But keep in mind it is still possible for roads to ice over in early spring. Also, there are potholes and large puddles to navigate, alongside increased pedestrian, bicyclist, motorcyclist, and even animal traffic. If you do find yourself skidding due to black ice or wet road conditions, steer into the skid and avoid slamming the brakes.

Losing control of your car while driving in the rain can be a terrifying experience. Every year, rain has been the cause of thousands of accidents. Rainfall is especially dangerous in states that are accustomed to dry weather like California, Texas, and Arizona – sporadic rain during the year causes many people to forget how to drive in it.

Here are our Top 10 Tips for Driving in the Rain:

Drive with caution

Wet roadways present special challenges – low visibility, longer braking distances, reduced traction, and less control – making it more important than ever to drive defensively.

Stopping distance

When driving in the rain, a car’s stopping distance is reduced by a factor of two. On wet roads, increase your stopping distance and reduce your speed.

Keep your windows clean

Rain will fog up your windows, so turn on both front and rear window defrosters and your air conditioning. Use quality window washer fluid, and make sure your window wipers work properly.

Avoid hydroplaning

Hydroplaning occurs when the tires of your car rise up on a film of water causing you to slide and lose contact with the roadway. To avoid hydroplaning when driving in the rain, drivers should slow down or release their foot off the accelerator, avoid braking hard, refrain from making sharp turns, and drive in the tire tracks of the car ahead of you.

Avoid standing water or flooded roads

Driving through flooded roadways is a bad idea, because if water enters your exhaust pipe, the water can get into your engine, stall your car and cause costly damage to your vehicle. Plus, you might not know how deep the water is. Your vehicle can get stuck or swept away in rushing flood waters.

Know your vehicle

Conditions can change quickly, and you need to be able to react accordingly. Make sure you know where the windshield wiper controls, defrost, air conditioner, or fan are located before you encounter bad weather.

Avoid Cruise Control

Cruise control works great when it’s not raining, but you have a greater chance of losing control of your car during wet weather when your cruise control is engaged. When driving in the rain, you need to be more cautious and may need to reduce speed more often by lifting your foot off the accelerator. This can’t be done if you are using cruise control.

Know how to respond to a skid

If you do lose control over your vehicle and find yourself skidding, remain calm, slowly take your foot off the accelerator, and cautiously steer into the direction that you want the front of your car to go. Be prepared to steer until the front of your car is straight and you regain control of your vehicle. If your vehicle has an anti-lock braking system (ABS), brake firmly as you steer into the skid. For cars without ABS, avoid using your brakes.

Drive slower

When you drive slower in the rain, it reduces your car’s chances of hydroplaning, increases your stopping distance between you and the car in front of you, and gives you more time to react to avoid any situations where you need to stop or slow down.

Allow more travel time

Give yourself more travel time so that you can drive more slowly, prepare yourself for unexpected detours or disabled stop lights, and deal with heavy traffic caused by rainfall.

Visit AAA’s YouTube page for more videos on spring driving tips and AAA’s website for a comprehensive guide on wet weather driving tips.

Timing your car purchase could possibly save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. TrueCar has analyzed car prices over several years to reveal the day of the week, month, and time of the month to buy a car—including timing for specific car types.

The data comes from monthly industry sales data between the years 2009 and 2014. A Sunday at the beginning of August seems to be the sweet spot overall. If you’re in the market for a certain type of car, however, check the graphic for other recommendations.

Original Source: http://lifehacker.com/this-infographic-reveals-the-best-times-to-buy-a-new-ca-1616915330

According to the 2012 Annual Collision Summary for Washington state, there were 99,560 car accidents across the state of Washington with a car accident occurring every five minutes.

It is difficult enough dealing with the stress of a car accident, contacting your insurance company and worrying about getting around without your vehicle. Before you settle for just any auto body shop in Seattle, do yourself a favor and do a bit of research before taking your vehicle in for repair. With so many options, you’ll want to find a reliable shop that can guarantee quality results.

Here are some tips for finding a good auto body shop your area:

Social Media. Nowadays, reputable auto body shops have a Facebook page for their business where they can post updates, photos, and connect with their customers. You can learn a lot from what’s on their Facebook page, which will help you get a better feel about who they are and what their auto body shop is all about.

Read Ratings and Reviews. Learn more about an auto body shop and their work by visiting a review website like Carwise.com. Unlike some review sites, Carwise reviews are reliable and guaranteed authentic from real customers. The reviews are submitted responses to customer surveys provided by the auto body shops, made available to actual customers who have had their vehicles repaired at these facilities.

Find an Auto Body Shop with a Warranty. Most shops in Seattle offer a written warranty for their work. Ask to see the shop’s warranty to see what’s covered on the body work, parts, or paint and address any concerns that you may have.

When you do find an auto body shop in Seattle, be sure to also read our “Top 10 Questions to Ask an Auto Repair Shop” for more tips to ensure you’ll get your car to its pre-accident condition.

Recommended Carwise Auto Body Shops in Seattle and Surrounding Areas:

• Seattle

• Bellevue

• Oak Harbor

• Lynnwood

• Tacoma

• Spokane

• Olympia

After being involved in a car accident, one of the first things you’ll think about is getting your car repaired as quickly as possible. But taking your car to the first auto body shop you find would be a hasty decision. In order to find a reliable and reputable auto body shop, take time to do your research and ask questions so that you’ll receive high quality auto body repair work for your vehicle.

Here are some questions and things to consider before allowing an auto body repair shop to repair your vehicle

Learn more about the auto body repair shop. 

Reading an online review about an auto body repair shop can be a useful resource. You can get a sense of the quality of the auto body repair shop based on customer feedback, ratings and reviews. You might want to ask the following questions after reading an online review:

1. How often will I receive text or email updates about my car’s repair status?
2. Can I view repair updates online?
3. Can I arrange for a loaner or rental car online or through an affiliated rental car service

What kind of warranty comes with their auto body repair work?

If they offer a warranty, ask how long it lasts and what it will cover.

Does the auto body repair shop have rental cars on their lot or do they provide loaner vehicles?

Being without a car is an inconvenience, so you’ll need to make sure that you have a rental, loaner or courtesy car while yours is in the shop. Some auto body repair shops have a car rental facility located in or near their shop. Other auto body repair shops may offer loaner or courtesy cars that can be used while they are repairing your car.If there is a pre-rental agreement, review it carefully – read the fine print. Take photos of the car before it leaves the shop & when you return it (honest shops will not object to this; it’s common practice in the age of Smartphones). Take note of the mileage as well.

How long will the auto body repair take?

This is the #1 question asked of all auto body shops. There is no hard and fast answer since each case is subjective. There are many factors related that can affect the length of repair time, including the extent of damage to your car, how busy the auto body repair shop is at that particular time, or even holidays during which the shop may be closed.  A 2017 Industry Trend Data report published by CCC Information Services Inc. showed that the average length of customer loaner or rental car usage – the measuring stick used to determine length of repair time – has grown from 9.26 to 9.85 days.Additional factors may include the level of the repair technicians’ certifications and training, the quality of the shop’s parts procurement process and the channels through which parts are acquired (does the shop deal with parts suppliers and manufacturers or with auto junkyards?) and/or the equipment with which the shop is outfitted. Is their equipment state-of-the-art or antiquated? Are work areas clean and efficient? What, if any, repairs are outsourced? All of this can shorten – or lengthen – the time of your car repair.

Is your car covered while it is in the shop?

Ask the auto body repair shop if they carry fire and theft insurance. You want to be sure that you’ll be covered just in case your car is damaged, destroyed, stolen or burglarized while it is in the auto body repair shop. It is also not advisable to stop paying auto insurance premiums on your car while it is being repaired. Most states require auto insurance and will penalize you for a lapse of even one day. Also if the mechanic needs to drive the car for testing purposes, he/she could be penalized if pulled over. By allowing your auto insurance policy to lapse, you will likely spend more on penalties than save on premiums — even if the repair time is lengthy.

Will the paint match the rest of my car?

In most cases, cars have a paint code on a plate located either in a door jamb, under the hood, or in the trunk. This paint code will give the exact color of the manufacturer’s paint. Make sure the auto body repair shop will be using the same exact color of paint and not a similar color. For further reading, check this blog post: How Much Does a Car Paint Job Cost?

How soon can you wash your car after an auto body repair?

An auto body repair shop usually returns your car back to you clean. They may have already washed it or waited for the paint to dry so that you can drive your car immediately after the repair. Still, it is important to know whether it is it safe to take your car to a car wash that uses friction brushing or a touch-free car wash with acid presoaks and super concentrated car wash soap soon after a fresh paint job.

What is friction brushing?

Friction brushing usually employs a combination of high pressure blasters with foam and/or cloth brushes. Brush-equipped washes generally perform better and move faster, as brushes clean in hard-to-reach places. Additionally advances in soft-touch systems increase the quality of the wash while reducing the possibility of damage to the finish. Consult with your auto body repair technician on the best option in your car’s case.

What is a touch-free wash?

Touchless washes employ a combination of chemicals, presoaks, detergents, high water pressure and modern systems even include laser-guided contour sensors. The advantage of a touch-free wash is that nothing touches the vehicle for the duration of the wash, which is typically longer than a friction wash. One possible disadvantage is, because a touch-free wash is so reliant upon chemicals, certain mix ratios can cause stains on the paint. Consult with your auto body repair technician on the best option in your car’s case.

Does the auto body repair shop have any certifications?

Certifications, such as I-CAR and ASE, are a good sign of a reputable auto body repair shop. A certification usually means that the auto body repair shop has the skills and knowledge required to perform complete, safe and quality repairs.

Will the auto body repair shop put everything in writing?

When bringing your car into an auto body repair shop, ask if you can receive a written estimate. You should also ask for an itemized bill after all work is completed. If the written estimate doesn’t match the itemized bill, don’t be afraid to ask about any discrepancies.

1. Consider the below excerpt from the “Auto Body Repair Consumer’s Bill of Rights,” which was passed into law in California in 2009:

A CONSUMER IS ENTITLED TO:

• AN ITEMIZED WRITTEN ESTIMATE FOR AUTO BODY REPAIRS AND, UPON COMPLETION OF REPAIRS, A DETAILED INVOICE. THE ESTIMATE AND THE INVOICE MUST INCLUDE AN ITEMIZED LIST OF PARTS AND LABOR ALONG WITH THE TOTAL PRICE FOR THE WORK PERFORMED. THE ESTIMATE AND INVOICE MUST ALSO IDENTIFY ALL PARTS AS NEW, USED, AFTERMARKET, RECONDITIONED, OR REBUILT.
• BE INFORMED ABOUT COVERAGE FOR TOWING AND STORAGE SERVICES.
• BE INFORMED ABOUT THE EXTENT OF COVERAGE, IF ANY, FOR A REPLACEMENT RENTAL VEHICLE WHILE A DAMAGED VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED.
• BE INFORMED OF WHERE TO REPORT SUSPECTED FRAUD OR OTHER COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS ABOUT AUTO BODY REPAIRS.
• SEEK AND OBTAIN AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR ESTIMATE DIRECTLY FROM A REGISTERED AUTO BODY REPAIR SHOP FOR REPAIR OF A DAMAGED VEHICLE, EVEN WHEN PURSUING AN INSURANCE CLAIM FOR REPAIR OF THE VEHICLE.
  For further reading, check out this blog post: Top 10 Ways Auto Body Shops Can Ensure a Positive Customer Experience

What is the payment policy?

Most reputable auto body repair shops post their policies and payment methods where customers can easily see them. The payment policies may include labor rates, materials, warranty information, guarantees, and acceptable forms of payment. If you don’t see payment policy information, ask before the shop begins any auto body repair work on your vehicle.

For further reading, check out this blog post: Top Consumer Facts & Tips About Repair