Car Seat Improvements for 2015

If you have young children, you'll want to pay attention to this! This article from Kicking Tires gives the low down on what will be changing for car seats in 2015. 

Improved Crash Protection
Parents shopping for car seats are already reaping the benefit of the proposed car-seat crash tests. Many new or redesigned car seats such as the Britax Marathon have large side wings that protect a child's head and chest in a side-impact crash. 

The Recaro Performance Coupe infant seat's carrying handle becomes an anti-rebound bar when the seat is installed. These bars, which are used only in rear-facing car seats, are positioned against the car's seat and prevent the child-safety seat from moving or bouncing during and immediately after a crash. 

Muv's Kussen infant seat (photo above) also has an anti-rebound bar, but it goes a step further in its crash protection. In a crash, the Kussen's carrier is designed to rotate into a more upright position in the car seat's base. This allows the car seat to absorb the crash forces by "compressing on the built-in shock absorption system" found in the car seat. 

Higher Weight Limits
It's been a few years since NHTSA and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that parents keep their children in the rear-facing position until at least age 2, and car-seat manufacturers are now offering rear-facing infant seats that have higher weight limits — meaning that the child can stay in this seat longer. Perhaps the most impressive car seat in that regard is the Graco SnugRide Click Connect 40 (photo above). It's the only rear-facing infant seat that has a 40-pound weight limit, according to Graco. To accommodate a child who weighs upward of 40 pounds, the car seat's base extends lengthwise to create a little more legroom for your not-so-little one. Of course, carrying a 40-pound child in an infant carrier will require some powerful arm muscles. 

More Adjustability
From installation to struggling to get the harness to fit your child correctly, car seats offer endless ways to frustrate parents. Recaro's Performance Coupe infant seat has a foot in the base (photo above) that can be easily adjusted to fit a car's backseat, but it also has a dial that allows you to fine tune that fit. The infant seat's harness straps, which can be adjusted without rethreading them through the car seat's shell, also impressed me.

Click the link to read the full article from Kicking Tires: http://bit.ly/1ycXbgm

Is Texting and Driving Addicting?

A new study by AT&T shows that texting and driving can actually release the happiness-enhancing chemical, dopamine in people's brains. This means that texting and driving could actually be addicting. Learn more with this article from Kicking Tires:

The study, conducted by the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in cooperation with the "Texting & Driving … It Can Wait" campaign, 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 brain that makes us feel happy," Dr. David Greenfield, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and founder of the Internet and Technology Addiction, said in a statement. "If that desire for a dopamine fix leads us to check our phones while we're driving, a simple text can turn deadly."

There is good news, however. According to the research, phone addicts can successfully rehab themselves. "Those who are most likely to text and drive are also the most likely to take steps to stop," AT&T said in a statement. "And 82 percent of people who take action to stop texting and driving feel good about themselves."

To help people stop this dangerous behavior, AT&T is promoting its free DriveMode iPhone app, which activates automatically at 15 mph, silences text-message alerts and automatically responds to incoming messages letting the sender know the user is driving; it also notifies parents if the app has been shut off.

Click the link to read the full article: http://bit.ly/1tN7dUg

Checking and Filling Your Tires Properly

Checking your tire pressure and adding air seems like such a simple task that you don’t even need to think about it. But keeping your tires at the proper pressure and knowing how to fill them correctly is a very crucial task. It will help your tires last longer and make your ride smoother.

This article from Cars.com lists tips for checking your tire pressure as well as instructions for how to fill your tires in order to keep them in the best shape possible.

Before Starting

Temperature plays a huge part in tire psi, Rastetter said, adding that the most crucial time of year to check pressure is in fall and winter when days are shorter and average temperatures plummet.

Check your tires in the morning before going anywhere, because as soon as you get behind the wheel for an extended amount of time, psi will rise. Rastetter said that if you've been on the road a long time and notice higher psi in your tires, don't let the air out, as the increase in pressure has built up due to the warm, constantly-in-motion tires

What to do

1. Pull your car onto a level surface in the shade.
2. Remove dust caps from the tires' valve stems.
3. Using your tire gauge, firmly press the tip of the gauge straight on to the tire's valve stem for a brief moment.
4. The tire gauge should provide a psi reading; if the number seems unrealistically low or high — for example, 85 psi or 1 psi – you will need to repeat the previous step, ensuring that the tire gauge's tip is properly making contact with the valve stem.
5. If the tire gauge's recorded reading is higher than the manufacturer-recommended rating, press the gauge tip on the valve stem until you hear air leak out. Check the tire pressure again.
6. If the reading is lower than recommended, fill the tire with air by firmly pressing the air-hose tip onto the valve stem. You will hear air quietly enter the tire. If you hear air leaking or spraying out, you need to double-check that the connection between the air hose and the tire’s valve stem is secure.
7. When you think you've added or let out enough air, check the pressure a few times with the gauge.
8. Replace the valve dust caps. Rastetter emphasized the importance of keeping dust caps on during winter driving because if water gets into the valve stem and freezes inside the tire, it could cause a flat.
While you're at it, check your spare tire's pressure. You don't want to have a flat tire and then find out your replacement is flat, too.

Make these steps part of your routine. It will benefit your vehicle and your wallet.

Click the link to read the full article from Cars.com: http://bit.ly/1nassxN

5 Mistakes That Could Ruin Your Car

You may want to think twice next time you want to put off that oil change. There are a number of common car mistakes you might be making that could actually ruin your vehicle.

1. Delaying regular maintenance
Regularly maintaining your car is vital to your car's longevity. Regular maintenance includes oil and filter replacement, as well as transmission fluid, air filter and brake pad care. Every vehicle manufacturer specifies a different maintenance routine, which can be found in your owner's manual. While regular maintenance requires you to invest some time and money, it's peanuts compared to the cost of a new engine or transmission. 

2. Ignoring dash warning lights
When a warning indicator lights up on your dash panel, it's important to address the problem immediately. If you don't know what the light means, check your owner's manual or call your mechanic. Dash warning lights can alert you to some very serious problems, such as a coolant leak, which can cause your engine to overheat. A simple preventative repair can often prevent a large problem down the line. 

3. Shifting while moving
The transmission is one of the most complex and expensive parts in your car and it's important to use is as it was intended. Be careful not to shift from drive to reverse or vice versa while the car is still moving. This "jerky" shifting places excess strain on the transmission's internal gears and can instantly destroy it. 

4. Jerky driving
We all know someone who accelerates wildly on every straightaway only to brake hard at a traffic light or stop sign. This type of driving won't destroy your car immediately, but will cause your engine, transmission and brake system to deteriorate much more quickly than intended. Cars that have been abused will have premature fluid leaks, broken seals and mechanical problems. 

5. Putting off tire replacement
Tires for some cars can be expensive, so replacing them is an unwelcome cost. Driving on bald tires is very risky, however. If a tire blows out while you're driving, you can lose control of your vehicle and have a serious accident. And if you drive with bald tires in the rain, the risk of hydroplaning goes up tremendously. A new set of tires may seem pricey, but probably costs less than your car, and even less than your insurance deductible.

Click the link to read the full article: http://aol.it/ZGy48v

Where Are the Country's Rudest Drivers?

Do the drivers you see every day seem rude? Are they constantly using a phone while driving, tailgating, or not using their turn signals? Find out what behaviors other drivers find most annoying, and which states the drivers are guiltiest of participating in those behaviors.

Idaho ranked as the No. 1 rudest state in the study. Survey respondents' attitude toward this potato-producing state is rooted in its alleged bumper crump of both speedy spuds and slow-rolling couch potatoes. "The roadways of Idaho present a dichotomy of drivers: Those who are moving so slowly that they're judged to be rude, and the aggressive drivers who speed around them and flip them off," Insure.com said in a statement.

The five driving behaviors that bothered survey participants the most, followed by the percentage reporting so, were:

• Talking on a mobile phone while driving, 47 percent
• Tailgating, 37 percent
• Not signaling turns, 35 percent
• Weaving in and out of lanes, 28 percent
• Driving too fast, like every road is a highway, 26 percent

It bears noting that in Cars.com's recent poll seeking readers' opinions on the most-annoying driving behaviors respondents overwhelming identified "camping out in the passing lane" as the most egregious offense. Our poll's choices represented the most frequently expressed complaints in the comments section of our previous post on the subject.

The study's top 10 rudest states list is split almost evenly between the western and eastern U.S. On the opposite end of the spectrum, North Dakota drivers are, by default, the most polite in the nation, ranking No. 51.

Insure.com's entire list of all 50 states and the District of Columbia is as follows; see where your discourteous drivers rank:

1. Idaho
2. Washington, D.C.
3. New York
4. Wyoming
5. Massachusetts
6. Delaware
7. Vermont
8. New Jersey
9. Nevada
10. Utah
11. Alaska
12. Louisiana
13. Connecticut
14. Rhode Island
15. Iowa
16. Oklahoma
17. California
18. Alabama
19. Arkansas
20. Mississippi
21. Colorado
22. New Mexico
23. Florida
24. Ohio
25. Georgia
26. Illinois
27. Texas
28. Hawaii
29. Kansas
30. Virginia
31. West Virginia
32. Kentucky
33. Maryland
34. Arizona
35. Michigan
36. Indiana
37. Pennsylvania
38. Tennessee
39. Missouri
40. South Carolina
41. South Dakota
42. North Carolina
43. Washington
44. Nebraska
45. Wisconsin
46. Oregon
47. Minnesota
48. Montana
49. New Hampshire
50. Maine
51. North Dakota

Read the full article from Kicking Tires here: http://bit.ly/ZsaDji

Cleaning Up Spill in the Car

If you have kids, you know that spills are unavoidable. In a perfect world, spills would never happen in the car, but unfortunately this is usually never the case. So what do you do when a spill does happen? Kicking Tires has shared advice from parents on cleaning up spills in the car.

Start with Protective Surfaces: Generally speaking, leather or vinyl seating surfaces will be easier to clean than fabric. However, several automakers offer a stain- and odor-resistant material in some of their cars. GM, for example, uses interior coatings to protect cabin materials from sun, sweat, sunscreen, bug repellant and more. Engineers conduct durability experiments on the surface coatings, some of which involve applying perspiration to the seats for hours (a synthetic simulant, not real sweat, phew!) to see how surfaces hold up. Sweat is just the beginning. GM spills "everything from sewing-machine oil to petroleum jelly," said Doug Pickett, GM engineering group manager. "We do coffee, ketchup, blue-ink pen, regular soy sauce, chocolate milk, red Kool-Aid and black marker." 

Act Fast: If someone in your car spills, clean up as much as possible off the car's seats and floor as soon as possible. Scoop up any, um, chunks, and soak up any puddles with paper towels. 

Scrape it Up: If you've found your noxious fume culprit and it's had time to dry and harden, try to scrape up any residual particulates first. Gather plenty of fresh towels, wet the area with hot water and soak up smelly aftereffects with the towels. Rinse and repeat. 

Buy Stock in Baking Soda: Cover every possible affected surface with a thick layer of baking soda. Let that sit and work its magic for as long as possible (in the legendary strawberry milk episode, I let it sit for three days). The same principle that makes baking soda great for soaking up garlic fumes in your fridge means it will work in your car. After a few days, use a high-powered Shop-Vac or a commercial-grade coin-operated vacuum at the gas station or car wash, to suck up all that odor-absorbing magic powder. 

Combat Lingering Smells: By this stage the spill should be gone, but there might be a lingering aroma. Rather than trying to mask one smell with another, try an all-natural product like Moso bags, which are filled with bamboo charcoal that can soak up smells from a mile away. OK, maybe not a full mile, but at least within the confines of your car. They come in several shapes and sizes to fit discreetly in your car, and if they work on my daughter's ballet shoes, they can definitely work on your nasty car smell. 

Create an Alternate, Pleasant Aroma: Now that all traces of putridity are a distant memory, you can add a pleasant scent to transform your morning carpool schlep into a feast for your olfactory senses. Rather than adding chemicals to the mix, try a few drops of a favorite essential oil (I vote for grapefruit) on a cotton ball and tuck it into a cupholder or an in-door storage pocket. Breathe deep and enjoy that wonderful family, spills and all.

Click the link to read the full article: http://bit.ly/1AbFA6j

Warning Lights to Watch Out For

Your car has all kinds of built-in functions to let you know when something is wrong. Warning lights are one of these functions. In order to give your car the proper attention it needs though, you want to be sure you're able to decipher any warning lights that could potentially come on. This article from AOL Autos explains 5 important warning lights and what exactly they mean.

Low Tire Pressure Warning
Many modern vehicles constantly monitor the pressure of each tire, and inform you when there is a pressure drop due to a puncture. When the low tire pressure light turns on, you should pull over to visually inspect your tires.

While it’s fairly straightforward to visually identify a normal tire that has gone flat, it’s much harder to do so with a run-flat tire. If you see that a normal tire has gone flat, you should mount a spare or call roadside assistance. If you have run-flats, you should drive to the closes tire shop to get the tire patched or replaced. Driving a long distance on a punctured run-flat can be dangerous, so don’t risk it.

Even if the tire isn't completely flat, low tire pressure can be a serious safety issue, as it impairs your ability to steer the car. It also negatively impacts fuel economy.

The low tire pressure light looks like an exclamation point in the middle of a horseshoe.

Low Battery Warning
Depending on how much you drive and the weather where you live, your battery will last 4 or 5 years on average. When the low battery warning light turns on, it’s a good idea to change the battery within a few days to avoid getting stranded somewhere because the car won’t start. If you buy a new battery before the old one dies completely, you can purchase an inexpensive replacement at your local warehouse store and do the swap yourself. Otherwise, you could be forced to pay double the money for a battery off a road service truck.

The low battery light looks like, well, a car battery.

Brake Fluid Warning
Your brakes the the most important safety device on your car, and you should take the brake fluid warning light very seriously. This light can indicate a brake fluid leak, or another problem in your brake system.

If the problem is serious, you may experience diminished stopping power, which can have serious consequences. When this light turns on, get a brake system inspection as soon as possible. Brake failure can have life-threatening consequences for you and your loved ones.

The low brake fluid warning light looks like an exclamation point in the middle of a circle, which is enclosed in parentheses.

Oil Pressure Warning
While coolant is necessary to regulate the temperature of your engine, oil is necessary to keep the internal components running smoothly. The engine is the most valuable single part of your car, so it’s important to make sure it’s properly cooled and lubricated.

When your oil pressure light comes on, it can indicate that you have an oil leak or that your engine is burning oil. In either case, it’s important to get your oil level back to normal. You can do this by purchasing the correct type of oil for your car (as indicated in the owner’s manual) and using the dipstick to top it off. Be careful not to overfill the engine – too much oil can also cause damage. To figure out the root cause of the low oil level, you should take your car to a mechanic for inspection.

Temperature Warning
When your temperature warning light turns on, your car probably has a coolant leak, bad water pump or faulty thermostat. Driving a car with cooling problems can cause the engine to overheat, which can destroy the gaskets within the engine or even cause the delicate metal components to warp. An overheated engine can cost thousands of dollars to be rebuilt or replaced. Unless that’s a risk you want to take, take your car to a mechanic as soon as the temperature warning light comes on.

The temperature warning light looks like a thermometer floating on water.

Read the full article from AOL Autos here: http://aol.it/1un18fB