How to Keep Your Kids from Driving You Crazy During Road Trips

Road trips are long. Kid’s in the back of the car asking, “Are we there yet?” every five minutes can make them even longer. If you can keep your kids occupied and happy you’ll be able to stay sane for the ride, as well as remain less distracted. Howstuffworks.com came up with a list of the top 10 things you can do to keep your kids happy on the road. In this blog we discuss some of the highlights:

·         Set Expectations – It’s almost so easy that you wouldn’t even think of it. Make sure before you leave for your trip your kids already know how you want and expect them to behave. Make sure they are prepared for a long ride, and give them incentive to be good, for example: allow the kids to bring their two favorite toys with them as long as they promise to behave during the ride.

·         Bring along plenty of toys – Some kids like dolls, some like sports balls, some even like books. Whatever it is they like, let them bring it. If it is something that can be played with inside the car it will give them something to occupy their time with. If it’s something involving an outdoor activity, like a Frisbee or a soccer ball, set aside 15 minutes during rest stops to let them play with it. It’ll even give you a chance to play with them and ease some of the travelling tension.

·         Reward good behavior – If things aren’t going well give kids an incentive to clean up their act. Good behavior means they get to choose where you eat that night, or else it warrant a stop at the next ice cream stand you go by. You can also use this tip in reverse. For example if your child won’t stop complaining tell them they won’t get to swim at the hotel pool that night.

·         Let the kids have a say – If you allow the kids to make decisions for certain parts of the trip it’ll keep them happier and give them less things to whine about! Let them choose the road music for an hour or two or allow them to pick a few road games to play while you drive.

·         Don’t skip the pit stops – This one is important. Too much time in the car will make anyone unhappy, kids and adults alike. Make sure to stop every two or three hours to go to the bathroom and stretch a little bit.

Click the link to read all ten tips: http://bit.ly/X1DJik

Car Wash Do's and Don'ts

Summer weather is officially here; so don’t dull it up with a terrible car wash! This blog has a list of the best car washing tips and the things you should try to avoid.

It  is a fact that frequently washing your car is the best thing you can do to maintain your vehicles finish and preserve its’ showroom shape.   However, careless washing can leave your paint in poorer condition than when you started. Using the right materials and techniques will make the wash easy. Here’s a list of some basic car-washing dos and don’ts that will help keep your vehicles’ finish in prime condition.

·         Don’t: Do not wait to do a full wash when bird dropping is noticed.  Due to the high acid content in bird dropping, it can potentially destroy your clear coat.

·         Do: Rinse your vehicle off after a period of rainy weather. The acidic rainwater could remain on the surface after the droplets have evaporated.

·         Don’t: If vehicles’ sheet metal is hot, do not wash your car.  The heat will help the soap and water to dry up, which can possibly dull the finish.

·         Do: Hose off vehicle before washing. The prewash cools the sheet metal and remove loose debris that could scratch the paint.

 

Read the rest of the Do’s and Don’ts tips here: http://bit.ly3/p2WWiY.

The Most Annoying Things Other Drivers Do

When it comes to driving we are perfect and everyone else is no good…right? But what is it exactly that makes each of us tick when it comes to sharing the road? An article from Cars.com explores the 10 most annoying things that drivers do. Here is a brief rundown of the list:

1. Talking on a Cell Phone – Did you know you’re just as likely to cause an accident talking on a cell phone as you are when you’ve been drinking. Of course we don’t like it when somebody else when somebody else could potentially be risking our lives just to order a pizza or chat with grandma.

2. Driving too fast for road conditions – Just because the speed limit says 60 doesn’t mean you should always be driving 60. Some people like to drive a max speeds when it’s raining…or worse…snowing. These people are not only annoying, they are putting the rest of us at risk.

3.  Not cleaning snow off cars – Only one thing can happen when someone starts driving 60 mile-per-hour with a foot of snow on their roof, it flies off! And it’s very likely that when that snow falls off it hits your car. Anyone who has had this happen to them know just how terrifying this can be.

4. Not signaling when changing lanes or leaving a signal on – Turn signals should only be used for one reason, and that’s when you’re turning. If someone forgets to turn their turn signal on it can cause massive confusion for drivers behind them. It can be just as confusing when someone tries to turn with no turn signal.

5. Leaving high beams on- This one is self-explanatory. No one likes trying to drive while staring into a bright beam of light.

6. Faulty equipment – Yes, getting things fixed can cost a lot. But when your car has so much smoke pouring out of the exhaust that other drivers can breathe or see, it’s probably time to do something about it. Not getting equipment checked or fixed may even make it so that a vehicle is not safe to drive.

7. Taking two spaces in a parking lot – Nothing says jerk more than taking up two parking spaces, especially in a crowded lot or parking garage. Apparently the paint job on their car is more important than you being able to park or not.

8. Staying in the far left lane – We all know the left lane is the passing lane. So why do people driving slower than everyone else have to ride in it for miles?

9. Not acknowledging making a mistake or overreacting to an honest mistake – We all make mistakes. And it’s a normal reaction to be mad about somebody else’s mistakes, especially when driving. But when a driver tails you for miles or screams at you out their window, flipping the bird, they just look plain crazy.

10. Dangerous loads improperly secured – This one is similar snow not being cleaned off of a moving car, but having a folding chair fly out of a car is much more dangerous than snow. Not only will it scare you and possibly cause an accident, but it could damage your car as well.

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

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.