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Follow us on twitterMotorWeek has released a video that highlights a new change to the Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) requirements for a Top Safety Pick+ rating. Over the past couple of years, the IIHS has made a number of improvements to their rating system, resulting in higher standards that a vehicle must meet to receive the highest possible rating in their New Car Assessment Program.
Earlier this year the IIHS changed the rating standards when they decided that the a vehicle’s available front crash prevention system needed to earn an Advanced or Superior rating in order to earn the “plus” rating. Previously, a system only needed to earn a rating of basic or higher.
The newest change that the IIHS has proposed to their requirements concern headlight operation. They have announced that they will be adding headlight performance to their list of standards to be considered for the Top Safety Pick+ rating. Specifically, they will be paying attention to Adaptive Lighting and Active Lighting Systems.
To hear more about the new requirements being proposed by IIHS be sure to watch the full video report from MotorWeek below.
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Here at Mohawk Auto Center we take pride in providing our customers from Schenectady, Albany, Glenville, Clifton Park, and Johnstown, NY with not only top quality service but also vehicles that are available at a price that you can afford. If you are in the market to purchase a used vehicle that will fit into your budget then we invite you to take a look through our inventory where we carry Cars Under $15,000 and Cars Under $10,000.
We carry a variety of makes and models in each of these two inventories so you are sure to find the type of vehicle that you are looking for when you shop for your next vehicle with us. Additionally, whether you have bad credit or no credit it is no problem since we offer you a 100% Approval Guarantee! We work with a number of different lenders so we are sure to be able to find a finance plan that will work for you and your needs. You can even fill out our Online Finance Form to get pre-approved ahead of time.
Take a look through all of the vehicles that we currently have available and then head on over to 756 State St Schenectady, NY 12307 to learn more. We look forward to working with you.
The winter months are here which means so are tough driving conditions that’ll put a beating on your car. Prepare both you and your car the best you can with these five smart buys for the winter months.
- Wiper Blades: It’s never a bad idea to give your car a new pair of wiper blades. Especially during the Winter months, bad wiper blades can leave streaks and actually lessen visibility when it snows or rains. So be safe rather than sorry and swap your current wipers out for a new pair.
- Ice Scraper: Ice and snow might not seem that bad when you watch it first start to fall but when you head out to your car for work at 8:00 in the morning, the last thing you want is to realize your car is stuck under piles of snow and ice and you have nothing to get it off with. Always be prepared and keep an ice scraper handy in case you ever need it.
- Extra Winter Fluids: In order to avoid a frozen fuel line try to have an extra half tank of gas handy. Additionally, having any de-icer fluid and windshield wiper fluid with antifreeze is always something good to have on hand just in case.
- An Emergency Pack: You never know when sudden problems may arise for your car. Always be prepared for an emergency to strike and have the necessary equipment in case. Keep things such as jumper cables, a spare tire, a tire gauge, a portable charger, and anything else you might need. The last thing you want is to be on a backroad and suddenly have car problems.
- Snow tires/chains: Winter roads means slippery conditions. Traditional tires might not always be well equipped for the lessened traction, so equip your car with snow tires or chains to allow your car to have the maximum traction possible.
“Car Care: 5 Smart Buys to Beat Winter.” — MISSION, Kan., Dec. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ –. N.p., 2 Dec. 2015. Web. 28 Dec. 2015.
With the holidays upon us it is safe to say that many of us will be embarking on the traditional holiday road trips as we make our way to visit relatives and celebrate the festivities with family. Since these road trips can become monotonous and long with the winter weather and heavier traffic on the roads it is important to find a way to help pass the time and keep everyone entertained for the whole drive. While most people think of car games as being for children they can be just as fun for adults. Here are a list of eight games that anyone can play to help you enjoy the ride.
- Guess That Franchise: This game is simple, everyone has to make a guess as to which franchise will be the next one they will pass or see at the next rest stop. The winner gets a free lunch.
- Radio Roulette: Press the shuffle button on the radio and you have to listen to whatever station it lands on for the the next 10 minutes. If you really want to shake things up try switching to AM radio.
- (The Gas) Price is Right: Everyone needs to guess what the gas price will be at the nest stop and the person with the furthest away answer has to pay for the next fillup.
- Explain A Film Plot Badly: Pick a well-known movie and provide a bad explanation of its plot and see if anyone can guess what it is.
- The Anagram Game: Look for non-vanity plates and try to for an angoram out of the letter/number combination to guess what they could mean if it was a vanity plate.
- Celebrity Look-A-Like: Check out the people in the car next to you and see if they resemble any famous faces. In order to win the round, all passengers must be in agreement that the person resembles that person enough.
- Paranoia: Someone asks a dark question such as “Who is most likely to marry a jerk” other people then answer the name of one of the other passengers to the person that asked the question. You then flip a coin and it is heads then the turn is over but it of is tails then the questioner gets to name the person the answerer chose.
- The Lyrics Contest: Everyone takes a turn trying to match the beat and lyrics of the song that is playing. Whoever has the best result gets to have control of the music selections for the next few miles or minutes.
Source: https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/nation/new-driving-games-for-adults
It’s Trick or Treat season once again and Mohawk Auto Center would like to remind all everyone who will be traveling out on the road on Halloween night to drive safely and keep an eye out for all of the costumed kids. As you know, on Halloween there is an abundance of extra activity throughout neighborhood streets as kids in costume run from door to door collecting their Halloween candy. As a result, drivers must use an extra level of caution in order to accommodate the extra pedestrians in order to ensure that everyone has a fun, happy, and safe holiday. Here we have a few tips from Progressive to help keep everyone safe this holiday:
- Be Aware Of Time – The busiest time of day for trick or treaters is generally between 4 and 8 p.m. so be extra cautious when driving during those hours.
- Drive Slow & Don’t Pass – You should drive less than your normal speed limit during trick or treat hours and also avoid passing stopped cars as they may be dropping off children.
- Watch For Children In The Street – Kids tend to get overly excited on Halloween and forget their usual street-crossing safety rules so keep an eye out for children darting into the street, especially ones coming out from between two parked cars, and always yield to the younger pedestrians.
- Communicate with Other Drivers – Be extra aware of using your turn signal and use your hazards if you are dropping off or picking up kids.
More and more vehicle safety has been focused on how to prevent an accident from ever happening. To aid in this effort, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has decided to expand its testing facility to develop new crash avoidance technology. Some of this new technology includes sophisticated robot tools with GPS, Pedestrian Avoidance technology and headlights with more usable lights.
Watch the video above and see why the IIHS says that thanks to their advanced test equipment, expanded test track and new covered track, they’re ready to test out every new safety technology automotive manufacturers dole out.
Distracted Driving has become one of the biggest causes of automobile accidents in the last few year as technology has led to more and more mobile devices that have the tendency to take driver’s eyes off the wheel. In today’s society where everyone has cell phones, tablets, MP3 players, ipods, e-readers and more it is no wonder that the constant beeping, ringing, and vibrating of all these devices is leading to distraction since the point of all those sounds is to alert the owner’s attention in the first place. As a result, more drivers are instinctively turning to their device and away from the road.
For the fifth consecutive year, the suburban Chicago-based American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers are promoting their Decide to Drive campaign, which focuses on the dangers of distracted driving. Throughout the campaign, they encourage drivers to remember to use their hands-free devices and to avoid other common distractions such as eating, drinking, and grooming when in the driver’s seat.
In 2013 alone, distracted driving was the main cause behind 424,000 crashes in the U.S. the majority of which have occurred in the nation’s largest cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. As part of this year’s campaign, they have released a new “wreck-less checklist” that includes nine suggestions to help prevent distracted driving.
Read through the list below to see their recommendations, and always remember to keep both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road when you are in the driver’s seat.
- Put on any accessories, be they sunglasses or Bluetooth earpieces, before starting the car.
- Adjust seats, headrests, vehicle controls and mirrors, and fasten your seat belt before moving.
- Keep reading materials and other eye diverters out of reach, pre-load music selections and adjust the stereo volume to a level that still allows you to hear emergency sirens.
- Enter your destination in the navigation system or consult your directions before driving.
- Stop in a safe area before tending to your children or pets.
- Never apply makeup, groom, polish your nails or change clothes while driving.
- Avoid eating or drinking.
- No texting, phone calls, taking photos or other device play.
- Keep your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel at all times.
Original Source: https://www.cars.com/articles/wreck-less-checklist-targets-distracted-driving-1420681068788/
Today is National Heatstroke Prevention Day, and as a result we have brought you a list of the high-tech and low-tech solutions that have been developed over the years in order to offer some helpful solutions on how to prevent such tragedies. Each year, accidental heatstroke claims the lives of children all across the country when they become trapped or forgotten inside parked cars during the warm summer months. According to the nonprofit child safety organization KidsAndCars.org in the last twenty years, around 7,250 children have died in hot vehicles. As a result, many new technologies have been developed that serve as reminders so parents avoid this tragedy. Additionally, KidsAndCars.org have offered some low-tech tips to help parents train themselves to always check for their child before exiting their vehicle.
High-Tech Solutions:
Baby Reminder App – This free app allows users to input the day and time during which children are dropped off and the app will automatically send a reminder a few minutes after the drop off time has passed.
Remember the Kids – This iPhone app costs $1.99 and it works by monitoring the driving speed of the vehicle so that it can detect when the vehicle has stopped moving, At that time, it sends an alert to the user asking them if they remembered to take the children out of the car.
Childminder SoftClip System – This is a special product that generally sells for around $70 and is made up of two pieces. The first piece replaces the existing shoulder harness strap on the child safety seat and the second is a key chain attached to the driver’s keys. Through this system, when the driver steps more than 108 feet away from their vehicle, the key ring will sound an alert for about 12 seconds reminding the driver to check for the children.
Low-Tech Solutions:
Stuffed Animal – Parents can use a medium-sized stuffed animal as a reminder. The stuffed animal should be placed in the child seat when it is empty and then in the front passenger seat when the seat is being used to serve as a reminder to the parent. This way when they see the toy in their passenger seat it will alert them to the fact that the child seat is occupied.
Place Items In Back Seat – When traveling with Your child place your purse, wallet, phone or other vital accessories in the back seat with the child seat so that you will have to go into the back to retrieve it when you arrive at your destination. This will force you to look in the back and remember to remove the child as well.
For more information on ways to combat this issue, visit KidsAndCars.org. You can also view the original article here: http://www.edmunds.com/car-safety/kids-cars-and-heatstroke-deaths-what-are-the-solutions.html.
Summer road trip season has officially begun. Now is the time that everyone is much more inclined to roll down the windows and the top and enjoy a long drive with the breeze blowing through their hair. While this may be an enjoyable summer pastime, it is important to remember to stay alert and focused while behind the wheel in order to ensure that you ride is fun as well as safe. A large portion of accidents have been results of drowsy or distracted driving, meaning that having trouble staying alert is a common issue. Here are six tips on how to stay focused while driving.
1.) Adjusting the Radio or Climate Control – Even an act as simple as adjusting the volume on your speakers can take your eyes off the wheel. Therefore, any adjustments such as volume, mirrors, air conditioning or station tuning should be made before the trip starts or at during normal stops.
2.) Using A Cell Phone – When you take your eyes off the road for five seconds it is the equivalent of driving the length of a football field at 55 MPH while blindfolded. Therefore, it is best to leave your phone out of reach when driving to avoid the common temptation of checking messages or making a call.
3.) Eating and Drinking – Eating while driving has become an all-too-common occurrence in today’s society where everyone is constantly on the go. However, an action that takes one of your hands off the wheel can be dangerous and so should be avoided. According to Incurance.com, the most dangerous foods to eat while driving are hamburgers, jelly donuts, hot coffee and soup, barbecued food, tacos, fried chicken, and chili.
4.) Talking with Passengers – Having passengers along for the ride is a great way to pass the time and keep you company on a long trip. However, conversations with other people in the car can distract you and keep your focus on the road. When traveling with children be sure to bring books, toys, and games in order to keep them occupied so that they do not distract you.
5.) Grooming – Since no one ever seems to have enough time in the morning, many people have grown accustomed to finishing their daily grooming routine on their morning commute. For your own safety and the safety of other drivers keep shaving and makeup application for the bathroom rather than the car.
6.) Fatigue – Drowsy driving causes six-times more accidents/near-accidents then when you are alert. A way of combating this is to break up long drives with frequent stops that allow you to stretch your legs and give your eyes a break.
When most of us think of the summer we think of warm, sunny days, vacations and weekend getaways. While the warmer weather can be a welcome relief following the bitter cold of winter, it can also be just as damaging to your vehicle as the cold. Extreme heat can cause just as many issues for your car as the the extreme cold, which is why AAA has released a list five important tips to remember for driving in and caring for your vehicle during the summer.
1.) Check Your Battery: While most people think that the cold is your car battery’s worst enemy, the heat is actually much worse. For starters, heat and vibration can cause an internal breakdown in your battery which will eventually cause it to cease functioning. The best way to combat this is to make sure that the battery is securely in place in order to minimize vibrations. Additionally, the heat can cause the battery fluid to evaporate faster so you will want to check the fluid regularly to ensure that it is filled to the optimum level in order to avoid corrosion.
2.) Keep Your Engine Cool: The heat of the summer can take a toll on your engine since the outside temperature mixed with the heat of running the engine can cause it to become overheated easily. This is why it is especially important during the summer to make sure that your engine’s coolant system is working properly. It is good to have your coolant system flushed and replaced about every 50,000 miles to ensure that it is working at an optimum level. In-between flushes, however, make sure to check that the coolant fluid is at the proper level and inspect all of the system’s hoses and drive belts for any possible damage such as cracks or soft spots.
3.) Check Your Tires: During the summer it is important to ensure that your tires are inflated properly as the higher temperatures can cause underinflated tires to overheat faster, leading to a possible blowout. The problem is that during the summer you do not just have to combat the head in the air, but the heat from the road as well. Therefore, it is important to periodically check the air pressure level on your tires, especially if it has not been driven in a few days.
4.) Check Your Fluids: As with people, vehicles need more fluids during the warm weather. This is important during the summer because the fluids don’t just help to keep the vehicle lubricated but help to keep it cool as well. Therefore, it is important to check all of your vehicle fluids including power steering fluid, motor oil, brake fluid and transmission fluid and ensure that they are filled to the proper level.
5.) Keep Yourself Cool: One of the most important aspects in safe summer traveling is to make sure that you, as the driver, are cool and comfortable in order to keep you alert while on the road. The summer heat can cause drivers to become unfocused and increases the fatigue level. Therefore, you will want to have your vehicle’s air conditioning system checked out to make sure that it is working properly before heading off on any long road trips.
If you live near Schenectady, Albany, Glenville, Clifton Park or Johnstown, NY be sure to stop into Mohawk Auto Center, located at 756 State St in Schenectady, NY for all of your summer maintenance needs!
Original Source: http://ww1.texas.aaa.com/en-tx/buy-maintain-vehicles/vehicle-maintenance/Pages/car-care-tips.aspx