Every year thousands of people are killed in car accidents.  Many of these crashes could have been avoided with some simple safety knowledge.  Here are some tips to keep your driving experience pleasant and help you avoid dangerous accidents.

First of all, if your are taking any medicines, double check your product label to see if it could affect your driving.  If your medication causes drowsiness, stay off of the roads.

Next, secure children properly in a restraint system that is size and age appropriate.  All children less than 12 years of age should be in the back seat.  Just by putting children in the back, and not the front reduces injuries and deaths 30%.

One of the biggest causes of car accidents is driver inattention.  This means that drivers should stay off of cell phones and pay attention to the road.

Finally, prepare a safety kit in your car.  It should include a first aid kit, flashlight, nonperishable foods, water, blankets, motor oil, jumper cables, and a spare tire. And all drivers should have used car warranties in order to keep up with important maintenance and car repairs without unnecessary costs.

Brake pad vibrations that result in a high-pitched noise are the cause of brake squeal.  When pads don’t have proper insulation from the caliper, vibration occurs.  The factory will equip brake pads with insulator shims, clips, and even a silicone backing that allows the pad to stay glued to the caliper.  This helps to prevent vibrations.

Often times when brake pads become too hard brake squeal occurs.  The hard and smooth surfaces then rub together to produce a noise equivalent to nails on the blackboard.  When this occurs, it is necessary to resurface the rotors and replace brake pads.  This will eliminate the squealing.

You should also have your rotors resurfaced when you have your brakes done.  Not doing this will result in squealing.  When replacing brake pads, the rotor refinishing should be done with a non-directional finish.  This will make sure that brake pads are broken in properly.

Act immediately if brake squeal occurs.  Take your car to a highly trained technician to make sure that your brakes are treated appropriately.  And, make sure you have used car warranties to cover repairs performed.  After all, you don’t want to end up paying unnecessary costs.

A new rating system for roof-strength has been launched by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and has conducted its first tests on small SUVs.  Unfortunately, only four out of the twelve vehicles tested managed to get a Good rating, which is the top rating.

The SUVs that scored the Good rating were the Honda Element, Subaru Forester, Volkswagen Tiguan and the Jeep Patriot.  SUVs that scored Acceptable were the Chevrolet Equinox, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Nissan Rogue, Toyota RAV4, and Mitsubishi Outlander.  Ranking Marginal, were the Ford Escape, and Honda CR-V, while the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage were the only vehicles to rate Poor.

This new standard for roof-strength is intended to combat rollover deaths, which account for about a quarter of all deaths having to do with traffic.  For vehicles to be an IIHS Top Safety Pick, they have to now withstand four times their own weight before the car’s roof will collapse 5 inches.  The IIHS’s strength to weight ratio is a much higher standard than the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s, which says that roofs should bear 2.5 times the car’s weight.

Consumers are becoming more and more concerned with vehicle safety, which is why more people are purchasing an auto warranty.  With used car warranties, people can rest-assured that they won’t be paying unnecessary repair costs.

If you’re planning to purchase a used vehicle you need to find out as much as you can about it.  The car could have problems that you can’t detect by looking at it.  In order to understand the car that you are getting, get a vehicle history report.  This will give you combined information from DMVs, RMVs, and police reports about the car that you are looking at.  Here are some things to consider when looking at the vehicle report.

Determine if the car has had many owners.  You are better off with a car that has had fewer owners because there is more of a likelihood that the car has been taken good care of.  Although inexpensive, rental cars will have undergone a great deal of abuse.

Also, consider the location that the car has been in.  This is important because some climates are harsher on cars.  For example, winter conditions are hard on cars because of salty roads.  Obviously, excessive heat and flood areas are also of concern.

Finally, make sure that the name and description on the history report actually match the vehicle you’re looking at.  This will help avoid types of fraud, such as vehicle identification number cloning.

A used car is a great way for people to save money and get a great car.  Just do your homework to make sure you are getting a good buy.  You need to consider the costs of used car warranties, auto insurance, and maintenance costs.  An auto warranty is a good way to get peace of mind when purchasing a used vehicle.

If you’re looking to buy a cheap used vehicle, you might want to look online.  One website that is a good place to start is Car-Auction.com.  This is an auction website featuring seized vehicles by the government.  Consumers can select what type and model of vehicle you are looking for, as well as the price.  Results will appear within a few seconds.  This is a lot more convenient than attending an automobile auction and waiting to see if the car you want is up for auction.

When you are looking to buy a cheap used car follow these simple tips.

The most difficult part of the process is finding a quality car that you would like to purchase.  People make the mistake of buying a car because they like the way it looks.  You need to get the full history of the vehicle before making an agreement.  Also, get the VIN of the vehicle and do a search of the number through a local agency.  You want to get the vehicle inspected by a professional.

An online auction is a great place to buy a used car. However, beware.  To protect yourself, do your homework to get a good buy and make sure to purchase used car warranties.

Used car buyers need to be aware of a common scam; odometer fraud.  This is the act of rolling back the odometer on a car.  This deceives buyers into thinking a vehicle has fewer miles than it really does.  It is estimated that this crime leads to sales of around 450,000 vehicles every year.

Also alarming is that digital odometers are easier to meddle with than traditional odometers.  There are ways that consumers can protect themselves against odometer fraud.

First of all, request to see the car’s title and make a comparison between its mileage and the car’s odometer.  Also, compare the mileage on the car’s maintenance records with the odometer on the vehicle.  In addition, sometimes there are stickers with maintenance records on doorframes and windows.

Next, you should ask for a Carfax History Report on the vehicle to see odometer discrepancies.  If the person selling the car doesn’t have one, you can order one online with the vehicles VIN number.

Finally, check to see that the odometer gauge numbers are all aligned.  If they aren’t aligned, or if they move when you tap on the dash, you may want to think twice about buying.

These tips can save you from buying a car that has been tampered with.  However, you never know the true history of a used car.  This is why used car warranties are a good idea to protect you against unforeseen repairs.

It can be tempting to text-message in your car, especially if you’re stuck in traffic.  You assume that there is little risk involved, however, if the person in front of you stops a little faster than you intended, all of a sudden you may find yourself calling your road service program.

Recent studies show that avoiding texting in the car will drastically reduce your chances of getting into a car accident.  In fact, four states are making an attempt to ban driving while texting (DWT).  Washington put a ban earlier in the year on texting while on the road.

Statistics suggest that DWT is a danger that is growing.  In drivers ages 16 and 17, 46% admitted that they have texted while driving.  A study by Nationwide Insurance indicates that DWT is a generational activity.  Out of people ages 18-27, 37% admit to texting while driving, meanwhile, only 14% of 28-44 year olds admit to this.  Also, only 2% of 45-60 year olds said they texted on the road.

Cities around the nation are passing text-message ordinances because of the danger that it poses.  It is best to just refrain from this activity, otherwise you might find yourself calling for emergency roadside assistance.  Drivers should protect themselves by practicing safe driving habits and making sure they have good used car warranties.

For motorists who like to take things into their own hands, the Internet is the place to look for valuable information.  Consumers are seeking research online to aid them in buying a new automobile, finding out about car service, and finding a good auto warranty.

A new study shows that 74 percent of people who do research on service and parts say they are utilizing the Internet more now than two years ago.  In addition, 90 percent of motorists researching service information about automobiles say that the Internet influenced their purchase.

Customers who are well informed can do a good job of describing issues for potential repair when they visit their mechanic for maintenance.  However, it can be a problem when car owners try to do significant repairs by themselves because many times they make misdiagnoses on their car.  This can end up harming their car more.

For example, if a motorist replaces the alternator because the car is having trouble starting, when in fact the battery should have been changed, it could cost hundreds of dollars to rectify the situation.

It is good for consumers to use the Web to research about cars because it can aid their mechanic.  However, motorists who think they can fix anything could end up stranded somewhere.  At any rate, it is always good to have used car warranties to protect your wallet.

If you are thinking of buying a new car, don’t just rely on professional expertise; make yourself a professional expert as well.  This includes taking certain measures such as doing your homework and researching an auto warranty.  You can be empowered by arming yourself with the following information about purchasing a used vehicle.

Examine the pedals to check for wear.  Rarely do people update the pedals, so this is a good indication of the cars true history.

Next, take a look at the steering wheel.  While the engine is turned off, joggle the wheel to see how much movement there is.  There shouldn’t be more than one inch of play.  If there is, a new steering gearbox may be needed.

Never buy a car that has frame-damage.  You can tell this by looking at the core support of the radiator.  This connects to the fenders in the front of the vehicle.  It shouldn’t be welded on each side, but bolted.

Finally, check the paint job on the vehicle.  Look for dents, scratches and rust spots.  Also, examine the car for a slight waviness, which is an indication of a paint job.

Most importantly, check the history of the vehicle you are looking to buy.  You can do this at autocheck.com.

No matter how much knowledge you have, you never really know what car you are buying.  This is why it is important to buy used car warranties to protect your investment.  You don’t want to pay unnecessary repair costs down the road.

One of the family activities that are the most fun is going on road trips.  Over the spring and summer, American families will go on over 320 trips.  Although enjoyable, frustration can accompany families on the road.  Take note of the following do’s and don’ts in order to ensure that your family has a great trip.

The most important thing that you can do is to get your family vehicle a tune-up.  Your vehicle needs to be in top-notch condition.  Nothing is worse than having your car breakdown, leaving you stranded.  This is why an auto warranty is a necessity.

You should plan ahead so that your family knows what is happening during the trip.  This will alleviate stressful situations and help things to go smoothly. In addition, you might want to purchase software to plan your trip and invest in a GPS.  This advanced technology will act as your guide to your desired destination.

Of course, you never know when you will run into speed bumps throughout your trip.  For example, road construction and traffic are inevitable.  However, your trip doesn’t have to be ruined by these inconveniences.  In addition, you can rest assured if you have used car warranties.