Friday, December 4, 2009
by Marjorie, Social Media Manager
Well, at last we have our first snow. I woke up this morning to 10 inches of snow, a beautiful but dangerous phenomenon so common to those of us living in the Great Lakes region. In honor of this winter's first major snowstorm, I thought we all could use some reminders on safe winter weather driving. If you are experienced with Michigan winter weather, you know that there are as many different types of road conditions as there are types of snow; we're rather like Eskimos with their 200 words for "snow" in that we have dozens of terms for different winter road conditions. Black ice, slush, powder, snow sand - they all behave differently and require us to adapt our driving in different ways. Here are a few tips to make sure you stay on the road in adverse conditions.
Drive slowly. It's basic, but it's surprising how many cars can be found plowing through a snowstorm on the freeway at 70 miles per hour. Even if you're driving a large, 4-wheel drive vehicle, excessive speed on slippery roads makes it much easier to lose control of the vehicle, especially in low-visibility conditions. Driving too fast can not only be a danger to yourself, but to other drivers on the road as well; during heavy snowfall, fast cars whizzing by drastically reduces visibility for the cars behind.
Don't use cruise control. Cruise control reduces a driver's ability to feel the car and road beneath him or her, and in bad driving conditions, keeping a steady pulse on your car's traction and direction is crucial. Additionally, cruise control elongates breaking time, making it much more difficult to respond quickly.
Don't slam on the breaks. Most cars on the road today are equipped with ABS, but this is not a license to slam on the breaks on slippery roads. Maintaining a slow speed and plenty of room in front of you can help reduce the need for heavy breaking, but remember: sudden breaking is more likely to cause your breaks to lock and your vehicle to spin out of control. If your car begins to slide, pump the break in short, hard bursts and keep the steering wheel straight.
Don't overcompensate with steering. A mistake many drivers make on slippery roads is to swerve around obstructions and attempt to steer out of a slide. If your car begins to slide, steer straight ahead and attempt to reduce sliding by pumping the brakes. Oversteering can cause your car to slide and spin into a ditch much more easily than straight, even steering.
Maintain a healthy distance between the cars in front of you. This is especially true for freeway driving. Always keep enough distance between your car and the car in front of you to adequately stop without slamming on the brakes. This, at least, will prevent you from slamming into the back of someone else's car.
Add weight. This is particularly helpful for rear-wheel drive vehicles, but even front wheel drive vehicles can benefit from some additional weight. Some old tires, pallets, bricks or encyclopedias in the trunk will give your vehicle more traction.
Prepare your vehicle! As Bobby emphasized last week, it's a good idea to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. In addition to outfitting your vehicle snow tires, new wiper blades and general maintenance, keep emergency equipment in the trunk. AAA recommends you keep a shovel, sand/kitty litter, food, water, flashlight, flares and a blanket in case of emergency, and we think that's pretty smart. And remember: well-maintained cars are safer.
Safe driving!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Honda Personal-Neo Urban Transport Concept unveiled in Los Angeles
0 comments Posted by car manual and matic at 7:30 AM
Honda has unveiled the Personal-Neo Urban Transport (P-NUT) model in the Los Angeles Auto Show.Featuring a unique aerodynamic design, the P-NUT was created "...to discover the potential for a new type of small-segment-category vehicle that overcomes lots of the objections for existing micro-car designs."
Measuring 3,400mm long, 1,750mm wide and 1,439mm high, the P-NUT offers seating for 3. According to Honda, "The layout of the interior space, with its center driving position flanked by two rear seats, provides generous legroom for every occupants, more or less the equivalent of a mid-sized sedan in a vehicle that has an exterior footprint like a micro car."
The key features include a modular rear engine bay (which can accept petrol, diesel, gasoline-electric hybrid, or pure electric powertrains), folding rear seats, along with a windshield to serves as a heads-up display for the navigation system.
Honda Personal-Neo Urban Transport Concept unveiled in Los Angeles
0 comments Posted by car manual and matic at 7:30 AMHonda has unveiled the Personal-Neo Urban Transport (P-NUT) model in the Los Angeles Auto Show.Featuring a unique aerodynamic design, the P-NUT was created "...to discover the potential for a new type of small-segment-category vehicle that overcomes lots of the objections for existing micro-car designs."Measuring 3,400mm long, 1,750mm wide and 1,439mm high, the P-NUT offers seating for 3. According to Honda, "The layout of the interior space, with its center driving position flanked by two rear seats, provides generous legroom for every occupants, more or less the equivalent of a mid-sized sedan in a vehicle that has an exterior footprint like a micro car."The key features include a modular rear engine bay (which can accept petrol, diesel, gasoline-electric hybrid, or pure electric powertrains), folding rear seats, along with a windshield to serves as a heads-up display for the navigation system.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Just imagine how easy it is to swap or upgrade your mobile phone into a newer model. That’s how easy it is to change or upgrade a car. Used cars sell fast since they are cheap and it is easier to process the papers. In addition to that, there are a few people who like trading cars, especially trading to vintage ones. There’s absolutely no need to pay a large amount of money for a new model which will turn out vintage 3 years after, unless there is an unlimited fund for a car collection.
In a few locations, reselling used cars has been an everyday business. The business’s target market caters to lots of motorists looking for a vehicle that can provide them utmost function for their travel.
For example, there are some people who need to upgrade their car so they can fill more gas with a large capacity vehicle for a long trip. So instead of discarding an old car still in good condition, people just add some hundreds or thousands to buy a used car for sale.
When people have their very first pay for a first job, they think of a good investment and at the same time, a tangible object which serves as the fruit of their labor. Used cars are always on top of the list, as these provide not only transportation but recognition of one’s success as well.
In a few locations, reselling used cars has been an everyday business. The business’s target market caters to lots of motorists looking for a vehicle that can provide them utmost function for their travel.
For example, there are some people who need to upgrade their car so they can fill more gas with a large capacity vehicle for a long trip. So instead of discarding an old car still in good condition, people just add some hundreds or thousands to buy a used car for sale.
When people have their very first pay for a first job, they think of a good investment and at the same time, a tangible object which serves as the fruit of their labor. Used cars are always on top of the list, as these provide not only transportation but recognition of one’s success as well.
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