How to Handle a Collision

Most drivers feel shaky even after a minor collision. Knowing how to handle the problems that you may encounter can save headaches — from the scene of the accident all the way to the body shop.

 

The most common mistake drivers make

The number one error drivers make after being in a collision is not obtaining enough information from the other party before leaving the accident site. For example, what if the other party is driving a car that he or she has borrowed and does not own? You need to have the insurance information on the car that is involved in the crash, not the driver's own car. Below is a list of information one needs to exchange after an accident. We suggest keeping it in your glove box, along with a pen.

• Driver's name
• Address
• Phone number
• Driver's license number and state of issuance
• Name of insurance company
• Insurance policy number
• Vehicle make, model and year
• Vehicle identification number
• Registration number and state of issuance
• Vehicle owner's name, address and phone number if different from the driver

 

What to remember after an accident

• If possible, move the vehicles out of the lane of traffic to prevent another crash.
• When someone is injured, do not move them. If you have a cellular phone, call for medical help. Or, flag someone down and ask that person to call an ambulance. If crash victims say they have pain in their back, shoulder, neck or legs, for example, they should not be moved because that can cause further injury.
• Unless it is obvious you were at fault, do not admit blame. Ask for witnesses' names, addresses and phone numbers. And as soon as you arrive home, write down everything you can remember leading up to, during and after the crash. For example, what was the weather that day? Was construction happening? Was there a road sign obscuring your view?
• If you hit an uninsured driver, still obtain as much information as you can. It will be helpful to you when speaking with your insurance agency.

 

When to call police

You are required to call the police if one or more parties are injured, if a vehicle has to be towed or if the damage is more than $500 on your vehicles collectively. However, it is recommend that you always call the police, as a police report can verify what actually happened. Without a police report, the other parties involved could change their stories.

 

Risks of not reporting your accident

The other driver may ask you not to report the accident and offer to pay for your damages. If the damage looks like it is under $500, you might consider accepting the other driver's offer, but doing so is risky. You have no assurance that the person will actually send you a check to cover your damages.

Usually, the reason people don't want an accident reported is higher insurance rates. However, the police agency that handles the accident usually does not notify the insurance agency, as one of the involved parties frequently does it. So, go ahead and file a police report. It is important for your protection.

 

Calling your insurance company

After the police report is made, you should notify your insurance company. (Most insurance companies require a police report prior to making a claim.) Illinois law, for example, mandates personal injury accidents to be reported within 48 hours and property damage accidents over $500 within 10 days. (If there is visible damage on a vehicle, most likely the repair cost will be over $500. If you are unsure, obtain an estimate and report it before your state's deadline.) Remember to check the laws in your state.

 

Questions to ask your insurance company

• Is the repair estimate based on new genuine GM parts? If no, why not?
• If I accept imitation parts for the repair of my vehicle, will my rates decline?
• If I insist that only new genuine GM parts be used, do I have to pay more? If yes, why?
• May I select the body shop I want to repair my vehicle? If no, why not?

 

Repairing your vehicle

If you're replacing parts on your vehicle, know that there are significant differences between genuine GM parts and imitation, used or salvaged parts. The quality of fit, finish and corrosion protection can be great. These differences can negatively affect a vehicle's warranty, safety and resale value.

 

Questions to ask the body shop

• Do you use imitation and/or used/salvaged parts or only new, genuine GM parts in a repair?
• Does my insurance company's policy specify using only new, genuine GM Parts for my vehicle's repair?

Our experience indicates that most body shops would rather use genuine GM parts because they fit right the first time and help maintain the long-term integrity of the vehicle's appearance and long-term investment return.

This Week's Vehicle Maintanence Tip

Be kind to your battery

If you inadvertently leave your lights on and drain your battery, take the following precautions to prevent damage to the battery and the starter when jump-starting your car:

• Don’t risk causing the battery to explode. With both cars off, connect a positive cable end to the positive battery terminal of the dead battery.
• Connect the other positive cable end to the positive terminal of the source battery.
• Connect a negative cable end to the negative terminal of the source battery.
• Attach the remaining negative cable to unpainted metal on the car engine (as far from the dead battery as possible).
• Wait a few minutes and try to start the disabled car. If it doesn’t start, start the source car and then try starting the dead one again.
• When the car starts, be careful to disconnect the cables in the reverse order.
• If the car still doesn’t start, don’t keep trying to charge it or you are liable to damage the starter. Bring the battery to an automotive shop to see if it can be recharged.
• Even if you’re successful, ensure a full recharge by hooking up the battery to a charger overnight or by driving the car for 5 or 10 miles (8 to 16 km)

Who's Your Favorite Holz Motors Employee?

Happy Friday, everyone! Today we want to know: do you have a favorite Holz salesperson or employee?

Throwback Thursday: "Like a Rock" Edition!

It's time for another edition of Throwback Thursday! Today we've uncovered this Chevy truck commercial from 1992, which features the classic Bob Seger song "Like a Rock." Fun fact: this song was used in Chevy truck commercials for more than ten years, one of the longest-running advertising campaigns in history.

Another 5 Star Review on Cars.com!

Take a look at this brand new 5 star review that we just received on our Cars.com page today!

"THE NEW IMPALA IS A DREAM TO DRIVE. VERY COMFORTABLE RIDE AND PLENTY OF POWER WITH THE V6 ENGINE. ALL CONTROLS ARE EASY TO READ AND USE. I LOVE DRIVING THE CAR. THE SALESMAN WAS VERY EFFICIENT. WE PICKED OUT THE CAR THAT I WANTED AND MADE THE DEAL THAT I WANTED. I LEASED AND DROVE THE CAR HOME THE SAME DAY. NICE SHOWROOM AND DEALERSHIP. GOOD SELECTION OF CARS ON THE LOT. GLAD THAT I PURCHASED AT HOLZ."

To read this review (and many others), head over to http://bit.ly/10q4FJI.

The Chevy Model Year End Sales Event is Here!

Don't forget that Chevrolet has officially launched their Model Year End Sales Event! This could be the last chance to get the 2013 Chevrolet you want as we begin to make room for the 2014 models, which means great offers for you! To check out what kind of specials we have to offer, visit our website at http://bit.ly/1bph3Ba.

Corvette Stingray Most Efficient Sports Car on the Market

The 2014 Corvette Stingray will deliver up to an EPA-estimated 17 miles per gallon in the city, and 29 mpg on the highway, making the new Stingray the most fuel efficient sports car on the market as no other car offers more than 455 horsepower and greater than 29 mpg highway.

“The Corvette Stingray establishes the benchmark for modern performance cars by using technologies to deliver more performance and more miles per gallon,” said Tadge Juechter, executive chief engineer for the Corvette. “We expect more and more performance cars will follow Corvette’s example.”

The EPA estimate of 17 city and 29 highway is for the Corvette Stingray equipped with an all-new, seven-speed manual transmission. The estimate reflects an average of fuel economy in both the default “Tour” mode, which delivers 28 mpg highway, and driver-selectable “Eco” mode, which delivers 30 mpg highway. For Stingrays equipped with the seven-speed manual transmission, Eco mode enables Active Fuel Management, which disables four of the cylinders for improved fuel economy during light engine loads.

For Corvette Stingrays equipped with the six-speed automatic, Active Fuel Management is active in all drive modes until the driver engages the manual-shift mode using the steering-wheel paddles. Fuel economy estimates for Corvette Stingrays equipped with the six-speed automatic will be finalized soon.

The highway rating represents an 11-percent increase in fuel economy over the previous Corvette, while the all-new 6.2L LT1 V-8 delivers 455 horsepower, a 6-percent increase over the previous Corvette. The LT1 delivers 460 horsepower with the available dual-mode exhaust.

By comparison, the Porsche 911 Carrera S delivers 400 horsepower, and an EPA-estimated 27 mpg highway.

Sports cars with more than 455 horsepower typically offer significantly lower highway fuel economy estimates than the Corvette Stingray. For example, the Jaguar F-Type S offers 495 hp and 23 mpg highway while the Audi R8 V10 offers 510 hp and 19 mpg highway.

Sports cars that deliver more than 29 mpg highway based on EPA estimates typically deliver significantly less engine output. For example, the Porsche Cayman offers 30 mpg and 275 hp while the BMW Z4 sDrive28 delivers 34 mpg and 241 hp.

The 2014 Corvette Stingray coupe goes on sale this fall, with a convertible following by the end of the year.

Silverado Strong

Chevrolet dedicates the new Silverado anthem, "Strong," to you, the hardworking, honest and dependable men and women that make the Silverado what it is. Grammy award-nominated Will Hoge lends his voice in a nod to those who are "Silverado Strong." To hear the track, watch the video below!

Today's Workaholics Day!

Did you know that today is Workaholics Day? "Like" if you had to cut your 4th of July celebration short last night because you had to work today.

Our Classic and Antique Car Show is Tomorrow!

It's almost here! Our 31st Annual Classic and Antique Car Show promises to be our biggest and best one yet, and with all food and beverage proceeds benefiting the Whitnall Youth Baseball Association, you have more than one reason to stop by and spend the afternoon looking at some truly incredible vehicles. You can RSVP for the event at http://on.fb.me/12khupj.

Our 31st Annual Classic and Antique Car Show is Two Days Away!

Don't forget that our 31st Annual Classic and Antique Car Show is this Thursday! We're expecting over 1000 classic and muscle car vehicles to participate this year, so you really don't want to miss out on this year's event. To RSVP, head over to http://on.fb.me/12khupj.

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala

Did you know that the all-new 2014 Chevrolet Impala has advanced safety features to keep you safe, rich chrome & available woodgrain accents so you feel at home, and smart storage throughout the cabin? All of this, plus the available Chevrolet MyLink radio and an EPA-estimated 29 MPG highway, truly make this the total package.

Another 5 Star Review on Edmunds!

Take a look at this brand new 5 star review that we received on our Edmunds page over the weekend!

"From the second we stepped into the dealership we were treated with respect and like we were actually going to buy a vehicle. Since my wife and I are on the younger side, other dealerships have treated us like we were there to dream and not actually buy. We were very impressed with Marc B. He did a wonderful job of putting us "in the driver seat" and not make us feel like we've been "taken for a ride." He asked us what we wanted and worked very hard to find it. He even called another dealership to see what the GMC lot had in stock."

You can read even more reviews at http://edmu.in/15Hqn2h.