The Dangers of Texting and Driving

Since the introduction of text messaging, our society has become a population of screen peckers, with deft little thumbs that can move at an unbelievable rate across a phone keyboard. The average text messages sent each day in the United States alone reaches 6 billion, with the amount of texts sent across the world reaching 2.2 trillion each year. With numbers like these, it’s no surprise that text messaging has become a problem while driving.

In 2011, 23 percent of car accidents involved a cell phone—that equals about 1.3 million accidents.  When you text, your eyes are off the road for at least five seconds. If you happen to be going 55 miles per hour, that means you travel the entire length of a football field without looking up once.

So, while you’re busying answering the text asking you “Wut up?,” your car is essentially barreling down a road at 55 miles per hour by its own free will because, with your eyes off the road for that length of time, you won’t be paying enough attention to stop it. Can you imagine all the different scenarios that can happen in a football field length of space? Cars can pull out in front of you. Chickens can cross the road. Children can chase their basketballs into the street. All possible accidents just waiting to happen, all because you want to type, “Nuthin, u?”

Texting makes you 23 times more likely to crash. With 1 out of 5 drivers admitting to surfing the web while driving, the road just got that much more dangerous. Think before you text. You might just be saving a life.

Chevy Traverse 2LT Named One of "10 Best Vehicles for Fall Tailgating"

Two less expensive trim levels slot in below the Traverse 2LT, but it offers the best tailgating accessories and options.

Seating: As many as seven passengers can stretch out in comfort. The second row is comprised of twin captain's chairs, while the third row is a split bench seat.

Cargo: There is more than 24 cubic feet of hauling room behind the third-row seat. With the second- and third-row seats folded flat, it can carry up to 118 cubic feet of cargo.

Convenience: Also standard on the 2LT is a power lift gate and rearview camera to aid in backing into tight spaces.

Features: Three-zone climate control lets passengers in the rear adjust the temperature to their liking. A Bose 10-speaker audio system provides the tunes. It has a CD player and auxiliary input jack. Upping the ante by $1,470 gains the Rear Seat Entertainment System with its Bose 5.1 surround sound, DVD player and an eight-inch color monitor, as well as a 110-volt household outlet. Every Traverse is powered by the same 3.6-liter V-6 engine that's married to a six-speed driver-shiftable automatic transmission. This combination delivers 281 horsepower.

The 1963 Corvette Stingray: One of the "15 Classic Cars That Define Cool"

1963 Corvette Sting Ray
While nothing was wrong with the Corvette prior to ’63, when the Sting Ray rolled out it made the previous models look like chopped liver (fast & still somewhat attractive chopped liver). Besides the new look, the C2 Corvette was a bit lighter and handled far better than its predecessors. While some nice stylistic changes would be made in the coming years, there’s something about being first.

(courtesy of Cool Material)

The 2013 Cruze Has the Power to Inspire

The 2013 Cruze has the power to inspire. Explore the Cruze and the other great model year end deals by heading over to our Facebook tab at http://pbxx.it/aj9c. 

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?