Today’s post is a must read at this time of year when we need to be ready to deal with the sudden and challenging vagaries of winter weather conditions.

Driver training specialist IAM Drive & Survive is offering weekly motoring tips to drivers from its head of training, Simon Elstow.

This week he is advising motorists on how to prepare a cold car before you set off.

Elstow says: “If the weather is really bad, think about whether you really need to make the journey before travelling. If so, ensure you take out the time to prepare your car for your trip.”

Elstow offers six tips to avoid seasonal car problems:

• Don’t switch on the engine until you are ready to go; a modern car does not need to warm the engine up. Do put the engine on if you need to run the heater/demister before you move.
• Clean your windows inside and out – a dirty screen will cause the windows to mist up much quicker.
• Clean any snow off the car’s roof and bonnet as well as windows.
• When you get in the car make sure all the extra electrical things are turned off before you try starting it (lights, heater, etc).
• When you’re ready to go, switch the engine and heater on (air con if you have fitted, it keeps the screen dry) so that the windows don’t steam up.
• Use the ‘ice’ setting if your car has one.

Elstow said: “Spending time to prepare your car for the weather conditions is important so that it copes well throughout your journey. Now is the time to check the battery and that your screen wash is the antifreeze version. drivingadvice.org.uk for more valuable survive and drive information for all motorists.

The Huffington Post reports that a new study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, shows that women are 47 percent more likely to suffer a serious injury from a car accident than men.

Researchers said that’s because vehicle safety equipment isn’t made for women’s bodies, which tend to be lighter and shorter than men’s bodies.

“To address the sex-specific disparity demonstrated in this study, health policies and vehicle regulations must focus on effective safety designs specifically tailored toward the female population for equity in injury reduction,” the University of Virginia researchers wrote in the study.

To continue reading go to the Huffington Post report, and for other sides to the debate.

The economic situation being what is many of us are finding that paying for essentials is becoming increasingly difficult. And, now, we have inflationary times. Have you found the cost of servicing and maintaining your car has risen dramatically?

There  could be a new solution to cutting those garage bills! In these times we look to help ourselves to make end meet. A new book called ‘Caring for your Car: How to maintain & service your car’ published by Veloce Publishing in association with the RAC contains everything you need to know about servicing your car yourself. By following this simple easy to understand illustrated guide regularly you’ll avoid large servicing bills and maintenance-related breakdowns, and, best of all, the book pays for itself in one oil change!

The publishers say: “this book is aimed at the driver who wants to do his or her own basic car maintenance and servicing without the need for in-depth mechanical knowledge, or a technical manual. This book covers areas such as oil, brakes, tyres, transmission, electrics, etc, and allows the owner to address the most regularly serviced items without forking out on garage labour bills. Illustrated with full colour photographs throughout, and featuring clear, easy-to-follow instructions, this book is a must-have for all drivers who would like to save substantially on the cost of motoring with the additional benefit of getting to understand the needs of their car better.”

You can go here for more information and to buy : Caring for your car, by Trevor Fry

It is:

• Written in clear and concise layman’s terms

• Full colour photographs throughout

• Tackles the basics

• Not overly technical

• Written for both the novice and the more experienced D-I-Yer

• Not marque-specific

• Nothing else like it on the market

• All tasks carried out with basic tools

• Pays for itself in one oil change!

An avid petrol-head, Trevor Fry has been maintaining his own cars for the last 41 years, from a 1964 Morris to his current car, a Skoda Octavia, with many in between, including cars from Renault, Ford and other big manufacturers.

Caring for your own car: How to maintain and service your own car

Surface Processing is pleased to announce it can now offer new car standard e-coating corrosion protection to the classic and motorsport markets.

Classic car owners will have access to new car standard corrosion protection after Surface Processing Limited (SPL) announced it would be reintroducing electrophoretic or ‘e-coating’ rust prevention service.  The chemical cleaning specialists previously offered e-coating, a durable finish that is used by 90 percent of the world’s car makers to inhibit rust, but the factory SPL used closed a year ago. Now, it has exclusive access to a more modern, military-grade facility flexible enough to take anything from individual body panels to a full body shell. The plant is the only type of its kind in the UK.

More details here

SPL corrosion protection

A recent report from Guardian newspaper reveals:

“As the car seat swings back and then forwards, the child sitting in it is flung out of his harness and his head hits the seat in front. The accident is one that would make any parent sick with fear.
Luckily, this is not a real accident, but a mock crash staged by the Transport Research Laboratory for The Observer. Using a dummy, it shows – all too graphically – the shocking results of strapping a child into a badly fitted car seat.
In this test, the seat belt fixing the seat in place has been mis-routed, the headrest has been removed and the harness is slightly too slack – all common errors parents make when fitting the seats.”

The Guardian also provides the following invaluable advice for parents who use, or are about to buy, a child car seat:

‘Before you take the plunge and buy a seat, it’s well worth finding out a bit about the law and the types of things you may need to bear in mind. Even if you plan to go to a retailer who will help you with installation, being equipped with the facts will help you make sure you ask all the right questions.
Here are some good places to start:
Before you take the plunge and buy a seat, it’s well worth finding out a bit about the law and the types of things you may need to bear in mind. Even if you plan to go to a retailer who will help you with installation, being equipped with the facts will help you make sure you ask all the right questions.”
Here are some good places to start

Product Benefits

• Group 1 car seat, from 9 to 18 kg (9 months to around 3.5 years)
• Security and rigid fit using car’s 3-point seat belt system, belt tensioning system
• Harness kept out of the way by belt hooks when placing child into the seat
• Optimal protection against side impact provided by Side Protection System
• Four recline positions with easy one hand operation

Maxi-Cosi Priori XP Forward Facing Group 1 Car Seat (Black Reflection)

So says Kwikfit, the largest independent automotive parts, repair and replacement specialist in Europe.
According to Kwikfit’s new research,under-inflation of tyres is costing motorists almost £1 billion a year in extra fuel. Apparently,also,the average spare tyre is dangerously under-inflated, i.e.at least 3psi under the manufacturer’s recommendation.

These figures were obtained from data compiled during May this year during checks on over 2700 tyres.

Just 4% of motorists are travelling on all four tyres pumped up to the recommended pressure, the report reveals.

According to Kwik Fit the average under-inflated tyre is down by a whopping 18% (5.75psi) and with even a small amount of under-inflation reducing fuel efficiency it estimates that motorists are wasting almost a £1 billion (£993 million) a year on excess fuel.**

Under-inflated tyres produce poor handling and braking and can lead to tread damage and blow-outs . Kwik Fit’s study found that almost 10% of cars had tyres on the same axle with a difference of 10psi or more, which could lead to severe instability.

Out of sight, out of mind – No air in the spare

Motorists needing to use the spare tyre may be in for a nasty surprise as on average it’s under-inflated by a staggering 18psi. That’s a shocking 44% lower than the recommended average pressure of approximately 44psi for a spare.

Many drivers experiencing a puncture will put on their spare unaware of its low pressure, and continue their journey driving in the same style, with potentially disastrous consequences.

The space-saving design of some spare tyres means that they have to be inflated to much higher pressures – almost double that of a regular tyre (up to 60psi).

Over-inflated and dangerous

The study also revealed that some motorists are over-compensating as one-in-seven (14%) cars are driving around on at least one tyre that is more than 3psi over-inflated. The average over-filled tyre is 12% (3.75psi) above the recommended level, which could lead to irregular wear and even bulging of the tyre sidewall.

Final -’techy’ note:
In the Kwikfit figures the average annual mileage is assumed to be 9,000 miles (http://www.google.co.uk/carbonfootprint/cal.html) at an average of 37.837 mpg (http://fuel-economy.co.uk/stats.shtml) Data based on each 1 psi under optimum tyre pressure reducing fuel efficiency by 0.4% (http://www.belletire.com/nitro-nize_facts.aspx)

Article by Pat LaBarge

There are a large variety of dog car seats to choose from. There are those that securely attach to your car seat. Your pet will ride in comfort and safety. There are 3-in-1, which is a dog car seat (and for other pets too), pet carrier, and pet stroller. There also are pet car seat that attach higher so your pet can watch out the window.

Some attach by the head rest and to the back of the seat. Your pet will travel safe, comfortable, and entertained. Booster Seats provides a luxurious ride for your pampered pet. Booster seats sit higher. For small dogs you can use dog carriers that can be secured to your car by using a seatbelt. Make sure that your dog meets the size requirements for the seat.

If your dog is too big for a dog car seat then get a dog car seatbelt. Your dog is always safest in the backseat.

Making travel arrangements can be a tiring process. Making travel arrangements for yourself and a pet can be even more stressful. Never give your pet a sedative before any travel. This can be dangerous to your pet’s health.

Put identification tags on your dog car seat, dog kennel, or dog carrier. This will ensure that you and your pet are reunited should anything unforeseen happen, saving you time and from being worried.

If making hotel reservations, check with the hotel to make sure that pets are allowed. This will save you from having to cancel your reservation and finding a new hotel once you arrive. Before leaving, research where the Emergency Veterinary Clinics are in the city you are visiting, in case there is an emergency regarding your pet.

If you are traveling by car, put smaller animals in a dog carrier to prevent them from either jumping out of the car when you open the door or from being hurt if the car comes to a sudden stop. For larger animals, you can purchase a harness (which is like a pet seatbelt).

If you have to leave your pet in the car at any point during your trip, make sure to leave two windows opened slightly so that it does not suffer from heatstroke.

If your pet suffers from motion sickness on car trips, check with your vet for the proper medication and care to give your pet.

Always consider your pets and their needs when purchasing dog car seats that they will be spending time in. They need comfort and enjoyment too.

About the Author

We are Pet Lovers. Our goal is to give pets quality life and keep them safe. Our online store has many items for pets now and more being added. Our focus is Dog Carriers of many styles and types. Come to our store often. We want to help you find the items you want for your pets. Let us know how we can help you. http://www.puppydogcarrier.com

Paul Miller, manager, John Austin VW & Audi Specialists, has been taking a deeper look at car safety, with surprising results.

Road safety awareness has come a long way in recent times and whereas previously we may have bought a car because of its style, speed, functionality and perhaps even its pulling power,  now safety has become a major consideration when making that all important purchase. For this reason car manufacturers are constantly striving to improve their safety systems and come up with the latest innovations to get ahead of the pack.

Considering that it was a Volvo engineer who first invented the seat belt back in 1959 it is no wonder we’ve come to regard Volvo as synonymous with safety. For many years they have focused their marketing campaigns on the safety features of their cars and promoted themselves as making ‘the safest cars in the world’. However last year Toyota successfully took them to court and it was ruled that these claims were ‘misleading and lacked supporting evidence’. So have we been hoodwinked?

Let’s take a look at the evidence.  The most widely recognised safety testing is performed by Euro NCAP. They perform independent assessments of cars sold within Europe and award stars based on the safety of their performance in crash test situations.

In a press release Euro NCAP disclosed their top five overall achievers; Volvo didn’t put in an appearance until ‘joint 5th place’ receiving only three out of a potential five stars. Volvo was preceded by VW Golf, Honda Insight Hybrid, Toyota Prius, Hyundai i20. So it does seem that the public perception of Volvo may be somewhat misguided.

The tests cover all aspects of a car’s safety performance from frontal impact and side impact to child, driver and pedestrian protection. They are considered exhaustive by most; however some believe that other more unusual factors also come into play.

Believe it or not there have been several studies carried out worldwide to try to establish the safest colour car to drive! So does colour play a part in how safe a car is? Well according to the various experiments conducted it absolutely does.

It is apparent time and time again that silver is safest. In almost every study silver cars come out as least likely to be involved in an accident.  The reason for this (here’s the science bit) is because silver has highly reflective qualities and is not a colour that occurs naturally in the environment.  It therefore easily attracts our attention and stands out against the black roads or at night time, reducing its chances of being involved in a collision. The same can be said of white and other light coloured vehicles. Darker colours such as black, dark blue and bottle green cars are all thought to be at a greatly increased risk of being involved in more serious accidents.

It does appear that there is more to consider when buying a car than air bags and NCAP stars, although perhaps the most important safety feature is the one ‘behind’ the wheel.

Useful links:

http://www.johnaustin.co.uk

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2469859/posts

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4504-silver-cars-are-the-safest-on-the-road.html