Keep Safe when the Rain Falls | Victory Toyota

As rainy weather barrels down on us it is time to brush up on some driving tips to keep you safe.  

Officials say a few basic practices can help commuters get through.

Turn on headlights.

“If your windshield wipers are on, you should have your headlights on,” CHP Officer Juan Galvan said.

Not only do headlights help the driver see potential hazards ahead, they also help other people see the vehicle, Galvan said. Plus, it’s required by the state.

Slow down.

“Drive at those speeds that you can maintain control of the car,” Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Drake Madison told The Times. Often that means going below the speed limit.

How can a driver tell how fast is too fast? Don’t outpace the flow of traffic, Madison said, and “if you feel you’re not adhering to the road very well, if you’re slipping and sliding, that’s a clue.”

Also, make sure not to drive so fast that rain collects on the windshield faster than the wipers can clear it away, Galvan said.

Don’t tailgate.

It takes longer for vehicles to stop on wet roads, so leave even more distance than usual between your car and the one ahead, Galvan said.

Avoid standing water.

“Don’t be the first one to drive through it, and don’t follow another vehicle -- just because they make it doesn’t mean you’re going to make it,” Galvan said.

“Your engine can stall and then you’ll be stuck in there. If it’s a strong current, you might even get swept through that water.”

Plan ahead.

Do preventive maintenance to minimize the odds of breaking down and becoming part of an accident, Galvan said. Before heading out in the rain, he said, replace the windshield wiper blades if needed and check the vehicle’s tires and fluids.

Madison said October and November are particularly good months to check wipers and tire treads.

“In the summer months, all the heat is hard on the rubber,” he said.

Pay attention.

“Keep your eyes on the road and be aware of your surroundings,” Galvan said. “Accidents are not caused by the rain. It’s how we drive in the rain.”

Drive Safely from Victory Toyota 

Source: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-drive-in-the-rain-20141202-story.html

Nighttime Driving Safety | Victory Toyota Scion

As Fall Back looms around the corner, it is time to remember safety tips for the driving in the dark.

Drive more slowly at night because you cannot see as far ahead and you will have less time to stop for a hazard. Make sure you can stop within the distance lighted by your headlights.

Use your low-beam headlights at night when it rains. Do not drive using only your parking lights.

Use your high-beam headlights whenever possible in open country or dark city streets, as long as it is not illegal. Do not blind other drivers with your high-beam headlights. Dim your lights when necessary. If another driver does not dim his or her lights:

• Do not look directly into the oncoming headlights.
• Look toward the right edge of your lane
• Watch the oncoming vehicle out of the corner of your eye
• Do not try to "get back" at the other driver by keeping your bright lights on. If you do, both of you may be blinded.

When you drive at night, remember:

• Pedestrians and bicyclist are much harder to see at night; stay alert6 for them
• Motorcycles are also harder to see at night because most have only one taillight.
• Highway construction can take place at night. Reduce your speed in highway construction zones.
• When you leave a brightly-lit place, drive slowly until your eyes adjust to the darkness.
• Drive as fa the the right as possible, when a vehicle with one light drives toward you. It could be a bicyclist or motorcyclist, but it could also be a vehicle with a missing headlight.

It Pays to do Your Research | Victory Toyota Scion

The Average Driver will waste more than $4,600 on insurance just because they don't make the effort to review their current coverage. 

When it comes to car insurance, Americans often can’t be bothered to shop around, surveys show. One in three drivers say they never shop around for car insurance quotes and another 30% say they only shop around every few years — which may explain why the average driver hasn’t switched car insurance companies in 12 years, according to a nationally representative survey released this week of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International on behalf of InsuranceQuotes.com.

This finding mirrors plenty of others that show just how infrequently Americans shop around for auto insurance: A study released earlier this year by credit reporting firm Transunion revealed that in 2014 just 16.8% of U.S. consumers shopped around for car insurance (they got an average of only 2.2 quotes when they did), and another survey released this year from the nonprofit Insurance Research Council found that only about a quarter of drivers had shopped for car insurance within the past year.

The reasons that Americans don’t shop around are likely due, in part, to the hurdles that come with it. Indeed, 88% of drivers find shopping for car insurance to be a frustrating experience -- with 50% saying that it’s too time consuming, 33% saying it’s hard to compare prices and 5% saying they don’t trust the advertised prices and have privacy concerns, according to a nationally representative survey of 500 adults by financial site NerdWallet.

The problem: Not shopping around is a very costly mistake. The average annual savings that drivers get by switching to a new insurer is $387, according to the 2014 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study conducted by J.D. Power. That means the average driver -- who, according to the insurancequotes.com survey, hasn’t switched car insurance companies in 12 years -- will waste more than $4,600 on auto insurance over that period.

The solution, of course, is a simple one: shop often — experts say you should review your policy and competitive policies every year— and shop smart. Here’s how to start the shopping process.

Look on your state’s insurance commissioner’s site

“Many state insurance commissioners offer publications or websites that provide a comparison of rates from every insurance company in that state,” says Josh Lavine, president of independent insurance agency Capitol Benefits in Gaithersburg, Md. These sites may also list complaints and other useful information — all of which can help you identify the insurance companies that you might want to get quotes from, he says. You can find your state’s insurance commissioner’s site here.

Call auto body shops and consult Consumer Reports

To find good insurance companies, call local auto body shops and ask them which insurance companies treat their clients most fairly, says Lavine. Once you do that, you may want to cross-reference what they say with Consumer Reports annual ratings of auto insurance companies.

Get at least three quotes

To get quotes, you can call on the phone (call at least a few of the companies you identified from your state’s insurance commissioner’s site, auto body shops and Consumer Reports), use an agent, and/or go online (sites like CarInsurance.com, Insure.com and BestQuotes.com are good for this, says Jonah Lovens, the director of performance marketing and business development for customer acquisition company Fluent, which has a number of auto insurance clients. (Note that many sites may yield you a lot of calls from agents, so be prepared for that.) But whichever way you decide to do it, get at least three quotes and ideally more, says Laura Adams, senior insurance analyst with InsuranceQuotes.com.

Make sure the quotes are for policies that are alike with the same limits on things like liability, collision, comprehensive, as well as the same deductible, she says. Those who haven’t shopped around in a while may need to up their liability coverage if they have more assets now, and if their car is much older now, may want to cut back their comprehensive coverage, she adds.

Ask about discounts

When getting your quotes, ask the representative about any discounts you might qualify for that could lower your rates, Adams says. Common discounts might include: being a good student (77% of the insurance carriers surveyed by Insure.com offered this with an average 16% discount), having a home policy with the same company (68% offered this with a 9% discount), paying the bill upfront (46% offered this with a 9% discount), being married (41% offered this with a 14% discount) and taking a driver training course (41% offered this with a 7% average discount). You can find some of the less common discounts auto insurers may offer here.

“You have to ask because every carrier offers different discounts,” says Adams.

Source: http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/autoinsurance/the-dollar4600-mistake-most-drivers-make/ar-AAdjZyO

Time to Prepare Your Roadside Emergency Kit for National Preparedness Month | Victory Toyota

It is time to take stock of what's in your car in case of a roadside emergency. 

CREATE YOUR OWN ROADSIDE EMERGENCY KIT

• Spare tire, properly inflated – check every 6 months!
• Car jack and lug wrench – fits your car and you know how to work it!
• Preprogram your cell phone with 800 number for auto club roadside service
• Call CHP or local law enforcement for assistance to get you off the highway to safety

KIT BASICS:

• 12-foot jumper cables
• Four 15-minute roadside flares
• Emergency Red Reflector Triangle
• First aid kit
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Tire pressure gauge
• Rags
• Roll of duct tape
• A HELP sign, at least 8 inches
• Energy bars (change yearly)
• Bottled water (change yearly)
• Blanket
• Extra vehicle fuses
• Small tool kit
• Heavy duty nylon bag to keep the small items together
• Nylon rope, at least 12 feet
• Plastic tarp

NICE-TO-HAVE EXTRAS:

• Tire inflator (such as a Fix-A-Flat)
• A quart of motor oil
• Anti-Freeze
• Spray bottle with washer fluid
• Pocketknife
• Ice scraper
• Paper Towels
• Pen and paper
• Bungee cord - 12"
• Rain poncho
• Cable ties
• Work gloves
• Small fire extinguisher (ABC rated)

Source: http://www.ots.ca.gov/roadsideemergencykit.asp

School Zone Safety Tips | Victory Toyota Scion

School Days, Good Old Golden Rule Days...Time to Keep Safety Rules in Mind. Follow the Rules To Save a Life

August is here and Back to School specials are filling up the email and mailboxes. That means little ones will once again be making the daily trek to and from school. Crosswalks, flashing lights, stop signs and crossing guards can only do so much when it comes to protecting school children. When it comes to school zone safety, motorists need to study up on these safe-driving tips from experts in school zone safety:

Expect the unexpected: "Children run and play. They can come from anywhere," says James Solomon of the National Safety Council.
Stop properly at stop signs and crosswalks: It's illegal to pass through either a stationary stop sign or one held by a crossing guard or other safety representative. 

In all 50 states, when a stop sign is displayed, motorists must stop for it, Solomon says. Drivers should stop completely at the stop sign, before the crosswalk area. Blocking a crosswalk could force kids to go around your vehicle, putting them in danger. And wait a bit before driving through after the crossing guard clears the intersection, warns Solomon. "There are always one or two children lagging behind that are now going to run through the crosswalk to catch up with the rest of the group."

Obey the speed limit: "The faster you are going, the more likely you are to injure a pedestrian and to injure them more seriously," says Nancy Pullen-Seufert of the National Center for Safe Routes to School.

Most school zones have speed limits of 20 mph or less. Studies have found that 5 percent of pedestrians hit by a vehicle at 20 mph suffer a fatality. The fatality number increases to 45 percent when hit by a vehicle going 30 mph, and to 80 percent for a pedestrian hit by a vehicle traveling at 40 mph. And because of their smaller size, children fare even worse. Faster driving means longer stopping distances. At 20 mph, it takes an average vehicle 69 feet to come to a total stop, and nearly double that distance, to 123 feet, at just 30 mph, according to NHTSA.

Put away electronic devices: A few states, have made it illegal to use a cell phone while driving in a school zone, and for good reason.

Talking on your cell phone has been shown to reduce reaction time. Looking away for just 2 seconds doubles your chance of crashing. Texting while driving has been shown to be as dangerous as driving drunk.

"The ability to multitask is a myth. If you are going to drive your child to school, drive your child to school. Leave the cell phone in a place where you aren't going to be distracted," says Kate Carr of Safe Kids Worldwide.

Solomon agrees. "You want to navigate the school zone 100 percent prepared to handle a situation," he says.

Make eye contact with pedestrians: "If you haven't made eye contact with them, assume that they haven't seen you and that they are just going to keep on going," says Carr.

Wait your turn near school buses: It's illegal in all 50 states to pass a bus on undivided

roadways if the vehicle is stopped to load and unload children. State laws vary regarding passing a school bus on a divided roadway when the bus is traveling in the opposite direction, but all vehicles behind a bus must stop. Make sure you know the rules in your state, and regardless of whatever they are, never pass a school bus on the right. It's a sure recipe for disaster.

According to the National Safety Council, most children who die in bus-related crashes are pedestrians ages 4-7 who are hit by the bus or by motorists illegally passing the school bus.

Pay attention to bus warning lights: A yellow flashing light means the bus is preparing to stop to let kids on or off. A red light means kids are getting on or off the bus.

Give buses ample space to load and unload: Children are in the most danger of being hit 

by a vehicle within the 10 feet around a school bus. And just in case you're tempted to violate any of the bus-related rules, many school buses are now equipped with rear cameras to catch motorists who illegally pass them.

Follow the school's drop-off rules: "Oftentimes parents get very tempted to drop their child off across the street from the school and tell their child to just run across the street. And we really, really don't want drivers to do that," says Pullen-Seufert. "Any time any pedestrian of any age is crossing the road, they are at a greater risk."

Choose a different route: If you are a daily commuter and not a parent picking up or dropping off their child, avoid a school zone if you can.

Be more careful in the fall: More children are injured by cars in September than any other month. "Kids are going back to school and drivers have to adjust again after a summer season," says Carr.

What to do if there's a near miss: Never reprimand or approach the child directly. The child is likely to be nervous or frightened when confronted by a stranger, Solomon says. Do let an adult know what happened, though. You might be alerting authorities to a potentially dangerous area within the school zone.

You need to find whoever is in charge, if it's a crossing guard, a law enforcement agent or school staff," Solomon says. "You need to safely park the vehicle and explain what happened. Sooner or later, enough near-misses mean someone gets hit."

Treat every kid as your own: It's not always some unwary motorist who is responsible for school zone traffic accidents. Whether they're dropping off or picking up their children, parents also often break school zone road rules, say safety experts.

If you're a parent, keep in mind that even if your children are safely in school or in your vehicle, you still have to watch out for their classmates. You'd want other parents to do the same for your kids.

Getting Your Teen Their First Car: A How To

Make sure you're setting them up for safety right from the start.

1. Choose the Right Car

Let's face it, if you left the decision up to your teen, you would probably end up with either a huge SUV or a suped up sports car, neither of which is particularly safe for a young, new driver. However, there are plenty of options out there to make both you and your teen happy. And with the right research, you can find a car that is not only fun to drive, but also safe and reliable, too.

Choosing a midsize car is the best way to go, according to The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety and the Insurance Information Institute. Depending on your budget, you can opt for either a new or used model - just make sure the car is in good condition with updated safety features like airbags and electronic stability control. Also, you'll want to check out crash test and safety ratings before making your final purchase.

Fuel efficiency is another important factor to consider, especially in today's economy. Unless you're willing to cover the cost of filling your son or daughter's tank each week, buying your teen a gas guzzler is probably not a good idea.

2. Get the Best Auto Insurance Rate

The truth is that no matter what car you choose, insuring your teen driver will increase your auto insurance rates. But there are some things that you can do to make these costs as manageable as possible. In fact, another great reason to opt for safety first at the car dealership is that it can help keep your auto insurance premiums down. Because safer cars tend to have a lower accident risk, they are usually less expensive to insure.

Another way to get the best auto insurance rates possible is to scope out potential discounts. If your teen is a full-time student, for instance, he or she may be eligible for a good student discount. Researching your options beforehand will help you to make an informed decision when trying to find the right car for your teen.

3. Set Boundaries

Choosing a good car and purchasing the right auto insurance are only the first steps in keeping your teen safe on the road. Talking with your teen about safe driving and setting clear rules and guidelines are also important. To ensure that your teen stays safe behind the wheel, you can:

• Limit the number of passengers your teen can have in his or her car at any one time;
• Establish a "no cell phone" policy to ensure that your teen does not text or call while driving;
• Discuss what to do in cases of emergency, including accidents and adverse weather conditions.

Regular Car Checks Recommended During High Summer Temperatures

Staying on top of your car's systems during the height of summer can help ensure a comfortable and safe ride.

Summer can be tough on cars, especially during high temperatures when heat can destroy batteries and stress the cooling system and tires. As a precaution, these vehicle components should be checked periodically during summer to help avoid breakdowns and car problems, according to the Car Care Council.

Excessive heat and overcharging shorten the life of a battery. Heat causes battery fluid to evaporate, which then damages the internal structure of the battery. A malfunctioning component in the charging system, usually the voltage regulator, allows too high a charging rate, which will eventually destroy a battery.

To get the most life out of a battery, the council recommends having the electrical system checked to make sure it is charging at the correct rate. If your car's battery is the type that needs to be topped off, check it often, especially in hot weather and add distilled water if necessary. Keep the top of the battery clean. Dirt can become a conductor, which drains battery power. If corrosion accumulates on battery terminals, it becomes an insulator and inhibits the current flow.

The cooling system also works harder during hot temperatures to prevent overheating of the engine. To keep the cooling system working effectively, the coolant and distilled water mixture for a vehicle's radiator should be 50:50. As a reminder, never open a hot radiator cap when checking the coolant level in the reservoir.

As a rule of thumb, the coolant should be changed annually on most vehicles. This will keep the cooling system fresh and clean inside, which helps prevent corrosion and assures that the coolant has the proper boiling point and protection. A pressure test, thermostat test, a cooling fan test and a visual inspection for leaks and corrosion should also be done annually. Hoses and drive belts should be checked for cracks, bulges or frayed edges.

The radiator should be kept clean by periodically using a garden hose and a soft brush to carefully remove bugs, dirt and debris.

Tires also need special care in warmer weather as high temperatures put added stress on them. To maximize tire life and safety, check the tire condition and inflation pressure monthly, and have the tires rotated every 6,000 miles. Summer heat will cause the pressure within a tire to rise, therefore, it's important to check the pressure when tires are cold. The owner's manual includes the recommended air pressure for your vehicle's tires.

"It takes very little time and money to make sure your car runs properly during summer, and although breakdowns happen, they can definitely be minimized by taking a few extra preventive maintenance steps," said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council.

The council reminds motorists that the vehicle's exterior also can be damaged by sunlight, UV radiation, acid rain, salt, dirt and air pollution. To protect the paint and finish, vehicles should be washed weekly and waxed every six months.

The Car Care Council is the source of information for the "Be Car Care Aware" consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers. For a copy of the council's Car Care Guide or for more information, visithttp://www.carcare.org/.

Source: Car Care Council