So you have decided to buy a used car.  It doesn’t have that new car smell yet it does have it’s advantages:

1. They cost up to 20-30% less than new cars.
2. Depreciation is considerably lower.
3. The history of the car is easily located with the VIN number.
4. Insurance is less.
5. Extended Warranties are available within the first 3 years/30,000 miles of the car.
6. Many dealerships have certified used cars.
7. Private parties enable you to shop with less stress.
8. Used cars are more reliable than ever before.
9. Yearly registration costs are lower.
10. Lower financing cost based on the lower used car sale price.

Here is a two comparison chart of a 2010 Chevrolet Impala and a 2012 Chevrolet Impala.  Based on Edmund's True Cost to Own (TCO) in a five year period.  The difference is considerably lower for the used vehicle, amounting to $11,313 less than the new vehicle for the five years of ownership.

The summary below is the comparable new 2012 Chevrolet Impala and the True Cost to Own.



Basically, as long as the used vehicle is still under factory warranty, (which is usually 3 years / 30,000 miles) the owner can acquire an extended warranty plan from the insurance agent.  Enabling the vehicle to be covered for an additional 5 to 6 years on virtually all mechanical and electrical components.  The mechanical breakdown insurance also covers towing and rental reimbursement and allows the coverage to be transferable to a new owner which gives the vehicle extra resale value.  Below is an extended warranty quote for a 2010 Chevrolet Impala.  The cost is $905.00 for 6 years or 100,000 miles of coverage.




Source: Edmund's (TCO)

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The Bear woke up early this morning to greet the lucky winner of our 2011 drawing.

Pledge to make our roads safe.


Several studies reveal:
1) Drivers are four times more likely to get into an accident when texting and driving.
2) More than 49% of all adults say they have been in a car when the driver was sending or reading  text messages.
3) Nearly 86% of teens admit to texting while driving.

Talk to your kids, parents, family...everyone. Set an example. Sign the pledge to not text and drive. Sign the pledge to not text and drive.

Sources:
University of Utah Study
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Citizens Against Distracted Drivers
Automobile Club of Southern California

Find out from us what steps you can take to make your home more resistant to windstorms and other natural disasters. You may be able to save on your premiums by reinforcing your roof or buying stronger roofing materials. Older homes can be retrofitted to make them better able to withstand earthquakes. In addition, consider modernizing your plumbing to reduce the risk of water damage.

Here is a copper piping project that was done by Edgar's Plumbing in North Hollywood.  The galvanized piping was over 60 years old which posed health and flood concerns.  Changing to copper piping made the apartment healthier and safer to live in.  Copper rarely leaks, resists bacteria and is flexible during earthquakes.

If 38 wide-body airplanes crashed in a year, would it get everyone’s attention?  Well, that is how many teenagers between the ages of 16-19 are injured or killed in car related collisions every year.  Some 15,000 teenagers loose their lives due to car crashes every year and evidence shows that good parental involvementis an important factor in reducing the risks.  Prevention is the key and communicating with your teenage driver, will reduce the risks.
 

First, set yourself up as the example.  Make sure that you display yourself as a defensive driver when the teenager is in the car.  Be considerate to other drivers and obey the traffic laws.  Do not drive distracted or aggressively.  Show them that you are responsible by displaying current insurance and registration documents.  Before you drive, show them that you check the safety items on the car - such as tire pressure, windshield wiper wear and windshield cleanliness.

 

Second, make sure you discuss their driving experiences with you and ask if they would like to hear your own experiences.  Does anyone remember when the seat belt law became effective in the 80’s?  There was a lot of marketing going on to convince the drivers to use seat belts; from scare tactics to being a cool driver with the belts on.  Let them know about the ways you made driving a safe environment.  While you drive with them be patient and keep the driving to – not more than 45 minutes in order to keep the fatigue down.  Do not nag or criticize and instead give direct and clear instructions.  Save most of the feedback till after the drive and find as many ways as possible to praise the correct things they did during the drive. 

 

Third, make it clear that following safety laws will be an agreement between you and them.  Consistently go over that you will check for things such as, aggressive or reckless driving, night time driving or driving while under the influence.  Peer pressure may encourage them to deviate from the rules and such things as using the cell phone usage, driving with teenage passengers and failing to wear seat belts may be tempting to do.  Enforce the agreement and be firm to ban the use of the car if it is violated.

 
[1] Car and Driver magazine - August 2011

Current California law now requires provisional drivers between the ages of 16-18 to meet certain driving rules.  They consist of night-time curfews, passenger limits, and supervised driving limits (50 hours, including 10 hours driving at night).  Here are the detailed restrictions from the California Department of Motor Vehicles: 

Effective January 1, 2006, a new law will increase driving restrictions for persons under the age of 18 who:

• Are issued a provisional driver license (DL) on or after January 1, 2006, or
• Already hold a provisional DL issued on or after January 1, 2005.

Provisional Driving Restrictions—You must be accompanied and supervised by a licensed parent, guardian or other licensed driver 25 years of age or older or a licensed or certified driving instructor when you:

• Transport passengers under 20 years of age at any time, for the first twelve months.
• Drive between 11 pm and 5 am for the first twelve months.

To determine if these restrictions apply to you, look at the date on your driver license.  The date printed just to the left of your photograph is the date these restrictions begin.  The new restrictions apply for 12 months following this date.  For example:  If the date on your license is May 7, 2005, you will have the above restrictions through May 7, 2006.  Violation of either restriction can result in a fine and/or community service.

Persons under 18 may not be employed to drive a motor vehicle. When you turn 18 years of age, the provisional part of your license ends. You may continue to drive as an adult using your photo license, which will expire on your 5th birthday after the date you applied.

Exceptions to Restrictions

When reasonable transportation is not available and it is necessary for you to drive, the law grants the following exceptions for minors to drive between 11 pm and 5 am or to transport an immediate family member unaccompanied and unsupervised.

The law allows the following exceptions when reasonable transportation is not available and it is necessary for you to drive. A signed note must be kept in your possession for any of these exceptions explaining the necessity and the date when the driving necessity will end (except emancipated minors).

• Medical necessity when reasonable transportation alternatives are inadequate. The note must be signed by your physician, and contain the diagnosis and probable date of recovery.
• Schooling or school-authorized activity. The note must be signed by your school principal, dean, or his/her designee.
• Employment necessity and the need to operate a vehicle as part of your employment. The note must be signed by your employer verifying employment.
• Your necessity or the necessity of an immediate family member. The note must be signed by your parent or legal guardian.

• If you are an emancipated minor, no documentation is needed. However, you must have already declared yourself emancipated and provided DMV with Proof of Financial Responsibility (SR 1P) in lieu of your guarantors’ signatures.

[1] California Department of Motor Vehicles - V C Section 12814.6

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was always a habit of mine to warm up and idle the car in the morning to avoid engine damage.  Yet, I was surprised to find out that enforcing this daily rigorous step would do more harm than good, not only to the car, but also to the environment.  You don’t need to idle the car, because of the efficiency of modern fuel injection, which eliminated carburetors and chokes.  The only reason to let the car idle at all is to get the oil circulating for 30 seconds.

Quick facts and tips that should put the idling question to rest: [1]

 

1. Driving warms the car faster than idling

If your concern is not the health of the car, but simply your comfort to stay warm, Bob Aldrich of the California Energy Commission points out that “idling is not actually an effective way to warm up a car – it warms up faster if you just drive it.”

The coming of electric cars will incorporate a wonderful feature that allows the owner to use a cellphone to tell the car (which is plugged into the grid) to pre-warm or pre-cool the interior.  No idling necessary.

 

2.  Ten seconds is all you need

Environmental Defense Fund, which produced the Idling Gets You Nowhere campaign, advises motorists to turn off their ignition if they’re sitting stopped for more than 10 seconds.

“After about 10 seconds, you waste more money running the engine than restarting it, said Andy Darrell, deputy director of the EDF Energy Program.  “Switch the car off and you’ll be leaving money in your wallet and protecting the air in your community.”

 

3. Idling hurts the car

According to the Hinkle Charitable Foundation’s Anti-Idling Primer, idling forces an engine “to operate in a very inefficient and gasoline-rich mode that, over time, can degrade the engine’s performance and reduce mileage.

The Campaign for an Idle-Free New York City points out that idling causes carbon residues to build up inside the engine, which reduces its efficiency.

 

4. Idling cost money

Over a year of five minutes of daily idling (which causes incomplete combustion of fuel), the “Anti-Idling Primer” estimates that the operator of a V8-engine car will waste 20 gallons of gasoline, which not only produces 440 pounds of carbon dioxide but costs at least $80.

5. Idling in the garage can kill you.

Idling a car in a garage, even with the door open, is dangerous and exposes the driver to carbon monoxide and other noxious gases.  If the garage is attached, those fumes can also enter the house.

6. Quick errands aren’t quick enough

Natural Resources Canada points out that leaving your car idling while you’re running into a store on an errand or going back into the house to pick up a forgotten item is another way to waste gas and pollute both your town and the planet.

“Leaving your engine running is hard on your pocketbook, produces greenhouse gas emissions, and is an invitation to car thieves,” the agency says.

 

7. Idling is bad for your health (and your neighbor’s health)

According to Minneapolis’ anti-idling ordinance, “Exhaust is hazardous to human health, especially children’s;  studies have linked air pollution to increased rates of cancer,  heart and lung disease, asthma and allergies.”

Isabelle Silveman, who runs EDF’s anti-idling campaign, says that car idling “is the second-hand smoking of the outdoors.  One of the problems is that cars idle close to the curb, where pedestrians are walking.  And when you have a child in a stroller, they are particularly close to the tailpipe.  Studies show that children’s IQ levels are lower when they live near major roads with lots of traffic.” (A fresh study even links autism to freeway pollution.)