Best Car Safety Features | Consumer Reports

There are many ways to prevent car accidents. Consumer Reports looks at the latest technology designed to save people’s lives.

Four Common Automotive Collision Repair Insurance Questions

 

By Craig Pelton  | 

After an auto accident, it is important that you have your vehicle damage professionally repaired by a reputable collision repair shop. However, dealing with the insurance adjusters and finding the answers to your many questions can be overwhelming. This is why we have taken the time to answer some of the most common insurance questions that our clients ask during the collision repair process.

Does the insurance company choose where you should have your vehicle repaired? It is entirely your choice as to where you have your vehicle repaired after an accident. Your insurance company may try to steer you toward a preferred shop in their network, but the choice is up to you. In fact, state law prohibits these "steering" tactics. Don't feel pressure to work with a collision repair shop simply because your adjuster prefers them. Your vehicle is a big investment and you want to be sure that an experienced and reputable automotive collision repair shop expertly repairs any damage.

Once an insurance company makes an estimate, will I need to pay for any additional damage that is discovered during the repair process? An appraiser is only able to make an estimate for the damage that is visible. Once the vehicle is taken apart for repair, the technician will look for evidence of any further damage. He will inform the insurance company of any additional repairs that must be made. It is not unusual for there to be at least one supplement to the original estimate.

Should I choose the repair shop with the lowest price because insurance is paying? That old phrase, "You get what you pay for" is often the case when it comes to automotive collision repair. Just because a shop offers the lowest price, it does not necessarily mean that it is the best place to have your car repaired. The vehicles of today are quite complex so you want to be sure that you are working with repair technicians that can restore your vehicle to its pre-accident condition. This includes repairing the outside appearance as well as the safety equipment and special equipment found on modern vehicles. Your car is a big investment so you want to be sure that you receive the best quality automotive repairs available.

Will my car ever be the same? If you use a reputable collision repair shop, your vehicle should be returned to its pre-accident state. This includes returning the function, safety, performance and appearance of the vehicle to like-new condition. Be sure that your technicians use new, high-quality replacement parts. You should choose a shop that offers comprehensive warranties on all repairs. This is one way to guarantee that the customer is completely satisfied with their repaired vehicle.

Repairing your vehicle after a collision should not be a traumatic experience. Find an auto body shop in your area that is experienced in working with insurance companies. They can guide you through the process so you feel comfortable and secure every step of the way.

Craig Pelton is the owner of Worldwide Auto Body, a full-service auto paint and collision repair center located in Kernersville, NC.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Craig_Pelton/1212530

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6767509

Garfield and AAA : Keep Your Children Safe in the Car

Garfield shares an important safety message from AAA on keeping your children safe in the car. For more information about child passenger safety, contact your local AAA club or visit www.AAA.com/safeseats4kids for fun safety activities.

AAA

AAA Distracted Driving PSA

Whether it’s texting, calling, navigating, or something else, using your cellphone while driving can be dangerous. In fact, texting and driving can have the same consequences as drinking and driving: deaths and injuries. Help reduce the number of these preventable tragedies by putting down your phone—because lives depend on it. You don’t drive intoxicated, so don’t drive intoxicated.

AAA Northeast

Happy Customers are Corby's Collision's Top Priority!

"Hands On" Owner / Operator, Paul Troutner, of Corby's Collision in Vacaville,  California discusses happy customers and alignments.

For more information, please visit http://corbysvacaville.com/

How to Choose an Auto Repair Shop

                                              Tips and advice on selecting an auto repair shop.

Nine facts on road safety explained

Wen Injuries occur the obvious answer is speed management 30 K should be the maximum speed where cars cyclists and pedestrians mix but there are more tools than speed limits how we train drivers inverse rules and design roads roundabouts force drivers to slow down for instance they also have fewer points flict and make collisions at dangerous angles almost impossible there is now ample evidence to show but a reduction of just 1% in the average speeds of vehicles lead to a reduction of 4% of in the number of fatal crashes 33% of a scooter crashes end with head injuries twice as many as with bicycles according to a recent US study the bicycle has long been a favorite for shorter trips recently electric bikes scooters and also more exotic devices have become hugely popular are they the future of urban mobility or safety risks on wheels innovations in micro mobility may bring new crash risks but if we understand those risks we can counter them 8 out of 10 fatal crashes with micro vehicles involve cars so micro mobility requires protection its own protected Street space or traffic calming where all vehicles must sharethe space street design must also serve the safety of do's using micro vehicles if we can make it safe micro mobility rhymes with opportunity that of shaping a sustainable urban mobility landscape zero deaths on our roads Easter vision we must aim for it is unacceptable that anyone should lose his or her life a the price for other people to get from A to B or zero that's possible it's a vision and I am optimistic a vision makes us think about what needs to actually happen so we get there it changes our mindset and the truth is we have become far too complacent about road safety we have accepted it as normal that people die in traffic bu our starting point should be that ttcrashes must never be deadly even if someone makes a mistake if it transform our human mobility based on this idea what now seems utopian comes into reach you

  

How Odometer Fraud Became A $1 Billion Problem

Odometer fraud is a stealthy and a lesser known form of fraud that is hard to detect, but can cost a car buyer thousands. Fraudsters will roll back odometers on cars to hide the vehicle's mileage in the hope of extracting a better price. And as used car prices rose during the pandemic, odometer fraud could've become a more attractive way to make some extra bucks. About 10.5 million cars on American roads have had their odometers tampered with in some way, and about 1.9 million individuals have had their odometers rolled back, according to Carfax. The average cost to those affected is about $4,000 in addition to higher taxes. It is enough of a problem that there is even a federal Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation at the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administation (NHTSA) It is staffed by agents investigating these types of crimes. The department estimates that about 400,000 vehicles are sold each year with false odometer readings. Chapters: 0:00 — Introduction 01:28 — Chapter 1: Fraud 03:10 — Chapter 2: Enforcement 05:03 — Chapter 3: Victims 09:56 — Chapter 4: The Problem of Technology Produced by: Robert Ferris Editor: Jacob Harrell Camera: Shawn Baldwin Senior Managing Producer: Tala Hadavi Graphics: Jason Reginato » Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC

Why do Cars Get Impounded?

Impounded cars are those placed in tow yards legally before they are returned back to their owners, recycled, auctioned or completely destroyed. Impounding agencies must have a legal right before impounding a vehicle. The agents tow the vehicle once they find it in their list of automobiles for impounding.

Police or private agencies have the right to impound vehicles that are violating the law and store them in their yards. The law allows them to store impounded cars until all the fees charged are paid. They are licensed to have your vehicle impounded. If not, find a lawyer to represent your case in court.
Auctioning of abandoned vehicle is often organized to assist in recovery of cash used during towing and the time the auto was stored in the yard. This is usually done if the owner of the vehicle is not found, the owner doesn’t want the car anymore or if the vehicle has overstayed in the yard.
Before retrieving your impounded vehicle, you first need to understand why it was impounded in the first place. This will allow you plan accordingly.

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Reasons cars get impounded

i. Driving with no license
ii. Possession of a stolen car
iii. Car was involved in an accident
iv. The car isn’t insured
v. Over speeding
vi. Your car was found abandoned on the road
vii. Driving under suspension
viii. Outstanding fines for parking

ix. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
x. If your car got involved in assaulting someone
xi. If the car is not correctly parked
xii. Your registration is expired
xiii. If you are violating traffic rules
xiv. Driving vehicles that are not roadworthy
xv. If your car is exposing the public to potential health hazards or any other risks

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Has the vehicle been impounded illegally?

In case your car gets impounded illegally, contact a criminal defense lawyer to help you fight for your lawful rights. Most people with impounded cars often make claims of ownership and get collection letters. Once at the correct impounding station, you’ll be needed to prove your identity and ownership of the car.

Sometimes, you might not be able to retrieve your car by yourself due to unavoidable circumstances. If you’d wish to send someone on your behalf, let them bring with them a letter of authorization signed by you, a copy of your driving license and an insurance certificate to prove your identity.

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The cost of retrieving your vehicle

Getting your car back for free is almost impossible; there are fees that must be paid before you get your car. The police or private agencies charge you storage and towing fees. All your outstanding charges and fees must be cleared. Abandoning your vehicle because you don’t want to pay charges is not advisable.
It might result in your car being auctioned or completely destroyed. Afterward, you won’t have any claim for that car. The impounding agencies would benefit from auctioning your car. Even so, the municipal or companies you owe debts for years would still want you to pay them.

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Read more

What You Might Not Know About Using and Maintaining Your Spare Tire

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Source:  https://www.fifetowing.com/blog/why-cars-get-impounded/

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Driving Tips for Wet Roads

Wet pavement contributes to over 1 million crashes each year! Here are some tips if you're caught driving in the rain.

How Road Barriers Stopped Killing Drivers

We've gotten way better at the engineering and design of road barriers — often in surprising ways — to dramatically reduce driving deaths. To understand crash costs better, NPR has a great podcast on how life is valued: https://www.npr.org/2020/04/15/835571...

Andrew Lam

Andrew Lam

163K subscribers

Forces and Motion – Collisions

A collision occurs when an object hits another object. A collision can occur between two objects in motion, or by an object in motion and an object at rest. During a collision, kinetic energy is transferred between the colliding objects. A collision occurs when a tennis player hits a tennis ball. Kinetic energy is transferred from the player’s moving tennis racket to the ball, causing it to move. The more kinetic energy that is transferred, the faster and farther the tennis ball will move. During a collision, the faster an object is moving, the greater the energy transfer and the greater the impact on the other object. We can see this by looking at car accidents. If the cars are traveling slowly at the time they collide, there may be little damage to the cars. If the cars are traveling faster, there is a much more observable impact. There is likely to be more damage to the cars. The observable impact of a collision reflects how much energy was transferred between objects and relates to the amount of energy of the moving object. At the start of a game of billiards, a player uses a large force to hit one ball into the other balls. The ball gains kinetic energy from the billiard cue and moves down the table. As it hits the other balls, a loud sound is made. Kinetic energy is transferred to the other balls as they scatter all over the table. When a player uses a smaller force, less kinetic energy is transferred. The balls produce a softer sound when they collide and move more slowly. Motion is the process of changing position. When something is moving it is in motion. An object that is in motion has kinetic energy. We can describe motion by measuring its speed and direction. Speed is the time it takes an object to cover a certain distance. The faster an object covers a distance, the greater its speed. Direction is which way an object is moving. The greater the speed of an object, the more energy it has. Forces can also affect the motion and energy of an object. Larger forces will cause objects to move faster and have more energy than smaller forces. All forms of energy can be described as either stored energy or moving energy. The stored energy in an object is called potential energy. Food has potential energy. The energy is transformed into other forms when we eat the food and use the energy to move about, keep warm and stay healthy. Potential energy is also related to the shape and position of an object. If you hold a ball above your head, the ball has potential energy due to its position. If you drop the ball, the potential energy is transformed into moving energy. When potential energy is released, it is converted into kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is the energy of an object due to its movement. All moving objects, from the tiny particles that make up our air to an airplane flying in the sky, have kinetic energy. The amount of kinetic energy in an object depends on how fast it is moving. The faster an object moves, the greater its kinetic energy.

Next Generation Science

Scorpion Truck Mounted Attenuator - Saving Lives

A Truck Mounted Attenuator (TMA) is mounted to a shadow vehicle for purposes of protecting the work crew in front of the shadow vehicle and protecting the motorist that might drive into the lane closed off by the shadow vehicle. Shadow vehicles should be trucks in a weight range of 16,000 lbs. to 20,000 lbs. and preferably 20,000 lbs., which is the weight of the truck tested for certification. The TrafFix Scorpion TMA 10,000 is available in three basic models. • Model A is a TL-2 device tested at 70 km/hr. for use on trucks needing low speed protection or as a replacement cartridge for trucks already equipped with a TL-2 attenuator cartridge. • Model B is a TL-3 device tested at 100 km/hr for use on trucks needing high speed protection. The Model B uses a strut section in addition to the TL-2 cartridge section to achieve a higher speed device. The rear cartridge section has a hinged hydraulic coupling with fluid on both sides of the cylinders and solenoid valve lockouts. The rear cartridge can be raised to 90º where a scissors lock engages to lock the cartridge in the 90º position. An operators switch has an up and down button and the down button releases the lockout and lowers the cartridge. The release of the up or down button stops the cartridge at that angle. The Model B has a 10º tilt at the strut to allow clearance at driveways. During construction when the shadow vehicle truck has to drive in and out of sloped areas such as the drainage median or a driveway, the strut can be temporarily raised 10º to travel over this terrain. In the normal transport mode the rear cartridge is elevated and locked at 90º for theModel B. • The Model C uses a 90º hydraulic tilt attached to the strut. This allows the Model C system to raise the strut to the vertical position with the cartridge in a horizontal position over the top of the truck for the normal transport mode. The Scorpion TMA 10,000 is mounted to a truck at a road clearance height of 12 ±1. In the deployed mode the system extends 13 to the rear of the truck. The Scorpion TMA 10,000 consists of three basic components. A steel back-up is attached to the rear of the truck with an all-steel support structure. An all aluminum tube frame extends out 13 from the back-up. Inside the tube frame is a series of four aluminum boxes filled with energy absorbing aluminum honeycomb. The back-up support structure uses all steel angles, plates, and C-channels welded using wire feed mig welding. The tube frame construction uses all aluminum tube and plate construction welded using wire feed mig welding on both sides of the tube/plate interface. The aluminum boxes use closed end sealing rivets for joining the sheet metal. The aluminum honeycomb is joined to the aluminum face sheets using oven cured epoxy resin. The aluminum boxes are painted with a bright yellow powder-coated finish for lasting durability. The Scorpion TMA has been tested and passed all optional and mandatory requirements suggested in the NCHRP-350 Report for TL-3 evaluation criteria, for speeds up to 62.5 mph (100 km/h) and is sold worldwide. For more information: https://www.traffixdevices.com/produc...

Most watched IIHS crash tests in 2022

Enjoy unique angles of the five most watched crash test videos in 2022! Viewers watched more than 207,800 hours of video on IIHS' YouTube channel. To learn how these vehicles rated, please visit our website: https://www.iihs.org/ More ratings and content coming in 2023.

Auto insurance catch: Why they may deny your repair estimate

If you are in a car accident, your insurer is supposed to make sure the car is repaired, assuming you carry collision coverage. The law in most states says you can go to any repair shop you choose.