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Flying Car Doors
By Rick Treviz • June 26, 2019
The windy city of Mountain Home damages car doors and fenders. It’s been a windy these past weeks. As residents in Mountain Home, Id already experienced, it is windy in the high desert. Gust of over 25 mph are common in this town. One of the realities of life here is that you must hold on to your car door when opening it to get in or get out. These high winds are strong enough to slam a car door open and bend the the hinges. This is a very expensive fix. This a common incident here in Mountain Home.
What do you do if your door is slammed open and the hinges bend? First, do not force the door back to closed position. Second, contact a local repair shop to help you repair the damage. Many have just force the door back shut. But, this make it worst because now the damaged is worsen when you try to reopen the door. When the door is forced open again, the damaged hinges will cause the fender to bend and dent inward. As the hinge is still attached it will cause irreparable damage that now you will have to replace the door and panel assemblies. The financial cost in trying to re bend the door shut is expensive and many insurance holders have not bought the right policy to cover the cost of repairs.
Comprehensive Insurance:
Of the three main options, only comprehensive coverage pays for repairs outside of car accidents or other collisions. It is the only plan that takes care of you after acts of nature damage your car, such as a windstorm. With comprehensive coverage, you pay more for better coverage if you need repairs due to an event outside your control. However, you may have to pay at least some of the repairs depending on how high your deductible is. Before you close that door that was caught by the wind, contact your local auto body repair shop. They will provide you the right course of action before further damage is caused. In many cases save you money.
Wax on, wax off
By Rick Treviz • June 5, 2019
Waxing your vehicle is not just a cosmetic benefit either, regular waxing helps to protect the paint job and clear coat on your car by preserving oils in the paint that help to prevent oxidation. … Regular waxing also protects the paint from the daily wear and tear our cars get from being exposed to outdoor environment.
Applying wax to the surface means you’re making it harder for dirt, tree sap, insects, and other debris to stick to the car. This is because anything that tries to stick to your car is not actually making contact with the paint, thanks to the protective layer of wax. Waxing your car will make your car much easier to get clean.
When it comes to aerodynamics, a waxed or clean car will allow air to move freely across the surface (less resistance). … They discovered that the average gas mileage for the dirty car was 24 miles per gallon while the clean car performed better at 26 miles per gallon.
In general, waxing your car’s paint has 5 benefits.
1. It keeps it looking great and shiny.
2. Prevents paint chips.
3. Fills in Scratches.
4. Improves resale value.
5. Saves you money.
It can cost a lot of money to have a paint job done on your car. This is why most automotive manufacturers recommend having your car waxed on a regular basis and typically include waxing in their regularly scheduled maintenance. When you take time to have the car waxed, it can extend the paint’s lifespan significantly — reducing the need to have the vehicle repainted to avoid rust damage. Rust is a major factor in car components to wear and fail. Protecting the little things will help avoid the need of having to replace parts.
Common mistakes that cause Jackknifing
By Rick Treviz • June 14, 2019
The first step in preventing a jackknife situation on the highway is to check your mirrors for trailer swing, frequently. You should also do this every time you have to brake hard, especially if towing an empty or light trailer. In many traffic reports of jackknifing, the trailers are empty.
Proper braking is essential. Instead of braking during turns, decelerate slowly on the long stretch before the bend or curve. Avoid slamming on the brakes, which could cause them to lock and will often result in a jackknife situation.
Improperly balanced trailer with a rear-heavy load tends to sway and can cause the trailer to swing out into a jackknife. To avoid this, make sure to pack your trailer with weight spread out and on the bottom, giving it a low center of gravity. If you detect sway in your trailer, stop to check if the load has shifted. Overloading your tow vehicle, trailer, or both can cause a whole host of problems like failing brakes, broken suspensions, overheated transmissions, or blown-out tires.
Novice trailer-tower is even more likely to get stuck in a jackknife position when backing up. This kind of jackknifing has less to do with traction and more to do with knowing how to handle a trailer in reverse. Engineers have attacked the jackknifing problem from a few different angles. Some technologies involve adjusting the design of brakes, while others involve devices that physically prevent the trailer from veering too far. The most important thing to remember is that the trailer will go in the opposite direction of the tow vehicle. It is helpful to have another person help you back the trailer.
Check for suspension problems and make sure the tires and wheels are secure and inflated properly. A small reduction in tire air pressure or a slight increase in the tongue weight may help. Be sure the trailer hitch is secure. A sway control device should be included when the hitch is installed. This device helps give the tow vehicle and trailer a “one-vehicle” feel.
Allow plenty of stopping distance with the vehicles in front. You need to increase your following distance when towing a trailer. It takes longer to stop your towing rig than your tow vehicle alone. Also, you should avoid sudden acceleration, braking and maneuvering. Anticipate problems since it takes longer to accelerate, stop, change lanes and turn with a trailer, look ahead farther than you normally would. You can see many problems developing a long way off. Observe traffic flow and be ready to react.
During this time of the year and throughout the summer, is when Tech Auto Body receives various tow vehicles that have been damaged due to jackknifing accidents. Please follow your manual instructions for each vehicle you are towing. We suggest novice drivers towing their campers and boats to get some instruction and training before hitting the road. Reduce your speed. Excessive speeding is a major cause of jackknifing. Slow down and follow the speed limits. Speeding reduces your reaction time causing in many cases unnecessary maneuvering. These knee-jerk reactions are a major cause of jackknifing and accidents.
Have a great camping season and drive safely.
NHTSA – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – 6 Risky Driving Behavior Statistics.
By Rick Treviz • June 29, 2019
Distracted driving is dangerous, claiming 3,166 lives in 2017 alone. NHTSA leads the national effort to save lives by preventing this dangerous behavior. Get the facts, get involved, and help us keep America’s roads safe. Texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.
Drunk Driving – Every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes—that’s one person every 48 minutes in 2017. These deaths have fallen by a third in the last three decades; however, drunk-driving crashes claim more than 10,000 lives per year. In 2010, the most recent year for which cost data is available, these deaths and damages contributed to a cost of $44 billion that year.
Drug-Impaired Driving – You can’t drive safely if you’re impaired. That’s why it’s illegal everywhere in America to drive under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, opioids, methamphetamines, or any potentially impairing drug–prescribed or over the counter. Driving while impaired by any substance—legal or illegal—puts you and others in harm’s way. Learn the latest research on drug-impaired driving, misconceptions about marijuana use, and what you can do to make smarter choices to drive safely.
Not Wearing Seatbelts – Of the 37,133 people killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2017, 47 percent were not wearing seat belts. In 2017 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 14,955 lives and could have saved an additional 2,549 people if they had been wearing seat belts.
Speeding – For more than two decades, speeding has been involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities. In 2017, speeding was a contributing factor in 26 percent of all traffic fatalities.
Drowsy Driving – Drowsy driving kills — it claimed 795 lives in 2017.
Visit: NHTA for more information: www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving
Quote Below by: Bob Kustra of the Idaho Statesman.
According to the University of Utah Applied Cognition Lab, the odds of getting into a crash are four times higher when a driver is talking on the cellphone, the same odds of crashing when driving drunk. For texting and driving, the statistics are even more startling. According to the National Safety Council, texting while driving is six times more likely to cause an accident than driving under the influence of alcohol, which is why experts in recent years have labeled distracted driving the new drunken driving. There are many reasons for distracted driving – food and drink, kids, pets or interactive dashboard screens – but the leading cause of distracted driving is talking or texting while driving.
Full article here: www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/article226047690.html
Reasons Why Auto Insurance Premiums Are Rising
By Rick Treviz • June 19, 2019
Auto insurance companies losing money.
A slew of devastating natural disasters struck the U.S. in 2018:
It’s resulting in insurance claims that cost billions of dollars. While home insurers are usually hit the hardest by these disasters, auto insurers are affected as well. Additionally, distracted driving has led to an increase in accidents on the road. These factors, coupled with the fact the the auto industry is moving toward higher-tech cars that are more expensive to repair, contribute to high losses for insurers.
Preliminary reports from the California Department of Insurance estimate that the November 2018 wildfires caused more than $123 million in auto and nonresidential insurance claims. Additionally, hurricanes Michael and Florence, which pummeled the Southeast in the fall of 2018, caused between $7.7 billion and $14.6 billion in insurance losses.
Increased Distracted Driving Accidents:
An additional possible contributor to future rate hikes is the increased frequency in car crashes attributed to distracted driving—caused in large part by more people using their phones while driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 2.443 million people were injured in distracted driving crashes in 2015, which is an increase from 2.217 million people in 2011. Insurers respond by raising rates to make up for the increase in insurance claims they have to pay out.
More Expensive Vehicle Repairs:
New vehicles are increasingly packed with sensitive and expensive technology. Insurers are likely to increase premiums to make up for this increase in losses. As of May 2018, all new vehicles are required to have rear-view video systems (backup cameras) in accordance with NHTSA regulations. Although this type of vehicle technology has proven to reduce the number of accidents caused by human error, it has also made common and previously inexpensive repairs—such as bumper replacement—more expensive, increasing the potential losses for insurance companies.
In conclusion:
The combination of record-setting natural disasters, an uptick in distracted-driving accidents and the increasing prevalence of tech-loaded vehicles that are expensive to repair mean insurers are likely to raise rates in 2019. Despite year-over-year rate increases—rising costs in general, indicates that drivers will pay more for car insurance in the coming year.