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With car sales prices continuously increasing, recent hikes in gas prices, and ever present sales and state taxes on our cars it has become vitally important to find ways to save money and keep costs down.

One way to save money is to monitor your auto insurance and make sure you are getting the best deal possible. This may sound trivial, but can easily add up to savings of hundreds and possibly even thousands of dollars over the next few years.

First make sure you are taking advantage of all discounts available to you through your insurance provider. Many insurance companies have good driver history discounts. If you haven’t been in an accident or made a claim in several years make sure your agent adds this deduction – typical savings are 5-15% (easily $100-$400+ in savings per year).

For an additional discount some insurance companies like Progressive and Geico offer discounts for sponsored driving classes. Make sure you check with your insurance company to see which ones it accepts. Many of these classes are free or offered at minimal cost by your local DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) or DOT (Department of Transportation). For a listing, contact your insurance company and then your state departments (DMV and DOT). These classes also work great for reducing points on your license from minor infractions (speeding, running a red light, etc…). Definitely get as many points taken off as possible. These points can increase your insurance rates 50-100% or more in some cases.

Some insurance companies like Geico, Allstate, and Progressive have recently come out with good student discounts. The requirements can vary so be sure to check with your insurance company. This could amount to an additional savings of 5-10% on your annual premium. Keep in mind traffic offenses can and will nullify this and most other discounts, so drive safely.

Shop around for the best rate. I can’t stress this enough. Every few years just check and see what other insurers are offering. You could see huge savings here and it may have nothing to do with your driving record. Some insurers just have lower claims for a particular model car and therefore will have a lower rate for that car. Just to see the difference call several insurance companies for quotes. You will see a huge range.

When I had a 2000 Ford Mustang GT convertible I was paying over $4000 per year in insurance with Allstate then I checked and found Progressive offered the same coverage for only $1400 (a 75% difference in my premium). Now, that’s not to say that Allstate is a bad insurer, they just have higher claim costs associated with that vehicle and a driver of my age. So, make sure you shop around and definitely check the online insurers like Progressive and Geico as they tend to have lower premiums. Also see what impact raising your deductible will have on lowering your premium.

These items might also seem trivial, but will save you money. Pick a car with lower theft rates and lower premiums. A 4 door 4 cylinder car (Toyota Corolla) will almost always have a much lower premium than the latest 8 cylinder 2 seater sports car (Mustang GT (2+ 2 seating)). It will also get you better gas mileage which in a year could amount to a savings of hundreds of dollars in it self. Stay away from convertibles as they always have higher insurance premiums. Drop unnecessary coverage like collision on an older car. Also stay away from cars with high theft rates (Honda Civics and Accords tend to have some of the highest theft rates and unfortunately you will pay for that with higher premiums and don’t think you won’t.)

One more thing, don’t speed, don’t drive drunk (I don’t need to tell you what that will cost you (it could even cost you your life), stop for all school buses, wear your seat belt and obey the rules of the road. You will be glad you did.

David Maillie is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in automotive safety products and information. He holds numerous patents and awards for his patented headlight cleaner and restorer. For more information please visit MDWholesale.com

Don’t ever say it won’t happen to you. Statistics show that the average person will have 5 flat tires in their lifetime. That means you will have a flat and it is best to be prepared for it.

I’ve seen people stuck on the side of the road with no spare, no jack or lug wrench and no cell phone. What if you get stranded down a far out, little traveled country raod at night? You will be stranded for a long time. That is something we want to avoid. So here’s a checklist of what to have with you at all times in your car:

1) spare tire – this may sound mundane, but many people out their are driving on their spare and take a big risk.

2) jack and lug wrench – many people never check to see if these items are in their car. Its a fact that half of the used cars purchased in the U.S. do not have all the tools necessary for a proper tire change. Also make sure you have a lug wrench that fits your car. This may sound stupid, but when I worked at a car dealership if the car didn’t have a lug wrench and the customer wanted one, they just took one out of any car and put it in (never looking to see if it would fit the lugs on the car in question). If you have wheel covers you may need a large screwdriver to pop off the wheel cover (some lug wrenches have this as one of their ends).

3) lock adapter – many people get the chrome, alloy wheels and have a lug lock installed so they can’t easily be stolen. Just, never lose the lock adapter or you won’t be able to change that tire without having the car towed to a car dealership where they’ll have to cut off and replace the lug spindle (a very costly experience).

4) Flares and reflectors – you have to be safe. If you have a flat in a hard to see area you want to warn other drivers of your predicament so you don’t have a worse predicament. Also, pack a flashlight and extra batteries for night use – all the tools in the world won’t help if you can’t see (regularly change the batteries once a year).

Now, for safety, when a flat occurs you need to pull safely off the road. If on a busy interstate drive slowly until you are in a safe and relatively flat spot. Put your car in park and put on the emergency brake.

Place reflectors or flares so as to give adequate warning to other drivers. This spacing will be different depending on whether you are in hilly curves or on a straightaway.

Place the jack under the car on the jack mount area This is a area specially designed for your jack and is covered in the owners manual.

Loosen all of the nuts and then crank the jack until the tire is several inches off the ground. Remove the nuts and wheel. Place the spare on and tighten each lug finger tight to make the whel flush.

Lower the jack so the wheel can’t turn and tighten all nuts with the lug wrench. Then completely lower the jack and remove. Drive to your nearest auto service station and have your flat replaced or repaired and reinstalled. This is essential as many spares are not full spares and aren’t as safe.

David Maillie is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in automotive safety products and information including his patented headlight cleaner and restorer. For more information please visit: MDWholesale.com

In the past, limousines were the symbol of success priced well out of reach of all but the rich and famous. There is still something intriguing about the heavily tinted windows that prevent people from peering at the occupants. I am guilty of being one of the many people who will literally stop and stare at a limousine as it passes me by and try to imagine who the well-known passenger is. Chances are that it might be anyone who isn’t famous at all but simply treating themselves to a trip in a limousine as part of a special night out. It amazes me that any make of car can now be converted into a limousine and the wealth of the owner is matched only by the extravagance of the fittings that he or she has. The most ludicrous one I ever saw in
a magazine was a Lada fitted with a whirlpool where the trunk should have been.

The word ‘limousine’ actually derives from a region of France called Limousin. The local shepherds wore huge outer clothing to protect themselves from the wind and
the rain while they were tending their flock. Some time later a similar garment was worn by chauffeurs to ward off the elements as they sat in the open cockpit of early
automobiles while their employer sat inside the cabin in dry comfort.

The first stretch limousine was built around 1928 by Armbruster of Arkansas. It soon became a symbol of the Roaring Twenties and was a firm favourite with the big band
leaders of the day, including Glenn Miller. The fact that the limousine could accommodate the entire band and its instruments gained it the nickname of ‘Big Band Bus’.

During the 30s and 40s the limousine became the status symbol that it is today and every successful person in Hollywood wanted to be seen in one, or at least getting
in and out of one!

In 1962 Armbruster joined with Stageway Coaches and the company became Armbruster-Stageway Coachbuilders who continued making limousines for the rich and famous until 1974.

Nowadays chauffeur driven limousines are far more widely available for anyone to hire, even for a very short trip down the Las Vegas strip. Limousines still are the ultimate auto accessory because they still turn heads whenever one passes by.

S. Stammberger is editor of Luxury
Car Vault. Get details on finding the car of your dreams for the price of your dreams.

With all of the talk of hybrid vehicles many people are singing their praises about these lightweight, fuel-efficient cars. But are there hazards to driving a hybrid? Is there really anything to worry about? Let’s take a closer look at potential hybrid hazards.

One of the biggest concerns often talked about when it comes to hybrid vehicles has to do with those personnel responding to accidents involving a hybrid. Many traditional looking cars such as the Honda Accord and Ford Escape are being built with hybrid engines and rescuers might experience some difficulty at the scene of an accident identifying one as such. The reason the identification is crucial is that as compared to conventional gas powered cars, hybrid vehicles have a tremendous amount of electricity coursing through them and thus could cause injury to rescuers and further injury to drivers already hurt by the crash. Many people believe that the solution to this problem is for automakers to affix a label on the driver’s side visor stating that it is a hybrid vehicle, equip with all the features that this kind of car entails.

New hybrids are bursting onto the market at an increasing rate and therefore all first responders (including the police, fire department and paramedics) need to be taught about ways in which hybrid cars differ from more traditional non-hybrid models. Lack of education could result in safety measures being compromised and injuries (life threatening or otherwise) taking place. To use the battery in a hybrid to illustrate the point, in some hybrid models the battery carries with it a charge of up to 500 volts and is powered both by gasoline and electricity. Compare this with the voltage of a typical non-hybrid car, which is in the area of 12 volts. First responders need to be taught where the battery is located in a hybrid car and how to cut the cables without risking being electrocuted by the high voltage that the battery puts out. This is particularly important when machinery such as the Jaws of Life is required to physically remove a passenger in imminent danger from a car. It cannot be emphasized enough, without proper training, more serious injury, and even death, could result.

This problem is being addressed by manufacturers of hybrids with Honda and Toyota going to the front of the line on safety procedures. Hybrid cars are being suited with color codes so first responders can easily comprehend the flow of electricity in the car. Honda hybrids use the color bright orange to designate the high-voltage power line which helps reduce safety risks for rescuers responding to calls.

Concerns about hybrid hazards have led Honda and Toyota to create their own individual safety guides for rescue personnel. Every fire department in the United States received a copy of these guides to be made available for their staff to educate themselves. Toyota has just completed new guides for its latest hybrid vehicles, the Highlander and Lexus. These guides can easily be read online by any member of the public, whether they are emergency workers or not.

In South Florida, with its many canals, many people have expressed concerns about the hybrid hazards involved in water submersion, as these kinds of accidents are common in this area of the state. Manufacturers of hybrid vehicles say that the only thing emergency personnel need to keep in mind in regard to safety issues is to remember to make sure the car’s ignition is turned off once it is out of the water.

Speaking of the car being turned off, that is another issue for hot debate when it comes to talk of hybrid hazards. Hybrid cars are made differently than traditional gas powered vehicles in that it is not always easy to tell if they are off or still running. Most traditional cars one need only feel the hood of the car to make a correct determination but hybrids can be tricky- a hybrid can appear to be turned off when in actual fact it is in silent electric mode and very able to plow over an unsuspecting person if any movement or pressure is applied to the accelerator. One possible solution to this serious hazard put forth by the fire department in Texas is to place chocks under the wheels if it is not known whether the car’s ignition is still on or not.

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. Get the car care products you need from http://www.stopwaxing.com

John Delorean is now best remembered for his failed gull-winged stainless steel car that became a time-travel device in the highly successful “Back to the Future” series of films. He is also associated with shady financial dealings and illegal narcotics operations. A symbol of the 1980s excess, the recently departed Delorean’s legacy seems anything but glorious. When one reflects on Delorean, they likely remember footage of him attempting to raise funds for his failing auto company by trying to sell over twenty million dollars in illegal drugs.

A more carefully use at the automotive innovator, however, cements Delorean’s status as a true legend in the sports car field. Without the Delorean touch, it is likely that sports car production and history would have taken a different direction than it has.

It was Delorean, who in 1964, helped create the muscle car movement in the United States when he decided the tired Pontiac Tempest could be revived via the insertion of a massive V8 engine. The resultant GTO became, and remains, one of the most beloved muscle cars in history. The GTO, or “goat” as sports car enthusiasts often term it, became a hot-seller for Pontiac and set off a chain of events that led to the muscle car era in the United States.

Delorean was rewarded for his innovative thinking by promotions into the highest ranks of American automobile executives. Despite his success in the industry, he eventually opted to go his own way, leaving the U.S. automakers behind and hoping to subsequently compete with them.

Though Delorean’s efforts in Detroit created the muscle car era of high-performance, big-engine sports sedans, his true desire was to take his automotive notions even further. He left Detroit and started his own manufacturing efforts in Northern Ireland, aspiring to build a company that would compete with Detroit’s big three. The Delorean Motor Company produced the DMC-12, a brushed stainless steel sports car with a futuristic look and trademark flip-up doors. It was never a major seller and less than 9,000 of the famed Delorean DMC-12s ever hit the streets. Nonetheless, experts credit the “Back to the Future” car as a design inspiration for many makes and models to follow from other manufacturers.

Some have compared Delorean’s story with DMC to that of Tucker automobiles. Both were headed by strong individuals with new ideas, both met significant resistance from existing manufacturers, and both introduced aesthetic and mechanical refinements that would later be adopted in the production of future automobiles.

Delorean’s business success, including hotel investments and NFL football franchise ownership, was remarkable. His fall from grace, however, was even more amazing. Accusations of financial wrongdoings, allegations of cocaine trafficking, and bankruptcy followed and combined to decimate the Delorean empire.

Delorean announced in 1999 that he hoped to re-enter the sports car industry and hinted that he had plans to produce a fast sports car made primarily of plastic that would cost less than $20,000 retail. Considering his success three decades earlier with the GTO, Delorean’s announcement was met with a great deal of interest. He seemed poised for a comeback. His dream of a readily accessible sports car designed to fit any budget, however, was never realized. Delorean died in 2004.

It may be easy to look at the Delorean story and see only greed, excess and subsequent failure. A closer look at the man who built the DMC-12, however, reveals one of the sports car industry’s biggest influences and a man whose legacy should include consideration of his remarkable achievements alongside his very public failings.

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. Get your car care products from http://www.carcarewizards.com