Top 5 Things To Keep In Your Car

So you're broken down on the side of the road. You don't remember how long it's been since you've seen a street light or the last service station. Your phone has reminded you twice now that you're running low on battery. Not the most ideal circumstances, huh?

Hopefully if you're reading this then the about situation is only hypothetical and not a reality. Whether it be through friends' horror stories or our own personal experiences, we all know that those are circumstances that we want to try our best to avoid. Unfortunately, sometimes such circumstances can and do arise, so here is a list of the top 5 items to keep in your car at all times to best avoid those crummy breakdown situations:

1. Flashlight- Only thing worse than being broken down on the side of the road is being broken down on the side of the road in the dark with no way to see what you're doing. Luckily most phones now come with flashlight technology, or at least light up bright enough to sorta see what you're doing. Which leads us to our next point; don't get caught without a...

2. Phone Charger- It's indisputable, we place so much trust in our phones. Whether it be for navigation or the only way to get a hold of your emergency contacts, you don't want to be caught in an emergency situation with a dead battery.

3. Spare Tire/Donut- Arguably one of the most common roadside problems, a flat tire should never set you back more than 15 minutes and a little bit of elbow grease. It will, however, if you don't have a spare tire on hand in your car. Double check that you do, and while you're at it, check that you have...

4. Jack/Tire Iron- That spare tire isn't going to do you any good if you do not have the proper tools to get the bum tire off and the new one on. Make sure you're always set for this circumstance; a flat tire is not a question of 'if' it's going to happen as much as it is a question of 'when'.

5. Jumper Cables- Batteries die, such is a fact of life. However, unlike when your iPhone dies, a dead car battery is going to set you back a lot more than a couple of hours without access to your Facebook app. Don't be a fool, always carry a set of jumper cables in your car so the next good Samaritan that comes along can give you a jump and get you on your way to the nearest auto store. You could even be that good Samaritan if you see someone having car troubles!

Good luck, and be sure to help out others on the side of the road if you ever see someone in need!

Solving The Traffic Problem

We've all been there -- you've been sitting in stop-and-go traffic for the past 45 minutes. Your right ankle has gotten quite the workout between all the transition from the gas pedal to the brake, and doubly so if you drive a manual transmission car. You're so bored and frustrated and all you'd like to do is focus your eyes on something other than the bumper stickers on the car in front of you that you've already read five times over. Well I've got good news for you: these very well could soon be problems of the past.

The self-driving car is an idea that has been around likely since right around the time car ownership became the norm, but only recently has it garnered serious attention as viable technology. With many of the major auto manufacturers devoting a lot of time, effort, and money into exploring and developing this technology, some are expecting that we may have tested, reliable autonomous driving available for public use by as soon as 2015. Other experts believe that no only will this technology provide a much more luxurious driving experience, but that it will also help to drastically reduce the risk of automotive accidents due to texting or other distractions.

Nissan has just received the permits and plates to begin public testing of a semi-autonomous vehicle in Japan, as well as many other manufacturers, so while it may be speculative as to when such technology is implemented safely at the public level, experts are fairly certain that it is undoubtedly on it's way.

What do you think about these technologies? Smart? Safe? Or too dangerous? Let us know below in our comments section.

Auto Tip: Checking Your Tire Tread

Not sure if it's time yet to get new tires or not? Here is a quick and reliable way to test the condition of your tires:

Take a penny and place the penny in the tread of your tires. If the tread depth isn't deep enough to at least touch Lincoln's head, then it is time to grab a new tire! Be sure to test this on each tire individually as tires can sometimes tend to wear unevenly.

If you find you do need some new tires or any other type of maintenance work done check out our service specials here.

It Can Wait: Texting and Driving

With text messaging quickly becoming the go-to, convenient, and preferred medium of casual, everyday conversation, it goes without saying that we find ourselves frequently distracted by what's happening on the screen of our phone. Depending on what situation you are in, this has varying levels of acceptability. On a crowded bus or train making the commute to or from work? Go ahead, have at 'er. On your way walking somewhere? Alright, just make sure to keep your eyes up occasionally to keep from running into anything or anyone. Out to lunch with a friend or on a date? Do so at your own risk, just don't expect it to be received well.

But there is one situation where texting is never okay; when you're driving. All it takes is a split second of distraction from your phone that can lead to you not seeing that red light or person stopped ahead of you. Research shows that one quarter of all automotive accidents result from cell phones. So whether it is legally mandated or merely just frowned upon in your state to use your cellphone while operating a vehicle, please do the responsible thing and save it for when you have arrived at your destination -- it can wait.

For more information and statistics on the impact of texting and driving and to make a pledge to not text and drive please visit: http://www.itcanwait.com/