Of course, now that I’m an adult and I see my parents retired and getting older, I know that’s not true.

The Key to Staying Healthy for Aging Parents – Mobility

Now the big issue is keeping them independent and active. I worry because I’ve seen so often how older people go downhill quickly when they can’t move around anymore. They lose hope, they give up, and they stop living even while they are still alive.

The more that seniors can go out and get involved in things, the better chance they have of living longer, better lives. My mom adores getting involved in her volunteer work, for example, and I don’t know what will happen when she can’t do that anymore.

Of course, one of the keys to maintaining independence is maintaining the ability to drive, and driving can be expensive. Between fuel costs, maintenance costs, and insurance, it’s not cheap to have a car. That’s why I encouraged my parents to do a motor vehicle insurance comparison. There are organizations that offer insurance discounts for seniors, and a comparison helped my parents discover these discounts and verify they had the right coverage limits too.

Help Parents Recognize That A Change in Driving Status Is Inevitable

I’ve already told my Mom that when she no longer feels confident driving, I’d happily drive her to her various appointments. I know how important it is to her to be able to get out and about, and when I offered my help I could see in her eyes that she’d never considered this possibility. Her reaction was part appreciation and part horror: she knows as I do that when she can longer drive herself it will be a big shock, and a big loss. Loss of independence is a very hard thing to deal with…for anyone.

In my opinion, it’s important for everyone to talk to their parents about what will happen when they lose their ability to drive, mostly because many of our parents haven’t ever considered this possibility. My Dad, for example, will be a little better about losing the ability to drive when the time comes than my Mom. As long as Dad can get out to the golf course and hang around with his buddies, his life will be complete. Besides – my parents only have one car. Dad is basically chauffeured around now anyways.

The point is, discussing the possibility of losing the ability to drive and making a plan is a good way to have a healthy conversation about driving. You may learn that your parents would appreciate some help getting around right now, in fact.

Providing the Right Safety Measures To Older Drivers

One thing I did a little while ago was make sure my parent’s car was well-equipped with the right safety features. Along with making sure they take it in for regular maintenance, checking their spare tire, and making sure their car insurance included roadside service, I also added an emergency kit in the trunk.

When older people get stranded there is a greater danger of death or serious illness from the hardship. They need water, a heat source and other necessities in case the unwanted happens. Some of the things I added to their kit in the trunk are:

1. Blankets
2. Pillows
3. Water
4. A flashlight
5. Batteries
6. Freeze-dried food packs

I also made my parents enter the 21st century and get a cell phone. My mom used to tease me about how when she was my age they didn’t have a phone with them all the time, they only had one phone in the kitchen. I wanted them to always have a way to contact us, or the authorities in an emergency though, so now she dutifully carries her cell phone with her, although she still can’t text, or retrieve her voicemail.

Other safety measures for older drivers include:

• Making sure they know how the local bus system (if available) works, what times it runs, etc. Riding the bus might be preferable to an older driver who is reluctant to drive in heavy traffic, drive in evenings, etc., so making sure they have a bus pass and a working knowledge of the system is a good idea.
• Making sure the driver’s seat and steering wheel are adjusted as optimally as possible. Many people are unaware that their steering wheel is adjustable, for example, and even if your favorite older driver knows how to adjust the seat or steering wheel, they might not be strong enough to work the levers. Offer to help them get everything adjusted correctly, and make sure anyone who borrows the car does this too.
• Many older drivers have difficulty driving at night, largely because human night vision deteriorates with age. If your favorite older driver has trouble seeing at night, you can investigate upgrading their headlight bulbs. Many after-market light bulbs offer improved performance, and just about any auto parts store has a few different after-market brands to choose from.
• Be sure to check over your favorite older person’s car for dents, scrapes, and scratches on a regular basis. If they’ve got any damage on the vehicle, that could be a sign that they’re no longer confident parking the car…and it might be a sign that you need to start driving them around.

It can be incredibly difficult to talk about driving safety with an elderly parent, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid the topic. Safety statistics show that older drivers are at a much greater risk of accident or injury than the greater population. It’s your duty to help your parents – or aunts or uncles or neighbors – stay safe on the road.

Guest author Melissa Cameron is a proud mother of two daughters, and lives with her husband and family in Austin, Texas. Her parents live right next door, and she is happy to be able to spend as much time with them as she does. As a freelance writer she often researches better things like car insurance quotes online, and other ways to live a better healthier life, and writes about parenting, and helping her own parents as they get older.

Car seats are no longer optional safety equipment. They protect the fragile bodies of our children in a car crash. Because an error could be deadly for the little ones you love most, installing the car seat correctly is vital. These instructions will walk you through car seat installation, but be sure to have your local fire or police department check your work.

Before You Begin

You will need to skim through your car seat’s manual to get an understanding of how to install your seat. By doing so, you will notice any instructions particular to your car seat model, making this normally aggravating process as easy on yourself as possible.

If you are installing a car seat after a car accident, check with the insurance company to find out if the seat is still safe to use. The best auto insurance companies will pay to replace a damaged car seat after an accident if there is a chance the seat was damaged.

The Procedure

When using your car’s seat belt to secure the car seat, first you must position the seat correctly. Then feed the two parts of your car’s seat belt though the side openings of the car seat, one at a time, and buckle it. Make sure the belt is not twisted. Pull on the belt to make sure it is as tight as possible. Increase the tightness by putting your weight on the seat and pulling at the belt. Make sure the seat is immovable by yanking at its sides. If you find that the seat moves, secure it with the locking clip that came with either the car or the car seat. The locking clip is constructed to fit around the seat belt. This ensures that the child’s seat is firmly gripped.

In addition to installing the car seat properly, parents can do a few things to ensure the baby is even safer and more comfortable:

Rear-Facing Seats

These are recommended for newborns, but recent studies suggest rear-facing seats might be best for children up to age 2. If you have a rear-facing seat, it should only be installed in the back seat. A precaution to take while installing this type of seat is to make sure the seat belt and harness are not too loose. Also, check that the seat’s retainer clip sits high, preferably on the baby’s chest, for maximum protection.

The LATCH System

The acronym for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children, LATCH is a method of permanently attaching the child’s seat to anchors found in the car, as opposed to using only the vehicle’s seat belt. This dramatically reduces the risk of injury to your child in the case of an accident. It is possible to have older model cars fitted with this anchoring system, but generally speaking most cars built from the late 1990′s on have the LATCH system.

Proper Use of the Locking Clip

Proper use of this clip (which looks like an oversized paper clip) ensures that the buckles on both the child seat and seat of your car are taut. The clip is attached to both parts (shoulder and lap) of your car’s seat belt to hold them together. It should be installed just above the clipping mechanism or buckle. Use this clip to prevent your car’s belt system from malfunctioning when you need it most. Following these procedures will allow you to rest easy knowing that your infant or toddler is as safe as possible.

AutoInsurance.Info wants you to remember to have a police or fire department check the installation for you. It only takes five minutes and could save your child’s life.

When looking for the reliable transportation component, drivers tend to overlook the most important factor when it comes to winter driving: SNOW TIRES. Without snow tires, even the most rugged four-wheel drive vehicle will be subject to poor traction control. Turning and braking on snowy or icy conditions without the proper winter tires will simply defeat the purpose of a car designed to handle extreme conditions. The perfect car for snow and mountain vacations will blend comfort, safety, all-wheel or four-wheel drive, and of course great tires…so make sure whatever you buy/rent/borrow or drive is wearing some good snow shoes.

The best mountain snow vehicle is the one with the best combination of safety, capability, and tires

Once you add winter tires to your list of things to gather before setting off on your vacation, it’s time to choose the right car that will take you, as well as your family and friends, to that special snowy mountain spot. Here are the top five vehicles for the mountains and snow this year:

1 – Subaru Forrester

All-wheel drive vehicles perform better in winter conditions, and Subaru has redefined all-wheel technology in its Outback and Forrester models. The Forrester’s interior is spacious enough to accommodate five passengers and luggage. While the all-wheel is a standard feature, you can always upgrade to the Forrester 2.5XT, which has a turbocharged and gas-friendly 4-cylinder engine pumping out 224 horsepower.

2 – Volvo XC70 T6 and the S60

Volvo has always distinguished itself as a safety-conscious manufacturer. Whether you choose the Volvo SC70 SUV or the S60 sedan, you can be sure to get to your ski resort and back home safely even during a blizzard. The SC70 comes with standard anti-lock brakes, downhill control and heated rear-view mirrors, but drivers have the option of adding heated front and rear seats, windshield washer nozzles that spray warm water, and even headlight washers. The stylish S60 features a 6-speed automatic transmission with Instant Traction on an all-wheel drive package. The S60 also comes with a detection system that warns drivers of pedestrians or animals suddenly appearing in front of the car and even brakes automatically in case of emergency.

3 – Toyota Land Cruiser

The Land Cruiser has always been considered an all-terrain and all-weather vehicle, but the new edition of Toyota’s flagship luxury SUV goes all out with the ingenuous Crawl Control. When Crawl Control is activated during difficult weather conditions, the Land Cruiser assumes smart control of the braking and acceleration functions. Fog lamps, a heated side mirror and a windshield defroster are standard features.

4 – Range Rover Sport Supercharged

Land Rover is destined to become a benchmark for staying warm on the road this winter with its 2011 Supercharged SUV. The cold weather climate option heats everything inside the car, the front seats, the rear seats, the floorboards, and even the steering wheel. If that wasn’t enough, the windshield and washer nozzles are also heated.

5 – BMW 535Xi Sports Wagon

BMW does not make SUVs, they make outstanding vehicles with ample passengers and cargo space that handle like sports car. With its powerful 6-cylinder 3.0L engine and smart all-wheel traction, the 535Xi is a wonder of German auto engineering. Automatic load-leveling is a feature that prevents over-steering even in winter rally or blizzard conditions. Front and second row heated seats are optional, as well as the side-view mirrors and the steering wheel.

Isn't winter driving great?

About The Author: When Josey Wales is not writing about traveling, he’s researching condo rentals in search of the best lodging deals in Vail.

Is your vehicle registration plate worth anything? Photo copyright Woody1778a

Ever wondered how much your car’s number plate is worth? Here’s some pointers to consider if you want to find out.

How many digits does your number plate have?

The fewer digits your registration plate has, the higher its potential value.

Does it spell a word?

If your number plate spells a word, it’s going to be worth something, yet how much depends largely on the word. The wider appeal the word has, the more the plate is likely to be worth. If your number plate spells ‘cool’ or ‘sexy’ you’re in luck.

Does it spell a name?

Again, if your number plate spells a name (both first and last), it’s going to be valuable. The more common the name, the more it’s likely to be worth. Look for shortened versions of names such as ‘Rob’ or ‘Sar’ too.

The number of digits on your plate will of course affect its value significantly. ‘Rob’ surrounded by 3 or 4 other digits will be worth less than ‘Rob’ alone or accompanied by 1 or 2 digits.

Of course, even a very rare name could be worth thousands – if you can find the right buyer.

Does it spell a car model?

Needless to say, registration plates that spell out the model of a car are highly sought after.

Is it dateless?

People love to hide the age of their car, so dateless plates are nearly always worth something.

Is it rare?

If there are lots of similar plates on the market, the value of your registration plate could be adversely affected.

How much are similar plates worth?

If you know a plate similar to yours sold for a certain amount, you can have a pretty good guess at the value of your own.

Say ‘LE55 LEY’ sold for £7,000 in Great Britain. If your registration plate spells out ‘LE5 LEY’ yours will probably be worth a few thousand more.

Keep an eye on the media

You never know how a new film or television programme might suddenly make your previously worthless plate valuable.

Even changes in slang could be the key to your fortune.

You never know your luck

Even if it doesn’t look as if your registration plate is worth anything; you can never be too sure. For instance, those seemingly random letters might just be somebody’s initials.

Of course, finding a buyer will be difficult, and your number plate will only be worth something if you can actually find that buyer. Yet at the end of the day; goods are worth precisely what people are willing to pay for them; find the right buyer and your registration plate might be worth a small fortune.

Get it valued

Needless to say, the best way to know for sure is to get your registration plate professionally valued. Many retailers of registration plates will offer to value your plate for a small fee or even for free. However, keep in mind that they will probably encourage you to sell it through them too!

This article was written by Amy Fowler on behalf of The Plate Market, who offer cherished number plates for sale and can also value your registration plates for free.

The Lifehammer is cool, but is it practical to prepare for such an unlikely event?

Something to fix a flat: the emergency you’ll experience most often is the dreaded flat tire. Your tire knows the exact worst moment to go out on you. You need to have a jack, tire iron and a properly inflated spare, usually a “donut,” and you need to know how to change a tire. Canned tire repair products such as Fix-A-Flat can work in some instances, but it’s best to just have the tools and know-how to change a tire. Once you’ve either replaced your flat tire with a donut or fixed it with a canned goop product, don’t wait too long to get to a service station to get a permanent replacement. Neither is meant to be a long-term solution.

About the Author: Dan Dicks is a car insurance agent – so he’s heard all about the most common car emergencies.  If your insurance policy is coming up for renewal you might want to visit Kanetix and compare some car insurance quotes. There’s often money to be saved for those willing to do some cost comparisons.

1. Braking and accelerating moderately is important when it comes to your car’s gas mileage. More than 35 percent of drivers on the road resort to constant acceleration and braking patterns to keep up with traffic, but this behavior is incredibly inefficient. Your car’s gas mileage is greatly affected by acceleration, so the less you accelerate, the better your fuel economy. In fact, accelerating from a dead-stop is when your vehicle uses the most fuel…which means it’s not necessarily good for your wallet to race out ahead of the other cars when the light turns green.

Moderate braking helps save gas too, because it forces you to drive more smoothly and coast more. Coasting is a great way to save gas, and if you train yourself to avoid hard stops, you’ll find that you’ll be doing a lot more coasting.

2. Another good way to save on gas is to roll up your windows. While this method is still hotly debated by some, it has been proven that having your windows rolled completely down hinders the aerodynamic capability of your car. While running the air conditioner can also have a negative effect on fuel economy, it is almost always less harmful than the excess amount of turbulence created by having wind resistance pass through the inside of your vehicle instead of passing over it.

If you’re not sure that rolling down your windows hurts your gas mileage when compared to the air conditioner, why not test it?

3. Get that junk out of your trunk. If your car is hauling an extra 100 lbs of weight, your fuel economy will fall about 1%. That might not sound like much, but it can add up to a few hundred dollars over a year or two. Therefore, don’t haul around any more gear than you have to.

4. Tire pressure matters. This is the single most common piece of car advice handed out, but there’s a reason for that – tire pressure impacts fuel economy pretty dramatically. If your tires are improperly inflated, you’ll see fuel economy drop 2-3%. Check your tire pressure regularly.

5. Find the best deal on gas. There can be quite a bit of price variance between gas stations, and that means it’s a good idea to check gas prices in your area before filling up. GasBuddy.com offers a mobile app for Android and iPhone that you can use during a road trip, in addition to their free gas deal finder on their website. It’s a good idea to use these apps, as they can save you anywhere from $2-10 on every fill-up. Over the course of a year, that’s a lot of money.

About the Author: Victor constantly writes about cars, because he simply loves them. He also works at cash for trucks a company that buys cars.

Purchasing vehicles for your fleet is often a tough decision. It’s a huge investment and often requires significant capital outlay. In larger firms, fleet vehicle purchasing often has to be approved by senior management, and that requires extensive background checks and reports.

What can help fleet managers make the best decisions when it comes to buying fleet vehicles?

Elements of a good fleet buying decision include:

• Accurate vehicle performance data for fair and true comparisons, as well as management reporting
• Decision data that can be collected quickly and easily
• Vehicle data that is available to anyone within the company regardless of how long they’ve worked for the firm
• Data that covers the full and total cost of vehicle ownership (TCO)
• Data is truly representative resulting in unbiased decisions

Buying on emotion?

A big mistake a lot of fleet managers (and plenty of other car buyers) make when buying a vehicle is they buy for emotional reasons. Of course, no one ever admits to buying based on emotion but it happens – a lot!

Car makers know this and market their vehicles to appeal to your emotions. Whether it’s appealing to your patriotic sense of duty, your need for safety or a childhood dream, car advertising is not about facts and figures. It’s about the fluffy stuff and while that might give you the warm fuzzies, it’s not a good basis for buying fleet vehicles.

Keep your vehicle buying decision rational – and save!

So how can you avoid the mistake of buying for emotional reasons and make sure that your purchases are squarely based on what’s best for the fleet, and the overall profitability of the company?

Ultimately it’s about having reliable information to base your decision on – or when preparing a business case report if you don’t make the actual purchase.

Collecting accurate vehicle data starts early, in fact the sooner you can start gathering information on your current fleet, the more accurate your decisions will be, and the more tailored to how your company specifically uses their fleet vehicles.

Then only fair and accurate method is using GPS vehicle tracking to monitor and report on your current vehicles. GPS fleet tracking can be used to assess a lot of different vehicle metrics, not just the number of miles they cover. But for it to be useful it needs to be deployed as part of an overall fleet management system.

Using Telogis Fleet and GPS tracking devices, fleets are able to monitor vehicle metrics such as:

• Fuel economy (actual vs. expected)
• Maintenance downtime
• Idle time
• Fuel costs
• Cost per mile
• Productivity percentage

When you first set up Telogis Fleet, you can tag all your vehicles with specific tags, allowing you to track different types of vehicles. For example, you could compare dual-wheel axles with single wheels. Are they considerably more expensive to operate? What about Japanese vehicles compared with European? Toyota versus Hyundai? Utilities versus vans? There’s no limit to the number of vehicle tags you can create and attach to a vehicle or group of vehicles, which you can then report on at a later time for accurate comparisons.

The advantage of measuring a range of vehicle cost metrics is that you look at the total cost per mile. While some vehicles may use less fuel, if they breakdown more often or have higher maintenance costs, they can end up being more expensive overall.

Making better fleet buying decisions

While you could use the manufacturer’s specifications and expected vehicle running costs, they aren’t familiar with the rigors of your business and the conditions you operate under.

Really, the only fair and accurate method of measuring the vehicle’s performance is to monitor it using GPS fleet tracking. That way you can not only discover potential savings by switching to more economical vehicles but when it comes to replace an aging fleet, you’ll be able to make smarter decisions on what vehicles will give you better value for money.

1. Re-design the architecture of the site. It’s difficult to navigate and it doesn’t give people a lot to grab onto.
2. Publish at least 12 videos – that’s only 1 per month, so it really shouldn’t be that hard.
3. Boost daily unique visitors from nil (where it’s at right now despite my best efforts) to 500. This is going to be tough in such a competitive niche, but it’s time that this site starts earning some income (instead of just using my time). Don’t get me wrong – I’m not in it for the money – but considering all the other stuff I’m doing I should get paid for my time.
4. Continue to provide free, personalized auto advice via email. At this point, the number of inquiries I’m receiving aren’t too bad and I can handle the work load. However, as the site grows, I’m going to have to come up with some sort of way to handle the requests for help.

Faithful readers (all two of you!) please feel free to leave your own suggestions on ways I can improve this site. 2009 is going to be our year!

No? Neither would I, and neither would a lot of people, which is why Arizona dealer Rick Johnston (who runs Wildcat Mitsubishi in Tuscon and Ideal Automotive in Sierra Vista, Arizona) is in so much hot water right now.

For the time being Rick Johnston, along with his sons Beau and Heath, owns and operates two auto dealerships in Arizona. Yet in light of recent allegations directed at the Johnston family, it’s likely that the Johnston’s days or running car dealerships are running out. Just last month Fort Huachuca Army Base officially banned all of their military men and women from buying a car at either one of the Johnston’s dealerships. Army spokesperson Tanja Linton said, “We were concerned that our service members were being taken advantage of.”

Victims of illegal and/or aggressive dealership sales tactics are often reluctant to share their experiences, but U.S. Army soldier James Tuman has been speaking openly about his experiences.

Tuman had a motorcycle and SUV that he traded in for a used car from Johnston’s Ideal Automotive. After driving the car Tuman quickly learned it had several mechanical problems. When he tried to return the car, Ideal Automotive said that they would not accept his return or provide a refund. Instead, they offered to take back the car and sell him a different one. Tuman, unsatisfied, said he was going to make an official complaint instead. Ideal Automotive responded with threats, saying that they would declare the car “repossessed” if he didn’t fulfill his obligation. Since a repossession could affect Tuman’s security clearance (the military has rules forbidding soldiers with repossessions to hold high security clearance), Tuman was forced to accept the dealership’s mistreatment or jeopardize his career.

Tuman is not alone. Since 2005, the Arizona Business Bureau has reviewed 30 complaints against the parent company of these two dealerships, Johnston Shield, Inc.

The complaints against these dealerships range from refusing to return a deposit, selling trade-ins before deals were finalized, and incorrectly claiming that parts were covered under warranty. According to the Arizona Star there are also claims that the Johnstons sold damaged vehicles and even called the police on customers for what appear to be unfair reasons.

It’s not just the issues with the customers that have the Johnston’s under fire. In July the company filed bankruptcy stating the company owed more the $2.1 million to unsecured creditors including more than $1 million to the IRS and about $283,000 to the Arizona Department of Revenue for sales tax and payroll tax.

Other indiscretions include making finance deals without a license for two years. Although they now have a valid license, the dealership could face serious fines of up to $5,000 a day for each violation. The dealership is also getting heat from the Transportation Department for continuing to issue temporary license plates. There was an order in place to stop them from doing so because the dealer issued plates with the wrong VINs on five separate occasions. This violation will likely mean more fines.

With the mounting expenses, reduced customer base, and bad publicity, the future for Johnston Shields, Inc. is not so bright.

Just a quick search on the Web will turn up a variety of not so savory reviews. Including this one from MerchantCircle.com: “If I could give this business negative stars I would. This company (ran by ex-cons) have done numerous customers wrong and have violated a variety of laws in the process.”

To be fair there are positive reviews on other sites like Edumunds.com. I’m not about to say that everyone has had a bad experience at the Johnston’s dealerships, but from what I can tell most of those that are speaking up don’t have much nice to say.

The lesson? When car shopping, take the time to read online reviews of your local dealers. While every dealership is going to have negative reviews (it’s the nature of the business), watch out for dealerships with an inordinate amount of negative complaints.

Listen to this post.

I stumbled across a scam today that I just had to write about. Here’s the hook:

“Increase your gas mileage 20-90% by adding a supplemental hydrogen generator to your car! A supplemental hydrogen generator works simply enough – you put distilled water in a special canister in your car, and electricity from your car’s battery is used to separate that water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is added to your car’s fuel because hydrogen burns very well (hydrogen is a very combustible gas), and it reduces the amount of gas you use! The oxygen is added to the air your car breathes in. Oxygen is needed for combustion, and more of it makes your car more efficient. One gallon of water is enough to provide oxygen and hydrogen for hundreds of miles!“

Here’s a nice graphic of the system.

The hook is followed by lines like “the secret the oil companies don’t want you to know” or “automakers and oil companies are working to keep this technology out of your hands”, etc. The websites (which I won’t link to because they’re a complete and total rip-off) even sell parts or entire mechanisms for adding a separator to your car. Unfortunately, there’s a problem with this idea. It doesn’t work! It’s impossible!

Here’s a summary of the system:

Step 1: Using electricity from the battery, the system separates water into oxygen and hydrogen. Keep in mind that the electricity in the battery is simple stored electricity from your engine. The engine creates electricity by turning your alternator, which powers your radio, headlights, turn signals, etc., with any extra charging your car’s battery.

Step 2: The oxygen from the separator is added to your air intake. More oxygen in the air makes for better combustion.

Step 3: The hydrogen from the separator is added to your fuel, reducing the amount of gasoline your car uses.

Step 4: Hydrogen and oxygen re-combine during combustion in your engine, releasing energy and making your car go. Unfortunately, the engine also needs to send electricity to your hydrogen separator in order to continue the process. That brings us back to step one.

At best, this would be a break-even process. While it is true that hydrogen can supplement gasoline, it’s important to remember that whatever energy you added to the water to get it to separate in step 1 doesn’t fall from the sky – it comes from your engine. Whatever power you gain in step 4 goes towards providing energy for step 1.

Here’s the ironic part – adding this equipment will probably reduce your gas mileage. You’re pulling energy out of the engine to break down water, but you’re going to loose some of that energy to electrical resistance in the alternator as it charges the battery, heat loss from the battery and the separator, and probably some combustion efficiency loss because the engine’s computer won’t understand what’s going on (the computer would need to be re-calibrated for the un-naturally high oxygen in the intake air stream, not to mention the hydrogen in the fuel).

There’ s a law called “conservation of energy” – whatever energy we put into something, that’s the most we can get out of it. We add energy to water to make oxygen and hydrogen, but whatever energy we get back can’t be more than we added.

In other words, it’s a scam.