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Backup camera systems aren’t just a nifty little gadget. When I was about 13 years old, I parked my bicycle behind a car at a local bait and tackle shop, between the car and the building. I had no idea that the car was parked there because it was going to back up to the garage door to pick up a load of gear. I ran in to the shop and a few minutes later I heard some old man yelling and cursing, and when I looked out I saw my bike halfway under his car, mangled and bent, while the old man’s arms were waiving and he was screaming about a scratch on his bumper. There was a lot of drama involved, my Dad came up, and they came to some agreement, I loaded the remains of my bike in Dad’s truck, and got a stern talking to on the way home about the importance of using the bike rack next to the store. There’s no doubt that it was a horrible memory, as it sticks with me more than 30 years later. This all might have been avoided if cars were equipped with back up cameras in the 80’s.

The leading cause of death for children under the age of 13 in America is vehicle related injury. And Americans spend a lot of time driving. According to the US Transportation Federal Highway Administration, the average American parent drives 15,000 miles a year, which puts America at 4.8 billion total miles a year. That is a LOT of driving. We bring our kids with us on many of those 4.8 billion miles. Going to the park, the babysitter, school functions, dance recitals, and family vacations are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the places we travel in our cars with our children. We dutifully strap our kids in the baby car seat, and take off into the world; it’s the American way. There are car seat laws, and we all know that using them is common sense. Are we keeping our kids as safe as we can though? Here are a few tips and reminders for making sure our next generation arrives safely at every destination.

It’s summertime and for many of us that means it’s time for the annual road trip. Sometimes the trip is spurred by a hot travel deal, and others are long planned bucket list adventure travel. Summer vacation may require travel tickets and lots of time off, or could just be a summer weekend getaway. To maximize your relaxation, you need to know that everything is taken care of. The easiest way to cover all of your bases is to use a checklist. Whether you’re traveling just out of town or across the country, you need to have a plan.

Preparing for your week long vacation or just getting ready to hit the road for a nice long weekend??

Don't forget to Prepare you Vehicle for the journey! Regular maintenance is critical to the life of your vehicle, but it is especially important when heading off for a long trip in the summer heat.  When was your vehicles last tune up?  When was your last oil change?

It’s Friday night after a long week of work, and you’re ready to cut loose. The weatherman is yapping on the news channel about how this weekend will be perfect temperatures and cloudless skies. Your mind wanders to that bike in your garage, and you start thinking about how a ride is in order. Whether you have ridden that bike every day to work this week, or you are just taking it out of the garage from the winter, giving your bike a quick motorcycle check is the best way to start a ride.

Sitting at a motorcycle rally in 1997, I was talking to a grizzled old biker. He was different from the rest of the bikers there; he used a full face helmet and a leather jacket when he rode, even in the heat of summer. He explained to me that I was a ~explicative~ idiot for not wearing a real DOT helmet and that my brain bucket wasn’t worth its weight in doggie droppings. We talked about the price of helmets, and how his was a $500 helmet before the custom paint, so I asked him how much a rider should spend on a helmet. His response has echoed to me ever since. “Well kid, how much is your head worth?”

Thankfully! Pollen does not get inside of your car the way it covers the outside, but it can still cause issues, especially if you or anyone riding with you suffer from spring-time allergies. These simple steps will help you keep the inside of your car as pollen free as the outside.

There are two types of people in the world, those who love detailing a car, and those who prefer to take their ride to a car detailer. Most people spend lots of time in their car commuting to work, grabbing groceries, or even going on vacation. With all that time in your vehicle, there are plenty of chances to spill coffee, let your pet shed, leave fast food in the seat, or watch your kids wipe a PB&J across the back of your headrest.

Contrary to what a lot of car product companies tout, pollen is not 'highly acidic" and will not aggressively eat holes through the metal of your car's body. Pollen is classified as environmental fallout by the EPA. This has a lot less to do with how pollen affects your car than how pollen affects people. So, even if the Ph. of pollen is low, that does not mean that pollen is harmless to your car's finish.