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Beware! Ghosts and goblins, Batmen and mermaids will be roaming the streets again at sunset on October 31st! Many of us think about the kids in the neighborhood, but these days there are folks on every street enjoying the Halloween spirit! Halloween should be a happy day, but the American College of Emergency Physicians notes that twice as many kids are hit and killed on Halloween than any other day of the year. Here are 10 safety tips to help you and your loved ones safe this holiday!

Consider these factors before you take sides.

Oh my gosh! Ask 20 different people about the pros and cons of buying a new car vs. buying a used car and you'll most likely get 20 different answers split 50/50 on the reasons why they prefer to buy a new car over a used car or a used car over a new car.

When it comes to purchasing a "new to you" vehicle, there are many factors to consider, but in reality it simply comes down to two (with some gray area overlap in the middle); 1. Financial status, and 2. Personal preferences.

CREDIT. Everyone wants good credit, but everyone hates credit. According to NerdWallet, “the average U.S. household with debt carries $15,310 in credit card debt and $132,086 in total debt.” Of course, paying your debts on time helps your credit grow stronger, but we know that bad stuff happens, even to the best of us. Bad credit can keep us from buying things that we really need, like cars, and homes. Bad credit can linger in the background of our lives for years as a dark cloud. So what can you do about it? The good news is, it is not too difficult to rebuild credit, fairly quickly.

It's September Already!

....and the kids are back in school. This means it is even more important to be vigilant on the road in Hampton Roads.

It's impossible to miss the herds of yellow school busses rolling through our neighborhoods and plying our secondary roads. Yes, it can be frustrating when you're running late and you find yourself behind a school bus that is stopping every few blocks and you need to go! Shake off that sense of urgency and remember that these yellow beasts are transporting some very special cargo.

You just left the pump, and you are back at the pump already. Gas prices are better than they were a few years ago, but every time you fill your tank, you are emptying your wallet. What can you do about it, though? You have to get to and from work. Otherwise, you will never be able to afford to put gas in your car to get to and from work! Have you been skipping out on trips to the beach or mountains because another tank of gas just is not in the budget? Here are a few tips on how to get better gas mileage.

Every major car manufacturer in the world has predicted fully autonomous vehicles within the next 10 years. In a world filled with cars that already have lane warning systems, backup cameras, GPS systems, automatic emergency braking, and automatic parking systems, this transition seems logical.  New technologies for the auto industry include laser illuminating detection and ranging (LIDAR) and environmental detection systems that can distinguish the difference between a pedestrian and a stop sign. So how long will it be before you can set your car on a circuit and play Pokemon GO?

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.