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Making Your Car Safer For The Road With Technology

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Driving can be a dangerous game. There are so many thousands of drivers on the roads just in your area every day, and each of them will have their own view on what safe driving is.

To ensure that you are always safe on the road, companies like American Traffic Solutions will install cameras, traffic lights, warning signs and diversions to ensure we stay safe. However, the safety of ourselves and the people around us is not only down to the authorities. We have a responsibility to make sure that we drive safely and that our car is safe to drive.

There are some great pieces of tech we can install into our cars which make driving much safer, and therefore being on the roads a less hazardous affair.

Rear-view camera

One of the things which can make a massive difference to the way we drive our vehicles is the ability to see where we are reversing. Rather than you having to guess where the cars are in each side of when reversing into a bay, the camera will show you and make it easier for you to drive. It also means that if anything appears at the back of the car such as a cat, you can avoid hitting it.

Phone technology

One of the most common causes of road accidents is texting or talking on the phone while driving. Having your phone either lifted up to your ear or under your steering wheel is a huge danger to you and everyone around you. The great thing is that you can get a car which has the ability to stop you from using your phone on the road. Most newer models will now have Bluetooth in the onboard system which will allow you to connect your phone and talk hands free. Another great feature which Ford has introduced is the ability for your car to read message out to you. This saves you being tempted to take your eyes off the road when you receive a message. You are then able to auto reply with ‘Call me back later’ and carry on your drive.

Lane Keeping

Don’t you just hate it when people swerve in and out of lanes for no reason? This can happen especially when a driver isn’t paying attention to the road. Luckily, many cars can now detect a subtle change in lane positioning and will correct this automatically. It means that if a driver is too busy texting to pay attention to the road. The car will move itself back into the lane and stay there.

Collision Prevention

You may remember your driving lessons when one day your instructor told you to break in the middle of the road. Learning how to emergency stop is a skill you are taught in case of an accident, however sometimes you simply cannot predict what will happen. The great thing is, some cars will do it for you. The Honda Accord for example will sense an accident happening and slam the brakes on before you even notice what it happening, it can save your life, and it will certainly make your car much safer on the road.

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Your Car Is More Than Just Transportation. Here’s Why!

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For most people, their car is just a way to get from A to B. It’s a handy tool that can help them get around in their day to day life, but it doesn’t bring them any extra benefits apart from being a convenient mode of transport. However, it is a very expensive mode of transport. Sure something this expensive should bring more benefits to your life than just a form of transport? Well, thankfully, it can! Your car doesn’t just have to used to getting you from A and B. Here are some other great ways you might want to benefit from your little auto.

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Money Maker

Your car doesn’t just have to drain your finances – it can actually be a nice little money maker and can bring you a small extra income if you are smart with it. Have you already heard of the likes of Uber and Lyft? These platforms give you the chance of becoming a taxi driver and making some cash from transporting people around using your car. The great thing about these kinds of platforms is that they give you the chance to be as flexible as you want to be with your work. You can take to the road and pick people up at times to suit you, so you can be your own boss!

Marketing Opportunity

Do you have your own small business? If so, then your car could be turned into an extra marketing tool. Wraps for cars and trucks are a great way to get your company name out there so that more of the public will encounter it. All that you need to do is pay to have a wrap designed with your company’s logo and branding. This will then be applied to the exterior of your car. You will then have a nifty little advert on the side of your car that everyone will see next time you go out for a drive!

Status Symbol

There are lots of people out there who use their car as a status symbol to show off their wealth and assets. Even if you aren’t the wealthiest person in the world, there will still be a really cool car out there that reflects your personality and street credit. One of the most obvious go-tos for a status symbol has to be a sports car. If you can’t afford a brand new Lamborghini, you could simply buy a chic second-hand sports car – it may have a previous owner, but it will still ooze coolness!

Stress Reliever

Some people see their car as a stress reliever. Whenever they are feeling stressed, they will simply jump in their car and go for a long drive. It doesn’t really matter where they go as the action of driving can help some people really calm down and unwind. If you need some extra calm, you could always take a drive to a peaceful rural location.

So, why use your car as just a mode of transportation when you could use it one of the ways above?

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Are You Worried About Buying Used Cars?

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The investment

When it comes to buying cars, it’s generally a pretty big payment, which means you need to make sure you know what you’re getting. There’s a lot of risks when going for used though, as you might find that it has faults of its own, which you would have to deal with if you made the purchase. It’s always best to have someone come and look at it to make sure it’s what you’re after, and perhaps you should take it for a test-drive.

(Source: Pexels)

Why used?

Generally, buying a used car over a new car means you’ll be saving a significant amount of money, which makes the risk of faults well worth it. Many car owners out there don’t care too much for having a brand new, bright and shining car, and can get on fine with a similar model that has one or two small scratches on it. When you look it at like that, it almost makes buying a new car a waste of money, especially if you can’t find any faults on a pre-owned one. You also should consider, any flaws in the car would likely knock the price down a bit, and it’s just a matter of dealing with, or restoring it.

Imagine you find yourself a used car that you really like the model of, and you’re willing to deal with its faults if it means you can own it. The problem here would be that you would need a way to replace any of its faulty pieces, and in some cases that can be quite difficult. If a car isn’t a very commonly desired product, then you may have a lot of trouble trying to locate and buy the right parts for it, so it’s generally better to find out beforehand that you can fix it. You’d do a good job to check around online, and look for things like genuine Vauxhall parts & accessories, and if you’re lucky, you can find products right for you. You should always be prepared to have to put in the extra effort when you’re buying used, especially if you want to buy it knowing there’s a problem. Most people might part with the idea of making that purchase, and move onto another; however, there are times where the idea of owning that specific vehicle can outweigh the costs and effort that you would have to put in.

Your first car?

In most cases, when it comes to buying your first car, it’s usually a used model. Firstly, your lack of experience should indicate that buying a new car would be wasteful and potentially riskier on the financial side. Secondly, most people who are getting their first car are still in education or new to working, and it’s the most they can afford. There’s a lot more than just the base cost of the car that you should be considering because there are constant costs that you’ll have to cover during use. You need to be prepared for insurance, gas prices and maintenance; else you’re likely to be off of the road for longer than you would expect. You’re not legally allowed to drive without insurance, and the other two are physical roadblocks for your car’s driving ability. All of these together can be very expensive, so making sure you have some extra money on the side before a purchase can be a real lifesaver.

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Maintenance Musts: Essential Steps Every Electric Car Owner Should Take

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Every car owner should take steps to keep their vehicle in tip-top condition. If you’re prepared to look after your car, you’re likely to save money on repairs, and your wagon will be worth more if you ever come to sell. Electric cars are a different proposition to traditional motors, but this doesn’t mean that maintenance is any less important. Here are some essentials for every electric car owner.

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Servicing

All cars, regardless of the type of technology or fuel they use, need to be serviced on a regular basis. Servicing involves a series of basic and routine checks, which are designed to ensure that the car is running well and reduce the risk of problems developing. You have to pay for a service, but keeping up to date with services could save you a huge amount of money in the long-term. Servicing an electric vehicle is often more straightforward and therefore cheaper than traditional cars, as there are fewer parts and the mechanisms are simpler. If your car is due a service, look for local garages that offer maintenance checks for electric cars.

Cleaning and polishing

If you’re a driver who takes pride in the appearance of their car, microfiber car wash towels are an excellent investment. Cleaning won’t prolong your car’s life expectancy, but it’ll make the car look more attractive, it will enhance the driving experience, and it’ll make the vehicle more marketable if you come to sell. If you use a car for business purposes, cleaning and polishing the vehicle will help to give off the right impression and enhance the appeal of your brand.

Taking care of your battery

There may be different guidelines for optimum charging for different makes and models, but it’s important to take care of your battery regardless of the type of car you drive. Nissan recommends charging the battery to 80 percent, rather than 100 percent to prolong the life of the battery. Check with the manufacturer so that you get the best out of your battery. While it may not always be the best option to drive with a full battery, it’s certainly not advisable to run your car on empty. Avoid getting to the stage where the battery is on 1 percent.

Tire tips

All drivers should check their tire pressure and tread depth on a regular basis. If your tires are worn, or they’re under-inflated, this can affect the driving experience, as well as putting you and other drivers at risk. Check the air pressure before long journeys and take a minute to inspect the surfaces of the tires. If the pressure is running low and you’ve only just pumped the tires up, you may have a slow puncture, and it’s worth trying to repair the tire or replacing it with a spare.

If you own an electric car, it makes sense to try and keep it in pristine condition for as long as possible. Taking good care of your car will enhance safety, save on repair costs and boost the value if you choose to sell.

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Your “Electric” Bill…

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Electric Car Charging Pavement Marking

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Practicalities aside, running an electric car, it appears, is full of various expenses. But is this really true? The thing, of course, with any electric car is that you are benefiting the planet, but is this a detriment to your wallet? Let’s break down the various costs essential to keeping an electric car running, and the upfront costs that you need, as well as the other pertinent aspects.

The Cost Of The Car

The first thing to notice is that these cars cost a lot more front than a standard vehicle. As far as average cost is concerned, the best-selling electric car in the United Kingdom, the Nissan LEAF, costs roughly £8,000 more than the most popular petrol car in the country, the Ford Fiesta. But the difference is bearable in some respects. The UK government will give grants towards the cost of electric cars, up to £4,500. The cost upfront is quite a dent in your savings. You could go for the cheaper models that are exempt from road tax, but with these ones you are looking at less than £40,000. As far as the impact on the environment is concerned, it is something worth considering, and based on your finances, you might start looking for the best place to get a personal loan, so you can make this upfront payment because you will recoup the costs in other ways…

The Running Costs

The one thing that is glaringly obvious is the lack of petrol costs, and so when you are looking at an electric vehicle battery, the charge for every 100 miles is between £2 and £4. So, straight away, if you can get roughly 300 miles out of a 1.2-litre tank, which costs roughly between £35 and £40, you’ve got a major saving! The most recent Tesla model offers 335 miles as a maximum range and the Nissan LEAF needs charging after 100 miles. As far the practicalities are concerned, as long as you have charging points dotted around your destinations, there is a major saving to be had. The other factors to consider in terms of getting the most mileage out of your electric car is what time of year you drive it, as well as if you like to listen to music in your car! The more in-car functions you use, the quicker it will drain the battery. It’s worth bearing this in mind.

The Other Concern

We all need to change the battery on occasion. This does depend on the model car that you buy. A Nissan LEAF, with a 30kWh battery, is covered for 8 years or 100,000 miles, whichever one you hit first. But will you look at the battery pack in the Tesla Model S, it only loses 8% of its battery life after 100,000 miles.

The Verdict

Overall, mathematics needs to be your strong point, and you need to calculate right now if it’s worth your expenditure. Apart from the benefits to the planet, and the value it can retain if you keep it safe, despite the government funding you can get right now, lots of people find that it’s too much of a dent in their wallet. However, petrol cars are going to be outlawed in 2040 in the United Kingdom, so it’s time to start saving!

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Truckers of the World: Electric Is Coming!

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Most of the focus on commercial electric vehicles has focused on cars over the past few years, but there have been huge developments in trucking, too. And if you are a truck owner or – more importantly – drive one for a living, you might be watching on with baited breath.

The dawn of electric-fueled trucks is almost upon us, according to recent reports. And it could have an enormous impact in a broad array of areas. Let’s take a look at everything we know so far, and what we might expect in the future.

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Tesla

Back in November of 2017, Elon Musk revealed his plans for Tesla to release a fully electric Semi truck. It can travel 500 miles with haulage of 80,000 pounds on a single charge and is semi-autonomous. It comes equipped with Enhanced Autopilot, which means the truck can effectively brake, keep lane, and automatically signal for lane departures.

Thor Trucks

However, Tesla might be beaten to the market by Thor Trucks. Their ET-One is an incredible looking vehicle that has been cobbled together with parts from lots of other tractor-trailers and has a 300-mile range carrying 80,0000 pounds of weight. And most importantly, the tech behind it proves that fossil-fuel burning trucks can be converted into electrically powered vehicles and that Thor Trucks reckon it will be ready to sell far quicker than Tesla’s version.

Truck drivers today

Is this bad news for the truck drivers of today? Possibly – and it might happen sooner than most people think. Trucking is a big opportunity for anyone with a barrier to entry to traditional jobs, and given the gig doesn’t require an education, it’s heavily unionized and, in effect, relatively well paid. If electric trucks come to the market – and are automated, as expected – where will these people look for work? And given the huge industry around trucking – from diesel truck mechanics through to logistics experts – it could have a deep impact. While truck driving isn’t the greatest job in the world, it is in demand, so what will happen wants it isn’t?

The truck drivers of tomorrow

Ultimately, the world is quite ready for full automation in cars – let alone gargantuan sized vehicles like trucks. But as soon as automation comes in, the reality is that people will get used to it fairly quickly, as long as there aren’t too many major incidents. But even so, truck drivers will lose their jobs. Take what Peloton Technology are doing as the perfect example. Their idea is to create platoons of trucks that travel in convoy, with only the first truck having a driver – all the others are controlled from one cockpit. And the effect could be huge – Goldman Sachs has estimated that automation could see 300,000 jobs going every year around the world.

Conclusion

That’s a lot of jobs disappearing – and a lot of people out of work. And the most surprising thing is that the technologists and policymakers behind all this work don’t seem to be considering the damage they might leave behind. Most people are all about embracing the future, of course, but truckers? They might not be so happy.