Washing and cleaning your car are definitely parts of taking care of your vehicle, but there are other things that should be done to take care of your vehicle that are even more important.

Checking your oil is something that every driver, regardless of age or gender, should be able to do.  With this said, it is very important that drivers regularly have their oil changed to make sure that their car runs smoothly at all times.

Checking your tire pressure and being able to change a tire are also skills that every driver should have, regardless of age or gender.  If your tire needs air you should also know how to put the air in so that you are driving on safe tires.

Another thing that all drivers should know how to do is to jumpstart the battery in their car.  You should equip your trunk with jumper-cables so that they are available whenever you may need them.

Being a driver comes with responsibilities other than knowing the rules of the road and how to operate a vehicle.  All drivers should know how to properly maintain their automobiles to a certain extent.

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Besides taking your vehicle to a service shop for regular check-ups, there are many steps you can take at home that can keep your car in tip-top shape and save your money in the long run. Make certain you read over the owner’s manual to get a firm understanding about what your specific vehicle requires for routine maintenance.
Checking the oil is the most basic rule preventative maintenance. Inspect your vehicle’s belts and hoses monthly. Replace any worn, frayed or tattered belts. Hoses should not be bulging or brittle. If a hose feels too hard or too soft, it needs to be replaced.
Your engine’s fluids also need to be checked on a monthly basis. If you’re low on brake fluid, add the specific type for your vehicle and check for possible leaks throughout the brake lines. And don’t forget to inspect your windshield wiper blades regularly. Finally, check your tires at routine intervals. Keep them inflated to the recommended pressure and check for any nicks, cuts, gouges or bulges.

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To save gas in your vehicle there are different things that you can do while driving.  One of the first things that you can do is to drive at a slower speed and not accelerate as fast, obviously.

Another thing that you can do is to leave the air-conditioner off or keep the windows rolled up.  Having the AC on uses gasoline and driving with the windows down reduces your mileage.

One other thing that should be practiced is driving at a steady pace through stoplights so that you don’t have to stop at each and every one.

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Though many people believe that drinking and driving is the most dangerous practice that can take place behind the wheel of a vehicle, this may not always be true.  There are some practices, that are very common, that can be just as dangerous as drunk driving, if not more.

Some of the most dangerous practices involve using your cell phone, in some manner, all while driving.  Using your cell phone to make a call can be dangerous if you are dialing or distracted by the conversation that you are having.  Something that can be even more dangerous is texting while driving.  Text messaging involves having to look down at your phone and can be extremely dangerous.  The only safe practice when using a cell phone while driving is to use a blue tooth and that is only if it is really necessary for you to make the phone call.

Some other dangerous activities that people do while they are driving are eating, applying makeup (especially if the rear-view mirror is being used), messing with the radio, or trying to pick something up that is in the floor or back seat.

Let’s all keep our activity while driving to a minimum to ensure that we are safe, as well as other drivers.

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Photo speed traps are unconstitutional! Let me make it clear that I don’t have any moving violations so this is not an article written by a disgruntled driver whose insurance has sky rocketed after wasting money on a fine. Speed traps violate due process and privacy statutes. What’s even worse, they are frequently contracted out to a private vendor who has nothing to do with the law. These businesses are taking your hard earned dollars under the guise of the law.

Many states have funded studies that prove photo speed traps have caused an increase of accidents. In some cases, an 82% accident increase. People panic when they think they’re about to get caught by that camera and slam on their brakes, causing the car behind them to crash into them. Consistent studies have shown that adding an extra second to yellow lights has decreased the accident rate significantly. But why should cities do that? There’s money to be made with photo speed traps.

Let’s talk about due process. People need to fight against photo speed traps. In Los Angeles alone, over $10,000 in tickets were given out last year to people who weren’t driving the car that went through the light. Talk about ineffective. Not only does it cause more accidents, it’s fining innocent people. Photo speed traps don’t regulate drivers, it captures cars. What if your car was stolen that day and you didn’t realize it to report it until the next day? Should you pay for the thieves’ joy ride? What if your son borrowed your car and let his girlfriend drive through the red light? Why are you responsible for that ticket? How’s this making the roads any safer?

Then there’s the issue of privacy. Did you invite the camera into your car? When a television or film company is shooting a project in the streets, they have to get a signed release from anybody who might end up on camera. If you don’t agree to be photographed, then they have no right to do so. First, your privacy in your car is violated. What’s next? Your home? Your bathroom? There are counties in the U.S. where the police department gives out bumper stickers that allow them to randomly search your car. If you place one of these stickers on your bumper, you can be pulled over anytime by the police. Are these people crazy? Have they not heard of Big Brother?

Now what about these private vendors that have been contracted out to handle the light installations and collection of fines? It’s one thing if the fine was collected and used to improve safety in the roads, such as funding safe driving programs or fixing pot holes. But capitalism as the driving force behind these photo speed traps? Why not have children in third world countries process the fines for pennies on the dollar? Why not place a few photo speed traps in war torn regions? Drivers in those countries are always going through red lights to dodge a bullet.

So fight photo speed traps. They’re unconstitutional. And while we’re at it, fight all speed traps. The next time a cop in a major metropolitan city hides behind a bush to capture you going thirty in a twenty-five mile zone; agree to pay the ticket only after he solves the 150 murders and thousands of rape cases that flood those city streets.

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When you’re writing an article about the top ten celebrity traffic stops, there’s always going to be a few names that immediately come to mind: Paris, Lindsay, Britney, Heather. So the easy thing to do is to follow the status quo and pick on the usual suspects. Well, we thought, it’s about time we point out that the male celebrities might just have one up on these lovely ladies.

10. Shia LeBeouf

It’s disappointing. You really think some of these kids are going to be above the typical “I’ve had it so good so let’s just push it a little farther” attitude. And we truly didn’t think Shia was one of these guys. Until he got caught drunk on Sunset and crashed.

9. Robert Downey Jr.

We love this guy and if we knew him personally, we would tell him to just move to Amsterdam. We worked with an editor who edited “Putney Swope” with Robert Downey Sr. According to her, seven year old Robert Jr. spent a lot of time in the pot and alcohol filled editing room with his dad and the other 60’s icons. So it was no surprise to many when he ended up with not just a drunk driving and possession stop; but followed it up by passing out in some poor kid’s bedroom who had no clue as to who he was.

8. Hugh Grant

Now here’s a good one, although not technically a traffic citation. We always knew The Brits were a bit freaky. If we had to keep a stiff upper lip, we’d love to add a Lewd Conduct citation to our resume. So on a Divine Hollywood evening, that’s exactly what Mr. Congeniality did. Bravo to him. Not only did he give Ms. Divine a night to remember, she made out with a whopping $1.5 million in interviews and endorsements. A lover and a humanitarian.

7. Mel Gibson:

We like to dismiss stories of racism in Hollywood. It’s not that they’re not true; it’s just that everyone has something to hide so stop the hypocrisy. So what a funny turn of events after all the anti-Semitic criticism from the Jewish Community over Mel Gibson’s film, that he would be caught yelling “Jews are responsible for all world wars” to a cop. What’s even better? Calling a cop “Sugar Tits!”

6. Eddie Murphy

Really. Did any one believe his Good Samaritan story? We would like to but 4:45 in the morning on Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood, a.k.a. Boys Town. You know your cover is blown when your own television show that made you famous starts doing skits about you.

5. Bill Murray

While we’re on SNL stars, let’s talk about Bill. Following an arrest on a golf cart, yes a golf cart, for driving under the influence in Stockholm; he had the genius to cite American legislation to refuse a breathalyzer. All the Swedish cops could do was take a blood test, which took weeks to get the results. Needless to say, Bill was long gone from Sweden by the time they had any proof.

4. Ozzy Osbourne

You gotta love this guy, and his wife. She was sick of his drinking and driving, so she took his clothes away thinking that would solve his problem. Get real, Sharon, he’s a rock star. So he donned one of her dresses and took a cruise through San Antonio, Texas, eventually landing at The Alamo. When the cops found him, he was happily pissing on the National Monument. Oh what a night!

3. Mickey Rourke

We hate to pick on this guy as we love him as an actor. But he just can’t seem to keep it together. Maybe his recent Golden Globe win and Oscar Nomination will help him turn a new leaf. Maybe he’ll fix things for the love of his dogs. But on one balmy night in Miami, Mickey’s home town, he was pulled over and failed his sobriety test. The beauty of this story isn’t the celebrity of it all. It’s that Mickey was riding a Vespa. A Vespa. This guy’s supposed to be on a Hog!

2. Willie Nelson

There’s nothing special about a music star being pulled over and having a pound and a half of pot on him. What we love about this story is that Willie Nelson is 73. Hot Damn! Let the man keep his pot and give him a medal. He’s a die hard and deserves to live his lifestyle at that age.

1. Nick Nolte

We love Nick! Who cares about his Malibu arrest for a DUI, that’s par for the course with celebrities in Malibu. The bottom line is, Nick took the best celebrity mug shot of all time. Who could forget that fabulous hair? And his comment to the cop who said he was drooling and completely out of control: “Yeah, well, like, that’s just, your opinion, dude!” Drink on Nolte!

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Driving can be a tense and trying time for anyone, especially when stuck in traffic. Consider the following ideas, which can help you stay relaxed, and keep your cool.

As with most things, getting adequate sleep is a deal breaker for most people.  Without enough sleep, you are more likely to feel cranky, annoyed, irritated, resentful, and hostile. Be sure to keep your problems that don’t apply to your car outside of your car. Try to stay as physically comfortable as possible when driving. Pay close attention to your driving tendencies—the things you do most often are the ones that say the most about your driving. If you regularly speed to get to places on time, then you need to reassess the time you give yourself for traveling.

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Aggressive driving, which entails improper operation of a motor vehicle with the intention to scare or harm others, has become more and more common in recent years. The question of “why?” is not easily tackled. It is possible, however, to act in a way that will help prevent aggressive drivers from concentrating on you and your driving.

It is important to consider that aggressive driving is not simply an act of hostility. It can be defined as speeding, tailgating, weaving in and around lanes, neglecting to signal a lane change, or crowding up intersections when lights change. Another possible explanation would be the recent need to prove one’s power, control, and masculinity on the road. What you may perceive as aggressive driving is what another may perceive as racing, competing, or simply showing off.

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Of course, we all know that drinking and driving is one of the most ridiculous and un-safe choices that a person can make.  When you drink and drive you endanger yourself, any passengers you may have, and most importantly, anyone else that may be on the road.

To combat the problem with drunk driving, many law enforcement agencies are setting up checkpoints to catch drunk drivers.  A checkpoint is a road block in which police officers wait for a car to come along and they stop the vehicle to investigate the driver.  The police officers will ask how much you have had to drink that night.  They will also, if they think it is a necessary precaution, give field sobriety tests and breathalyzer tests.

If you fail any of these tests you will be arrested, taken to jail and most likely give a DUI or a DWI.  Either one of these offenses comes with hefty penalties, like extended jail time and loosing your license, as well as large fines.

The moral of the story is: If you drink and drive, you will get caught, so just don’t do it!

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Buying a car can be a time-consuming and difficult decision making process. Every person needs their car for certain reasons and for certain features that it may embody. Choosing the right vehicle for your lifestyle is very important so that you get the best use out of it possible.

If you are a person who has a lot of passengers, like a parent of children who are involved in all kinds of activities then a mini-van or SUV may be right for you. These types of vehicles are able to fit quite a few people in them and can come with many entertainment options for the children. If you are someone who must travel, going from appointment to appointment, in your vehicle then it is best to get a car that has really good gas mileage. Those that live in the mountains, or in regions with a great deal of hills, should seriously consider purchasing an SUV of some sort that has four-wheel drive so that they are able to make it up the hills and mountains.

The choice that you make for the car that you drive really has an effect on your on-the-road experience and making your life more convenient.

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