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5 Smartphone Apps to Make You a Better Driver

On September 19, 2013, in Guest Posts, Managed Fleets, by allisonmreilly
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apps for better drivingEvery day in the United States, nine people are killed because they are distracted by texting while driving. Car technology is growing more sophisticated, and the ability to merge mobile technology with auto technology is enabling safer driving. These are the top apps that save lives by helping drivers focus on driving:

Drive Safe.ly-Apps for New Drivers

Drive Safe.ly is an app created by State Farm auto insurance. It provides drivers with a safer way to stay in contact with their friends, family and even coworkers. The app was created because not everyone can resist the temptation of texting and driving. The app allows drivers to program the audio part of their phone to read text and emails out loud as texts or emails are received. The benefit of this app is that drivers are able to keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the steering wheel. Everyone benefits when drivers are smarter about their actions.

Apps That Get You Where You Need to Be

Nokia Here Drive not only helps you find where you need to go, but also it helps to alert you when you are speeding. The device was designed to save people money by making maps that are downloadable, so users do not eat up data usage with GPS that may or not be working. Drivers can concentrate on driving rather than finding their way.

Apps That Entertain You

Spotify is a broad connection music app that not only works on your cell phone, but on your computer and other mobile devices. You can search songs and artists or Spotify can make suggestions for you. Drivers can focus on driving and stop searching for music on the radio, changing CDs or fussing with their MP3 player. They offer a free and premium membership.

Roadside Assistance

AAA Roadside app works with the roadside assistance features that come with carrying the AAA card. Dead battery, lockout or even a tow are all services that can be accessed through the app.

Texts for Parents of Teen Drivers

The Canary app is designed to alert parents when their teens are engaged in dangerous behaviors while driving. It alerts parents when calls are answered or teens are texting, using Facebook or tweeting while driving. The Canary app allows parents to set a maximum speed limit and then notifies the parent when the max speed is exceeded. This is an app that allows teens to learn responsibility while also allowing parents access to information can save teen drivers’ lives.

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The Cost of Underinflated Tires

On September 6, 2012, in Fuel Efficiency, Tire Care, by allisonmreilly
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underinflated tiresAccording to the Rubber Manufacturers Association, only one in six vehicles have four properly inflated tires. This means that over 80 percent of vehicles have at least one under-inflated tire, which can incur huge costs to gas and safety if left unattended.

What’s the Big Deal with Under-inflated Tires?

AAA estimates that 1.2 billion gallons of gas are wasted every year because of under-inflated tires. Those same under-inflated tires can cost the typical driver $600 a year in excess gas. It’s easy to argue that if you just watch your tire pressure and top them off every week, you shouldn’t have that problem. However, how many people are actually going to do that, especially when only 15% of drivers know how to check their tire pressure properly? Even if they were to adhere to that schedule, would they be able to do it in a way that actually eliminates that extra cost?

If people aren’t using a tire pressure gauge to check their tire pressure, then how are they doing it (if they are doing it at all)? Well, they could be going by appearance or by the warning light system on their dashboard. However, a tire can be up to 12 pounds low, or 40% low, before it shows any visible signs of being under-inflated. Also, the warning system doesn’t light up until your tires are 25% too low. That kind of under-inflation can cost a lot of money, as well as increase your risk for a car accident. Keep in mind that if your tire needs to be at 35 PSI, even 34 PSI is considered under-inflation and is already wasting gas and putting you at increased risk for a car accident.

Under-inflated Tires are a Huge Safety Problem

So, it’ll cost you in money and gas. Not a big deal if you have a lot of money. However, under-inflated tires are also a safety risk. The biggest safety risk is that driving on those under-inflated tires makes them bend more, increasing their internal heat. The hotter your tires are, the more flexible they become, putting them at increased risk for a blowout if you were to drive over a pothole or take a sharp turn. This increased flexibility also reduces traction, diminishing your vehicle’s handling, making it harder to keep in control in case you need to react quickly or in the case of an accident.

Every month, your tires will lose one to two pounds of pressure, so simply doing the regular maintenance every 3000 miles isn’t enough for tire maintenance and safety. Unfortunately, there’s no way to prevent this from happening.

How Do You Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated?

The best way to keep your tires at their proper tire pressure is with nitrogen tire inflation. Nitrogen tire inflation has been found to maintain proper tire pressure for a longer period of time, which boosts fuel efficiency, tire safety, and tire life. Yes, tire life. The increased wear and tear and increased use of fuel is also hard on your tires, causing them to wear out 50% faster than properly inflated tires (and costing you an extra $150 a year). If interested implementing nitrogen tire inflation into your tire maintenance or managed fleet program, then contact us today.

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Summer Driving Season: More Cars, Lower Gas Prices

On May 17, 2012, in Fuel Efficiency, Nitrogen Tire Inflation, by allisonmreilly
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summer driving season

Prepare for the summer driving season with nitrogen tire inflation

Memorial Day is next weekend, marking the beginning of the summer driving season. As many folks around the country plan trips and vacations, there’s a couple of things that will be going on in the coming months that motorists ought to be aware of.

First, according to AAA, is that car travel is expected to increase this year. It’s projected that 30.7 million people will be on the roads over the long weekend, although they will be making shorter trips than last year. Nonetheless, with more people on the roads, safety should still be a top concern. If something happens, you are more like to cause problems and/or to be a hazard to others traveling during the weekend and throughout the summer driving season. Make sure that your car is in top shape before starting on your trip.

Second, gas prices are the lowest they’ve been since February, making the summer driving season much more appealing this year than in previous years. Gas prices have decreased slightly to $3.78 a gallon, down about 4 cents from a week ago and down 15.5 cents in the past month. However, it’s also projected that these gas prices aren’t going to hold throughout the entire summer travel season, as Edward Morse, head of commodities research at Citigroup, said in the Washington Post that “It’s still a tight market, and summer gasoline is hard for refiners to make. We don’t think the worst is over for consumers, and I’d be surprised if there is not another price pickup before the July Fourth weekend.”

Gas prices shouldn’t scare anyone away from taking a quick vacation this summer or going to see family, but a great way to improve your vehicle for safety as well as improve your fuel efficiency is with nitrogen tire inflation. By making the small change from air to nitrogen in your tires, you’ll be able to maintain proper tire pressure for a longer period of time. That alone makes a big different to tire life, tire safety, and tire performance; all good things when going on a road trip.

Make memorial day weekend a memorable one for the right reasons, not because you ended up getting a flat or overspent on gas. Make it an enjoyable trip by making it a safe one.

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More Auto Makers are Ditching Spare Tires: What You Can Do to Make up that Difference

On June 23, 2011, in Nitrogen Tire Inflation, Proper Tire Pressure, Tire Care, by allisonmreilly
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Nitrogen Tire Inflation

Automakers are taking away spares that are used to solve problems like this. Be proactive about flat tires with nitrogen tire inflation.

Automakers are now opting for tire repair kits and run-flat tires instead of spare tires, saying this move will increase fuel efficiency, reduce weight, lower costs, and conveniently leave consumers with more room in their trunks. According to a Los Angeles Times review of data and specifications, about 13% of the more than one million vehicles sold in the U.S. did not offer an extra tire as standard equipment. And that’s just in the last month.

“All manufacturers are looking at this,” said Alan Batey, U.S. vice president of Chevrolet sales and service. “This is one opportunity to get weight out of vehicles and make them more fuel efficient… It will take some time for people to understand this technology.”

Here are some of the new models that will not come with a spare tire:

  • Chevrolet Cruze (tire sealant and inflator kit standard, optional compact spare tire and spare wheel available on all but Cruze Eco)
  • Chevrolet Malibu (tire sealant and inflator kit standard, optional compact spare tire and spare wheel available on all models)
  • 2012 Buick Regal GS (and upcoming e-Assist hybrid versions of Regal and LaCrosse); note the 2011 Buick CXL and CXL Turbo come with standard 16-inch and 17-inch compact spare tire, respectively
  • 2012 Kia Optima (some versions, according to the Los Angeles Times)
  • BMW (run-flat tires standard on nearly every model, according to Edmunds)

AAA expects 1.2 million people will call for help this summer. Many will be flats, but the agency says that many of those could be avoided if people took care of their tires properly. Flat tire roadside assistance increased 2% last year after declining for many years. Local AAA officials said they did not know the reason for the increase. Why wait until a flat tire or a blowout to realize you don’t have a spare tire? Something you can do right now to prevent yourself from being one of those 1.2 million people is to give your tires a tune up with nitrogen tire inflation.

Having nitrogen in tires maintains proper tire pressure for a longer period of time, serving as better protection against those blowouts and flat tires. Putting nitrogen in tires also turns them into hybrid tires, extending the life of the tire and additionally increasing the fuel efficiency of your vehicle (along with the absence of a spare). If you are considering this option, a great nitrogen tire dealer is Nitrofleet99.

If you are one of those people who likes having the spare tire, they aren’t completely going away, yet, Some automakers are offering the option of a spare for an additional charge. If you have a spare, or are opting for the spare, make sure it retains its proper tire pressure like the rest of your tires with nitrogen tire inflation.

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Prep Your Tires for the Summer Travel Season

On May 27, 2011, in Fuel Efficiency, Hybrid Tires, Nitrogen Tire Inflation, Proper Tire Pressure, Tire Care, by allisonmreilly
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proper tire pressure

Don’t forget to check the tire pressure of your spare tire as well as your regular four.

With Memorial Day weekend  just around the corner, AAA projects that over 30 million Americans will travel during those three days alone. For the entire summer travel season, which runs from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, the organization estimates that 8.7 million motorists will get stranded on the roadways. Don’t be one of them by making sure all five of your tires are properly inflated.

“Roughly 1.2 million drivers will call AAA for help with a flat tire during the summer travel season, and many of those problems could be avoided by inspecting the tires before hitting the road,” said John Nielsen, AAA Director of Auto Repair, Buying Services and Consumer Information. “Tire inspections are simple to perform. The only tools needed are a quarter and a tire pressure gauge.” Nielsen further explained that 85 percent of drivers “do not know how to properly inflate their tires, and more than half of all cars on the road have at least one under-inflated tire.”

While we can’t prevent every possible disaster that can happen on the road, we can at least make sure our tires are properly inflated and stay that way throughout the summer. The best way to do that is to utilize nitrogen tire inflation. Nitrogen tire inflation is simply filling up your tires (or topping them off) with nitrogen instead of air. Nitrogen enables more stable tire pressure for longer periods of time, thereby reducing the chances for a blowout. That’s good news if you’re planning to drive at some point during the travel season.

Properly inflated tires also can reduce fuel costs during a trip. The Department of Energy reports that correctly inflating all four tires can improve fuel economy by up to three percent, which is equivalent to as much as to 12 cents per gallon. As rising gas prices are doing little to keep Americans at home this summer, any and every way to save gas money is a good idea.

So, where can you go to get your tires inflated with nitrogen? Is this a service you can just ask for at your local mechanic? Well, not yet. But, a recommended dealer of these hybrid tires is Nitrofleet99. Keep in mind that it’s not necessary for you to remove all the air from your tire before seeing the benefits of nitrogen. You can still just top your tires off with nitrogen to keep them properly inflated.

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