How to Choose the Most Convenient Auto Club (honda parts)
No commentsBy Amy Nutt
Choosing an auto club is a very important choice. It isn’t enough to simply choose whatever auto club program comes your way. That is because each auto club is different in that they have their own set of benefits and price ranges. It is important to explore all of these options in order to find the program that is the right program. The wrong program is going to provide you with things you don’t need and those things you do need won’t be available to you. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, make sure you do your research.
The pros and cons
There are certain pros and cons that must be evaluated when choosing the most convenient auto club. This includes cost, whether or not roadside assistance is included, if travel discounts are offered, and if any other discounts are provided to members. When it comes to cost, the cost of an auto club membership can exceed that of your regular roadside assistance. However, the auto club is going to provide you with more benefits.
As mentioned before, there are possible discounts included for when you travel. There are also discounts possibly included when you’re not traveling. For example, you can eat at a restaurant that honors your auto club card and receive 10% off of your meal total. You can also find discounts at retail outlets and outlets on the internet.
In regards to how the discounts work, a travel discount is going to provide you with savings on vacation packages, rental cars, hotels, cruises, and so much more. The discount is only relevant to traveling and nothing else. Other discounts include the restaurants and the retail outlets. A discount program is very important because that means you’re going to save some money while traveling. That is money that can be used to do something extra or eat at that extra special restaurant. Those discounts can also be the difference between staying in a 3 star hotel and staying in a 4 star hotel.
Roadside assistance
Saving money through auto club discounts is great, but roadside assistance is actually the most important part of an auto club membership. This is because roadside assistance is what is going to assist you if you’re stranded without help. It is very important to learn everything possible about the roadside assistance contained within auto club memberships. Here are the specifics that a good roadside assistance program should possess:
- Towing service: This can pay for the cost of the auto club membership since one towing can cost around $75.
- Tire change service: This is important because a flat tire can occur at anytime. Roadside assistance will summon help to put on your spare tire for you.
- Lockout service: Everyone locks their keys in their car at one time or another. Having a locksmith get the keys out of your car can cost around $30 to $40. Having this assistance provided by your auto club’s roadside assistance is included in your membership.
- Gas and battery service: If you run out of gas, roadside assistance includes gas to be brought to you so that you can get to the next gas station and fill up. They should also give your battery a jump if your battery dies.
All of these services should be included in roadside assistance, so make sure that they are. These services will ensure that you do not become stranded in an unfamiliar or dangerous place.
Do your research
So make sure you do your research before choosing an auto club. Make sure that you can use all of the services provided and that you’re not paying for services you can’t use. Everyone needs to have an auto club membership. Everyone just doesn’t need the same package.
Auto club offering emergency roadside assistance,travel packages and insurance in Ontario. You can participate in our petro points rewards offer.
“Carputers” Becoming Options On The Open Market
By Mike Trudel
If your fingers itch for a touch screen even during the morning commute, there may be a solution — particularly when you’re carpooling in the passenger seat and have a minute to play. Vehicles are now being released with “carputers” or “carPCs” as an option, not just as a retrofit. A familiar type of “carPC” to most folks is a Global Positioning System (GPS). According to an online encyclopedia, a GPS device is much like a limited laptop running GPS software.
Basic Specs and Tech:
“Carputer” machines consist of a motherboard, processor and memory and data storage method, such as a hard drive or solid state flash memory. Interface hardware depends on non-distracting options to interact with the “carPC,” such as wireless protocols, which are commonly used to connect to GPS devices and mobile phones. Wirelessly connecting and transferring data to and from home computers is also possible.
A well-executed interface is paramount to the machine’s success, and its software runs the computer’s hardware. Good programming allows drivers to use their favorite piece of technology without being distracted. Common operating systems are available and nearly all are customizable.
Making sure “carPCs” keep their juices flowing is a slightly more complicated matter than it is for the average desktop or laptop. The danger lies in the sudden power drain to certain systems that occurs upon start-up or, of course, when the ignition is cut. To suddenly seize a computer’s supply, however, is risky; software can malfunction and data can be lost. To safeguard against this, a DC-DC power supply is often used, which provides a continuous, 12V power stream to the “carputer.” A DC-AC inverter can also be installed, but it tends to use more energy and produce more wasted heat. The right hardware and software combination allows the computer to sense when the main power source has been cut and use what’s left to safely shut down the machine.
Experiments have found that Internet users experience marked levels of frustration when a Web site takes thirty or more seconds to load. Bearing this in mind, imagine how quickly “carputer” popularity would decline without the relay circuits enabling the machine’s devices to start automatically. Without properly relaying circuits, devices such as amplifiers and screens would have to be started manually — something a portion of the general public doesn’t even know how to do anymore.
Before 2000, LCD character displays were the screen of choice for “carPC” builders. Commands were usually sent to the machine through a keyboard with this system. Soon, wireless serial port remotes were made possible, and small television screens became affordable. The majority of first screens were video input only. For over a grand a pop, though, these were hard to justify. Rapidly advancing technology and production increases have recently made touch screens available and affordable.
Lest one thinks these little “carputers” are all business, entertainment features have been added. “CarPCs” now bring nearly all the entertainment comforts of home onto that cross-country trek. Passengers feel like watching a movie? No problem. Playing a video game? Hook ‘er up. Download favorite music, tune in to satellite radio and map the next trip to Europe on advanced GPS software. It’s all there. No more “Maaa-om. Are we there yet?” “Pop in a movie,” says Maaa-om. Or, “do your homework,” which she downloaded from a desktop at home. At last — technology not only brings hope for peace and quiet but also a way to make sure no one gets too lost along the way.
The possibilities are nearly endless. After all, automobiles have already been introduced to the world of high technology. Consider infrared cameras, a variety of hands-free applications, cargo detectors, lane departure and side (blind spot) warning software — these technological offerings are all not only possible but are already being incorporated. Imagine the capabilities modern computers possess. Now imagine that in your car.
Mike Trudel, Freelance Writer.
Delphi Corp. is poised to apply its expertise and know-how to provide vehicle manufacturers and consumers with in-vehicle connectivity. To learn more about Delphi Corp., please visit www.Delphi.com/4Innovation or www.Delphi.com/4Connected.
Automotive Engineers Help Save Lives And Cash
By Mike Trudel
It turns out all those fancy automotive safety devices cannot only help save lives, they can also save cash. According to The Economic Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes, roughly $230.6 billion was exhausted on motor vehicle crashes in 2000 in the U.S. Nearly 42 thousand people perished that year, and 28 million vehicles were damaged.
The same government report also revealed that 5.3 million individuals suffered non-fatal injuries, 39% of all traffic-related deaths were attributed to alcohol and such substance-induced accidents cost about $51 billion. Public tax revenues, amounting to $21 billion, paid the costs incurred by 9% of crashes. That’s $200 for each household in America.
But wait. There’s more. Lost market productivity was estimated at $61 billion, property damage at $59 billion, medical expenses at $32.6 billion and the cost of travel delays at $25.6 billion. Each fatality produced a discounted lifetime cost of approximately $977,000.
Active and passive safety systems developed by automotive engineers and their colleagues may be a bigger part of the answer than we might suspect. Systems currently being developed are addressing both the monetary and safety concerns of our roadways through devices that have automatic responses to dangerous conditions or events. For instance, adaptive cruise control adjusts the speed of the vehicle to maintain a preset time gap from the vehicle ahead. Active night vision uses infrared illuminators to help drivers to see better when driving at night and electronic stability control improves the safety of a vehicle’s handling, helping the driver maintain control of the vehicle.
Surprisingly, perhaps, these are just basic safety features - ranking amongst car navigation systems, keyless entry and hybrid cars as, yes, technological innovations, but old news to vehicle manufacturers. Lane departure and forward collision warning, pre-crash mitigation systems, side alert, pedestrian and road sign recognition systems are part of the new wave. These systems “read” the road using electronics, cameras and sensors. They alert drivers when they are drifting out of the intended lane, have another vehicle in their blind spots, are in danger of crashing or are distracted. These technological gems even respond to unavoidable crashes by enacting safety precautions, such as pretensioning motorized seat belts and applying brakes during the last 400 to 500 milliseconds before a crash, when there is little a driver can do to stop it.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 50% of all crashes involve “driver inattention.” It’s impossible to pinpoint how many crashes could have been avoided if there had only been some alert system warning drivers to pay more attention during critical moments. How many crashes could have been avoided by a single alert, some notification that another vehicle was in a driver’s blind spot? By shaving off four or five miles per hour before a crash by applying the brakes?
And while saving lives and preventing injuries is of the most concern, we cannot, in all reality, ignore the financial repercussions of roadway accidents. Billions upon billions of dollars are lost every year because of these crashes. Medical expenses, property damage and lost productivity are passed on to the average citizen in the form of higher taxes and insurance premiums. What if some percentage of this cost - even if slight - could be lessened by safety systems? One percent of hundreds of billions of dollars, after all, is nothing to scoff at.
Automotive engineers are critical contributors to advancing projects with aspirations of making roads safer. Without their expertise, none of the technology currently available would have been possible and neither would future innovations. What’s more, these talented individuals are integrating these devices so they are more affordable and, thus, more accessible to the masses.
In the near future, a modestly priced vehicle could have a myriad of safety features - forward collision and lane departure warning, road sign and pedestrian recognition, adaptive cruise control, pre-crash mitigation, electronic stability control, side alert. All of it. So kiss some automotive engineers today - hiding in their offices - and tell them you’re proud. They could just save your life … and at least a few bucks on your insurance policy.
Mike Trudel, Freelance Writer.
Delphi Corp. is a leading innovator of automobile safety equipment and technology. To learn about Delphi’s safety advancements, visit www.Delphi.com/4Innovation or www.Delphi.com/4safe
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Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 at 5:00 am and is filed under automotive. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
