Steps to Buying GREAT Auto Insurance

Steps to Buying GREAT Auto Insurance

We’re car people.  From the accents and contours of a vehicle, to the drive and adrenaline of a fast car, we have a certain appreciation for the automotive machine.  As our passion, we’re great at finding a perfect fit for our customers.  When it comes to auto insurance, you want to be covered in the case you get into a fender bender.  So, in an effort to ease the burden, we’re providing 5 tips for finding the right coverage at the right price.  By doing some comparison shopping, you could save hundreds a year.  

Find the Right Coverage

Your first step should be to find a list of what is required in the state.  You can visit this link to find out: http://www.edmunds.com/auto-insurance/how-much-car-insurance-do-you-need.html this will provide the minimum of what is required. Once you have that, you should decide what insurance premium you need.  Your decision depends on your degree of comfort and a certain level of risk.  According to Edmunds:

“Experts recommend that if you have a lot of assets, you should get enough liability coverage to protect them. Let's say you have $50,000 of bodily injury liability coverage but $100,000 in personal assets. If you're at fault in an accident, attorneys for the other party could go after you for the $50,000 in medical bills that aren't covered by your policy.”

Also, you don’t have to buy collision and comprehensive damage, especially if your vehicle is older than 2000.

Check Your Driving Record

How many tickets have you had recently? By checking your state’s department of motor vehicles, you can have a better idea of how you stack up.  For example, if points you earned on your license are about to disappear, this will improve your driving record.  So, we would recommend you wait until that happens before you receive quotes.

Solicit Competitive Quotes

You will need:

o   Current Policy

o   License Number

o   Vehicle Registration

Check out insurance company websites and receive a quote.  It’s easy to type in your information and build a list of companies for comparative quotes.  Each quote takes about 15 minutes to complete, but shopping around can save you hundreds.  Think about the annual and monthly rates for different types of coverage, note the 800 number so you can get more direct answers, and pay close attention to the insurance company payment policy. 

These are just a few tips to get you started.  For more info visit your favorite insurance company website for details.

Is your car stinky? Read this before you use an Air Freshener.

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Other than masking the odor of your automobile what good are Car Air Fresheners?  Can you re-use them? Do they have other significant uses? Why do we use these scent avengers? This week’s blog might enlighten you more about the heavily perfumed ornaments that you never knew before.  If anything you can impress your friends at your next party with this incredible knowledge you are about inquire.  First let’s look at the history of the Car Air Freshener and then we can touch base on the rest..

The little tree car air freshener was created 60 years ago in Watertown N.Y. by Julius Samann.  Samann, was listening to a milk  man complain about the stench of spoiled milk.  It just happened to be,  Samann was also a chemist who was studying  tree smells in Canada.  He patented his invention known as “Little Trees” and before you knew it every Lucky Strike smoker in the late 50’s had a tree dangling from the rear view mirror.   The scented trees have been dancing around happily in front windshields everywhere.  Other than the obvious rear view mirror with the foil string how else are these gadgets placed?  Perhaps your laundry room needs a bit of an uplift? Why not place them in a closet? No matter where you put them there are so many types to choose.

The great thing about these marvelous breeze  smelling items is that you can find one just right for you almost anywhere.  Every chain store sells them.  The car was sells these doodads. And there is a variety of places to display them. They can be clipped in front of a vent or kept in a tin pot inside a cup holder.  They can also be sprinkled on your carpet or stuck on your dash.  However way you display them look out for two things 1.) Make sure they are not going to damage your car  2.) Make sure they are safe for your environment.  

One of the reasons that Car Air Fresheners may not be safe is due to the chemicals that they are made with.  They can be made with Aerosols or they can be oil based.

Be sure to read what they are made of.  Basically they could be polluting the air in your cabin so be sure to read your labels.  A.F.’s could be toxic so read your labels!  Look for organic air fresheners that are oil based and provide more of an aromatherapy instead of a gas chamber of smells. Also make sure you aren’t leaving them somewhere a child or animal can ingest them. They can be very deceptive to a child or a dog by looking like Hello Kitty or candy.  Think about it!

The other thing to think about is there longevity of smells.  Below is a chart that can help you determine the best for your buck when it comes to your cars essence.

Hopefully this gave you some additional points on Car Fresheners.  Contact us for more information at KTEAM Used Cars.

Safe Driving Tips for the Holidays

It’s an exciting and hectic time.  If you’ve been running around frantically, searching for the best gift, buying decorations, or trying to balance work and home life lately, you’re not alone.  The holidays are a time of love, compassion and the occasional MAYHEM.  While you’re out and about this time of year, take precaution.  Traffic is heavy this time of year and its important to still keep your driving skills up to par.  Here are some tips on maintaining your safety this holiday season.

Vehicle Maintenance

Get a tune up and make sure your car is prepared for travel if you’re taking a road trip.  This is CRUCIAL, especially regarding winter driving conditions.

Restrain Yourself Properly

This should be the norm.  Remember, the rear seat is the safest place for any children to ride.

Stay Alert and Energized

Take plenty of breaks and don’t push to meet unrealistic schedules like finishing all of your holiday shopping in a few hours.  If you feel yourself getting tired, pull over into a rest area or business, and get out and stretch.  If that doesn’t work, find a place to rest.  These crashes most often occur during the late night/early morning hours and the late afternoon hours to drivers who are sleepy.

Keep Speed Down

Hey, Ricky Bobby, give yourself plenty of time and distance to react to the traffic around you.  Let impatient and aggressive drivers pass you.

Choose a Designated Driver

There will be tons of intoxicated drivers on the roadways.  If you absolutely have to drive during this time of year always have a designated driver.

So, do you have any tips?  Feel free to comment below!

Drive safely this holiday season with our blog tips!

7 facts about texting that can save a life

7 Facts About Texting That Can Save a Life

Multitasking has increased in the last few years to astronomical heights.  With one hand and a smartphone you can watch a YouTube video, send an email, play a game, voice chat and place a call in a five-minute span.  However, with much power comes much responsibility because NOW that we have this access 24-7, it has carried over into our driving habits. 

For some time, researchers have been telling us to focus only on driving, quoting a greatly increased chance of accident, injury and death when we distractedly call a friend or answer a ringing cell phone.

Now, new research has revealed the most dangerous driver distraction of all: texting.

A study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, along with prior studies by Liberty Mutual Insurance and state-funded organizations located online, reveals the shocking statistics of texting behind the wheel:

·      Texting while driving increases the risk of accident 23.2 times over unimpaired driving.

·      Texting while driving results in longer response times than even drunken driving. While an unimpaired driver can respond quickly to changes in traffic and begin braking within half a second, a legally drunk driver needs four additional feet to begin braking—and a driver who’s texting needs 70.

·      In the moments before a crash or near crash, drivers typically spend nearly five seconds looking at their mobile devices—enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more area than the length of a football field.

·      Though 95 percent of drivers surveyed said texting behind the wheel was unacceptable and unsafe, at least 21 percent admit to doing it anyway.

·      Especially amongst teens, texting results in erratic driving behavior, like lane weaving and speeding up and down, increasing the likelihood of hurting pedestrians and running into other vehicles.

·      Texting behind the wheel is generational: 37 percent of drivers 18 to 27 admit to texting while driving, compared to 14 percent of 28 to 44 year olds, and 2 percent of 45 to 60 year olds.

·      An accident can happen in two to three seconds while texting.

Check out this weeks blog and find out what the guys at Sirius Radio are doing now

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Those folks at Sirius XM are going after some real serious business.  The company has been in business for close to a decade and reaches close to 4 million square miles across the U.S.  They have a record revenue of $897 million dollars in sales.  This company is expecting to add another 1.6 million listeners to their 24.4 million listeners by the end of this year.  Not only are they dialed in to countless vehicles, they are also able to go 200 miles offshore making it great for boating and use in airplanes.  Sirius XM looks to complete its projected goals for getting more involved with the auto industry.

Sirius XM has been working on an infotainment platform. Entertainment with Sirius includes a large, more tailored footprint for their listeners.  Such as sports channels, comedy, and talk shows, live and full of rich content that local radio may not have. However, their focus is to add Infotainment, meaning they will have the ability to be more like OnStar and provide listeners with weather updates, provide roadside assistance, and deliver traffic updates along with the choice of entertainment. 

Sirius is targeting more auto companies to add this as temporary feature that can be subscribed after a 90-day trial.

To find out more about Sirius XM and other features included in your vehicle please contact us at KTeam Used Cars (888) 596-2797

Learn how to stay safe during a flood

We at KTEAM Auto Sales care about the safety of our friends, family and clients.  We wanted to talk about protecting yourself if you should encounter a flood.  It is our hope that this weeks blog gives you some solid insight on what to do if you should find yourself driving in a flooded area.  Remember Safety First! 

Here are some facts that you may not have known about floods:

Driving Flood Facts

§  Call 311 if you are evacuating your home during a flood or receive flood damage

§  Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars causing loss of control and possible stalling.

§  A foot of water will float many vehicles.

§  Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles including sport utility vehicles (SUV’s) and pick-ups.

§   More people drown in their cars than anywhere else.

§  The road may be washed out below the water surface.

§  Your car may stall or get stuck in the water, and then get pushed off the road. Once off the road, cars often start to roll, making escape impossible.

Check both home owners and auto insurance policies to ensure that you are covered for any loss or damage.  Not all policies cover flood damage.

Never try to swim to safety if you can find a safe and secure structure that you can be protected until help arrives.

We never can predict the future but we can prevent most accidents.

Please remember to stay safe and if you should have any questions on safety features for your auto don’t hesitate to contact us. 888-596-2797

Weird driving laws that make you go "hmmmmmm."

Have you ever been pulled over when traveling in another state for something that was completely ludicrous?  As motorists we take for granted that the laws in all states are the same when it comes to driving. After doing some research we’ve found that there is a difference in some of these rights. We also found that not all laws are created equal and  some are downright strange.  However, It’s good for you to be aware that the states you possibly travel in have some interesting laws. Other than giving you a chuckle this might even prevent you from getting a penalty. This week our marketing at KTeam wanted to share some of these laws with you.  

• You can’t leave your keys in your vehicle in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Minnetonka City Ordinance 930.070 states that a person must stop the engine and remove all ignition keys from the vehicle.  So if you’re keys drop out of your pocket, you could face a fine.  
• Make sure that you don’t tie up your dog to the back of your truck in the state of California.  California VC Section 23117 Carrying an animal in truck.  The law only allows cross tethering along with a bunch of other perimeters when riding around in the back.
• Next time you’re vacationing in Hawaii avoid using your horn.  Section 15-19.27 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu specifically says, “The driver of a motor vehicle shall, when reasonably necessary to ensure safe operation, give audible warning with his or her horn; but shall not otherwise use such horn when upon a highway.” 
• Utah Motor traffic code 41-6a-804. states that you must signal continuously for 2 seconds before making a turn.  In some states that could be equivalent to an enormous amount of fines. 
• In Colorado your truck would be required to have Mud Flaps. Flaps must be installed and functioning at all times. Torn or damaged flaps must be replaced at the first reasonable and safe opportunity to exit the road.

As silly as these laws may seem, they along with many others should be known when traveling outside of your average driving area.  Any questions that you may have can be directed to DMV.org or contact the state you will be traveling in to be sure you know of the “not so usual” laws and regulations.  

If you have a question regarding your other travel needs please feel free to contact us soon.6-8400