Remember what the older Volkswagen Beetles used to look like? In the following commercial, aired in June of 1972, the VW Beetle is put to the test as a stuntman is hired to drive an orange VW beetle into the Long Island Sound.

The point of this action is to prove just how solid of a vehicle the VW Beetle is. It is only because of the quality of the VW Beetle that it is able to float above the water for an extended period of time without sinking (although it is not going to float forever!).

Check out the following video in order to see the classic VW Beetle in action. It’s interesting to note just how much has changed about this vehicle over the years!

If you have been to the Raleigh North Carolina area within the past year, then you probably know all too well what a nightmare it has been trying to drive anywhere at any time of day to do anything. The culprit?

Construction.

In order to accommodate the massive amounts of people who have flocked to the Research Triangle Park (RTP) area that is Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the department of transportation has been working over time to put in roads where there were none before as well as to repair and expand roads in order to accommodate the masses who pack the current roadways bumper to bumper between the hours of 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Throw in there the fact that it is now summer; it’s hot and people want to get wherever they’re going in a hurry, and you’ve got all of the ingredients for the perfect road rage storm. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that once all of the construction is done, everyone will be more than appreciative of the effort that was made to produce such finely paved surfaces for their vehicles. In the meantime, however, when you have so much stuff going on in one place, it is important to remain vigilant and perhaps more importantly…calm.

The next time you take your car in for regular maintenance at your local dealership or mechanic, consider the following things to avoid being ripped off:

5 Tips to Avoid Being Ripped Off at the Mechanic’s Shop

1. Oil Slick- Some mechanics want you to change your oil every 3,000 miles, but newer oil may go much longer (ex: 7500miles) depending on your driving habits.
2. Filters- Your car has several different types of filters: oil, air, fuel and transmission-but only the oil filter should be changed at every oil change.  In the meantime, the air filter can be remedied simply by shaking it out, to loosen any debris.  As for the rest of the filters, they should only be changed according to the intervals recommended in your manufacturers manual.
3. Flushed Away-Flushing the automatic transmission system is sometimes recommended, but most manufacturers don’t recommend it until you’ve reached at  least 60,000 miles.
4. Lube it or Lose It- Most cars built within the past 10 years don’t require lubrication.  Adding grease where none is required could cause unforseen problems down the road
5. Warranty Woes- Some dealers will tell you that you can only get your vehicle serviced there in order to maintain the warranty.  Not true.

Since the events that occurred on 9/11, there have been many of us who are reluctant to fly.  If you do have to fly, however, and want to fly safer, there are certain tips that you can follow to make your flight as hassle-free as possible.  According to AirSafe.com, the following are the top 10 Tips for Airline safety:

1. Fly on Nonstop Routings- Most accidents occur during the takeoff, climb, descent, and landing phase of flight.  Flying nonstop reduces exposure to these most accident prone phases of flight.
2. Choose a Larger Aircraft- Currently, aircrafts with more than 30 passenger seats were all designed and certified under the strictest regulations.  Also, in the unlikely even of a serious accident, larger aircrafts provide a better opportunity for passenger survival.
3. Pay Attention to the Preflight Briefing- Although the information seems repetitious, the locations of the closest emergency exits may be different depending on the aircraft that you fly on and seat you are in.
4. Keep the Overhead Storage Bin Free of Heavy Articles- Overhead storage bins may not be able to hold very heavy objects during turbulence, so if you are another passenger have trouble lifting an article into the bin, have it stored elsewhere.
5. Keep Your Seatbelt Fastened- Keeping the belt on when you are seated provides that extra protection you might need if the plane hits unexpected turbulence.
6. Listen to the Flight Attendants- The primary reason flight attendants are on an aircraft is for safety, so if one of them asks you to do something like fasten your seat belts, do it first and ask questions later.
7. Don’t Bring any Hazardous Material- There are rather long lists of hazardous materials that are not allowed, but common sense should tell you that you shouldn’t bring gasoline, corrosives, poisonous gases and other such items on the aircraft unless they were allowed by the airline and shipped in a proper container.
8. Let the Flight Attendant Pour Your Hot Drinks- Flight attendants are trained to handle hot drinks like coffee or tea in a crowded aisle on a moving aircraft, so allow them to pour the drink and hand it to you.
9. Don’t Drink Too Much- The atmosphere in an airliner cabin is pressurized to about the same altitude as Denver, so any alcohol you consume will affect you more strongly than at sea level.
10. Keep Your Wits About You- In the unlikely event that you are involved in an emergency situation such as a precautionary emergency evacuation, follow the directions of the flight attendants and flight crew and exit the aircraft as quickly as possible.

Whether you have a driver’s license or not, we all know the importance of safety when it comes to driving on the roadways. This is one of the many reasons that we have so many driving deterrents around such as stop signs, stop lights, yield signs, etc.. The main function of these things is to deter drivers from engaging in reckless behavior, which could result in one or more people being hurt and/or killed. However, would the roadways be just as safe if we didn’t have these deterrents in place?

Deterrent Versus Distraction

For example, in North Carolina, many cities have adopted the idea of having “red light cameras” posted at various problem intersections with the hopes that it will deter drivers from running the red light. This is not something that is limited to North Carolina, however. In fact, many cities around the United States have adopted the red light camera policy. The idea is that once a vehicle crosses the intersection at a certain point after the light has turned red, the camera automatically snaps several pictures of their vehicle (specifically their license plate). The photos, along with a fine are then mailed to address of whoever is registered to the car. It’s like getting caught….red-handed.

Sounds great, right? Well, lately, there have been some problems with this simple idea. People, who don’t want to get a ticket for running the light, but who see the light changing to yellow often can’t seem to make up their minds whether to accelerate or slam on their brakes. The result has led to a considerable number of accidents at these very same problem intersections! Now, some might say that this is due to the fact that people are simply not leaving enough distance between them and the person in front of them- but the question still remains, are we just becoming worse drivers? or Are these deterrents dangerous?

If you live in a city like Raleigh, NC, then you probably hate the traffic lights. A lot of the traffic lights throughout the city have red light cameras, which is part of the city’s effort to catch people who violate the law. It seems like a good idea, and in fact, a lot of other cities have also adopted this method of law enforcement as well. However, there are some negatives to this ‘red light’ camera ordeal.

Breaking the Law

Despite the fact that red light cameras are supposed to reduce the number of people who are speeding and running red lights, it has instead caused more confusion and car accidents. Before the invention of red light cameras, when the light turned from green to yellow, many people would (and still do) accelerate to get through the light versus slow down and come to a complete stop. There have also been reports that for the intersections where there are red light cameras, the timing for the yellow lights is actually significantly shorter. This means that you have to make a quick decision to either run the light and possibly get your picture taken OR you can slam on your brakes. If you run the light, the camera snaps a picture of your vehicle and license plate. Some period of time later (perhaps a week or so), you will receive a picture of your vehicle breaking the law along with a fine to pay.

So, what are most people doing? They’re getting into accidents. According to a recent article published by the National Motorists Association,

Short yellow light times at intersections have been shown to increase the number of traffic violations and accidents. Conversely, increasing the yellow light duration can dramatically reduce red-light violations at an intersection.

What do you think about red light cameras? Do you think they work? Send us your comments and stories!