Everybody remember where we parked the car

Who needs to remember that they parked in lot "A3" or lot "B1" when it's much easier to remember that you parked on top of a tan Ford Taurus and a red Honda Civic.





[Photo credit: The Consumerist]

Take care of your car with these simple tips!

Hey blog readers! Here's a great site to help you take care of your car! Save yourself lots of money and time (and headaches) and keep your car safer, too.

http://www.familycar.com/carcare.htm

It has several sections depending on what you want to do with your car...

• I want to keep my car for as long as possible and I want it to look and run great.
• I want to keep my car for as long as possible with minimum cost.
• I keep my cars for 3 to 5 years, then trade them in.
• I have a leased car -- I want to keep my costs to a minimum when turning it back in.

Check out the site... It's worth a look!

Car dropped off crane

Who doesn't love a car dropped off of a crane?!?

Safe Driving Tip: Assume the worst

In our legal system, it's "innocent until proven guilty" but on our roadways, you should drive with the opposite presumption. While you're driving, assume that other drivers are going to do the most dangerous, most unpredictable thing.

If you're approaching an intersection and have a green light, assume that the other cars AREN'T going to stop. Rather than zooming through the intersection blindly, slow down slightly (not too much because you don't want to be a danger to the drivers in cars behind you!) and check the cross streets. Have the cars stopped? What about further down each cross street: Are those cars slowing down?

And this doesn't just apply to intersections. It applies to drivers everywhere: The car in front of you, the car behind you, the cars approaching, in parking lots, on highways, and more. Assume the worst and you'll start predicting the unpredictable behavior of other drivers... and you'll drive safer because of it.

No thanks, we'll stick to cars

We love collision repair but we'll stick with repairing cars.




[Photo credit: Joost J. Bakker IJmuiden]

Real life cartoon car

In the cartoon world, cars bend and coil just before they drive off. So does this car... life imitates art, perhaps?

Boyd Autobody and Glass: Your Winnipeg auto body shop

Boyd Autobody & Glass is YOUR Winnipeg auto body shop. We have several locations in and around Winnipeg.

Here's one of them:

Boyd Autobody & Glass Dudley Avenue Winnipeg auto body shop
614 Dudley Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3M 1R7

453-5931


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Safe Driving Tip: Check your indicator lights

Our indicator lights are meant to alert other drivers about our intentions. This helps them to drive defensively. When they see from our indicator lights that we are about to enter their lane, they can take caution to make sure that they aren't speeding up into the spot we're about to drive.

So, make sure that your indicator lights are working! once a month, take a quick walk around your car and check your indicator lights. Simply put on your hazard lights and walk around once. You should see all of your lights blinking. If the aren't, stop by the nearest car parts store and pick up another set.a

Object in rear view mirror was indeed closer than it appeared

This was once a beautiful car. And at some point it was an object in someone's rear view mirror. And then it was closer than it appeared. Ouch!



[Photo credit: TexasDarkHorse]

Winnipeg: Go hands-free or else!

Yesterday, a new law came into effect in Winnipeg requiring drivers to use a hands-free device while talking on their cell phone. More than 100 drivers were fined on the very first day, according to the Winnipeg Free Press.

As the newspaper reported, it's very likely that most of these fines were the result of people forgetting rather than blatantly ignoring the law. What we'll be curious to see is how fines trend in the future. Will they increase? Will they decrease?

Fortunately, the solution is easy: A Bluetooth is an affordable and convenient way to go hands-free

Hands-free cell phone law goes into effect in Winnipeg

Today, a law comes into effect in Winnipeg requiring drivers to use a hands-free device when talking on their cell-phones. This is not a surprise to most Winnipeggers as it received widespread media attention leading up to it.

Although there are many who might oppose this law, we think the numbers tell the real story: According to the (US-based) National Safety Council, cell-phones account for about 1.6 million collisions every year from either phoning or texting. Since the Canadian population is about 10% of the American population, we can extrapolate that 160,000 Canadian collisions per year are caused by phoning or texting.

The numbers get even more disturbing when you consider the impact on people: A 2005 study in the Human Factors quarterly journal says that 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries are the caused by cell-phone related collisions. Again, extrapolating the Canadian ratio, that was 260 deaths and 33,000 injuries… in 2005. We all know that cell phone proliferation has increased so it's safe to assume that the human impact has increased, too.

At least the wipers are still intact

The guy who posted this on YouTube called this video "Worst Accident in History". I'm not so sure about that... the windshield wipers are still intact and potentially functional.

Will you pass this test?

I remember my early years of driving. I was still learning to judge speed and distance and I ended up having a very close call while trying to pass a car.

I had been driving along a road for a while -- a simple two-late highway -- when I came up behind a truck that was moving slowly. In retrospect, it wasn't moving THAT slowly, but slow enough for me to want to pass it. I checked and saw an approaching vehicle far in the distance. So with that, I accelerated.

But here's the reality of the situation: The truck I was passing was going a fairly good speed, my car wasn't the kind of car that accelerates quickly, and the approaching car was closer and going faster than I had judged. I edged up beside the truck, watching the incoming car approaching head-on. And I finally squeaked in just in front of the truck as the approaching car zoomed by. It was a close call that shook me up badly and I vowed to be more careful when driving after that.

The website TeenDriving.com gives some great guidance about passing. Check it out here: http://www.teendriving.com/pass.htm

Safe Driving Tip: Keep your eyes farther ahead

When driving, we can easily become too comfortable -- or even lazy -- and let our vision "settle" to just in front of the car. Unfortunately, your car needs a fair amount of stopping distance, even when driving at slow speeds.

It's best to keep your eyes fixed on where your car is going to be in the next 10 to 15 seconds in order to give yourself plenty of time to respond. (Most people focus only 5 seconds in front of their car!)

So, how far away is 10 to 15 seconds? According to the California Driver Handbook, 10 to 15 seconds (when driving in the city) is one city block while 10 to 15 seconds on the highway is about a quarter mile (that's a little less than half a kilometer).

By doing this, you'll still be paying attention to what's happening in front of your car but you'll have time to react more effectively.

Car for sale (may need some work)

Just kidding. This car isn't for sale. At least we hope not! It was spotted by the photographer on Manhattan Bridge.




[Photo credit: Adrian 8_8]

Car care: How you can have an impact on your

In a recent blog post we talked about how important it was to care for your car.

Recently, someone pointed out this fantastic resource to us as a site where you can learn more about car care:

http://www.carcare.org/

This excellent resource offers car care tips for car owners. We're particularly fond of the electronic version of their car care publication, the Car Care Guide. It's a 58 page book, viewable online, that gives all kinds of great guidance and ideas for car owners. You'll become the expert of your own car and know how to care for it more effectively once you've read this book.

There should be a law

... actually, I think there is.

Car care: It's in your interest to take care of your car

If you own a car, it can sometimes seem like an expensive asset. First you buy, then you keep filling it with gas, then you have to take it in for maintenance. Let's not forget insurance and the costs to repair when something unexpected happens.

Car care is a vital part of maintaining your car's health. It's just like your teeth. You don't JUST go to the dentist, do you? You also care for your teeth in between dental visits. In the same way, your car requires care and attention at all times.

Here are the reasons to care for your car:

• You'll prolong the life of your car, getting more years and miles of usefulness out of it than if you ignored your car.
• You'll increase the resale value of your car.
• You'll maintain the integrity of your car, and ultimately you'll protect your family while they are in the car.
• You'll reduce the costs associated with repairs when you proactively maintain your car.

Car care includes the following:

• Regular cleaning inside and out.
• Regular mechanical maintenance.
• Regular check-ups at a body shop.

Safe Driving Tip: Use Google Street-view

Drivers should devote all of their attention to the road... in theory. But it doesn't always happen, does it? We're looking for gum or we're resolving a dispute between the kids in the backseat, or we're trying to figure out where our Steely Dan album is.

And, if we've never been somewhere before, our attention is definitely NOT on the road! Maybe we're reading that hand-drawn map while we talk on the phone to the person we're trying to meet.

Us: "I'm almost there. Is it on the left or the right?"
Them: "It depends, are coming from the north or the south?"
Us: "Uh... I turned down 8th street."
Them: "'Down' isn't a direction."
Us: "I think I see your house... is it the brown one with a tree in front?"


With this kind of distraction, it's not a surprise that collisions occur! Maybe someone stops in front of you while you're looking for street numbers or maybe you stop suddenly and the guy behind you doesn't.

Avoid all of this easily by using Google Maps.

Go to http://maps.google.com.



Type in your address (we'll use one of Boyd's Winnipeg auto body locations.



Now find this little orange guy...



... and drag-and-drop him near your location



and then you'll see the road from the street view!



Then just "click" your way up the street to see the road. We've done that to advance to the address -- our location at 120 King Edward Street. If we had never driven this way before, we can see that we should stay to the right after curving around to the left on King Edward and to watch for the shop on the right.




By using Google street view, you'll have a chance to familiarize yourself with the area BEFORE you drive there, making you a safer driver for your family and for the other drivers around you.

Warning: Narrow Shoulders

Perhaps a "Narrow Shoulders" sign might be appropriate here. Or, at the very least, maybe something more substantial than wood for propping up your car!



[Photo credit: Stig Nygaard]

Be careful this summer!

Just last year, our neighbor's child was playing basketball in the driveway and the ball rolled out onto the street. As any kid would do, he chased after it and was nearly hit by a car. If it wasn't for the quick thinking and effective braking of the driver, our neighbor's child could have been hurt… or worse.

School is out for the summer! The kids love it... but it means drivers need to be extra cautious. Children, who are used to playing within the safe confines of a schoolyard are now running and playing through their neighborhood, completely oblivious to drivers who might be going by.

Take it easy, especially in residential neighborhoods. Treat those like you would treat a schoolyard and watch for kids.

Welcome to the Boyd Autobody blog

Welcome to the Boyd Autobody blog! We're excited about starting our blogging journey with you!

For more information about Boyd Autobody, visit http://boydgroup.com.