Fuel Efficient Autos

We have done a series of posts discussing the cities with the highest incidences of road rage, what sets drivers off and what they do as a reaction to being angry behind the wheel. Today, we are going to discuss the psychological reasons for road rage and some tips for avoiding it.

According to psychiatrist Richard Winer, drivers taking out their frustrations on the road ways is becoming more and more common as people become “much more stressed and more likely to talk about road rage.” Many of his patients describe the feelings they get when they are behind the wheel and many of those feelings cause them to act out. A lack of control, feelings of being trapped and scared and other emotions cause some drivers to lash out in various ways.

From the list of the top cities for road rage, we can also conclude that external stressors are helping to contribute to the problem. The crash of Wall Street and the flailing auto industry are probably major reasons why New York City and Detroit top this list.

Winer has one piece of advice for drivers – turn off the loud rock music and try something more comforting like Mozart of Beethoven. The cliché “music calms the savage beast” has some truth to it when it comes to driving.

Here’s the lesson: Do not use your VW cars or any other cars as weapons or avenues for exerting your stress and emotions. Regardless of your individual situation, take some steps to calm down and be a safer driver. Getting angry and taking things to the next level just makes everything worse.

Continuing with our theme of road rage, we would like to know what you do to show your frustrations when someone cuts you off or makes you furious. The same survey that ranked the cities with the angriest drivers and their pet peeves also found what many drivers do when they get mad. Do you do any of these?

• More than 40 percent of the drivers surveyed said they honk their horn at another driver at least one time per month.
• About 35 percent of the drivers asked said they yell at other drivers and curse at them when they get mad and frustrated.
• 13 percent of the drivers surveyed said they wave their fists or arms at other drivers.
• Only 10 percent said they make obscene gestures to other drivers when they get mad.
• Seven percent of drivers said they call the police to report drivers who have made them mad.
• One percent of the drivers surveyed said they slam into the car in front of them when they get angry enough.

According to Chuck Raison, MD, road rage occurs so frequently because drivers are simply “competitive.” He also said it is unhealthy to engage in road rage or get so angry when driving, but it is so common because your anger can be directed toward someone who is anonymous.

How do you deal with road rage when driving your VW cars? Let us know if you are productive or if you have ever done anything you are ashamed of when behind the wheel.

On Wednesday, we discussed road rage and the top cities in the nation for road rage incidents. But what is it that sets these drivers off into a rage? Following is a list of what drivers find annoying. You can look at the list and ask yourself if you are doing any of these things that set other drivers off when you are behind the wheel of your VW cars.

Cell phones – Nearly 85 percent of drivers surveyed said other drivers talking on their cell phones were a major pet peeve.

Speeding – Driving faster than you are supposed to drive was a major stressor for 58 percent of drivers surveyed.

Tailgating – Drivers who “ride the bumpers” of other drivers bothered 53 percent of those surveyed.

Eating and Drinking – Nearly half of drivers surveyed get majorly annoyed when they see other drivers eating or drinking behind the wheel.

Texting – About 37 percent of drivers are bothered when they see other drivers texting on their cell phone.

The survey was conducted by Auto Vantage’s survey firm and included more than 2500 drivers in major metro areas across the country. Are you committing any of these “violations” when driving your VW cars? Many of these are against the law and dangerous so let’s keep an eye on our behaviors rather getting mad at others.

If you have driven your VW cars around and realized that there are some angry drivers surrounding you, you may be living in one of the top cities for road rage.

A study done by Auto Vantage, a nationwide roadside assistance company, recently listed the top cities in the United States for drivers with road rage. Some of the answers may surprise you while you probably already know a couple of the other cities.

Topping the list is, of course, New York City. That city has a reputation for angry drivers, though. You drive too slow in the fast lane and you might just get run over. The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area comes in at the second spot followed by none other than Detroit. I’m surprised there are enough people left in Detroit for them to take any of the top five spots!

The next few cities on the list may surprise you. Atlanta, Georgia takes the number four spot followed by Minneapolis-St. Paul and Phoenix respectively.

On the other hand, Portland, Oregon and Cleveland, Ohio were listed as the two cities with the most courteous drivers.

Keep these findings in mind if you drive your VW cars around any of these cities this summer. Just follow the traffic laws and be courteous to avoid any major conflicts on the roadways.

Every year around the beginning of the summer months, we hear of a parent, babysitter or some other adult who has left a child or pet in the car while they ran into the store or did some shopping. Unfortunately, this has killed hundreds of kids and pets over the years in an utterly senseless and avoidable act.

Even when the weather is mild, the inside of a car can get as much as 50 degrees hotter than the temperature on the outside. Within just a few minutes, the interior temperature can rise as much as 20 degrees. Within an hour, it can get as high as 50 degrees hotter. Contrary to what many parents believe, cracking the window does very little to dissipate the heat and cool of the inside of the car.

Never leave your child or pet in your VW cars alone. Even if you think it’s going to be for just a minute, you never know what is going to happen. Too many things can go wrong and it’s just better to be safe. Remember, it really CAN happen to you. That’s why it is important to take precautions to prevent it from happening.

If you just use your GPS device to tell you where to go, you are not allowing the unit to live up to its full potential. Your GPS unit can do so much more than just tell you when to turn left or go straight. Here are some fun things you can do with your GPS device

Customize It
Most GPS units have several different vehicles and voices that you can choose from right out of the box. Whether you want to be a fire truck, a bicycle or a 4×4 truck, you can make your car icon match your personality. You can also choose different voices to find the one that you like. If you don’t find something that tickles your fancy, you can go online with a simple search and download a number of icons and voices to install on your GPS unit.

Find Cheap Gas
You may need to a pay a yearly fee to some service for this program, but it’s well worth it. Services like MSN and others have programs you can install on your GPS that will tell you where the least expensive gas is in the area.

Find Your Favorite Restaurant
Are you a thousand miles from home and looking for the nearest Taco Bell? If so, your GPS device can tell you were to find one. The best part is that it also tells you exactly how to get there!

If you have not purchased a GPS device for your VW cars, what are you waiting for? Just a few hours with one of these things and you will wonder how you ever lived without one!

As popular as GPS devices are in VW cars these days, it may be nice to know some basic facts about the technology that we are using. Where did it come from? Who invented it? How does it work? These are just a few questions we are going to answer for you in the next couple blog posts. We hope you enjoy and learn something about these handy little devices.

• The first satellite for GPS purposes was launched in 1978.
• By 1994, 24 satellites were launched mainly for GPS purposes.
• The GPS technology was initially created by Ivan Getting for the United States Department of Defense. The cost was $12 billion.
• GPS satellites run on solar energy.
• The official U.S. Department of Defense term for GPS is NAVSTAR.
• GPS technology is also used to pinpoint ships and submarines. It has also been used to measure the height of Mount Everest.
• Many GPS devices are accurate to one centimeter or better.
• The GPS technology used in portable devices for cars today is the same that is used by the United States military for finding enemies.

How cool are GPS devices? I recently bought one and I cannot figure out how I ever lived without it. Get one for your VW cars and you’ll feel the same way.

If you are planning to stay in Pennsylvania this summer rather than taking a long road trip, there is no reason you cannot still have a great time. Pennsylvania has several amusement parts and other attractions throughout the state to keep your family entertained. This week we would like to briefly discuss several of those parks to give you some ideas for things to do this summer.

Hershey Park
Don’t you just love those little kisses in the foil wrapper? If so, you will thoroughly enjoy Hershey Park in Hershey, Pennsylvania. This theme park is more than just people walking around dressed as Hershey Kisses. There are roller coasters, water rides and much more to enjoy. Tickets are around $50 for a one-day admission pass so you can bring the entire family without breaking the bank!

Lakemont Park
This unique amusement park is the eighth oldest amusement park in the nation. It has been open since 1894 and it offers the world’s oldest roller coaster, called the Leap-the-Dips. Once inside Lakemont Park, you and your family can enjoy more than 30 rides and attractions, such as a fun go-kart track, and 18-hole miniature golf course, games, food and even an arcade! The best part is that an all-day pass only costs $9.95!

These are just two ideas you can consider if you want to stay close to home this summer. Just remember to maximize your enjoyment of the entire experience by taking your VW cars with you when you go!

On Wednesday, we discussed some ways that you can show your father how much you appreciate him on this upcoming Father’s Day. But if you are a father and you are reading this blog, there are some things you can do to enjoy the day to its fullest as well. Here are some suggestions that you and your son or daughter can do together to have some unique bonding time and learn more about each other, too.

• Volunteer at a charity organization – Few things will bring a father and child together more than volunteering with each other at an important community charity. You can get together and feed the homeless, volunteer to help Habitat for Humanity build a house or even go on the 5/10K charity walk in Pittsburgh. The possibilities are really endless.

• Make a scrapbook of the day – Bring your camera and take a lot of pictures of you and your children having fun. Get them developed at a one-hour developing place and create a scrapbook before the day is over. Your whole family will enjoy it for decades to come.

• Go to a concert of their choice – It’s always fun to learn more about your kids and their interests. There is no better way to do this than to let them drag you to a concert by one of their favorite bands. Who knows? You may actually even like the music!

• Shop for a car together. With now being a great time to buy a car, you can shop for Philadelphia area VW cars with your children by your side. It will be a great teaching tool for when they get older.

The important thing is to spend time with your kids on Father’s Day and reflect on the years gone by and the years ahead.

Did you know that Father’s Day is this coming Sunday? If you forgot, it’s not too late to do something that will honor your father. Your Trenton area VW cars dealer wants to offer you some things you can do to make your father feel special on this day.

• Simply Say “Thank You”
Being a father is often a thankless job. Dad typically gets stuck with the discipline, bringing home a paycheck and other things that go unnoticed. But if your dad did his best to raise you and supply your needs for you, he would probably be content with nothing more but a sincere and heartfelt “thank you” on Father’s Day.

• Spend Time with Dad
You can thank your dad for all his hard work over the years by spending time with him on Sunday. Take him for a scenic drive in you VW cars and just have some bonding time. You will both remember that drive for the rest of your lives.

• Go for a Picnic
You do not have to spend a lot on dad on Father’s Day to make him feel appreciated. Take him out for a picnic or just spend some time playing catch at the park if he is able to. You will be astonished at how much he will appreciate the time you spend together.