Autosonics Autobody & Collision

Seems that car thieves have found yet another way to steal your car or
truck without any effort at all.
The car thieves peer through the windshield of your car or truck,
write down the VIN # from the label on the dash, go to the local car
dealership and request a duplicate key based on the VIN #.
My friend didn't believe this e-mail, so she called Chrysler-Dodge and
pretended she had lost her keys.
They told her to just bring in the VIN #, and they would cut her one
on the spot, and she could order the keyless device if she wanted.

The Car Dealer's Parts Department will make a duplicate key from the
VIN #, and collect payment from the thief who will return to your car.

He doesn't have to break in, do any damage to the vehicle, or draw attention to himself.
All he has to do is walk up to your car, insert the key and off he
goes to a local Chop Shop with your vehicle.
You don't believe it? It IS that easy.

To avoid this from happening to you, simply put some tape (electrical
tape, duct tape or medical tape) across the VIN Metal Label located on
the dash board.
By law, you cannot
remove the VIN, but you can cover it so it can't be viewed through the
windshield by a car thief.

Tips for Safer Driving at Night
By David Maillie

According to the National Institute for Highway Safety, the number and severity of auto accidents increases 10 fold between the hours of 11 pm and 3 am. Here are proven tips to decrease your chances of an accident. Some of this may sound like common sense, but you wouldn't believe how many people don't follow these tips.

1) Stay home. Don't go out unless you have to. Even if you implement every safety tip below, you still run a higher risk of running into someone who isn't following these tips or is driving drunk. Every night there are reports of people killed by a drunk driver that were on there way home - it isn't worth it. If you don't need to go out, don't.

2) Don't drink and drive. You may think you hold your liquor well, and that you won't get arrested or be over the legal limit in your state, but it is a proven fact that any alcohol in your system will slow down or impair your reflexes. What if something happens where you will need to react quickly? Its not worth the risk. Get a designated driver. Everyday there are families torn apart by a drunk driver who thought they could handle driving. Alcohol also impairs judgement and will make you think you can drive when you shouldn't. Don't drive drunk - and don't let others drive drunk. Contact MADD if you have questions on this.

3) Fix, repair, restore your headlights so they work like new. It amazes me when I see people driving at night with very dim headlights. If you can barely see, how safe do you think that is? Your headlights are the number one safety feature for night time driving. If you need new bulbs, get them (they only cost around $10 each). If your lenses are cloudy, scratched, worn get a headlight repair, cleaner, restorer kit (see the authors link below). These kits will return your headlights to like new condition and save you hundreds over replacements. Having worked on a volunteer emergency squad, dim headlights were only second to drunk driving in the number of accidents we dealt with - and they tended to be the most severe. There is no excuse for having dim headlights - get them fixed.

4) Don't drive on bald or worn tires. This is especially true for driving in the rain. Bald or worn tires can cause your car to hydroplane and lose all control almost guaranteeing an accident. Take a penny and make sure you cannot see the presidents head, else replace the tire. Also have them properly balanced and rotated at least once per year. What good are good reflexes if your car won't respond correctly?

5) Replace windshield wipers every spring. When it rains, especially at night your visibility is reduced. Ineffective wipers will further reduce your vision and increase your risk of an accident. Some auto parts stores will even install them for free - take advantage of this.

6) Have your battery checked at every oil change. This will reduce your chances of being left stranded on the road in the middle of the night. More pedestrian accidents happen this way. The other driver is less likely to see you and pedestrian accidents are awful. You will not win with a 3000 pound car going 50 mph. For emergencies pack a flashlight in your car and a reflective vest so you can be seen.

7) Take advantage of driving classes offered by local companies, the DMV and your local police.

8) Wear your seatbelt. Working for an emergency squad, you see the grimm results of victims not wearing their seat belts - being thrown from the car - this resulted in many deaths, paralization, severe burns and disfigurment, etc... I'm sorry if you find it uncomfortable, but if you are in an accident it will increase your chances of survival and decrease the severity of the accident. Wear your seat belt.

Many people think the police are just out to give tickets, but who would want to have to pick up severely injured children or worse. They see this stuff too often and then they have to go home to their families. When I was working at the volunteer emergency squad we found even the toughest cops would cry at some of the accidents we were called to. State Psychologists were sometimes assigned to help the police, emergency medical personnel, etc... as the accidents would be so traggic and they could have been easily prevented by some of the above tips. Please don't drink and drive, wear your seat belt and drive safely.

David Maillie is a chemist with over 12 years experience in biochemical research and clynical analysis. He is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in biochemical synthesis for public, private, and governmental interests. He holds numerous patents including his recently awarded patent for headlight repair, restorer and cleaner. He can be reached at M.D. Wholesale: http://www.mdwholesale.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Maillie

Ready to Buy a Car – Make Sure You Do a Vehicle Background
By Matthew Bass

You are in the market for a second vehicle – maybe perhaps you have a new teenaged driver in the household. No matter what the reason, you see a car for sale in a parking lot near your home. It looks like it is in good condition, but the price is just a little too good. With a vehicle background check, you can determine who owns the car and if has been in any accidents.

Before you run that vehicle background check, make sure you get information on the vehicle from the owner itself. Usually there is an information sheet tacked onto one of the inside windows of the car. Give the owner a call and arrange to meet them and test drive the car. Get all the information you can, then tell them that you will get back in touch with them when you make your final decision. After the meeting and test drive, run that vehicle background check! This way, you can compare the report you receive to what the owner of the car told you. Depending on any discrepancies, you can either reject the car outright or ask the owner about them.

Based on the information you provide like the license plate number and the state it is registered in, what can you expect to read in the vehicle background check report? First of all, you will be provided the owner’s name. You can make sure that it matches the name of the person you met. An address is revealed as well as the car’s vehicle identification number (VIN). Other information in the vehicle background check is the car’s make and model and the year it was made. From there, you could read about the history of the car itself – maintenance records, insurance claims and whether the car has ever been in an accident. If there was an accident in the car’s history, then you can also find out what type of damage it was.

Truthfully, the only difference between you and vehicle background check experts is time. If you'll invest a little more time in reading, you'll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to vehicle background check.

So how does all this information make its way into a vehicle background check? Part of the search is made through the Department of Motor Vehicles in the state the car is registered in. The actual history of the car can be discovered because of the records that all mechanics must keep when repairing or inspecting a car. The mechanics are required to report the VIN and all the work completed on the car. This information creates a history which can then be revealed with a vehicle background check.

Another reason that a vehicle background check comes in handy is when a policeman makes a routine traffic stop. He will usually call in the car’s license plate number to police headquarters to make sure the car description matches the description associated with license plate number. And secondly, the policeman is also checking to see if the car was reported stolen. A policeman may also call in for a vehicle background check if a car was found abandoned.

There are a variety of applications for the vehicle background check. Whether you are in the market for a new car or a policeman is checking up on things, a vehicle background check makes sense and is a valuable tool. It can also save you a lot of heartache with that used car you are thinking of buying!

So now you know a little bit about vehicle background checks. Even if you don't know everything, you've done something worthwhile: you've expanded your knowledge.

Matthew Bass of BackgroundCheckWizard.com provides more recommendations and information on
Free Background Checks that you can research at your leisure on his website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Bass