It's a fact, driving is a dangerous and costly thing. While you can't always anticipate getting into a car accident, you can take certain precautions to prevent one. In addition to trying to be a better driver, you can also make improvements to your car to keep you safe and help keep the cost of your insurance down. If you want to reduce your risk of accidents and keep your insurance company happy, consider making these 10 car improvements today.
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Bumper grille
Fixing or replacing a damaged bumper can be a very costly endeavor. Drivers can better protect their vehicles from major damage and scratches by installing a bumper grille. Bumper grilles help cushion your bumper in collisions and bumps. -
Theft deterrent system
Installing a theft deterrent system is one of the best ways to protect your car from being broken into or stolen. Considering the fact that a vehicle is stolen every 33 seconds in America, installing a theft deterrent system is a wise investment and one that will make your insurance company happy. -
Enhanced restraint system
It's never a bad idea to install an enhanced restraint system to protect you and your passengers. Old, worn seat belts tend not to fit properly and may be less effective in the event of a crash. Enhanced seat belts will give you an added sense of security and help reduce the chance of death and serious injuries in a collision. -
New headlights
Dim or hazy headlights make it hard for you to see where you're going and even harder for other drivers to see you coming. Installing new headlights will give you better visibility and make you more noticeable to other drivers, therefore significantly reducing your chance of being in an accident. -
Backup cameras
A backup camera can make driving much safer by giving drivers a clear view of what's behind their vehicle. Once you put your car in reverse, the backup camera displays a rear image in the front so you can back up without having to physically turn around. Backup cameras help drivers avoid accidents and save lives; two things insurance companies care most about. -
Safety reflectors
One way to be safer on the road and reduce your risk of having a collision is to add safety reflectors to your vehicle. Reflectors help make you visible to other drivers on the road by reflecting light from oncoming cars' headlights. Safety reflectors are extremely helpful if you live or drive through rural areas and places with no streetlights. -
Telematics system
Installing a telematics system, such as OnStar, is a great way to increase your safety when behind the wheel. Not only do telematics systems give you hands-free phone and navigation, but they also provide you with the security of an on-call team of representatives that are available to help you in the event of an emergency. -
Enhanced blinkers
Installing new blinkers can make a big difference in your safety and visibility on the road. You can install side-view mirror blinkers or replace your current ones with brighter, more vibrant lights. Blinkers are crucial to your safety and the safety of others, and having bright, visible blinkers can significantly reduce the risk of being involved in an accident. -
New tires
Installing new, top-of-the-line tires is one easy and necessary improvement all drivers should make to their vehicles. New tires provide better traction and reduce the risk of tire-related accidents. Drivers should keep a close eye on the wear and tear of their tires and rotate them frequently. -
Side-view mirror attachments
Whether you add blind-spot mirrors or wide-angle mirror attachments, you will be doing yourself and other drivers a favor by improving visibility. Blind spot mirrors are bubble shaped mirrors that attach to your current side view mirrors. They extend your line of vision and help prevent dangerous accidents by showing you what's in your blind spot. Wide-angle mirrors also extend your visibility by giving drivers a wide-angle view of what's to the left and right of them.
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The United States has some wacky
It's a little-known fact that car enthusiasts have notoriously bad senses of humor. Kidding, kidding. But if you know a car lover and you've got a gift for the giggles, consider April Fool's Day to be your newest playground. Whether you love cars or love someone who loves cars (or maybe you just want to pull some auto pranks around the office), we've come up with 10 great April Fool's pranks for the jokester and car lover in (or around) you. Happy pranking!






Best for compact cars (or people that have several thousand golf balls to unload), fill the car up with golf balls so that, upon opening the door, the balls roll out. This also works with beans, pennies, and styrofoam peanuts — the most economical, but least environmental of the bunch. Bonus points if you find a way to incorporate a gaggle of white turtledoves to also fly out of the car, gloriously punctuating your prank. Minus points if you kill the doves.
One really fun and fairly simple April Fool's day gag is to line the trunk of someone's car in plastic, and then fill the trunk with water. Sealing plastics and drop cloths work best for this, as you want to be certain that you don't damage the car. The sight gag should be enough to drop some jaws. Be sure that you have an exit strategy, because remember: cars don't flush.


Some businesses take a very unusual marketing approach for getting the word out about their product: the crazy
Cars are complex machines that most people simply don't understand. Mechanics must undergo years of schooling and apprenticeship to understand how cars work and how to fix them. But just because they are complicated doesn't mean you shouldn't know anything about your car. There are a few parts of a car that every driver should understand in order to save time, money, and headaches. Here are nine car parts every driver should understand.








The appeal of motorcycles is easy to see. In movies, the handsome bad boys drive motorcycles with a beautiful girlfriend in tow, wind blowing through their hair. It is exhilarating to gain such speed without the padding of a car around you, as if you were flying. However, motorcycles are far more dangerous than cars. Motorcyclists are
Imagine sharing an RV with Clark Griswold, Del Griffith, John Rambo, and a young Che Guevara while traveling across country. Sound appealing? It might for a generation who grew up on Vacation, Plans, Trains & Automobiles, First Blood, and The Motorcycle Diaries, and daydreamed about participating in shows like Road Rules and The Real World. Sure, the characters may stop being polite, but hey, things will never start getting real because, well, this is just a fantasy. Here are 10 movie characters (11, actually), provided they'd all fit into an RV, with whom we would like to imagine going on a
GreenAer is an Irish organization focused on fostering awareness and sales of environmentally friendly modes of transport. They're big proponents of the REVA, an economical electric car with a crazy rad turning radius and several easy options for charging. You're in luck, Europe — this green vehicle is priced right, starting at €11,500.
Sold as a European replacement for the Corolla hatchback, the Auris hybrid is one of Ireland's favorite sellers. Reasonably priced, environmentally friendly, and packed with features, the Auris hybrid is a solid choice for the price and expected longevity of the vehicle. And with Toyota Ireland sponsoring ECO-UNESCO's "Clubs in Action" program, a portion of your dollars (or, euros, as it were) go to help kids' community projects focused on micro-environmentalism.
The Volkswagen BlueMotion Polo is another reasonably priced eco-friendly favorite of the Irish. This diesel car knocks the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight out of the water in terms of fuel efficiency, but isn't a favorite in terms of power performance, with its three-cylinder engine and wonky gearshift indicator.
One of the larger green vehicles, the Skoda Estate GreenLine is a sensible choice for family transportation. The newest version, the GreenLine II, offers even more eco-features, making it the most environmentally friendly member of the Skoda family. Low prices, fuel economy, and versatile usability make the Estate GreenLine and GreenLine II good bets for any European trying to "green" up their commute.
Called a supermini, the SEAT Ibiza, a cousin of Volkswagen, was named one of the 100 most reliable cars of the past decade, according to a
Newer models of the Opel Corsa, another favorite brand of the Irish, come equipped with "ecotec" engines. These cars aren't known for their beauty of design, but their practical usage platforms make them a favorite of their owners. Partnering with GM Gamma and Fiat, what Opel cars lack in blockbuster sales, they make up for in loyal customers.
With the i short for "intelligence," "innovation," and "individuality," and the Q referencing "quality," the Toyota iQ is the company's answer to the Smart ForTwo. This cute, environmentally friendly compact hatchback is a favorite of the Irish, as well as the rest of Europe and Japan — it won Japan's Car of The Year in 2008.
With its slogan reading "Elle a Tout d'une Grande" (the small car with big attributes), this small, comfortable car has a reputation for being simple to handle and utilitarian (read: basic). The engine is capable of running on alternative fuels, and the Clio is a favorite of green drivers worldwide.
Rugged mountains, unbelievable vistas, lush forests, and awe-inspiring landscapes are just some highlights of what you'll find along America's roads and highways. Who can resist the lure of the open road and the freedom to explore mesmerizing sights, right from the comfort of your car? Every road trip enthusiast has heard of America's most famous scenic drives: the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Montana and the iconic 17-mile drive along California's Highway 1 in Big Sur, California, but as impressive as these drives are, more obscure routes can be just as visually compelling. Lesser-known drives may have been overlooked, but their beauty can be just as dramatic, perhaps offering extraordinary vistas of largely undiscovered parts of America. Here are six little-known scenic drives that every American should explore in their lifetime.