Pennsylvania Auto Dealers

We have told you who the worst drivers in the nation are and who the best drivers are by state, according to a GMAC Insurance study. But there were some more interesting findings in the study. Here are some things you may find useful, interesting or just simply amusing.

• GMAC Insurance has conducted this study for the last five years.
• In those five years, geographic regions tend to have similar rankings on the list.
• Drivers in the Northeast tend to have the lowest average test scores in the nation while drivers in the Midwest region tend to have the highest averages.
• Men are more likely to pass the test than female drivers. However, the gap between the two groups is getting smaller. In 2009, 79 percent of females passed the test while 81 percent of males passed it. That’s closer than the results in 2008 in which 87 percent of males passed compared to 80 percent of females.
• Older drivers tend to score better on average than younger drivers. Men over the age of 45 had the highest test scores overall while drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 had the highest rates of failure.

Your Springfield area Pontiac dealer asks: How would you do on this driving test? Where would you fall in the rankings? You can take the test online at NationalDriversTest.com and find out how you would rank. You can also see where your particular state comes in on that website.

On Monday, we told you which states have the worst drivers according to an annual study conducted by GMAC Insurance. Today, we want to tell you some more interesting findings from the study.

According to the National Drivers Test for 2009, two states tied for the highest average score – Wisconsin and Idaho. Drivers in those states scored an average of 80.6 on the driving test that looks at basic knowledge of driving laws. However, the national average has gone down overall. Last year the nation’s drivers had an average score of 78.1 percent on the test. This year, that number went down to 76.6 percent.

GMAC issued a press release based on the findings of the test. Here is a quote from that press release: “Results from the 2009 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test released today found that 20.1 percent of licensed Americans – amounting to roughly 41 million drivers on the road – would not pass a written drivers test exam if taken today.” It went on to say that many drivers even had problems answering basic questions about safe following distances and even yellow lights!

Your Media area Pontiac dealer wants to know if you have any solutions to the dropping test scores. Are we not training our new drivers well enough? Or should drivers be required to take regular tests even after getting their license so they can keep the rules fresh in the minds and be better drivers? Let us know some of your thoughts below.

Your PA auto dealers want to bring your attention to a recent article that discusses where the worst drivers in America live. You probably think they live in your state, but you would only be 100 percent correct if you live in New York.

GMAC Insurance conducts a national test of drivers each year. The test typically measures the basic knowledge of driving laws of drivers in each state. This year, the study involved more than 5,000 drivers from all over the nation and those results were released in last week’s report.

As I already mentioned, New York came in at the top of the list for the nation’s worst drivers. Last year’s “winner” was New Jersey. That state dropped to the second spot on the list as the scores of drivers in that state improved. (Maybe it was the embarrassment that made some drivers look over their driver’s education book this past year). Drivers in Hawaii, California and Georgia rounded out the top five list.

This is an interesting study and an interesting topic. Come back on Wednesday for more highlights gleaned from the results. Until then, visit your Newtown Square Pontiac dealer for a great deal on a new or used car and always keep your eye out for “the other guy.”

Every holiday, the police tend to step up their enforcement of certain laws to encourage people to drive safer. This upcoming Memorial Day weekend is no exception. Here are some ways you can stay safe next weekend and avoid the long arm of the law coming down on you and putting a damper on your fun.

• Buckle Up – Police are on the lookout for drivers not wearing their seatbelts. This is especially true during holiday weekends.
• Do not Drink and Drive – this is not only against the law, but it is also irresponsible and selfish. There are too many programs that will give you a ride if you are too drunk to drive so you should use those if you feel you have drank too much.
• Drive Defensively – During any holiday weekend, you are going to encounter bad drivers and possibly even drunken drivers. Keep your eyes peeled for erratic drivers so you can avoid them.

Your Media area Pontiac dealer wants you to stay safe during Memorial Day weekend so you can enjoy the holiday to its fullest. If everybody followed these tips, the roads would be a much better and safer place.

While states are introducing laws that would ban drivers from texting while driving, some people wonder if the laws are going too far. This story about a man who was arrested for eating while driving is just one example.

The incident happened in Needham, Massachusetts, just a few miles away from the area where a trolley driver was arrested last week for texting while operating the trolley. Police received a large number of phone calls about a man driving in an erratic manner. He was crossing the yellow line, tailgating other drivers and was generally “all over the road.”

According to the police reports, the 48-year-old Needham man was eating a bowl of cereal while trying to drive. Police did not actually see him eating the cereal, but the noticed an empty bowl that was still cold in the car, indicating that it was used just moments before the man was pulled over. He could face a suspended license due to reckless driving and operating to endanger.

This incident is a unique one because most people do not try to eat cereal while behind the wheel of a car. But stories like this could lead to more laws about what you can do while driving. Your Springfield area Pontiac dealer wonders how you feel about laws banning eating while driving? If this type of law passes, what’s next?

Texting while driving seems to be one of the hot-button issues in the driving world right now. As such, your PA auto dealers would like to spend some time discussing the issue.

Several states have considered banning any use of a cell phone while a person is behind the wheel. However, only seven states and the District of Columbia currently have laws against sending text messages while driving. The other 43 states do not have laws banning cell phones while driving, but many of them have been discussing it in the legislature in recent months. Pennsylvania is one of the states that currently has no laws on the books about using cell phones while driving, but nearby New Jersey is quite the opposite.

In New Jersey, using a cell phone while operating a vehicle is a primary offense. That means that you can be pulled over for no other reason other than the fact that you were using a cell phone. States with similar laws include Minnesota, Arkansas and California as well as the District of Columbia.

Your Newtown Square area Pontiac dealer wants to know how you feel about laws that would ban cell phone use while driving? Do you like the law for the sake of safety or does it bother you that the government can pull you over for it? Let us know your thoughts below.

Last week, more than 350 employers in New Jersey received awards from the state’s Department of Transportation for being “smart workplaces.” The companies were chosen based on the fact that they provided alternatives for employees who drive to work alone and because they allowed workers to deduct their commuting costs from paychecks on a pre-tax basis. In addition, they also offered flex-time programs, telecommuting options, carpool formations and on-site amenities to help reduce travel necessities for workers.

“It is critical for today’s employers to provide economical and sustainable transportation options such as public transit, carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling and walking,” stated New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine in a statement about the awards. “These companies have made the extra effort to ensure that commuting options are available to thousands of employees in New Jersey.”

Some of the companies that received the award include KBC Advanced Technologies, Morris Tomorrow, Park Avenue Club, Realogy and The Hartshorn Group.

Your Springfield area Pontiac dealer would like to congratulate these companies and encourage other employers to follow suit. Offering flexible options to workers is a great way to help families save money while making a positive impact on the environment as well.

We missed National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) which occurred at the beginning of April, but that does not mean we do not need to be safe in construction zones. Your PA auto dealers offer these tips to help you stay safe and help the workers stay safe in construction zones this upcoming traveling season.

1. Plan Ahead – If you are planning a road trip, expect some delays and account for those in your timing. You can figure it takes about 90 minutes to go 100 miles and you can plan on that. However, if you hit construction, you schedule could be thrown off by an hour or even more. Consider this when making plans and reservations.
2. Follow the Speed Limit – Constructions zones typically have a speed limit of 45 mph or lower. Some zones may be higher. The best thing to do is to look for signs before reaching the construction zone. When in doubt, slow it down to 45 or lower.
3. Take extra precautions at night. Many construction crews work at night to avoid the heat of the hot sun. If you come upon a construction zone at night, be extra careful because it is harder to see people once the sun goes down.

Use these tips from your Media area Pontiac dealer and your summer of traveling has a great chance of being accident-free!

Did you know that if you do not sign your car’s registration in the state of Pennsylvania, you could face a fine of $75 or even more?

That’s just one traffic rule not covered by the state’s driver’s manual, according to one driver. The other thing he found out the hard and expensive way was that it is a violation to hang things from your rearview mirror. Two tickets and $107.50 later, he realized this was another obscure law that he could not find in the Pennsylvania manual. Apparently, he says, “You are suppose [sic] to know.”

Here are a few other things you should be hesitant about when driving your car on the roads regardless of which state you live in:

• GPS devices or radar detectors attached to the windshield
• Large boxes in your back seat that obstruct your vision
• Non-working brake lights, headlights or blinkers
• Allowing your dog to stick his head out the window while you are a driving
• More than three people in your back seat
• Not coming to a complete stop at stop signs
• Expired tags

These are just a few things your Media area Pontiac dealer wants to warn you about. Many drivers do not think of these and other things that are worthy of tickets until it is too late.

On Wednesday, we introduced you to a study involving teen drivers and devices that recorded their driving behaviors. Today, your GMC-Pontiac-Buick dealers are going to tell you the results of that study.

According to Anne McCartt, the senior vice president for research for the IIHS, said teen drivers utilize safer habits when they know they are being monitored. The black box device was most effective when it alerted teen drivers that they were speeding or doing some other violation and they were given time to correct it before the information was sent to the website. As a result, “teen speeding more than 10 m.p.h. over the limit fell by nearly 60 [percent], while brisk acceleration and fast braking declined by nearly 40 [percent].”

“Giving the teen the chance to correct their behavior makes a lot of sense,” explained McCartt. “They may see it more as a mentoring kind of device, rather than punitive.”

If you are looking for one of these devices for your teen driver, Safeco, 21st Century and Progressive are three companies that offer it for their customers. It may even reduce your premiums if you have a new teen driver on your policy.

Your Newtown Square area Pontiac dealer wants you and your teen to be safe on the roads. If one of these devices is what it takes to help your teen use better habits behind the wheel, we encourage you to look into it. What have you got to lose?