Latest News From Bumper Radio

Tri-City Transmission in Tempe, AZ has earned the service industry’s coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award, reflecting an exemplary year of service provided to members of the consumer review service in 2013.

“We live to make our customers happy,” says Dave Riccio, owner of Tri-City Transmission.
 
“Only about 5 percent of the companies Tri-City Transmission competes with in the Phoenix area are able to earn our Super Service Award,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “It’s a mark of consistently great customer service.”

ORLANDO, Fla., May 16, 2014 -- AAA Travel projects 36.1 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a 1.5 percent increase from the 35.5 million people who traveled last year.  Kicking off the summer driving season, more than eight in ten travelers will be driving to their destinations.  The Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as Thursday, May 22 to Monday, May 26.

Highlights from 2014 Memorial Day Travel Forecast include:

• Memorial Day holiday travel volume is expected to reach a new post-recession high with 36.1  million Americans taking a trip
• The 2014 forecast is 2.6 percent higher than the ten-year historical average and the second highest travel volume since 2000
• Eighty-eight percent of travelers (31.8 million) to travel by automobile, an increase from 31.4 million last year
• Holiday air travel expected to increase from 2.4 percent to 2.6 million leisure travelers 
• Travel by other modes of transportation including cruise, trains and buses will see the largest increase, up 6.5 percent (total 1.7 million travelers)
• Travelers will encounter slightly higher prices with airfares six percent higher, mid-range hotels up two percent and car rentals costing one percent more

LOS ANGELES, April 29, 2014 -- The majority of people consider buying a used car a big issue. That's why researchers have performed a thorough background investigation of the car trade process. They concluded that there are several main domains of car selling through newspapers, printed advertisements (flyers, booklets, posters, billboards), internet and other market places.

You will soon realize that advertisements in newspapers are typically short and you should refresh them each week. Not only will you lose your time and money, you'll also lose viewers because they're not as sought-after as they used to be. Nowadays, the best way to have more buyers for your inventory is to market your business via Internet. It's been found that web-sales increase steadily day by day.

There are two major branches of online car marketing you can deal in: classifieds ads and auto auctions. Let's make a comparison between these methods: which of them is the best and presents the most effective way of selling cars.

ROSEMONT, Ill., April 21, 2014 -- A new resource is now at your fingertips when battling distracted driving.

The newly redesigned DecidetoDrive.org website allows you to anonymously send safe driving tips─the "Wreckless Checklist"─to the distracted drivers in your life giving them a "heads up" about their dangerous driving habits. You provide an email address and "Decide to Drive," the award-winning distracted driving prevention program sponsored by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (Auto Alliance) will send out safe driving tips to that person.

The colorful and engaging DecidetoDrive.org website allows visitors to more actively advocate for safe driving in their communities by:

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 21, 2014 -- Discount Tire, the world's largest tire and wheel retailer, and the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), continue their relationship for National Tire Safety Week June 1-7. With summer travel upon American motorists, the nationwide effort is designed to educate drivers about four essential areas of tire maintenance including Pressure, Alignment, Rotation and Tread (PART).

As motorists prepare for big trips this Memorial Day, they will face the second highest number of travelers since 2000 and the highest since the recession. More than 32 million Americans will travel by automobile, a 1.2 percent increase over last year, according to AAA. One of the fastest ways to put the brakes on a great vacation is with an emergency. By planning ahead, travelers can minimize their risk.

While there are many ways to maintain tires, checking tire pressure is one of the most critical things motorists can do to improve safety. Improperly inflated tires lead to decreased steering and braking control, as well as excessive tire wear and increased fuel consumption.

SEATTLE, May 15, 2014 --  As Americans hit the road for the upcoming summer travel season, traffic will be heavy, tempers may be short and aggressive driving can become inevitable as a new U.S. driving survey from Safeco Insurance reveals.   While only 36 percent of respondents admitted to their own driving as aggressive, 85 percent describe others' driving as aggressive with 82 percent reporting they experience negative feelings because of how others drive. 

While these statistics may not paint the nicest picture of U.S. driving behaviors, the good news is that 72 percent of those surveyed said they'd be willing to make at least one change to their own behavior to make driving a more pleasant experience for others on the road. To answer that call, Safeco is launching "Drive It Forward Fridays" (#DIFF) to encourage positive driving actions to counter negative driving behavior that can often jeopardize safety.

ERIE, Pa., May 12, 2014 -- Parents choose baby names in all sorts of ways, from the conventional — like naming a child after a beloved relative—to the decidedly unconventional, like posting names on a white board outside the delivery room and asking nurses and passersby to vote on their favorite. Chances are no one chooses their child's name based on how many people with that name get into car crashes or have their cars stolen.

But in the tongue-in-cheek spirit of giving parents-to-be one more thing to consider, Erie Insurance compared the Social Security Administration's annual list of the most popular baby names with its claims data to rank which names have the most car crashes and which names' cars are stolen the most.

BETHESDA, Md., June 10, 2014  -- With the hot summer temperatures on the rise, knowing the symptoms of a sick cooling system are critical to your summer driving plans, since cooling system failure is a leading cause of vehicle breakdowns. The most noticeable symptoms are overheating, leaks, a sweet smell of antifreeze and repeatedly needing to add coolant, according to the Car Care Council.

"Neglecting your cooling system can result in serious damage and even complete engine failure, which would put a sudden end to your summer road trip," said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. "If the cooling system doesn't receive regular maintenance, it's not a question of whether it will fail, but rather when it will fail. Performing regular checkups of belts, hoses, the water pump and fluids will ensure your car remains properly cooled and healthy for many miles down the road."

New AutoMD.com survey on how consumers view the repair shop/service center experience shows vast majority still feel overcharged, want pricing transparency, 'apples-to-apples' comparative job quotes and, most of all, a good mechanic -- and most are checking reviews and pricing online first.   

CARSON, Calif., June 10, 2014 -- Most consumers (83%) continue to 'feel' overcharged in the auto repair process and rank the experience of going to the repair shop/dealership to get their car repaired on a par with going to the dentist (with women preferring the dentist), according to a new consumer survey from AutoMD.com.

BETHESDA, Md., May 20, 2014 -- If your summer vacation plans include a road trip, the last thing you want is to have unexpected car trouble to leave you stranded at the side of the road, ruining all the fun. A pre-trip vehicle check is the best way to be car care aware and ensure that your car is ready to get you to your destination, says the non-profit Car Care Council.

The Car Care Council recommends the following pre-trip checklist before hitting the road this summer: