Latest News From Bumper Radio

Campaign gives parents the words to use when they talk with their teens about the rules of the road

WASHINGTON – In recognition of National Teen Driver Safety Week, October 18-24, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urges parents and guardians of teen drivers to discuss with their teens one traffic safety topic each day. Those topics, also the most risky behaviors among teens, include alcohol, texting, failure to wear seat belts, speeding, and riding with extra teen passengers.

“When parents model and reinforce safe driving habits, they equip their teens with the skills to safely navigate the roadways for life,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Parents need to take the time to talk with their kids about behaviors that will keep them safe, and those that create greater risk.”

While Halloween is a scary time of year, vehicle owners don’t need to be spooked about basic car care. The non-profit Car Care Council recommends motorists follow a preventative vehicle maintenance plan to help take away the fear of unexpected breakdowns and frightening repair costs.

“Getting an oil change should never be scary; having wipers replaced should not be horrifying; and asking a professional automotive technician questions should not make someone shake in fear,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “With a quick visit to www.carcare.org, motorists will find free online tools from the Car Care Council to help take the fear out of auto care.”

Lexus, Toyota, Audi, Mazda, and Subaru Most Reliable Brands

YONKERS, NY—While problematic infotainment systems continue to be among the top issues reported by new car owners, Consumer Reports has identified an emerging trend of increased troubles with new transmission systems developed to improve fuel-economy, based on an analysis of its 2015 Annual Auto Reliability Survey.

The findings, released today before the Automotive Press Association in Detroit, are collected annually from Consumer Reports’ subscribers. CR’s 2015 Annual Auto Reliability Survey takes into account data from more than 740,000 vehicles.

This year, Acura becomes the latest brand to see its overall predicted-reliability ranking drop sharply (down 7 places from last year) due to problems with in-car electronics and transmissions for its newest RLX and TLX sedans.  CR has already seen these trouble areas drag down overall scores for Ford, Nissan, Fiat-Chrysler and others.

Winter is right around the corner. Is your car prepared? Automotive expert Lauren Fix shares important tips to prepare you and your car for the cold weather ahead.

While driving can be fun, it's also a serious responsibility. Take this fact, for example: When a teen driver has just one other teen passenger in the car, the risk of having a fatal crash doubles.

Now, we’re sure that you don’t agree with your friends about every single thing, right?

So why would you agree with them about the best decisions behind the wheel? We encourage you to be your own person. We know that after spending some time learning here – and on the road – you’ll be qualified to make your very own decisions….the right decisions.

31 children died last year as a result of heatstroke; 11 so far in 2015

OXEN HILL, MD – As part of National Heatstroke Prevention Day, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) joined Safe Kids Worldwide in urging parents and caregivers to take proper precautions to prevent child heatstroke tragedies in hot vehicles. NHTSA also unveiled a new technical report to help manufacturers develop effective technology innovations to prevent the dozens of child heatstroke deaths that occur each year.

NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind and Safe Kids Worldwide President and CEO Kate Carr delivered remarks during the Safe Kids Worldwide Childhood Injury Prevention Convention, which brought together injury prevention professionals from across the United States and around the world to discuss, share and learn ways of reducing all types of injuries to children.

Help Us Put the Brakes on Breast Cancer and Receive FREE Brake Pads

During October, 139 auto repair shops from across the United States are offering free brake pads to their customers. For every brake service performed at one of our participating shops, customers will receive brake pads for free and just pay for the labor and other parts. Each shop will also donate 10% of that brake service to The Cleveland Clinic Breast Cancer Vaccine Research Fund.

Participating Bumper to Bumper Radio preferred shops include:

Can you Imagine a vaccine that would create a world free of breast cancer? We can! Dr. Vincent Tuohy and his team at the Cleveland Clinic have successfully tested a Breast Cancer Prevention Vaccine in his lab and are working to take it to human trials.

Please help us support Dr. Touhy’s research and help create a world where your daughters and granddaughters will never have to worry about the tragedy of facing breast cancer. Right now his vaccine is specific to triple negative breast cancer, the most lethal for of breast cancer with no real treatment. We are about a year to going to bedside trials. Dr. Tuohy has received the funding that takes care of FDA, trials, etc., and our donations go strictly to research. The research is to continue the vaccine efforts with the other three forms of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer and possibly a host of other diseases. This is groundbreaking – don’t miss out on a chance to make a difference.

Car expert Lauren Fix discussed new automotive technology including cars you can control with your mind, autonomous vehicles and evidence of a recession in the Chinese automotive industry.

When it comes to vehicle safety, the brake system is at the top of the list. Brake Safety Awareness Month in August is the perfect time to have your brakes inspected to make sure they are in safe working condition before school starts and cold weather hits, says the Car Care Council.

Brakes are a normal wear item for any car and eventually they’re going to need to be replaced. For routine maintenance, check your vehicle’s braking system at least once a year. A thorough inspection should include brake lining wear, brake fluid level, rotor thickness, condition of hoses and brake lines, brake and dash warning lights, as well as taking the car for a test drive to detect other potential brake system problems.

If your car is pulling to the left or right, or if you hear odd noises when you apply the brakes, you should inspect your brakes. Other warning signs include an illuminated brake warning light, brake grabbing, low pedal feel, vibration, hard pedal feel and squealing.

Several factors that affect brake wear include driving habits, operating conditions, vehicle type and the quality of the brake lining material. Never put off routine brake inspections or any needed repair, such as letting the brakes get to the “metal-to-metal” point, which can be potentially dangerous and lead to a more costly repair bill.

(WASHINGTON, August 10, 2015) - The national average price for regular unleaded gasoline has fallen for 26 consecutive days, reaching today’s average of $2.59 per gallon. This is the longest streak of consecutive declines since January, and pump prices have moved lower by 19 cents per gallon over this period. Drivers are saving six cents per gallon week-over-week, and 17 cents per gallon month-over-month. The relatively low price of crude continues to provide consumers with significant yearly savings, and today’s average gas price is 89 cents per gallon lower than this same date last year.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the domestic benchmark for crude oil, has reached its lowest price since March 2015, and market fundamentals point to prices moving lower in the near term. Oversupply continues to characterize the oil market, and according to the latest report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), refinery utilization rates are running at record highs. The monthly average price of crude oil currently accounts for approximately 40 percent of the price consumers pay at the pump, and with WTI posting its sixth consecutive week of losses, pump prices are likely to post notable declines leading up to the Labor Day holiday.