Latest News From Bumper Radio

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.

Is your teenager about to get his/her driver's license? Automotive expert Lauren Fix, The Car Coach shares important tips on how to keep our teens safe behind the wheel. Check out her top choices for safe cars for teens and things to consider before putting your child behind the wheel.

True or false: Until your vehicle is out-of-warranty, it must be serviced by the new car dealer or the factory warranty will be void.

Although you may have answered “true,” the correct answer is “false.”

It’s the law that independent repair shops can provide the services to maintain your new car warranty. Consumers are protected by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which prohibits a manufacturer from voiding the vehicle warranty because service was done by a non-dealer.

AAA Foundation study shows increased risk of depression and entry into long-term care facilities among former older drivers

ORLANDO, Fla., (July 23, 2015) – Older adults who have stopped driving are almost two times more likely to suffer from depression and nearly five times as likely to enter a long-term care facility than those who remain behind the wheel, according to a new report released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and Columbia University.  The study examined older adults who have permanently given up driving and the impact it has on their health and mental well-being. The importance of understanding the effects this lifestyle change has on older adults is essential, as the number of drivers aged 65 and older continues to increase in the United States with nearly 81 percent of the 39.5 million seniors in this age group still behind the wheel.