If you have ever compared your auto insurance rates with a friend or family member, you will see that they can be quite different for the same coverage. Insurance companies decide how much you pay according to factors that indicate how much of a risk you are. When you buy a new vehicle, it is always a good idea to keep these risk factors in mind to avoid huge rates when you go to insure your new vehicle.

  • New or Used: A brand new vehicle carries a higher value therefore making it a greater risk. What you buy and how much it costs will determine how much repairs will cost and whether you want collision coverage on the vehicle.
  • Driving History: Non-moving violations such as parking tickets have less impact on your premiums than moving violations such as speeding tickets and DUIs.
  • Age and Gender: Insurance companies use statistics to calculate your insurance premiums. Age group, gender, and marital status statistics collected over the years allow insurance companies to classify you either as a high or low risk client.
  • Accidents: If you have had a previous accident, insurance companies see you as higher risk. Depending on the severity of the accident and who was at fault, you may see your premiums go up 20% to 40%. Some accident claims may result in your insurer dropping you completely.
  • Where you live: Some states have higher rates. This has to do with how much traffic is on the roads, road conditions, where your car is stored, and how many automobile thefts are in your area.
  • Gaps in Coverage: Insurance companies view individuals who frequently let their insurance lapse as poor risks. If you are in this group, your choice of providers will be limited and you’ll likely have to pay much higher than normal premiums, even if you have a spotless driving record and claims history.
  • Credit Score: Some insurance companies believe that people with bad credit are higher risk when it comes to automobile insurance. As you shop around for insurance, ask each agent if your credit score determines your insurance rates. You should make sure your credit history is accurate so you don’t pay higher insurance due to false credit information.

When someone buys a new car, it comes with a warranty. We have the California Lemon Laws (aka: Song Beverly Consumer Warranty Act) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which all work together to protect the consumer when buying a vehicle. We also expect the dealership to deal fairly with consumers and sell us vehicles that are safe and free of defects. One more category of protection that you will never read about in your vehicle warranty documents is the “secret warranty”.

When a car manufacturer builds a new vehicle many of the parts are manufactured all over the world. Once the vehicle is put together, it is tested to make sure there are no defects. Often during the testing phase, problems are found that are regarded as low risk and the automobile will be allowed to go into production. When the problem starts to turn up in a few vehicles most often, they just get repaired. For those few consumers who make a big fuss and threaten to report the problem to the NHTSA, the dealership makes a “special exception” and fixes the vehicle defect at no cost. They know that the problem exists, but it is cheaper to repair the few vehicles that come in rather than issue a recall. Every automobile manufacturer has at least one ‘secret warranty’, and often have three or four. If too many safety defects get reported, the NHTSA will issue a recall.

If you have a defect in your car, do your homework. Go online and find out if other owners are experiencing the same defects. Read about the lemon law and find out if a ‘secret warranty’ exists and get the service you deserve.

The California Lemon Law Offices of Delsack & Associates is recognized as one of California’s best and oldest lemon law firms. We have a nearly 100% success rate of the California Lemon Law cases we accept, and offer statewide services so that wherever you live in California you can put our 22 years of experience to work for you. If you think you have a “lemon,” stop throwing your money away on costly repeat auto repairs. Contact The California Lemon Law Specialists, get A Free consultation and get rid of your CA lemon today!

Anywhere in California (free call): 1.888.ExLemon (395.3666)

  • California Lemon Law in Los Angeles: 310-475-1700
  • California Lemon Law in San Francisco: 415-285-5366
  • California Lemon Law in San Diego: 619-229-6900
  • California Lemon Law in Orange County: 949-856-4333
  • California Lemon Law in Palm Springs: 760-395-1000
  • California Lemon Law in San Fernando Valley: 818-837-0500

When you think about the technology that runs our automobiles these days, it’s quite impressive. Not only have they made our driving experience much more comfortable, but also much safer. (Anti-lock braking systems, airbags, electronic stability systems, traction control…..just to mention a few.) Even though the computers that controls all these system are usually quite reliable, we know that they can have their flaws as well.

University researchers have taken a close look at the computer systems used to run today’s cars and discovered that hacking into a cars computer system is really not that complicated. In a late 2009 demonstration, they hacked into a test car’s electronic braking system and prevented a test driver from braking a moving car. In other tests, they were able to kill the engine, falsify the speedometer reading, and automatically lock the car’s brakes unevenly. They ran their test by plugging a laptop into the car’s diagnostic system and then controlling that computer wirelessly, from a laptop in a vehicle riding next to the car.

The point of the research isn’t to scare a nation of drivers, already made nervous by stories of software glitches, faulty brakes and massive automotive recalls. It’s to warn the car industry that it needs to keep security in mind as it develops more sophisticated automotive computer systems.

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and California’s traffic safety partners and their supporters are encouraging riders and vehicle drivers to be aware of motorcycle safety issues.

Home to more than 1.2 million licensed motorcyclists, California has seen an increase in the number of victims killed or injured in motorcycle collisions. According to the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), a record of almost 600 victims were killed and another 13,000 people were injured in motorcycle-involved crashes throughout the state.

Motorcycling is not just for recreation anymore. It is a means of transportation and a way of life for many. Because motorcycles are harder to see and offer less protection for the rider, motorcyclists are more likely to die in a crash than someone in an automobile, therefore, you should always be alert and watch out for them, especially when turning and changing lanes.

As with any motor vehicle, speeding and/or impairment due to alcohol and other drugs is never a good combination on the roads. By encouraging safe riding and cooperation between all motorists and motorcyclists, we can reduce the number of fatalities and injuries on our nation’s highways.

Despite several nationwide campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of texting while driving, a new survey by the Automobile Club of Southern California says that it has not kept drivers from doing it. The rates of texting while driving dropped off after the ban began in January 2009, but have since risen to nearly pre-ban levels.

Although the California Highway Patrol has issued about 11,600 hand-held cellphone citations each month over the last year, it has issued an average of only 150 citations per month for texting. Catching drivers who are texting is tricky since drivers who are texting often keep their phones hidden in their laps.

The fact that we’re seeing a statistically significant rise in texting despite state bans indicates that additional efforts are needed to help deal with the problem. People are naive to believe that texting while driving does not affect their driving and should take driving seriously if not for their safety, at least for the safety of everyone else on the road.

Your GPS is great for getting you where your going, but the accuracy of the navigation system does have its downfalls. Leading you down a one way street or a dead end is not unheard of since changes on the roadways are not picked up by the GPS. Currently the mapping companies need to get someone to drive up and down streets in a vehicle with cameras fixed in all directions noting the changes on the streets. They take this footage back to the office where it is analyzed, frame by frame, and someone records where all the changes are. Because this is a tedious task, mistakes are often made.

The Smart Cars project, a joint effort between the National ICT Australia (NICTA), the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization (CSIR), and the Australian National University, could make these problems a thing of the past. The NICTA, using Linux based technology will develop technology to make personal navigation systems more accurate.

AutoMap, developed by the NICTA, uses machine vision techniques that can detect and classify geometric shapes from video footage. These shapes include things like signs and company logos, the type of fixtures that change frequently in a neighborhood and make it difficult for digital map makers to keep their products up to date. Instead of having cameras fixed to vehicles specifically for recording changes on the roads, the cameras can be mounted on vehicles that already travel the roads on a regular basis, such as taxi cabs or garbage trucks. The technology could be on the market in as little at 12 months.

The sport utility vehicle (SUV) has been popular with consumers since it first rolled off the assembly line. It offers the versatility of a mini van and pickup all in one rugged and luxurious package. The problem with the SUV, is that it has a tenancy to roll over during extreme maneuvers.

Over 12,00 people have been killed in SUV rollovers in the last two decades. The problem has been around since its birth, but gained publicity in 2000 when Congress began a series of hearings focused on the Ford Explorer and faulty Firestone tires. The problem, however, came before 2000. The first big selling SUV, the Bronco II, was killing and injuring people more than any other SUV on the road. The problem could have been reduced by lowering the vehicle’s center of gravity and widening its wheel base, but company executives felt the fix would be too costly and that the improvements would not make much of a difference. Also, consumers who actually use their vehicles for off roading appreciated the extra clearance the SUV provided.

After decades of controversy and thousands of deaths due to SUV rollovers, automakers are changing their ways. In 2003, 15 domestic and foreign based automakers agreed that by late 2009, all SUV’S and light trucks would be built lower to the ground or built with an energy-absorbing beam. Studies conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show that the number of side-impact SUV accident deaths decreased by nearly half when automakers brought in these changes. According to experts, a safety standard has not been so effective in saving lives since the inclusion of airbags in new vehicles.

Today, vehicles have many different safety features. Seat belts, ABS, airbags, stability control, traction control…, all make our vehicles safer to drive, but also gives us a false sense of security. Ultimately, driving safety is in the hands of the driver and no technology can help us when making unsafe decisions behind the wheel.

In Mumbai, India, Satish Sawant, a software engineer, was driving him and his family home from the car dealership in his band new Nano automobile. Shortly after leaving the dealership they began to smell smoke coming from the engine compartment in the back of the car. Satish and his family safely exited the car as it became engulfed in flames.

This is not the first time there have been complaints about the Nano. Last fall there were three Nano’s where customers complained about their car starting to smoke. Tata Motors attributed the problem to a faulty electrical switch and said it had changed suppliers and done additional tests to rule out a recall or redesign. A Tata Motors spokesman assured that the incidents are not related.

Tata Motors, which also owns Jaguar and Land Rover, have bragged about their Nano vehicle as one of the world’s cheapest cars. The company hoped it would be part of a safety revolution as it would get people off of dangerous motorbikes and into an affordable car.

Tata Motors plans to start selling versions of the Nano in Europe in 2011 followed by an introduction into America. Some say the Nano’s smoke and fire problems are a result of the poor quality control issues at India’s number three car maker, which must be addressed before Tata can successfully take its brand global.