The Most Scenic Routes in America: Summer Edition

Sometimes, you need to get away.  Work is exhausting, your favorite TV sitcoms have gone off the air, and it’s time to break the mold.  Imagine breathing in the cool breeze of an ocean, or the soothing heat of a morning sun while taking a trip down the countryside.  Road trips are a great way to embrace the open road to view what our beautiful country has to offer.  So, you have the keys, a bag of snacks, and a couple days to check out your surroundings, but where do you go?  In today’s blog, we’re discussing some great scenic places to visit while you travel. 

Overseas Highway – Florida Keys

A highway that spans 113 miles, composed of roads and bridges from the Florida mainland to the country’s most southern point, the Overseas Highway is a beautiful place to drive.  There’s blue ocean, ships, boats, fisherman and tourists at every turn.  As an added fact, the Florida East Coast Railway was converted into this awesome highway.

Finger Lakes Region – New York

The Finger Lakes are a chain of lakes in central New York State shaped like…well, uh…fingers with the lakes formed by glaciers.  The lake extends 75 miles from Syracuse to Rochester.  There’s farmland, quaint towns and hundreds of wineries.  An Autumn trip adds an accentuating foliage to a beautiful drive year around. 

Pacific Coast Highway – California

This is known as one of the most scenic views in the world.  Hugging cliffs, and coastlines line a 123 mile stretch in a blissful five hour dream of beauty and saltwater scents.  However, this is not for the faint at heart.  The PCH offers some hairpin turns, narrow shoulders and steep drop-offs so BE ALERT. Honestly, take some time to pull over in safe places to really enjoy the vista. 

San Juan Skyway – Colorado

This scenic 233-mile drive through San Juan National Forest, Grand Mesa, is known as the “road to the sky” because of its mountains, quaint towns and ancient Native American pueblo ruins.  The drive features steep cliffs, alpine forests, campgrounds and plenty of outdoor activities.  

How on Earth Does Car Tire Tread Work?

You’re a driver.  You spend countless hours on the road to and from work, soccer practice, weekend events and everything in between.  You want to know for a FACT that your vehicle is safe to drive and chauffer in accordingly.  At our dealership, we’re adamant about safety, taking into account all of the features that give you piece of mind when you’re on the open, or in some cases, crowded road.  In today’s blog, we explain the importance of good tires and what tire tread actually does to protect you during your daily routine.  So, buckle up (pun intended) as we provide a quick guide to understanding tire tread. 

Tread patterns, the grooves and contours on a tire that give the wheel its grip and traction, allow performance capabilities. Lugs are the elevated portions of the tire that make contact with the road, while voids explain the space between the lugs that channels water through the tire to avoid slippage.  Common types are:

Symmetric Tread – this is the most common.  There are continuous tread blocks where inboard and outboard sides match

Asymmetric Tread – these are effective in dry and slick driving because the groove pattern varies to accommodate turns, deflecting water and gripping snow.  Common in all-season tires.

Directional Tread – have lateral grooves that form a v shape across a tire’s center.  It reduces hydroplaning potential.  The deeper the grooves, the more efficient a tire is at handling wetter conditions.

Tread works by maintaining grip and decreasing rolling resistance.  Rolling resistance is the physical force that taxes a vehicle to produce more energy.  The tire friction that occurs between the tire and surface also affects fuel consumption, so optimal tire tread patterns can maintain safety and performance while limiting the resistance. 

So, you might be asking: Why do I need to replace my tires?  Two main reasons are safety and mileage. Turning on wet surfaces is safer with the right type of tread and can shorten the braking distance you need for coming to a complete stop.  All vehicles offer different types of tread based on your style.  Visit our dealership by clicking here: http://www.audicoralsprings.com/index.htm

Google Tests a Self-Driving Car on Roadways

Google strikes again.  The digital juggernaut that is Google, responsible for the top search engine in the world, smartphones, translation technology, and a plethora of other projects, has taken another BIG step toward the world domination summit.  This is one step that makes them pioneers.  After word traveled that Google was working on a self-driving vehicle and countless tests in 2010, the Nevada State Department of Motor Vehicles announced Monday that they have issued a license to vehicle testing on freeways and neighborhoods around Carson City and even the Las Vegas strip. 

WOW.  Picture the neon lights of a city ablaze with life and music.  A night to remember (or not) in Vegas can be navigated with ease in a self-driving vehicle, lifting the weight of driving under the influence or when you’re fatigued.  The wave of the future isn’t that far off, according to Google.  The license that the Google Self-Driving vehicle will hold has a red background and an infinity symbol on the left side.  "I felt using the infinity symbol was the best way to represent the 'car of the future,' " DMV Director Bruce Breslow said in a statement Monday.

In June of last year, Nevada wrote rules governing autonomous vehicles after the state passed pioneering legislation to authorize the cars.  L.A. Times reporter Tiffany Hsu stated: 

"A driverless car is defined by the bill as using 'artificial intelligence, sensors and global positioning system coordinates to drive itself without the active intervention of a human operator.' That includes technology such as lasers, cameras and radar."

Self-driving cars logged more than 140,000 miles in California in Google testing, thus far.  The FUTURE IS NOW.  How do you feel about self-driving vehicles?

Top Reasons Drivers Are Pulled Over

Picture driving down the interstate with your top down while the wind is hitting you at a perfect angle, throwing a soothing, cool air through your flowing hair. Then, out of the blue, you hear a clearly distinct cop car sound-off behind you, causing you to jump out of your comfort zone into an all out panic.  You’ve been here before; you sift into low gear and head for the median, realizing you were going over the speed limit.  It’s happened to ALL of us.  Yes, including us at the dealership.  In today’s blog, we're discussing the top reasons why people are pulled over by the cops.  Feel free to share your comments below.

1.    Speeding – this entry is the most predictable, and the most common.  The faster you drive, the shorter your reaction time and control.  Braking distances also increase as speed builds, and it takes about 120 feet for a vehicle to stop when it’s traveling 60 mph.  Our advice? STOP driving so fast!

2.    Illegal Phone Use – Talking and texting on the phone while you’re driving is extremely dangerous to your safety and the safety of those around you. Although just a couple of states have banned phone use in the car, more than 30 have banned texting behind the wheel.  “I’ll just send a quick text.” Is the usual response, but individuals should drive as if their life depends on it.  "The really horrific stories about texting make the news," a traffic expert says, "But we see accidents and even just fender-benders from it every day."

3.    Hazardous Driving – these practices include stop sign and stoplight violations, illegal U-turn’s improper lane changes, failures to yield and unsafe speeds.  This also includes shaving, eating and even changing clothes.  We can’t imagine trying to pull off a shirt while having one foot on the gas pedal!

4.    Equipment Violations – Individuals who have heavily tinted windows, burned-out headlights, broken windshields, expired tags and loud exhaust modifications are prone to the bait of State police officers.  Always check your equipment to make sure that it meets road standards.

5.    Following Too Closely/Improper Lane Changes – Police are on high alert for these current violations.  On the freeway especially, it’s important to keep a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of you.  Add this to cellphone use and you’re brewing a recipe for disaster.  Driving too close equates to a slower reaction time.  So keep at least three car lengths away, that should give you more than enough time to react

An improper lane change is another phrase for “cutting someone off” by changing lanes without looking or indicating.  A failure to signal can add fuel to the fire, but it won’t initiate a traffic stop—just because the failure to signal is SO common.  However, speedily changing lanes without indication that you’re doing so can result in an accident and subsequent ticket. 

So, Fans please practice safe driving habits and feel free to Comment below!