Rudest Drivers in America

Do the drivers you see every day seem rude? Are they constantly using a phone while driving, tailgating, or not using their turn signals? Find out what behaviors other drivers find most annoying, and which states the drivers are guiltiest of participating in those behaviors.

Idaho ranked as the No. 1 rudest state in the study. Survey respondents' attitude toward this potato-producing state is rooted in its alleged bumper crump of both speedy spuds and slow-rolling couch potatoes. "The roadways of Idaho present a dichotomy of drivers: Those who are moving so slowly that they're judged to be rude, and the aggressive drivers who speed around them and flip them off," Insure.com said in a statement.

The five driving behaviors that bothered survey participants the most, followed by the percentage reporting so, were:

• Talking on a mobile phone while driving, 47 percent
• Tailgating, 37 percent
• Not signaling turns, 35 percent
• Weaving in and out of lanes, 28 percent
• Driving too fast, like every road is a highway, 26 percent

It bears noting that in Cars.com's recent poll seeking readers' opinions on the most-annoying driving behaviors respondents overwhelming identified "camping out in the passing lane" as the most egregious offense. Our poll's choices represented the most frequently expressed complaints in the comments section of our previous post on the subject.

The study's top 10 rudest states list is split almost evenly between the western and eastern U.S. On the opposite end of the spectrum, North Dakota drivers are, by default, the most polite in the nation, ranking No. 51.

Insure.com's entire list of all 50 states and the District of Columbia is as follows; see where your discourteous drivers rank:

1. Idaho
2. Washington, D.C.
3. New York
4. Wyoming
5. Massachusetts
6. Delaware
7. Vermont
8. New Jersey
9. Nevada
10. Utah
11. Alaska
12. Louisiana
13. Connecticut
14. Rhode Island
15. Iowa
16. Oklahoma
17. California
18. Alabama
19. Arkansas
20. Mississippi
21. Colorado
22. New Mexico
23. Florida
24. Ohio
25. Georgia
26. Illinois
27. Texas
28. Hawaii
29. Kansas
30. Virginia
31. West Virginia
32. Kentucky
33. Maryland
34. Arizona
35. Michigan
36. Indiana
37. Pennsylvania
38. Tennessee
39. Missouri
40. South Carolina
41. South Dakota
42. North Carolina
43. Washington
44. Nebraska
45. Wisconsin
46. Oregon
47. Minnesota
48. Montana
49. New Hampshire
50. Maine
51. North Dakota

Read the full article from Kicking Tires here: http://bit.ly/ZsaDji

Finding the Right Car Insurance

If you're going to have a car, you're going to need insurance. But it isn't as cut and dry as having insurance or not. There are a few different kinds of coverage you can get. There are also a few other important considerations you should look at when looking for the correct coverage. Hopefully this blog will help put some of those different aspects of car insurance into perspective for you.

Three Types of Coverage

Although insurance policies and prices vary from company to company, there are three basic types of coverage you'll want to consider.

Liability: If an accident is your fault, the insurance company will usually cover the damage you caused, including bodily injury and property damage.

Collision: The insurance company will pay for repairs performed after an accident. Make sure you go to a repair shop approved by your agency. Otherwise, they may not pay for the work.

Comprehensive: Damage from vandalism, theft, floods, fires and other events is covered. Some insurance agencies don't cover certain kinds of mishaps, so make sure you know all the details — and exclusions — of your policy. Some insurers offer protection from uninsured drivers.

Other Important Considerations

Find out your auto lender's preferences
If you owe money on your car (through your loan), your lender may have some rules on the kinds and amounts of coverage you'll need. Most lenders want a comprehensive coverage package to protect the car in the event of an accident. However, if you own your car outright and have the title, you are free to select the insurance you feel most comfortable with, as long as you comply with state insurance requirements.

What's the smart amount of coverage for me?
Figuring out how much time you spend in your car and the number of hazards that your car faces on a regular basis (traffic, parking, etc.) can help you figure out the coverage you need. If your car is frequently exposed to hazardous conditions, you may want to consider adding more coverage. If you keep your car in a garage most of the time, you probably don't need as much coverage as someone who's parking on congested city streets every day.

Your insurance agent will ask you about your driving habits. Based on data from thousands of insured drivers, the agent can figure out the likelihood of you having an accident and offer a plan that is appropriate for you. Some insurance companies will reduce your payment if you drive less frequently, live close to work or if you drive a safer vehicle.

You should also consider where you live, work or go to school. Are you concerned that your car may get stolen or vandalized? Weigh all these things when choosing your insurance plan. You can easily increase your coverage if necessary.

Click the link to read the entire article from Cars.com: http://bit.ly/17YZhRO

Cleaning Up Spills in the Car

If you have kids, you know that spills are unavoidable. In a perfect world, spills would never happen in the car, but unfortunately this is usually never the case. So what do you do when a spill does happen? Kicking Tires has shared advice from parents on cleaning up spills in the car.

Start with Protective Surfaces: Generally speaking, leather or vinyl seating surfaces will be easier to clean than fabric. However, several automakers offer a stain- and odor-resistant material in some of their cars. GM, for example, uses interior coatings to protect cabin materials from sun, sweat, sunscreen, bug repellant and more. Engineers conduct durability experiments on the surface coatings, some of which involve applying perspiration to the seats for hours (a synthetic simulant, not real sweat, phew!) to see how surfaces hold up. Sweat is just the beginning. GM spills "everything from sewing-machine oil to petroleum jelly," said Doug Pickett, GM engineering group manager. "We do coffee, ketchup, blue-ink pen, regular soy sauce, chocolate milk, red Kool-Aid and black marker." 

Act Fast: If someone in your car spills, clean up as much as possible off the car's seats and floor as soon as possible. Scoop up any, um, chunks, and soak up any puddles with paper towels. 

Scrape it Up: If you've found your noxious fume culprit and it's had time to dry and harden, try to scrape up any residual particulates first. Gather plenty of fresh towels, wet the area with hot water and soak up smelly aftereffects with the towels. Rinse and repeat. 

Buy Stock in Baking Soda: Cover every possible affected surface with a thick layer of baking soda. Let that sit and work its magic for as long as possible (in the legendary strawberry milk episode, I let it sit for three days). The same principle that makes baking soda great for soaking up garlic fumes in your fridge means it will work in your car. After a few days, use a high-powered Shop-Vac or a commercial-grade coin-operated vacuum at the gas station or car wash, to suck up all that odor-absorbing magic powder. 

Combat Lingering Smells: By this stage the spill should be gone, but there might be a lingering aroma. Rather than trying to mask one smell with another, try an all-natural product like Moso bags, which are filled with bamboo charcoal that can soak up smells from a mile away. OK, maybe not a full mile, but at least within the confines of your car. They come in several shapes and sizes to fit discreetly in your car, and if they work on my daughter's ballet shoes, they can definitely work on your nasty car smell. 

Create an Alternate, Pleasant Aroma: Now that all traces of putridity are a distant memory, you can add a pleasant scent to transform your morning carpool schlep into a feast for your olfactory senses. Rather than adding chemicals to the mix, try a few drops of a favorite essential oil (I vote for grapefruit) on a cotton ball and tuck it into a cupholder or an in-door storage pocket. Breathe deep and enjoy that wonderful family, spills and all.

Click the link to read the full article: http://bit.ly/1AbFA6j

Warning Lights to Watch Out For

Your car has all kinds of built-in functions to let you know when something is wrong. Warning lights are one of these functions. In order to give your car the proper attention it needs though, you want to be sure you're able to decipher any warning lights that could potentially come on. This article from AOL Autos explains 5 important warning lights and what exactly they mean.

Low Tire Pressure Warning
Many modern vehicles constantly monitor the pressure of each tire, and inform you when there is a pressure drop due to a puncture. When the low tire pressure light turns on, you should pull over to visually inspect your tires.

While it’s fairly straightforward to visually identify a normal tire that has gone flat, it’s much harder to do so with a run-flat tire. If you see that a normal tire has gone flat, you should mount a spare or call roadside assistance. If you have run-flats, you should drive to the closes tire shop to get the tire patched or replaced. Driving a long distance on a punctured run-flat can be dangerous, so don’t risk it.

Even if the tire isn't completely flat, low tire pressure can be a serious safety issue, as it impairs your ability to steer the car. It also negatively impacts fuel economy.

The low tire pressure light looks like an exclamation point in the middle of a horseshoe.

Low Battery Warning
Depending on how much you drive and the weather where you live, your battery will last 4 or 5 years on average. When the low battery warning light turns on, it’s a good idea to change the battery within a few days to avoid getting stranded somewhere because the car won’t start. If you buy a new battery before the old one dies completely, you can purchase an inexpensive replacement at your local warehouse store and do the swap yourself. Otherwise, you could be forced to pay double the money for a battery off a road service truck.

The low battery light looks like, well, a car battery.

Brake Fluid Warning
Your brakes the the most important safety device on your car, and you should take the brake fluid warning light very seriously. This light can indicate a brake fluid leak, or another problem in your brake system.

If the problem is serious, you may experience diminished stopping power, which can have serious consequences. When this light turns on, get a brake system inspection as soon as possible. Brake failure can have life-threatening consequences for you and your loved ones.

The low brake fluid warning light looks like an exclamation point in the middle of a circle, which is enclosed in parentheses.

Oil Pressure Warning
While coolant is necessary to regulate the temperature of your engine, oil is necessary to keep the internal components running smoothly. The engine is the most valuable single part of your car, so it’s important to make sure it’s properly cooled and lubricated.

When your oil pressure light comes on, it can indicate that you have an oil leak or that your engine is burning oil. In either case, it’s important to get your oil level back to normal. You can do this by purchasing the correct type of oil for your car (as indicated in the owner’s manual) and using the dipstick to top it off. Be careful not to overfill the engine – too much oil can also cause damage. To figure out the root cause of the low oil level, you should take your car to a mechanic for inspection.

Temperature Warning
When your temperature warning light turns on, your car probably has a coolant leak, bad water pump or faulty thermostat. Driving a car with cooling problems can cause the engine to overheat, which can destroy the gaskets within the engine or even cause the delicate metal components to warp. An overheated engine can cost thousands of dollars to be rebuilt or replaced. Unless that’s a risk you want to take, take your car to a mechanic as soon as the temperature warning light comes on.

The temperature warning light looks like a thermometer floating on water.

Read the full article from AOL Autos here: http://aol.it/1un18fB