Be a Safe Driver and Stay Focused on your Driving.  Distracted driving has become a leading cause of accidents on the road. It is estimated that more the 3000 deaths and approximately 400,000 injuries occur annually due to distracted driving.  Put your cell phones away do not text/talk while driving. If you need to use your smart phone pull over into a rest area. Another tip is get directions to your destination before you start.

Ford issued two major recalls for a variety of vehicles across its line. The more serious of the two addresses a possible fire risk, and it encompasses approximately 231,000 cars in North America with the turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-4 engines. Included are the 2013-2014 Fusion built at the Hermosillo factory, 2014-2015 Fiesta ST, 2014 Escape, and the 2013-2015 Transit Connect.

The fire risk comes after the car has overheated from a lack of coolant circulating. The overheating could lead to a cracked block and subsequent oil leak that could ignite. Ford says it has received reports of 29 fires in North America so far, but no injuries or deaths have been reported.

When planing a road trip make sure you are thinking about your passengers safety as well. Everyone in the vehicle should wear a seat belt. If you are traveling with children, it is safest for them to ride in a car seat designed for their size and age. All children 13 years and younger should ride in the back seat. If you are not sure or having trouble finding the right seat for your child’s age and size you can visit safercar.gov/parents for tips.

In case you have ever wondered whether the glow-in-the-dark handles inside car trunks are important, here’s some solid proof. An Alabama woman managed to escape from the trunk of a Nissan Altima, after an attempted kidnapping.

As AL.com reports, a 25-year-old Birmingham woman was forced into the trunk of a black Nissan Altima on Tuesday by a gun-wielding man. The snatcher then drove to a service station nearby and tried to withdraw money from an ATM there, using the kidnapped woman’s debit card. As the attempt didn’t prove successful, the perpetrator got back into the car and left – and at that moment the victim was able to open the trunk and escape from the car while it was already moving. The owner of the service station locked the building doors as the woman got inside safely, and called the police.

Nissan’s solution for distracting smartphones is called Signal Shield. At its simplest, it’s a Faraday cage built inside a Juke’s armrest, and when you place your smartphone in the compartment and close the lid, any cellular, Bluetooth or wifi electromagnetic signals are blocked. It’s not exactly groundbreaking technology as it was first invented in the 1830s, but it’s effective. And when the lid is opened, the phone will resume working normally. Music stored on the phone can still be accessed via USB connection, so it’s not completely bricked by the trick armrest.

Make sure to check for recalls.  Even well informed care owners may not be aware that their car is on a recall list and in need of some type of repair.  You can take advantage of NHTSA’s free and easy to use vehicle identification number look up tool lets you check and see if your vehicle has any open recalls.

During manufacturing, some Sonatas may not have had the seat belt properly attached to the anchor pretensioner. According to NHTSA recall information, the seat belt is connected to the anchor after the latter has been installed, and it is possible that the seat belt didn’t completely latch onto the anchor during assembly. If the seat belt was not properly attached, it can separate from the anchor during a collision, potentially leading to an injury.

Make sure you perform a basic safety check before taking a road trip.  Routine maintenance  such as oil changes, battery testing and tire rotations etc, are important as it can help reduce your risk of breakdowns on the road.

Note if your are traveling long distances, take an extra step by checking your vehicle’s tire pressure, wiper blades, fluid levels lights and air conditions.  At that point drive safe and have a enjoyable trip

* Take a deep breath. Remember, you’re in a vehicle because you have somewhere to go. Likewise, other drivers have the same goal.

* Even if you are angry, exercise self-control and avoid obscene hand gestures and eye contact with a potential offender. It’s a crazy world we live in, and you never know if someone has a gun in his car or decides to follow you home.

* Distracted drivers can cause frustration and put others in danger, so pledge to not text or play with your smartphone while driving.

* Don’t hog the left lane. Move over and let faster traffic pass. Even if someone is speeding, it’s not your job to stop him (unless you’re a cop, in which case, carry on).

* Conversely, don’t tailgate others or drive like a you-know-what. The rules of the road apply equally to all of us.

* Be courteous. If someone needs to get into your lane because his lane is ending or because he has a turn coming up, let him in. Think of it as paying it forward. Next time you need to make a lane change, hopefully someone else will be just as courteous.

* Signal before changing lanes. It lets the other person know your intentions. And if another car happens to be in your blindspot, the signal will allow the other driver to react more quickly since he will know that you’re trying to move over.

* If you feel you are in danger, pull over and call 9-1-1 to report the incident, noting the location and make/model of the other vehicle, along with the license plate number if possible. During the call, ensure that your doors are locked and windows are closed.

* To help you relax, turn on the radio or listen to an audiobook.

A CPO warranty rarely provides the same coverage as the original factory bumper to bumper warranty.  Therefore you want to carefully study the terms of the CPO warranty to see that it meets your expectations.

The Basics: Takata, the beleaguered airbag supplier at the root of the largest recall in automotive history, has informed Ford of a problem with the airbags in just over 30,000 Ford and Lincoln models. The problem is not related to the non-desiccated ammonium nitrate airbag inflators that plague the other airbags (including many Fords), meaning there isn’t a risk of shrapnel flying out from the units in this particular recall.

The Problem: In the event of an accident, the front airbags may only partially inflate, and the airbag may become detached from the module because of misaligned parts. The problem affects 2016 and 2017 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX models built at the Oakville Assembly Plant. The issue also affects 2017 Lincoln Continentals that were built at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant

You may want to also know that any dealer even a used-car lot er a dealer unaffiliated with an auto maker can come up with its own inspection program and label its vehicles as certified.

With CPO you should know that despite comprehensive inspection and protocols proscribed by an automaker, the dealer decides if a vehicle qualifies for CPO status.

Carmaker Ford has said it is experimenting with technology to detect potholes and warn drivers of their locations.

Cars equipped with cameras could constantly scan roads during journeys, with resulting data on potholes displayed on other drivers’ dashboards.

The idea is being tested at the firm’s research centre in Aachen, Germany.

One expert said altering routes to avoid potholes might not always be possible.

“A virtual pothole map could highlight a new pothole the minute it appears and almost immediately warn other drivers that there is a hazard ahead,” said Uwe Hoffmann, a research engineer at Ford.

“Our cars already feature sensors that detect potholes and now we are looking at taking this to the next level.”

With CPO’s it is important to know that there are no industry standards, the parameters of a CPO programs are set by each auto maker and will vary.  As an example Cadillac requires vehicles to be four years or less in age with ferwe then 50,000 miles where as Porsche’s rule is eight years or less and under 100,000 miles.