Do you know even a small distraction can affect your ability to drive?? Make the road safer with tips presented by PartsAvatar Canada !!

When you aren’t focused on the road, things can happen fast. Rather paying penalties for using smart phone or even worst – getting your licence suspended for a year, isn’t it better to beware! - Brought to you by PartsAvatar Auto Body Parts.

Ok, we have a job! A jam packed schedule! Have to watch over toddler sitting back!! But that 1 minute of your distraction can create havoc on road! On the worst note, everyone’s life on road is at risk!

In our fast paced world, it’s become commonplace to see people texting, doing makeup while driving. Make sure to pay full attention on the road for everyone’s sake! But what exactly is distracted driving?

Distracted Driving

Since 2008, in every province and territory of Canada except Nunavut, there are strict laws for distracted driving. Anything can cause distraction to a driver. Any task that steals your attention away from the road is distraction.

Whether you are multitasking while driving, keeping an eye on your kid sitting at the back, texting your friend, eating or even picking up something that has fallen down- these scenarios steal your attention away from the road and can cause a fatal accident.

Following are the driving distractions:

1. Playing with GPS.

2. Cell phones, texting or answering calls

3. Eating

4. Kids

5. Driving under influence

6. Applying makeup

You should know following facts if you don’t keep your eyes on the road:

1. You are 23 times more likely to be involved in a collision if you text while driving and 4 times more likely if you talk.

2. You may have to pay heavy fine as penalty for using cell phone or any hand held device in Canadian provinces (mostly).

3. According to a study, nearly 80% of collisions and 65% of near collisions involved some form of driver inattention up to three seconds prior to the event.

Penalties for distracted driving

Each state has its own set of laws for distracted driving. But aside from simple collisions, distracted driving can result in horrific accident.

According to a study, drivers fail to process 50% of visual information in their driving environment when they are using electronic devices. Under motor vehicle act, part 3.1 – a driver found using a hand held device while driving may receive a $368 traffic violation ticket that also carries 4 penalty points. Fines may range from $100 to $280 depending on the number of offenses committed.

The violation ticket may vary from province to province. You may have to pay fine up to $1000 depending on your offense. Many provinces like British Columbia and Ontario ban the use of hand held device and electronic entertainment devices while driving.

Alberta expands its legislation beyond hand held electronic devices to include the other forms of driver distraction, including eating, reading and using car mirror personal grooming. In BC and Saskatchewan, drivers in the graduated licensing program are prohibited from using hand held and hands free devices.

In Ontario, if you have A,B,C,D,E,F or G license you will face bigger penalties like a fine of $490 if settled out of court or a fine of $1000 if you fight a ticket and lose it. Three demerit points are just icing on the cake.

You might receive six demerit points/fine of $2000/ Jail for 6 months/ licence suspension for 2 years if found guilty of carelessness caused by distraction (using hand free or hand held device).

Experts compare using cell phone to drinking and driving offense due to high level of distraction and the amount of time the driver’s eyes are off the road.

Using influencing substances like alcohol, drugs or even prescribed medicine is also a form of distracted driving. These substances make it difficult to focus on the road and large fines are imposed as it is a serious offense. In worst case, driver’s license can be suspended.

Tips to reduce distracted driving!

1. The very first tip is to turn off your mobile device. Using a hands free device doesn’t reduce the risk. Reduce the temptation by turning off the device so that you won’t be disturbed by constant ringing and beeps. Put it in the glove compartment or in a bag on back seat.

2. Record an outgoing message notifying callers that you are driving. There are various apps that send automatic reply to people calling or texting you.

3. flipping through radio stations or songs also distract. Pre set your favourite radio station or make a playlist of your favourite tunes. Music shouldn’t be too loud as it not only drowns out warning noises but is also a nuisance for fellow motorists.

4. You shouldn’t doze off while driving, it is hell dangerous. Make sure you have enough energy to focus on road. Try driving during daylight and make sure you are well rested. If you feel drowsy, hand over the control of your car to someone else. Avoid driving under influence of alcohol or drug.

5. Stop doing crazy things like applying makeup, reading newspaper, eating and even shaving while driving! Make sure you do these activities before you depart.

6. Pre-plan the route on your GPS so that it won’t distract your attention while you drive the car. If you use GPS, make sure it is placed in the area where it won’t force you to take your eyes off the road.

7. driving in tend to increase risks and results in road rage. It not only gives stress to driver but is also stressful for the fellow drivers. Give enough time to arrive at your destination.

8. Speeding down the highway or navigating through heavy traffic is not best time to learn where the car control like windshield wipers or defrost button is. Take your time when you are free, and understand the car controls freely.

9. Explain to kids that they should try to save requests for when the final destination is reached. Leave pets at home if possible.

10. In emergency call 911, but be sure to pull off the road to safe area.

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Now, Shop for best Auto Parts for your Pickup truck at Parts avatar Car parts and choose best pickup truck with this buying guide ~ brought to you by Parts avatar vehicle parts.

Past couple of years has been big one for Pickup Trucks. Auto giants like Chevrolet, GMC, Ford and Toyota are producing midsized trucks which can be fit for more than one job. Pickup truck sales have contributed more than 5 percent in the overall economy of U.S. in 2015 midsized truck sales skyrocketed over 40 percent. Because of pickup trucks contribution in the North American economy, auto giants like Ford, Toyota have transformed the truck’s typical image of a rudimentary cargo loader to luxurious and spacious auto bodies.

But the thing is how to choose a best pickup truck. Pickup trucks can support wide number of jobs like heavy tools, hauling plywood, sheet rocks and stone pavers. The very first step towards selecting a best pickup truck is realistic assessment of your actual needs. If you don’t need to carry or pull multi ton loads then you don’t need heavy duty pickup trucks. 

There are certain things that you need to carefully consider before buying a truck like payload, size, cargo, driving conditions, crew capacity and off road usage. Once the requirements have been defined, with a clear idea you can begin specifying the truck to do the job.

Types of Pickup Trucks

We will now discuss the types of pickup trucks most commonly found in the auto market. There are primarily two pickup segments: Compact/midsize and full size truck.

Compact/Mid Size

Compact or midsized truck segment covers trucks with overall weight ranging from 4300 to 6000 lbs. these trucks are made from different chassis frame than their full size brethren. These trucks usually offer V6 engines and 4 cylinder.

Examples of midsized trucks are Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier and GMC Canyon etc.

Full Size

The full size pickup beasts weight range from 6400 to 13300 lbs. this segment is further divided into 3 subclasses as ½ ton, ¾ ton and 1 ton. What makes them different from the compact ones apart from their weight difference? The thing is that the full size trucks are considered as the beastly workhorses of the pickup world as they are larger, rugged and ride higher off the ground than compact trucks do.

They also come in more configurations like cab type, bed size and auto drive train choices. Example of basic pickup trucks that are also called as 1500 series include Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Ram 1500, Ford F-150,Nissan Titan and Toyota Tundra. They can serve as work trucks as well as family cars.

There are more bulky trucks for more heavy jobs. Now we have already got enough knowledge about types of trucks. Now let us read in detail about important features for you to consider while purchasing a pickup truck.

Engines and Fuel Economy

Once we have selected the type of truck we want to buy, here are the engine specifications for both sections.

Midsize

Depending upon the manufacturer, the choice of engine for midsize pickups can be four cylinder, V6 or V8. Four cylinder engine is the base engine for midsize trucks. If you want to buy trucks with non towing applications and light payload, then go for smaller engines as they provide optimal fuel economy. If you want midsize pickups with greater hauling and towing capacity then better go for larger engines.

Full size

Base full size trucks are fitted with V6 engine which good balance between fuel economy and power. Some V8 engines allow the engine to operate on fewer cylinders thereby decreasing the load and increasing the fuel economy.

For heavy towing, consider a diesel engine. The advantage of diesel on gasoline engine is that it offers up to 30 % better fuel economy and towing power. As with the midsize trucks V6 offers lowest acquisition cost and best fuel economy except in the case of hybrid. Refer to your trailing requirements, estimated fuel economy and annual miles to determine the engine fit for your dream truck. Now you can shop for auto engine parts at Parts avatar auto parts Canada at affordable prices.

Transmission and Drive train

Manual or automatic transmission? Compact pickup trucks are available in both manual and automatic transmission mode. But most manufacturers offer only automatic transmission ranging from 4 speeds to 6 speeds for Full size pickup trucks.

Well, we all know that manual transmissions offer better fuel economy but at the same time not all the drivers are familiar with driving with manual mode. Modern drivers are familiar with automatic transmission mode and also it offers higher towing capacity. Truck’s Transmission and drive train parts should be considered seriously as they form the whole framework of your vehicle.

The drive train that is best to tow heavy loads is rear wheel drive which is why nearly all the pickups are based on RWD. For winter traction and off roading, auto makers recommend four wheel drive. Some pickups also offer optional full time 4WD. In that mode extra traction is provided and truck can run in that mode without harming the driveline.

Towing

A typical compact truck’s towing capacity is between 3000 lbs to 7000 lbs while the full size trucks can tow up to 10000 lbs of weight. Heavy duty trucks can tow up to 31000 lbs. never assume that if the pickup truck is big it can tow big. Moreover today’s trucks offer many features to make towing easier and safer.

You can also choose from different rear-axle ratios which ranges from three point something to four point something. Please note that the lower number maximize fuel economy while higher number maximize towing and hauling capabilities. So if you want to pick a truck to do a lot of towing then go for middle range of ratio.

Cargo Bed

Standard bed length for the full sized pickup is 8 feet while for compact ones it is 5-6 feet. Pickups offer options of fold out bed extenders to allow bulkier and longer cargo to be secured.

Cab size

Rear seats in the extended cab can be small for adults but are best for kids. There is no second row seating and storage behind the seat in the standard cab. In extended cab truck has either jump seat or full bench seat in the rear and there is a limited legroom.

There are no bed size limitations for the crew cabs. They have second row seating with full doors that swing open towards the front.

Safety features

Safety features in vehicles often reduce the danger to our life while driving from sudden accidents. Electronic stability control is a recommended safety feature and it has been mandatory on light duty pickups starting with 2012 model year. If you are looking for a used truck and drive on slippery roads then the first thing to look for is ESC in truck.

New pickup trucks have top tether and lower LATCH attachments in the rear seats. Chest level side air bags are common for front seat passengers.

Traction control is also very important safety feature that helps to tackle skidding. It can work best with the rear drive pickup trucks with empty beds. Check the safety ratings online and crash tests available.

Side View Mirrors

Visibility is main point of safety on the road and you should look for best truck mirrors which provide best visibility. If the truck is used for towing, consider extendable mirror to get maximum visibility around the trailer.

Access

Look for your seating comfort ability, adequate space for passengers and cargo. Check if you can fold the rear seats to make for space for cargo.

The Bottom Line

For the right selection of pickup truck, you need to figure out what you want like payload, mileage, crew capacity or terrain. If you follow these above stated points, we are sure that you will get a better truck.

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