Here's the Thing

Can your car weather the winter ahead?

(December 17, 2014) BETHESDA, Md. — While last year's brutal winter may seem like a distant memory, severe weather is on its way. The Car Care Council reminds drivers to ready their vehicles for the rough conditions ahead.

"Vehicle service is always more convenient when you do it on your own schedule. An investment of an hour or so to have your vehicle checked will help make sure it can weather the storm when arctic temperatures strike again," said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council.

NSC estimates nearly 800 total fatalities from car crashes this holiday season

(December 17, 2014) ITASCA, Ill. — The National Safety Council released its traffic fatality estimates for the Christmas Day and New Year's Day holiday periods. NSC estimates 366 deaths and another 39,200 injuries requiring medical attention may occur because of car crashes during the Christmas Day holiday period. 

An estimated 421 deaths and 45,000 injuries requiring medical attention may occur during the New Year's Day holiday period. Seat belts could save an estimated 134 lives during the Christmas Day holiday period and 154 lives during the New Year's Day holiday period.

Good news: Your used car is keeping more of its value

(December 12, 2014) MCLEAN, Va. — According to the NADA Used Car Guide's most recent Guidelines report, vehicles sitting in driveways and used car lots managed to keep more of their value this past month, due to strong demand within the used vehicle market and a decrease in cars sold at wholesale auction.

TrueCar finds pickups outsell premium brands among vehicles over $50,000

(December 11, 2014) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — TrueCar has found mainstream pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles dominate U.S. vehicle sales with transaction prices exceeding $50,000, accounting for six of the 10 best sellers in that portion of the market.

State Farm releases first-of-its-kind vehicle recognition app

(December 11, 2014) BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Today State Farm announced its latest mobile app CarCapture, available for iOS and Android. Through object recognition technology CarCapture is designed to allow the consumer to capture a picture of the back of a vehicle and instantaneously obtain detailed information.

Cars.com announces choices for Best of 2015 awards

(December 9, 2014) CHICAGO — Cars.com has announced nominees for the site's highest-honors, the "Best of 2015" and "Best Pickup Truck of 2015" awards. Nominees for all Cars.com awards must demonstrate a high level of quality, innovation and value; and for pickup trucks power, capability and value.

Study reveals a new frontier for light vehicle sales

(December 9, 2014) LONDON — A new study by Frost & Sullivan shows that Eastern Europe and Central Asia offer very interesting opportunities for the light vehicles sector which includes passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. The study analyses the automotive market in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, and finds that by 2021 the annual light vehicle sales volume in these eight countries is expected to reach nearly one million.

AAA Assessment: New car technologies still working out kinks

(December 9, 2014) ORLANDO, Fla. — AAA's Automotive Engineering experts are confident new advanced driver assistance technologies like blind-spot monitoring and lane-departure warning systems have great potential to keep drivers safer, as long as motorists are aware of system limitations. 

Technology and teamwork drive dramatic reductions in auto thefts

(December 8, 2014) DES PLAINES, Ill. — The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) today released a national analysis of vehicle theft which compares annual statistics for thefts, population and vehicle registrations from 1960 through 2013. Just released FBI crime figures for 2013 show that 699,594 vehicles were reported stolen last year–a 58 percent reduction–from 1991 when vehicle theft reached an all-time high of 1,661,738.

Ford F-Series pickups most popular with thieves in Canada

(December 3, 2014) TORONTO — Ford F-250 and F-350 trucks are big, rugged — and loved by thieves across Canada. This year's Top 10 Most Frequently Stolen Vehicles list, published annually by Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), shows a growing interest by organized criminals in Ford ("F") series trucks.