Every car owner should know how to wash their cars properly. Washing your car can be a bit of hassle, and not everyone enjoys doing it, but it wouldn't hurt to know how to do it, as you can save some money that way and it can be a pretty good pastime. You can do it together with your kids and make a nice and fun day of it. Sure, the physical effort it requires can put some people off, but it could be a good exercise for those who don't do a lot of physical activities throughout the week. Plus, if you do it properly, you will most likely do a better job washing your car yourself than taking it to a car wash.

Before you start washing your car yourself, there are some things that you should be aware of, as you can easily damage your car's paint job if you don't do it the right way. First off, you have to get the necessary supplies, which include car wash mitts, car wash soap, a couple of buckets, and drying towels.

When it comes to mitts, it's best if they are made of microfiber cloth. You can use a sponge instead, as well, but mitts are softer and better for the paint job. Also, you can clean them pretty easily after you're done washing your car. Drying towels should be made of chamois cloth, which is what most people use and it's definitely the best choice. You should get two buckets, preferably with a 5 gallon capacity. One bucket is for the cleaning solution, where you put the soap or shampoo mixed with water, and you'll put clean water in the other bucket where you'll rinse the mitt off.

You can start by washing the tires and wheels. The wheels should be hosed down first, then grab a wheel brush and give the wheels a good scrub. Then, rinse the wheel one more time, and wipe it off with a clean towel. Then, move on to other parts of the car. Spray the car using a hose, and start cleaning it with your washing mitt. Dip the mitt in the bucket filled with cleaning solution. Then, begin wiping the car, starting with the top, and then moving on the lower areas. After washing a certain part of the car, such as a door panel, dip the mitt in the water-filled bucket to rinse it off, and continue washing afterwards. You must remember to wash the car very carefully, don't apply too much pressure, as it can damage the paint. If there are some spots that you can't wipe off so easily, grab a detail brush and try to clean those spots, by pressing the brush gently on the surface.

After you've done all this, take the hose and give the car one last rinse. In the end, dry it out using special drying towels, and make sure you do it right after the final rinse, so that there are no water spots left. It happens quite often, that right after you've washed your car, it starts raining.

Drowsy driving is a serious issue that is causing a lot of troubles and safety hazards on American roads. A recent nationwide study by the Centers for Disease Control, revealed that 1 in 24 adults admitted to occasionally falling asleep while driving. It's not sleeping per se, it's more of a nodding off for a couple of seconds. The study showed that it was more common among men, in their late 20s and early 30s.

Often, drivers nod off while behind the wheel without even realizing it. It could last as little as 1-2 seconds, but that's more than enough time to lose control over the wheel and not being able to hit the brakes in time, hitting another car or straying off the road, driving straight into a ditch or falling off a cliff. According to the most recent statistics that is available, in 2009, drowsy driving was the reason for 30,000 car accidents, 730 of which war fatal.

Sleep deprivation is the obvious reason for drowsy driving. It's recommended that people get at least 8 hours of sleep in order to be able to perform all the daily tasks and stay focused throughout the day. If you haven't slept well during the night, you will be excessively tired, and driving requires you to be well-rested and fresh so that you can keep your eyes on the road and pay attention to what's happening around you.

There are a couple of signs that could reveal a driver is not in the ideal mental and physical condition to be sitting behind the wheel, and that they should immediately stop and rest for a while. If you start blinking frequently, or more than usual, if you notice that your mind is wandering, or you miss an exit, your head starts falling every couple of minutes, if you are not able to drive straight and stay in your lane, you should take it as a warning and realize that you should stop unless you want to hurt yourself or other passengers and drivers.

As far as preventing drowsy driving, the most efficient thing you can do is sleep for at least 7-9 hours, treat any sleeping disorders you might have, such as sleep apnea, which is among the most common sleep disorders, and avoid drinking and driving at any cost.

Adjusting devices or controls in cars while driving is very common. It's most common among the younger drivers, aged 20 or under, and become a trend especially in the US.

Souped up cars became an important social element in the young drivers niche and people are constantly trying to enrich their vehicles both internally and externally.

The devices that are being adjusted the most include: navigation systems, CD players, MP3 players, air conditioners, cell phones.

Adjusting these devices and controls can definitely lead to car crashes. They are a huge distraction to drivers because they have to use their hands and look at them in order to control them. That directs the driver's attention and concentration towards the devices, instead of being focused on driving and keeping the eyes on the road.

There are new technologies that are supposed to eliminate the need of manually adjusting devices or controls in vehicles. Voice recognition softwares are being implemented in cars, so that drivers can give voice commands and controlling devices without using their hands.

That should reduce the number of car crashes that are a result of distracted driving.

A fantastic number of 300 startup companies showed up on this year's AOL's online tech news site TechCrunch. The show's "Startup Alley" was attended by companies from all over the world showcasing the freshest advancements in the general tech industry.

Surprisingly or not, 2 start-ups from the automotive industry came on top with the judges and won the 2 major prizes. Each had a few minutes onstage to convince a panel of judges and the audience that they had the world's "next big thing" in technology.

According to SF Gate, the winner of the $50,000 first prize was YourMechanic, a Mountain View startup that brings car mechanics to customers' homes or offices, bypassing the traditional repair shop or dealer.

Second place went to San Francisco's Lit Motors, which hopes to mass-produce an electric-powered car-motorcycle hybrid.

Considering that both Lit Motors and YourMechanic are pretty innovative start-up companies, it's no wonder that they were able to compete for the TechCrunch Disrupt SF award this year. TechCrunch is a website that reviews start-ups and provides news concerning everything related to innovative technology. It holds a series of events in honor of start-up companies, such as the Disrupt Conference, where companies can compete against each other, presenting some of their inventions and win awards and prizes and get their ideas promoted to a wider audience.

In this post we'll take a close look at the this year's Paris Auto Show, one of the major events in the automotive world, that will start on September 29 and it will last until October 14. The visitors should expect the world's car jet set and the most dazzling cars to be presented.



The top-notch car manufacturers will not miss this event and will unveil their latest inventions and some new "beasts on wheels". Superstars of the show will the the French giants Renault, Citroen and Peugeot, the British hotshot Jaguar and some of the old-school Germans, like Volkswagen (Golf). Lexus and Bentley will round up this gang.

Arguably, the new Jaguar is the shining star of the event, but there are many other contenders there, especially the new Ford’s Mondeo, Golf, McLaren’s P1, and unofficially the new Range Rover.

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is an agency that is in charge of everything related to vehicle registration and licensing drivers. It is a state agency, which means every US state has its own separate DMV, with its own set of rules and regulations.

The DMV has many responsibilities in regards with motor vehicles, drivers and traffic in general. One of the main and most basic responsibilities of the DMV is issuing vehicle registrations and titles, which serve as a proof that you own the vehicle you drive.

The early beginnings of DMVs lie in the early 20th century, when the first motor vehicles fired up the streets in the USA. As there were only horse-drawn carriages on the roads prior to that, there had to be new laws implemented that would regulate these new vehicles and their interaction with other participants in traffic and the safety of drivers and passengers.

DMVs have changed a lot over time. They have introduced new services so that they can become more efficient and keep up with the growing number of vehicles that people drive. As a result, more and more vehicles need to be registered, and more and more people need to get a driver's license. DMVs try to deal with the growing demand by implementing new technologies in their work, offering online services that help to reduce waiting times and process applications faster. You can now make DMV appointments online, which results in shorter waiting lines, and all that equals to less stress and saving precious time.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has passed new laws that brought changes to the Vehicle Code. They came into force on January 1, 2012. Most of the laws have a significant effect on the way driver's behave in traffic, the registration fees, child passenger safety regulations and more aspects related to drivers and their vehicles. In this article we'll offer a preview of the ones that will have the most impact on all participants in traffic.

We'll begin with the changes to safety regulations. These include new regulations in child passenger safety, as all children under the age of 8, or under the height of 4 feet 9 inches will now have to be seated in a car seat or a booster seat. The previous age limit for this requirement was 6. They also must ride in the back seats, unless the vehicle doesn't have back seats. Regarding cell phone laws, people must not use cell phones while driving, unless they use a hands-free set. Breaking this law would mean that you have to pay a ticket, but you won't get any points for that. Certain legislators in California asked for assigning penalty points for these violations, but their suggestions unfortunately didn't pass.

Another significant change is made in regards with DUI checkpoints. Although all drivers must consent to be submitted to a breath, urine or blood test, law enforcement officers won't have the right to impound your vehicle only on the account of not having a valid driver's license, provided you've already passed the sobriety test. This could also affect traffic safety, because a lot of traffic accidents are committed by unlicensed drivers.

Moreover, persons convicted of reckless driving can get a restricted license before their suspension ends. However, their vehicle must have an Ignition Interlock Device.

As far as electric vehicles are concerned, they may now be towed from designated electric vehicles parking spaces, unless they are plugged in for re-fueling.

Lastly, a change in regulations that will affect driver's pockets directly. Registration fees have been raised from $31 to $43. That's maybe a small burden to you household's budget, but it will bring some substantial amount of additional income to the DMV.

You can visit the California DMV website for more information.

Wassup, guys!

I would like to give you a warm welcome to my blog. I can assure you that you will find some useful information about "everything on wheels", lovely posts, and tons of cool videos.

I will write all sorts of how-to articles on many different subjects related to the DMV, car reviews, automotive trends, and useful tips for drivers.

Have fun!

Jordan