Was There Ice On Your Windshield This Morning?

The cold weather has begun -

Did you walk out the door this morning to leave for the day and find .... ICE ON YOUR WINDSHIELD?? 

Here are a few tips to get you through those days when the ice is just too thick to melt and scraping it off is a must.


1. First thing to do is start your vehicle engine. This will allow heat to travel up to the windshield and start the melting process naturally.

2. Turn your vehicle defroster on low. Turning it on high is not a good idea when the windshield is full of ice, this could cause the window to crack.

3. Use an ice scraper to remove the ice from your windshield. This tool is specially designed just for this annoying problem.

NO Ice Scraper?? Keep Reading: 
 

4. Kitchen utensils are not only good for cooking, they are also good for removing the ice of your windshield. Plastic spatulas work wonders on thin ice.

5. Keep salt in arms length when winter arises. NOT cooking salt, but salt that is grainy. Take the salt and pour it on the windshield, then with gloves on, rub the salt onto the windshield. Step back for a few minutes so the salt can start to melt the ice away and then start scraping.

6. Try this simple homemade solution - One of the best ways to remove the ice off of your windshield is a simple mixture that contains items you find inside of your house. Fill a spray bottle with one cup of water, one cup of rubbing alcohol and one cup of vinegar. Shake well and spray it all over the windshield. Let it sit for about five minutes and watch the ice just roll down the glass. You can try scraping it as well, but usually all you need to so is spray and watch.

7. This might sound a bit strange but .... but you can plug a blow dryer in a waterproof extension cord and point it at your window when iced up. Don't turn it on high, keep it on low and move slowly across the windshield until you see the ice slowly disappear. This process may take a bit of time.

You can always AVOID ice on your windshield by investing in a piece of cardboard shaped to the size of your windshield. Place it on the windshield the night before a freeze, then remove in the morning with no worries about scraping or melting the ice off. All you have to worry about is keeping yourself warm.


Car-Lotta reminds you to BE PREPARED!

Traveling For Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving  is  undoubtedly the busiest travel time of the year. Notorious transportation delays, traffic and travel snags meet travelers at nearly every turn. But with a bit of foresight and some thoughtful planning, you can ease some travel headaches whether you're heading home for the holidays or escaping for a drama-free adventure.

 Regardless of your plans, you'll be thankful for these Thanksgiving travel tips.

 

1. Plan out an alternate route

More travelers mean more cars, and more accidents, make sure you have at least one alternate route planned out that you can take to avoid huge delays. Try to plan your route along less popular freeways. Even if the mileage is a bit more it will be worth it when you’re driving 65 for that extra 10 miles than stuck locked in traffic for an extra 2 hours. This is also a good idea for those traveling very long distances where weather may be an issue.

2. Have a connected navigator

It doesn’t do you any good knowing about a great alternate route when you’re already swamped in traffic, so try to have a passenger that can look online at the traffic as you go. There are tons of great apps out there like Sigalert.com, Waze, and INRIX Traffic. With the help of your passenger and one of these apps you can see where the trouble areas are on the road and proactively avoid them. If you plan on going it alone make sure to pull off the road before using your phone. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of single passenger vehicles.

3. Leave at an awkward hour

Driving at night may not be fun, but it is a great way to avoid the traffic saving you time and stress. Consider resting all day and not getting on the road until 9pm. It is important to make sure that you get plenty of rest before setting out on a long night drive, as fatigued driving creates a huge hazard on the road.

4. Make your drive on Thanksgiving Day

 

Generally the traffic is much lighter across the U.S. on Thanksgiving Day itself, meaning that you can avoid the hassle of traffic the day before and get where you’re going without having to leave at a strange hour or risk sitting in traffic for hours. Unless you are traveling an extreme distance, leaving at 6 am Thursday morning should give you more than enough time to make it wherever you are going in time for dinner.

5. Leave Early!

Sunday is by far the worst day to be making your return trip, and the traffic will only increase as the day goes on and the last of the stragglers are getting back on the road. Friday is the best day to hit the road for the return trip. Of course that does not leave you a whole lot of time to visit the family if you just drove up the day before, consider taking off the following Monday and returning then. That way you’ll miss all of the holiday traffic, and have an extra two days to spend with the family — OK, maybe just leave Friday.

 

Car-Lotta Car Sales  will be closing on Wednesday, November 21^st 2018 at 5:00 pm and will be closed Thursday, November 22^nd 2018 for the Thanksgiving.  We will re open on Friday, November 23^{rd, 2018}  at

Did You Know It's Deer Crash Season?

Did you know that  fall means deer-related  crash season is upon us?  Drivers are more likely to  hit  a deer over the next three months than any other time of the year.  October through December is deer migration and mating season.  During this time, deer are much more active and will chase and follow other deer across roadways with no hesitation. 

PennDOT reports that in 2017 there were 5,647 deer-related crashes in Pennsylvania. Those accidents caused 1,275 injuries and 17 deaths.

These types of accidents can cause serious injuries and thousands of dollars in property damage to  vehicles.

Here are a few safety tips to help ensure your safety through Deer Crash Season .

• Slow down and take your time when driving.
• When you see one deer, always assume there may be others near. re
• Never swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid hitting a deer.
• After an accident, inspect your vehicle and make sure it is safe to drive.
• Contact local authorities right away if you want an incident report. Some insurance companies will need this if you plan on making a claim for the damages done to your vehicle. 

Officials  say that two types of crashes should always be reported to authorities: A crash that involves a vehicle being damaged to the point it cannot be driven and an accident that results in injuries or death.

Car-Lotta reminds you that sometimes hitting a deer is unavoidable.  Drivers should reduce their speed, wear their seat belts and eliminate all distractions while driving to ensure their safety.

Did You Fall Back?

Spring Forward – Fall Back 

Also called Fall Back and Winter Time.

 

This term is meant to trigger your memory to set your clocks forward 1 hour in the spring at the start of DST, and 1 hour back in the fall when DST ends.

A different way to remember which direction to set your clock for DST is that in the spring, you bring out (or forward) the garden furniture and in the fall you put it back.

In North America, it is common to use the word fall to denote the season, while other English-speaking countries usually call it autumn. “Spring Forward – Fall Back” is therefore a phrase most often heard in the USA and Canada.

 

 

Nov 4, 2018 - Daylight Saving Time Ends

When local daylight time is about to reach
Sunday, November 4, 2018, 2:00:00 am clocks are turned backward 1 hour to 
Sunday, November 4, 2018, 1:00:00 am local standard time instead.

Sunrise and sunset will be about 1 hour earlier on Nov 4, 2018 than the day before.

There will be more light in the morning.