Did You Know?: Interesting Car Trivia

 

It goes without saying: we love cars. How can we not? Cars are beautiful high-tech wonders. And just as fascinating to us as the cars we drive today is the history behind the cars themselves, especially because buried in the automobile’s past are tons of fun facts.

For example, did you know:

●      Before automobiles were widely used, the New York City Police Department used bicycles to pursue speeding motorists in 1898.

●      The first speeding ticket was issued in 1902.

●      The first Ford cars had Dodge engines.

●      The first gas gauge only appeared in cars in 1922.

●      Most American car horns beep in the key of F.

And that’s just the first five car facts we could think of! Get even more fun car facts by clicking here.

Fuel Saving Tips: An Infographic

Fuel prices are one of the things that can make what should be a fun drive in your car seem like a costly annoyance. Everyone wants to get their money’s worth from their fuel tank, as they should. The problem, though, is that there’s a lot of conflicting information floating around out there about how exactly you save fuel!

Have no fear, readers: to help you we’ve found a great infographic with tips on how to save fuel. It may say “tips for a new year,” but come on: it’s never the wrong time of year to get tips when it comes to car care! Click the image to view a larger version.

Top 10 Weirdest Things Found In Rented Cars

 

Ever forgotten something in that car you rented while you were on vacation? Don’t worry: even the best of us manage to leave our sunglasses or car keys behind occasionally.

But sometimes even stranger items get left behind in cars. What do we mean by strange? Well...take a look at this infographic and you’ll see what we mean! Make sure you read all the way to the end - this has some great tips on how to make sure you don’t leave anything behind in your rental.

5 Bizarre Traffic Laws

When we’re on the road, we don’t tend to question the laws that we must follow. We stop at red lights and stop signs, we don’t turn right when signs tell us not too, and we obey the speed limits set by the state and counties we’re driving in, just to name a few basics.

But there are some rules out there that make drivers scratch their head. Every state has a few silly driving laws passed for one reason or another, many of which have been highlighted in Internet chain e-mails, memes and articles.

For example, did you know:

·       Arkansas authorities have deemed it illegal to blare a car horn where ice cold beverages or sandwiches are served after 9 p.m.

·       It’s a written law that you cannot drive a car with a gorilla in the backseat in Massachusetts.

·       You cannot transport dead poultry along Kansas Avenue in Topeka, Kansas.

·       Close your doors quickly in Oregon: you can be ticketed for speeding and for leaving your car door open longer than is deemed necessary.

·       It is illegal to plant rutabagas in the roadways in Chico, California.

Click here to read more head-scratching driving laws!

The 10 Most Common Car Insurance Myths: An Infographic

Dealing with car insurance can be a tricky thing at best and a hassle at worse. The matter is made harder by the number of misconceptions and outright myths that exist in our minds.

Having the right facts about car insurance is very important and can make the difference between whether you’re obeying the law or committing fraud. Check out this sweet infographic and quiz yourself - what car insurance myths did you believe on this list?

Click the image to view a larger version!

The Secret Lives of Drivers: An Infographic

Have you been checking out other drivers to see if they’re attractive? Or maybe you’ve been applying makeup to yourself while behind the wheel? Whatever it is, we’re sure you’re not alone. Everyday both men and women get behind the wheel and practice driving habits that we were all warned against back in drivers ed. and yet, nearly 70% of both men and women believe that their driving habits are not dangerous!

Check out the rest of these crazy driving habit statistics by viewing this great infographic here: http://bit.ly/w7Irv3

What’s a Hemi and do you need one?

If you turned on the television in the early 2000’s you probably remember all of those Chrysler commercials about having a “Hemi”. And if you’re anything like the rest of us, you probably sat there wondering what the heck a hemi is and whether or not you need one.

A hemi is a type of engine. It is an internal combustion engine whose cylinder’s roofs are of hemispherical shape (hence “hemi”) as opposed to the normal flathead engine. One of the benefits of having a hemi is that the area of the combustion chamber (the part of the engine where the fuel is burned) is smaller than a flathead engine’s. With less surface area, there is less space for fuel to spread out and cool off, ultimately keeping the gas at its optimal combustion temperature and providing for better gas economy. In addition to the smaller surface area, a shape of a hemi allows for larger valve size. Larger valve’s allow for a more fluent control of air and liquid mixtures, allowing for a smoother performance.

All of this sounds really great, but do you need a hemi? Well, not necessarily. Modern technology has allowed for smaller fuel tanks, so there is less worry about fuel not burning at optimal temperature. Additionally, as it turns out, having more valves is more efficient than larger valves. Unfortunately, if more valves were put on a hemi, because of the hemi’s shape they would stick out at crazy angles that would not be efficient for an engine.