Winter Driving Made Easy

It is important to maintain a clear visual of the road while driving. Now that we are in the winter months, our windshield is susceptible to frost, ice, snow, rain and sleet, which can make it difficult and sometimes dangerous to drive. However, with a little maintenance and preparation, you can make your winter drive a little better.  At our dealerships, we offer a wide array of maintenance services that will prepare you for Old Man Winter. 

Wiper Blades:  There is nothing worse than getting to your car in the morning when you are late for work only to find your windshield frozen over.  Often times, people will run their blades over the frozen windshield in order to clear it. This severely reduces the life span of your wiper blade. Wiper blades frequently get neglected on most cars and yet, they are constantly used and exposed to harsh conditions.  We recommend that you change your blades at least once a year, preferably every 6 months. 

Stone Chip Repair: A stone will most likely chip your windshield at least once over the course of your ownership.  If untreated, it will continue to crack reducing your visibility and can be potentially dangerous. As the cold weather takes effect, you will find that the crack with get increasingly larger. At our dealerships, we offer a stone chip repair service – this quick and affordable service will save you money… and your windshield. 

Wax your lights:  You might be saying to yourself, “Wax my lights?”  Yes, visibility in the winter months can be minimal, so it is important that you are getting maximum light from head lamps.  Adding a little car wax to the lights and then wiping off and buffing with a towel will assist in preventing ice and snow from sticking.  The same practice can be applied to your taillights.

We hope you found these tips for winter driving helpful.  If you would like to schedule a service appointment at one of our dealerships, please visit us at www.imagehonda.com or www.queenstonchev.com

By: Amy Cochren

Help with a “Like” and Donate to Hamilton Food Share!

Starting today through to December 17, 2012, Autohwy launches their Facebook “Like” drive campaign.  For the second year in a row, we have partnered with Hamilton Food Share to help make this Holiday season a brighter one for more than 7,600 local children and their families.  For each new “Like” that our AutoHwy Facebook page receives, we will donate $2 to the organization.  What is so exceptional about this charity is that for every $1 donated to Hamilton Food Share, approximately $5 worth of food will be generated.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE!

For those wanting to know more about Hamilton Food Share, we thought we would share some statistics from the organizations Survey “Depth of Hunger Project!”

  • There is a common belief that food bank users are people who have recently moved to our community.  The survey results dispel this misperception.  On average, survey respondents have lived in Hamilton for 22.9 years.
  • 66% of respondents have been coming to a food bank for 6 months or less.
  • 57% of parents who go to a food bank said their children go hungry at least once a week because there wasn’t enough money to buy food.
  • Children who experience prolonged bouts of hunger get sick more often and for longer periods of time.
  • Hungry children have trouble learning since they can’t focus or concentrate.

This is a fantastic cause that both Queenston and Image Honda are proud to support.  We would like to thank everyone for their help and look forward to raising a great deal of money for Hamilton Food Share this Holiday season.

By: Amy Cochren

2013 Honda Civic Reveal

Yesterday, Honda Canada revealed the first look at the 2013 Honda Civic Sedan.  Not expected to make its debut until the 29th of November at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the 2013 Civic has a much more sculpted front end, with an open mouthed lower bumper and honeycomb mesh grille.  The new styling also presents a new rear bumper design and new rear trunk lid, which is capped with a chrome trim piece.

Dave Jamieson, assistant vice president for Honda Canada Inc. was quoted as saying “We believe that combining a host of exterior refinements with additional feature content and infusing the 2013 Honda Civic with a more youthful and premium style, we have made the best-selling passenger vehicle in Canada that much better.”

The full features of the 2013 Honda Civic won’t be revealed until November 29th at the Los Angeles Auto Show, but from what we can see, with its new styling and content additions, the 2013 Civic is both youthful and fun to drive!

If you are interested in purchasing the 2013 Honda Civic, it will be going on sale, mid-December at Image Honda.  Please feel free to visit us at www.imagehonda.com or call us at 1-888-375-5914.

By: Amy Cochren

Credit: Honda Canada Inc.

Image Honda – Accord Series Part 2: HondaLink & Aha

Watch part 2 of our 2013 Accord Series presentation, as we take an introductory look at the HondaLink and Aha system. Stay tuned for part 3 of our series, when we take a look at Honda`s Earth Dream Technology.

If you have any additional questions or would like more information on the 2013 Honda Accord, please visit us at www.imagehonda.com or contact us at 1-888-375-5914.

Distracted Driving: How you can prevent it!

We all know that distracted driving is dangerous, but are we aware how dangerous it truly is?  Ontarians have now had a couple years to get used to the “new” law, banning hand held devices while driving, yet we continually see people texting, using their mp3 players, GPS units and the like.  The law, which was put in place on October 26, 2009, makes it illegal for drivers to talk, dial, email or text using hand held devices.  Additionally, it prohibits drivers from viewing display screens that are not related to operation of the vehicle.

Do you know your crash odds?
People texting while driving are 23 times more likely.
People talking on a cell while driving are 4 to 5 times more likely.
People who read while driving are 3 times more likely.
Individuals applying makeup while operating a vehicle are 3 times more likely.
Individuals reaching for a moving object while driving makes you 9 times more likely.
Dialing on a mobile device makes you 3 times more likely.

What is alarming given these statistics is how many people don’t take this offence seriously.  According to a study completed at the University of Utah, distraction caused by cell phones or mobile devices delay someone’s reaction time the same as an individual driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08.  Furthermore, driver distraction is a factor in about 4 million motor vehicle accidents in North America each year.

In recent years we have seen a great improvement with in vehicle technology. Most new vehicles are now equipped with devices such as; Bluetooth, OnStar and HondaLink.  These are all programs that can help drivers embrace the new distracted driving laws. There are also new smartphone applications that have been made available to drivers.  One such app is called “Text Ya Later,” (Android only) which allows you to create a message letting others know that you are driving and will text them later.  This message can be set so that it is automatically delivered when activated.  Another application, more suited to parents, is “Mobile Tattletale”. (For a list of supported devices, click here)  When installed on a mobile device and the driver is moving, Tattletale will generate a warning message to the parent’s phone, giving them the ability to temporarily disable their child’s mobile device until the vehicle has come to a stop.  Keep in mind that while these new technologies are helpful, for your safety and those around you, it is best to keep your eyes on the road and save the distractions for later.

If you are interested in purchasing a new vehicle or would like more information on OnStar or HondaLink, please visit us at www.imagehonda.com and www.queenstonchev.com

By: Amy Cochren

Credit:

CAA http://distracteddriving.caa.ca/education/index.php
MTO http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/distracted-driving/index
Ontario Provincial Police http://www.opp.ca/ecms/index.php?id=545
go.drive www.godrivemag.com
http://mobiletattletale.com/supported-devices

Image Honda Accord Series – Part 1: Warning Systems

Join us for part 1 of our 2013 Honda Accord Series. In this video, Image Honda takes you on a virtual tour of the new Accord to show you how to use the many warning systems and where they are located. These systems include: Forward Collision Warning and Lane Watch Blind Spot Display.
For more information on the 2013 Honda Accord, please visit us at www.imagehonda.com. Stay tuned for part 2 of our Series where we discuss the HondaLink System!

2013 Honda Accord Preview

This video gives a brief introduction to the 2013 Honda Accord and is the first video in our Accord Series. If you are interested in the 2013 Honda Accord or any other vehicle in the award winning Honda line-up, please contact us at 1-888-375-5914 or visit us at http://www.imagehonda.com