MUST HAVE MOBILE APPS WHEN YOU’RE ON THE ROAD CONTINUED…

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Hamilton Auto Blog

We’re adding some more apps to our list of great smartphone apps for drivers! To see our previous blog click here.

MyChevrolet

This is a great app for owners of GM vehicles. From MyChevrolet to MyGMC, MyBuick and more – you can get personalized apps for your brand of vehicle. The MyChevrolet app, for example, features the Find My Car feature that lets you mark parking spots on a map so finding your car in a parking lot won’t be a problem. The lights and indicators visual reference guide will tell you what those warning lights on your dashboard mean. There’s also OnStar RemoteLink to give you information on your car’s battery levels and operations. Plus easy access to scheduling service, locating dealers, roadside assistance and more! This app provides you with everything you need to keep your vehicle in check. This app is available on Apple and Android smartphones.

HondaLink – For additional info please click here

If you’re a Honda owner, the free HondaLink app is the best one for you. With the Aha system, you can turn your personalized internet content into customized on demand stations that sync to your in-car HondaLink. The internet content you can use with HondaLink includes various news stations, music stations, audio books and podcasts, facebook and twitter posts, restaurant listings and many more. Change your customized stations whenever you want, and make your drive as convenient and as entertaining as possible with your in car stations. This app is available for Apple and Android smartphones.

Safe Driver

This app is for parents with teens who are new drivers. Or parents who just want to keep an eye on the way their kids are driving. Safe Driver monitors the location and driving of your child. It alerts parents via text or email when their kids exceed a specific speed. This is a great app for making a new driver’s experience safer. This app is available for Apple and Android smartphones.

Waze

Waze is a community based traffic and navigation app. You’ll be working with other drivers to make everyone’s commute easier and shorter. By simply driving with your Waze app open you’re contributing to the traffic and road information for your local community. Waze allows you to read and contribute to reporting accidents, hazards, police and anything you see on the road. Waze also works as a navigation system with voice guided navigation. You can share your drive with your friends too, so people know where you’re going and you can meet up with people going to the same destination. This app is available on Apple and Android smartphones.iWrecked

If ever you’ve found yourself in an accident, the free iWrecked app will help you collect yourself when you don’t know what to do next. The app allows you to give a full accident report after you’ve been in a wreck. It generates a detailed, professional PDF accident report complete with images that you take yourself. You can send this report directly from your phone to your insurance company. You can also locate nearby taxi or towing companies to assist you straight from your app and make one button calls to your insurance companies and other emergency contacts. This app is available on Apple and Android smartphones.

For more great posts and updates subscribe to Hamilton Auto blog or visit us at Image Honda and Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC today!

By: Nerissa Mohamed

Distracted Driving: How you can prevent it!

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Hamilton Auto Blog

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

MUST HAVE MOBILE APPS WHEN YOU’RE ON THE ROAD!

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Hamilton Auto Blog

We can’t deny the convenience of mobile apps. However, with so many out there these days, it’s hard to know which ones to download and which ones actually hold value. Here at AutoHwy.com, we are all about convenience for you, the customer. For that reason, we have put together a list of free mobile apps that we think are the most useful to have when you are out on the road.

OnStar RemoteLink

If you currently own a General Motors vehicle and are an OnStar subscriber, this is one mobile app you want to make sure you download! No longer will you find yourself struggling because you have locked your keys in the car. Now, with the assistance of your phone, you are worry free with the remote start and unlock feature this mobile app provides. The OnStar RemoteLink mobile app also allows you to receive fuel information such as range and remaining gallons, as well as the ability to monitor your oil life. You can view your current tire pressure, activate your horn and lights to locate your vehicle, or simply contact OnStar for roadside assistance. The features this app provides are simply unparalleled.