Halloween Safety Is No Trick

 By Courtney Messenbaugh  on October 28, 2015
 

Cars.com illustration by Paul Dolan

With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, the number of partygoers and trick-or-treaters roaming the streets by foot and by car is sure to soar. It's a time that should be nothing but fun, but according to these scary facts, Halloween can quickly turn into a nightmare.
Related: More Safety News
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lists Halloween as consistently one of the top three nights for pedestrian injuries and fatalities. For kids, the statistics are even deadlier. Kids are twice as likely to be killed by a car while walking on Halloween than any other night of the year, according to Safe Kids Worldwide.  Deaths related to drunken drivers are also up: More than 115 people were killed by drunken drivers on Halloween night between 2009 and 2013, NHTSA reports.
No, we here at Cars.com are not going as Debbie Downers this year for Halloween. We love Halloween, but we want it to be safe for everyone, so use the following tips to keep you and yours safe this spooktacular night. You can thank us in candy later.

If you're driving

• Slow down! Pay particular attention when driving in residential areas where pedestrian traffic is likely to be heavy. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a pedestrian is more than two times as likely to be killed if they're hit by a car traveling at 35 mph compared to 25 mph. What seems like a small reduction in speed — 10 mph — can be the difference between life and death.
• Remember that the kids are excited, excitable and sometimes unpredictable. Keep your eyes on the road and reduce any distractions inside your car (that's right, stop texting or live tweeting during your drive, on Halloween and every day)!
• If you're behind the wheel, you better be sober. We don't need to explain this one.
• If you're not sober, have a sober friend drive, grab a ride-sharing service, a taxi or hop on some public transportation. 

For trick-or-treaters and their parents/guardians

• When suiting up, avoid costumes that drag along the ground and could potentially trip someone. Make sure masks don't obscure vision. Seek costumes in light or bright colors that are easier for cars to see. There are even some costumes that light up on their own, delighting little ones and making them safer.
• Let it glow! Apply reflective tape to children's costumes, jackets or treat sacks. Bring along a flashlight (don't forget to check the batteries before you head out!) to illuminate your path or even adorn the children with some of the glow necklaces or glow sticks that are found in abundance in the dollar section at your favorite store.
• Review routes and safety precautions with younger and older children alike. Older children who are on their own should let their parents know the route they're travelling and have an agreed upon time to come home. Everyone should stay on sidewalks, use crosswalks to cross the streets and be vigilant about looking for automotive traffic from all directions.
• All together now! Adults or an older teenager should accompany younger trick-or-treaters. AAA suggests that youngsters have a chaperone until age 12. Older kids should travel in groups and stay together — it's more fun together anyhow.
• Enjoy yourselves. Halloween is supposed to be and genuinely is, fun.

Once everyone is home safely, allow the kids a few pieces of candy before bed (after you've checked to be sure it's safe, of course) and then carry on with binge-watching old horror films while binge-eating some of the wee ones' candy. They won't even notice.


https://www.cars.com/articles/halloween-safety-is-no-trick-1420682553563/

New interest in used vehicles

Used vehicles are hot commodities these days, as local buyers take advantage of low interest rates and more American dealers are cross-border shopping to take advantage of the high-valued U.S. dollar, industry officials say.
"The demand for used vehicles has just been tremendous," Dilawri Group CEO Ashok Dilawri said in an interview, adding it's the strongest he's seen in at least five or six years.

He estimated sales of used vehicles are running at least five to 10 per cent ahead of last year for his group of seven dealerships, and that the increase would be even greater if they had more pre-owned vehicles to sell.
"The supply is so limited, because what is happening is there are buyers from the south who are snapping up everything you put in the marketplace," Dilawri said.
He said the demand for used vehicles is so strong south of the border, U.S. dealers who previously wouldn't look at anything that was more than three years old are now purchasing vehicles from local auction houses that are 10 or 12 years old.
"Especially (pickup) trucks and SUVs (sport utility vehicles). Everybody is looking for them, because the demand is so high on those things."
A Scotiabank report released Friday said sales of pre-owned vehicles through Canadian dealerships are at their highest level in nearly a decade, and are expected to top the previous annual record of three million units set in 2011.
It said while Canadians are being drawn to the dealerships by low interest rates, which make car loans more affordable, the weak Canadian dollar has also made cross-border shopping a highly lucrative option for American auto dealers.
It said Statistics Canada data shows exports of used vehicles to the U.S. began to take off once the loonie fell below 90 cents (US). After more than doubling in the first six months of 2015, they soared by a staggering 155 per cent (year over year) during the July-August period when the loonie approached 76 cents (US), its lowest level in more than a decade.
The bank said that after the first eight months of 2015, nearly 23,000 Canadian vehicles had been exported to the United States, compared with 15,600 in all of 2014.
A local spokesman for Adesa Canada, which sells used vehicles online and through a network of auction houses across the country, said U.S. dealers have purchased at least 25 per cent of the roughly 55,000 vehicles it has been selling each month this year.
"Last week, we had a buyer from Texas who bought almost 500 units in two days," Gregg Maidment, Adesa's vice-president and general manager for Western Canada, said in an interview.
Maidment said while U.S. dealers were initially interested mainly in pickup trucks and SUVs, "Now it's gone across the board."
He noted the same thing happened in the early part of the new millennium, when the loonie was worth even less than it is today. But this time it's happening on an even bigger scale, because U.S. and other foreign dealers can now make their Canadian purchases online.
"Most of it is now done over the Internet. They can just click and buy the vehicle they need and have it shipped to them," Maidment said, adding Adesa has 20,000 buyers a day from 105 countries bidding on vehicles through its website.
"Because it's a worldwide buyer base now, people are able to, in many cases, get more than they expected for their car because it's live, competitive bidding," he added.
Maidment noted while Adesa sells used vehicles on behalf of individual car owners, it doesn't sell to the public. He also noted it's mainly dealers and dealer groups who are buying vehicles in Canada.
"You're not seeing (U.S.) consumers coming up here to look for a car."
The general manager for one local used-car dealership, Auto Gallery of Canada, said it's also been approached this year by American dealers looking to buy some of its pre-owned vehicles.
"And it doesn't matter if it's a small car or a truck. They don't care," Harvey Brennan said. "But we don't do that (sell to U.S. dealers), because we want to keep that business here."
The president of Manitoba's largest dealership group -- Birchwood Automotive Group -- said Birchwood hasn't been approached yet by any U.S. dealers. But Steve Chipman said Birchwood is always looking for ways to grow its sales, so it's contacting some U.S. dealers to see if they're interested in buying some of its pre-owned stock.
Because used trucks and SUVs are getting hard to come by, Birchwood Chevrolet took out a full-page newspaper advertisement last Friday stating, "We want your truck!" and "We will pay you more for your vehicle!"
Asked if people are responding, Chipman said, "They're starting to. There are people phoning, and we've taken some trades in and sold (them) some new vehicles."
murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 21, 2015 B6

New interest in used vehicles

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Recall Alert: 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra and 2015 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe

 

Vehicles Affected: Approximately 3,100 model-year 2014-15 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks manufactured between Jan. 24, 2014, and Feb. 26, 2014; and model-year 2015 Chevrolet Suburban SUVs manufactured on Feb. 12, 2014, and Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs manufactured between Feb. 6, 2014, and Feb. 13, 2014
The Problem: The ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the Start position. If this occurs, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the Accessory position, causing a loss of engine, steering and braking power; this increases the risk of a crash in which the airbags may not deploy, increasing the risk of an injury.
The Fix: Dealers will replace the ignition lock housing for free.
What Owners Should Do: GM has not yet provided an owner-notification schedule. Owners can call Chevrolet at 800-222-1020 or GMC at 800-462-8782 for more info. Owners can also call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's vehicle-safety hotline at 888-327-4236, or go to www.safercar.gov.