1. A truck causes more substantial damage compared to a car.

At the risk of stating the obvious, a truck is bigger and heavier than a car. With the vast difference in size and weight alone, it then follows that you wouldn’t want to get involved in a vehicular accident with the former.

• Even if a car and a truck are both running at the same speed, you would feel a greater impact when the latter crashes into you and causes a vehicular accident to occur.
• The greater impact that you would experience once you collide with a truck then translates into a more extensive amount of injuries to you and damages to your vehicle.

1. There’s more to an accident involving a truck than driving while under the influence or getting distracted.

Both car and truck drivers can be held liable for two reasons that caused a vehicular accident involving them to occur. One is driving under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. The other is driving while distracted by a call or text that they felt like answering even if they’re behind the wheel.

• However, truck accidents can also happen as a result of drivers either operating their vehicle despite being visibly exhausted or not securing their cargo properly.
• Some truck drivers are made to work unreasonably long hours by their trucking company that they only clock in around half of the recommended eight hours of sleep for everyone, thus leading them to experience fatigue that can drastically affect their driving skills.
• Trucks also usually carry heavy loads with them. If a driver hadn’t made sure to check first if all cargo had been properly secured after loading them in the back of a truck, it could spill out in the case of an accident and cause damage too, even if the truck itself didn’t collide with any other vehicle at all.

1. The driver of the truck that caused the accident to happen is usually not the only person to blame for it.

Whereas most car accidents are usually the result of the driver’s own negligence, those involving trucks not only puts the driver involved in hot water but their trucking company and even the manufacturer of the truck itself as well.

• • In the previous example, wherein a driver was made to operate a truck beyond their usual working hours by their trucking company, the latter can be held liable for making their driver work more than the reasonable amount of hours in a day that a person should be working.
  • On the other hand, if it was found out that a truck accident was caused by a defective part of the truck that wasn’t intentionally made that way by anyone, the manufacturer of the truck itself can also be held liable for having caused the accident to happen.
  • Hiring the services of an attorney who specializes in truck accidents can help you with the claim filing process and the negotiation of a settlement.

Both car and truck accidents might be vehicular in nature, but in the former, you often have a good chance of getting out of it with only fairly minimal injuries to you and damage to your vehicle. The latter on the other hand is something that you might find yourself wishing to not happen to you at all as a truck is bigger in size, has more weight, and carries more load that can leave you seriously injured and your vehicle rendered beyond repair. If your initial notion regarding both car and truck accidents is that they’re relatively similar, you might find yourself surprised to know that the law treats both types of vehicular accidents differently. Thus, you would want to seek the services of a professional lawyer who can help you explore further what you can do legally to make those responsible for either a car or truck accident that you got involved in accountable for injuring you and damaging your vehicle.
Sylvia Johnson
Sylvia Johnson is equipped with 20 years of experience in the business industry, where it is her passion to help teach and enlighten others with things in the legal and business world. She writes about the law and other subjects from a practical standpoint. She enjoys playing tennis with her daughters during her free time.

Neglecting your car will result in unreliability, poor performance and at the very worst, may even lead to an accident – and this is something that we all like to avoid. Here are 3 basic car maintenance tips to get you started.

Tyre Pressure

Many drivers overlook routinely checking the pressure of their tyres. This should be carried out on a monthly basis at the very least.  It’s important to know that if your tyres do not have enough air, then this will result in poor car performance.

Other things you could do to improve the tyre condition is clean off brake dust regularly. Brake dust will affect tyre performance so you should be sure to clean it off with a damp sponge and cold water when a build up of brake dust occurs.

Fluid levels

Some motorists believe that fluid levels on a car should be checked once a week, especially for older car models. If fluid levels are down then you may notice that your vehicle may perform less well than it should. It’s not just fluid levels that you should keep an eye on either. Other car components such as the brake, clutch and coolant fluids to name a few should all be inspected on a regular basis.

Before you check any of these things ensure the engine is cool. Be careful not to take the radiator cap off to check coolant levels. If the coolant system is still hot then it is still under pressure and the pressure release will burn you.

Know how to perform a ‘tune-up’

You don’t need to be a mechanic or even someone who is keen on cars to perform a basic ‘tune-up’. A tune-up will typically include replacing common parts like the air and fuel filter, plug wires and spark plugs. Under things worth checking when ‘under the hood’ include hoses and belts.

The rubber belts will become damaged over time so it’s best to get these checked every 25,000 miles, preferably replacing it every 50,000 miles.




If you are going to be doing any work that involves the electrical system be sure to disconnect the battery first.

Performing these tasks are often overlooked, but absolutely necessary if you like to have your car performing at its best.  Doing this will also save you money in the long run. If you don’t regularly care for your car with these checks then you will be consuming and wasting more petrol than you should be.

Other basic maintenance you might want to consider include bodywork or paint touch ups and lights. If you don’t feel confident handling lights then you can always ask a qualified mechanic to look at this for you.

Thanks to mercurycars.co.uk for supplying this guest post.

Future Innovations for Advanced Safety

You cannot dispute the likelihood that in the coming days all aspects of driving will have a way of communicating with each other solely to make driving safe. Imagine a situation where the roads you drive on, the objects you pass along the way and the other cars you meet having the capability of spontaneously transmitting safety information and taking proactive role in controlling the driving environment! If self-driving cars are already here with us, don’t you think all road components will have advanced warning systems for preventing collisions?




You might argue correctly that all the new-fangled technological additions are mere novelties that give the manufacturers the right to brag, but the truth is that they are also quite reliable and efficient. Experts from various institutions of road safety such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety agree that many crashes are prevented by the systems that provide automatic braking and other systems for crash prevention.

Types of Safety Features Available in Modern Cars

Available data from various insurance agencies indicates that cars with integrated safety systems are less likely to be involved in accidents. That is why agencies like the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is planning to make sure that all cars have inbuilt technology for vehicle-to-vehicle communication.




Many automakers like Volvo are making safety a priority in their business. If you drive any of their latest models, you will be surprised that many of the safety technologies are closely linked to collision reduction. The systems include concepts such as: pedestrian and cyclist detection in darkness, high speed auto braking, warnings for forward collision, and barrier and road-edge detection with adaptive cruise control and steer assistance.

Other car makers like Subaru already have visual and audible warnings from road monitoring that can recognize driving situations which are potential dangerous. The EyeSight system for drive assist can apply automatic braking where necessary. The line-up from Toyota also have safety features such as pre-collision systems, blind spot monitor, vehicle stability control, lane-keep assist, and automatic high beams.

The technologies are designed to prevent human error that results into several serious injuries on the road.

Crash Prevention through Car Interconnection

To prevent crashes, your car of the future will take advantage of the GPS or global positioning systems that will keep all cars connected. The cars will be equipped with Wi-Fi systems that will send basic safety information to cars in the surrounding by using a dedicated short-range system for communication. If you are driving such a car, it will notify you if a car suddenly brakes ahead of you or if another vehicle came into your blind spot by tracking the position and speed of other surrounding cars and yours.




For instance, if your vehicle is last in a group of 10 cars and the leading one suddenly brakes, you might not be able to respond in time to the chain reaction if you are driving an old car. But if your car is connected, it will receive a warning immediately the lead vehicle brakes. You will also be able to avoid collisions at intersections if another vehicle drives through the red light as you are approaching because your car will flash a green warning.

Generally, the safety features being built into future cars will mainly concentrate around crash and collision prevention. Apart from consumers being able to use their time more efficiently and conveniently, many people will also be safer on the roads. However, what will be the impact of system failure in such an interconnected environment?

The Engine Warning Light Comes On

This one is pretty much a no-brainer. There is no guesswork here, when the engine warning light comes on, you need to get to the mechanic right away. There is a chance it could be something simple and small to fix, but on the other hand, it could signal a much more serious problem.

Pulling, Vibration, and Noises When Braking

Unfortunately, the brakes on vehicles don’t last forever and because these are an important safety feature in the car, it’s not something you want to mess around with. If you notice pulling, vibration, or sounds as you brake then it’s time to get them inspected. It could be that you need to replace the pads, discs, or it may even be a problem with the suspension.




Leaking Fluids

It’s always important to be mindful of any leaks your car may develop. There are a number of fluids that can end up leaking such as your brake fluid, engine oil, transmission oil, or your coolant. Each of these is important to the operation of your vehicle so, if you’re leaking any of them then you should really take your car into the shop or to the nearest car service areas.

There is one exception to the rule when it comes to leaking and that’s during the times when you use your air conditioning. Typically, there will be fresh water that drips once you park the vehicle. It will be on the passenger side near the front of the car. This is nothing to worry about.

Strange Sounds from the Engine

Just as you should be watching out for leaking fluids, you should also listen to your car. Pay close attention for any strange sounds that are new. If there is a problem with the engine you may hear a racing sound, shaking, or chugging. Meanwhile, if you hear a dragging sound it could have to do with the wheels.

Your Car is Smoking

When there is smoke coming from under the car’s hood, it’s a clear sign that you need to get to a mechanic ASAP. This is never normal and shouldn’t be ignored. In most cases, this points to a problem with the car over-heating. If you continue to drive it, you’re probably going to cause some rather massive damage to the engine.

It’s best to pull over as soon as it’s safe, turn the car off, and allow the engine to cool down. It may be necessary to call for a tow so that you don’t have to drive the vehicle.

Smoke can also come from your exhaust and have a burning smell to it. This typically points to an oil leak. Now, keep in mind that we are talking about excessive black smoke, not the small white colored smoke that you see when you start up your car in the cold winter months. That white smoke is normal and is just the water vapor from the vehicle’s exhaust system. Should you have excessive black smoke though, you want to use that same rule of pulling over and calling for help.

Trouble Steering Your Car

Another issue that can pop up has to do with the steering of your vehicle. If you find it is pulling to one side, is difficult to steer or keep straight, and seems to lose power steering, then head to your local mechanic right away. There are many reasons why this could be happening and it’s important to have a mechanic properly diagnose the issue.

Other Signs

In addition to these previously mentioned major signs of car problems, there are many other indicators that you should be mindful of in regards to your car needing to be checked out. Some of these smaller signs could be that your air conditioner isn’t blowing cold air, your electric windows don’t go up or down, your radio isn’t working, or service lights don’t go off on your dashboard even after the issue has been addressed.




Don’t Wait or Take Chances

When it comes to issues with your car, it’s always best to get it looked at immediately. The longer you wait, the more damage could be done to your car. Additionally, this increased damage will almost certainly mean an increase in your service bill.

Phil Andrews

Phil has been a partner in several local Arizona auto glass businesses for more than 10 years, handling business strategy, online and offline marketing, and partnerships. Before working with Pinnacle Auto Glass, he worked for a handful of small software and marketing companies in the greater Phoenix metro area. He enjoys keeping up with the rapid changes in the online local business world and checking out the interesting sights around Arizona. He’s thought about retirement and even tried to retire once or twice so far, but he got bored right away and dove right back into the local auto glass world!

Light Brown or Black

If you notice a puddle of brown or black liquid, chances are that this is engine oil. You might not notice a leak right away if it is a small, slow drip. This leak happens in the front of the car, underneath the engine and is often caused by corroded engine gaskets, oil pan leaks, faulty connections, or oil seals. If you do not repair an engine oil leak, your engine could eventually break down, and, as many of us are all too aware, engine repairs are costly.

Thin and Reddish or Thick and Brown

A thin red or thick brown drip could be indicative of a transmission fluid leak. You can generally find this leak in the front middle of the car. A transmission fluid leak can be caused by a gap in the transmission, a pan leak, broken or loosened seals, or loose debris in the road hitting your car. While you can drive for a short while with a slow transmission fluid leak, you will need to get it repaired as soon as possible to prevent your transmission from being destroyed. If your transmission gets damaged, you might be looking at spending several thousand dollars on the repairs or having to buy another vehicle.

Light Brown or Reddish and Thin

Power steering fluid generally leaks from the front of your car and will be a thin light brown or reddish tint. In addition to a leak, you might notice that your steering wheel is stiff to turn. A leak can be caused by the power steering hoses, pump, cooler, or rack. If you fail to repair this leak in time, you could be looking at a time- and money-consuming trip to the mechanic.

Clear to Brown and Slick

Brake fluid leaks generally come out as a slick clear to brownish hue and fall either under the brake pedals or below the wheels. Brake fluid leaks should be taken seriously and repaired immediately since they lead to brake failure. If you think your brake fluid is leaking, call a tow truck and have them haul it to your mechanic’s shop. Do not attempt to drive it there yourself, as your brakes could fail along the way.

Pink, Green, or Yellow and Slimy

Antifreeze and coolant generally come out in a pink, yellow, or green hue and are slimy to the touch. Coolant leaks are generally easy to locate since drips tend to be visible from the part they’re leaking from when you check under the hood. These types of leaks are incredibly common, and you can sometimes tell when they’re happening since your car will indicate that it is overheating.

Brown and Watery

Gasoline generally comes out as you would expect—brown and watery. And you will smell it. It can drip from the front or rear of the car, and you might even smell gas while driving. If the leak is in the car’s gas tank, you will see dripping from the rear. If it’s happening in the front, you might have a fuel pump issue. This isn’t an emergency repair, but if you let it go long enough, you might have to shell out a hefty chunk of change to replace your fuel pump.

Blue and Watery

Windshield wiper fluid leaks are generally non-threatening, but if you have one, you will notice a blue watery substance. These leaks can be caused by fluid reservoir corrosion or problems with the tubing. You can easily check the fluid reservoir for yourself to ensure your fluid is at an appropriate level.




When you notice a leak, don’t be reactive; get proactive. Knowing which fluid leaks need immediate repairs and which can wait a little while can save you a lot of time and money spent at the mechanic’s shop. It’s a good rule-of-thumb to regularly check coolant, oil, and wiper fluid and to check under the hood and rear of the car for slow drips that might not be hitting the ground.

Are you planning to buy a compact sedan in India? With so many options around, you must be confused between the top players of the segment. Here, we bring you a side-by-side comparison between the all-new Maruti Suzuki DZire 2017, Tata Zest, Honda Amaze and Hyundai Xcent 2017. This comparison review will help you choose the best compact sedan for you.

Compact Sedan War: Maruti DZire 2017 vs. TATA Zest vs. Honda Amaze vs. Hyundai Xcent 2017

Exterior Design & Aesthetics

Maruti DZire 2017

The Maruti Suzuki DZire 2017 is probably the best looking sedan till date in the segment. The new-generation DZire has a brilliantly designed hexagonal grille on the front with a big Suzuki in the middle. The newly designed headlamps, LED daytime running lamps, fog lamps, front and rear bumpers and the new LED tail lamps refines the exteriors and adds an extra star on the overlook aesthetics.




Tata Zest

On the first look, the Tata Zest impresses right away! It doesn’t carry the old and monotonous design that old Tata cars are built upon. The all-new designed headlamps, front-grille, front & rear bumpers, fog lights and tail-lamps have no resemblance to Indica or Indigo, which gets thumbs up from us.

Honda Amaze

The 2016 face-lifted Honda Amaze sports a refreshed front chrome grille with clean placement of fog lamps. However, it misses LED daytime running lamps, which is currently trending across all car segments. On its rear, the Honda Amaze has bright tail-lamps extending till boot lid. The Honda Amaze design and exteriors misses out refreshment which other three cars offer.

Hyundai Xcent 2017

After Maruti Suzuki DZire 2017, the sedan which won our hearts in terms of exterior design and aesthetics is the all-new Hyundai Xcent 2017 with a bold and muscular look. It gets a completely newly designed front-grille which is wider and taller than the old Xcent. Being a complete facelift avatar, the new Hyundai Xcent 2017 sports everything new on its front and rear. The new headlamps, LED DRLs, fog lamps, larger tail-lamps, new front & rear bumpers are very stylish and attractive.

Interiors, Cabin & infotainment System

Maruti Suzuki DZire 2017

Just like the exteriors, the interiors at the Maruti Suzuki DZire 2017 are amazing too. The dual-tone dashboard has wooden trim that is not offered by anyone else in the segment. The rectangular AC vents with chrome highlights looks good.  The sporty steering wheel and door panels feature matte finished wood inserts which is a brilliant move by the designers. The top-end variant gets an advanced touch screen infotainment system, like the one on Baleno, Ciaz, Vitara Brezza and Ignis. It offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

Tata Zest

The cabin space and interior design at Tata Zest is really impressive. It is an all-new and refreshing design from Tata, which was never seen earlier in any Tata car. The design and quality of materials used for dashboard, side padding, door handles and electronic control switches is just great. It is a spacious cabin with an all-new touch screen infotainment system with voice command support.

Honda Amaze

 




The refreshed Honda Amaze has a newly design dual-tone dashboard, which is much better looking than the previous one. The quality of the materials used in electrical switches, buttons and door handles is decent. The cabin space is roomy too. Honda Amaze also features a touch screen infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity support, but only in the top-end variant. The infotainment system on lower variants isn’t a touch screen one. Also, it doesn’t support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, which is disappointing.

Hyundai Xcent 2017

Hyundai has never disappointed us in terms of interiors and dashboard design. The all-new Xcent 2017 carries this legacy ahead. While comparing with other three sedans, the interior design in Hyundai Xcent 2017 looks the best to us. However, the DZire 2017 is also close enough. The infotainment system on the all-new Hyundai Xcent 2017 won’t disappoint you. it is better than that of Tata Zest and Honda Amaze. The 7-inch touch screen infotainment system also works as a reverse camera screen. Other than Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink connectivity, this infotainment system also




Safety Features

Maruti Suzuki DZire 2017

The all-new Maruti Suzuki DZire 2017 is much safer than the outgoing model. The safety features in this new sedan include front dual airbags (standard), antilock braking system (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) (standard), seat belts with pre-tensioners, ISOFIX child seat restraints (standard), fog lamps and more.

Tata Zest

Tata Zest too doesn’t compromises with safety features. It sports ABS with cornering brake control (CBC), engine immobilizer, ELR seatbelts, impact beams and a standard feature. However, air-bags are offered only on the top-end variant.

Honda Amaze 

For your safety concerns, all variants of Honda Amaze get front dual SRS airbags as a standard safety feature. Others safety features include engine immobilizer, high mount stop lamp, driver seatbelt reminder, fog lamps and anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic force-brake distribution (EBS).

Hyundai Xcent 2017

The Hyundai Xcent 2017 also gets front dual airbags as a standard safety feature across ala variants. What disappoints us here is the absence of anti-braking system (ABS) in middle and lower variants. The outgoing Xcent had ABS as a standard safety feature across all variants. Hyundai should have maintained the same in the all-new Xcent 2017 as well.




Engine & Fuel Consumption

Maruti Suzuki DZire 2017

The new-gen Maruti Suzuki DZire 2017 will be powered by the same tried and tested petrol and diesel engines which we have driven in the outgoing DZire. The 1.2-litre K-Series Petrol engine promises a fuel economy of 21kmpl with 83.14bhp of power at 6000rpm and 115NM of torque. The 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine claims 28kmpl of fuel economy and 74bhp of power and 190Nm of torque at 2000rpm.

Tata Zest

Tata Zest comes with two engine options; 1.2-litre Revotron turbo-charged engine and 1.3-litre Quadrajet diesel engine. The petrol engine promises a fuel mileage of 17.57kmpl and churns 90bhp power and 140NM of Torque. The Quadrajet diesel engine promises a fuel mileage of 21.58kmpl and churns a good 74bhp and 190NM of Torque.

Honda Amaze

The Honda Amaze has been loved for its amazing engine performance and refined driving. The buyer of Honda Amaze can choose between 1.2-litre 4-cylinder i-VTEC Petrol engine and a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder i-DTEC turbocharged diesel engine. The petrol variant of Amaze claims a fuel economy of 17.8kmpl and it produces 87PS of power and 109NM of Torque. The diesel variant of Honda Amaze claims an amazing fuel economy of 25.8kmpl and it churns 100PS of power and 200NM of Torque.

Hyundai Xcent 2017

The all-new Hyundai Xcent 2017 is also available in two engine variants. The petrol variant of Xcent 2017 is powered by the same petrol engine (19.1kmpl fuel economy) that is present on the outgoing model. However, the diesel variant of new Xcent 2017 gets a more powerful 1.2-litre 3-cylinder CRDi diesel engine that promises to deliver a fuel mileage of 25.4 kmpl and it churns 75hp of power and 190NM torque. The same diesel engine is also seen in the face-lifted Grand i10.




Price in India

Maruti Suzuki DZire 2017

• Petrol Engine – Rs. 5.50 lacs* (Base Variant, Ex-Showroom, New Delhi)
• Diesel Engine – Rs. 6.30 lacs* (Base Variant, Ex-Showroom, New Delhi)

( * expected figures. Not official)

Tata Zest

• Petrol Engine – Rs. 5.24 lacs (Base Variant, Ex-Showroom, New Delhi)
• Diesel Engine – Rs. 6.27 lacs (Base Variant, Ex-Showroom, New Delhi)

Honda Amaze

• Petrol Engine – Rs.5.53 lacs (Base Variant, Ex-Showroom, New Delhi)
• Diesel Engine – Rs.6.66 lacs (Base Variant, Ex-Showroom, New Delhi)

Hyundai Xcent 2017

• Petrol Engine – Rs.5.38 lacs (Base Variant, Ex-Showroom, New Delhi)
• Diesel Engine – Rs.6.28 lacs (Base Variant, Ex-Showroom, New Delhi)

Which compact sedan according to you is the best in its segment? What you like about it? Share us your thoughts and feedback in the comment section given below. Happy and Safe Driving!

Here are 10 car shopping tips that would help you to make a decision.

1) Knowing what car you want before you start making the rounds of dealerships can save both time and money. As it is human nature to get distracted in the showroom by flashy cars that costs more, it is better to decide what car you want first. Draw up a list of all models and shortlist from there.




2) To buy the right vehicle at the best price, it is important to do your homework before starting to make rounds at the shop. Decide how much you can afford and how much you are willing to pay before you shop for a vehicle. The best way is to refer to car magazines or read expert reviews and user feedback and form an idea about which model works best for you like play euromillions.

3) It’s always a good idea to visit as many dealers in your area and compare many makes and models side-by-side. There are multiple dealers for all manufacturers and pick the one that you like most.

4) Compare financing rates from local lenders to find the best deals on new-car loans. Weigh all the finance options and go for the one that suits you. There are multiple banks that are ready to finance. Check the fine print closely before finalizing.




5) Research your present vehicle’s fair-market trade-in value. It is better to shop at competing dealers to make a compare of prices on the same vehicle.

6) Test-drive the exact car you have decided upon. List out all the doubts and clarifications and cross check with both the dealer representative and opinions across portals and with those you know who own the model.

7) Be a strong negotiator with the dealer salesman. You may get a good discount.




8) Do not rush when you make that final deal. Make sure that you understand every charge that you have been charged off.

9) Before you sign the final sale contract, read the entire contract. Be certain you understand exactly what you are buying.




10) While taking delivery, do a thorough match off of what is being offered against what was promised and check off from a check list of all parts and features being in perfect working condition.

Author Bio: https://autoportal.com