Automotive Blog

Tim Duke of Duke Automotive

Our dealership Duke Automotive is owned by Tim Duke, a third generation Duke family dealer here in Augusta. Tim is married to his college sweetheart Lisa and they have 2 children- Tyler a senior at (continue reading…)

Automotive glass ceased long ago to be just a window. The opportunity to produce complex shapes and curves while maximizing visibility is there to be exploited by designers. Indeed, over the last three years, the design complexity of windshields and backlights has increased to a new level in terms of cross curvature and compound radii.

At Pilkington we are starting to identify physical limitations with these designs, particularly with windshields, in terms of meeting EC regulatory and customer optical standards. For example, even if it is feasible to manufacture the glass, there can be natural optical effects arising from the glass shape in the motorist’s view through the windshield causing them to see secondary images (figure 1). The EC legislation states that the distance between the two images should be no more than 15 minutes of arc in the primary vision area (see figure 2) but customer standards can be more restrictive.

The trends towards increased cross curvature of windshields can be seen by the fact that 10 years ago the average cross curvature of a windshield was 10-15mm, five years ago it was 15-20mm but now it can be anywhere from 20-50mm. Any designs that exceed 30mm need to be considered very carefully for secondary images. (continue reading…)

When most people shop for a new car, they focus on the price. Purchase price is an important factor but there are many other factors to consider insuring the best deal possible. New car dealerships may talk about selling at invoice price to entice the customer to purchase a new vehicle but other factors are involved that can have a dramatic affect on the value. Then there’s the question of which is better, to purchase or lease a new vehicle?

What’s better to Buy or Lease a New Car?

Determining what a better value to buy or lease largely is depends on driving habits and personal preference. If the vehicle is driven a minimal amount of miles per year, then a lease may be a better option. Some factors depend on how fast a particular model depreciates in value.

Vehicles that depreciate fast don’t lease as well as vehicles that have a slower rate of depreciation. (continue reading…)

Decide on the type of service that will fit your needs. If you have limited budget, and want cheap service, then the best thing would to be hire someone to drive your car. If you don’t like this service, you can hire an auto transporter to move your car. Auto transporter provides two types of service – door to door and terminal to terminal. In door to door service, you will meet the truck driver at a nearby parking lot so that they have room to load and unload your car. With terminal to terminal you will often get a discounted rate for dropping off and picking up your car at large auto storing facility. (continue reading…)

There are many factors that come into consideration when insurers evaluate motorists and assign them to a risk class. Unfortunately, there are drivers who are considered to have elevated risks to insure for various reasons, some of which may be out of the control of the consumer. To the misfortune of these riskier motorists, carriers feel that they must protect themselves from the increased likelihood of future potential losses and do so by charging these individuals an inflated premium in hopes to compensate and equalize pay out costs incurred by insuring these consumers.

Every motorist is different and while some may fall into the “preferred” or “standard” market there are those that will be considered riskier to cover for a number of reasons. While it may seem a bit unfair, younger motorists are often charged a hefty amount when obtaining coverage; this is due to the fact that not only do these youths lack experience behind the wheel and a driving record to show that are a responsible motorist, but they are statistically shown to be more involved in traffic accidents than more mature drivers.

Individuals who have a number of traffic violations and accidents may also be considered riskier to insure because carriers believe that if an individual has a tendency to commit violations or be involved in collisions, the trend may continue. If an individual has been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs they will almost automatically find themselves in need of high risk auto insurance and possibly an SR 22. Although, a driver has certain associated risks with insuring them they should not settle for unreasonable premiums and take the time to find an affordable policy.

Car Insurance Tips for High Risk Drivers

Although many motorists with blemishes on their record are usually charged higher rates than those who may have a clean record, the price of auto insurance does not have to be unreasonable. Contrary to what many believe, there are many companies who specialize and even target high risk drivers while there are those who may only be willing to accept “standard” motorists or will charge riskier drivers a very high rate. The best way for a risky driver to locate a company willing to offer affordable policies is to begin comparing the rates of cheap auto insurance and as many insurers as possible; this can be done by contacting various brokers and agents or shopping online. Comparing rates may take a little bit of time, but may also be well worth it if coverage that can be afforded is found.

Once an individual has become considered a higher risk they may be subjected to increased rates, but it does not have to last forever. There are many things that motorists can do to get themselves from under that rock and get the cost of coverage lowered. Most importantly is to practice safe driving; operating an automobile while intoxicated is something that can easily be avoided by making a good judgment call. Under no circumstance should a motorist operate under the influence and by doing so it may only cost them hard earned money in the long run. In addition, those with multiple tickets and accidents will have them disregarded by insurers after a certain number of years (usually between 3 and 5). By obeying traffic laws, these motorists can see their rates decrease over time.

Unfortunately, there are some motorists who may not be able to find coverage on the regular market, but the good news is that many states offer plans to these drivers to help get them insured and avoid driving without coverage.