Are We There Yet? Tips For Traveling With Children

Are we there yet? Are we there yet?  If you are a parent to small children like I am, you have probably heard this more times than not.  Keeping kids occupied and happy while in the car can be quite a challenge.  According to a spokesperson for Allstate Insurance, distracted driving is the cause of 80% of all crashes (Parents Magazine).  Children are four times as distracting to drivers as adult passengers, while babies are eight times as distracting.  One study found that on a 16-minute car ride, drivers with kids in the car looked away from the road for an average of 3 minutes and 22 seconds – 21% of the time. (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety).  That’s almost 1/3 of the total trip time – scary thought!

Central Collision's marketing manager, Nicole, with
husband, Dave, and children, Jake and Addison.

When I am traveling with my children, I always make sure I am prepared.  I like to keep a bag packed with all the necessities and have it handy to grab as I am running out the door. Whether it be a short car ride or a long road trip, you can never be too prepared! Here are some things I never leave home without:

Snacks
I would rather take the time to pack nutritious snacks than be tempted to stop at a fast food restaurant or convenience store. Some go-to snacks that are easy to travel with are:

• Cheerios (or your child's favorite dry cereal) 
• Boxes of raisins 
• Squeezable applesauce packets 
• Granola bars 
• Fruit snacks 
• Crackers 

Activities
Keeping your children occupied while you drive can help eliminate distractions inside the car. Easy in-car toys include Leap Pads, books and the aquadoodle board (coloring pages that use water to create color instead of ink).

BrainPop Jr. Movie of
the Week is available on
iTunes.

If you have young children that like to play on an iPhone or iPad, try the following app suggestions from the Chicago Tribune: 

• Learn With Homer - teaches fundamental reading skills 
• Toy Store Delivery Truck - teaches counting skills through truck deliveries 
• BrainPOP Jr. Movie of the Week - provides a free video each week along with quizzes that allows kids to make connections between videos and related concepts

If you have older children, try the following games to get all passengers involved:

• The Grocery Game - Each player must name an item from the grocery store in alphabetical order, adding to the running "grocery list." Each player must recite the full grocery list in order then add an item starting with the next letter. For example, player 1 says "apples" then player two says "apples" and adds "bananas" 
• I Spy - Each player takes a turn picking an item the other players must identify through asking questions about the item
• Who Am I? - Each player takes a turn picking a person all passengers in the car know. The other players ask yes or no questions to find out information until they can guess the person's identity

Travel Essentials

• Baby wipes
• Extra change of clothes
• Sunscreen
• Towels (never know when we will take a spur of the moment trip to the park!)
• Reward sheet - I keep a reward sheet and a bad behavior sheet with me to reward good behavior and punish bad behavior. This has worked like a charm!

What are your best practices for traveling with children? Share them with us in the comments section!

Dangers of a Hot Car

According to a recent NBC News report, 567 children have died since 1998 as a result of being left alone in a hot car. Eighty-seven percent of children who have died from this cause were three years old or younger.

Children should not be left unattended in a vehicle, especially in the summer heat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categorizes a body temperature of 103 degrees or higher as a medical emergency. Just a few minutes in a warm car puts a child at risk of reaching this body temperature, which could cause life-threatening injuries.

On a ninety degree day, a vehicle's temperature will reach:

• 109 degrees after 10 minutes
• 119 degrees after 20 minutes
• 124 degrees after 30 minutes
• 133 degrees after 60 minutes
• 138 degrees after 90 minutes

Dark components within vehicles such as steering wheels, dashboards and seats quickly reach temperatures between 180 and 200 degrees. This heat transfers to the air trapped within a vehicle, causing the entire vehicle to warm. Cracked windows do not prevent or eliminate this intense heat.

Twenty states, including Illinois, enforce laws against leaving children unattended in vehicles.

Central Collision Center encourages you to be mindful of your child's car safety this summer. Share this information with family members, friends, babysitters or daycares that may drive with your children or other children in the car.

4th of July Road Trip Tips

Taking a road trip this 4^th of July? According to AAA, 84% of Americans will hit the road this holiday weekend. Although this is a slight decline from the 41.1 million people that traveled in 2012, roads will still be crowded. Here are Central Collision Center’s tips to make your road trip easier:

1. Prepare your vehicle ahead of time.

There’s nothing worse than having car troubles in an unfamiliar area. Be proactive and do a routine maintenance check before you hit the road. Things to check:  tire pressure, washer fluid, wiper blades, oil and lights (headlights, taillights and turn signal). 

GasBuddy is a free app that
helps you find the cheapest gas.

2. Plan your stops.

Instead of stopping at the first gas station you see, use the free app GasBuddy to plan your stops for gas. GasBuddy finds the cheapest gas near you. The app can also find the cheapest gas by city or zip code. Bonus:  you earn rewards for reporting gas prices.

3. Prepare snacks ahead of time.

Bring a variety of snacks to eliminate unnecessary stops and unhealthy purchases. Pack snacks that will travel well and will please all of your travelers. Some healthy suggestions include granola bars, pre-cut vegetables and hummus, string cheese and trail mix. Granola bars, hummus and nuts are packed with protein, which will keep your travelers fuller longer. 

4. Clean as you go.

Make mini garbage cans for the car
from cereal tupperware pourers.

Don’t wait until you’re packing up to come home to clean your car out. Make cleaning easy by giving each row of seats its own garbage can. Place a small garbage or grocery bag in a plastic tupperware container to make mini garbage cans. The container traps smells and is easy to empty each time you stop for gas.

5. Bring in-car entertainment.

Keeping children entertained is key to a successful road trip. Instead of relying on iPads and other electronics, create interactive games. For example, give each of your children a map to decorate as you travel. Each child can draw his or her favorite site for each state. At the end of the trip, each child's map will be different. Bonus:  the maps make great keepsakes and cute additions to photo albums of the trip.

Central Collision Center encourages you to drive carefully this 4th of July. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Meet Chris Cooling Racing at Downtown Tinley Cruise Nights

On Tuesday, June 25th, Chris Cooling Racing will visit Downtown Tinley at its weekly Cruise Night. Cooling will be available for pictures and autographs from 5-9 p.m. in front of Subway, located at 17217 Oak Park Avenue in Tinley Park.

Chris Cooling Racing competes every Friday at Grundy County Speedway in Morris, Ill. In his most recent race on Friday, June 21st, Cooling finished 6th overall. Chris Cooling Racing is sponsored by Central Collision Center, Shorewood Animal Hospital, T&D Bowling & Awards, Carhart Vinyl Lettering, Blast Off and Jones Soda. For more information, visit the team's Facebook page. For race schedules, results and more, visit Grundy County Speedway's website.

Downtown Tinley's Cruise Nights take place every Tuesday through August from 5-9 p.m. Enjoy this classic car show with no entry fee. Music provided co-sponsored by the VFW Post 2791 and the Village of Tinley Park Mainstreet Commission. For more upcoming events, business information and specials, visit www.downtowntinley.com. 

Dirty Car? Enter for a Free Car Wash

Central Collision Center is running a Facebook contest to find the dirtiest car in the south suburbs. Think your car might be it? Post a picture on Central Collision's Facebook page for a chance to win a free car wash. Contest runs June 13-21. Central Collision will announce 1 winner on Monday, June 24.

Driving Through Severe Weather

Severe storms are pummeling the Midwest this week. While news and weather sources may encourage drivers to stay off the road, drivers unexpectedly caught in these storms may have no choice but continue to drive. Central Collision Center has prepared our tips for safely navigating these potentially dangerous situations.

Before the storm:

• Check the condition of your windshield wipers and tires
• Replace immediately if either are worn

During the storm:

• Increase distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you
• Treat traffic lights as stop signs in anticipation of other drivers losing control of their vehicles
• Turn headlights - not brights - on
• Reduce speed to prevent hydroplaning

Hydroplaning is a major cause of accidents during severe weather. Three factors can cause hydroplaning:

1. High speeds, which reduce traction
2. Worn tires, which are less likely to resist hydroplaning
3. Water depth, which reduces traction

Water on roadways can create dangerous driving situations. According to The Weather Channel, six inches of water will reach the bottom of most cars and one foot of water will  float most vehicles. Be cautious driving when any amount of water is present on a roadway, but turn your vehicle around if you have to pass through more than a few inches. 

Central Collision Center urges drivers to be cautious driving during these stormy, summer months. If you have concerns about the safety of your vehicle before the storms hit, please call one of our six locations.

Central Collision Center Named Autochex Premier Achiever For Excellence In Customer Service

Central Collision Center of Oak Forest, located at 15232 S. Oak Park Avenue, has been recognized as a winner of the 2012 AutocheX Premier Achiever for outstanding customer service and satisfaction.

Now in its 11^th year, the annual Premier Achiever Awards honor auto body shops that consistently achieve extremely high customer satisfaction scores as measured by AutocheX either independently or as part of an insurance-sponsored repair program. In 2012, participating insurance programs included seven of the top 25 carriers in North America.

“For the 11^th year in a row, we are delighted to sponsor the Premier Achiever Awards and to recognize the tremendous accomplishments of Central Collision and all the 2012 winners,” said Jim O’Leary, Vice President of Mitchell Repair Solutions. “The high satisfaction scores of these elite collision repair facilities in North America clearly demonstrate their ongoing commitment to their customers, and set the bar very high for customer experience management in our industry.”

In an industry of nearly 50,000 shops in North America, Central Collision is one of only 400 Premier Achiever Award winners in 2012 — placing the shop in highly exclusive company.

“Receiving this honor reflects our company’s core values of outstanding customer service and repair quality above all else,” said Michael A. Caruso, facility manager of Central Collision Center of Oak Forest. “We are proud to be considered among the elite in this category and we will continue to improve our processes in order to remain an industry leader.”

AutocheX, Mitchell International’s customer experience management group, is a leading provider of customer satisfaction measurement and customer experience management solutions to the collision repair industry. AutocheX and the participating insurance companies present the Premier Achiever Awards each year as a way of honoring collision repair facilities that have proven their devotion to quality, service, and customer satisfaction.

For more information about Central Collision Center, visit www.centralcollision.com.