NJ Law Gets Tough on Fastlane Slowpokes

We have all been there – coasting on the freeway, a longdistance to go and cruising to get there in a reasonable amount of time, whenyou hit someone going 55MPH in the left-most lane. We didn’t buy a car with a turbocharger or supercharger just to sit behind this inconsiderate person driving 10 miles under the speedlimit. Most of us know the left-most lane as the “fast lane” – a lane fordrivers to coast at the maximum speed in order to cover longer distances. NewJersey has recently implemented laws that impose heavier fines for thesetraffic-causing individuals in an effort to keep them to the right.

These are usually referred to as “keep right laws,” and NewJersey isn’t alone in implementing them.  They are notable however in pursuing acrackdown and greater penalties for offenders. Speeding is much easier toenforce and more profitable in ticketing so police officers around the nationusually focus their efforts on ticketing speeders. The people of New Jerseyhowever have made this issue a priority to keep the traffic and road ragecaused by slowpokes in check. 

State Senator Donald Norcross (D) has sponsored the bill,telling the Philadelphia Inquirer "Being trapped behind a slower vehicleis one of the biggest triggers for road rage. Some people have told me thefines we're proposing are not high enough. They said, 'It should beexecution.’”

He has decided on a softer approach, increasing the minimumpenalty from $50 to $100 and the maximum penalty from $100 to $300. Theincrease in fines may help motivate police to pursue offenders, and thusencourage offenders to move to the right.

 Many offenders are from out of state, so the increasedrevenue from the tickets will help pay for new signs when crossing state lineswarning every one of the keep right laws in effect in New Jersey. I can onlyhope that this trend will sweep across the nation and that California will alsoenact similar laws – we all have places to go!

How to Choose the Right Vehicle For You

Buying a new vehicle is very exciting, but it can also beoverwhelming. There are so many options for car buyers today that the whirlwindof makes, models, trims, and options(like advanced turbochargers and superchargers) can be dizzying.Fortunately, taking a few things into consideration can help narrow yourchoices and help you make the right decision.

The first and most important thing to define is the purposeof your new vehicle. Are you shopping for a vehicle to take your three kids topractice, or just to take you going as fast as possible through dangerousmountain curves? Is it to get you to work every day, or to haul you and yourfriends to the beach to surf? Carefully thinking and making a decision aboutthis alone will help tremendously in narrowing your choices, and to make yousatisfied with your new purchase.

 Next is to decide a price range. This should be fairly easy– decide how much of a car payment you can afford each month, then find out thelowest car loan interest rate you qualify for. Your credit score will determinethe interest rate and loan amount you are able to take out. Then put thenumbers into an online loan calculator to determine a maximum amount you canget a loan for. Now that you know an absolute maximum, it’s always wise to tryto find a vehicle under that maximum that still meets your needs.

 

 You should be down to just a few select makes and models. Atthis point you get to weigh all of the different options available in eachmodel – the fun stuff! Do you want a car with a more luxurious interior, or avehicle that is more technology-capable? Do you want a modern body-style, orsomething aggressive? This is where you get to match your car to yourpersonality. Most of us have to drive our cars every day, so it’s best to pickone you’re going to enjoy!

After you’ve indentified your main needs, you can alsoemploy the help of online car matching services. This free one from Edmunds.com can help suggest vehicles that will workfor you.

We hope you find just the vehicle you’re looking for. Happydriving!

The Original Back To The Future DeLorean Is Getting Restored!

Putting a new turbocharger or supercharger won’t turn your ride into a time machine, but Bob Gale, co-writer for the Back To The Futuresaga, is going to need one to accomplish his next project: a full museumquality restoration of the original "A car" from the Back To The Future trilogy.

There were several vehicles used in the making of the BTTFsaga, but the A car was the best, most detailed unit used on all three films.Apparently it has been left outside for a long time and is in need of seriousTLC. Some say it sat outside the BTTF ride at Universal Studios, others say itsat in a car lot with other busted movie vehicles, but either way the car is now in a state of seriousdisrepair. 

The people he has hired to do the restoration are Joe Wasler, JRyan, and Terry Matalas, all of whom have been involved in creating perfectBTTF DeLorean replicas in the past. Not only will they need a team ofspecialists to restore the vehicle to working order, they will also have to payextra special attention to the many elements that make this car a unique pieceof film history.

Bob Gale has taken tothe internet to appeal for all fans of the movie to return any original partsof the car to them,  or to let them know where they can get new ones (if anyone hassuch information). The movie’s popularity has seen original parts get sold andpassed around over the years, so some pieces of the original are missing.  He has created a Facebook page and Twitteraccount to connect with fans that may have information on the missing parts,and for anyone interested in following the restoration process.

 It will be fun to see this unique car go through its owntime machine – question is, when it’s done, where do you think it will end up?