Monday, December 16, 2013

You Used What as an Ice Scraper?!



You Used What as an Ice Scraper?!

Bet everyone enjoyed that last storm!  Everyone loves the TV's "National Lampoon's Christmas" special.  While funny, we have our own less fortunate stories such as

  • "While following my husband, he drops our Christmas tree off his truck and it smashed out my windshield"    or
  • "My wife and I were bickering about something and I fired our Christmas tree into the back glass hatch of my Civic"  


Those are this weeks stories, but how about the ice we are left with?  Impatient drivers trying to remove ice from windshields often discover creative ways to break the glass.  We have seen some grim self inflicted windshield damage caused by clients who got creative with improvised ice removal.  Nobody likes paying to replace their windshield, but it’s all the more painful when it is damage that could have easily been avoided. 
Tip 1: Get yourself a new scraper every year- If the season was nasty, they the scraper worked hard and during the off season the scraper tends to get beat around and chipped.  Bad scrapers can lead to scratches on the glass.
Tip 2: Try an application of Aquashield water repellent, which would help the ice from sticking in the first place.
Tip 3: Run the defroster a little longer to melt the ice slowly - A little extra time here can save the cost of a glass.

We have replaced glass for the following reason-  "Do Not!!"
§         Use your keys
§         Use a shovel
§         Use a flat head screw driver
§         Use a hammer
§         Use a credit card
§         Use boiling water
§         Use old CD's
§         Use beer cans
§         Use a 2x4
§         Use a propane torch to melt the ice
§         Use a spatula, utility knife or crowbar

If you find yourself with a frozen windshield situation without a scraper remember – just defrost to avoid the cost! Give yourself some extra time!

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Driving Tips for Back-to-School


Back to School From Scotia Auto Glass

It's back-to-school time and, for many parents, that means early mornings, new clothes and rushing around to meet the new schedule. Did you know that School buses are one of the safest forms of transportation on the road today. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, riding a bus to school is 13 times safer than riding in a passenger vehicle and 10 times safer than walking to school.

The reality of school bus safety is that more children are hurt outside the bus than inside as passengers. Most of the children who lose their lives in bus-related crashes are pedestrians, four to seven years old, who are hit by the bus or by motorists illegally passing a stopped school bus.

For this reason, it is necessary to know the proper laws and procedures for sharing the road safely with school buses:
  • Most Provinces have a law making it illegal to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children.
  • School buses use yellow/red/strobe flashing lights to alert motorists that they are preparing to stop to load or unload children. Red flashing lights and an extended stop sign arm signals to motorists that the bus is stopped and children are getting on or off the bus.
  • Most Provinces require that traffic in both directions stop on undivided roadways when students are entering or exiting a school bus.
  • The area 10 feet around a school bus is where children are in the most danger of being hit. Stop your car far enough from the bus to allow children the necessary space to safely enter and exit the bus.
  • Be alert. Children are unpredictable. Children walking to or from their bus are usually very comfortable with their surroundings. This makes them more likely to take risks, ignore hazards or fail to look both ways when crossing the street.

Before driving the kids around town, parents need to make sure their vehicles are operating safely. These quick tips will help ensure your vehicle is ready to keep up with the kids' busy schedules.

Be sure to take your vehicle in for routine maintenance. Talk with your mechanic and be sure your cars brakes, wheels, tires, tire pressure and suspension are working well.  Don’t forget to also speak with your glass shop to check your wipers, wiper fluid and that you can see clearly through your windshield.  These steps can keep your vehicle on the road, not on the side of it.

Scotia Auto Glass
Buckle up and make sure your passengers do too. Seat belt use among high school students is lower than among other occupants in passenger vehicles. According to a survey from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, many teens aren't buckling up, even when adults are driving with them and using belts themselves. Teens often follow by example. The study reported that more than half of teens were more likely to buckle up if the adult who dropped them off at school also wore a seat belt. However, when adult drivers did not use seat belts, only 8% of teens used theirs.

Practice proper car seat safety. Some mothers will be taking preschool children along when they drive older children to and from school. Make sure everyone is using proper seat restraints at all times.

Obey school zone speed limits. Children may not always stay on the sidewalk or within crosswalk lines, so you need to be extra careful. As a lot of morning traffic is comprised of parents driving children to school, so you should also watch out for other vehicles slowing down or suddenly stopping to let children out.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Auto Repair Shops feel 2013 has started as a “Slump”



Almost 100% of the Auto Repair shops surveyed in central and western Nova Scotia, say business is way down and wonder what’s next, according to research from Scotia Auto Glass

The study also revealed 49% of fleet managers postponed or considered postponing fleet maintenance this year because of uncertainty and last year’s mild winter weather. Only 1 in 5 fleet companies increase their vehicle checks during periods of bad weather.

“First I thought it was something wrong with my business but when the auto parts supplier delivery guy is complaining about being “slow” and might be laid off, I had nervous sigh of relief” and “Customers are clutching their wallets and putting service off until the last minute” says a shop owner who requested to be anonymous  

In 2008 coupled the surge of higher fuel prices auto repair shops experienced some growth sighting that car owner could not afford to buy new and choose to repair their car.  By 2011 just two years ago when the safety inspections came due, this was the beginning of the first two year inspection cycle, consumers were forced to repair or replace.  Auto Repair shops experienced growth during that year and expected the same this year.  Many shops have laid guys off until the spring in hopes of the business returning.  New employment insurance rules has everyone scared on what to do next.  Employees need a stable environment to work and feel secure about the next paycheck, while employers need the skilled labour in the near future.

Garage shop owners search for meaning and economic reasons for the “Slump.” RBC Economics report, although American, talks about U.S. new home sales dip in February while consumer confidence plunged in March!  RBC economics Nova Scotia report says employment is up .06% in 2012 and that major Nova Scotia projects like shipbuilding, are not set to occur during 2013.  Further losses of 2,300 jobs in the public sector will keep employment rates at about the same as 2012.

Automotive Glass Shops are equally influenced by market conditions and fall into the same category.  61% of those asked said that they would have any rock chips inspected and or repaired before the next cold snap, however 76.1% of car owners and fleet managers admit they have been putting it off.  

Of the windshields replaced in the first quarter of 2013, 52% ignore their own safety and wait to have the cracked windshield replaced at the time of inspection.  “As we all know, it is the responsibility of both the driver and fleet managers to make sure all vehicles are ready and safe for Nova Scotia driving.” Said Ron Tibert, manager at Scotia Auto Glass

Auto Repair Shop owners feel the market will return during late spring, but just need to hold on until then.

Scotia Auto Glass tips for preparing for Spring
  1. If you have a windshield chip, always warm up the cold glass slowly.  Ideally, get it repaired.
  2. Replace windshield wipers. We had a harsh winter and the blades get chipped and torn plus they can cause smearing and reduce visibility.
  3. Make sure you check your vehicle regularly. Cleaning headlamps, keeping the battery in good condition, checking tires and their tread.
  4. Consider a windshield coating protection like AquaShield to help visibility
  5. Keep an essential breakdown kit in your trunk, with high-visibility clothing, a flashlight, first-aid etc.
Economic Marketing Report
Scotia Auto Glass
www.scotiaauto.com

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Best Choice for Windshield Repairs - Glass Insurance

Rock chip only 2 hours old - Look at the detail in the fine cracks

Without comprehensive glass insurance coverage, a cracked windshield can be a costly repair (Ron Tibert – Scotiaauto.com)


Potholes are starting to form, roads are getting bumpy and the temperature fluctuates many times in the day, all contributing to windshields snapping at a weak point like a stone chip.

Spring time brings out the bits of gravel and road pieces, you see scattered on our highways, so traveling too close to the vehicle in front of you is not a good idea. Prevention and being proactive is a great start to being one of those people who never had a windshield replaced in their life.

So what should you do in the case that you get a rock chip?
  1. Pull over in a safe place if you can and use our rock chip cover stickers or clear tape to cover the chip to keep it clean. Obviously, do not do this step if the chip is in the critical viewing area. 
  2. Lets save your windshield and give our shop a call or send a quote through our website - If you have comprehensive insurance coverage, you maybe covered under your plan and the cost is usually free with no deductible. We have insurance partnerships and computer systems in place to verify coverage and billing for you.

Sometimes the crack can spread seconds after the impact while driving. Quite interesting to see but can be scary and has the driver wondering if the windshield will blow out on them.

If the windshield is cracked you most likely will need to replace it. Depending on your insurance coverage, you may be eligible for free replacements, which means absolutely no out of pocket expense to you. Your insurance claim will cover the majority of the cost and we’ll cover the rest. Eligibility is based on your specific auto insurance company.

So what legal action can you do to get your money back?

Experience in the past has suggested that you may just be wasting your time chasing down the vehicle and actually trying to get any settlement. If the rock or object came from an unsecured load you have a better chance of getting help replacing the glass.

So let’s not travel too close to the vehicle ahead of you and we will welcome the warmer days of spring.

Come join us on our facebook page for more tips and ideas to maintain a quality viewing windshield for years to come. (And get a coupon for $5 off your next windshield) http://on.fb.me/15PgUl1 

Visit our website at www.scotiaauto.com 
Contact us at http://http://www.scotiaauto.com/contact.htm/
Lunenburg / Bridgewater 902-543-1956
Halifax / Dartmouth 902-468-5583