Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers

With a large number of teens receiving their driver’s licenses this summer, it’s important to revisit some tips to help keep your sanity while your newly licensed driver is behind the wheel of your Toyota cars. Here are some suggestions that will help keep peace in the household while allowing your teen to receive the practice they need on the roads.

• Create a written contract. Many arguments between parents and new teen drivers spring up because of misunderstandings. However, if you create a written contract between you and you teen which spells out expectations, punishments and so forth, you can reduce arguments and misunderstandings to a bare minimum.
• Allow your teen to practice. If the whole family is going somewhere, allow your teen driver to get behind the wheel and drive. This gives them more practice while you can evaluate their confidence and their skills.
• Be a good role model behind the wheel. Teen drivers will often imitate their parents because that is what they see. Always be a calm driver and follow the rules of the road to influence your teen driver to do the same.

Once your new driver has proven themselves responsible, why not see about getting them one of their very own Toyota cars to show them how much you appreciate their hard work?

You are probably tired of hearing about the dangers of texting or talking on your cell phone when you are behind the wheel of your Toyota cars. Unfortunately, there are still many drivers who are not listening to the message and accidents are still occurring as a result of their disregard for other drivers on the road. That’s why the National Safety Council has kicked off a new and attention-grabbing campaign entitled “Death by Cell Phone.”

The new campaign is not running in more than 60 markets across the country and it reaches about one million people each day. It consists of billboards depicting normal people who were killed by drivers on their cell phones. The name of the campaign comes from Jennifer Smith, the daughter of a woman who was killed by a driver who ran a red light because they were on a cell phone rather than paying attention to the road. “I just call it death by cell phone,” she said.

According to the National Safety Council, about six percent of all collisions involve at least one driver talking or texting on their cell phone. Six percent may not seem like a big number, but it equals more than 630,000 collisions each year.

Take heed of this advice: Stay off your cell phone when behind the wheel. It could save your life or the life of another driver.

Have you been waiting for a completely electric Toyota car? If so, you’re in luck. The automaker that brought you the Prius has announced that it is also going start mass producing electric Toyota cars for sale by 2012.

The company has a goal of producing about 20,000 to 30,000 all-electric units during the first year of production so they can hit streets and get the attention of other interested drivers. The automaker also wants to make sure the new electric vehicles will have comparable prices to the hybrid or gas-powered counterparts to help them compete in a competitive market. Of course, the federal government may offer tax incentives and rebates to buyers who choose these Toyota cars, but they cannot count on something like that these days.

What would it take for you to give an electric car a chance? It took several years for the hybrid to catch on and there are still many drivers who are adamant against driving one. Would you be willing to buy an all-electric car or would the automakers need to make huge improvements before you would invest in one? Let us know your thoughts below.

If you’ve been looking for the perfect compact SUV, look no further than the Toyota RAV4. These Toyota cars (or trucks, depending on what you want to call them) have received several awards for safety, value retention and more. Here are some of the awards the RAV4 has received that shows it is one of the best vehicles in its class.

IntelliChoice 2009 Excellent Value Award
This award compares the purchase price of a vehicle with the cost for owning it over a period of years. The award is given to vehicles that have a lower ownership cost when compared to the purchase price.

2009 Top Safety Pick for Small SUV
Awarded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, this award takes a number of factors into consideration, including side-impact test results, roof strength, rear crash protection and more. This is one of the most coveted awards in the auto industry and the RAV4 was a recipient in 2009.

Best Compact SUV for Families
In 2008, the RAV4 was named the best compact SUV for families by Forbes magazine. The adjustable head rests, adjustable seats, rear-seat DVD entertainment system, storage areas and other features helped the RAV4 stand out among the other cars in its class.

Are you convinced that the RAV4 is one of the best choices you can make for your next car? If not, visit your Toyota dealer today and take one of a test drive. You may fall in love with these Toyota cars right away!