How dangerous is a floor mat when it comes to associating it with car accidents? Well as far as Toyota is concerned, the current recall in the car mats that they package with their Toyota Lexus is still a puzzle. A fatal car crash which claimed four lives in Southern California last month has forced the arm of Toyota to order its dealers to make prior inspection of car mats in the light of this unfortunate tragedy.

It seems that the car mat caused the Toyota Lexus to get out of control, forcing it to crash into another vehicle, turn over and burst into flames. But to this day, no one knows if these car mats were truly the culprit but just the same, Toyota has taken the initiative for this tragedy.

Some tips to drivers when it comes to car mats though. Avoid the thick mats to be used in cars. Do not place more than one mat since this may become a reason for your accelerator to get stuck. Check out your car now. This could make all the difference between life and death on your end.

You can watch the report here.

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(Source) Yahoo

Tags: accelerator, car accidents, car mat, car mats, Cars, culprit, fatal car crash, flames, floor mat, initiative, life and death, puzzle, southern california, thick mats, Toyota, toyota lexus, unfortunate tragedy, yahoo

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When it comes to motor sports, speed is normally what anyone would care about. But if you talk about long range races, perhaps that is not always the case. The important thing is to consider how far you can go, regardless of the speed you are driving at. And that is practically what Hypermiling is all about.

Hypermiling is the new kind of motoring event where cars are driven thousands of miles very slowly and very carefully, proving that motor sports don’t have to be all about screeching tyres, maximum revs and power slides.

The aim is to drive the car as far as possible on a single tank of fuel, as frugally as possible. That means no stereo, no air conditioning, no open windows and minimal use of the throttle. Tire pressures are inflated to their absolute maximum to reduce rolling resistance and every fuel-saving technique possible is applied – such as freewheeling down hills! Not recommended by your car insurance company.

Tips for Hypermilers:

• Accelerate as smoothly and as little as you can possibly get away with.
• Brake as gently and as little as possible; anticipating the traffic flow will help you achieve this.
• Coast up to traffic lights and stop signs.
• As you approach the top of a hill, take your foot off the accelerator; gravity will automatically increase your speed as you crest the brow.
• Avoid bumps and potholes, which reduce forward momentum.
• Install a fuel-consumption gauge in your car, so you can track your performance.

(Source) Press

Tags: absolute maximum, accelerator, car insurance company, fuel consumption, gauge, gravity, hypermiling, momentum, motor sports, open windows, performance source, potholes, power slides, sports speed, tire pressures, traffic lights

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