October is Car Safety Month according to Be Car Care Aware, an industry group dedicated to education and safety information for consumers around their vehicle and vehicle related issues. 

One of the most contested questions around winter safety is whether or not winter tires are safer or necessary for winter driving. There are a couple of places that have legislated mandatory winter tire use and according to the article in Wheels.ca have seen significant reductions in collisions after the legislation came into effect. 

Germany found after legislation came into effect there was just over 50 percent less collisions as previous years. Even Quebec, which already had 96 per cent of drivers using winter tires before they became mandatory in 2008, showed a 5-per-cent drop in collision injuries that year. Winter tire use rose by only 2 percent after winter tire use became mandatory, so a 2 percent increase led to a 5 percent decrease! (Wheels.ca)

Many people are confused by the many tire offerings available to them when shopping for a new set of tires. There are winter tires, all season tires and newer to the party, the all weather tire. It's hard to know what the best choice is and many manufacturers have different suggestions depending on the driving conditions you experience.

Sometime the information is overwhelming and this is why we have created our Truth About Tires workshop. This gives you, as the consumer, a chance to ask questions and to gather information in a somewhat non biased environment. Good News Auto does sell tires and we do our best to offer a fair price.. However, more than that, we would like you to have all the information you need to make the best choice for your vehicle and your safety.

JumpStart and Good News Auto's main goal is to help people who are experiencing "detours" in their lives and do our small part in assisting them to continue moving forward in their travels.

Diane was referred to us through one of the fantastic social service agencies supporting women and families who have experienced domestic violence. She and her family had to flee from their home in the middle of the night when they received news her abuser was no longer in custody and may be headed her way. They left with what they could pack in an hour and her vehicle. She had to take a leave from her job so she could begin the process of rebuilding her life. What does it look like to have to relocate, rebuild and recover from the trauma of violence?

One of the things needed is a way to keep moving forward, literally! JumpStart and Good News Auto had the privilege of being able to assist in needed safety repairs on her vehicle. This will enable her to continue going to appointments and getting her children where they need to go. When she is ready a reliable vehicle will also enable her to access her employment. This is our small way of keeping her and her family on the road and moving forward.

Another traveller we met recently is Allan. He is a single dad and also working to rebuild his life after a variety of detours. He has recently gotten a job working with a great social agency which helps people transition from homelessness to living in their own home and learning everything that goes along with that. He needs a vehicle to take participants to appointments and to carry out the duties of his employment. 

He was able to access JumpStart for needed repairs and ensure he and the people he is supporting are safe on the road.
  

We watched a movie over the weekend called Pay it Forward. The premise is simple, yet profound. The main character, an 11 year old boy, is challenged by a school assignment to change the world. His idea is to do something for someone, something BIG, something they couldn't, or wouldn't, do for themselves. Something that will change everything, if they let it. There is a catch though. The person needs to then "pay it forward" for three other people. The idea is that as people look outside of themselves and look for ways to pay it forward the whole world will be changed. One of the lines is sort of profound: You can' t plan it. You have to watch people more. Sort of keep an eye on them to protect them......because they can't always see what they need.

JumpStart is built around taking this BIG IDEA and working it into our business model at Good News Auto. We, as a business, believe we are responsible to our community. We are responsible to make a difference where we can. We have all had experiences in our lives where people have done for us what we couldn't or wouldn't do for ourselves and Good News Auto was created as our way of "paying it forward". JumpStart is our way of watching out for people, trying to protect them, just a little, from the hard things that happen along the road in people's lives. Sometimes it is really simple and we, with the help of partners and our retail customers, can help someone repair their vehicle and they are back on the road and moving forward. 

We had a customer come in awhile ago in a bit of a panic because his car was making an unusual noise. He wanted to apply for JumpStart to cover the cost of the repair, whatever it was, because he was having a tough time financially. He is self employed and business was slow. Unfortunately, I had to decline his application. 

The unusual noise was being made because his lug nuts were loose. Happily he brought it to us before the tire fell off so it was a very simple fix and a  $35.00 charge. He was more than happy to cover that! A few months later he came back in to pre pay for two oil changes. His circumstance had changed and he wanted to help out where he could. Unlike the movie, this wasn't a BIG thing but the idea is the same. We need to keep an eye on each other, protect each other when we can. Each time we do something changes, in us and in the world around us and makes our journey just a bit easier. 

I wanted my first post to be something truly inspiring, something that would go viral in minutes but I can't really think of anything so rather than never writing a blog here is a story... 

We met Dean last week when he brought his vehicle to us for an inspection. He had just bought it and he wanted a list of things that needed to be repaired on his new vehicle. We inspected it and had the unhappy job of informing him that his vehicle was not repairable and advising him not to invest any further in it. Dean had bought the vehicle from a gentleman who was working with a mechanic who assured him the vehicle only needed a few things and that it was a great vehicle. 

Unfortunately, this was not the case and Dean is now without a vehicle and a substantial amount of money. We always advise people to take a vehicle they are interested in purchasing for a pre-purchase inspection to a mechanic they know and trust. This helps you make sure, as the buyer, you know everything about the vehicle and there are no big surprises after you get it home. It is a small investment that can save you alot of money and heartache. 

Customers like Dean are one of the reasons we created Good News Auto and JumpStart. Many people don't know very much about vehicles and trust others to tell them the truth. And if they don't get the truth it costs them. We hope by offering honest and reliable repairs and suggestions we will be part of making our community better. We are working to build a new way of doing business, a new road, and we are looking forward to the journey!