Consumer and Finances
Winter driving photo from AAA

Don’t Let a Cold Snap Make You a Non-Starter: Do Car Maintenance for the Winter Soon

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Cars, like humans, need seasonal checkups; in cold winter weather such as this week’s anticipated cold snap, it’s important to maximize fuel efficiency, maintain safety, and ensure your vehicle can start for the worst winter has in store for us. — an announcement from AAA Northeast
So now is the time to get cranking on car maintenance, says AAA Northeast. “No one wants to be stranded in the cold,” said Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman. “So properly preparing your vehicle for cold weather is essential – before your vehicle breaks down. You’ll save time, money and aggravation when the mercury dives into the teens or single digits.”
To prepare, AAA Northeast offers drivers these cold weather car tips:
Batteries: If your battery is more than three years old, have it and the charging system tested.  Even a good battery can lose up to 50% of its capacity when temperatures drop to zero.  At 32 degrees, it takes up to 30% more power to start a cold engine.

Healthy Living
AAA Nov 27 2019 worst travel day of Thanksgiving weekend 2019

AAA: Buckle Up and Drive Unimpaired This Holiday Weekend, You’re Sharing the Road With More People

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Look for congested roadways later today as more than 2 million New England travelers — 3% more than last year — make their annual Thanksgiving pilgrimage to celebrate with family and friends, says AAA Northeast. — an announcement from AAA Northeast
Nationally, more than 55 million folks are expected to travel over this Thanksgiving holiday with 90% of that overall number driving the nation’s roadways, AAA projects. “As you know, more people on roadways mean greater congestion,” says Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman. “And greater congestion means a greater potential for vehicle crashes.” At a morning news conference at Troop G, Bridgeport, AAA Northeast joined the representatives from the Connecticut State Police and state Sen. Tony Hwang, a Fairfield Republican, to remind motorists to travel safely this holiday.

Consumer and Finances
Turkey driving Thanksgiving

AAA: Don’t Let a Cold Snap Make You a Non-Starter — Prepare Your Car for Winter

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Cars, like humans, need seasonal checkups; in cold winter weather such as this week’s anticipated cold snap, it’s important to maximize fuel efficiency, maintain safety, and ensure your vehicle can start for the worst winter has in store for us. So now is the time to get cranking on car maintenance, says AAA Northeast. — an announcement from AAA Northeast
“No one wants to be stranded in the cold,” said Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman. “So properly preparing your vehicle for cold weather is essential – before your vehicle breaks down. You’ll save time, money and aggravation when the mercury dives into the teens or single digits.”
To prepare, AAA Northeast offers drivers these cold weather car tips:
 Batteries: If your battery is more than three years old, have it and the charging system tested.  Even a good battery can lose up to 50% of its capacity when temperatures drop to zero.  At 32 degrees, it takes up to 30% more power to start a cold engine.

Public Safety

Red-Light Running Kills 2 Daily in the U.S., Yet About a Third of Us Do It, AAA Says

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Nationally, red-light runners kill at least two people daily, new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports. — an announcement from AAA Northeast
The AAA Foundation’s latest Traffic Safety Culture Index reports 85% of drivers view red-light running as very dangerous, yet nearly 1 in 3 say they personally blew through a red light within the past month when they could have stopped safely. “We seem to be a ‘do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do’ society when it comes to red-light running and other traffic safety issues,” said Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman. “Realistically, police can’t be at every intersection.”

How Many, What Cost
In 2017 alone, 939 people were killed in red-light running crashes, a 10–year high. Since 2008, the nation saw more than 7,800 red-light running fatalities, according to the research.

Public Safety
AAA Mature Driving Course AAA Northeast

Vehicle Infotainment Systems Drive Senior Motorists to Distraction

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Older drivers are distracted more than 8 seconds longer than their younger counterparts when they use certain in-car infotainment systems.
But it’s not because they’re older, reports new AAA Research; it’s because the technology is hard to use and poorly designed. — an announcement from AAA Northeast
Voice commands for calling, texting, navigating, or tuning radios in one of six infotainment systems caused 55- to 75-year old drivers, on average, to divert their eyes from the road longer than 21- to-36-year old drivers, reports the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the research arm of AAA. “Voice command functions in new cars certainly have the potential to extend the mobility of older drivers,” said Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman. “But poor design, complex systems and in-car position that make it difficult to easily complete simple tasks are causing more harm than good to older drivers.”
For any driver, no matter the age, taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your crash risk, she added. The research — a collaboration between the AAA Foundation and the University of Utah — found older adults, who took between 5 and 9 seconds to complete in-car tasks on these infotainment systems, experienced slower response times and more visual distractions, even though these systems created potentially unsafe distractions for all drivers.

AAA Northeast 2019
AAA Mature Driving Course AAA Northeast

Defensive Driving Class at East Norwalk Library

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Experienced Fairfield County motorists can lower their auto insurance costs while improving their driving skills when they enroll in AAA’s Driver Improvement Program classes that teach the basics of defensive driving and provide current driving practice updates. — an announcement from AAA Northeast
AAA will conduct a free four-hour class at its newest location, the East Norwalk Association Library, 51 Van Zant Street, East Norwalk on Tuesday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sgt. Ralph Fonseca of the Norwalk Police Department will lead the class. To register, go to AAA.com/DefensiveDriving  or call 866-901-8457.  However, walk-ins are welcome. “Our program is aimed at drivers with several years of experience, who wish to improve or refresh their driving skills,” explains Fran Mayko, AAA’s public affairs spokesman and DIP coordinator.

Living
Bear Alaska AAA Northeast Holland America

If You Find a Yukon/Alaska/Cruise Vacation Appealing, AAA Northeast Has a Show for You

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Alaska: The Final Frontier. The Land of the Midnight Sun. Where the Aurora Borealis can be seen nearly 243 days a year. If you’re considering a vacation to the Yukon, find out more about our 49th state at an exclusive travel event called “On Stage Alaska” in mid-February. — an announcement from AAA Northeast
Co-sponsored by AAA Travel and Holland America Line, the Wednesday, free two-hour event will feature music, storytelling presentations and special travel booking offers.

Business
Delamar Greenwich Harbor hotel lobby

AAA Northeast Names Delamar Greenwich Harbor as One of Its Four-Diamond Hotels

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Delamar Greenwich Harbor is the newest addition to Connecticut’s ring of AAA Four Diamond properties. — an announcement from AAA Northeast
The 82-room designer hotel at 500 Steamboat Road overlooking Greenwich Harbor joins 10 other properties in the state — with five others in Litchfield, Fairfield and New Haven Counties — that AAA has recognized for its world-class service, facilities and amenities. In fact, Delamar Greenwich now joins its “sister” properties — Delamar Southport, a Diamond holder since 2011; and Delamar West Hartford, another first-time Diamond holder this year — to earn this rating. Attaining a Four or Five Diamond rating is an accomplishment that signifies meticulous attention to detail, creativity in enhancing comfort outstanding service and memorable guest experiences, said Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman. Such properties undergo numerous inspections, including in-person inspections, anonymous overnight stays and a review by a panel of experts to ensure credibility.

Public Safety
Car Batteries in Weather AAA Infographic 2019

AAA: You Still Have Time to Prep Your Car for the Coming Frigid Weather

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As the season’s third cold spell arrives, Southern New England’s forecasted frigid temps this week expect to test the hardiest of car batteries. — an announcement from AAA Northeast. Darienite.com added some infographics from the AAA website. “We saw a significant spike in calls from members with battery problems during last week’s cold snap,” said AAA Northeast spokeswoman Fran Mayko in an announcement. “Even a new battery can lose up to 50 percent of its capacity when temperatures drop to zero,” she said.

Public Safety
Winter driving photo from AAA

AAA: About 46% of Bad-Weather Crashes Are in Winter, With 2,000 Deaths

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Dangerous winter storms, bad weather and sloppy road conditions are a factor in nearly half a million crashes and more than 2,000 road deaths every winter, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The foundation has suggestions for driving and how to prepare in case you get into a winter crash. — an announcement from AAA Northeast; infographics from AAA Newsroom Web pages
About 46 percent of all crashes involving bad weather take place in the winter. AAA encourages drivers to be vigilant when hitting the road this winter and to always stay prepared by carrying an emergency roadside kit in your vehicle. “Winter weather is forecast for this weekend, and there are a disproportionate number of crashes this time of year involving bad weather and winter storms,” said Alec Slatky, AAA Northeast director of public and government affairs.