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Important Do’s and Don’ts for teen drivers

Teaching a teen to drive can be a white-knuckle task. And sharing the road with teen drivers who haven’t received proper training is a frightening experience. Be sure your teen enrolled in a qualified driver’s education program and make sure they know these basic rules of the road.

· Do…buckle your seat belt and make sure all your passengers do the same.

· Do…adjust your car's headrest to a height behind your head--not your neck--to minimize whiplash in case you're in an accident.

· Do…obey the speed limits. Excess speed is one of the main causes of teenage accidents.

· Do…drive a car that’s appropriate for you. A small teen in a large SUV is daunting. Find a vehicle more to your scale, something like a Ford Focus.

· Do…use turn signals to indicate your intention to turn or to change lanes. Turn it on to give the cars behind you enough time to react before you take the action.

· Do…make sure the intersection is clears before you go after getting the green light.

· Don't…drive like you own the road; drive like you own the car.

· Do…make sure your windshield is clean. At sunrise and sun set, light reflecting off your dirty windshield can momentarily blind you from seeing what's going on.

· Don't…drink and drive, and don't ride with anyone who has been drinking. Call parents or friends to take you home if you need a ride.

· Don't …blast the radio. You might miss hearing a siren or a horn that could warn you of possible trouble.

· Don't…talk on the car phone, send a text message, put on make-up, or eat while driving. People who multi-task while driving are four times more likely to have an accident.

· Don't…fiddle with the radio while you are driving. It's better to wait until you can pull over and stop because even taking your focus off the road for a few seconds could lead to an accident.

· Don’t….leave home without checking the gas gauge. Having a fuel-efficient car like a Ford Focus takes some of the worry out of being stranded.

Ford Focus helps ease the strain on budget

Today’s headlines are enough to make you crazy. Banks going out of business, government bailouts and soaring unemployment. Everyone is looking for ways to save money. Every little bit helps, so here are a few ways to ease your budget by getting better gas mileage.

1. Maintain your vehicle. A vehicle that runs smoothly uses less gas than one that is poorly maintained. Regular changes to oil and air filter will help to give you a fuel-efficient vehicle.

2. Keep your tires inflated. Actually, studies have shown that the savings on gas isn't huge, but it does make a small difference to keep your tires inflated to the recommended pressure.

3. Remove weight. Driving with a heavy load drags the car and requires more fuel. Lighten your load by removing excess cargo.

4. Minimize idling. Idling is one of the worst offenders in lowering your gas mileage. If you are going to idle for a minute or less, leave your car on, but if it's going to be much longer than a minute, you should turn off your car.

5. Drive slower. Maintaining speed limits of 65 or under is more fuel efficient than speeding.
6. Accelerate and brake easier. Driving too aggressively, especially starting fast and braking fast, is bad for fuel economy. Accelerate gently, and try to minimize use of your brakes.

7. Buy a fuel-efficient car. Actually, this is the most important tip on this list. A heavier car wastes gas. Get a lighter car, like a Ford Focus, that offers a fuel-efficient engine and design.
8. Don't buy hot gas. Buy gas during the morning or evening hours, when it's cool, or you will be buying gas at a time when it's expanded (and thus getting less).

Now here’s the good news. The 2008 Ford Focus offers value in many arenas. With it's entry level at only $14,395 up to $17,000 fully equipped, before factory incentives and dealer discounts, and it's astonishing fuel mileage rated at 35 mpg highway it is a car that will stretch the dollar to fit any budget.