Is Your Car Part Of The Family? Half Of Americans Say Yes

We dare say that nobody loves their cars more than Americans. After all were the home of Ford, Chevrolet and Chrysler just to name a few good old American car brands.

It’s hard to think of any other country in the world that loves cars as much as we do. We invented everything from drive-in, theaters, to drive through fast food joints.

There are more car dealerships in America, then probably any other country in the world. We have places called auto malls that feature multiple brands all lined up for you to Peru’s. You can literally drive miles and see nothing but car dealerships.

All in an effort to stay in our cars. I get why we say this about our dog or cat . . . but an inanimate object?  51% Americans say they think of their car as "part of the family."  (???)

The poll also found 53% of us would hang onto our current car FOREVER if that was an option.  But the #1 reason isn't emotional, it's financial.

80% of us are trying to keep our current car going as long as possible, because we don't want to spend the money on a new one.  Here are five more reasons we don't want to replace it . . .

1.  It's fairly reliable.  58% agreed.

2.  It gets pretty good gas mileage, 45%.

3.  There's just no way I could afford a new car right now, 28%.

4.  Fond memories, like a road trip or family vacations, 24%.

5.  You just have an emotional attachment to your car, 22%.

That said, most of us WOULDN'T go with the same car if we had to buy right now.  Only a third said they'd buy the same make and model in a newer year.

Let’s face it, we know a lot of people that have actually named their cars. When you take the time to name an inanimate object, that means you care a lot about that thing. Is that so wrong? We don’t think so. Gotta go it’s time for me to get old Betsy up and running for a trip to the grocery store.

(SWNS)

Last weekend's massive snow storm that dumped up to 18 inches of the white stuff in a few Massachusetts towns was a good reminder that you should be prepared for the big one. That's why we have put together the 5 Essential Things You Should Have In Your Car To Survive A Nor'Easter.

We were lucky that the storm took place on Saturday and Sunday as opposed to a weekday event that would have potentially caught people commuting in their cars. If you are old enough to remember the Blizzard of 1978, then you know how huge it was and it caught a lot of people by surprise.

Sure back in '78 the meteorological world was not as advanced as today. There was only one local weatherman back then that had a good read on what was going to happen. His name? Harvey Leonard, the living legend. He was certain that it would be a snow event like no other and was spot on.

Vehicles were stuck and stranded on Routes 128, 93, 95 and dozens of other highways and byways. People were trapped in their cars, some for days and sadly there were those that lost their lives.

Of course weather forecasting has come a long way since then. There was no such thing as Doppler Radar Weather that all of our local television station use and there's been so much help from computer models. The chances of being caught by surprise are a lot less now.

If in the unlikely event that you do get caught in a major snow storm and are unable to move your car you have to be prepared for what could be a very scary situation. Experts have told us what we should always have in our car (or trunk) to be able to handle being stranded. They are all common sense items but, we have a tendency to either forget or take it too lightly.

We should have a mini first aid kit in our vehicles regardless of the season. It's smart and a very non expensive item to keep handy. You can grab one in most big stores or places like CVS and Walmart. You can also find good kits online. Leave it in your trunk and you will be ready if needed.

These tools are small and easy to keep around. I personally keep one in my glove compartment at all times. I can't say how many times I have used it over the years for things you wouldn't imagine. They are reasonably priced and you don't need a brand name or something too fancy. You want one with a knife, scissors, file and even a corkscew.

If you're stuck in your car in a blizzard you will not be able to continue running it because you want to preserve as much fuel as you can. A nice thick blanket will help do the trick. Get a qood quality blanket that you can wrap around yourself and keep that precious heat in. You can store in the backseat or the trunk.

Every vehicle needs a good flashlight, don't rely on your phone's you want a strong halogen type that can light up the night in case you're trapped after dark. Plus you will want to preserve your phone's battery for communication reasons.

Number one is the good old fashioned snow shovel. You can pick up a small handle snow shovel in most automotive stores that can be placed in the trunk and left there. A good shovel might be just what you need to dig yourself out of trouble.