Spring Showers Bring Driving Safety Hazards

Worn out tires and windshield wiper blades are symptoms of neglected vehicle maintenance that put drivers and passengers at serious risk during the typically rainy months of spring.

Thin tire treads create hazardous driving conditions when water builds up on the roadway, according to the Car Care Council. Deep tread accommodates accumulated water; thin tread does not. Thin tread causes the tire to hydroplane – ride up on a film of water, losing contact with the pavement, similar to driving on ice.

The simplest way to check tire tread depth is with a penny. Insert the penny into the grooves of the tread. If you are able to see all of Lincoln’s head, the tire needs replacement.

Rainy weather also affects driver visibility. Because 90 percent of driving decisions depend on good vision, a clean windshield is imperative. Streaking and smearing impair vision and are caused by worn windshield blades. One out of every five vehicles that went through the Car Care Council’s check lanes had worn wiper blades.

“Replacing worn wiper blades is easy and inexpensive,” said Rich White of the Car Care Council. “Why put it off until there’s a downpour and your blades are chattering and smearing the windshield?”

Courtesy of Car Care Council

Toyota "Let's Go Places" Commercial - Super Bowl XLVII 2013

In celebration of the NFL Draft tonight, we're bringing back this Super Bowl XLVII commercial for this week's Throwback-Thursday. Check it out!

New Car Special: 2013 Toyota Corolla

Receive $500 Toyota Cash with the purchase of a brand new 2013 Toyota Corolla! Click here for more details: http://bit.ly/YS6Epb

Dancing With The Stars’ Maksim Chmerkovskiy to Serve as Grand Marshal for 2013 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race

“Dancing with the Stars” professional dancer and popular cast member Maksim Chmerkovskiy will bring his ballroom flair to the 37th Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race as grand marshal of the long-running, prestigious charitable event. Chmerkovskiy will be joined by singer and former “American Idol” contestant Paul McDonald, who will open the race by performing the national anthem.

Chmerkovskiy, a Latin ballroom dance champion, choreographer and instructor, thrilled audiences as an outspoken and fiery competitor on “Dancing with the Stars.” McDonald was a popular finalist on Season 10 of “American Idol,” performing original music from his band, The Grand Magnolias.

The participation of both celebrities adds to the impressive list of Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race drivers from film, television, music, sports and the military who will speed through the historic 1.97-mile street circuit on the streets of downtown Long Beach, Calif. They include one of Mexico’s most acclaimed actresses Kate del Castillo; Jenna Elfman, star of “1600 Penn”; Olympic gold medalist Jessica Hardy; “Dallas” star Jesse Metcalfe; actor Jackson Rathbone, best known for his role as Jasper Halein the hit “Twilight” movie series; comedian Wanda Sykes, Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer and Jeremy Sisto, star of “Suburgatory.”

The celebrity participants also include Brett Davern, star of MTV's hit series “Awkward”; Mark Steines host of Hallmark Channel’s “Home & Family”; Michael Truccoof SyFy's acclaimed series "Battlestar Galactica" and most recently “Revenge”;Fox Sports/SPEED auto racing analyst and co-host of “Top Gear USA” Rutledge Wood and 2012 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race winner and comedian Adam Carolla.Each will get behind the wheel of an identically prepared, race-ready Scion FR-S sports car to compete in the 10-lap event.

“We are thrilled to have Maksim Chmerkovskiy serve as grand marshal and Paul McDonald sing the anthem before this year’s race, bringing more star power to this high-profile charitable event,” said Les Unger, Toyota national motorsports manager. “Together their presence will help bring more attention to the children who benefit from The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race.”

The Toyota Pro/Celebrity race is one of the longest-running, corporate-sponsored events of its kind. Toyota annually donates $5,000 to Racing for Kids on behalf of each participant and another $5,000 to the winning racer’s charity of choice.  Racing for Kids – a national nonprofit program benefiting children’s hospitals throughout the country – was created as a way to connect these children with their favorite celebrities and race car drivers.

Since 1991, Toyota has donated more than $2 million to the Racing for Kids organization, on behalf of this race and its participants. In addition to Toyota’s contributions, a $15,000 donation will be made in conjunction with the 16th annual “People Pole Award.” Sponsored by People magazine, the award honors the pole-position winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race qualifying session on April 19.

Courtesy of 

Monday Maintenance: Driving the speed limit may save you gas mileage

Observe the Speed Limit 

While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 50 mph.
You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 50 mph is like paying an additional $0.26 per gallon for gas.

Observing the speed limit is also safer.

Fuel Economy Benefit: 7-14%
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.26-$0.53/gallon





Courtesy of  Fuel Economy.gov

Toyota RAV4: Safety Wish

National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation to Kick Off in Washington, D.C.

The Wyland Foundation and Toyota will launch the second annual National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation from the nation’s capital, with support from Mayor Vincent C. Gray and city leaders from around the country. The challenge runs April 1 - 30 and asks residents to show their commitment to conserving natural resources by taking an online pledge at www.mywaterpledge.com. The Earth Month initiative will reward residents from cities with the highest percentage of participants with hundreds of environmentally friendly prizes, including a Toyota Prius c, water-saving fixtures and gift certificates to Lowe's stores.

At the kick-off in Washington, D.C., renowned marine artist Wyland will join Gray, Nancy Stoner, acting assistant administrator for water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and representatives from Toyota, National League of Cities, CH2M Hill WaterMatch, DC Water and the U.S. Forest Service to discuss the importance of sustainability and environmental stewardship. Pete Dominick, longtime SiriusXM host, stand-up comic and CNN contributor, will also speak at the kick-off as the official spokesperson of Comics for Conservation, a series of public service announcements by well-known comics in support of the environment. During the event, Wyland will create a five-by-ten foot conservation-themed mural that will be awarded to one of the Mayor’s Challenge winning cities.

“There has never been a more important time to make a commitment to conserving water in the District of Columbia and across the country,” noted Mayor Vincent C. Gray. “I proudly stand with the Wyland Foundation, Toyota and mayors from across the country to urge residents to conserve this important natural resource and build a more sustainable future.”

The challenge divides cities into five population categories: 5,000 – 30,000 residents, 30,000 – 100,000 residents, 100,000 – 300,000 residents, 300,000 – 600,000 residents, and cities with more than 600,000 residents.One winning city will be determined in each of the five population categories. The grand prize of a Toyota Prius c will be awarded to one participant from a winning city by random drawing. A second prize drawing for a $1,000 Lowe’s shopping spree will be held among all challenge entries, regardless if a city is among the five winning cities. Participating mayors and elected officials can earn additional prizes for their residents if their cities win.

In addition to Gray, other mayors who will encourage their residents to participate in the National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation include:

• Mayor Michael B. Coleman, Columbus, Ohio
• Mayor David Coss, Santa Fe, N.M.
• Mayor Michael B. Hancock, Denver, Colo.
• Mayor Mike McGinn, Seattle, Wash.
• Mayor Kasim Reed, Atlanta, Ga.
• Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, Tucson, Ariz.

Presented nationally by the Wyland Foundation and Toyota, with support from the National League of Cities, CH2M Hill WaterMatch, Rain Bird Corporation, Lowe's home improvement stores, the EPA, and the U.S. Forest Service, the challenge also provides residents with local resources to take their commitments of conservation even further. Regional water and energy resources to cost-saving tips at home are available at www.mywaterpledge.com. Organizers are currently leading an eight-state U.S. educational tour, visiting schools and community events to prime cities for the Earth Month initiative in which thousands of residents nationwide are expected to participate.

“Building awareness around the importance of reducing waste will show that we can all do our part to help contribute to the long-term preservation of our environment,” said artist Wyland. “Understanding the responsibility we all have is the first step in realizing a sustainable future.”

Toyota’s support of the Wyland Foundation is part of the automobile company’s long-standing commitment to sustainability.

“This year’s challenge features a broad outreach to us all to preserve our natural resources,” said Michael Rouse, vice president of diversity, philanthropy, and community affairs for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. “Since protecting the environment is a priority woven into all aspects of our business at Toyota, we are proud to support an effort that develops conservation advocates and leaders throughout our communities.”

In last year’s challenge, residents from 1,000 cities in all 50 states made online pledges to save a total of 4.7 billion gallons of water over the next year, with a potential cost savings of $11.6 million. Residents further pledged to reduce their use of single-use plastic water bottles by 1.1 million bottles and eliminate 60,000 pounds of hazardous waste from entering watersheds.

To take the pledge or learn more about the National Mayor’s Challenge, visit www.mywaterpledge.com. For tips on how to save water every day and to learn about water-efficient products for the home, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.>


Courtesy of Toyota Press Room