Every state and the federal government have laws regulating what auto dealers can and can’t say in their advertisements. Nevertheless, false, deceptive and misleading ads abound on the air, in print and online. Let’s look into some of these rules so you’ll be better informed about when the dealers are dealing with honestly, or less so. Read More

Last month we talked a lot about airbags, and we asked the question, Do you need to wear a seat belt if your car has airbags? The answer to that question was a resounding yes, in part because seat belts can protect you from severe injury or death whether the airbags deploy or not, and also because the fact your car has airbags does not absolve you from the legal duty to wear seat belts currently required in 49 states Read More

Yes, you do, and for a couple of reasons. For one thing, it’s the law just about everywhere. Currently, 34 states have primary seat belt laws, meaning you can be pulled over and ticketed for not wearing a seat belt. Fifteen states have secondary laws, where you can only be cited for not wearing a seat belt if first stopped for some other reason. Read More

On your list of things you shouldn’t have to worry about but do anyway, you can add this brain tickler: Is my rideshare driver driving a car that’s been recalled for safety issues but hasn’t been fixed? This is not just an academic question; a recent review by Consumer Reports of 94,000 vehicles found one in six Uber and Lyft cars have open safety recalls. We’ve previously discussed potential concerns with the quality of any given driver working for a ridesharing app and what to do if injured in a car accident while taking an Uber. Read More