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Evelyn Kanter

has a lifetime of experience as journalist -- as a magazine and newspaper writer and photographer, radio and television news producer and reporter, and guidebook author and editor, all focusing on travel, automotive, lifestyle, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

Please visit Evelyn Kanter for additional bio information about me, and The Big Apple On the Cheapfor all the latest deals and discounts in New York City.

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Five Ways to Improve Driving Safety

Photo: carcrashes.com

Every year there are some 37,000 deaths on America’s roads.  The on-going recall of  Toyota and Lexus models for problems with sticking accelerators, steering and brake issues have made us all think more about automotive safety.

First, know what to do in an emergency if your gas pedal sticks or brakes fail to work.

Here are five more [...]

Solar Power Recharges Electric Car

MINI-E Electric Car

Talk about sustainable energy — recharge your electric car with solar power.  There are a handful of solar-powered charging stations around the world where drivers can juice up their EV vehicles, and one of them has just opened in New York City.

Solar power to recharge EV cars could be a game-changer, and especially this [...]

Valentine’s Day Love for your Car

Your car does not want flowers, balloons, or even candy this Valentine’s Day.  It  just wants a little love in the form of tender loving care, such as an oil change and tune-up.

There’s no debating the value of preventive maintenance to keep Old Breakdown from living up to its name, and to help you drive safely on your real Valentine’s [...]

Toyota Recall: What To Do If Your Gas Pedal Sticks

2010 Toyota Camry

We’ve all heard about the worldwide recall of top Toyota models for a gas pedal that can stick and jam into an unsafe speed.  Toyota has stopped sales of eight top models, including the best-selling Camry and Corolla, and is trying to fix the problem.

In the meantime, what do you do if your accelerator [...]

Nissan LEAF plug-in electric car is one of top inventions of 2009

Time magazine is justifiably famous for its annual “Person of the Year” awards.  But that’s not the only award it bestows each year.  I was delighted to find an electric car, the plug-in Nissan LEAF on the list of Time’s  top inventions of 2009.   It is the only vehicle on the 2009 list. 

What makes the Nissan LEAF [...]

Hotel Parking Valet Abuses Cars (video)

Wonder no more about what happens to your car after you hand the keys to the valet.  This video proves valets like to drive your car even more than you do.  It’s scary, and funny, and a good reason to tip well so the valet will treat your four wheels more kindly than here:

 

It’s a pretty [...]

New Year's Resolutions for Safe Driving

Photo courtesy Carfax

Here are some of my resolutions for safe driving for 2010, which I hope you make your own.

Slow down — Speeding-related accidents kill approximately 13,500 Americans each year, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.  Many of those victims are pedestrians.  So, I resolve to leave for wherever I am going five minutes early instead [...]

First Electric Smart Car Delivered to Customers in Germany

SmartforTwo plug-in electric minicar

Getting smart: The first plug-in electric Smartfortwo minicar has been delivered to customers in Berlin, close to the Stuttgart home of its parent company, Mercedes-Benz.  The first two owners — an artist and a dental technology company executive  — currently own the regular gas-powered Smartfortwo.

The compact two-seater is the first emission-free vehicle in [...]

Winter Weather Driving Safety Tips for Snow and Ice

Learning to steer out of a skid at the Porsche Winter Driving School. Photo by Evelyn Kanter (c)

Winter driving requires more space between you and the vehicle ahead, more attention to changeable road conditions, more attention to the speedometer, and more time to get to your destination safely.  Winter driving also requires less speed [...]

Best Car Features for Drivers, Especially Boomers and Seniors

The fastest growing segment on the road today is not hybrids or flex-fuel vehicles, crossovers or performance sport sedans. It is drivers 65 and older. According to the according to the American Automobile Association, there are 29 million older drivers on the road today.

We all age differently, so it is important to recognize how your [...]