2014 Buick LaCrosse Sedan Earns Five Stars for Safety!

The 2014 Buick LaCrosse four-door sedan has received the 5-Star overall safety score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as part of the agency’s New Car Assessment Program.

The new sedan earned full 5-star ratings in the frontal and side crash tests and four stars in the rollover try-out. Driver and passenger safety in both the frontal and side crash were given the top 5-star score as well, while the “risk of rollover” was rated at 11.8 percent.

For video coverage and more details on the 2014 Buick LaCrosse's safety features, check out the full article on Autoevolution.

Interesting Facts and the Science Behind Snow

1. The world’s largest snowflake: It was reported to be 15 inches across and 8 inches thick. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this beast of a snowflake was found at Fort Keogh, Montana on January 28, 1887.

 Disclaimer: Not the largest snowflake in the world, but it sure is pretty!

2. Snow is not white: It is actually clear and colorless. As the National Snow and Ice Data Center so eloquently put it,

“The complex structure of snow crystals results in countless tiny surfaces from which visible light is efficiently reflected. What little sunlight is absorbed by snow is absorbed uniformly over the wavelengths of visible light thus giving snow its white appearance.”

3. World record snowfall: Mt. Baker ski area in Washington State has the world record for snowfall at 1,140 inches of snow in the 1998/1999 winter season.

You could've leaped out of an airplane and landed unharmed! Don't try that at home... 

4. Six sides or bust: All snowflakes must have 6 sides otherwise they are not considered snowflakes. In a nutshell,

"The laws of electronegativity and molecular bonding between oxygen and hydrogen atoms dictate that the formation of positive and negative dipoles causes H2O to have a V-shape. Intermolecular forces between the oppositely charged ends of different particles cause them to join together in a very specific three-dimensional pattern with a six-sided symmetry."

L.A. Auto Show Witnesses Debut of 2015 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL

The middle child of General Motors' trio of truck-based SUVs, the GMC Yukon and long-wheelbase Yukon XL, received their auto show debut at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show. Showing off a bigger, bolder look, particularly on its Denali trim, the Yukon sports prominent chrome grille instantly identifies GMC's new top-end SUV.

The Yukon is will come to market with a pair of engines. The base 5.3-liter V8 pumps out 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque, while the higher-end models benefit from the same direct-injected, 6.2-liter V8 as the Escalade. That engine makes 420 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque, with fuel economy seeing a likely boost thanks to an active fuel management system. Like the Tahoe, Suburban and Escalade, the Yukon takes advantage of a six-speed, column-mounted automatic transmission.

The cabin has seen significant upgrades in terms of materials and technology, with an eight-inch touchscreen display and IntelliLink standard in both Yukon and Yukon Denali. Fold-flat second and third-row seats come standard, while a power option is available, as well. Other techy features include active noise cancellation and standard Bose stereos.

You'll be the envy of everyone else on the road in one of these beastly rides!

Thanksgiving Cooking Safety Tips

Thanksgiving is all about food and family – turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie and family time. However, preparing holiday goodies can lead to disaster - the kitchen is the setting of more fires than any other room in the house, and cooking is the leading cause of fires in the home. Here are some safety steps to use while preparing the Thanksgiving feast.

Check food regularly while cooking and remain in the home while cooking. Use a timer as a reminder that the stove or oven is on.

Keep the kids away from the cooking area. Enforce a “kid-free zone” and make them stay at least three feet away from the stove.

Keep anything that can catch fire - pot holders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, and towels or curtains—away from the stove, oven or any other appliance in the kitchen that generates heat.

Clean cooking surfaces on a regular basis to prevent grease buildup.

Purchase a fire extinguisher to keep in the kitchen. Contact the local fire department to take training on the proper use of extinguishers.

Always check the kitchen before going to bed or leaving the home to make sure all stoves, ovens, and small appliances are turned off.

Install a smoke alarm near the kitchen, on each level of the home, near sleeping areas, and inside and outside bedrooms. Use the test button to check it each month. Replace all batteries at least once a year.

10 Spectacular Roads You Need To Drive On Before You Die

1. Rohtang Pass — Himachal Pradesh, India

2. Great Ocean Road — Victoria, Australia

3. Atlantic Ocean Road — Averøy, Norway

4. Hana Highway — Maui, Hawaii

5. Highway 99 “Sea to Sky Highway” — British Columbia, Canada

6. Los Caracoles “Snails Pass” — In the Andes between Argentina and Chile

7. Øresund Bridge — Denmark and Sweden

8. Going-to-the-Sun Road — Glacier National Park, Montana

9. Guoliang Tunnel — Taihang Mountains, China

10. Stelvio Pass — Eastern Alps, Italy

Is Your Car Ready for Winter?

As snow and ice begin to cover the roads, it's important for you-and your car-to be prepared for increased driving hazards.

• Cold temperatures can drastically reduce your vehicle's battery power by up to 50%. Have your battery tested if it's older than three years.
• Check lights, antifreeze, heater/defroster, belts, hoses, filters, oil, wipers and brakes
• Inspect tire pressure and tread depth to ensure sufficient traction on wet or icy roads. Add chains to your tires if necessary.
• Carry the following essentials in your car: ice scraper, a snowbrush, a small shovel, tow chains and jumper cables. 

Ask your service tech at McCarthy Auto World to prepare your car for the rigors of winter driving.

From One Second To The Next A Film By Werner Herzog

This past August, legendary filmmaker and historian Werner Herzog released "From One Second to the Next", a short, but poignant look into the consequences of texting while driving.

The film is a PSA sponsored by four major phone companies-- AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile, who originally approached Herzog to make the film in an effort to combat a growing cultural phenomenon where texting-related accidents are becoming increasingly all too common.

For Herzog, it's a sharp turn outside the norm from his usual works, which often focus on themes of isolation and wilderness, as can be seen in films like "Grizzly Man" and "Encounters At the End of the World". Nonetheless, "From One Second to the Next" is as much an accomplishment in cinema as it is an important message that should be adopted by anyone who gets behind a wheel.

Watch "From One Second to the Next" here