Waterloo Automotive

You can’t just rely on driver’s ed courses when it comes to teenage driving: parent involvement before and after your teen receives their driver’s license is key. In fact, according to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, teenage drivers whose parents establish driving rules and supportively monitor teenage driving are 50% less likely to get in an accident, 71% less likely to drink and drive, 30% less likely to use their phone while driving, 50% more likely to use their seatbelt, and generally less likely to speed. Give yourself a little peace of mind by following our tips for preventing teenage driving accidents. Tips for Parents: Preventing Teenage Driving AccidentsSupplement Required Teenage Driving Education Depending on where you live, your state will have different requirements for teenage driving education. For example, if you live in St. Louis, MO, your teenage driver will need to complete 40 hours o ... read more

Getting a driver’s license is a sign of growing up, when teens experience new freedoms. Many parents would like to be everywhere their teenager is, but unfortunately that’s just not possible. It is possible, however, to monitor what your teen is doing behind the wheel. While some young drivers may feel violated or untrustworthy because of parental tracking, many parents are seeing it as a good and necessary precaution to keep their kids safe behind the wheel. Apps & Technology Find My iPhone
Find My iPhone allows users to track where their iPhone is if it’s lost or stolen. Some parents, however, use it to see exactly where their teen is at all times. With the click of a mouse, you can view the location of the iPhone or other Apple device from a computer or smartphone. MyKey
MyKey, a safety system offered by Ford, gives parents the opportunity to control various features in their teen’s car. One main feature is a maximum speed setting, w

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You probably don’t remember car phones. (Lucky you.) We are even past the time of cell phones. This is now the generation of smart phones. In fact, these smartphones are where some people are spending much of their time. We decided to do a little research on what apps young adults are spending their time buried into (besides texting of course). Pandora
Pandora is a radio app that offers you music anytime you like with less ads than the actual radio. Pandora lets you create a playlist through your favorite song or artist. IT will also suggest similar songs based on your playlist. Perfect for a teen on the go or in the car. Shazam
Also for music lovers, the Shazam app helps you keep up with the songs you want to download. If you hear a song play, you hold out your phone and Shazam will provide you with the song information. Instagram
Instragram is a photo sharing app. It lets you edit pictures before posting and see your friends or celebrities ph


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Before you brainstorm what your top choices might be, make sure you have an open mind. It’s easy to imagine what schools your friends are going to or to favor the “party schools.” We recommend keeping these things in mind before making a decision: Why are you going?
Before you begin your search, ask yourself the reasons for going to school. What are your goals? What are your strengths? Your weaknesses? You’re not expected to have your major chosen while still in high school, or even your first year, but why are you going? Do you want to remain close to family, or do you want a fresh start in a new city or state? Do you have specific academic goals? These are all important things to think about. Size Matters.
Now it’s time to think about whether you’d prefer a large university or a smaller college. Also- would you like to go for 2 years or 4? It’s always an option to start out at a smaller, local community college and transfer to a 4-year school. Think abo

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Celebrating the New Year is a great and fun way to celebrate everything in your life and starting over in a different year. If you are going to celebrate with friends this year, it is good to keep these tips in mind: Drinking If you are under 21, be careful about drinking. Do not put yourself in a position you are not comfortable with or in an unsafe environment. Be mindful of drunk people opening champagne bottles (whether they are alcoholic or not). Some people do not aim the cork away from people. It is all fun and games until someone gets hit in the eye. Unless you are with a close group of friends, make sure you pay attention to your drink at all times. Do not sit your drink down, walk away, and end up drinking it later. Hand it off to a friend if you need to use the bathroom. Driving Do not drink and drive. If you have had a couple drinks, have a sober friend drive you or get a cab. Cops will be out in fu ... read more

The next month and a half is supposed to be considered the most wonderful time of the year because of the holidays. But we all know that also means a lot of time with your family. For those of you college students coming home for Thanksgiving and winter break, you may have a big wake up call in regards to your personal space and your freedom. Here are some tips to help balance your expectations with your parents’ expectations. Prioritize – You will want to see your friends during the holidays but you also need to prioritize family time. If you go to a local college, prioritize seeing friends who may have moved out of state and are back for a short amount of time. If you went far away from home for college, consider getting a group of friends together so you get to see many people at once to limit the amount of time you are away from home.
Remember that your family will want to see you just as much, if not more, as your friends do. Your parents are u
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Many proud moments come with being the parent of teenagers. Athletic events, recitals, grades, class projects and even the simple act of watching your child become an adult all can make your heart swell as you realize that your once little person is now growing up. Another proud moment for many parents is the one when they finally take the passenger’s seat in their car and hand the keys to their child. It’s a rite of passage that can only be experienced once, and it’s a big moment for both parents and teens—one that establishes a higher level of responsibility for the new driver. Because of that responsibility, which includes themselves, their passengers, other drivers and the automobile, it is important that teens be properly prepared to take the road. Yes, as a parent you will do so much to help your teen learn the basic mechanics of driving, but it’s also a good idea to allow your student to take part in a driver’s education course that prepares them for both the menta ... read more