MVAC News: Drive Safe Tips, Boys Town Van,
Our Green Commitment, and I-CAR Certification
This month Mission Viejo Auto Collision wants to keep you updated on our efforts to improve our community one automobile at a time. It’s our mission to help out the community whenever we can and we’ve taken 4 important steps to do just that:
> Our Roads: We’re making sure holiday drivers stay safe with driving tips during the most dangerous month of the year.
> Our Community: Along with other businesses in our community, we’ve been helping Boys Town get their van up and running to serve the transportation needs of this 93 year-old charity. The picture above shows our team member hard at work on the Boys Town van.
> Our Facility: Everyday we’re taking steps to make our facility greener for the planet.
> Our Personnel: We’re keeping up our high standards of education by continuing the I-CAR training of our personnel in cutting edge technology.
Stay Safe this Holiday Season during the Most Dangerous Month of the Year
According to Allstate Insurance Company’s review of auto insurance claims, the number of accident claims on December 15 jumps 23 percent compared to the daily average during the rest of the year. The fourth highest day of recorded claims is December 18th, making December a time to watch the roads.
“This spike in crashes could be related to weather, holiday shopping, travel or other distractions,” says Robert Feldman, Allstate agency owner in metro Los Angeles. “What’s important for drivers is that we stay focused while at the wheel whether on the highway or in the driveway, on December 15 and every day of the year.”
According to Allstate, the top five days for collision claims in California are: December 15, February 14, October 13, December 18, and September 5. At Mission Viejo Auto Collision, our goal is to make sure you have a safe drive to wherever your holiday plans may take you.
Here are some tips to make sure you stay focused and safe this holiday season:
To reduce your distraction and keep you calm and focused, have activities on hand to keep your children occupied. If you don’t have a fancy media player, consider coloring books in a ready-to-go bag.
Although you may have many more items on your to do list this month, realize you can’t always make up time in the car. If you can feel the tension before starting your car, take a moment to relax. Give yourself enough time to account for traffic and weather conditions.
Be aware of what music you’re playing. Music has a definite affect on your mood, so make it a better one with relaxing choices that will bring some calm to the road. Better yet, listen to an audio book and take a mental break from the tension of the day.
To reduce your frustration and those of other drivers, make sure you’re in the appropriate lane. If you want to drive slower, stay in the right lane, giving other cars ample ways to pass you. If you want to drive at the speed limit, go over to the left lanes and signal as you do.
Learn to forgive the car in front of you. If the car in front of you doesn’t signal when changing lanes, speeds up, or stops too suddenly, maneuver appropriately and let it go. There will always be another issue ahead and by forgiving easily, you can focus on staying alert.
For more helpful tips driving during the winter season, check out our archived “Tips from Mission Viejo Auto Collision” at http://mvacinc.blogspot.com/2010/11/tips-from-mission-viejo-auto-collision.html.
Whenever you’re driving this season, have a safe trip with the peace of mind that we’re here for you when the unexpected happens.
Mission Viejo Auto Collision along with other Businesses Unite in a Joint Effort to keep Boys Town Moving
Did you know Boys Town (http://www.boystown.org) is one of the leading nonprofit, nonsectarian child and family care organizations in the country? Each year Boys Town programs and services touch the lives of 1.4 million people nationwide. We here in Southern California are lucky enough to have an office in our nearby neighborhood of Santa Ana.
In Santa Ana, Boys Town provides compassionate, research-proven treatment for behavioral, emotional and health problems to children at a level that best suits their need. Even more families receive benefits through the training and support Boys Town offers to hundreds of organizations, including schools and other youth care organizations.
When called by Boys Town to repair their well-used van back to mint condition, Mission Viejo Auto Collision was quick to take action.
Not only have we supplied the body materials necessary to get their van up and running, but our personnel have also provided hours of labor to rebuild this essential transportation.
For a behind-the-scenes view, take a look at our pictures during the rebuild for their van:
However, we could not have rebuilt the Boys Town van without help from a team of businesses in our backyard:
> PPG Industries (http://www.ppg.com), Global supplier of automotive coatings and services to auto and light truck manufacturers, has graciously donated the paint.
> Scott at Ultimate Auto Glass (Scott@UltimateAutoGlass.net) has provided a quality and durable windshield.
> Julio Palencia at Keystone Automotive (http://www.keystone-auto.com), a leader in generic collision replacement parts, has donated the bumpers.
> Jim Graham at Santa Margarita Ford (http://www.santamargartiaford.com), celebrating their 10th year in Orange County, has jumped up to provide the emblems and trim.
Mission Viejo Auto Collision, along with these other businesses, is proud to be an active member in a community that supports essential children charities.
Taking Steps to Make our Facility Green for our Community and the Planet
Mission Viejo Auto Collision has committed ourselves to becoming a green facility. We’re taking small steps everyday to not only help the community, but the world around us.
> We started with recycling all of our paper products and only printing what we need in the office. By taking this small step, we are steadily reducing our carbon footprint.
> In that light, we’re expanding our recycling program to become an e-waste drop-off center. Soon you will be able to drop-off your used electronics and batteries to Mission Viejo Auto Collision and we will safely dispose of them as a part of California’s Electronic Product Management.
> We paint vehicles day in and day out, so we’ve made the switch to waterborne paints. As their name suggests, waterborne paints contain water as the major ingredient instead of volatile organic compounds and solvents. These paints are better for the environment because they contain and emit less harmful chemicals. Our reduced solvent fumes means cleaner air and a healthier work environment.
> If you have any helpful tips you’re using in your office, be sure to contact us (https://mvacinc.com/contact.php).
We know that every business has a responsibility to our world to use the safest methods of using and disposing of products, and at Mission Viejo Auto Collision, we’re making it a top priority.
Congratulations to Todd Hesford for Continuing to Achieve New I-CAR Educational Certificates
This month, Todd Hesford has completed his I-CAR Platinum Individual certification in his goal to continuing his education in cutting edge automotive technology. Todd, along with 4 of our staff members, have committed themselves to being I-CAR instructors.
Created by the collision industry in 1979, I-CAR is an international, not-for-profit training organization. All I-CAR activities and resources center on helping the industry achieve a high level of technical training. I-CAR develops and delivers technical training programs to professionals in all parts of the collision industry. The I-CAR® Platinum Individual™ program recognizes individuals in the collision industry for accomplishing a high level of technical training through I-CAR, Industry Training Alliance partners, and Academic Alliance partners.
We want to congratulate Todd Hesford and our team members for staying on top of new technology, using it to efficiently make your car run to its highest ability, and teaching others so that their advanced skills can improve collision repair across the auto industry.
At Mission Viejo Auto Collision, we want to wish you and your family a wonderful and safe holiday season. We’re committed to giving our community the best in care and getting cars back on the road. We hope you have a happy holiday season and stay plugged in as we continue to bring you the latest news.
