How to sell a car
AutoTrader.com research shows that people who sell a car themselves get more money back compared to those who trade it in. The new AutoTrader.com Advisor is said to walk car sellers through the whole process of selling a car, from preparing it for sale, to advertising it effectively, to identifying and working with potential buyers, to closing the deal. The special page on the company’s Web site can be accessed by clicking on the “Get expert selling advice” link inside the “Sell Your Car” box on the upper right corner of the home page.

Eco-friendly tires
Eco-friendly, low-rolling-resistance tires are an effective way to save money while reducing carbon emissions through increased fuel efficiency, according to the owners of Tire Rack, an independent tire tester based in South Bend, Ind. According to newly passed governmental standards for Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, new vehicles will need to achieve 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016.

Child safety seats
More than 80 percent of 1,073 child passenger safety seats inspected in September by the Pennsylvania State Police were incorrectly installed. Getting it right makes a lot of sense. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the lives of more than 8,300 children under age 5 have been saved over the past 30 years by using child restraints properly. State police offered the following tips to parents: Use the car’s seat belt to anchor the seat to the car unless you are using a child safety seat with a latch system; fill out and return the registration card for your seat so you’ll be notified if there is a safety recall; make sure the seat’s harness fits snugly; and use a tether strap if the seat requires it.

Pay attention
More than 200 safety experts, researchers, elected officials and members of the public gathered in Washington, D.C., at the end of September for the Distracted Driving Summit. “We must act now to stop distracted driving from becoming a deadly epidemic on our nation’s roadways,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This Summit will give safety leaders from across the nation a forum to identify, target and tackle the fundamental elements of this problem.” State cell phone and texting laws, as well as an overview of the distracted driving issue, can be found on the Web site of the Governors Highway Safety Association at www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html. Meanwhile, a 100-car study sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that driver inattention involving looking away from the road for more than a few seconds is a factor in nearly 80 percent of accidents.