An organization helps those healing from trauma by transforming interior spaces. The CEO and founder, Danielle, created The Oasis Alliance in 2018 and described it as a combination of art, design, and social work. Community-based partners refer clients needing a space makeover and co-create the spaces together so they can be involved in making decisions. On the day of the transformation, the clients are surprised with their new space after volunteers finish putting it together.
Sierra, a victim of domestic violence who came to the DC area through the foster care system, expressed that them transforming her space gave her hope and encouraged her. When she saw the space, she was overwhelmed with tears of joy.
Amazed by the excellent work the Oasis Alliance is doing to help trauma survivors Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group joined in, surprising them with $2200! The founder, Danielle, was filled with joy and shared that it would help cover a few months of storage and could even cover the cost of an installation.
When you look at buying a new or pre-owned car, there are several factors to consider that are more important than the color or style of the vehicle. Aside from a car’s appearance, knowing that you and your passengers will be safe in the event of an accident should be one of the top considerations.
Not all cars behave or perform in the same way when involved in an accident, making thorough crash testing instrumental in the car industry.
What Criteria Is Tested that Affects a Car’s Overall Safety Rating?
Frontal and side-impact crash tests: Lab simulations of head-on or side-impact collisions
Rollover resistance test: Determines a vehicle’s center of gravity using a lab measurement called the Static Stability Factor and a dynamic rollover test
Roof strength: Tests how well a vehicle’s roof will perform in a rollover crash by forcing a metal plate onto the roof, crushing it by exactly five inches (the more force required, the more likely the roof will perform well)
Rear-impact protection: Rates how the design of a vehicle’s seats and head restraints can reduce whiplash injury in a rear-end collision
Accident avoidance: Braking and emergency handling are key factors while testing a vehicle’s accident-avoidance capability
Rear blind zones:Larger vehicles like trucks and SUVs have bigger blind spots that can make it difficult to see while backing up
What Recommended Safety Features Should all Modern Vehicles Have?
It is because of crash data, safety ratings and technological advancement that additional safety features are added to newer vehicles. As manufacturers develop and build new cars, safety is one of their top priorities. Many pre-owned vehicles sold by Easterns Automotive include these recommended safety features.
Head-protecting airbags: Aside from frontal airbags, curtain air bags that deploy from above the windows prevent drivers and their passengers from hitting their heads or being ejected from the windows.
Antilock brake system: This system is designed to prevent the wheels from locking up under hard braking conditions, which helps prevent sliding or spinning.
Driver assistance: A car that is fully controlled by a driver (not automated) can also be equipped with numerous assistance features like blind-spot warning, automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control and lane-departure warning. These systems are designed to prevent some accidents that might be caused by driver inattention or slow reaction times, increasing a vehicle’s accident-avoidance rating.
Electronic stability control (ESC): Vehicles manufactured in 2011 or later are required to have ESC to reduce spinouts if a driver loses control of the car. It may also help prevent a top-heavy vehicle from rolling over.
Rearview (or backup) cameras: When a vehicle is put in reverse, the backup camera reveals any objects that are directly behind the car on a screen, usually in the dashboard middle console. This gives drivers a clear view of what’s behind their vehicle and can reduce the occurrence of back-over accidents.
Find a Top-Rated Pre-Owned Vehicle in Maryland or Virginia
At Easterns Automotive, we understand there are a lot of important decisions to make when buying a newer car. We sell many recent model year pre-owned vehicles that are equipped with must-have safety features like ESC and driver assistance.
Our friendly customer care team can help make your car buying experience easy and memorable — no matter how you choose to do it. Whether you purchase your vehicle completely online, in-person or a combination of both, you can count on Easterns to show you why we earned an over 97 percent customer approval rating. Browse our inventory online and learn more about how we can help you find your dream car by calling us at 877-867-0641.
For decades, cars have been an essential part of everyday life, but their widespread adoption as the primary means of transportation didn’t happen overnight. Back when automobiles were first introduced to the public in 1886, cars were viewed as a luxury item that only the wealthiest households could afford. Today, over 130 years later, there are an estimated 1.4 billion vehicles in the world.
We rely heavily on cars to get us from point A to point B. Whether it’s work, school or soccer practice, reliable transportation is a necessity in our day-to-day lives.
It’s no surprise that there are many fascinating facts about these extremely complex yet very common pieces of vital property. Next time you find yourself chatting with a group of friends at a party or sitting around the dinner table with family, spark a conversation and show off your automobile knowledge with these fun facts.
The first full-size car was built in 1789 by French inventor Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot using water and steam pressure.
German engineer Karl Friedrich Benz (also known as Carl) invented the first modern car using three wheels and an engine located in the back. The Benz Patent Motorcar was first announced to the public in 1886 at an original cost of $150.
The Duryea Motor Wagon, introduced in 1893, was the first American-made gasoline-powered car. It was built by the Duryea brothers, Charles and Frank, using a $70 carriage and single cylinder-gasoline motor.
The Ford Model T, which was first made available by the Ford Motor Company in 1908, was the first affordable mass-produced vehicle. With a maximum speed between 40 to 45 miles-per-hour (mph), the Model T cost $825 (equivalent to $18,000 today).
BMW was first known as an aircraft engine manufacturer — the first product being the BMW III (a straight-six aircraft engine). BMW didn’t start making cars until they acquired a German automobile manufacturer in 1928.
On average, if you count every nut and bolt, a modern vehicle has 30,000 parts.
Austrian-German automotive engineer and founder of Porsche, Ferdinand Porsche, invented the first hybrid car in 1900 using an octagonal electric motor.
The three-point seatbelt we use today was invented by Swedish mechanical engineer Nils Ivar Bohlin when he was hired by Volvo. Thethree-point lap seatbelts were first introduced in Volvo cars in 1959.
The first muscle car (also known as a “supercar”) was released by General Motors in 1949. In order to be considered a muscle car, a vehicle needed to have a lightweight body, V8 engine and rear-wheel drive — all features that were designed for drag racing. The earliest muscle car on the market was the Oldsmobile 88, which went on to make NASCAR history.
The code inside an average car’s internal computer could stretch for 100 miles if printed on paper.
Car insurance was first implemented in the United Kingdom when Minister of Transport Herbert Morrison mandated the Road Traffic Act 1930.
Only 18 percent of Americans know how to drive stick shift, which might explain why only 5-percent of vehicles sold in the country are manual.
The fastest police car in the world is in Dubai. The Dubai Police Department’s fleet includes 14 supercars — the Bugatti Veyron being the fastest with a top speed of 253 mph.
The Ford Crown Victoria was the last vehicle to offer a cassette tape player in 2011.
The top selling car of all-time is the Toyota Corolla. Since it was first introduced by Toyota Motor Corporation in 1966, the manufacturer has sold an estimated 50 million Corollas.
Visit Your Local Pre-Owned Car Dealership in Washington D.C. and Baltimore
At Easterns Automotive, we take pride in maintaining an extensive inventory of pre-owned vehicles. Whether you’re looking to sell your car or trade it in for a more reliable vehicle, our team is here to ensure you receive a fair price and great financing services.
At Easterns, we do what we can to make the car buying process as easy as possible. Learn more about our trade-in offers and how we can help by calling us at 877-867-0641.
Inclusive Pathways to Success (IPS), founded by a Fairfax County mother, provides new skills and opportunities for differently abled students.
Naina Chernoff has a 16-year-old son that is autistic, and during the pandemic, she was concerned about his career prospectsNaina started the nonprofit to help teach young adults trade skills such as carpentry and woodworking, eventually transitioning to a career. The nonprofit offers students customized training that is paced for people with autism spectrum disorder, severe ADHD, learning disabilities, and mild intellectual impairment.
“I think I represent a population of parents who live at the mercy of other people’s kindness and empathy,” Chernoff explained. “I want to model the fact that our population of students are capable if we give them the right training and the right tools.”
Easterns Automotive Group’s Joel Bassam saw the great work IPS was doing and surprised them with a 7News Helping Hand.
“Inclusive Pathways to Success seems like an amazing organization, helping those young adults with varying disabilities to build their skill sets and hopefully find employment. We want to help you support those young adults by donating $2,200 to your cause to continue to help them out,” Bassam said.
Chernoff says more funds are still needed for a successful launch of their full-time program they hope to start in September 2023. They are still searching for a space to have by then, so the donation from Easterns Automotive Group couldn’t have come at a better time.
Over the years, you may have heard random myths, theories or “tricks” for enhancing your car’s performance or fuel efficiency. Many of these “tips and tricks” have never actually been proven, and some may be counterproductive.
As a car owner, do your best to decipher facts from myths. You (and your wallet) may be better off for it.
1. The bigger the car, the safer it is
Some drivers are led to believe that if they drive a larger vehicle like a truck or SUV that they will be much safer in the event of an accident. While some trucks can have higher safety ratings compared to sedans, they are also top heavy, which makes them more vulnerable to a rollover crash.
2. Filling your tank with premium fuel will enhance performance
High-end luxury vehicles and sports cars often require premium fuel in order to operate properly. However, if your car only needs unleaded gasoline, paying for premium is simply a waste of money. Unless you are driving a sports car that requires it, premium fuel will not enhance a car’s performance or responsiveness.
3. You should always warm up your car’s engine in the winter
While it is true that engines do need to warm up, that doesn’t mean you need to leave your car running idle for several minutes before you drive it. When you let it idle while you make your coffee in the morning, the car operates at its lowest power (which doesn’t generate as much heat). The best way to “warm up” your engine is to drive it.
4. Using your cell phone at the gas pump could trigger an explosion
This myth dates back to when mobile phones began to grow in popularity when some believed that wireless signals could spark and ignite fuel vapors. There is no scientific evidence or recorded incidents that point to the validity of this myth.
5. Running your air conditioning conserves fuel versus rolling down your windows
Have you ever been low on gas and panicked because it’s too hot to roll the windows down? Despite the weather, it is always better to shut off your car’s air conditioner and roll down the windows in that scenario. The myth that open windows hurt your fuel economy due to drag is not true. While drag does exist and may have a small effect on fuel efficiency, the air conditioning will always use more fuel than driving with the windows down.
6. Boost your car’s power by installing a performance chip
Drivers who are looking to “pimp their ride” might turn to aftermarket parts like performance chips to improve the quality of their vehicle. Although performance chips are marketed by manufacturers as a way to give your car more juice, they don’t actually make your vehicle more powerful.
These chips primarily just manipulate your vehicle’s computer-controlled components to make them perform differently. Some of the safeguards or limits that a performance chips override might have important purposes, which means using a chip could have adverse consequences for your engine.
7. You can charge your car battery just by jumpstarting it
There is nothing worse than realizing you have a dead battery right before you have to go to work or make it to an appointment. When this happens, you can either have the battery jumpstarted or you can buy a new car battery. Keep in mind that jumpstarting a car battery is only a temporary fix — the battery will still need to be replaced (and soon).
8. A car’s safety and technology features will compensate for bad driving habits
Features like driver assistance and backup cameras can give drivers more tools, visibility and warning signs to reduce the risk of accidents, but they can’t fix bad driving. Safety features like blind spot warning and adaptive cruise control are designed to increase accident-avoidance. At the end of the day, a driver can ignore all safety features and continue with their bad driving habits.
9. Hybrid vehicles are much slower
When hybrid vehicles first hit the market, they typically accelerated at a slower rate compared to an average vehicle. Over the last 10 years, manufacturers have improved hybrid models and equipped them to be more fuel-efficient and lighter in weight — both of which allow the hybrid powertrains to operate at an equal power as a regular sedan.
10. Manual transmissions are more fuel efficient compared to automatic transmissions
Remember there haven’t always been automatic transmissions. When they first hit the market, drivers realized they could get better fuel economy with a manual transmission. Of course, automatic transmissions have come a long way since then — some even providing a more fuel-efficient option when compared to manual transmissions.
Find Your Next Used Car at Easterns Automotive
If you live in the Maryland, Virginia or the Greater D.C. area, Easterns Automotive is your source for exceptional pre-owned vehicles. We’ve been serving D.C. and Baltimore car shoppers for more than 30 years and are committed to quality, affordability and flexible financing.
Give Easterns a call at 877-867-0641 or visit one of our eight dealerships today for more information.
Mario and Sharday Richardson lost their four-year-old daughter, Moriah, to brain cancer. The Richardsons’ wanted to give back to others experiencing the same thing, so they created the Forever Moriah Foundation.
They called it the forever Moriah foundation to give back and as a way for her name to live on forever. “I always want to have her memories to live on,” Sharday said, holding a picture of Moriah. “She’s not able to celebrate Christmas, but to have me, my husband, and family continue to give back in her honor – her name will literally live on forever. That’s why it’s the Forever Moriah Foundation.”
They work tirelessly to support children undergoing treatment for cancer. Every year they have a toy drive where they collect toys and donate them to the Ronald McDonald houses and the children’s hospitals in the area. It’s not just toys; they go above and beyond year-round, helping families make memories and give back financially.
Amazed by their work to help other families, we wanted to surprise Forever Moriah Foundation with a helping hand. Joel Bassam joined with a special message for Sharday and Mario.
“Unfortunately, it feels like cancer has touched everyone’s lives in one way or another, and the way that your family has turned loss into helping others [who are] fighting this incredibly difficult battle is amazing. We want to help you continue to help those who are going through such a difficult time by donating $2,200 to your cause so you can continue to bring joy to those families who are fighting cancer in such a difficult way. Thank you!”
The Richardsons were overwhelmed with gratitude by this surprise donation. Holding back tears, Sharday expressed how much it means to her and their foundation to continue to give back to others.
Jude Adler is a student from Fairfax County that is helping to feed those in need in his community. The 16-year-old launched a nonprofit called “Mummies for Mouths” that uses repurposed glass jars and turns them into mummy decorations using tape and eyes.
Adler, his classmates, and the community helped to create the mummy decorations and raise money to feed those in need since 2021.
“When we first broke $1,000, that was mind-blowing, and now here we are at $16,000 over two years,” Adler shared. His organization became an official local nonprofit after all their hard work, allowing them to help in many other ways. “We’re donating to multiple service organizations, and we can play a much larger role by applying for discounts at local stores,” Adler said.
On this 7 News Helping Hands, Joel Bassam with Easterns Automotive Group wanted to meet Adler in person because he had a surprise for “Mummies for Mouths.”
“We heard about your story and wanted to support you by donating $2,200 to your cause so you can keep feeding those in need,” Bassam said.
After receiving their surprise donation, Adler allowed Bassam to pick his mummy decoration from his collection.
