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(ARA) - Colder weather not only has you shutting the windows and cranking up the heat, but also bringing your vehicles into the garage to protect them from the winter elements.

Housing your vehicles in the garage is one thing, but this space houses your workshop, big toys and, in some cases, the man cave where you escape for a football game or afternoon of hanging out with some pals. This is the perfect time of year to make your garage the storage and hang-out space you need for those long winter months.

Here are a few tips that can help you turn your garage into a space that meets all your requirements for many years to come:

* Clean it up. Take the time during these long winter months to clean out the garage of anything not needed (broken car parts, duplicate tools, half-empty cans of paint or stain and even products you've outgrown) and find storage space for what's left over. Purchase storage containers and shelving, or build hanging racks to help get your to keep items off the floor and out of the way. Wash down the floors, scrub the walls and let it dry out before putting everything back in.

* Protect your floors. After driving through the slush and snow, your car or truck is going to be bringing a lot of sand and salt chemicals into your garage. As it melts, this corrosive mixture congregates on the floor, developing pockmarks and cracks in the concrete. Give your garage floor a protective coating like ASPART-X from LINE-X. It's waterproof, abrasion and chemical resistant, and can be customized to any color with the potential for color chips to be added in. It's perfect for designing your man cave with the colors of your favorite team. And think of the concrete repairs you'll save money on down the road.

* Maintenance is important. Sometimes just cleaning the garage isn't enough. You may need to invest a bit of time and energy into the electrical and - if included - heating as well. Replace all the batteries in your garage door openers, and clean the weather stripping between the door panels. Also have a heating professional check out your garage heater at the same time you are getting your home furnace inspected and cleaned. You don't want to come out to the garage on the day the temps drop below freezing and discover the heater isn't working.

Try these tips to turn your garage into a great work space, storage space and potential man cave to hang out with your pals.

At first glance, the dozens of vehicles chosen as top safety picks this year by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) appear to have little in common other than doing a good job of protecting drivers and passengers. The list includes everything from mini cars to minivans, luxury sedans and pickup trucks, all built according to their own design specifications by different automakers.

But one safety feature shared by each of those vehicles pops out: electronic stability control (ESC), a crash-avoidance technology that is a prerequisite for inclusion on safe vehicle lists compiled by IIHS and federal safety officials and one that became mandatory for all new cars made in the United States as of September.

Safety and automotive experts have long recognized that ESC systems - which use computer-controlled braking to reduce the risk of rollovers and other crashes - save lives and prevent injuries. Now insurance industry insiders are saying ESC can lessen the financial toll caused by some types of accidents and may even help motorists save money on their insurance premiums in the near future.

"Safety innovations such as ESC, which can improve driver safety and help reduce damages resulting from vehicle crashes, are a tremendous benefit to everyone," says Cesar Diaz, founder of http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/ and a veteran agent.

ESC's effect on insurance claims

According to the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), ESC systems have had little demonstrable effect on liability claims filed by drivers who have damaged other cars in an accident. But HLDI found that losses under collision coverage - which pays for damage to a policyholder's vehicle caused by his or her colliding with another car or object or by flipping over - were from 15 percent to 17 percent lower for vehicles equipped with ESC than for earlier models that did not include the technology.

Loretta Worters, a spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute (III), says lower policy rates can be expected at some point, particularly for SUVs, which have shown the greatest decline in crash involvement.

"So those vehicles would likely see greater rate reductions in auto premiums than smaller cars," Worters says.

While collision claims have fallen, it may be some time before consumers find price breaks for ESC while doing an auto insurance comparison in search of the best deals, she cautions.

Officials forecast significant injury avoidance from use of ESC

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), vehicle crash fatalities have steadily declined in recent years, with the roughly 37,000 roadway deaths reported in 2008, the fewest since 1961. The federal agency reported in 2010 that the introduction of "significant life-saving vehicle technologies like electronic stability control" into the nation's auto fleet have contributed to that decline.

NHTSA officials have estimated that ESC could save between 5,300 and 9,600 lives and prevent as many as 238,000 injuries a year in all types of crashes once all cars and other light vehicles in the U.S. are outfitted with the technology.

Agency officials project that ESC will reduce single-vehicle crashes of cars by 34 percent and the same accidents involving SUVs, which have a higher center of gravity and are more prone to tipping over, by as much as 59 percent.

ESC ensures vehicles are responsive

Federal regulations stipulate that all cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles weighing under a half-ton that are manufactured in the U.S. must now include ESC, but because the technology is only being phased in, not all vehicles on the road are currently equipped with it.

IIHS officials say ESC - which was originally introduced in sports and luxury cars but has since spread to other vehicles - is designed to help drivers stay in control of their vehicles on slippery roads and during high-speed maneuvers. ESC systems use sensors to continuously track how well a vehicle is responding to the driver's steering.

IIHS says those sensors can detect when a driver is on the verge of losing control due to taking a curve too quickly or otherwise straying from the car's intended line of travel, and ESC restores driver control by braking individual wheels automatically.

(ARA) - When you buy a used car, you're happy if the seller vacuums the interior and gives the exterior a good wash and wax before you take possession. But there's one kind of "cleanup" that you want to avoid when you're buying used: title washing.

Title - or "brand" - washing occurs when a seller takes steps to hide the damaged or totaled condition of a vehicle. When a vehicle is damaged or declared a total loss due to flood, fire, accident, natural disaster or other circumstance, the state in which it's titled will "brand" the title, noting the condition on the document. Unscrupulous sellers circumvent the branding by repairing or camouflaging the damage and then titling the vehicle in a different state.

"What title washing means for consumers is that they can end up paying far more for a salvaged or totaled vehicle than it's worth, thinking they're buying a used vehicle in good condition," says Joshua Steffan, director for Experian Automotive. "Often, a buyer will be unaware of the vehicle's true condition until they've completed the purchase, driven the vehicle and started to experience problems related to the hidden damage."

Bureau of Transportation statistics indicate that in any given year, the number of used car sales is about three times the number of new vehicle sales. With the recession driving demand for used vehicles over the past few years, incidences of title washing have also increased.

In fact, during the first six months of 2011, 257,245 vehicles were initially branded and then transferred or retitled in a second state with a clean title, according to the AutoCheck vehicle history report database. In 2008, that happened to just 185,000 vehicles. Most of the title washed vehicles in 2011 were branded as salvage (39 percent) or rebuildable (26 percent).

Title washing also tends to increase in regions that have experienced a natural disaster, like a hurricane. In such situations, flood waters will often leave many vehicles unusable and many states will brand a vehicle's title as flood damaged.

So how can you protect yourself from the risk of buying a title-washed vehicle? Steffan offers some advice:

* Check the vehicle's background by purchasing a vehicle history report. Most title-washed cars keep their original vehicle identification numbers (VIN), which is all you need to order an AutoCheck report. The report includes information on the status of the title (including if it's been branded), a check of possible problems, an odometer check, the history of how the vehicle was used (as a rental or private vehicle) and any events, such as accidents or flood damage that have been reported on the vehicle. You'll also get the ZIP code of where the vehicle has been registered, and you can use online resources to match that information to regions where the vehicle might have been exposed to floods or other natural disasters.

* Have the vehicle inspected by a mechanic. Some title washers, however, are pros and may have reconstructed a car so well that it's hard for even a professional to tell.

* When you first see the vehicle, look for discoloration on seats, seatbelts or door panels that might indicate mineral deposits left behind by flood waters. You may see moisture on the inside of the instrument panel. Do a sniff test. A water-damaged vehicle might smell moldy or musty. Or, it might smell strongly of potent cleansers that the seller has used to mask the odor of mold.

* Fresh paint on newer-model cars may indicate the vehicle has been in an accident and had bodywork done. Mismatched panels and extremely low mileage may also be red flags.

* Always check to ensure the VIN on the vehicle's paperwork matches the one on the vehicle. The location of the VIN varies from vehicle to vehicle, but you'll often find it on a small metal plate in the corner of the windshield nearest the driver. Other locations include on the engine or engine block, or the right front wheel well.

"Ultimately, a title check from a vehicle history report is the optimum way to know as much as possible about a vehicle you're considering buying," Steffan says. "A modest investment can help you avoid making a costly mistake."

(ARA) - As the American home has continued to evolve with the speed of new technology, so has the garage. In order to keep up with the everyday busy lives of homeowners and the need for these homeowners to spread out and utilize all the space within their homes, garages have become a new frontier for functioning space within the home.

The majority of homeowners use the garage as the main entrance way into their homes, making the garage door and its opener imperative to the security of the home, protecting the people and property behind it.

Before, garage doors only opened and closed to let your car in and out of the garage, and you had to be there to do it. But garage doors and openers have improved dramatically in the last decade to do more. If you're interested in upgrading your home's security and curb appeal, don't forget to check out some of the newest high-tech features:

* Control from anywhere around the world: Garage door openers are high tech now, and the LiftMaster openers with MyQ Technology allow you to control your garage door - as well as other household items - from inside your house, while at the office or even from halfway across the world by using your computer or smartphone. This technology lets you monitor if the garage door is opened or closed and allows you the freedom to operate it from a remote location, perhaps to grant access to a family member or allow a delivery.

* Electronic eyes - New garage door openers come with safety sensors that prevent the door from closing if something were to be underneath. If an object breaks the beam of infrared light spanning the width of the door, the garage door won't close - and if something were to cross the sensor as the door is closing, it would cause the door to reverse direction and open up again. This can help protect small children and pets from being struck by the closing door.

* Timers for closing - You've probably forgotten to close your garage door after pulling out of the driveway at least once in your life, leaving your home and property wide open to anyone passing by. New garage door openers allow you to customize the settings on your garage door opener to ensure that the door will close after one minute, five minutes or even 10 minutes of being open.

* Power out? Not a problem - The harsh winter weather can leave many homes without power for extended periods of time. LiftMaster openers are equipped with battery backup, which is very useful during a power failure in severe weather conditions, providing your family with reliable, uninterrupted access to your home and automobiles in the garage.

* Shed light on safety - Exterior lights also have seen technology upgrades, and when placed next to your garage, can deter unwanted visitors. Save money with solar powered lights, or lights that are motion-activated to brightly shine when something approaches the garage. In addition to discouraging unwanted visitors, lights also give your family members a safer environment when arriving home after dark.

Using new technology in and around your garage helps you maintain security and safety and can improve your life in so many different ways. Learn more about how the LiftMaster garage door openers with MyQ Technology can benefit your home and your family at www.LiftMaster.com.

(ARA) - As the weather outside gets frightful, now is a good time to make sure your vehicle's tires are prepared for snow, ice and freezing temperatures. Sixty-three percent of Americans are concerned about skidding and icy roadways as the thermometer's mercury drops, according to a recent survey commissioned by Hankook Tire America Corp. To ensure safety and peace of mind as you venture out on a snowy day, here are some tire tips to consider:

* Buy your loved one a set of winter tires: The Hankook Tire Winter Gauge Index revealed that 84 percent of Americans would not mind receiving tires as a gift and 35 percent would actually love it. In these tough economic times a brand new car may not be in your budget; however a set of tires can be a more affordable way to upgrade your current car and keep your loved ones safe on the road.

* Plan accordingly when putting winter tires on: Winter tires, such as the Winter i*cept evo are optimized specifically for icy and snowy conditions, providing enhanced traction to prevent skidding. Put snow tires on your car one to two weeks before the first anticipated snowstorm of the season. Also check your tire tread before the first storm. Worn tread is the No. 1 cause of skidding. If the tread is low, consider replacing your tires with a winter tire.

* Check your tire pressure: Every 10 degree drop in air temperature can actually cause a vehicle's tires to drop up to 2 pounds per square inch (psi) in tire pressure. Improper tire pressure can result in increased tread wear and lowered performance, factors that are highly detrimental to one's safety in undesirable weather conditions.

* Have a kit handy: Because winter weather is unpredictable, it's important to be prepared. Always keep in your car a winter driving kit consisting of a spare tire, ice scraper, snow shovel and brush, booster cables, a flash light and a blanket.

* Check your tire carrying capacity and speed rating: Never overload your vehicle. Check the tire load carrying capacity indicated on the tire or owner's manual for the maximum recommended load. Also, when replacing tires, the speed rating of the replacement tires must be equal to or greater than that of the tire being replaced to maintain the speed capability.

It is vitally important to take appropriate steps to ensure your vehicle is properly prepared as we head into the coming months that bring snow and blustery conditions. Make it part of your routine to check tire pressure and tread wear, and keep yourself educated on ways to protect yourself, your friends, and your family.