Ask Patty Around the Auto World Blog Carnival: May 15th

Welcome to our blog carnival this week! We have a lot of great entries for this edition, including a new comer: Reasoned Audacity! Welcome! We also have great tips for saving gas from Auto Trader and a slew of important tips on child seat safety! Strap on your seat belts ladies!

Traffic accidents happen. According to the National Highway Safety Transportation Agency and Real Families Real Fun, 8,000 U.S. children die in auto-related accidents yearly -- which means over 20 kids die on American roads every single day. This blog talks about the biggest mistakes parents can make when it comes to safety, including letting your child ride unrestrained, disciplining your child from the driver’s seat and using your cell phone. Read up for more.

We love Ford for their huge support for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and guess what? They’re at it again! Ford launched its Warriors in Pink campaign last year to help it focus its efforts in giving to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and this year plans to go beyond selling just Warriors in Pink branded apparel by offering the 2008 Mustang Warrior in Pink package. The AutoBlog tells us that there will only be 2,500 Mustangs built with the package so ladies, snap ‘em up!

Most parents are diligent about keeping their kids safe by using the proper car seat and booster seat restraint system in their vehicles. But what about when you need to use public transportation, or are traveling and need to jump into a cab really quick? Topher McGibbon came up with a business that would get more kids buckled up safely, called Kid Car NY, a car service that provides safe, comfortable, and convenient transport for children and parents in Manhattan by providing specially trained drivers in kid-friendly, luxury minivans with professionally-installed child safety seats.

Speaking if car seat safety, Car accidents are the number one killer of children in the United States, but the chances of reducing their injury and fatality rate is over 70% if they are using a child safety seat properly. FOX21 News sat down with one of the city's certified car seat safety experts to see what it takes to use a car seat properly. Check out all the tips on Fox21.com. And once you have a car seat and are following the law? Well, do you actually know how to properly install one? According to the Huron Daily, if there’s one thing that needs to be done in between purchasing a car seat and bringing the new bundle of joy home, it’s learning how to properly use and install the car seat.

Moms. They are our heroes and our friends and mostly, they are our moms. Carolyn Pierce at the Baltimore Sun describes a lot about her mom but her retelling of her car-buying experience is what moved us “Mom and I test-drove a used car, which was too loud on the highway. ‘Could it be the tires?” she asked the salesman with a naivete in her voice, I'd never heard before. Mom is smart, really smart. Why was she acting dumb? He agreed to put all new tires on the car at no cost. When he walked away, Mom cracked a smile. ‘And that's how it's done,’ she said.” Go moms!

Oh man, don’t even get us started on the gas thing. In the New York tri-state area for example, officials are expecting the price to reach $4 a gallon by Memorial Day. Yowsers! Well, our new partner Auto Trader has some great gas-saving tips for you to read as we head into summer. Save your pocketbook and check out all the ways you can save.

Who could live with a car for twenty years without cup holders? Any takers? Raise your hand… Yeah, me either. Jack Yoest, author of Reasoned Audacity talks about his two most important anniversaries: his marriage and his car. He revels in both of these two loves and even references that great song, “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine.” We think he’s referring to his wife…

NASCAR is truly the great American spectacle. Forty weeks a year, NASCAR — the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing — brings its unique brand of traveling circus to a speedway near you. But for all the beer and baseball caps, a NASCAR race is a surprisingly female-friendly affair. NASCAR says that in the past three years, the male-dominated circuit has seen a big surge in female fans. What do you think? Are you NASCAR fans ladies?! We sure are!

Blog o’Rama was invited to talk about Marketing to Women Online at the Women's Automotive Association International. The offer came from her friend Jody DeVere, “over at Ask Patty, a blog about cars, and women, and women and cars.” She says she’s writing about this because the auto show is pretty popular, and because the auto industry is starting to recognize that women buy cars. Again, duh.

That’s it for this week! Thank you for all of your submissions! Make sure to submit next week! Please remember to submit your article using the online form or by emailing Breanne at Breanne@askpatty.com.