The Cash for Clunkers program may have affected the supply of used cars in New York, but dealers nationwide believe that now that the blitz of sales is over, more buyers will be considering pre-owned vehicles.

Jeff Young, the sales manager at one dealership, told the Times-Herald that he expected to focus on discounts for used cars still on the lots, once he gets through the backlog of paperwork associated with the government program.

Fellow salesman Tim Gaither said that the stringent and esoteric rules behind Cash for Clunkers drove many people to his lots, where they left with a used car after finding they couldn’t qualify for the savings needed to purchase a new vehicle, reported the news provider.

But buyers who are now considering used cars in New York may want to act sooner, rather than later. A combination of fewer available trade-ins because of crushed clunkers and decreased production could limit pre-owned choices, according to USA Today.

While there are still deals available, some sellers caution that the effects of taking hundreds of thousands of used cars off the road may soon affect supplies, noted the newspaper.

Many owners are considering holding onto used cars in New York, and even recent buyers don’t want to see their cars off the road because of a breakdown.

A service like DriverSide may help people who want to keep their cars in good shape, but may not have a strong mechanical background. Similarly to some medical websites, owners can input symptoms of car trouble into the database, or begin by choosing what they see, hear or smell.

For some of the repairs, how-to videos may help new owners solve the problem themselves, or the site can provide an estimated cost to fix the problem.

“A hundred dollars spent in proactive car care can save drivers thousands in repair costs down the road,” said Jad Dunning, DriverSide.com CEO.

Whether or not a driver checks out websites like DriverSide, maintaining a used car in New York can save money and frustration. According to a Kelton Research survey, only one in six car owners performs some basic maintenance on their vehicles.

A Hummer dealer in Chesterfield, Missouri has opened a secondary shop at his facility that offers an add-on buyers considering used cars in New Jersey have probably never seen: an in-store gun showroom.

Although the website for Jim Lynch Hummer touts the dealership as the only one in the country that offers Hummers exclusively, that focus didn’t pan out for him.

“[We] didn’t have enough business to keep this big, beautiful building going with the decline, so we decided we needed to do something else,” Lynch told the Belleville New-Democrat. “And the guns fit in with our customer base… a lot of sportsman, a lot of outdoorsmen, and they’ve loved it.”

He says that customers have responded well to the shift in inventory, and some customers explained to the newspaper that they valued the ability to shop for sporting goods at the dealership.

Buyers who are looking for fuel-friendly vehicles unlike the Hummer can look at a variety of used cars in New Jersey, with enough money left over for whatever hunting equipment they like. Many hybrids offer fuel mileage over 40 miles per gallon, and smaller German sedans with diesel engines can also help owners save on gas.

From August 21 through Labor Day Weekend, police departments around the country will be increasing the numbers of sobriety checkpoints and patrols to limit the number of drunk drivers, and motorists operating used cars in New York should take steps to limit their intake before getting behind the wheel.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued grants to more than 11,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide to pay for officers for overtime related to the “Drunk Driving, over the limit, under arrest” program designed to keep intoxicated Labor Day revelers from making poor decisions.

The administration has seen an uptick in the number of female drivers involved in fatal crashes while allegedly driving intoxicated, and notes that will be a focus for police officers monitoring used cars in New York and other states.

“Impaired driving is an issue that cuts across all segments of society and, sadly, the number of arrests of women driving under the influence is on the rise,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This is clearly a very disturbing trend.”

The dog days of August may have motorists reaching for the air conditioning switch in used cars in New York, and they can now do so without worrying about fuel economy.

Industry scientists say that for sedans, the aerodynamic drag caused by rolling down the windows at highway speeds robs a vehicle of more energy than putting on the A/C.

To make the process more efficient, air conditioning subunit manufacturer Delphi recommends that before starting up a car that has been out in the sun, roll down all the windows to allow hot air to escape, then roll them up and put on the A/C.

Proper maintenance may also help owners cool down in used cars in New York: air filters can become clogged and less efficient, pushing less cool air through vents to occupants. Old coolant may also cause a similar reduction in the effectiveness, noted Delphi.

In city driving, however, SUV and truck owners may want to consider not using the air conditioning feature, since the boxy shape of those vehicles will outweigh any fuel savings, reported Slate.

When people consider their options when looking for a newer model vehicle, one possibility is to donate used cars in New York to charities. Owners get a tax break and charities profit from selling their stocks.

Unfortunately, the nonprofits say that the Cash for Clunkers program has had a negative effect on their ability to raise funds for initiatives like housing and feeding the homeless, which is the aim of Mission Solano in California.

“Those profits were already down as consumers hold onto old cars longer or broker their own sales to weather the bad economy,” says Ron Marlette, the organization’s executive director. “But, the Cash for Clunkers program is also hurting those who traditionally turn to the Mission to buy low priced transportation.”

It also hurts the prospects of those who may want to buy used cars that are within their price range, but are unable to do so because the vehicles are now marked “Not for sale – must be crushed,” he added

Further east, some charities in Chicago say they will be lucky to have sales reach 25 percent of their height, according to CBS News.

Some in the industry estimate that up to one in seven motorists drive without insurance, but new enforcement efforts could affect owners who choose not to buy policies for used cars in New Jersey.

Local police agencies are setting up checkpoints that are similar to DUI stopping areas, requiring that drivers prove they have insurance and registration documents.

And it really doesn’t matter who they stop. William Mecke works for the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority as its communications director, and actually has insurance.

However, when an Atlanta-area officer stopped him and asked for proof of insurance, Mecke couldn’t find a current card and ended up with a ticket.

For those who choose to go without insurance entirely, police have the right to seize used cars in New Jersey and other jurisdictions, levy hefty penalties and even suspend someone’s license.

College students may be one group more affected than others, with lower annual income than other demographics.

They could help themselves two ways: a fuel-efficient used car is often less expensive to insure than new models, and getting good grades can reduce rates as well.