Lists of famous musical instruments often focus on who played the instrument. This list is different. Here, we’ll highlight ten musical instruments that have sold for the highest prices or that are considered to be the most valuable instruments in the world. The value of a musical instrument is always tied to the compelling story behind it.

Sometimes, the instrument is crafted by a master maker whose secrets we still don’t fully understand. Other times, the value comes from the seemingly superhuman abilities of the person who played it. Another common theme stems from an instrument being one of the last remaining pieces made by a famous company or instrument maker. One final theme is when the instrument has such an original story behind it that people find it almost impossible to believe—they need to see the instrument with their own eyes.

You’ll definitely learn something new from this list. Many of these instruments are not well known to the general public. Often, the stories of these rare and expensive instruments are only known to hardcore fans of the musical genres associated with each instrument. Let’s shine some light on these ten famous musical instruments that are probably worth more than the car you’re currently driving.

Related: Top 10 Bizarre Musical Instruments You Rarely See Today

10 Paul McCartney’s $12.6 Million Hofner Bass

Paul McCartney’s 1960 Hofner bass is one of the most famous musical instruments in history. The extremely rare bass was stolen from McCartney in 1972, leading many to believe that it was lost forever. Through an incredible turn of events, the bass was returned to McCartney in late 2023. It’s worth an estimated 10 million British pounds, or about 12.6 million U.S. dollars.

Stolen from the back of a van in London’s Notting Hill on the night of October 10, 1972, McCartney’s bass changed hands several times over the years. After stealing the bass, the thief sold it to the landlord of a pub in the Notting Hill area. An English mother of two, Cathy Guest, discovered the bass in her attic many decades later. Unaware of its legendary past, she did some research and realized it belonged to the legendary Beatle. It turns out that her late husband, Rauidhri Guest, had inherited the instrument many years before when he was a 21-year-old film student.

The Hofner company verified the provenance of the bass (that it was actually the same bass stolen from McCartney) after it was returned to him. McCartney reportedly handed a six-figure reward to Cathy for her miraculous find. A team of experts is now helping McCartney to restore the bass to its original playing condition.^[1]

9 Korg’s PS-3300: The $100,000 Synthesizer

When Korg released the PS-3300 in 1977, it was a luxurious musical instrument that only the wealthiest musicians could afford. Over the decades, it became a very rare and coveted item, so much so that one sold for $100,000 in 2021. The rarity and popularity of the original Korg PS-3300 led software developers to create modern reinterpretations of the iconic instrument as computer programs called virtual synthesizers. For example, Cherry Audio created a virtual synthesizer that can run on a computer to recreate all the sounds of the original physical Korg PS-3300 synthesizer.

The original PS-3300 was extremely large, and it packed a lot of functionality into that space. It featured a semi-modular design with three independent synthesizer units, each essentially a complete polyphonic synthesizer on its own. Each unit had 12 tunable oscillators, filters, envelopes, and amplifiers for every note, allowing all 48 keys to be played simultaneously with independent articulation. This unique architecture enabled musicians to create rich, evolving sounds that were groundbreaking at the time. Synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog considered the PS-3300 “the best synthesizer for fat sounds.”

Cherry Audio carefully studied the original PS-3300 to create a virtual synthesizer with a feel and playability similar to the original instrument. Their digital PS-3300 captures the sound and unique features of the original, with each key functioning as its own synthesizer. It has 49 keys, each equipped with three oscillators, filters, envelopes, and amplifiers, for a total of 147 synth voices. They also added modern enhancements like MIDI control, integrated effects, and over 360 presets.^[2]

8 The $73,000 Platinum Flute

The William S. Haynes handmade custom flute is made of platinum, and it’s one of the most expensive flutes in the world. It costs as much as a high-end automobile. Buying one will set you back $72,799, an incredibly high price for any new musical instrument. The Haynes flute is both expensive and stunning to look at. It features a platinum body and a hand-cut headjoint that has a 14-karat rose gold lip plate and riser.

The Haynes flute is precision manufactured in the United States. Its precision-made components include soldered 14-karat gold tone holes and gold springs on the flute’s keys. The flute’s unique combination of platinum and gold might give it different tonal qualities than other lower-end professional flutes. Professional flutes are typically made of less expensive metals like silver, though some world-class flutists, like Sir James Galway, play flutes made of gold.

In May of 2019, a popular YouTube flutist who goes by the name “katieflute” published a video where she played the William S. Haynes handmade custom flute. As of September 2024, the video has over 250,000 views. When the video was recorded in 2019, the Haynes flute was actually more expensive than it is now: it came in at a cool $84,000 at that time. At either price, you could purchase a luxury car for the price of one of these high-class/high-end flutes.^[3]

7 Joey DeFancesco’s Priceless Blonde Hammond B3 Organ

Joey DeFrancesco (1971–2022) was a prominent jazz organist and considered to be a world-class virtuoso of the famed Hammond B3 organ. He was the son and grandson of jazz musicians; his grandfather was Joseph DeFrancesco, and his dad was organist “Papa” John DeFrancesco (1940–2024). Joey DeFrancesco recorded and played with a who’s who of the music industry, including Miles Davis, David Sanborn, and trumpeter Randy Brecker and his brother, Michael Brecker.

In 2003, Joey DeFrancesco sold his very rare and beloved “blonde” Hammond B3 organ on eBay to an Australian buyer named Geoff Williamson. But there was a catch: whenever Joey performed in Australia, the organ had to be made available for him to play. In 2019, Joey was headlining the Generations in Jazz festival in Mount Gambier, South Australia. True to his word, Geoff brought “Blondie” out of storage and made it available for Joey to perform on.

Now that Joey DeFrancesco has passed away, it’s hard to evaluate what his rare blonde Hammond instrument is worth, but it’s certainly worth more than other rare blonde Hammond B3s out in the wild. Joey DeFrancesco was well-known, nominated for four Grammy Awards, and signed his first recording contract with Columbia Records at the age of 16. I couldn’t find any YouTube video footage of DeFrancesco playing his blonde Hammond B3, but I found great footage of him playing a more traditional Hammond B3 organ to showcase his musical mastery.^[4]

6 The $600,000 Piano from the Movie Casablanca

In 2012, the piano featured in the 1942 classic film Casablanca was sold at a Sotheby’s auction in New York for $602,500. The 58-key piano was expected to sell for up to $1.2 million, but selling for $600,000 was still an incredible sum for a worn-out 70-year-old instrument. The piano’s seller made an extremely large profit at the auction, having purchased the piano for $154,000 in 1988.

This historic piano is the exact same one played by actor/musician/singer Dooley Wilson in the movie. His memorable character, “Sam,” sang the song “As Time Goes By” in one of the film’s most famous scenes. Sold to an unidentified buyer, the piano was the highlight of more than 200 pieces of Hollywood memorabilia up for sale at the 2012 auction.

Interestingly, “As Time Goes By” was almost cut from the movie due to its initial lack of popularity. Had the song been removed, we would have probably never heard of this rare and historic piano that is now a permanent part of the great American film story.^[5]

5 Ringo Starr’s Ludwig Drum Kit

Ringo Starr’s original Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl kit is considered to be one of the most valuable and rare drum kits in the world. In the early 1960s, American instruments were rare and expensive in Britain, making them highly coveted by British musicians. Ringo, who was playing Premier drums at the time, stumbled upon the Ludwig kit in a London music store, and he instantly fell in love with the drum set. Once he saw and played it, he knew that he had to purchase it.

When purchasing the kit, the store owner went to remove the Ludwig logo, but Ringo insisted that it stay on to clearly identify the drum set as American-made. Starr’s decision was one of the best strokes of luck for the Ludwig company: the logo was prominently displayed during The Beatles’ performances. The famed drum set, perhaps the most famous drum set in the world, became an integral part of The Beatles’ image as they rose to become one of the world’s biggest rock bands.

As The Beatles’ schedule became more demanding, Ringo acquired additional Ludwig kits to keep up with their live performances, recordings, and film commitments like “A Hard Day’s Night.” Today, his original Ludwig kits are priceless pieces of music history. They are rare, highly sought after, and can definitely cost more than a luxury car if you can actually find one to buy.^[6]

4 Charlie Parker’s Rare $144,000 Grafton Acrylic Alto Saxophone

On Friday, May 15, 1953, one of the most historic jazz concerts of all time took place at Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada. It was the last time that the five founding members of the bebop jazz movement played together as a quintet. The five members of the group are all household names among avid jazz fans: Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Charlie Parker on alto saxophone, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums.

Another thing that made the concert historic was that it was one of the few documented recordings of Charlie Parker playing a plastic/acrylic saxophone that was given to him as a gift by a company called Grafton. According to Red Rodney, a famous trumpeter who was a member of Charlie Parker’s Quintet for three years in the early 1950s, a Grafton company representative gave Parker the plastic saxophone in Detroit, Michigan. He ended up playing this saxophone at the May 15, 1953, jazz concert.

Charlie Parker’s Grafton saxophone now resides in the American Jazz Museum in the 18th and Vine Jazz District in his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. The museum won the prized saxophone in a 1994 auction at Christie’s Auction House in London. The then-mayor of Kansas City, Emanuel Cleaver II, monitored the auction remotely with city officials in hopes of winning the piece of jazz history. Kansas City won the auction at a final price of $144,000, and the saxophone is now on display in the American Jazz Museum in the same neighborhood where a very young Charlie Parker attended jazz jam sessions during his formative years in the late 1930s and early 1940s.^[7]

3 The $45 Million Stradivarius Viola

In 2014, Sotheby’s tried to auction off the extremely rare Macdonald Stradivarius viola for $45 million. The viola, constructed in 1701 by master instrument maker Antonio Stradivari, is one of only eleven surviving violas he ever made, making it even rarer than his famous violins. The auction was expected to break world records, but not a single bid came through.

The Macdonald viola has a rich and storied history. It was played by Peter Schidlof of the Amadeus Quartet until his death in 1987. After that, it spent nearly 30 years in a vault, becoming one of the best-preserved Stradivarius instruments. Its scarcity and condition make it highly valuable, yet its high price tag scared off potential buyers. It’s the only one of its kind not owned by a museum or foundation, meaning it could still potentially be sold one day.

The failed auction raised an interesting social question. Should very rare musical instruments be played or preserved? Since playing a musical instrument regularly greatly increases the risk of damage, it is very likely that this amazingly rare viola will one day end up in a museum or in the home of a wealthy collector willing to ensure that it is adequately protected.^[8]

2 Kurt Cobain’s $6 Million Guitar

Kurt Cobain (1967–1994) was, and still is, a household name among many hardcore music fans due to his fascinating time as the lead singer and guitarist of the American grunge band Nirvana. His death by suicide in April 1994 stunned the world and elevated him to such a level of fame that, in many parts of the world, it would be difficult to find someone who hasn’t heard of him.

In 1993, Nirvana performed on MTV Unplugged, and the 1959 Martin D-18E that Cobain played during the performance is considered to be one of the most famous guitars in the world. In June 2020, the guitar sold for slightly more than $6 million at auction, making it the most expensive guitar ever sold.

The winning bidder was Peter Freedman, the founder of Rode Microphones. At the time of winning the auction, Freedman planned to take the guitar on a worldwide exhibition tour to raise awareness and funds for the arts community. The staggering price paid for the guitar shows how valuable musical instruments that are considered to be part of our collective memories can be. People often see these instruments as ways to connect with their long-gone heroes in a real and visceral way.^[9]

1 The $15.3 Million Stradivarius Violin Played by Albert Einstein’s Teacher

Anything closely connected to the world’s most famous theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein, is inevitably destined to sell for extremely high dollar amounts. The Stradivarius violin played by one of Einstein’s teachers is no exception. In 2022, this incredibly rare Stradivarius violin sold for $15.3 million at auction.

This particular violin was crafted in 1714 by Antonio Stradivari, perhaps the world’s most well-known violin maker. It once belonged to Toscha Seidel, a Russian-American violin virtuoso. Seidel used this instrument to record the soundtrack of the 1939 American film The Wizard of Oz. More notably, Seidel also played this violin alongside Einstein while giving Einstein private music sessions.

In 1933, Seidel and Einstein played a concert together in New York to raise funds for German-Jewish scientists fleeing the Nazi regime. The violin itself was part of Stradivari’s “Golden Period,” when he created his most coveted and highly valued instruments. Of the thousands of pieces Stradivari made, only about 600 are known today, with very few from this elite period. This famous Stradivarius was previously part of the Munetsugu collection in Japan. Though its most recent buyer remains anonymous, the violin’s connection to Einstein ensures that it won’t be forgotten any time soon.^[10]

There are few things people obsess over more than their cars. They are vessels of personal individualism and convenience. Cars have facilitated many fond memories over the years. Yet, they are always a pain in the neck. Driving errors, constant maintenance, winding lines at the pump are a few of the common annoyances all drivers face. Here are 10 easy tricks to minimize those discomforts and, perhaps, to save your life!

See Also: 10 Surprising Ways To Hack Your Body

10Jump Your Dead Car Battery with a Rope

The Common Problem:

The easiest solution to jump-starting a car is hooking it up to another battery. Most people already schlep around jumper cables. You might as well put them to good use. However, that implies that you can find someone to flag down. If you are stranded in the middle of nowhere, you have to get creative.

The Easy Solution:

This technique only really works for smaller vehicles with a manual transmission. All that is required for this trick is a jack and a rope. The jack props up the frame behind a front tire. Make sure that the car is parked in third gear. Turn the car on. Next, wrap the rope around the elevated tire several times. Give the rope a swift pull. The kinetic energy will get the tires moving. With this temporary fix, try and find a real jump.^[1]

9The Arrow on the Side of Your Fuel Gauge

The Common Problem:

There are a lot of ways one can embarrass themselves at a gas station. Among the most common is pulling your car into a pump only to noticed the tank is on the other side. Back in the car, one has to try and finagle for a pump on the right side. It is a minor squabble, but still an annoying one.

The Easy Solution:

You do not even have to do anything for this hint. Luckily, the car manufacturers were looking out for us all along. They just hid the clue in a place few would notice. Along with the other symbols and warnings on the dashboard, there is often a small arrow on the fuel gauge next to the caricature of a gas pump. The relative position of the arrow corresponds with the fuel filler inlet. Whatever direction the arrow points, that is the side you fill it up on.^[2]

8Toothpaste for Cloudy Headlights

The Common Problem: In adverse weather conditions, cloudy headlights can be the difference between life and death. Proper lighting is an essential part of navigating a storm. Organic debris from the road and the sun’s UV rays remove the protective coating over time. Instead of spending money replacing the blurry ones, there’s an unorthodox tip that you can use so you don’t look like a deer in, well…, headlights.

The Easy Solution:

The logic of this DIY trick is not much more complicated than the idea that toothpaste can clean more than just dentures. First, wash the headlights with soapy water or a cleaning solution like Windex. Next, take a sponge to remove the top layer of dirt. Put a dollop of toothpaste on the headlight. You only need a small amount—about the same that you, hopefully, use every day. Toothpaste with baking soda is the most effective choice. Then, get to brushing. For harder stains, more generous applications of toothpaste may be required.^[3]

7Plunger out Dents

The Common Problem:

Outside of driving, the only real reason to have a car is to look at it. Unseemly scuffs can ruin the automotive experience just like any technical problem. As with another thing looking crappy, it’s time to break out the plunger.

The Easy Solution:

There is no way to really mess this one up. All you need is hot water and a plunger. For minor dents, the hot water may be enough. The heat might cause the metal and plastic to expand back into shape. For most marks, the physical suction of the plunger is necessary. Pour the water over the dented area to add a necessary level of moisture. Place the plunger on the surface. Pull back until the frame is back to its normal shape. This method works best with more recent dents while the surface is still malleable.^[4]

6Hand Sanitizer for Frozen Locks

The Common Problem:

The problems with driving in the snow start before you are even behind the wheel. Ice can jam keyholes making them impossible to open. Unlike the rest of the car, scraping with a pick or thawing out with hot water can damage the lock’s internal workings. There is a much safer and quicker alternative.

The Easy Solution:

Hand Sanitizer kills more than just 99% of germs. One of the main ingredients of hand disinfectants is alcohol. Among the lesser celebrated features of alcohol is its freezing point. To harness that power, apply some of the gel to the tip of a car key. Edge the key into the icy lock for 30 seconds. The prolonged contact with the alcohol will lower the ice’s relative freezing point until it melts. After that, twist the key around and open the door. This comes with the added bonus of having your first line of defense against the coronavirus at the ready!

Outside of Purell, there are a handful of other common household items that can help if you know a cold snap is imminent. To prevent ice from building up on windows overnight, you can scrub potato slices on the windows. The sugars in the root vegetable prevent ice from binding. Spray cooking oil on the doors has a similar effect. The oil pushes the water away.^[5]

5Kitty Litter can Defog a Window

The Common Problem:

After you have unlocked the frozen door, the car is still not necessarily safe to drive. The moisture in the atmosphere will likely cloud the windows. If one does not have time to wait for the foggy windows to defrost, a common item can resolve it in seconds. Do not be concerned about its more advertised use.

The Easy Solution:

Even dog lovers can proclaim the benefits of spare kitty litter. At its most basic level, the general purpose of kitty litter is to soak up moisture. To avoid any unsavory connotations, it is better to get odor free crystals and you definitely want to use new litter, not “used” litter. Pour the mix inside an old sock. Make sure that the socks are tightly bound. When tied off, place the sock on the dashboard. The crystals will absorb the condensation in the air. Additionally, kitty litter can be used for extra traction on icy roads—you just need to find a volunteer to run in front of the car sprinkling it as you go . . .^[6]

4A Shoelace can Unlock a Car

The Common Problem:

Locking your keys in your car is the ultimate hack for car problems. Without keys, you cannot do anything else. If for some reason you ever want to retrieve your cars back, you can MacGyver your door open in a matter of seconds. The keyword here is “your” car. I’m not going to advocate for carjacking, no matter how clever the method. Having said that, here’s 11 Tips For Outrunning The Cops, just in case.

The Easy Solution:

Modern cars are designed to avoid this annoying occurrence. This hint is more practically useful for older models. First step is to take your shoelace out of your shoe. You are going to need the whole thing. Next, tie a small noose-like knot in the middle of the lace. The knot should tighten around the noose as you pull on the ends. Wiggle the lace in the crack between the door. Lower the lack until it’s looped around the head of the lock. Tighten the noose so that is secure around the head of the lock. Jerk up until you can open the door.^[7]

3Put Your Key Under Your Chin

The Common Problem:

Newer cars have gotten rid of the key entirely. These “push to start” vehicles rely on an electronic signal to unlock the doors. Often drivers complain that the fob cannot reach the car. Instead of making the trek to stand next to your car, you can boost the input by sticking the key under your chin.

The Easy Solution:

It sounds like a myth. The facts do not seem to make sense on their face, or more technically under their face. It is true though. The New York Times posited that the possible reason was because the fluids in your head amplified the message. There is some debate on how effective the human brain is as a conductor. Some speculate it increases anywhere from a few car lengths to 85 feet. Either way, it’s a convenient improvement over having to walk to your car.^[8]

2A Carseat Headrest Breaks a Submerged Car

The Common Problem:

In a submerged car, time is of the essence. In a matter of seconds, the ambient water pressure is impossible to overcome. If you do not open your window or door before the pressure imbalance, you just have to wait until equilibrium is restored when the car is filled with water. The delay can be deadly.

The Easy Solution:

You cannot rely on windows to be your escape hatch. You have to build your own. Do not waste oxygen trying to smash the window with your fists. Most manufacturers install cars with detachable headrests to quickly install them in the shop. Their incidental use as a breakout tool is a lucky coincidence. While there still is air in the cabin, remove the headrest. Start hitting the window in the corners with the supporting prongs. With enough force, the blunt tip of the stem should shatter the glass. Make sure to close your eyes, because glass will be everywhere. The cleanup is the least of your concerns though. Use the rod to break down the remaining pieces in the frame to avoid cutting yourself. Hopefully, you can swim to safety.^[9]

1Only Turn Right

The Common Problem:

The one trick everybody wants to know is how to get the most miles per gallon out of their tank. If they could also save time that would be even better. Experts have weighted in. Their solution is cumbersome, but it works.

The Easy Solution:

This tip was professionally researched. UPS needed to figure out the best way to optimize fuel efficiency. They discovered that the best solution was to always turn right. Instead of waiting at traffic lights to cross over lanes, UPS drivers map out routes to always turn to the right. The method all but eliminates the drawn-out waits at the red light. UPS boasts that the policy has successfully conserved 10 million gallons of fuel each year. This technique lowers the risk of a head on collision and saves on fuel. Even if the detours lengthens the trip, the time saved from not idling offsets the winding route.^[10]

Cars are one of the primary forms of transportation for many individuals across the world. The World Economic Forum reported that over 70% of Americans used cars as their main source of transportation. Unfortunately, with cars being as highly utilized as they are, they have contributed to their fair share of accidents.

USA Today reports that as of 2024, “car crashes are the leading cause of death in the United States.” Cars are such a popular mode of transportation that it’s easy to forget how heavy and powerful they are! Luckily, car manufacturers have introduced features that make cars safer for drivers and pedestrians. However, there are a few features of cars that, if used incorrectly, can put people on the road at risk. So, buckle your seatbelts as we go through 10 unexpected ways your car might endanger you or others!

Related: Top 10 Cool Car Hacks Every Driver Should Know

10 Car Touch Sceens Can Be Worse for Drivers Than Texting

If you’ve purchased a car in recent years, there’s a good chance it has CarPlay or Android Auto. These systems intend to boost efficiency by taking away the use of mobile devices while driving, but they may be doing the opposite of their intended functions. The European Transport Safety Council found that “using touch control resulted in reaction times that were even worse than texting while driving.” Additionally, they found that driver reaction times were “more than 50 per cent slower” when using car touch screens and that “controlling the vehicle’s position in the lane and keeping a consistent speed and headway to the vehicle in front suffered significantly.”

Drivers still need to take their eyes off the road to view and control the car screens, which counts as distracted driving. So, while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can take your eyes off your phone screen, it’s important not to let your eyes linger on your car screen, either!^[1]

9 Dark-Colored Cars May Be Blending in Too Well on the Road

Hazards on the road might be closer than you think! Shockingly, studies have found that the color of your car might determine your likelihood of getting into a car accident. A study published in the National Library of Medicine stated that “There was a significant increased risk of a serious injury in brown vehicles” and that “the risks for black and green cars were also raised.”

This is likely due to darker cars’ abilities to blend into the road and their lowered visibility in dark conditions. A study by Monash University further supports this point, stating that “black, grey and silver vehicles were estimated to have the highest crash risks” compared to lighter-colored cars.” With white cars having the lowest rates of accidents, it might be time to reconsider your taste in car colors!^[2]

8 Ultra-Bright Headlights May Need to Be Toned Down

If you’ve driven down a dark road at night, you may be familiar with the feeling of being blinded by a driver who forgot to turn their high beams off. The bright, beaming lights can be disorienting and distracting for drivers. Unfortunately, car manufacturers are beginning to default to bright LED lights for headlights as opposed to more gentle light sources. As an article from NBC News states, “Vehicle headlights have shifted from primarily warm-yellowish halogen to cool-bluish LED, which human eyes are more sensitive to.”

The growing presence of bright LED headlights may be more convenient for the driver due to increased visibility, but this may be to the detriment of other drivers on the road. An article from The Telegraph reports that “around 300 accidents now occur every year due to headlight glare, with one survey finding that 91 per cent of motorists felt that headlights were too bright.” Since there’s not much that the average consumer can do to control the intensity of car headlights, it’ll be interesting to see if changes are made or if our eyes will just have to adjust!^[3]

7 Self-Driving Cars Aren’t as Advanced as We’d Like Them to Be

Self-driving cars have been a popular topic of discussion ever since they were conceptualized. The idea of being able to multitask while a car takes you to your destination sounds like a dream! However, this futuristic idea still needs tweaking before it becomes fully feasible. Cars with self-driving capabilities can put drivers at risk if they put full reliance on the car’s autopilot function. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that “self-driving vehicles are involved in double the number of accidents per mile driven as traditional vehicles.”

Car manufacturers are struggling to calibrate self-driving capabilities that are able to adapt to real-life, spontaneous situations such as unexpected obstacles, narrow streets, or undetected pedestrians. So, for those of you who have been saving up for a self-driving car, it might be time to reroute!^[4]

6 Tinted Windows Can Dull Your Visibility

Having dark-tinted windows provides its fair share of perks. Increased privacy, improved UV protection, and glare prevention make it easy to see why drivers would desire window tints. However, these perks may be outweighed by the safety hazards that come with tinted windows. A study published in the National Transportation Library researched the effects of window tints on traffic safety and found that “low contrast targets that are difficult to detect through untinted glazing at dusk, dawn, or at night will be harder to see or be undetectable when viewed through tinted windows.”

Additionally, an article by AAA cited that windows with dark tints “prevent a driver from communicating their intentions to other drivers and pedestrians, and vice versa, making driving inherently less safe.” If you’re still interested in getting your windows tinted, it probably is best to ensure that they meet your state’s standards so you can stay safe!^[5]

5 Bigger Cars Are Safer for the Driver at the Expense of Others

Cars are getting bigger, which has introduced new concerns among pedestrians, bikers, and drivers of smaller cars. Unfortunately, research has shown that the bigger the car, the bigger the danger to others on the road. A BBC article states that “SUVs and vans with a hood height greater than 40 inches (102cm) were about 45% more likely to cause fatalities than those with a height of 30 inches (76cm) or less.”

While the dangers for smaller cars are high, the dangers for pedestrians and bikers are much higher. A CNBC article reported that “the bigger the vehicle, the heavier they are, the more deadly they are during a crash, especially with vulnerable road users like pedestrians and bicyclists.” Fortunately, with the increased buzz around the sizing disparities among cars, there is a good chance that increased protections for smaller cars and pedestrians/bikers will become available in upcoming years.^[6]

4 Catchy Music Has Its Risks on the Road

If you drive a car, it’s more than likely that you listen to music during your commute. However, a recent study indicated that this may be a risk factor for younger drivers. A study published in the National Library of Medicine studied a group of young, novice drivers and found that while listening to music, “all participants committed at least 3 driver deficiencies; 27 needed a verbal warning/command, and 17 required a steering or braking intervention to prevent an accident.”

Having music in the background also “produced the most frequent severe driver miscalculations and inaccuracies, violations, and aggressive driving.” However, for music lovers, don’t lose heart! The study also observed “elevated positive moods and enjoyment for trips with driver-preferred music.” There is no need to avoid your favorite songs on your next road trip; just drive with caution while jamming out!^[7]

3 The Volume of Your Music Can Put You at Risk, Too

The next time you play music in your car while practicing caution on the road, make sure to pay attention to your volume as well. A study conducted by Memorial University of Newfoundland reported that “loud volume intensities impair human performance during simple vigilance and simulated driving tasks.” A study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine delved further into this statement by analyzing reaction times in relation to music volume.

The study found that “increased music volume yields slower reaction times in people under the age of 25, and this could present a problem for safe driving as the delayed reaction time of drivers can mean the difference between life and death when operating a motor vehicle.” But again, no need to fully cut out music from your commutes! As long as drivers know their own reaction times and observational skills in relation to their music, there’s no need to fear!^[8]

2 Overreliance on Safety Tech Could Be Drivers’ Downfalls

With the rising risks that are appearing on the roads, car manufacturers are trying to minimize accidents and injuries by implementing safety technology in cars. Backup cameras, blind spot monitoring, collision warnings, and ABS systems provide drivers with increased awareness and perception on the road. However, many drivers overestimate the capabilities of their car’s safety technology, and this can lead to hazardous situations.

A Forbes article reported that “Nearly 80% of drivers with blind spot monitoring systems were unaware of limitations or incorrectly believed the systems could accurately monitor the roadway behind the vehicle or reliably detect bicycles, pedestrians and vehicles passing at high speeds.”

With such a high percentage of drivers overestimating their car safety technology, this can lead to a higher rate of accidents and injuries if something goes wrong. So, if you have a car with safety technology, make sure you’re still checking your blind spots and paying attention to your surroundings!^[9]

1 Cars Are Risky, So It’s Important to Stay Safe!

Now that you know the risks of the road, it’s important to focus on safety. Cars are essential forms of transportation for many individuals, and the best thing you can do is stay up to date on how to best maneuver the roads to maximize both your safety and the safety of others.

Fortunately, as stated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “After spiking during the pandemic, traffic deaths are continuing to slowly come down.” However, we still have a long way to go before cars become a fully safe form of transportation. As long as you practice caution and care to other drivers and inspect your car to be 100% hazard-free, you’re helping the roads become a safer place!^[10]

We all take our ability to travel for granted. You can drive from Boston to New York in 4 hours. That trip took early English immigrants 1-2 weeks. They had to ration out provisions just to survive the journey.

Now cars are everywhere, and most humans on Earth use them daily. They’ve become appliances- just bigger, faster hairdryers and toasters. But when a toaster acts up, you might get a crispy bagel; when something goes wrong with your car, you might get a crispy person.

Car accidents are all too common, thanks partly to how comfortable we’ve become inside them, and some accidents are often fatal. Whether it’s due to weather, driver error, or sheer bad luck, some accidents leave a trail of death in their wake. It can be scary, not just because of the tragedy, but because we could so easily be in the victims’ place. Here are ten fatal car accidents that may freak you out, whether from sheer carnage or just the bizarre way in which they happened.

10 Coalinga Crash

Though this first crash isn’t as big as others on this list, it is just as freaky. That is due to how little happened to cause so much suffering. On State Route 33 in Coalinga, California, on New Year’s Day 2021, a man driving a Dodge Journey struck a Ford F150 head-on. There was no inclement weather; the man had not been drinking, nor did he fall asleep at the wheel. He simply lost control for a few brief seconds, drifted into another lane, and struck the Ford.

The man in the Dodge died in the collision. Though built to hold six, the Ford had eight passengers- a mother and seven children, all siblings and cousins. This means at least two kids weren’t wearing seatbelts. Worst of all, the collision somehow caused the Ford to go up in flames, and the blaze is what killed all eight passengers. It only took one sober adult a moment of distraction and error to cause the death of nine people, including seven children.

9 Paul Walker

Paul Walker was an actor known primarily for his starring role in the Fast & the Furious franchise. The role was not a stretch for Walker; he was a car collector and enthusiast and raced cars semi-professionally. The man knew his way around a vehicle. That’s why it was so surprising when he died in a car crash.

Walker was a passenger when he died, though the driver was a man named Roger Rodas, who was also a professional racer and with whom Walker collaborated on many automotive endeavors. The two were semi-experts in handling performance cars. That, combined with the clear, sunny day at the time of the accident; the lack of substances in either man’s systems; and the fact that the road on which they died was well known to the men, makes it a bit strange that they crashed. Both died, with Walker in the middle of shooting Furious 7. And no, they were neither drifting nor drag-racing.

8 Carnage Alley

On September 3, 1999, on Ontario Highway 401, a sudden bout of fog was all that was required to cause an 87 car pileup that killed eight and injured another 45. The area relied on a local weather monitoring station to issue warnings for fog, rain, snow, etc. but for some reason, the station failed to detect that day’s fog bank.

The fog rolled in across the highway and reduced visibility to less than one meter, which caused the first collision between two semis. This created a chain reaction of collisions that ballooned to 87 vehicles, many of them aflame, which local police described as “a massive fireball.” The extent of the horror earned that stretch of highway the nickname “Carnage Alley.”

7 Stuck in Snow but Burned Alive

This story is hard to hear, as it somehow transforms routine, mundane behavior into a grisly death. In early February, a New Jersey man was driving down a snowy road when the conditions caused him to slide off the road into a shallow embankment. It was a relatively slow, non-violent accident, and the man was completely unhurt. He began rocking the car back and forth and revving his engine to free it from the snow, often the norm in that situation.

Police arrived on the scene and told the man to stop trying to free the car, that it was no use. Instead, they told him to wait for a tow truck to arrive. The man ignored their advice, continued revving the engine, and the car suddenly erupted in flames. The man was unable to free himself from the vehicle, and the sudden blaze killed him. A simple strategy for dislodging a car from the snow ended in a horrific case of someone burned alive.

6 Head Stuck

23-year-old Victoria Strauss died in a unique and terrifying way. She was leaving a parking garage in her car and stopped at the kiosk to pay for her time parked. Security camera footage shows that Strauss accidentally dropped her credit card while attempting to pay, and so opened her door and leaned down to the ground to pick it up.

It was then that she accidentally pressed her car’s gas pedal with her foot while stretching down, causing the vehicle to lurch forward. When her body was found, around six hours later, her head was pinned between the side of her car and the payment kiosk. The sudden trauma to her head killed her. A promising graduate student in social work, Strauss died in the most random, unpredictable accident imaginable.

5 Macho Man Randy Savage

This accident involved one death, and luckily also includes one survivor. What makes it freaky is that the crash itself didn’t kill anyone, and no one- driver or passenger- was at fault. Macho Man Randy Savage was a professional wrestler from the 80s and is one of the all-time greats. His popularity and impact on the industry were massive. On the morning of May 20, 2011, Savage was driving his Jeep with his wife in the passenger seat. Suddenly, he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree. Savage died, his wife survived.

The crash did not kill him. Unbeknownst to Savage, he had had advanced coronary artery disease. On that morning, the disease caused him to have a heart attack while driving, which caused him to lose control. The crash itself caused almost no damage to either Savage or his wife; it was an unknown, underlying health issue that was the true culprit. It is freaky to know that this situation is plausible for anyone at any time.

4 Found Hanging from Freeway Sign

On the Monday of October 30, 2015, 20-year-old Richard Pananian was in a hurry. Driving down the 5 Freeway in Los Angeles, California, Pananian was speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, and illegally passing cars on the right shoulder of the highway. Pananian then clipped the back of a Ford F150, spun out of control, and rolled towards an embankment.

The car’s momentum carried it up the embankment until it suddenly stopped, causing Pananian to be ejected from the vehicle. He flew some twenty feet into the air and smacked into an exit ramp sign. His lifeless body came to rest on the sign and hung there, serving as a tragic, grisly reminder of the dangers of unsafe driving until firefighters were able to bring his body down two hours later.

3 Anton Yelchin

Anton Yelchin was a young actor, best known for his portrayal of Pavel Chekov, an engineer aboard the Enterprise in J. J. Abram’s Star Trek reboots. On June 18, 2016, Yelchin failed to arrive at a rehearsal and friends went to his house to find them.

Find him they did. Yelchin was dead, his body pinned between his Jeep and one of his gateposts. Police determined that Yelchin had driven his Jeep part of the way from his gate to his house and gotten out to lock the gate or check his mail. The Jeep then rolled backward and struck him, pinning him between it and the gatepost. He died from the collision, and in doing so became a tragic member of Hollywood’s 27 Club.

2 Carrollton Bus Crash

The Carrollton bus collision is an accident that famously led to renewed support for- and created the future president of- MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving. On the night of May 14, 1988, on Interstate 71 in Kentucky, a pickup truck collided with a school bus filled with 66 members of a church youth group. The group had visited a theme park that day and were on their way home.

Larry Wayne Mahoney had been drinking heavily and at the time of the accident, he was driving the wrong way on the highway. Though the collision itself did little damage to the bus, it did cause the bus to erupt in flames. The many passengers scrambled to escape through the rear of the bus, but in the chaos, many were unlucky. The bus driver and 26 children burned to death in the bus, and 34 more children were injured. Mahoney served less than ten years in prison, to the outrage of many.

1 1955 Le Mans disaster

Called “the worst motorsports accident in history” and one of the deadliest vehicular accidents of all time, the Le Mans disaster is an almost unimaginable tragedy. On June 11, 1955, during the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The specifics of the crash have been detailed again and again, broken down into second-by-second steps, but all that is important here is that two race cars collided, sending one into a crowd of spectators.

Pieces of the car broke apart and flew into the crowd, killing an astounding 83 people and injuring as many as 178 others. One particular piece of ghoulish detail is that the car’s hood, having detached from the car’s body, flew off into the crowd, spinning. It was precisely at neck level and sped along, “decapitating tightly jammed spectators like a guillotine.”

At some point in our lives, we all have to buy a car. Whether it be brand new or second hand, we usually end up going through a dealer. This list is designed to help you save money by not being ripped off by the little tricks that dealers use to maximize their profit and your loss. Be sure to give other tips for saving on a new car in the comments.

This is the most obvious of ways a car dealer makes a profit. The difference between the dealer cost (invoice) and MSRP is typically 5-10%. This may not sound like a ton of mark-up, but when you consider that you’re dealing with thousands of dollars then the profit margin could be quite significant. For example, a car that a dealer pays $30,000 could generate a profit of around three-thousand dollars. And then multiple that times a few hundred cars a month, and a car dealer could make almost a million dollars a month on mark-up alone.

When a dealer sells a new car (not a pre-owned), the sale is RDR’d to the manufacturer (basically informing the manufacturer that one of their units has been sold). Once this sale has been verified, the manufacturer pays the dealer a set amount of money for “hold-back” and advertising. This amount is listed on the invoice in a less-than-obvious location and is often abbreviated/written in a way that a customer will be unable to figure out the information in the event he sees the actual invoice. For example: if an educated customer will only pay a certain percentage over invoice, then that percentage is calculated by the “invoice” price before any “hold-back” or advertising is deducted. Once the deal is funded and the contract is RDR’d, the manufacturer will send the dealer a pretty substantial amount of money (I’ve seen some “hold-back” and advertising fees as much as $1500).

When a person trades in a car, the dealer will surely attempt to undervalue the trade to make an immediate profit, and then a profit later when the trade is sold. The immediate profit comes from what is called the ACV (actual cash value). If a trade is really worth $11,500 (ACV) and the dealer only shows the customer $10, 500, then there is an immediate thousand dollar profit from the start. The trick is to know where a dealer gets his appraisal information (the most common are Black Book and Manheim Auction Reports. Dealers will RARELY match Kelly Blue Book and NADA) and work off that number to get a fair value for your trade. The other means the dealer will make a profit is when he sells your trade in. There are many financial and credit factors that can generate a profit from your trade. Simple example: your trade is bought from the dealer for $10,000. The dealer will then send your car through service and detail and make sure it is prepped for retail and safe to drive (he’ll also insure the car in most instances). Your old car will now be put up for sale for $13,999. Now, here’s where many factors come is based on the potential buyers situation. The lenders will “book out” a car based on a standard process (typically, a program called Dealer-Track will provide access to NADA for the banks and the dealerships to see how much a car can be sold for). Banks will loan a certain percentage of the cars loan value based on the customer’s credit worthiness. Let’s say the car “books out” for $13,125 (this is 100%), and the potential buyer has great credit. The lender will loan up to 135% of the cars value for that customer. Which means the dealer can sell the car to that well-qualified customer for over $17,000 and make a nice profit ($7,000). On the other hand, if a person has poor credit, then the banks will loan less than 100% and the dealer will have to take the deal at a lesser profit, or the customer will have to put some cash down to generate a profit the dealer will agree to.

New and Used cars are “packed.” This is a number that is immediately added to the car (in addition to the already existing mark-up). This is typically money that goes to pay the owner. The amount of pack varies between dealerships, new, used, etc, but I have never seen a “pack” less than $500. I’ve even seen some cars “packed” $1500. Let’s say a dealership sell 250 cars in one month, and the average “pack” is $1000: the owner makes a nice quarter million dollars a month on “pack” alone (3 million a year- not a bad salary).

This is the biggest farce of them all. This is a dollar amount the dealer says goes to pay for the process of handling your paperwork, tag work, title work, tax work, loaner car, etc. The doc fees will fluctuate from dealer to dealer (I’ve seen $299 to $699). This is a legitimate process that does require paying a handful of people for their work, but- in no way does it cost anywhere close to the amount they’re charging. Most of the paperwork can be done is a few minutes and over the phone, internet, fax, etc. The overage naturally goes into management’s pockets.

Bad bad business practice right here. A “bump sticker” is legitimate-looking sticker that the dealer places next to the manufacturer’s window sticker with a higher priced MSRP than the actual MSRP. The dealer will try and justify this added cost by suggesting the car had some special product applied to the paint or the fabric, or some window etching was done, or they’ll try and itemize all the work that needed to be done to get the car prepped for retail (insurance, gas, detail, service, PDI- [post delivery inspection], etc), or they might try and tell you that this car had additional mark up because it’s a “hot item” and people are paying over retail for that car. It’s all a joke and educationally insulting. The theory is once the “bump sticker” is negotiated away, then the customer will feel that he got a pretty substantial discount, when- in fact- he’s simply paid full MSRP for the car: not a very good deal.

When a customer agrees to numbers, they will have to go the F and I office (Finance and Insurance) to finalize the car deal. This is where all the legal forms are signed, etc. However, this is also where a lot of money is made for the dealership. One of the big money makers in the car business comes from the sale of Extended Service Contracts (extended warranty). I would say nine out of ten extended warranties will cover things that are never likely to break. Additionally, you’ll need to pay a deductible (on top of the $1400 dollars you just paid for the warranty) each time you try and use the warranty. The mark up for this product is typically mandated by the state you live in, but you can expect to pay twice its original value. One good thing about an extended service agreement is that most of them are refundable (prorated based on what you haven’t used). Additionally, a certified pre-owned model is typically a better bet than an extended service agreement (because it’s backed by the manufacturer’s name. Extended warranties are typically backed by the private dealer with a lot less public reputation at stake).

Now this is a product that I strongly recommend you buy: it could turn out to worth its weight in gold. However, you don’t have to pay $599 for it at the dealership when you can get it at your local credit union for $150. Basically, GAP insurance satisfies the car loan in the event of theft or total loss. Your insurance company will only pay ACV for your loss, but GAP insurance picks up the “negative equity” you have remaining on your loan. For example: My car is worth $11,000, but I owe $16,000. In the event of a total loss of my car, the insurance company will only pay my lender $11,000 towards the loan leaving me having to come out of my pocket $5000 to satisfy the loan. However, GAP insurance pays the difference and I’m off Scott free to go buy a new car free and clear of any additional payment on the lost car.

A person with good credit should never have to put a down payment towards the purchase of a new car. However, there are some instances where it may be a necessary (too much negative equity in trade, personal need to lower monthly note, etc). But typically, if a customer is satisfied with their payment, and they don’t have a significant amount of negative equity, then the bank should have no problem lending money to a well qualified buyer. Sometimes a salesman or sales manager will say ‘The lender is requiring 20% down,” or they might say “You’re going to have to pay your taxes in cash. The bank will finance the car, but they will not finance any taxes or fees.” This is a lie. If you can secure your own financing (personal bank, credit union, etc) before you buy, then that would be in your best interest and eliminate a lot of the shenanigans that can happen at the dealership. Additionally, when the sales managers offer is itemized with a down payment and payment listed, the payment- more times than not- can be retained without the requested money down. Down payments usually result in sheer profit for the dealership.

This little gem is another reason car dealers get a bad rap. When a sales manager submits your application to lenders for approval, the lenders will reply with what’s called a “call back.” The “call back” details the requirements for the loan. Example: let’s say the sales manager submits the numbers to a prime lender- we’ll use BB & T- for approval. BB & T will reply with terms (24/36/48/60/72 months), maximum amount financed, stip’s (proof of income, proof or residency, references, etc), and what’s called a “buy rate.” The “buy rate” is the interest rate the lender has approved for the loan- let’s use 7.9%. Well, here’s where the finance manager can steal from you. Typically, the lender will allow the dealership to make 2 points of rate if you’re still ok with the payment. That means the rate you’ve earned is 7.9%, but the dealer can contract you at 9.9% and the bank will pay the dealer the overage from the rate. This puts LOTS of cash in their pockets. Next time you buy a car and finance with one of the dealerships banks ask the finance manager to see the call back from the bank and compare that rate with the interest rate he’s trying to sign you up for. If he refuses, then he’s holding points of rate and he doesn’t want you to see that he’s trying to get you to pay a higher rate.

Contributor: Kay Jay