Tips on Auto Care Safety
For many of us, our car is an essential part of our life. We use it to go to work, drop our kids off at school, and for recreation. For it to work, your car must be taken care of. Sometimes minor problems can occur to our car, and because they don't actually cause the car to now work, we ignore them. However, a minor problem or an accumulation of minor problems can turn into much bigger, costly disasters in the long run if they are not nipped in the bud immediately.
Glass care is an important part of driving safety. You must be able to see out of the glass on all sides of your vehicle or your safety and your passengers' safety could be in jeopardy. Be sure to clean both inside and outside of the glass frequently -- this can decrease your chances of getting into an accident by about 50%!
Dents and dings in your car can be taken care of by a paint-less dent removal service, which means you won't even have to visit a traditional body shop. Invest in a headlight cleaning and restoration kit, which will help you freshen up cloudy headlights and improve your driving at night.
Most auto products that are used to complete the above tasks can be found at hardware stores and on the Internet. Make a few small time and monetary investments now to make a big difference in your safety behind the wheel.
Check Your Automotive Fluids, Including Oil
Every car, particularly those that are over 5 years old, should check your automotive fluids regularly, at least once every 1 to 2 weeks.
One of the most important fluids to watch is your oil. Check your oil after your car has been parked on a level surface for several hours. Pull out the dipstick (the skinny piece of metal next to the engine) and wipe it off. Place it back into its hole all the way and pull out again. Every stick is different, but each will tell you whether you are full or need to add oil based on how your particular dipstick is marked; it may say "full" or "add" or some other notation.
Some other liquids that should be checked regularly include windshield washer fluid, coolant level, power steering (if necessary), and brake fluids.
How to Safely Get Your Car Out of Snow
If you have spent any time in a cold-weather climate, you may have some experience driving in snowy or icy conditions. When conditions become perilous, your car may inevitably get stuck. If this happens, follow these steps to safely remove your car out of the snow:
- Get out of your car and assess which direction you will likely be able to regain traction. Take out your snow shovels and clear yourself a path.
- Shovel some sand or gravel under the tires as the tread must come into contact with the sand. Next, spread a path of sand over the clear area.
- Try to move the car forward while being light on the accelerator. If you have others with you who are physically able to push the car, then ask them to do so. Be sure they are on the side of the car and not behind it in case the car slides backward.
- If the car still won't move, repeat this process as many times as it takes. (You may simply have to call a towing service.) If your car does move, keep up momentum without allowing your tires to spin.
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