December 7th, 2006 by admin
Safety tips for driving in harsh storm conditions.
If you find yourself caught in a thunderstorm that is especially severe, the following tips will help keep you and your passengers safe.
- Make sure your windshield wipers and tires are safe for wet weather in case you cannot avoid driving.
- If you possibly can, just stay off the roads altogether until bad weather passes. If you must drive, keep to short distances. Should visibility become a problem, pull over to the shoulder as soon as it is safe. Stay away from trees that could fall on your car. Turn on your emergency blinkers so you will be as visible as possible to other cars.
- Know what station broadcasts weather, news or traffic conditions constantly. If you don’t know the station, turn on the radio anyway, as you will still get updates from local radio stations, though they may not be as frequent.
- Avoid using your high beams, but do turn on your headlights.
- Decrease your speed. Wet roads mean that you need more room to stop your car.
- Keep ample distance between you and the next car for sudden braking.
- Even if there is a great deal of lightning, stay in your car as it provides better protection that being in the open, and avoid touching anything metal in your car that may conduct electricity.
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December 4th, 2006 by admin
What’s a Better Gift Than Peace of Mind?
You might think that the gift of Auto Road Service would get you an odd look, to say the least. But there are actually circumstances or people where the gift of emergency road side assistance is actually quite appropriate.
- People who like practical gifts would love to get Auto Road Service.
You know the folks I mean. They would rather have an ice scraper than a pair of earrings, or a pair of gloves or socks over an electronic gadget. Just make sure they’ve said that they like practical gifts.
- Anytime you’re personally buying someone a car, it’s a great way to introduce the bigger gift.
Picture this. You got your wife her first hybrid and she has no idea. Christmas morning after all the kids have all their gifts, you slip her a small box. She opens it up and there’s a card in it with the Auto Road Service number on it. When she says, “Honey, why would I need Road Service. I don’t have a car, ” take her down the block to where you hid the car.
- Let’s say their first car is a gift from the family to a teenager, and everyone in the family gets them car-related stocking stuffers. It’s one of those things new drivers forget.
- Speaking of which, if you know someone whose car is prone to an occasional break-down, the gift of Auto Road Service as a stocking stuffer says, “I care”.
- If you have a close knit small business, packaged correctly it can be an appropriate gift, and it’s a bit more thoughtful than a calendar.
November 30th, 2006 by admin
Seven Things to Do for Better Auto Repair Service
- Know the schedule of your upcoming repairs
- Walk around your car each evening when you park it, and examine your car frequently.
- If a problem occurs, document as much as possible – when it started, what the car is doing differently than it was before.
- Give your docuentation of any problems in writing when you can
- Read your owner’s manual – get familiar with your car
- Log all repairs and services
- Know what you don’t know – don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Equipped with knowledge of your car, and its ongoing condition, you’ll be more confident when you take your car in for service.
November 29th, 2006 by admin
No matter what time of year it is, keeping these tips in mind will keep you that much safer on the road.
Here are Nine of the Top Safety Tips for General Safe Driving.
- Remember the basics of driving – some of them are in the driver’s handbook you get for the driving test.
- Take all safety precautions, even on short trips – buckle up and check your brakes often.
- Never driver through standing water.
- Keep space around you, including an extra route. When the weather outside is frightful, leave even more space between you and other drivers.
- Be extra wary at intersections, even when you’re cruising through on a green light.
- Stay alert – don’t drive when you haven’t had enough sleep and always keep your attention focused on the road.
- Don’t tangle with bad drivers. Let people riding your bumper and speeders just drive pass you.
- If you find yourself in a situation where you must pass another vehicle, expecially a tractor trailer, don’t linger in their blind spot.
- Even in areas where cars are stationary, be observant. A parked car could suddenly pull out in front of you. A pedestrian could cross in the middle of the street at a busy light.
See Also
- Auto Road Service
Get full emergency auto road service coverage and travel benefits too.
November 28th, 2006 by admin
You may find yourself driving overseas at some point in your life. Here’s where to get international road safety information.
The US State Department’s website has a resoure section especially for Americans who find themselves driving overseas. From their site:
An estimated 1.17 million deaths occur each year worldwide due to road accidents. The majority of these deaths, about 70 percent, occur in developing countries. Sixty-five percent of deaths involve pedestrians and 35 percent of pedestrian deaths are children. Over 10 million people are crippled or injured each year.
It is estimated that more than 200 U.S. citizens die each year due to road accidents abroad.
The majority of road crash victims (injuries and fatalities) in developing countries are not the motor vehicle occupants, but pedestrians, motorcyclists, bicyclists and non-motor vehicles (NMV) occupants. U.S. citizens are urged to review the Road Safety segment of Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs Consular Information Sheets and the country-specific links below for any country in which you intend to drive or travel by road as a passenger.
You can find the country-specific information linked from their Roadside Safety Overseas section.
See Also
- Auto Road Service
Get full emergency auto road service coverage and travel benefits too.
November 24th, 2006 by admin
This time of year, rain and snow can affect your ability to see – learn how to best drive under these conditions.
For drivers who live in the parts of the country that get rain and snow this time of the year, these tips are likely well known already. Those of us visiting during the holidays from sunnier states could use a refresher that tells us how to modify our driving behavior to deal with the visibility issues that inclement weather conditions create.
Driving speed should of course, always be moderate, and safe. With bad weather, it’s especially important to maintain not only slower speeds, but those that allow enough time for sudden stops on the road without hitting another vehicle. It’s also important not to drive so slow that you become a hazard to the other drivers on the road.
If you have an urgent roadside matter that causes you to pull off the road, make sure that you move your vehicle completely out of the roadway. In rainy or snowy weather, drivers tend to follow the lights on the rear of the car in front of them – you don’t want anyone to mistake your car for being on the road when it is pulled off the main throughfare. For this reason, also turn on your hazard lights and avoid pressing the brake while your car is pulled over and already stationary.
See Also
- Auto Road Service
Get full emergency auto road service coverage and travel benefits too.
November 23rd, 2006 by admin
A few things to check during your holiday road trip. Part three of a series.
As the holiday driving season comes to a close, you’ll still want to make sure that on the way back, you’re just as safe as you were when you set out on the first leg of your trip. Not only should you check all the things you checked before you leave, but before you even set out on the road, there are a few things you should have a professional look at first.
- Your exhaust system needs to be checked completely. Your automobile will need to be placed on a lift for a proper check.
- You can spot check for wear and tear on your tires, but if you may need your tires rotated or replaced as well.
- Battery and electrical system checks are best performed by professionals. In fact, you need professional equipment to check for battery weakness.
- If you haven’t done your own oil change before, it’s best to take your car into the shop.
Safe Traveling! We hope you had a pleasant holiday season.
See Also
- Auto Road Service
Get full emergency auto road service coverage and travel benefits too.
November 20th, 2006 by admin
A few things to check before you take a holiday road trip. Part two of a series.
Most holiday travelers are getting to their Thanksgiving dinners on the road this year, if not for the entire trip, then at some point in their journey. For the safest possible trip, here are a few more checkpoints from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.
- Check your oil levels and filters before you travel. If needed, make sure you have an oil change.
- Make sure the heat in your car is operational.
- Test the lights inside and outside your car. Clear snow, ice, or dirt from your lights if needed.
- Check to make sure your defroster works – don’t forget your rear defroster if you have one.
In the final part of this series, we will look at checks that are best performed by professionals.
See Also
- Auto Road Service
Get full emergency auto road service coverage and travel benefits too.
November 18th, 2006 by admin
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers reminds drivers to check their tire pressure, especially before a long road trip.
Over Thanksgiving weekend, 91 percent of people traveling over the weekend in the United States will do so by car, based on figures supported by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
This highlights the importance of checking tire pressure when traveling, as under-inflated tires can contribute to both safety and fuel economy issues. A new site from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers has been launched to help holiday travelers become familiar with how to examine tire pressure, and to raise awareness of the issues improper tire pressure can create.
"Our goal is to urge the driving public to check their vehicle’s tire pressure at least once a month and before going on long driving trips," said Fred Webber, President and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.
"Vehicles are being equipped with Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems and we want to educate the driving public about what these new symbols mean in their vehicles and why maintaining proper tire pressure is important."
You can visit the site at http://www.checkmytires.com/.
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November 15th, 2006 by admin
A few things to check before you take a holiday road trip. Part one of a series.
A holiday road trip would be stressful enough without a break down. Checking a few things before you leave will greatly lessen your chances of being stranded in the chilly (or wet) winter weather.
- Make sure your wipers work properly. Whether you are facing wet weather, ice or snow, you never realize how much you depend on your wipers until they don’t work correctly. Keep a spare just in case.
- Fix any engine problems. If your car idles, stalls or has periodic problems turning over, now is the time to nip it in the bud.
- Change filters as needed. Air, fuel or PCV filters especially are worth a double-check.
We’ll have more holiday related tips in this series as we get closer to celebrating Thanksgiving here in the States.
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