Road Service

Modern cars provide safety for adults, but it is up to parents to provide the special protection needed for children. However, there are many different types of Child seats out there today, which can make it confusing for adults to know what to choose for their child. There are three different types of seats.

Infant car seats are designed to be rear facing. These seats are for infants that weigh less than 20 pounds and are less than one year old. One advantage to this seat is that you can unclip it from its base and carry your baby in it.

Convertible seats offer versatility. These seats can be used with infants that are rear facing, or children less than 40 pounds that are forward facing. You can purchase these seats in various configurations; so make sure you do your homework to secure your child correctly. These seats are cost effective because with this type of seat you don’t ever have to purchase an infant seat.

Booster seats are intermediate seats between the infant or convertible seat and a seat belt. These seats are designed for kids between 40-65 pounds and face forward. These seats come in low-back and high-back models. You don’t want to buy a low-back type if you have a child whose head is above the top of the back.

Don’t get overwhelmed with the child safety seat options. Do your homework so you know what to look at when you go to the store. It is important for you to be responsible for your child’s safety. This includes purchasing an appropriate car seat and having a road service program so that you don’t find yourself stranded on the side of the road with your child.

Most people would agree that shopping for tires is not one of the most fun things to shop for. Basically, we would just like to find a set of tires that will fit our car and keep us from calling for road service. Nevertheless, there are a few things that you should be aware of before going tire shopping.

First of all, you should buy new tires. Saving a few dollars is not worth sacrificing traction and performance. Your safety should be your first priority, so don’t buy used tires.

Next, you need to know what the factory size of your tires is. You can find this out by looking on the inside of the door hinge located on the driver’s side.

Do your homework and shop around for good tire deals. It is easy to make price comparisons online, just make sure you factor in shipping and installation costs. Tiretrack.com is a good website that has practically every tire and they offer good deals. Also, you can read reviews from other customers who have bought the tires you plan on buying.

Finally, do some research on different tires before you make a purchase. All tires aren’t created equal and the expensive ones aren’t necessarily the best.

Although tires aren’t most people’s favorite things to shop for, they are an important part of your car. Following these tips will allow you to get good tires at a low price. After all, nobody likes to be stuck with a flat tire calling for emergency roadside assistance.

The riskiest time for car crashes are between midnight and six o’clock in the morning.  This is because there are the fewest drivers at this time of day, yet more accidents.  If you need to drive during these hours it is important to consider some important factors.  Safe driving at night calls for preparation, alertness, as well as common sense.  Here are some tips.

First of all, ensure that your headlights are aimed properly.  You should consult your service manual to determine the proper procedure.

Next, don’t focus on the headlights of oncoming cars.  This can blind you for five seconds until your eyes are able to adjust.

Don’t drive if you are feeling sleepy, instead pull off of the road and get some sleep.  Don’t substitute caffeine, loud music, or putting down the windows for sleep.  These tactics are unreliable and may leave you calling for emergency roadside assistance.

Finally, don’t allow yourself to stare at the centerline because it can cause “highway hypnosis,” in which your reaction time is impaired, instead, keep looking around and moving your eyes.

Follow these simple tips to keep yourself safe when driving at night.  In addition, make sure that you have a road service program in case of an emergency.  You don’t want to find yourself stranded in your car at night.

The heart of the cooling system in a vehicle is the water pump.  It serves the purpose of circulating engine coolant through the entire system, starting with the radiator, then to the engine and back.  The water pump allows you to use air conditioning when it’s hot out.

The vehicle’s engine powers the water pump so that it works correctly.  It uses either a gear and chain system or a belt and pulley.  The pump generates power that goes to a shaft with an impeller.

The impeller circulates the coolant throughout the vehicle.  The impeller can be compared to a propeller that makes a boat move.

The impeller and shaft spin on a sealed bearing.  Checking this part of the water pump is essential because it wears out easily.  You can look for coolant that is leaking and an odd noise.  Also be aware that a wet engine is an indicator that you should replace your water pump.

If you notice any of these signs, it is time to replace your water pump.  Also, it is a good idea to have a road service program just in case of emergencies.  After all, you can’t always foresee when your car will fail you.

Often, drivers who have a big SUV feel a false sense of security.  People feel that just because they are in a large vehicle nothing can happen to them.

Yet, the truth is that SUVs are much more likely to roll in an accident than other cars.  And approximately 35% of fatalities in car accidents occur because of rolling.  Also, it was recently discovered by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that the strength of a SUVs roof is directly correlated to the risk of injury to the occupants.  In other words, if a vehicle’s roof is made stronger, it can reduce injuries.

The U.S. government currently requires cars to be able to withstand a force 1.5 times the car’s weight before it reaches 5 inches of crush.  For safety reasons, the government would like to change that to 2.5 times the weight of the vehicle.

Drivers never know if they are going to be involved in a car accident.  Drivers should protect themselves by buying a safe vehicle, having a road service program, and taking safety precautions while driving.

Thousands of people die every year as the result of auto accidents. Some simple safety knowledge could have prevented these crashes. Here are some tips to help you drive safely and to keep you from having to make road service calls.

First, if you are on any medications, take a close look at your product label to check if there are any side effects that could affect your driving. You don’t want to get on the road if your medicine causes drowsiness.

Next, make sure that children are restrained securely and appropriately for their size and age. Children under 12 years of age need to be in the back seat. Just by putting your children in the back you can reduce deaths and injuries 30%.

Driver inattention is one of the leading causes of car crashes. Drivers should eliminate distractions by staying off of cell phones and refraining from playing with gadgets on the dashboard.

Finally, it is a good idea to have a safety kit in your vehicle. It should have a flashlight, first aid kit, water, nonperishable foods, blankets, and jumper cables. Of course, the most important tool is a cell phone that will allow you to make a call for emergency roadside assistance.

Most motorists have experienced the drowsy driving syndrome. Either you’ve been the driver yourself or you’ve been in the passenger seat. Many wrecks and road service calls can be avoided if drivers aren’t drowsy. Here are some signs to look for in a drowsy driver.

If the driver is weaving drowsiness may be setting in. The driver doesn’t perform as many steering corrections, which means that the ones made are more severe and jerky.

Often drivers become very quiet or rely on conversation to stay awake. Conversation often doesn’t make a lot of sense.

If the driver passes over rumble strips they need to pull over and take a rest. This could mean that they actually fell asleep for a second, or that they are so tired that they can’t stay on the road.

The neck jerk is always a tell tale sign. This is when the driver falls asleep for a moment and then their neck jerks and they wake up.

Never get on the road drowsy, and never get in a car with a drowsy driver. There have been many calls for emergency roadside assistance due to drowsy drivers.

This is the fourth year in a row that the Toyota Prius has ranked as the top vehicle for owner satisfaction. In fact, 92% of Prius car owners claimed that they would buy or lease this car again. Following closely behind the Prius is the BMW 335i coupe convertible and the Porsche Boxster. These cars had scores of 91 and 90.

Ranking the lowest of all was the minivans by GM. These are the Chevrolet Uplander, Buick Terraza, and Saturn Relay, with a score of 34.

These scores are based on a question asked to Consumer Reports subscribers. They answered the question, “Considering all factors (price, performance, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.), would you get this car if you had it to do all over again?”

The survey by Consumer Reports received responses about over 414,000 cars, which allowed scoring for over 300 car models. This survey is important to consider when purchasing a vehicle. Listening to this information could save you from having to call for road service.

Teenage drivers add a significant amount of cost to a family’s auto insurance.  This is because insurance is based on the likelihood of a driver getting into a car crash.  According to statistics, young drivers who are inexperienced account for a large amount of auto accidents. This is why a road service program is essential for them. So, what can parents do to eliminate some of the cost?  Here are some tips.

First of all, make an effort to qualify for as many discounts as you can.  You might be able to classify your teenager as a driver who is “occasional”, instead of a primary one.

Next, ensure that your teen has taken a driver’s education class.  This can qualify them for an insurance discount.  Also, having them take a defensive driving class might reduce premiums.

Avoid buying a high performance, sporty car that your teen might get into trouble with.  Insurers frown upon these vehicles.

Finally, if your adolescent goes away for college without taking the car, it is likely that you can drop them from your insurance policy.

These simple tips will save you money on insurance and save your teen from calling for emergency roadside assistance.  It is a win, win situation for everyone.

Many motorists have been in the situation where an object hits their windshield and a big crack shows up.  Your windshield might even end up bad enough that you have to call your road service program.  However, when do you know if it necessary to replace the windshield or if the crack can just be fixed?

Windshield repair or replacement depends on the location, size and severity of damage.  Windshield shops can usually repair chips the size of a quarter, as well as cracks reaching three inches.  For bigger damage it is recommended that you replace your windshield.

The location of the damage is also a big factor in whether you can keep your windshield.  When a crack is at the edge of your windshield it can affect the structure of the glass.  In this case it is usually best to replace your windshield.

Many facilities won’t repair a chip if it’s in the direct line of the driver’s vision.  The repair process may result in minor glass distortions, which are unsafe for the driver. After all, you don’t want to end up calling for emergency roadside assistance.

Keep in mind, whatever the location or size of the glass damage, it is necessary to have it looked at right away.  Waiting can result in dirt getting in the damaged area, which can affect the repair job.