Jul 4, 2020 | Accident prevention, Car Accidents, Uncategorized
Whether you’re in the kitchen or behind the wheel, what you smell can tell you a lot about a situation. When it comes to car smells in particular, there are a few in particular that you need to watch out for. From sweet to sickly and everything in between, our guide is here to help you be prepared in case something strange wafts up your nose when you’re behind the wheel. Furthermore, consider performing routine maintenance to combat these issues before they ever begin.
Car Smells: What to Watch For
Sweet syrup
The smell of sweet syrup might seem like one of the more pleasant car smells. However, it actually can indicate a major issue. In particular, this sort of smell could indicate a possible problem with your engine’s cooling system.
This sweet smell tends to come from ethylene glycol, which is a crucial component in your engine’s coolant. When you smell this, it may be because your radiator or a hose has sprung a leak. This is something you’ll want to get fixed as soon as you can, and thankfully, it usually isn’t too complicated. You may just need to get a new hose or heater core, and then you’ll be good to go.
Burning smells
Other car smells to watch for are any burning ones. A constant burning rubber smell probably doesn’t have anything to do with your tires. Rather, it could be due to a shifting drive belt, which may be rubbing up against another engine component. This can be seen just by looking into the engine, just make sure you give it time to cool down first!
A burning carpet smell, on the other hand, may be coming from your brakes. Now, if you’ve been using the brakes a lot, this isn’t something to worry about. However, if it lingers, then you may have a problem with your brake pads and should inspect them to see if they need replacing.
Rancid smells
Rancid car smells are definitely not pleasant. Not only that, but they could indicate some serious issues with your car. For instance, old locker room-like scents could be due to mildew forming in your car’s air filter. Running the fan on high for a few minutes can fix the problem.
A rotten egg-like smell coming from underneath your car might be from a failed catalytic converter. It could be that all you need is to replace your fuel filter. More-serious issues may need you to go even further and have the entire converter itself replaced.
Jan 22, 2020 | Car Accidents, Driver Safety
No one likes to think about what happens when things go wrong while on the road. However, it always helps to be prepared just in case of emergencies. That’s why it’s important to know how to handle a car breakdown. That way, you can keep yourself safe even when on the busier roads…
Car Breakdown Management: Roadside Trouble
Get off the road
The first thing you’ll want to do when handling a car breakdown is to get off the road as soon as you can. You should turn on your hazards lights to let other drivers know something is wrong. That way, they’ll know they should give you some space for you to get off the road. You’ll want to keep your hazards on until your car is either fixed or towed.
Ideally, you’ll want to pull over on the right shoulder of the road in the event of a car breakdown. This will give you the most space away from the road. If that’s not an option, try and get into the right lane and look for a place to pull off if you can. Only go onto the left shoulder if you have no other options. If you’re in a residential area, then you can try to pull into a parking spot or lot.
Make sure you’re safe
Once you’ve pulled over, your priority should be making sure you’re safe. Make sure that the coast is clear before you get out of your car, especially when on a busy highway. It might be a safer idea to stay in your car instead, for example if the weather is poor. However, if you see any fire or smell smoke during a car breakdown, you should get out of your car quickly.
Once you’re safe, you can give your car a look over. You can try to see if there are any obvious signs of problems. Popping the hood is handy not only for checking your engine, but also as a universal signal to others of a car breakdown.
Call for help
Once the situation is under control, it’s time to call for help. Much like with other car problems, you won’t want to handle a car breakdown by yourself. If you have a roadside assistance provider, then you’ll want to give them a call. If that’s not an option, then a local towing company or even 911 can help you with getting yourself and your car to safety.
Dec 27, 2019 | Accident prevention, Car Accidents
Driving can already be stressful enough dealing with other drivers. However, you’ll also have to keep an eye out for wild animals too. Animal accidents can be quite scary, as well as costly. That’s why it’s important to know how you can avoid them in the first place…
Animal Accidents: How To Avoid Them
Learn the area
The first step in avoiding animal accidents is to learn what animals are in the area. This is especially important for when you travel. For example, maybe you like to do some fall travelling. However, fall can be a time where there’s more deer around, potentially resulting in more of them on the roads. Knowing this can help you stay alert when you do your driving.
As for your own nearby areas, try to learn the times and areas where animals appear to be the most active. Usually, many are active from dawn and dusk, but many animals are becoming more active at night too.
Not to mention, roads with woods on both sides tend to be popular crossings for animals. In turn, these areas are at a higher risk for animal accidents. Keep these in mind so you can spot some areas which might be popular with animals next time you drive.
Avoid distractions
Distracted driving already increases the risk of you getting into an accident with other drivers. So, it makes sense that it also increases the chances of you getting into animal accidents too. If your focus isn’t on the road, then you’ll be setting yourself for danger.
Many times, animals can quickly run out onto the road unannounced. That gives you just a few seconds to react. However, if you’re distracted, then you’ll end up with very little to no time to react. Therefore, increasing your chance of animal accidents. That’s why it’s best to avoid any distractions as best you can.
Watch your speed
Often times, the speed limit will be lower than usual in areas with heavy animal activity. It can be easy to brush these restrictions off and pay them no mind. However, that’s just setting yourself up for a potential animal accidents.
These restricted speed limits are put in place for good reason. Going slower will give you more time to react to any animals on the road. It’s better to temporarily go slower rather than get into an potentially-avoidable accident.
Aug 29, 2019 | Car Accidents, Traffic Ticket
Sometimes, obtaining a lawyer for a traffic ticket means you don’t have to appear in court. Sometimes, even with a lawyer, you do have to appear. Courtroom impressions can go a long way to help or hinder your case. However, there are steps you can take to improve your chances in front of a judge.
Courtroom Impressions: What You Should (& Shouldn’t) Do
What You Should Do:
Be Respectful
Being respectful is a simple way to give good first courtroom impressions. Before it is your turn, you should pay attention to other cases. It’s not a good sign if the judge is bothered by your behavior before it’s your turn. Remain quiet and patient while waiting for your case to be heard.
Turn Off Your Phone
Some courthouses do not even allow phones past security. For those that do, make sure your phone is off before entering the courtroom. You can ensure good courtroom impressions by not distracting the judge or others with a ringing cellphone during court proceedings.
Dress to Impress
For some it may be obvious to wear proper clothes to court. However, some might not think about it. In addition to the “look good, feel good” mantra that many abide by, dressing in a business casual manner shows you care about the courtroom impressions you make.
What You Shouldn’t Do:
Argue with an Officer
If you have an issue with the behavior of the officer who gave the ticket, do not go in looking for an argument. Arguing can be disrespectful to the officer, the judge, and the court in general. In addition to being respectful, leave the arguing to another day. Courtroom impressions make all the difference when hoping for a reduction.
Ask to Leave
When going to court, you should be prepared to be there for a while. Asking how long it will take or when you can leave will give the judge and other bad courtroom impressions of you. This will make it harder for a dismissal or lessened ticket.
Chew Gum
Sounds simple, but chewing gum can be a giant distraction in the courtroom. For some it might be a nervous habit. Leave the gum out of it and earn the positive courtroom impressions you deserve.
Aug 11, 2019 | Accident prevention, Car Accidents
If there’s one thing any driver hates, it’s car problems. Car issues can lead to potential breakdowns, and some seriously costly repairs. However, performing some good car maintenance can really help keep your car in good shape. Doing so will help save you headaches and cost in the future…
Car Maintenance: Keep Your Car Going
Check your tires
It’s very easy to take your tires for granted. However, it turns out that 738 accident-related deaths were caused by poor tires in 2017 alone. Therefore, it’s important not to neglect your tires. Instead, you want to regularly check them for issues as part of your car maintenance, both the obvious and the harder-to-spot kinds.
First, check for anything like screws, nails, or tears which weaken your tires and lead to leaks. It also helps to check your tire pressure once a month, and get it up to its proper level if needed. Tire rotations also help improve your tread life, and should be done every 6,000-8,000 miles.
Inspect the oil & other fluids
Drivers also tend to gloss over their car’s fluids, but they’re a key part of proper car maintenance. Your oil, for instance, is crucial for keeping your engine running right. Therefore, it helps to check it every month or so to see if it’s time for a change.
However, your car has other fluids besides oil. Remember, you have power-steering, automatic transmission, wiper, and break fluids as well. Try to give these fluids a look each time you check your oil.
Other components
There’s a lot of different components that go into your car that you’d want to look over as part of your car maintenance. For instance, your lights are very important for safely driving, so check them out to see if they still work and aren’t burnt-out or cracked. Don’t forget about checking your windshield wipers too.
Of course, you’ll want to check the internal core parts too. While you don’t have to do anything crazy, simply keeping your battery free of corrosion and cleaning your radiator can go a long way. For those harder-to-reach areas, it helps to bring your car to an auto shop and have them check things out for you.
Apr 2, 2019 | Accident prevention, Car Accidents
When it comes to sharing the road with other drivers, things can get ugly pretty fast. Many drivers get in our way, or make unsafe moves. In turn, those careless drivers put our lives in jeopardy. When that happens, it may spark an angry reaction in us. However, being angry behind the wheel doesn’t make for a safe combination. So, it’s important to find ways for avoiding road rage.
Avoiding Road Rage: Safe Driving Techniques
Move Over For Tailgaters
One of the best ways for avoiding road rage is to pull over for tailgaters. Nothing can be quite as frustrating as someone riding too closely for no reason. You may feel the need to speed up or give the car a quick break check. However, rather than becoming upset at a tailgater, it’s best to just move over. By driving so closely, they are not only being rude but unsafe. So, it’s best to avoid the frustration and let them pass.
Allow Time for Delays
Another way for avoiding road rage is to also avoid being in a rush. When you’re in a hurry, getting behind a slow driver can be really frustrating. So, make sure you plan ahead and give yourself enough time to get where you’re going. If you have extra time to spare, driving behind a slow poke won’t seem be quite as frustrating.
Give an I’m Sorry Gesture
If you make a bad move or cut someone off, just admit to your wrong. Give a wave or nod to try to diffuse the situation. By doing so, you can lower your temper and work on avoiding road rage. In addition, you can also smooth things over with the other driver to prevent them from experiencing road rage.
Listen to Music
When you’ve just experienced a frustrating situation on the road, it can help to turn on your favorite music. For instance, you may want to listen to something calming or something upbeat. Whatever your song choice, music can help put you in a better mood. By doing this, it can keep you calm and help in avoiding road rage.
In short, getting angry behind the wheel can affect your driving. Out of anger, you may speed or make other dangerous moves which could cost you a traffic ticket. So, it’s important to use these tips for avoiding road rage.
