Nov 12, 2023 | Car Accidents, Driver Safety
Having to drive in the rain isn’t an easy task for most drivers out there. For truck drivers, stormy roads can be especially dangerous. As such, it’s important to know what sort of hazards to watch for, and how to best handle them…
How-to Navigate Stormy Roads: What To Avoid
Remember the wind
Understandably, most people are going to be concerned about the rain when driving on stormy roads. However, you can’t forget about the high wind which usually comes with it. This wind can be a danger in a multitude of ways, especially when you’re on a haul.
For starters, this wind will make the rain hit harder, making it especially hard to see. The wind can also start pulling on your truck, causing it to start swerving. In fact, if the wind is severe enough, then it may even cause your truck to flip if you aren’t careful! As such, you need to be mindful of how bad the wind is, and how much you can control your truck.
Watch for high water
Stormy roads also tend to experience a lot of flooding. Now, most drivers in standard cars won’t be able to handle these floods. Some may think that trucks can tackle high water easier, due to being taller and more powerful. In reality, high water is still as dangerous to truck drivers as it is to anyone else on the road.
With high water, it’s very easy for your truck to lose traction and effectively get stuck. Plus, you may not be able to tell just how high it is from your cab. Many times, high water will also hide debris on the road which could end up damaging your truck. In general, it’s best to play it safe and find an alternate route.
Keep track of the weather
The best way to handle stormy roads is by avoiding them altogether. This means you should be keeping track of what the weather conditions will be like. Be sure you check what the weather and roads will look like for the route you plan to go on. If the weather seems to be poor, then try and find a backup route just in case.
These days, you can also keep up with the weather in real time. Practically all smart phones come with weather apps which can track your location and provide you with real-time updates. That way, if the weather suddenly starts to turn, you can react properly and find either another route or a place to wait it out.
May 7, 2023 | Car Accidents, Child Accidents
Car seats help to keep your children safe in case of a car accident. However, many people are unaware of what kind of seat is the best choice for their child. Knowing what kind of seat your child should be using can help make sure your child is as safe as possible in the car.
Car Seats: Avoiding Child Injuries in Car Accidents
Rear-facing seats
Rear-facing car seats are the first kind of seat a child should use. These variations are the recommendation for children who are infants up to 3 years old. These seats help reduce the stress of an accident on the child’s head and spinal cord.
Generally, rear-facing seats are mainly intended for newborns and infants.
Most children will outgrow these seats at about 8 to 9 months. However, it’s important to not move up to the next type of car seat until a child meets the required height and weight limits.
Forward-facing seats
Forward-facing car seats are the next option available for children. These seats are best for children ages 1 up to 7. These seats also tend to come in convertible variants, which allows you to switch from rear-facing to forward-facing when needed.
Forward-facing seats make use of a harness to keep your child in place. This harness helps to distribute the impact of a crash more evenly over a child’s body. Furthermore, the tethers and anchors help keep the seat in place during an accident.
Booster seats
Finally, the last car seat option is the booster seat. Booster seats are intended for children age 4 all the way up to age 11. As with the forward-facing seat, you should move your child up to a booster seat only when they meet the height and weight requirements.
Booster seats also come in two common variants. Booster seats with backs add more neck and head support for the child. Generally, these are good choices if your car lacks head rests or high seat backs. If your car does have these features, then you can opt for a backless seat instead. Make sure to check your vehicle and make the best decision accordingly.
Good car seats help keep your child safe when in the car…
These seats give added protection to the child’s weaker body that normal seat belts can’t provide yet. Make sure to also follow the manufacture’s instructions for installing these seats to ensure they’re being used properly.
Jan 29, 2023 | Car Accidents, Driving
When it comes to following the rules, you probably like to think you’re a law abiding citizen. However, we all do things from time to time that fall outside those lines of what’s allowed, and what’s not. Take, for example, the basic road rules. Merging correctly, making full stops at a stop sign, legal turns… While these little things might seem harmless— breaking basic road rules from time to time can be quite dangerous for you, and the drivers around you…
Basic Road Rules & How We Break Them
Failing to Use Turn Signals
While you might be an exception to the statistics, it is a fact that most people don’t use their turn signals in the ways that they should. Turn signals are essential to following basic road rules, and making drivers aware of what you’re up to. Before switching lanes, before turning at a light, a stop sign… Any time you’re making a move on the roadway— use your turn signals. Without using them, you fail to give other drivers a heads up or warning. Therefore, they don’t have the opportunity to react in a safe manner.
Making Illegal Turns
When you’re running behind, you might begin to let some of those basic road rules fall to the wayside. Take, for example, making legal turns. Many of us think that doing so is harmless— especially if the street around you is clear. However, illegal turns are illegal for a reason. In most cases, these areas are marked for illegal turns because that area is too dangerous, or unpredictable. Due to the design of the road and environmental factors, you probably cannot see clearly enough to execute the turn safely. While it might seem like a calculated risk, accidents do happen every day.
Riding in the Left Lane
Of all basic road rules, this one falls to the wayside most often. It can be considered a courtesy to move out of the left lane when you aren’t matching the speed of surrounding cars. However, it is ultimately just the correct way to use the roadway. If you are planning to travel slower than the “normal” speed of traffic, stay to the right lane. By doing this, you allow others move by you easily and safely. In addition, you keep the left lane open for drivers to pass safely and return to other lanes.
While these are nothing more than basic road rules, they hold safe driving principles. They are in place to make the roads safer and keep traffic flowing better. Therefore, no matter how unnecessary or inconvenient it may seem, stick to following these basic road rules.
Oct 2, 2022 | Car Accidents, Driving
Although it is summer now, winter weather will be here before you know it. Keeping this in mind, it is good to be thinking through what you will need to do prepare for winter driving. Depending on where you live, winter weather could look very different than in other parts of the country. Some areas will have mild winters, and others could have blizzards. Even if winter just means cooler temperatures outside for you, there are things you should do to make sure your car is road ready.
How-to Prepare for Winter Driving: Things to Check
Battery
Car batteries can really be affected by cold temperatures. To prepare for winter driving, you should definitely test your battery. To do this, you can use a voltmeter to make sure it’s in good condition. A healthy battery should have a reading of 12.4 volts or more.
In older batteries, certain substances that the battery needs to function may freeze if temperatures get too low. Also, some grades of motor oil can thicken in cold weather. Thick oil could make the battery and starter have to work harder to turn the engine over. Having a healthy battery could help prevent overcome this problem.
Tires
Next, to prepare for winter driving, you will want to check your tires. If you live in an area that gets snow or ice, consider putting winter tires on your car. These tires have a deeper, more flexible tread, and will give you better traction in slippery conditions. On the other hand, if you decide to stick with all-season tires, check your tire tread regularly. Tires should be replaced if the tread is anything less than 2/32 of an inch. If a tire is bald and worn out, it will not have good traction.
Another thing to keep in mind is to check the tire pressure. As the outside temperature drops, tire pressure usually drops as well. If tire pressure is too low, too much of the tire’s surface area will touch the ground. This could make tire wear out too quickly. Additionally, it could cause your tires to overheat. If a tire overheats, your tire tread could separate, which could be dangerous.
Windshield Wipers
Your windshield wipers are something you should check in order to prepare for winter driving. Make sure they are in condition, and replace them if needed. If they are not properly removing rain or snow from your car windshield, you could have a difficult time seeing out. Also, add wiper fluid that is rated for -30 degrees. This will help to keep your windshield wiper fluid from freezing up in cold weather.
As you can see, there are small steps that you can take to make sure that you are safe on the roads when the weather gets cold. These tips will help you prepare for driving in winter weather.
Jul 11, 2020 | Car Accidents, Car maintenance
Your car battery is one of the most important parts of your car and regular maintenance. That’s why it’s important to take care of your battery terminals properly. Cleaning them right will ensure your battery lasts longer and keeps working the way it should…
Battery Terminals: Keep Them Clean
Checking the terminals
The first step of maintaining your battery terminals to give them a quick check. The terminals should be on top of the battery itself. Usually, there will be a plastic or rubber cover on top of them which helps to protect the clamps from the outside elements.
What you may see is a buildup of a white, powder-like substance. This residue builds up over time and is what causes so many battery-related issues. As an extra precaution, put on some work gloves and safety glasses to prevent that residue from contacting your skin and eyes.
Disconnect and clean
To remove this residue off your battery terminals, you’ll want to disconnect the battery itself. Loosen the negative clamp first, and then the positive one next. You might need to use a pair of pliers if there’s a lot of built-up corrosion. Avoid touching any metal while doing this, or else you risk shorting out the battery.
Once you’ve disconnected the battery, then you can clean it. Most people like to use an equal mixture of two tablespoons of baking soda and water and use a toothbrush and wire brush to scrub off the residue. You can also use a can of soda which’ll do the job just as well!
Rinse and reconnect
Now that your battery terminals are clean, it’s time to clean off any remaining cleaning paste or soda. All you need is a spray bottle of water and a clean rag. Just spray the terminals and use the rag to rinse and remove anything that’s left on the terminals.
When you’re reconnecting the battery, this time start with the positive clamp, then do the negative clamp. Be sure that the clamps are properly secured and use a wrench if needed. From there, just re-secure the covers and your battery will be good to go.
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.
