How to Drive Safe in the Rain

Although everyone prefers driving under the best weather and driving conditions, there will be times when you will have to brave the rain and stormy weather. When the weather forecasts predict a wet and stormy day, you have no option but to face the challenge and brave the rains. But don’t just drive, and zip towards your destination. Driving in the rain is unsafe and a daunting task- you’ll have to contend with limited visibility, and reduced grip of the car on the road surface, thus increasing the usual stopping distances. All these contribute to an unsafe driving experience, thus serving as a warning to drivers on the road. Unfortunately, not all drivers heed the warning the challenging road conditions. May drivers are over-confident, and they barely change their driving styles and techniques.

Check and use the car’s headlights

 

 

To address reduced visibility, you need to count on your headlights. Make sure the headlights on both sides are working, and turn on the dipped beams. Personally check the position of the car’s headlights, and set to dipped beam setting. Fog lights may be used during extreme weather condition, but subject to state laws. For example, in the state of California, vehicles can install up to two fog lights, installed at a height of not less than 12 inches at the front, and not exceeding 30 inches.

Adjust driving style accordingly

 

Roads are slippery, and visibility is low during when rain falls, so it’s best to adjust driving accordingly. Slow down, and be around three to four seconds behind the vehicle in front of up you. Also, keep an eye on your surroundings, making sure that you can still read the signs.

These basic road suggestions and driving tips should help you navigate a slippery road, and a challenging weather. By changing your driving tactics based on weather conditions, you’ll end up with fewer problems and help promote a responsible driving experience!

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Put an End to Drowsy Driving, Today

Drivers are expected to be alert and ready when on the road. Drivers are expected to focus their attention on the road, and not allow sleep to affect their driving. But this is not always the case in American streets and roads. According to statistics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 1 in every 25 adult drivers have fallen asleep while driving their car in the last 30 days. Also, roughly 72,000 crashes and another 44,000 injuries were reported due to drowsy driving in 2013.

Drowsy driving is common, and it can happen to you. Don’t let drowsiness endanger your safety and the safety of other drivers on the road. When driving, make sure to drive alert and ready to remain safe and unhurt. And to help keep the road safe, you should learn some of the warning signs associated with drowsy driving.

One, you are already drowsy if you noticed yourself yawning frequently, or if you have difficulties remembering the road details and signs for the past few miles. Two, you’re already sleepy if you missed an exit or a turn. Also, if you constantly drift from the lane or hit regularly hit the side of the road.

If you observe and experience these signs, you should pull over, take a rest, or let someone take the steering wheel. You can also turn in the radio, or open the car windows. These steps can help you keep alert, and keep you safe on and off the road.

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Responsible Driving- Promoting Safety on the Road One Driver at a Time

Responsible driving is not just a concern of drivers; everyone has a stake in keeping the road safe. With a safer road, used and respected by professional drivers, accidents and expensive repairs can be avoided, and everyone can return back to their families and friends safe and secured. Unfortunately, not everyone takes the initiative to practice responsible driving, and usually drives as if they own the road. Help promote a safer road for everyone by becoming a safe and responsible driver.

Responsible driving is anchored on three things- knowledge, attitude and skills. For a start, it pays to know and understand the traffic rules and regulations. Based on statistics, breaking the traffic rules and regulations is the common cause of collisions. Knowing and following traffic rules is also convenient and cost-effective. If you fail to follow these rules, the license can be confiscated, you will be fined or worse, you may spend a few days in jail!

Having the right attitude on and off the road can also help in promoting a responsible driving experience. Be courteous, and respect other drivers and pedestrians on the road. Courteous driving also means providing other drivers with space, and the opportunity to change lanes.

Finally, it’s also about having the right driving skills. A responsible driver is someone who can foresee dangerous road situations, and immediately respond to prevent a possible accident.

Becoming a responsible driver may require commitment and hard work, but when all these are considered and followed, you’ll end up creating a safer road for everyone.

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Things to Look for in a Great Car Body and Paint Job

After getting your car fixed after an accident, how do you know that the job has been successfully completed? Or do you take the words of auto body shop owner and mechanic, and simply pay the bill?

As an informed car owner and consumer, it pays to be informed, and to understand the nature of the services that can be provided by an auto body shop. For a start, it’s recommended that you have a complete understanding of the services to be delivered up front. You should be clear on what kinds of services should be done, and how the repairs will be approached. All repair requests and mechanic recommendations should be indicated in writing. Also, ask about a possible warranty on jobs performed. Now, use this checklist as your guide once you return to pick up the car. A reputable and local auto body shop will personally guide you through the process.

Your car should be clean, washed and vacuumed when you pick it up. The car should be free from dust and grime, and the trunk and interior should be free from old parts. Pay close attention to the parts of the car that were repaired. Look for gaps between panels, and check the alignment of light beams by turning on the headlights.

For a car paint job, you’ll have to check for color match and consistency. To check the match and consistency of paint, consider picking up your car during the day. Check the paint in the sunlight so you can easily tell if the factory color and new paint matches. Also, examine the paint for signs of imperfections, like dirt trapped in the finish, or hair caught in paint.

Remember, auto body shops know their jobs, but as a responsible car owner and consumer, it pays to validate the quality of their services.

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Taking Care Of Your Car After That New Paint Job

While this primer is aimed at helping car owners take care of their cars after new paint jobs, any vehicle owner can benefit from these tips. If you’ve invested in having your car painted or simply want to preserve your car’s paint, these suggestions will help you maintain the value and appearance of your vehicle for many years.

Taking Care Of Your Car’s Paint Job

Obviously, the first thing that you and other people notice about vehicles is the condition of their paint. If you invested in a high-quality paint job or a new car, you can make sure that it stays fresh and shiny for the life of your vehicle by following these suggestions.

Keep Your Car Clean

As you drive your car in wind and rain, your paint job will get assaulted by plenty of contaminants. These include dirt, gravel, and pollutants. One of the best things you can do to preserve the finish is simply to keep your car clean. While you can simply use water and car detergent at home, you may want to invest in a commercial power wash every few months.

If you have a home pressure washer or pressure-washing attachment on your hose, don’t stand too close to the vehicle. Otherwise, you can accidentally damage the paint yourself. If you’re not sure if you should use your pressure washer on your car, you might be better off just getting the car professionally cleaned. It doesn’t cost that much more and can help preserve your paint job.

Make Sure You Use The Right Wax To Polish Your Car

If you bought a new car, you might research the kind of paint that the manufacturer uses. If you just got your car painted, you can always ask the painters what kind of paint they use and if they have any suggestions for wax products. If you can’t get suggestions, you can do some research online on the ways that different wax products react to various brands and kinds of paint.

Sadly, some wax products that you can find on the market use abrasive agents to help clean the car. Also, the formula for some commercial wax products just doesn’t react well with certain kinds of paint. The problem is that these abrasives or chemicals can eventually dull or even scratch your car’s finish. On the other hand, the right wax will preserve your paint.

How Often Should You Wax Your Car?

Most experts suggest waxing your car at least three or four times a year. They say the minimum is twice a year, usually in the fall and spring. You want to get your car ready to handle more severe weather conditions in the spring or summer. Of course, the environmental conditions that you drive in may prompt you to wax somewhat more often.

One good way to tell if you need to wax your car is to drop a little water on the hood of your vehicle. If the water that you dropped beads up, you probably don’t need to wax yet. However, if the water does not bead up, you need a hand waxing job performed promptly. If you don’t care to wax your car by hand yourself, you can always invest in a commercial wash and wax job.

Caring For Your New Paint Job

It’s most important to make sure you have your car waxed after a new paint job. The paint may still be soft for a while, and the wax can protect your investment in a new paint job by creating a barrier between the paint and the external environment.

Experts say that rain alone shouldn’t really hurt your new paint job. The problem is that rain will be mixed with dirt and even pollutants, and these may be acidic or abrasive, so that’s why you need to take extra care to protect a fresh paint job.

On the other hand, you shouldn’t wash your car right after you have a new paint job. It’s a good idea to wait at least two weeks. While you should probably wait at least two weeks after your paint job to wash your car, you probably should not wait longer than one month. New paint products cure faster than the old ones did, but it’s still a good idea to give the paint several days to completely harden.

Fixing Paint Scratches

Did you just get a new paint job and then pick up a new scratch or two? That’s frustrating, but these things do happen. You can drive carefully, but you can’t always control lose pebble on the road or the actions of other people.

You can get touch-up paint that will let you fill in small scratches. Also, it’s better to attend small scratches as promptly as possible. This keeps your car looking nice, will prevent rust on the body, and will also keep small scratches from turning into larger ones.

If you’re not sure which touch-up paint that you should use, you can always ask our experts at Art’s for suggestions. If you just bought a new car, you may be able to buy touch-up paint from the manufacturer as well.

Touch-up paint is only for minor scratches. This means that if the scratch is large, the area may have to be sanded again and primed, so you might be better off asking a professional paint shop to do the job right.

Why Is It So Important To Maintain Your New Paint Job?

Of course, most people hope to maintain their new paint job because they want their vehicle to look nice. Perhaps it’s more important to keep paint fresh because the paint helps protect the body of the car from rust and other threats. Finally, keeping up your paint job is one of the best things that you can do to preserve the value of your car. If you don’t neglect proper care of your paint job, you may never need to pay for another one for the lifetime of your car.

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