All posts tagged driving tips

New Teen Driver At Home? Six Tips For Teaching Them Responsibility On The Road

by Carsurfer Admin on 2015/10/19 in On the Road with Comments Off on New Teen Driver At Home? Six Tips For Teaching Them Responsibility On The Road

A driver’s license is a major rite of passage for a teenager. It is also a source of anxiety for parents. The following tips are designed to help your teen become a responsible driver and soothe your frayed nerves

Lead by Example

Your children learn life skills by modeling your behavior. This includes safe driving habits. Make sure you practice good behavior by buckling up, avoid using your cell phone, and staying focused and calm.

Encourage Financial Responsibility

Your teen is more likely to act responsibly if they have a financial stake in vehicle ownership. Encourage your new driver to contribute their own funds toward the purchase and maintenance of their vehicle. You can find used cars at an affordable price at places like the Autobank of Kansas City. Used cars have a much more reachable price tag for teens, and it can help them feel more responsible when they are helping to pay. You can also have them help pay for things like insurance, so they understand that driving is a privilege. 

Encourage Communication

It is a fact of life that young people will make mistakes. Make sure your teen knows they can count on you if they get into a situation they cannot handle. You can even establish a code word that signals that they need help if they are unable to speak freely. You can turn the situation into a teachable moment later when you can both discuss the issue calmly.

Set Boundaries

It is best to set realistic restrictions on your teen’s driving privileges during the first few months. For example, you can limit driving to daytime hours or require that they have an adult driver with them until you are comfortable with their skills. You should discuss these limitations with your teen ahead of time to avoid arguments later.

Create a Contract

Many parents have their young driver sign a contract before hitting the road. The contract should detail the rules that your teen is expected to follow regarding car use, maintenance, and safety. The contract should clearly state how you will monitor behavior, as well as the consequences for breaking the rules. You can even include a set of graduated privileges if your teen honors the agreement.

Discuss Road Hazards

Most parents discuss the dangers of drinking and driving with their kids. That is certainly important but does not cover many of the hazards faced by today’s teen drivers. Distractions from cell phones, tablets, and smartwatches cause thousands of accidents each year. Parents should discuss these issues with teens often. You may even want to disable vehicle features that make it easy to use electronic devices while driving.

Finally, it never hurts to enroll your teen in a professional driver’s education course. This may even earn you a discount on your insurance. You can instill good driving habits in your kids at a young age.

The Top Driving Tips from The World’s Best Drivers

by Carsurfer Admin on 2015/06/12 in On the Road with Comments Off on The Top Driving Tips from The World’s Best Drivers

Automobiles get people from place to place every day. But are you getting the most out of your vehicle? Find out what you can learn from the world’s best drivers.

Maximize Fuel Efficiency

The world’s best drivers have one thing in common, they all maximize gas mileage and you can too! Keeping tires inflated to their recommended pounds per square inch (PSI) is the first step in fuel efficiency. Experts recommend tire pressure be checked weekly or each time the vehicle is fueled. Drivers must consult their owner’s manuals because PSI levels vary by tire and manufacturer. Fully inflated tires allow the vehicle to reduce friction with the road. Excess friction between the roadway and the tires cause the engine to work harder and thus use more gasoline. Pros recommend finding a filling station that provides free air, or purchase your own air compressor.

How drivers start and stop a vehicle affects the fuel efficiency. Many drivers commute through areas with many stoplights. In order to increase efficiency drivers should be mindful of how they approach and leave stoplights. When bringing the vehicle to a stop, ease off the accelerator well before the stopping area. Accelerating for several hundred feet and then applying the brakes stiffly wastes gasoline. Similarly, drivers should avoid ‘gunning it’ when the light turns green. Stomping on the gas pedal causes the rotations per minute (RPMs) to surge and the engine to work much harder than it should. This wastes gasoline. The world’s best drivers ease into and out of intersections.

Defensive Driving

The open road can be a dangerous place for distracted, drowsy and impaired drivers. Keeping your wits about you while behind the wheel is of the utmost importance to preserve the safety of others and yourself. Driving defensively means being aware of other drivers and your surroundings while on the road and taking preventative action to avoid accidents. Leaving plenty of space between you and the driver in front of you, signaling turns, and keeping free from distraction while operating a vehicle are all examples of defensive driving. Car accidents—even small fender benders—can be devastating and expensive, and as such should be actively avoided.

Being involved in a collision can result in injuries, which a Portland injury lawyer says can become more severe without proper treatment. Take every safety measure you can while on the road—while you can’t predict the behavior of other drivers, you can do everything in your power to avoid a collision.

Keeping the Car Healthy

Great drives take special care of their vehicles. Along with keeping the tires inflated they also regularly service the engine. Most manufacturers get the engines’ oil changed at least every 3,000 miles. Experts state that most vehicle owners do not adhere to these standards and are thus degrading their engine more quickly than is necessary. Changing the oil and checking vehicle systems is essential preventative maintenance.

Top vehicle owners have a service station they trust and make an effort to visit it regularly. Experts also recommend paying close attention to the owner’s manual with regards to repairs. Most manuals will outline how long certain components last or when they need checking/replacing. This can avoid unnecessary early replacements suggested by service stations that are out to make a profit.

By following these simple steps to keep your car efficient and healthy, you can be one of the world’s best drivers too!

Driving Record: Tips for Cleaning Up Your Act

by Carsurfer Admin on 2015/03/18 in On the Road with Comments Off on Driving Record: Tips for Cleaning Up Your Act

We know by now that an adverse driving record affects how much we will pay for auto insurance. Like credit rating, our driving record may be cleaned up, gaining us the best rates. Here are a few ways to accomplish that goal and make driving a better experience for everyone.

Know Your Record

Does it contain accidents? Multiple tickets? Driving while suspended? Knowing this will help you focus on violations that are your particular issue to resolve. If you have 3 speeding tickets, no one has to tell you to let up on the gas pedal.

Look for Renewals

Get a new copy every year on your renewal date. Entries fall off after three years, except the worst of them, such as DWS and Negligent Homicide. You can learn more here about which strikes against you will count for a while. Time may be just what you need to get it cleared up in time.

Get Enough Sleep

Driving when you are tired or sleepy puts you in a vulnerable position. It is harder to focus on what you’re doing than if you get 8 hours of sleep every night.

Know the Law

Know and obey speed limits, not just patrol car locations. If you don’t know a particular speed in an area, review a driver’s manual. If you are near a school in a residential area, 25 mph is too fast. Slow down.

Keep Your Eyes Open

The most dangerous driver on the road is everybody else—and you. Be aware of who is in front, behind, and beside you. If they get too close, get out of their way. Let them have an accident somewhere else.

Keep Your Distance

Honor the rule of thumb about putting distance between you and the car in front of you. It is 1 car length for every 10 MPH. Most car lengths average around 16 feet. At 20 MPH, there should be thirty feet between you and the car in front. Learn how far that is by checking the distance between cars parked on the street. It’s more than you think it is.

Downgrade Distractions

Keep distractions to a minimum. Do not slide in a new CD, answer your cell phone, or reach over the back seat while driving. If you drop something, leave it where it lands, even if it’s your lunch. Pull over to take care of it later. Caution passengers about distractions, and don’t permit them to continue. That’s why teens can’t ride with teen drivers.

Set short-term goals for yourself. When you’ve reached your goal, put the savings away for that new car or insurance policy you want. But check how much the insurance will cost before you buy it.