Protecting Your Family When Car Trouble Strikes

If you own a car, running into some kind of trouble is inevitable. Whether it be a flat tire, running out of gas or a dead battery, car trouble can be extremely stressful, especially if your family is in the car. Here are some tips you can use to make sure your family stays safe next time car trouble strikes.

So what should you do when your car breaks down and your kids are in the backseat? Erin Stepp, AAA spokeswoman, has tips to keep you and your family safe and sane when the inevitable happens.

Carefully pull over: In an emergency, the first thing to do is gently and safely bring the car to a stop. Pull over onto the far right shoulder, as far off the road as possible while remaining on level ground. If you're driving on an interstate or multiple-lane highway with medians, you may consider the left shoulder, again pulling as far away from traffic as possible.

Flash, baby, flash: In order to generate enough attention to notify law enforcement or a roadside-service provider of your whereabouts, turn on your car's hazard lights.

Raise the hood: Raising your vehicle's hood signals to a service provider that you need help. You can also signal that you need assistance by closing a brightly-colored handkerchief, scarf or even a baby's spit-up rag in a window.

Call for help: When calling for roadside assistance, make sure the service provider knows how many children will require transportation and if any of them need child-safety seats. While it may have been socially acceptable for me to ride on my mom's lap back in the early '80s, that wouldn't fly today.

Stay with your car … unless: If you're able to pull away from traffic, it's usually safest to remain with your vehicle until law enforcement or a roadside-service provider arrives. If you must leave the car, stick together as a family and have everyone exit through the side of the vehicle that's away from traffic.

Never leave children alone in, or around, a car: This one sounds logical, but sometimes we act illogically while under stress. Never leave a child alone in the vehicle while you leave to look for help. A car's interior temperature can rise quickly even with the windows cracked for air circulation. Children's bodies heat up five times faster than adults, making them more susceptible to heat stroke, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Secure Fido: If traveling with your family pet, secure it with a leash or pet restraint. This will protect both your animal and the roadside-service provider from unintended injuries due to a fearful or stressed animal.

Lock the doors, crack the windows: If temperatures allow, keep the car's windows almost closed and the doors locked while you wait for help. If approached by a stranger, stay in your vehicle and ask them to call for help if you haven't been able to call yourself.

Take inventory and stock up: Always keep a stocked emergency kit in your vehicle. Make sure you have these basics:

Cellphone (with charger) that's preprogrammed with your roadside service provider's number
Drinking water and kid-friendly, non-perishable snacks, such as a few granola bars or dried fruit

• Extra medication and, if traveling with infants, diapers and baby formula
• First-aid kit
• Pencil and notebook
• Your car's owner's manual
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Jumper cables and tire pressure gauge
• Flares, warning triangles or reflectors
• Signal flag, retro-reflective vest or scarf
• Windshield-washer fluid and wiping cloth
• Engine coolant and fire extinguisher
• Tool kit including screwdriver, pliers, duct tape and adjustable wrench
• Umbrella

Most importantly, remember that your energy is infectious. Stay cool, calm and collected to help little ones get through the experience without undo emotional turmoil. Give the kids a snack and whip out your pencil and notebook for a few retro rounds of hangman or tic-tac-toe. Help will arrive soon.

You can read the full article from Kicking Tires by clicking the link: http://bit.ly/1tv2TpD

Many Americans Are Driving When They Shouldn't

A new study has found that many Americans are driving their car even thought they know they probably shouldn't. The survey didn't only look at impairment from drinking, but also at those who drove when they were tired or sick or when their car has some sort of mechanical issue that may not have been safe. Read more about the study in this article from KickingTires.

Nearly half of all drivers admitted to driving when they shouldn't have. That's one finding in a poll of 2,000 licensed drivers from December 2013, which CarInsurance.com released Monday. The website found that 46 percent of respondents admitted to driving once or twice in the past year when they knew they shouldn't have.

Eleven percent admitted to driving when they shouldn't have from three to 10 times in the past year. And 3 percent were serious repeat offenders, admitting to driving when they shouldn't have at least 11 times in the past year.

"I'm glad I don't know any of those 3 percenters," said Michelle Megna, managing editor at the Foster City, Calif.-based insurance advice website. Other survey results had no date attached, Megna told us, which means respondents only admitted to having ever done it.

It's not just alcohol impairment that precedes a poor choice to get behind the wheel. The survey dug up some interesting (if troubling) numbers: Drivers admitted to getting behind the wheel when they were sleepy (68 percent), experiencing a headache (53 percent), sick enough to be in bed (35 percent), less drunk than a friend (23 percent), weren't wearing necessary glasses or contacts (16 percent), taking narcotic pain medicine (15 percent) or had their arm in a cast (8 percent).

Note that these figures came from the general population. Not everyone has had their arm in a cast, and 25 percent of adults reportedly don't need glasses or contacts. That means, in all likelihood, that the portion of people who have ever had a cast and drove with it exceeds 8 percent. And the portion of visually impaired drivers who drove without glasses or contacts exceeds 16 percent.

Drivers also admitted to getting behind the wheel despite car problems, the survey found. What kind? Read on:

• 61 percent admitted to driving with the check engine light on.
• 32 percent admitted to driving when they couldn't see through snow or ice on the windshield.
• 26 percent admitted to driving when their windshield wipers weren't working.
• 21 percent admitted to driving with a broken speedometer.
• 19 percent admitted to driving with a broken horn.
• 18 percent admitted to driving with broken headlights.
• 17 percent admitted to driving on a flat tire.
• 10 percent admitted to driving when a door had to be held closed.
• 7 percent admitted to driving without a required car seat for their child.
• 6 percent admitted to driving a car filled with exhaust fumes.
• 5 percent admitted to driving with a missing or broken driver's seat.

Read the full article from KickingTires here: http://bit.ly/1ofx5VW

Back-to-School Safety Tips

It's back to school time! In order to keep kids safe when getting to and from school, Kicking Tires has published this list of great tips for both parents and their kids as they head back to school for the year.

Before Carpooling

• Don't agree to drive more children than you have proper seating, seat belts and, if needed, child-safety seats for.
• Set rules for proper car behavior up front; kids cannot meet your expectations unless you spell them out clearly.

Driving Through the School Zone

• Create a distraction-free zone: Cellphones, loud music, screaming kiddos, breakfast, makeup touchups and more take our eyes and minds off the road. Research by AAA shows that taking your eyes off the road for just 2 seconds doubles your chances of getting in a crash.
• Obey the (stop) signs: Shockingly, studies show that more than a third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones and neighborhoods. If the sign says "Stop," you need to stop, people! Be aware of pedestrians: This is the time of year when walking and riding bikes to school is fun. According to AAA, pedestrians struck by vehicles traveling school-zone speeds (25 mph) are nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed than those struck by vehicles traveling just 10 mph faster. Young kids on bikes can be erratic while trying to get a feel for their new wheels; the chances of children riding in a straight line are slim to none, so plan for them to swerve into your path — even if they don't.
• Brake for buses, it's the law: According to a survey by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, on a typical day more than 75,000 vehicles pass stopped school buses. Yikes!

Speaking of buses, here are some safety tips for those of us lucky enough to have access to those awesome big yellow limos and their drivers, who risk life, limb and sanity driving our kids to and from school each and every day.

Before Getting on the Bus

• Allow enough time to get to the bus stop several minutes ahead of time. Children running to catch a bus can result in disaster.
• Coach kids to walk along the sidewalk, if available, and stay on the sidewalk at the bus stop. Yeah, I know it's much more fun to play football in the street, but I'm here to tell you about safety, remember? If a parent or two can be present at the bus stop, kids are much more likely to practice safe behavior. Gathering a couple of neighbors and splitting up the duties each week builds community and keeps kids safe.

Loading the Bus

• Here's where I inject my opinion: Big kids should wait for little kids to get on the bus. I'm not suggesting sixth-graders wait for fifth-graders, but all kindergarteners, first- and second-graders should safely get on the bus before the gangly giants ascend the stairs.
• Pushing is rude and shouldn't be tolerated by anyone, even friends.
• In the non-opinion category, kids should sit down quickly and face the front of the bus. Looking up at the driver so he knows everyone is ready to go is respectful and helps the bus stay on time.

While on the Bus

• Don't block the aisles with backpacks, instruments or even legs. Having a clear path for exiting the bus is important if there's a crash.
• Keep all body parts inside the bus. (Did I even have to say that? Yes, yes, I did.)
• Speak quietly on the bus; the louder one student talks, the louder others have to talk to be heard, and distracting the driver is a horrible idea. It also goes without saying that screaming and horseplay are also distracting to the driver.
• Don't trash the bus. Bus karma will come back to bite anyone who spits in the seat or leaves a bunch of trash for someone else to pick up.

Getting off the Bus

• Students should always cross in front of the bus if they have to cross the street. Visibility from the driver's seat of a school bus is best about 10 feet around the front of the bus, so that's where students should walk.
• Students should never pick up something that's dropped in front of, near or under the bus. Always talk to the driver before leaning down to pick something up.

Biggest Rule of All

Listen to the driver. A bus driver's job is to get kids to school safely. Drivers may be sweet as can be or big ol' curmudgeons, but either way, dissing the driver is the worst safety violation of all — even if you're 15 and know everything there is to know (about everything).

Read the full article from Kicking Tires here: http://bit.ly/1rPj5Cq

Car Mistakes the Could Cost You

Everyone knows that owning a car isn't necessarily cheap. But making any of these five mistakes could make your wallet a lot lighter. Some may even seem like you are saving money at the time, but in the long run it will actually cost you much more:

1. Putting Off An Oil Change
While oil technology has improved drastically over the past couple of decades, it's still important to change your oil as recommended by your car's manufacturer. 

Motor oil gradually breaks down as it is circulated through your engine. After a certain number of miles, the oil doesn't provide adequate lubrication, causing your engine to wear out prematurely. A new or rebuilt engine can cost you thousands of dollars. 

2. Changing Tires Without An Alignment
An alignment ensures that the wheels of your car are positioned properly on the road. When a car is out of alignment, the tires wear out prematurely or in places where they're not supposed to wear. 

When you change your tires, always opt for the $75 alignment. Otherwise you could find yourself spending hundreds on a new set of tires. 

3. Installing Oversized Aftermarket Wheels
While some aftermarket wheels are carefully designed to be compatible with certain vehicles, getting the wrong wheels can harm your vehicle's suspension and ride comfort. Also, if you buy wheels that are too large for your car, you can damage your fenders and wheel wells. Replacing a damaged suspension can cost thousands, and body work can be even more expensive. 

4. Buying A Cheap Battery
A dead battery is a huge hassle. Often times, it means waiting for a jump start and then having to spend $100 for a replacement. There are many batteries available at your local parts retailer, and it's important to find the exact match for your car. Springing for an inexpensive substitute can damage your car's electrical system, requiring extensive repairs that won't be cheap. 

5. Getting Cheap Body Work
If you have a dent on your car, sometimes you can be approached by a "professional" in a shopping mall parking lot, or a friend might offer to take care of the problem. Beware, because sloppy body repair can cost more to correct than the original damage. A dent that can be repaired for $100 by a professional dent repair expert might cost $500 to fix once an amateur has damaged paint and deformed the metal panel.

To read the full article from AOL Autos, click the link: http://aol.it/1n3WRao