Top Tips for Defensive Driving

Whether you’re taking a road trip or you’re just driving across town, defensive driving helps keep you and your passengers safe. According to SafeMotorist.com, defensive driving is “driving in a manner that utilizes safe driving strategies to enables motorists to address identified hazards in a predictable manner.” When you follow these strategies, you’ll reduce your driving risks by being readily able to make safe decisions.

So what exactly does defensive driving entail? RoadTripAmerica.com has identified 70 defensive driving tips that can help anybody become a much better and safer driver. Here are some snippets from a few of our favorite rules:

Pay Attention

“The next time you drive, try concentrating solely on the driving task. Think of nothing else. Then see how far you get before your mind wanders. Many drivers won't even get out of the parking lot! Seasoned drivers don't HAVE to think about driving much. It's something we do automatically, and our minds are free to wander. And our minds WANT to wander. Have you ever driven somewhere and been so lost in thought that you couldn't remember anything about the trip itself? Is this a problem?

Is this a curable problem? Paying attention can become a habit, but you have to work at it. Make conscious, persistent choices NOT to eat while driving, or whatever you do that takes your attention off where your moving vehicle is pointed. Connect your mind to your eyes and work at consciously analyzing what you see while you drive. We call this "situational awareness." Driving is the most dangerous thing most of us ever do. It deserves your full attention. Mastery of this one habit can almost make you bullet-proof. Not quite, but almost.”

Read this tip.

Yield Anyway

“Right of way rules are often misunderstood, and there are situations where the rules may not be clear to everyone. If there is uncertainty about which vehicle should have the right of way, give the other guy the road. When it comes to driving safely, it's not the principle, but the outcome, that counts.”

Read this tip.

Chill Out

“Remember these words: "It doesn't matter." When other drivers make mistakes, or are rude (even intentionally), what do you gain by letting it affect your attitude or behavior? It doesn't matter. In ten minutes, you won't even remember that it happened. Since we are all human, we can't be perfect all the time. Don't let the error the other driver commits be the reason you lose control (one way or another) and have a collision, or worse. Many collisions occur when a driver is mad, upset, stressed, or distracted in some way. Try to keep your attitude rational, calm and positive.”

Read this tip.

Go Green & Save Green With These Gas-Saving Tips

Gas prices may have been dropping for the past few months, but saving gas is something that can help both the environment and your wallet. After all, even $2 a gallon is still hard-earned money going into your car. And when you can take simple actions to reduce the amount of gas you use, why wouldn’t you? Try these simple tips to cut back on the amount of fuel you’re using:

Keep an eye on your car

Your fuel emissions, fuel economy, and emissions system can all clue you in that something’s going wrong with your fuel usage long before you might notice it yourself. Keeping a watchful eye on your car’s gas consumption can help you identify and diagnose problems earlier on, helping you save money. It also helps you protect your investment - when you catch problems earlier, you  may be more able to take action to fix them.

Pay attention to your oil

Many of us are guilty of not getting oil changes as often as manufacturers suggest, but this can wind up costing you. When you change your oil and replace the oil filter, you help your car run more efficiently, helping you to save on gas. If you’re not sure how often to change your oil, check out your owner’s manual for guidelines.

Go for a tune up

When your car is in good shape, it’s also more likely to function well, helping extend your fuel. A clean, well-maintained car is a pleasure to drive, too! Visit your local service department or mechanic to get regular tune ups to ensure that your car is running as well as it can be.

Inflate your tires

Of course, there’s one super simple thing you can do that will help you get better fuel economy in your car. When you inflate your tires to the manufacturer-recommended pressure standard, you’ll ensure that your car is running as intended. Some cars may lose up to a pound of pressure per month! That can put a lot of strain on your car’s fuel economy over time.

Your car is an investment you enjoy driving - so keep driving it longer by taking care of it! You’ll not only help your car, but the environment (and your wallet), too!

Lookin’ Good! Caring for Your Car’s Paint

There’s nothing like buying a new car. Smooth handling, that new car scent, the look of beautiful, unscuffed fresh paint - it truly is a one-of-a-kind experience. So it only makes sense that you’d want to keep your brand new car looking and feeling, well, new.

A huge part of what makes your car look great is its paint job. Scuffed, scratched and faded paint is what makes your car look old (and can take away from its value). Protecting your investment means investing some time and money of your own, but it’s well worth it to keep your baby lookin’ good.

Here are a few tips from Cars.com to help ensure your car looks as good as it drives:

UV ProtectionCoatings that resist the dulling, chalking effects of sunlight have come a long way. Ultraviolet light still will oxidize a car's finish, but unless you are parking in a barren lot in the desert, the paint on recent models is going to last many years. Of course, you can buy one of those canvas booties that encase a car, but don't look at us when you're fighting the wind to put it on.
CleaningThe best advice is the simplest. Wash or at least rinse off dirt of any kind on your car ASAP. The longer it's on, the more likely that it will penetrate the paint. Cool your car in the shade on a shallow incline; the angle will help channel water drops to points where they fall off the car and onto the ground.
Rinse before you wash because the mildest of car soaps and freshest of sponges — both of which you should use — won't help if there's sand between the sponge and the paint.
Rather than dish detergent, use car soap, some of which is made to remove stuff like wax. When it comes to tools, you don't have to buy a sponge directly from the Mediterranean, but you definitely shouldn't use old underwear (too hard, no snap and … just don't).
Wash and rinse one section at a time so you don't have water drying on the body. Don't scrub that strong-yet-delicate surface. Use long, light strokes that run along the length of your car. Scratches created with circular wiping leave marks that are more noticeable than straight ones. Rinse your chamois or sponge before dipping it back into the bucket to prevent grit from being reapplied to the car.
Dry by blotting rather than wiping. Ignore memories of your dad or granddad who looked oddly happy to be driving away "to dry the car." They likely were sneaking off to a tavern, a game or to anyplace quieter than home. You'd probably have to drive at unsafe speeds to blow the water off a wet car — all the while accumulating new dirt.
There's a class of cleaning product designed to be used after your car has dried and before you wax. Obviously, this is above-and-beyond detailing. Maybe it's even obsessive. But if you've got the money and ego to buy a jaw-dropping paint job, it makes sense to do everything possible to maintain the sheen.
Wax On, Wax OffYou shouldn't rush the rinse-wash-rinse-rewash process, but you're shooting yourself in the foot if you take shortcuts with the wax. This is the thin, invisible layer of material that not only deepens the beauty of good paint, but also is like diaper cream in that it keeps the bad stuff (including a significant portion of UV rays) from ever touching your baby.
The gold standard is carnauba wax. It's expensive, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anything that brings out paint's richness better. Wipe it on and immediately wipe it off.
You have to be careful, though. A lot of wax-makers say theirs is carnauba, but manufacturers can seemingly mix essence of carnauba in their waxes and claim it's the real thing. You want at least 20 percent carnauba in the can, preferably without any petroleum products mixed in. You'll get better results with natural oils.
Polymer-based waxes are great, too, and worth their price, but they still can't equal the show that carnauba puts on.

Read the whole article here: http://bit.ly/1JN4lMt