With the arrival of spring, many drivers are glad to see the snow melt away and temperatures rise. It’s a common assumption that spring weather conditions make maintaining and driving a car much easier. However, spring presents its own set of challenges for drivers, and certain precautions should be taken by any driver to maintain his or her car, as well as safety.

CARWISE RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING SPRING DRIVING TIPS:

• Ensure your vehicle is in peak operating condition as you would in winter. Pay particular attention to the tires, brakes, tail and brake lights, as well as windshield wipers. After winter, examine the treads on the tires and see if they need to be replaced; also, make sure the tires are properly inflated; have your mechanic inspect the brakes and lights in case a tune-up and bulb replacements are required; and look closely at your windshield wipers to make sure they weren’t damaged during the winter and need to be changed.
• Road conditions have changed, and wet, rainy conditions warrant a different approach than icy conditions. But keep in mind it is still possible for roads to ice over in early spring. Also, there are potholes and large puddles to navigate, alongside increased pedestrian, bicyclist, motorcyclist, and even animal traffic. If you do find yourself skidding due to black ice or wet road conditions, steer into the skid and avoid slamming the brakes.

Losing control of your car while driving in the rain can be a terrifying experience. Every year, rain has been the cause of thousands of accidents. Rainfall is especially dangerous in states that are accustomed to dry weather like California, Texas, and Arizona – sporadic rain during the year causes many people to forget how to drive in it.

Here are our Top 10 Tips for Driving in the Rain:

Drive with caution

Wet roadways present special challenges – low visibility, longer braking distances, reduced traction, and less control – making it more important than ever to drive defensively.

Stopping distance

When driving in the rain, a car’s stopping distance is reduced by a factor of two. On wet roads, increase your stopping distance and reduce your speed.

Keep your windows clean

Rain will fog up your windows, so turn on both front and rear window defrosters and your air conditioning. Use quality window washer fluid, and make sure your window wipers work properly.

Avoid hydroplaning

Hydroplaning occurs when the tires of your car rise up on a film of water causing you to slide and lose contact with the roadway. To avoid hydroplaning when driving in the rain, drivers should slow down or release their foot off the accelerator, avoid braking hard, refrain from making sharp turns, and drive in the tire tracks of the car ahead of you.

Avoid standing water or flooded roads

Driving through flooded roadways is a bad idea, because if water enters your exhaust pipe, the water can get into your engine, stall your car and cause costly damage to your vehicle. Plus, you might not know how deep the water is. Your vehicle can get stuck or swept away in rushing flood waters.

Know your vehicle

Conditions can change quickly, and you need to be able to react accordingly. Make sure you know where the windshield wiper controls, defrost, air conditioner, or fan are located before you encounter bad weather.

Avoid Cruise Control

Cruise control works great when it’s not raining, but you have a greater chance of losing control of your car during wet weather when your cruise control is engaged. When driving in the rain, you need to be more cautious and may need to reduce speed more often by lifting your foot off the accelerator. This can’t be done if you are using cruise control.

Know how to respond to a skid

If you do lose control over your vehicle and find yourself skidding, remain calm, slowly take your foot off the accelerator, and cautiously steer into the direction that you want the front of your car to go. Be prepared to steer until the front of your car is straight and you regain control of your vehicle. If your vehicle has an anti-lock braking system (ABS), brake firmly as you steer into the skid. For cars without ABS, avoid using your brakes.

Drive slower

When you drive slower in the rain, it reduces your car’s chances of hydroplaning, increases your stopping distance between you and the car in front of you, and gives you more time to react to avoid any situations where you need to stop or slow down.

Allow more travel time

Give yourself more travel time so that you can drive more slowly, prepare yourself for unexpected detours or disabled stop lights, and deal with heavy traffic caused by rainfall.

Visit AAA’s YouTube page for more videos on spring driving tips and AAA’s website for a comprehensive guide on wet weather driving tips.

Getting into a car accident can be a traumatic and stressful event. It may be hard to think clearly and remember what to do immediately after a car accident happens. In the event of a car accident, there are some important things to remember:

Stop immediately and do not leave the scene of a car accident

Without endangering others or obstructing traffic, stop your vehicle as soon as you can. Don’t leave the scene of a car accident unless injuries force you to do otherwise.

Keep calm and think about your safety

Your first priority is to keep calm and consider the safety of everyone involved in the car accident to prevent more collisions or injuries. Move to a safe location if you are concerned about your safety. Do not get do not get out of your car unless it is safe. Ask everyone involved in the car accident if they are okay.

Call 911

After the car accident, the other driver involved might not want to call the police and may want to settle things between just the two of you. Ignore their request and call the police, even if it’s just a minor car accident, because:

1) In most states you are required to call the police by law after a car accident.
2) An official police report is one of the most credible documents the insurers will use to determine fault.
3) Officers are trained at detecting staged a car accident and can help protect you from fraud.
4) Emotions can run high after a car accident, and a police presence can be there to act as an impartial referee can make sure that things don’t get too heated.

Listen to the police and follow their instructions

Police officers are trained to handle various situations that might happen after a car accident. Even though you may not think are physically injured, you may be in shock, and your emotions may make it hard to think clearly. A police officer can assess the situation and determine if medical assistance is required.

Exchange information

Give the other drivers involved in the car accident and the police the following information: your name, driver’s license and insurance information.

Be polite, but don’t discuss who is at fault with other parties

The law does not require you to admit fault, and you should not blame or acknowledge guilt at the scene of the car accident.

If there are any witnesses, get their name and contact information

Ask for a brief summary of what they saw and take notes.

Take notes immediately

Thinks may be chaotic after a car accident, and it can be difficult to remember things later. Take written notes as soon as possible after the car accident, and be as specific as possible. Use your cell phone to take pictures and document the car accident. The more pictures, the better.

Report your claim 

Many state laws require that the driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury, death, property damage in excess of $1500, or the towing of any vehicle, must file an official accident report with the state within 72 hours after the accident.

Arrange your car accident repairs

If your car requires auto body repair after your car accident, we recommend that you find a good auto body shop near you. At Carwise.com, you can find an auto body shop with real customer reviews and ratings. You can also track your car’s repair status through the Carwise website or mobile app if your vehicle is being repaired at one of the shops in our network of auto body shops.

Sources:
USSA.com
NAIC.org
OSBAR.org

You don’t want to think about a car accident, or what comes next–calling the police, checking for injuries, exchanging information and trying to remember the chain of events that lead up to it. An auto collision can turn into a major headache which most people would like to avoid.

Here are some helpful tips to help you avoid an accident and become a safer, more cautious driver:

o   Don’t drive distracted. Too many auto collisions occur because of distracted driving. Do not do any activity that may take your eyes off the road. Wait before or after your trip or until you are parked. Distracted driving is unsafe, irresponsible, and an auto collision can happen in a split second with devastating consequences.

o   Don’t drive drowsy. Drowsy driving can be extremely dangerous and it leads to thousands of auto collisions each year. When taking long road trips, try to take a break every couple hours and if you feel tired, stop driving and take a nap. If it is late at night, find a hotel and turn in for the night so that you feel refreshed in the morning.

o   Use your turn signal early. Don’t wait until the last second to make a sudden lane change, to exit or to make a quick turn. Using your turn signals early will give other drivers plenty of notice which will help you avoid an auto collision.

o   Avoid road rage. Use caution and be aware of other drivers around you. Change lanes when you can to give aggressive drivers more room and let them pass you. Don’t follow too closely, and when changing lanes, don’t cut off any drivers. If others drive aggressively or tailgate you, don’t retaliate. It’s just not worth it.

o   Avoid night driving. Due to visibility at night, traffic death rates are three times greater than during the day. Night driving can also be dangerous because there is a higher probability that you may encounter drunk or drowsy drivers on the road.

Even with our auto collision avoidance tips, you can’t always avoid other dangerous drivers on the road, such as those who run a red light, drowsy drivers, or distracted drivers. Most drivers are likely to be involved in an auto collision at least once in their lives.

If you do get into an auto collision and need to repair your vehicle, the best advice we can give is to do your research when looking for an auto collision repair shop. Carwise.com is a great place to find recommended auto body shop near you, with real reviews from real customers. Carwise can also help you keep track of your auto collision repair status, so you won’t have to keep calling the shop to get updates.

Sources
I-CAR
Inhtsa.gov
NSC.org

Summer is the busiest driving time of the year and also the most dangerous. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that 21 of the top 25 deadliest days for teen drivers are in the summer driving months between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Here are a few car safety tips to ensure safe summer driving:

Car maintenance

Regular tune-ups, battery checks, tire rotations, cooling system, and oil changes go a long way towards preventing breakdowns before they happen. This is especially important before a long road trip.

Don’t leave children or pets in your car unattended

It can be very dangerous to leave a child or pet unattended in a parked vehicle. A car’s interior heats up quickly even with windows rolled down a couple inches. If outside temperature is in the low 80s, the temperature inside your car’s cabin can still reach deadly levels in only 10 minutes.

Watch for children

Whether you are at a parking lot, near a park, or even in the driveway in front of your house, children can be running and playing – totally oblivious to a vehicle. According to Kids and Cars, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about motor vehicle safety, the number of injuries and deaths from back-overs are on the rise.

Share the Road

Warmer weather attracts bicyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians during the warm summer months. They are vulnerable road users and do not have the same protection as a car. Any traffic accident will most likely will result in injury, so keep your distance.

Avoid distracted driving

According to NSC.org, 26% of all crashes involve cell phone use and 10% of drivers under age 20 involved in fatal crashes were distracted during the time of the crash. Distracted driving can be anything that pulls your attention away from the road like cell phone use, texting while driving, talking with other passengers, eating or drinking. Avoid any type of distraction while driving.

Drunk driving

According to the NHTSA, a higher volume of holiday travelers, including a significantly higher number of alcohol-impaired drivers, cause nearly twice the number of automotive deaths during the summer than during the rest of the months of the year combined. Be responsible, and don’t drink and drive.

Sleep deprivation

According to the National Sleep Foundation, 60% of adult drivers – about 168 million people – say they have driven a vehicle while feeling drowsy, and more than one-third, (37% or 103 million people), have actually fallen asleep at the wheel. Sleep deprivation can have a similar affect as drunk driving on your motor skills, so remember to get your rest before taking a long road trip.

Be Prepared

Make sure you are always prepared just in case your car breaks down, especially on long summer road trips. Make sure you always have a cell phone, jumper cables, car jack, lug wrench, and a spare tire in your vehicle. Other car safety essentials include a flashlight, first aid kit, basic repair tools, drinking water, nonperishable food, and map.