{"id":1918,"date":"2021-05-20T07:00:40","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T12:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carwise.com\/blog\/?p=1918"},"modified":"2021-05-20T07:00:40","modified_gmt":"2021-05-20T12:00:40","slug":"basic-vehicle-maintenance-before-you-take-a-summer-road-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carwise.com\/blog\/2021\/05\/20\/basic-vehicle-maintenance-before-you-take-a-summer-road-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"Basic Vehicle Maintenance Before You Take a Summer Road Trip"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summer travel in 2021 is expected to bounce back from the historic lows during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many people making up for lost time to visit loved ones or take a long-awaited vacation. According to research from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), around 20% of all traffic accidents are the result of poor or neglected vehicle maintenance. If you\u2019re one of the thousands of people planning to hit the road this summer, make sure that your vehicle is road-ready \u2013 especially if you weren\u2019t driving it as often during the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some basic vehicle maintenance tasks you can do prior to your road trip to make sure that your vehicle is safe to drive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Check your car\u2019s battery, belts and hoses. <\/strong>You want to make sure your car\u2019s battery connection is tight and free of corrosion. Make sure the belts are tight and that you\u2019re not seeing any fluids leaking beneath the car. <\/li>
  2. Replenish fluids and replace filters. <\/strong>Check your car\u2019s engine oil, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, and windshield wiper fluid, and top off any that are running low. If your car needs an oil change, most oil change stations will also change the engine air filter and top off other fluids if you ask.<\/li>
  3. Inspect lights and electrical equipment. <\/strong>Make sure that your car\u2019s brake lights, turn signal lights and headlights are all working properly, and replace any bulbs that are out. Don\u2019t forget to check the windshield wipers and replace them if necessary.<\/li>
  4. Check the brakes.<\/strong> If your brakes are squealing or making any sort of sound, the brake pads may be worn down and need replacing. <\/li>
  5. Inspect the tires. <\/strong>If your tires are worn, they may need replacing. Check the tire pressure as well, ideally when it\u2019s cold out to get the best reading of any low pressure issues. Tires that aren\u2019t in top shape can affect not only fuel economy, but also safety. <\/li>
  6. Got a chip or crack in your windshield<\/a>?<\/strong> Make sure you get that repaired before you leave. Small windshield damage can quickly become big windshield damage if it\u2019s not repaired quickly, impairing your vision or making a potential collision more dangerous.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Steps to Take After an Accident<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    No one wants to get in a car accident while on a road trip, but if one does happen, remember the protocol to follow after an accident:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Check for injuries. <\/strong>Check on anyone in your own car \u2013 including yourself \u2013 then check on the other vehicle(s) involved to see if the driver and passengers have any injuries. <\/li>
    2. Get to safety.<\/strong> Pull over to the side of the road if possible, or at least make sure you and anyone else involved are safely away from traffic if the cars cannot be moved.<\/li>
    3. Call 911 and wait for help. <\/strong>In some states, it\u2019s required to call the police even for a fender bender, so it\u2019s better to be safe than sorry. Notify the police and wait for them to arrive. <\/li>
    4. Document the accident. <\/strong>Take plenty of pictures from the scene of the accident if it\u2019s safe to do so, to document any damage. Request a copy of the accident report from first responders or police.<\/li>
    5. Exchange information. <\/strong>You\u2019ll need to exchange information with the other driver(s) involved, including: full names, contact information, insurance company and policy number, driver\u2019s license and license plate number, type\/color\/model of vehicle, and the location of the accident. <\/li>
    6. Notify your insurance. <\/strong>You\u2019ll need to notify your insurance carrier of the accident. You may want to do this while you\u2019re still at the scene of the accident, in case your insurance provider has a mobile tool available to submit information digitally, should you choose to file a claim. <\/li>
    7. Find a collision repair shop near you.<\/strong> If your vehicle is damaged, you may need to find an auto body or auto glass repair shop near you.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      How to Find a Reputable Collision Repair Shop Near You<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      We hope your summer travels are safe \u2013 but if you do get in an accident on your summer road trip, Carwise.com can help you find an auto body or auto glass repair shop near you \u2013 even when you\u2019re several hundred miles from home. It\u2019s as easy as entering a zip code into the Carwise shop finder tool. Carwise has details on more than 21,000 collision repair shops nationwide, including hours and location, shop certifications, and reviews from real customers. Find a shop today at https:\/\/www.carwise.com\/auto-body-shops\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1919,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[13,90,225,277],"class_list":["post-1918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-maintenance","tag-accident-safety","tag-car-maintenance","tag-road-trip","tag-windshield-glass-repair"],"yoast_head":"\nBasic Vehicle Maintenance Before You Take a Summer Road Trip - Auto Body Shop Blog - Carwise.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carwise.com\/blog\/2021\/05\/20\/basic-vehicle-maintenance-before-you-take-a-summer-road-trip\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Basic Vehicle Maintenance Before You Take a Summer Road Trip - Auto Body Shop Blog - Carwise.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Summer travel in 2021 is expected to bounce back from the historic lows during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many people making up for lost time to visit loved ones or take a long-awaited vacation. 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