Have you just bought a car? You may be very excited about your purchase. Before you hit the road there are a few things you need to know. The best tips to ensure your drives are as smooth as possible will be discussed below.
ARE YOU DRIVING AT NIGHT?
When driving at night, you need to lower your rear-view mirror. There are two modes to it, one for the day, the other for the night.
When driving, if the rear-view mirror is stuck on day mode, you may get blinded by the car behind you. If you didn’t have a firm latch on the steering wheel, you could start driving off track.
The mirror can be swapped to night mode by changing its angle. This can be done by pulling the lever on the bottom of it.
YOU’RE GOING TO GET LOST
Not all GPS systems are alike as they differ in the navigation technology used. To make driving easier, you need to spend some money on a quality one.
With some of the best car gps navigation systems by your side, you’ll always be on track as it has superb navigation. This is great as many new drivers are hesitant to go on long drives because they don’t want to get lost.
DRIVE DEFENSIVELY
When on the road, you should give others ample room to move. You should think that your car is keeping you safe and that the other cars are out to get you. Thus, you’re trying to avoid them as much as possible.
This mentality will help you stay clear of countless crashes.
CAN YOU REVERSE?
Many of us finding reversing intimidating. Even if you’re an experienced driver, it can be difficult. That’s why you should make your life easier and install a reversing camera.
If your car already has one, you should upgrade to a better quality camera as it may not be thorough enough.
DON’T RUBBER NECK
You’re bound to see a few crashes while driving. The natural thing would be to look. Unfortunately, staring is a huge no-no. You’ll start to slow down, and other vehicles might hit you. This is called rubbernecking.
TOO HOT TO DRIVE?
Without air conditioning, driving is very uncomfortable. Not many people know this, but the coolant in a vehicle’s AC system can dry out.
This takes place when the air conditioner hasn’t been switched on in a long time.
If it’s cold outside, you won’t need the AC. This is a good example of why the coolant drying out so switch the air conditioner on every now and then.
If you’re worried about wasting gas, don’t worry. The AC doesn’t have to be switched on for too long, just a few minutes is enough.
STRAIGHT ROADS DECEIVE YOU
Ironically, straight roads are some of the most dangerous roads to drive on.
How you may ask? It makes vehicles look like they’re traveling much slower than they actually are. So if you see a car going by, it’s going 2x faster than what you’re seeing.
This illusion can be dangerous. If the road has a turn, you should slow down considerably. Unfortunately, you’ll think you’re already going slow enough, causing you to fly off the road.
THE ENGINE IS ACTING UP
When driving, your engine may give in. If it seems a bit stuck, this could be due to the weather. Engines usually act up when it’s cold so you need to heat it as much as possible.
This will prevent it from stopping mid-road. Heating it can be achieved by putting on the radio before you go on your drive. Of course, the radio isn’t the only thing that can do the trick, you could turn its high beams on as well.
