An organized car is a safe car!
If you have a bunch of loose items lying around in your car, they can easily become dangerous during an accident. Imagine that stray shoe in your back seat flying at you going 50mph…not cool. Cleaning up your car will also help you avoid distracted driving. Digging around through the stuff in your car means taking your eyes off the road, which is never a good thing. Let’s get safe and organized!
Lighten You Load:
The first step organizing your car is taking everything out, and yes, I mean everything! Everything from the mess of papers in your glove box, to the clutter in your door pockets needs to be sorted through. Once everything is out you can decided what is trash, and what important documents you need to hang on to. Give your car a good vacuuming, and remember to get under the floor mats.
Purge the Trunk:
Most people unknowingly carry around the weight of an extra person in their trunk. Be honest with yourself, what do you really need? Keep basic items that you may need in an emergency situation. Seasonal items should only be carried during the season they are needed. Lightening your load may help preserve your tire ware and improve your gas mileage.
Get organized:
Car organizers come in all shapes and sizes! Get an organizer for the trunk, and seating area so you can have a place for everything you need to carry in your car. Try to avoid any organizers that hang on the back of the seat as a passenger may become injured due to a sudden stop or crash
Finally, enjoy your organized car! You are now ready to hit the road.
1. Safety belt features: Safety belts have been a standard feature on cars for decades, but they’re not all created equal. You want the three-point lap-and-shoulder belts that provide the most protection, and you also want them to have safety-belt pretensioners and force limiters -- basically extra safety protectors. Finally, you want to make sure that there’s a safety belt for EVERY seat in the car.
2. Head Restraints: Head restraints have been standard since 2009. They’re important for preventing whiplash, so double check and make sure they come with your vehicle.
3. Child Safety Seats: Of course this is something you have to purchase yourself, but you want to make sure that the LATCH (lower anchors and tethers for children) feature suits your needs. The best way to do this is to try your child’s safety seat in the car.
4. Electronic stability control (ESC): This is the feature that corrects the vehicle's steering by selectively applying brakes or cutting power if the car goes into a skid. This feature can really reduce of getting in to an accident, so make sure that it is up to par.
Let’s face it, no one likes getting a ticket. It can make you late for work, or just plain ruin your day. As much as we want to play the victim, there is a reason for traffic tickets, and that is to keep the road safe. If you want to avoid the boys (and the girls) in blue, you should avoid these three traffic violations:
1. Speeding: The faster you go the longer it takes for you to react to a potentially hazardous situation. It may seem ok to just go “10 over”, but if a pedestrian runs in front of your car, you might have a problem. The speed limit is there for a reason, so obey it.
2. Illegal cell phone use: Although just a few states ban all cell phone use in cars, more than 30 have banned texting behind the wheel. Why? Because it only takes one glance down at your phone to lose control of your vehicle. Just put your phone away while driving, you’ll avoid a ticket and a potential accident.
3. Equipment violations: Heavily tinted windows, burned-out headlights, broken windshields, and expired tags are all common equipment violations that people get tickets for every day. Keep your car maintenance up to snuff, and you shouldn’t have to worry about it!
1. Park your car in a cool shady place. Direct sunlight can cause the chemicals in the cleaners to bake in to your upholstery.
2. Use 100% cotton terry cloths to remove the dirt. They help draw the dirt away from the surfaces of your interior, minimizing the chance of just smearing it around
3. Use the right products. Make sure you’re not using the wrong polish for your upholstery; it can be very damaging over time.
For more car detailing tips, check out this awesome article: http://edmu.in/1nMbO1H
· Use the power hose to remove foreign substances: Never wipe them off with a towel or cloth; this could scratch your paint, or just smear the substance around.
· Dirt removal: If your car is dirty don’t just wipe it off. Rinse it completely first, and then focus on certain sections that may need a little more scrubbing. Dirt can leave scratches, so be careful.
· The towel: Try only to use microfiber cloth when working on your car. It is the same material used to clean glass, so you can rest assured it won’t leave any marks.
· How to scrub: Refrain from scrubbing in a circular motion. Use a straight motion, scrubbing from top to bottom.
If you’re getting ready to roll into your first summer road trip, the only thing on your mind is all the fun ahead of you. Swimsuit, sunblock, and phone charger packed? Check. Sunglasses? Yep. What about the inflatable beach ball you forgot last year? Done. You even remembered extra towels–you’re good! You understand how important it is to plan ahead.
But what’s rattling around behind you is just as important, maybe even more so. We’re sure you’ve heard the common phrase, “It’s about the journey, not the destination.” It applies to packing for your summer road trip too! Tackle any problem that might pop up while you’re on the road by making sure you’ve got these essential items stowed in your trunk:
Tire-Changing Equipment (sounds obvious, but you wouldn’t believe how many people forget!)
Jumper Cables
Road Atlas (Because phones die and there’s not service everywhere. Yes, we’re serious.)
Gas cans (Fill ‘em up before you hit the road)
First Aid Kit
Camera (It’s a good idea to keep a cheap disposable in your trunk at all times, not just for capturing memories but to use for documentation in case of a car accident)
