Keep an Eye on Those Tires
Tires are one of the biggest things that can cause serious, life-threatening problems on the road, so it’s imperative that you keep an eye on yours. The more miles you put on them, and the kind of miles (not all pavement types treat your tires equally) will impact how long they last before they need to be replaced. If you haven’t in awhile, do the quarter test on your tires. Stick a quarter so that good ole’ George Washington’s head is upside down in one of the treads of a tire. If the tire doesn’t come all the way up to cover the tippy top of George’s head, it’s time to get new tires because yours are in serious danger of balding or blowing out. Plus, when there’s no telling what tomorrow’s weather might bring, the idea of poor traction is more than enough to put a knot in most driver’s stomachs.
Don’t Skip Scheduled Maintenance
Oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, you know the shtick. The stuff your mechanic talks to you about every time you get your oil changed – those are the things you should never skip. Scheduled and routine maintenance is a must-do if you want your car to last as long as it should. Those cars that are well into the 200,000 and even nearing 300,000 miles and still running (though at that point we might recommend looking into a new road partner)? You can bet they rarely, if ever, missed a routine maintenance check on their vehicle. When you take your vehicle in regularly to get checked and get the oil changed before it’s running nearly dry, you allow plenty of points at which to spot serious problems before they become major safety issues.
Give Your Vehicle Some Lovin’
Aside from routine maintenance, it’s worth getting your car washed regularly and getting it detailed at least once a year as well. A clean car keeps rust at bay getting it detailed keeps it looking good as new much longer. Especially if you have pets, detailing your vehicle once or twice a year is a great addition to your regular vehicle-cleaning routines. A little extra TLC can only do good things for your vehicle’s longevity no matter the season.
Winter is on its way, and while you should definitely make sure you have snow tires ready to go and winter wipers in place if you need them, it’s also important to remember the tips we highlighted here year-round to reduce your risk of accidents and help keep yourself and others as safe as possible on the road.
