6 Helpful Tips for Drivers

Awhile back, we came across an article from Men’s Health that outlined their 100 Best Car Tips for Men. We’re not going to outline the full list of 100 tips but we’re going to point out some of our favorites. These tips are valuable and do not only apply to men. Vehicle owners and drivers in general will benefit from the following tips:

How to Deal with a Deer on the Road

If you have time before coming in contact with a deer on the road, flashing your lights is the easiest thing you can do. This normally scares the deer and chases it off your path. Swerving is not recommended since you have no clue which way the deer might run and you could cause even more harm to yourself. If you know a crash is happening, apply pressure on your brakes and hold the steering wheel straight. To prevent the deer from possibly coming through your windshield, you’ll want to steer away from the deer’s midsection at the last possible second before impact.

Does Turning off the Air-Conditioning Save Gas?

Not everyone knows this but turning the AC off only benefits your gas mileage when you’re driving on country roads. If you are traveling on the highway, opening your windows uses more gas because it creates additional drag on your car. A good rule of thumb is to cool your car down and then switch to recirculation mode so less energy is used to keep the already-cool interior comfortable.

Buy Your Car, Don’t Lease

If you are someone who plans to keep your car more than 5 years, buying is usually the better choice. When you decide to lease, the dealer offers you a payment that is intended to make sure you pay for the best years of your car’s life. It takes into account the depreciation of the vehicle and the interest and fees that come along with the lease agreement.

Take Care of Frost in Winter

If you have a newer car, or are looking at the newer model car, it automatically runs the air-conditioning while defrosting the windshield. So of course, if you have an older car, you need to do this manually. Why use the AC? It produces dry air so it will dehumidify. You can still adjust the temperature so the AC releases warm air in the vehicle–you don’t have to freeze!

Breaks Are Necessary on Long Drives

When going on long trips, are you someone who tries to get as many hours as possible on the road? Even though this may be productive for your schedule, it isn’t for your health. It is recommended to take 10-minute breaks every 2 hours. As the driver, your hamstrings tighten and the movement of your foot pumping the brakes can stretch your sciatic nerve, causing chronic pain. Would a 10-minute break for your health really break your schedule?

Go for the Pro Car Wash

Did you ever realize how much water it takes to wash your car at home? When you wash your car at home, you have a tendency to use five to 20 times more water than a professional car wash uses. If you think about your water cost versus what a professional car wash costs, you might feel better about putting a little cash aside every month to get your car washed. Plus, when you wash your car at home, you can leave scratches deep in your car’s paint.

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