Gearing Up for That Car Accident Culprit

You came from a soiree with some of your colleagues at work. Your half-drunk and half-driving, then wham! These pointers would help you out when you’re in that scenario:

Any driver or car owner should have the always-neglected first aid kit which should include flares, cones, or warning triangles, to aid you in case you’re in a remote area. It might help to have camera or a mobile with cam always to help you document the event and/or gather evidence of the accident.

Move your vehicle, any person involved in the accident, or any matter at that, that may cause further damage to the area or what might happen to be a traffic obstruction. Call for a tow truck if necessary.

Cooperate with any authorities but ask for your Miranda rights. Don’t divulge anything other than facts because it might incriminate you.

Document everything. Make a sketch of the accident scene and gather the specific info on the make, model, license plate of the car. Take pictures or videos of the accident scene.

Ask and get the license plate number, driver’s license number, name of driver and owner, address, contact info, insurance company, insurance policy numbers.

If there are witnesses, ask for their name, age, address, other contact details. Entrust them or their testimonies to the police and no one else.

Report all the pertinent information you gave to the police to your insurance company. You may include the evidence you had gathered.

No man in his right mind would like to have an accident, but it’s a must to be ready if it happens.

Source:

http://www.articlecity.com

What Does Your Car Insurance Cover?

Bodily Injury Liability- Your insurance covers the claims against you when you have an accident and somebody died or was injured.

Property Damage Liability- Your insurance covers the property damages you have incurred in a car accident. It’s a requirement for all states except three.

Medical Payments- Your insurance takes care of all charges when you are injured or any occupants of your car in an accident. This is optional in some states, and in others, medical payments is replaced by personal injury coverage.

Uninsured Motorist Protection- Gives you coverage when you or any occupants of your car are injured by an uninsured or hit-and-run drivers. You also have underinsurance coverage when you’re injured by any driver who has minimal insurance coverage.

Collision Coverage- Your insurance covers all damages to your car up to its book value. Collision coverage has a deductible. It’s the amount you have to pay per claim before the insurance takes effect. The lower the deductible, the higher the premium.

Comprehensive (Physical Damage)- It covers all damages you incur from nonaccident causes like vandalism, flood, theft, wind, hailstorms. Like the collision coverage, it also has a deductible.

Source: http://auto.howstuffworks.com

How to Give Your Car a New Look

Repainting your car takes a lot of cash from your pocket and a lot of time too. So before you decide to hand in your car to the nearest repair shop, it’s worth to consider a few tips first. The following are some pointers for evaluation to find out if your car is really worth the repairman’s time:

Even before you start shopping for a body paint and repair shop to help you with the repaint job, try to check first the level of repair needed for your car’s body. It might be that you can use some paints and other products for car finishing that can enhance the original color of your car. These products can help you for proper oxidation of your car and for removing light scratches and chalky feel. All you need is a can of primer, spray paint, sandpaper, and some car wax. You also need to have a discerning mind to know if you would have to do some patch-up work or a total body repaint for your car, and if you can do the patch-up by yourself or ask assistance from a repairman.

Another factor to consider whether to give it a custom or production repair is the length of time you will be using the car. Whether it is under lease and your contract is about to end or it would be a long time first before you can surrender your car to the dealership, try to figure out what costs more. Usually, car owners would resort to a repaint before returning the car to the dealership since it would cost much to be paying for the car’s residual value. Repaint is better for luxury cars but if your car is an old model and the scratch is not that visible then go for a patch-up job.

Source: http://www.automedia.com

How Can You Fortify Your Car in Winter?

It’s the time of the year when everyone’s eyeing for a December vacation or how to spend the holidays; but unknown to you, it’s the dreaded time for your car. Why, it’s when its engine and batteries will be tested again by frost-biting cold.

There are, however, ways to save yourself from a car running amok due to engine trouble at a snowy bank in the middle of nowhere. Here are some tips:

1. Take advantage of the fair fall weather by doing a general clean-up of your car. Wash it and use a car wax to protect your car from falling snow or hailstorms. Somehow the coat will lessen its impact on the car’s body.

2. You have to make a complete overhaul of garbage in your car’s interior to get rid of that musty smell. An upholstery cleaner will do miracles to make it inviting for passengers. You can also vacuum the whole interior and spray it with a freshener to give it a fresh, homey smell. And just for the snowy months, you might want to avail the services of a vinyl floor mat or a rubber mat.

3. Strengthen your engine power by giving your car a test drive. Remember that with all additional usage for engine due to winter car features, i.e., defrosters, heaters, and frequent use of wipers, it’s in death row every winter. You also would have to check on your batteries’ voltage. A voltage lower than 12.4V requires you to recharge or replace it. And while at it, you need to check if all the lights in your car are functioning.

4. Make sure you have the right fluids for your car. This will lubricate most parts of your car that might stiffen due to the cold temperature. Take time to check on leaks all over your car too.

5. Lastly but surely, you need to ensure that you have in the car’s trunk the ice scrapper and snowbrush with soft bristles. Additional equipment would be an emergency kit and a collapsible shovel.

There are a couple of things you just have to be ready about when the air is blowing colder, signaling the winter months. First thing to keep is presence of mind.

Source: www.askmen.com

How to Drive with Less Fuel: A New Routine

If you are a fast and furious driver of an expensive car, your greatest fear would be that of the gasoline consumption of your car. We were able to collect valuable information on how to cut back on the liters that your engine is eating up every day.

You just have to make this part of your routine:

1. Read your manual and find out what fuel is the most compatible with your engine. Always remember to use the low-octane fuel.

2. Make sure that your gas cap is tightly closed. Take note that gasoline is so easy to evaporate.

3. Knowing that fuel is easy to evaporate, it’s a common technique to park the car in a shady area to stall the evaporation process. You can roll down the windows or the sun roof too.

4. Do a timely maintenance check-up for your engine. You can have regular filters, spark plug, and air filter replacements to make sure that your engine will be consuming minimum amount of fuel.

5. They call this the best cost-effective technique to save fuel. That would be choosing the car with the best mileage.

6.Lessen your speed. The faster your speed is in driving, the more fuel you are consuming.

7.Don’t drive if it’s not necessary or if there’s a better alternative like walking or biking instead.

These are about as simple as when you put one foot on the clutch and drive!

Sources:

http://www.fastlanes.net

http://cars.about.com

What to Do and Not to Do in Used Car Buying

Buying a used car might take more time and patience than buying a brand-new one. Here are basic tips for you to follow to make sure that your choice is fool-proof:

Do research before you strike a deal. The best document to ask would be a used car history report.

Ask somebody who knows about cars to help you choose.

It would be impractical to buy a car which is a remnant of a serious accident, specifically a frontal collision.

Test drive the car you have chosen. You might discover some defects as soon as the car hits freeways and highways, especially rough terrains.

Don’t get a car that requires minor repairs. They might turn big in due time.

Never buy a car that has survived a flood. You could be heading to a whole world of problems regarding corrosion, transmission, and the likes.

Contrary to what is implied by most buyers, treat salespersons in dealerships well. Instead of giving you a nightmarish quote for the selling price, you might be able to haggle to the least.

Don’t just believe in hearsay when you pick your choice. Double-check and do research.

Source:
http://www.samarins.com

How to Avoid Mistakes in Car Buying

Do your homework.

Salespeople are after their profits and not your advantage. To avoid the trap of high monthly payments or the worst deal, do research on your own and ask experienced buyers for advice.

Don’t forget to test-drive the car.

To make sure that the car has no defects and that the amenities and features of the car would really suit your needs, hit the road now!

Don’t buy add-ons and accessories from the dealer.

Most of these are sold relatively high, as they take advantage of the sale and bank on more profits.

Be sure of the color and model you want.

Don’t compromise one over the other.

Be sure whether you want a car lease or buy a car instead.

Don’t just jump into the bandwagon because everybody is into it. Lease when you have to or buy when you want to, but bottom line is, do research and weigh the pros and cons.

For more info, read on Car Buying Mistakes to Avoid.