BRIGHTON, Mich. May 21, 2012 – If you are like the majority
of drivers on the road today then you probably have experienced a vehicle
breakdown. For those of you who haven’t, especially teen drivers this article
is for you (experienced drivers will also want to give this a read as well).
The article, “7 Things to Remember When Your Car Breaks Down” from The Car
Connection provides great advice to get you fully prepared in the event your
car breaks down on the road. Take a look:
America is in the
midst of graduation season, which can only mean one thing: high school
graduates across the country are motoring around in their very first cars,
taking their first road trips, and buying their first (and last) air-fresheners
disguised as fuzzy pairs of dice.
But along with those
joys comes another, less pleasant first: the very first breakdown.
How will your teen driver perform in the face of adversity? The folks at AutoMD put
together a quick checklist to help them through the rough patch, and we're
going to share it with you, along with a suggestion of two of our own.
(Note: this list is
directed at novices, but it really applies to drivers at every level of
experience. Have a look. You might learn something.)
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| Photo Credit - The Car Connection |
1. First things
first: get your car off the road. Even
when things go seriously wrong, moving vehicles don't usually stop working
entirely, so hopefully, you'll have some time and momentum to get your car to
the side of the road. (If not, turn on your hazard lights and skip to step 2;
don't get out of the car while it's stranded in traffic, especially if you're
stuck on a busy highway.) When you reach the side of the road, put the car in
park, engage the emergency brake, and spin your steering wheel away from the road.
That way, your car won't accidentally roll out into oncoming traffic. Turn on
your hazard lights, too.
2. Call for help. According to the Pew Research Center,
about 77% of American teens have cell phones, so odds are good that this
won't be a problem. (For the remaining 23% of teens, parents might consider
stowing a limited-function feature phone in the glove box, just for
emergencies. Or you could purchase a roadside assistance device like OnStar
FMV, which is now on sale for $99.)
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| LED flares are a great alternative to the traditional road flare |
3. Let other drivers know that you're in trouble. Hazard lights are a start, but they don't necessarily shout to the world that you're having car problems. (For example, you might've pulled over to take a call.) If you can get out of the car safely and if you have road flares available, place a couple of them about 50 feet behind your car. Raising the hood isn't a bad idea, either.
4. Stay with the car. For at least two reasons, it's usually best if you stay with your vehicle. First, if you've called AAA or another roadside service, they typically can't do anything to a vehicle without the driver present. And second, as we mentioned above, roadways are dangerous places for people on foot -- in fact, about 4,000 pedestrians are killed each year in the U.S. The situation is far more deadly when cars are flying by at 60 or 70 miles per hour.
5. Now probably isn't the time to take a blind stab at auto repair. If you've got some
tinkering experience, you might be able to identify a loose battery cable, but if your problem is a flat tire and you've never changed one before, leave it be unless the situation becomes desperate. Changing tires can be tricky, even under ideal conditions -- and frankly, perched on the shoulder of a highway isn't what we'd call "ideal". If you do know how to change a tire, proceed with caution. In the best of all possible worlds, you'd wait until a police officer shows up, just to help slow down traffic.
6. Use common sense. Every breakdown is different, depending on where you are, what you're driving, the time of day, the underlying problem, and so on. For example, if you're on a quiet stretch of road and you know what's wrong -- say, for example, you ran out of gas and you're certain there's a gas station nearby -- it's probably okay to ignore item #4 and hoof it. Just exercise caution, and don't exit the car on the same side as traffic is flowing.
7. Be wary of
strangers. Your parents
probably told you that a thousand times when you were young, but it bears
repeating. There are plenty of good Samaritans out there, eager to help folks
in trouble. However, there are also a handful of bad eggs that can really spell
trouble. If a stranger pulls over and offers help, it's probably best to remain
in the car with the doors locked. Roll down the window a bit and tell them that
help is on the way. Call the police if need be. Sorry if it seems that we've
lost all faith in humanity, but if you've ever been to a cutthroat garage sale,
your views are probably a little jaundiced, too.
If you have any questions on what to do in the event of a
break down or any other auto maintenance questions, please feel free to contact us, our service
experts are more than happy to help. Remember, all of our Ford
Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles come with 24/7 roadside assistance!
Brighton Ford is located at 8240 Grand River
Ave. just north of I-96 in Brighton. We are a family owned and operated
business that strives on customer satisfaction. Brighton Ford proudly serves
the Brighton Ford dealership needs, Howell Ford dealership needs, Fowlerville
Ford dealership needs, South Lyon Ford dealership needs, Whitmore Lake Ford
dealership needs and Ann Arbor Ford dealership needs. For more information on
Brighton Ford visit BrightonFord.com or give us a call at
(800)-836-8206.
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