Your new year’s resolutions when it comes to your car
Now that’s it’s the new year, everyone has thought of their new year’s resolutions that they absolutely must follow through with this year – not like the year before or the year before or the year before…
Start a diet, stop smoking, join the gym… we’ve heard them all. You may have the usual resolutions this year, but have you thought about what your new year’s resolution are when it comes to your car?
These are your driving resolutions everyone absolutely needs to follow through with this whole year:
1. Stop texting and driving…
We can’t state this enough, seriously though. People are still doing it, the road death toll says so. Yes, texting and driving is a big part of injuries, accidents and death on the road. If you stop doing it, you might save a life.
2. Maintain your car
…or your taxi, or motorcycle or anything you drive. For one, traffic services are getting stricter and starting off with a pretty harsh ‘follow the road rules or go to jail’ tactic in 2015. Therefore, if you get caught driving an unroadworthy vehicle, you will get penalised. Other than that, it’s just very unsafe. Even the little things count – check your wipers, check your water, check the status of your tyres weekly. This will keep you on the road and unharmed.
3. Tyres, tyres, tyres…
Without tyres, your car is pretty much useless – so look after them! Firstly you need to find out what the correct tyre pressure is for your tyres and car (and it might not be what you think it is). This can also save on fuel. Secondly, you need to ask a professional to point out the tread wear indicator on your tyres, and replace them when they reach this point. If your tyres are over a certain amount of kilos (normally 40 000), you need to replace them. Other than this, you also need to rotate your wheels and check alignment after every 10,000km you drive. Also check your alignment every time you take a long trip.
4. Drive smart
This may sound scary, but every time you climb into your car, you are risking your life – yet it’s a daily occurrence. What you need to do is to take a decision to drive smart – don’t drink and drive, don’t drive without a seatbelt, buckle the children up, don’t let your dog run around in the car while driving etc. Things like this may seem minor, but it could keep a horrible accident from happening.
5. Keep to the speed limit or pay your fines
It’s pretty simple – don’t get a fine, and if you do – pay it asap. This is better than letting all those traffic fines build up and then you are unable to renew your licence.
6. Improve your eco-credentials and drive greener
Wondering how? This is how you can be a more eco-conscious driver.
7. Don’t rage on the road
Road rage is on the rise, and it’s certainly not something South Africans can ignore anymore. Everywhere you look there are stories from road rage victims – and this is increasingly happening all over the country. Maybe you don’t see yourself as a road rage perpetrator, but you might also be a possible victim. The best thing you can possibly do is to merely avoid the situation as a whole.
8. Learn how to change a tyre
Imagine this scenario: You are a lady, alone at night, in a deserted area – and you have a flat tyre. You cannot call for help as the reception is bad. What else can you do if you can’t change a tyre? A better option might be to acquire run-flat tyres. This way you won’t have to stop on the side of the road at all. And, if you have to stop, make sure you have an emergency kit in your car at all times.