This season, summer brings a number of weather-related changes and activities that make driving more dangerous. As the weather changes, so should your driving and road safety practices.
Stay safe on the road this summer by following these six summer driving risk tips to help avoid and prevent these seasonal driving dangers.
Hydroplaning is commonly used to refer to the skidding or sliding of a car’s tires across a wet surface. It occurs when the tires encounter more water than intended, and the water pressure in the front of the wheel pushes water under the tires, resulting in the separation of the tire from the road surface by a thin film of water.
During hydroplaning, you lose the ability to steer, brake, and power control. Hydroplaning can happen on any wet surface; however, the first 10 minutes of light rain can be the most dangerous. When light rain mixes with oil residue on the road surface, it creates slippery conditions that can cause vehicles, especially those traveling speeds in excess of 35 mph, to hydroplane. This can be deadly for the driver and surrounding motorists.
Brakes are a vital function for the driver that need to be well maintained to perform at their best. The brake caliper, brake pads, and brake rotor are the primary components of your car’s disc brake system. Your brake pads and rotors on all your cars can wear out eventually.
When you press down on the brake pedal, the pressure is amplified by the hydraulic fluid to create friction at the wheels making the vehicle stop. Many vehicles are equipped with anti-lock braking systems that include a valve that regulates this pressure created to help prevent the brakes from locking up or forcing the car to spin out.
Your driving habits, road conditions, and the types of brake pads your vehicle has can determine the life of your brake pads and rotors and how often you should replace them.
Toward the end of summer, you may notice your car’s air condition system is not cooling as efficiently as it should. While the weather isn’t warm anymore, you may be thinking in the coming months, winter is a great time to have your air conditioning system recharged and repaired. We have put together a helpful guide to answer your air conditioning system questions and why you should repair your AC system before spring.
It has already been a long winter in the foothills of North Carolina. We typically see about nine inches of snow annually, but there is a lot of variation from year-to-year. Freezing rain and sleet often cause more problems for drivers than snow. Four people in Elkin, it is not uncommon to travel to the mountains for business or recreation. We are a little over an hour from the best ski resorts in North Carolina. Even if we are not experiencing adverse weather at home, you may encounter frozen precipitation in the higher elevations.
Wherever you are driving this winter, vehicle maintenance is vital to making sure you stay on the road. This is not the season to find yourself stranded. From oil changes to washing your car, here is what you can expect if you do not practice proper vehicle maintenance this winter.