Month: August 2019

By mastering driving skills such as controlling, directing, accelerating, and decelerating a vehicle, you’ll be able to become a very efficient driver indeed. However, that’s not all it takes to become a responsible motorist; you also need to focus on safety while on the road. So to help you out on that score, here are some techniques you need to learn.

Constantly Glance at the Mirrors

Part of being alert while driving is continuously getting a sense of what’s happening behind you. Thus, you need to use your rearview and side mirrors to monitor the surrounding traffic. Glance at the mirrors every now and then, keep your eyes moving, and always stay alert and awake.

Properly Hold the Steering Wheel

Your grip on the steering wheel is essential. Think of the steering wheel as the face of a clock, and position your hands in the 10:10 position. In normal driving, keep your left hand placed at the 10 o’clock hand and your right hand at the 10-minute hand. Your grip must be firm but not too tight. Keep both hands on the wheel at all times except when shifting gears or giving hand signals.

Regularly Check the Speed Control

Proper speed control is also essential while driving. Driving beyond speed limits can be dangerous and is not allowed by law. The same goes for driving too slow since it can cause traffic to stack up as well as cause other motorists to become impatient and attempt to overtake you unsafely. Thus, if you’re cruising on a road that has two or more lanes of traffic moving in the same direction, best move to the rightmost lane and allow the others to pass.

Use Signals

Signaling your intentions while driving is another crucial technique to learn. It is your way of communicating with other motorists, and it helps avoid confusion as to what you intend to do. So whenever on the road with your brand new or secondhand car, best maximize the use of its built-in signal lights.

Keep Your Feet on the Brakes

The ability to slow down or stop your new or pre-owned car when necessary is crucial. So better keep your foot near the brake pedal. However, don’t press the pedals too hard; otherwise, you’ll cause your ride to jerk and stop abruptly as well as wear out your brakes and tires.

Wrapping Up

Being a good driver means having ample knowledge and intuitive understanding of your vehicle (flaws and all), as well as the ability to recognize your own physical limits. By learning the techniques above, you’ll be able to become a competent and responsible motorist.

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Driving Techniques to Ensure Your Safety on the Road

Turning your vehicle involves proper handling of the steering wheel, knowing where to position your vehicle on the road, and some techniques to easily complete the turn. Below are tips you can follow when turning left or right.

Steps When Making Left Turns

When turning left, get in the lane immediately to the right of the centerline in a two-way traffic road or in a lane designated for left turns. Do not cross the centerline while at the intersection. After you have completed the turn, maintain your lane until it is safe to change lanes.

1. Signal at least 10 cars length or 30 meters away from the intersection before slowing down.
2. Check all mirrors for areas around your new or secondhand car to see if the lane is free. Stay on your lane to avoid swerving.
3. Stay closest to the centerline or center divider (island) of the road.
4. Make a full stop upon reaching the intersection then check if traffic is clear. Check your right side for any incoming automobiles.
5. Turn your steering wheel to the left when the front wheel reaches the center of the intersection.
6. When your car is already in the straight position, turn the steering wheel back to its normal position to straighten the front wheels before increasing your speed.
7. Make sure your signal lights are turned off after you made the turn.

Steps When Making Right Turns

When turning right, you need to be in the right hand lane or a lane designated for right turns. After making your turn, stay in the right lane until you are at a proper distance from the intersection.

1. Signal at least 10 cars length or 30 meters away from the intersection and slow down.
2. Check all mirrors for areas around your vehicle and see if lane is free. Keep to your lane to avoid swerving.
3. Allow a one-meter distance away from the curb or sidewalk.
4. Make a full stop upon reaching the intersection then check if traffic is clear. Check your left side for any incoming vehicles.
5. Turn your steering wheel to the right when the right from wheel of your new or pre-owned car reaches the corner.
6. When your car is already in a straight position, turn the steering wheel back to its normal position to straighten front wheels before increasing speed.
7. Make sure your signal lights are turned off after you made the turn.

One Last Tip

Following the steps above will help you properly turn your car left or right. However, if you’re driving on multi-lane roads, be sure to check if there are arrows painted on the road that show whether or not left or right are allowed from other lanes. If there are, you must make your turn as indicated by the road markings.

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How to Properly Make a Right or Left Turn
"I have the right-of-way!" This is something you’ve probably heard someone driving a pre-owned car yell at one point or another while you’re on the road. In case you don’t know what that means, right-of-way is the factor that helps drivers determine whether they should proceed ahead of other motorists or let them go first. It’s a very important albeit underappreciated rule of the road since it helps minimize accidents and bottle-necking. Now there are different right-of-way rules you need to remember while behind the steering wheel. If you’re unfamiliar with any of them, then here’s a few you should start learning. When a Car is Ahead of You If another vehicle gets into an intersection before you do, it has the right-of-way. Let it proceed ahead of you. When a Car is Beside You If you enter an intersection at the same time as another vehicle crossing your way, the vehicle to your right has the right-of-way. When You’re at an Intersection When turning left in an intersection, signal your intent to turn and yield to approaching traffic until it is safe to complete the turn. When Coming From Your Driveway If you are entering a public street from a private driveway, stop and yield the right-of-way to the vehicles already on the road. When There’s a Pedestrian Always yield the right-of-way to pedestrians crossing in marked or unmarked crosswalks. It is also safe practice to yield to pedestrians who are not using crosswalks on the street. When in a Roundabout If you are about to enter a roundabout or circle or rotunda, yield the right-of-way to vehicles already in the roundabout. When the Intersection is Backed Up If you are about to cross an intersection where traffic on the same direction you are headed is backed up, you must wait until the traffic clears before proceeding. When You’re a Pedestrian Stop at any limit line or before a crosswalk. Yield to all approaching vehicles on the through street; proceed only when it is safe for you to cross. That is, cross only when approaching vehicles are slowing down and allow you to get across safely. Remember These Right-of-Way Rules These right-of-way rules may seem simple at first glance, but they can significantly help you prevent unexpected and unwanted mishaps on the road. So whether or not you’re driving a brand new car or a used one, you would do well to learn and remember these rules.
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Right-of-Way Rules You Need to Obey While Driving

Did you accidentally leave your keys inside your car? No need to worry! There are quite a few ways you can retrieve them (in case you don’t have or just don’t want to use a spare). If you don’t have any idea what those ways are, then best follow the guide we’ve prepared for you below.

Keep Calm

Panicking during tough situations is normal. Unfortunately, that won’t help you much. So instead of losing it, better do your best to keep a cool head. Double-check the car doors to make sure it is unlocked; the last thing you want to do is call for help only to find out the doors are unlocked the whole time.

Think of Your Options

As mentioned in the intro, there are several ways to retrieve your keys inside a locked car. For example, if your vehicle has pull-up locks like most pre-owned cars, then you can either pick it using a string. Just make a slip knot at the center of the string, slide the string through the door’s corner, position the loop around the pull-up lock, then tug one end of the string to unlock the door.

You can also use a crowbar to pry the car door open, although you should try not to look too suspicious while doing this or people might think you’re trying to steal your own car. Worse comes to worst, you can always break your car windows open (this is something you must avoid doing unless absolutely necessary since replacing car windows can be pricey).

Ask Assistance

Of course, it’s not a bad idea to go get help if you got your keys locked inside your car. One person you can call is a locksmith. These days, locksmiths are readily available to respond to such emergencies. So if you ever find yourself locked out of your car, better have their phone numbers at hand.

You can also call roadside assistance to help you retrieve your vehicle keys. Being all too familiar with this type of car trouble, they’ll be able to help you recover your keys without damaging your sweet ride. Lastly, you can call the police. Like road assistance personnel and locksmiths, they also have the tools that can pry your car door open with little to no damage.

Wrapping Up

Getting your keys locked inside your brand new or secondhand car can be very frustrating. By following the steps laid out above, however, you’ll be able to get them back in a jiffy.

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What To Do If You Lock Your Keys in the Car
Truth be told, a manual transmission vehicle is more challenging to drive than an automatic one. Not only do you have to deal with shifting its gears depending on your speed, but you’ll also have to face various challenges while on the road. Still, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to master it. By following the tips listed below, you’ll be able to become a pro manual car driver in no time.

Stalling

This usually occurs when the engine suddenly shuts down due to the clutch pedal getting released too quickly or there is not enough pressure on the gas pedal. To restart the engine, first make sure you’re in the correct gear. A common mistake is trying to start while in Gear 3 instead on Gear 1.

Hanging Uphill

Moving uphill requires more power to avoid engine shut down or stalling. By firmly pressing the brake pedal before releasing the parking brake while the auto is engaged, the additional power would also helps the new or secondhand car avoid rolling backwards, keeping it steady while on the road. To move forward, apply enough pressure to the gas pedal by quickly moving your right foot to the accelerator from the brake pedal. Then immediately and simultaneously release the clutch pedal to a little bit past the working level. Make sure not to press the gas pedal too hard so as not to have the car sprint out of control.

Hanging Downhill

Moving downhill requires just as much power and technique as moving uphill to avoid stalling or engine shutdown. In other words, you also need to firmly press the brake pedal before releasing the parking brake while the car is engaged if you want to keep your ride steady and avoid having it rolling forward. And in case you need to move backwards, just apply enough pressure to the gas pedal by quickly moving your right foot to the accelerator from the brake pedal. Then quickly and simultaneously release the clutch pedal to a little bit past the working level. As with moving uphill, make sure not to press the gas pedal too hard; otherwise your auto might sprint out of control.

Wrapping Up

Owning a new or pre-owned car that has manual transmission system can be challenging. By constantly learning how to drive it, however, you’ll soon be able to get the hang of it. So keep learning, and in case you don’t know where to start, try the tips we’ve listed above.
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Driving Tips for Manual Transmission Vehicle Owners