From good driving habits to proper automotive maintenance, there are ways to avoid accidents

If you don’t drink and drive, if you don’t text and drive, you’ve reduced two of the major factors that, as a result, could find you in an accident. Of course, there’s always the question of whether the ‘other’ driver was drinking or texting. Still, considering that somewhere around half of all auto accidents occur because of impaired driving, this is a significant way to improve your odds.

Another major cause of accidents is driver error. You don’t see the red light or you don’t check your blind spot before switching lanes: those are just a couple of ways that driver error can land you in trouble. Once again, you have to ask, what about the other driver, too?

Most likely you know better than to drink and drive. You’ve heard enough about accidents that occur because someone was busy texting instead of driving. You’re fastidious about paying attention when you drive. You’re constantly on your toes watching what other drivers are up to. Does this mean you’ll never have an accident? Unfortunately, it doesn’t mean that. What it means as that you’ll seriously reduce the odds of having an accident.

Accidents caused by weather conditions are related to accidents caused by drive error; as an effective driver you’ll adjust your driving appropriately for conditions. But, once you get behind the wheel, the final category of accident virtually takes destiny out of your hands – mechanical failure.

Yes, there is something you can do to avoid accidents caused by mechanical failure, at least from the perspective or your vehicle. You still have to watch out for the other driver but, if you stay on top of your vehicle’s mechanical condition, once again, you’ve reduced the odds of an accident. That doesn’t mean something couldn’t break but the chances are dramatically diminished.

Slightly more than one-in-10 accidents are caused by mechanical failure. A car is a complex mechanical devise with numerous mechanical apparatus that must work right when called upon. For many of the parts involved in the operation of a car, failure is potentially catastrophic. In other words, if something breaks while you’re driving, you may not be able to avoid an accident.

Here are some of the features of a car that, if defective, could cause an accident:
•    Tire Failure: Flat tires often occur while driving. When one tire goes flat handling often goes to pot. The faster you’re driving when a tire goes flat, or you have a blowout, the harder it is to maintain control of the vehicle.
•    Bad Brakes: It’s really not necessary to explain why brakes are important. If you want, or need, to stop and the breaks don’t work well enough you’re in a pickle. The last thing you want to do is find out your brakes aren’t up to the task as you’re slamming down on the pedal trying to avoid an accident. This is all the more true if you have precious loved ones in the vehicle with you.
•    Worn or Damaged Front End and Steering Parts: If any of your suspension or steering parts are worn or damaged they could cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Additionally, when one part is worn it usually effects other parts causing them to experience excessive wear or breakdown.
o    Ball Joints
o    Control Arms
o    King Bolts, Bushings and Shims
o    Alignment Products
o    Sway Bar Kits and Bushings
o    Idler Arms and Pitman Arms
o    Tie Rod Ends and Sleeves
o    Center Steering and Drag Links
o    Coil Springs
o    Control Arm Shafts
o    Other Suspension Parts
(If your vehicle needs any of the parts listed above, Performance Unlimited, Ringwood, is offering significant discounts on the parts – to learn more, visit: www.4Performanceunlimited.com or call 815-728-0343).

There are other factors that can cause an accident, such as:
•    Impaired vision (your wipers or defrosters are not working properly)
•    Loose lug nuts on your wheels or faulty wheel bearings
•    Improperly tuned or damaged engine or transmission (there are times when you need to get up and go, just as there are times when you need to stop)
Accidents are potentially life changing, or even life ending. Nothing good comes of an accident – they’re universally better to avoid, if possible. Doing all you can to avoid accidents starts with maintaining your vehicle in prime operating condition before you start to drive.

Is your antifreeze safe from freezing this Richmond winter

You still have time to have it checked Well, there’s no denying it – winter tends to get chilly here in Richmond. We have to deal with snow and ice on the roads, scraping the same off our windows and windshield, and staying warm while we drive. Of course, you had your antifreeze checked before winter rolled into town. What?! You didn’t have your antifreeze checked before winter clamped down on Richmond? So, how’s your antifreeze doing? If you haven’t had it checked, there’s really no way of knowing, is there? This car has overheated in the middle of a Richmond winter. But, on the other end of the spectrum, the antifreeze can also freeze if it's not up to its job. Hopefully, you haven’t had a serious problem with your antifreeze already. If you did, you’d probably know. When antifreeze fails, it’s a potentially catastrophic condition for your vehicle’s engine. You could have hoses that have burst because of freezing antifreeze. Worse than that, your engine block may have crac...

Blocks of ice falling from cars in McHenry could cause accidents or damage

We’ve all seen those blocks of snow falling from behind the rear tires of a car when the snow rolls into McHenry . Fortunately, they’re just packed snow that will disintegrate under your vehicle’s tires as you simply drive right through them, right? Don’t count on it. Those blocks of snow are often packed so tight, condensed by the thaw-and-freeze cycle, that they’re anything but oversized snowballs . They’re often more like boulders. Hit one of those blocks and the collision between the block and one of your tires could send you careening off the road or into oncoming traffic. In some cases, they’re so solid you could pound them with a sledgehammer with little effect. They truly can represent a serious road hazard. The problem is that it’s difficult to tell how solidly they’re packed when you see them on the road, left their unwittingly by another driver. Either way, your best bet is to try to avoid them. But you want to be careful dodging blocks of ice in the road, too. You need...

Get out to McHenry Music Festival for a good time and music near to home

Some folks here in McHenry will load up the car and head out to Red Rock Amphitheater near Denver to see a show. Some will go to the MSG Sphere near Las Vegas. Some will go to the Bonaroo Festival Concert to see a show. That’s quite a bit of driving and you’d better make sure your vehicle is up to the trip. What happens, however, if something goes wrong – if your vehicle breaks down while driving there or back? What happens if the show is canceled, as happened this year with the Bonaroo Festival? We’re talking about some serious inconvenience, aren’t we? Wherever you go, whether your driving to Colorado, Nevada, Tennessee or anywhere else in this continent, you want to perform your due diligence and make sure the vehicle is up for the trip before you go. And it doesn’t really matter if you’re driving somewhere to see some live music or for any other purpose. A breakdown can be costly and may put you at the mercy of weather conditions or nefarious characters that come across you while y...

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