With so many drivers on the road, we are all responsible for driving safety. By staying alert and being ready to take action at any time, you can instantly be a safer driver. Here are some other tips to avoid being involved in an accident.
Check your mirrors
Besides necessary adjustments every time you drive, it’s important to regularly glance in your rear and side mirrors this will help you see what is happening around you – allowing you to be aware.
Become a defensive driver
Always check your blind spots before you change lanes, pull out from a kerb or turn. Keep distance between yourself and others – by keeping alert to where other cars are in relation to yourself, you are able to make moves to keep yourself safe.
Take care around parked cars and buses
People that are walking around cars and buses are often hard to see – especially children. Slow down and be prepared to suddenly stop or pull out of the way if necessary.
Keep a safe following distance
Ideally in good driving conditions, a 2 second gap between you and the car in front of you is recommended – this needs to be increased in wet weather and at night. This following distance will allow you time to stop should you need to, or give you enough time and space to remove yourself from any sudden change.
So you’ve had a car accident – now what? Many of us are often unsure about what to do – from securing the scene to making sure you are covered for any damage. It can all be overwhelming – and what happens when it’s not even your fault?
Here is a quick list of things you should do in the event of an accident.
Do you or anyone else need medical assistance?
If anyone is injured, then call 000 immediately for assistance.
Check the surrounding area
It’s important to make the area safe to prevent another accident from happening.
Do you need to call the police?
You will need to call the police if someone has been injured or if there is third-party property damage where the owner is not present. Notify the police if there is any suspicion of any drugs or alcohol being involved in the accident
Collect and exchange information
Once the scene has been secured, the next thing to do is to exchange details with other drivers involved. Here is a list of details you should exchange:
- Full name
- Residential address
- Mobile number
- Drivers licence number
- Registration number
- Insurance details
Call us
Our team at Carbiz will be able to talk you through the process to follow after an accident – as well as providing more information on accident replacement vehicles should you require one.
What happens if it wasn’t your fault?
Accidents can leave you without a car while it’s getting fixed. And an accident that isn’t your fault can leave you with bills for panel beaters and rental cars. If it’s not your fault and more than one car is involved, you may have the right to a loan car with the costs covered by the at-fault party – contact Carbiz to find out if you qualify.
Breakdowns are often frustrating – and can be a hassle, they can happen to anyone for all types of reasons. From a dead battery to mechanical faults, breakdowns can often be unexpected.
Hopefully you have roadside assistance – and if you do, then be sure to pull over to a safe location. Here are some tips on how to stay safe while waiting for help to arrive.
Driving at night is vastly different to driving in the middle of the day – oncoming traffic will look different and unknown roads can be more difficult to navigate.
Here are some tips to stay safer when driving at night.
Know how to operate your headlights – do you know how to use your headlights at a moment’s notice or how to flick on/off your high-beams? This should be second nature to you so be sure to learn where all of your light controls are.
Don’t look into the headlights of oncoming cars. Never look directly at the lights of cars approaching – potentially dazing yourself or creating light spots in your eyes. Rather look at the lane markings on your side of the road - your lights will illuminate these so that you can follow the curve of the road if one is approaching.
Keep an eye out for pedestrians, bicycles and animals – they can be harder to see at night.
Other key tips include keeping your headlights and windscreen clean, keep distractions in your car to a minimum and plan out your route so that you are aware of any steep descents, sharp corners or blind rises.
What’s the importance of oil in your car? The oil circulating around your engine keeps all of the moving parts lubricated. Lubricant is vital to the longevity of your engine – without proper oil maintenance, you risk creating friction, wear and heat between moving parts and can land up with a very expensive repair bill. Or worse!
Is it necessary to change your engine’s oil? Yes! – with so many components to your engine and a lot of them needing proper lubrication when the engine is running. Over time your engine oil collects contaminants which will result in the oil not being as effective.
Not changing your oil could end up with your engine’s pistons welded to the cylinder wall, causing the engine to seize up.
But how will you know when or how regularly to change your engine’s oil?
There are many factors that will influence how often you need to check and change your engine’s oil, such as what type of car you are driving, your manufacturers suggestions, how often you drive the car or what type of oil you’ve used before. Because all cars are different, it’s best to check your oil regularly using the oil dipstick, perhaps once a month or every time you fill up with fuel.
Low profile tyres have been increasing in popularity – from both the aesthetic and performance perspectives.
There are some common benefits of changing from standard profile tyres to low profiles – including improved dry handling, cornering ability and increased steering response.
Low profile tyres have a shorter sidewall – or a lower aspect ratio than normal tyres. Low profiles also have larger tread blocks, a stiffer and wider apex – and they can be made from specialised compounds. Tyres with a 50 aspect or less are considered to be low profiles.
Low profile tyres require a large amount of engineering – tuning a specific car for a particular tyre, tuning that type of tyre. Things that can be tuned or engineered include the chemistry of the rubber, the belt height, the tread depths.
Today, there are many vehicles that come with two or three tyre sizes available across the different models within the range. Tyres will change the ride comfort of your car. The tyres, the suspension and the seat cushion are all elements that contribute towards your ride comfort. When the tyre profile goes down, it impacts or changes your ride’s comfort – low profile tyre rides are harder.
Whether you are choosing to opt for low profile tyres on a new car or fit them after purchase, there are pros and cons. Low profile tyres increase the contact area between the tyre and the road – which assists in braking and handling.
Low profile tyres also have many cons – including being expensive, easy to damage and they can be noisy.
A recent study by CarRentals.com found that the steering wheel is the dirtiest part of a car’s interior – perhaps up to four times as many colony forming units of bacteria than an average public toilet. And while public toilets are regularly cleaned, it’s an interesting dilemma.
What is more interesting is that many motorists – one in three – only clean the inside of their car once a year (with a further 12% never cleaning their car).
From eating in your car to touching not so clean surfaces before getting in and driving away, your steering wheel can take the brunt of hosting bacteria in your car.
Other germ-ridden areas of the inside of a car include your boot, the driver footwell, seatbelt button and handbrake.
From invisible or micro bacteria to more visible dirt and grime, it might be a good idea to give your car a good clean, regularly.
So, what can you do between washes to keep the inside of your car germ-free? A good tip is sanitizing the things you touch or cleaning your hands before getting into your car and touching your steering wheel, changing your air conditioning filter regularly, cleaning your car keys and vacuuming your upholstery.
And while many of us eat in our cars – perhaps that is another habit to stop.
Are you guilty of going long periods without cleaning the inside of your car?
Have you ever received a speeding ticket and wondered how the average speed camera works? Sure – it can be frustrating to receive a ticket with most modern cars capable of easily creeping above the speed limit without one noticing.
Average speed cameras have been introduced to counter the driver who slows down for a fixed camera and speed up once out of range.
So how do they work? Linked average speed cameras work by measuring the amount of time it takes to travel between two points – and then calculates the average speed. If your average speed is higher than the posted speed limit, then you will be fined.
The set distance between the linked average speed cameras, according to the authorities, is the minimum ‘practicable’ distance to ensure there isn’t an overestimation of speed – with the stretch of road being assessed by a land surveyor.
In Australia, the type of camera type is called a SPECS camera, or Speed Checks Services. SPECS cameras are always set up as a pair – both cameras are capable of recognising the vehicles’ number plate, through the use of ANPR (Automatic Numberplate Recognition) as well as capturing an image of the vehicle.
Have you ever received an infringement in your letterbox?