Common Sense Car Safety Tips
Car Safety Tips You Need to Know
For most of us, cars are an everyday part of our lives. That’s probably the reason so many injuries result from not practicing proper car safety. If you think car safety just means defensive driving and wearing a seatbelt, you may be one of the people putting yourself in harms way without even realizing it. We’ve got some car safety tips you need to follow.
Car Safety Tip #1 -- Do Not Wear Loose Clothing When Working on Your Car
If you wear loose clothing when working on your car’s engine, you are just asking for trouble. What happens if someone starts the car and your shirt sleeve gets caught in a fan or belt? You could very well lose your hand. Play it safe and wear form-fitting clothing when working on your vehicle.
Car Safety Tip #2 -- Do Not Use the Tire Jack to Support Your Car
It’s called a “tire” jack for a reason. Tire jacks are manufactured for the purpose of changing a tire, not holding up a vehicle while someone crawls under it. Many people have been crushed due to a tire jack not being able to hold up the car they were under. If you do need to get under your car, use a floor jack and some jack stands and keep the tire jack in the trunk.
Car Safety Tip #3 -- Do Not Use Your Car to Push or Pull another Car
If you see someone in a ditch or stuck in some snow, you might be tempted to push or pull them out using your vehicle. Do yourself a favor and let them use your cell phone to call a tow truck or get to a pay phone so you can call a tow truck for them. Pushing or pulling their car with your own can cause significant damage to both cars.
Car Safety Tip #4 -- Only Use a Flashlight to Look Inside the Engine or Under the Car
Whatever you do, never ever use a lighter to illuminate your engine so you can see it better. While you may know this is pure common sense, there are actually people who have done this. For those who don’t know why you shouldn’t use a lighter to peer into your engine, there’s quite a bit of combustible stuff in there and your engine can catch on fire and blow up.
Comments
Another tip is to keep a roll of EvacuTape in the glove compartment. When doing roadside repairs in the dark, putting a strip of the tape on clothing makes you seen by oncoming traffic.
Posted by: Cathy | August 6, 2006 9:35 PM