Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog
If you’ve got autumn road trip on your agenda, you might want to listen up. Make sure you go out with a plan and your plan includes preparation. According to Safecar.gov, planning and prevention are much easier than dealing with the consequences of a breakdown or, worse yet, an accident.
Our Boston car accident lawyers understand that one of the first things you should consider before heading out is the maintenance on your vehicle. Have you had your car tuned up lately? Consider getting the oil changed, make sure the battery is in good shape and try getting your tires rotated. These preventative measures go a long way in helping to prevent a breakdown or traffic accident.
In fact, you should pay particular attention to your tire pressure. When tires aren’t properly inflated, you’re increasing your risks for a blowout. Don’t forget to check the spare tire, too. The hot pavement combined with low tires serves up some deadly risks.
Are the lights working? You want the emergency flashers, the turn signals, the brake lights, the headlights, your trailer lights and the interior lights to work properly. This is not only going to help you to navigate the road safer, but it’s going to help other motorists to see you better — helping to prevent an accident.
Make sure that your belts and hoses are going to hold up. It’s important that you check the condition and the fit of each of them. Keep an eye out for cuts, cracks or blisters in the rubber. High summer temperatures accelerate the rate at which hoses and rubber belts degrade. Replace them now if you see obvious signs of wear.
Check your wiper blades. You want to be ready. Behind the wheel in the middle of a storm is no time to realize that your windshield wipers aren’t working properly. If they aren’t in good shape, go ahead and replace them now.
Look over your cooling system. You want to make sure you coolant levels are adequate. If it’s time to have the system flushed and refilled, go ahead and do it before venturing out on that fall road trip. You want your system to function at peak performance to avoid the possibility of overheating your engine.
Fill the fluids. Check the brake, oil, coolant, windshield washer and power steering fluids. Check these not only before a road trip, but check them periodically throughout the year. Make sure that each reservoir is full and that you don’t see any signs of leakage. If so, make sure that you take your vehicle to get serviced.
If you’re traveling with children, you want to make sure that you’re keeping them as safe as possible. Make sure that their child seats or booster seats are installed correctly and that you’re using them correctly. You can check for the nearest child passenger safety inspection location for help with this one.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident, contact Jeffrey S. Glassman for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call (617) 777-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Teens Avoiding GDL Program Facing Higher Risks for Boston Accidents, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, August 15, 2013
Car Accidents on the Decline, Massachusetts Follows Suit, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, August 13, 2013