Media post: 4 Car-Related Things that Every Vehicle Owner Should Know How to Do

If you’re an adult, and you own a vehicle, then the more you drive it, the more experienced you will become. You will gradually learn how to conduct yourself when it’s raining, snowing, in stop-and-go traffic, and so forth. You will probably become more confident the more you drive, and you’ll know what mistakes to avoid.

However, you should also know how to do certain car-related things from the first time you get behind the wheel. Maybe your parents can teach you, or whoever taught your driving classes can do so. If you know how to do each of these things, you’ll get along well as a driver.

Let’s go through some of these automotive basics right now.

You Should Know What to Do if You’re Ever in an Accident

You should understand what to do if another car ever hits you. You’ll want to get your vehicle out of the road if that’s at all possible. If you can’t move your vehicle, then at least get yourself out of the road so that another car does not strike you.

If you’re injured, or the other driver is, then call 911. If you’re too hurt to do that, someone else will need to handle it. When you’re on the phone with the 911 operator, you can also instruct them to send the police.

When the responding officer arrives, you should tell them what happened. They’ll want your name, license plate number, and insurance information. You’ll also want to get all that from the other driver.

Once you’re safely back home, you can contact your insurance provider and tell them what occurred.

You might also get a lawyer to represent you if you feel that’s necessary. If you’re in the Houston area, then you might head to Attorneybrianwhite.com to speak to an experienced car accident lawyer.

You Should Know How to Check Your Fluid Levels

You should also probably know how to check your fluid levels. When you get your vehicle, whether it’s brand new or a family hand-me-down, you should read up on it. You can read the instruction manual, or if you didn’t get one, you can find out about that make and model online.

You should not have any problems learning how to pop the hood and seeing how to check your windshield wiper fluid level and also your oil level. Your car should come with a dipstick that can help you in this regard.

You never want to run low on either oil or wiper fluid, so you might practice doing this a few times to make sure you have it down.

You Should Know What to Do if the Police Pull You Over

The police might pull you over at some point, and if that happens, you should know how to behave. You should pull all the way over to the side of the road or onto the shoulder if you’re on the highway. You also might pull onto a side street so that you’re out of traffic’s path.

You can put on your hazard lights and then roll down your window and wait for the officer to approach. You might get your driver’s license and registration ready since they will undoubtedly want to look at those.

When the officer approaches, make sure to keep your hands in sight at all times. Don’t make any sudden movements.

You should also speak respectfully. It’s best not to be sarcastic or treat the situation like a joke. If you demonstrate that you respect them, the encounter is probably going to go a lot better.

You Should Know How to Put Air in Your Tires

You should also know how to check to see how much air is in your tires. If any of them start getting low, a dashboard light will come on. It’s better if you check them periodically, though, so they never get to that point.

Each one of your tires has a stem with a cap on it. If you head to a gas station, most of them have coin or sometimes credit card-operated air fueling stations. Once you pull up to the hose and pay for a couple of minutes, you remove the cap from each tire’s stem.

You can find out how many PSI each of your tires should have. Remember that not every car has the same recommended tire PSI, so check to be sure you’re filling them up the proper amount.