Whether it’s figuring out how to balance your checkbook, determining the healthiest snack, or attempting to pick up a new hobby, many people are looking for positive lifestyle changes and to be educated about how to be a better person. How you behave while behind the wheel is no different, and Hankook Tire’s latest Quarterly Gauge Index reveals that drivers can improve with a little simple education.
Jumper cables are a common staple for those frigid mornings when you need to jumpstart a dead battery. The latest Gauge showed that 66 percent of Americans have found themselves stranded at some point in their lives. Although this is a common occurrence, 54 percent of drivers do not know how to properly jumpstart a car, and 42 percent are under the incorrect impression that they should connect the cables to the dead battery first when beginning the procedure.
While many drivers can educate themselves on how to properly bring a dead battery back to life, others have to learn how to maneuver the wounds of a road – particularly potholes, which are every driver’s worst enemy. The Gauge showed that when a driver comes to a pothole, 54 percent swerve around it, which is considered the incorrect approach, as swerving can cause your front wheel and tire to hit the edge of the pothole, causing significant damage to the car. When up against the pothole, don’t swerve or stop. Decrease your speed, take it head-on and slowly roll over it for the least amount of damage.
Some good improvements have been reported, especially when it comes to texting while driving. Drivers have become more educated with this dilemma and are looking to improve. According to the Gauge, 52 percent of Americans say that they have in fact changed the way they thought about texting and driving after having seen an advertisement related to the issue.
The new year is always an ideal time to turn things around, and here are some road resolutions to consider for these winter months:
Pothole improvement – Tis the season for those inevitable, dreaded potholes, and 39 percent of drivers said they received damage from driving over one. If you can’t avoid a pothole, slow down before you hit it. But don’t brake directly over a pothole, which can actually cause more damage.
Properly inflate your tires – As the temperature outside drops, the air inside a tire contracts and the pressure drops – one or two pounds for every 10-degree drop. Underinflation does not give tires better traction in the snow. Check your tires this winter season, and bring them up to correct pressure.
Choose the right tire – Make sure your tires are season-appropriate. Twenty-seven percent of drivers say their tires are what receive the most damange out of any other car part due to winter weather. The Hankook Winter i-cept evo is a durable, high-performance winter tire that is perfect through these tough winter weather conditions.
