Auto Care and Road Safety in Extreme Heat

Auto Care and Road Safety in Extreme Heat

Do you ever wonder if extreme weather conditions affect auto performance? 

The short answer is yes. Both cold and hot temperatures are harsh on the vehicle as well as the driver. Taking extra precautions can mean the difference between a smooth trip or one rattled with bumps.

There’s not much we can do to eliminate hot days or heat waves during the summer, but we can take steps to prepare ourselves and our vehicles for road safety. Scheduled auto maintenance is suggested to keep any car performing in tip-top auto shape. Want more confidence in tackling the summer heat?

Prepare you and your vehicle for extreme heat by:

1. Check the vehicle’s tire pressure.

Hotter days combined with cooler nights cause a constant fluctuation in a tire’s air pressure. When temperatures rise, it affects the temperatures of the roads which ultimately impacts a vehicle’s tires. The air pressure increases and the tire soon become overinflated. This is now a road hazard as an overinflated tire can lead to a blowout or other auto roadside emergency.

2. Keep under the hood and the vehicle’s interior cool.

The normal operating temperature of an auto engine is 195 to 200℉. Extreme temperatures put additional strain on the vehicle, increasing the odds it could overheat or break down.

Pay close mind to the temperature gauge and ensure that maintenance is always current. Check the levels of all fluids, namely the coolant to prevent the engine from overheating, and address any auto issues immediately. Is your air-conditioning (A/C) working correctly? Do you need a new cabin filter? A quick recharge or replacement could help to improve the quality of airflow. 

To keep the vehicle’s interior cool while not in use, try parking in shaded areas or invest in an auto shade to reduce the absorption of the sun’s rays. The interior can increase by 30℉ in the course of 1-hour with partially cracked windows doing little to offset the dramatic increase in temperature. No animal or living being should be left in a parked vehicle during the hotter months.

3. Prepare an emergency auto kit.

In addition to your spare tire and standard roadside kit, it’s wise to take extra precautions when the seasons change from cool to hot. This is because the risks of driving in the summer slightly differ from those prone in the winter months. Blowouts and heat exhaustion are just two.

Make sure there’s always a tire gauge on hand. Checking your tire pressure periodically will help prevent the possibility of a blowout on the road. Remember, a tire’s air pressure increases during the hotter months so the PSI should be on the low end when parked—36 PSI for most tires. Another key item to carry is a set of jumper cables. Hotter temperatures put a strain on a vehicle’s battery as well and being stranded in extreme heat is dangerous. Protect your vehicle and yourself.

Pack a cooler filled with cold drinking water. Hydration in extreme heat. If you begin to feel too hot or the interior becomes unbearable, pull over and allow time for a cool down. If you notice your engine starts to steam or smoke, you should call for roadside assistance. 

Looking for a DIY fix? Once the engine has cooled down, add a little coolant or water.

Maintaining the auto care of your vehicle is just as important as being aware of your immediate surroundings on the road. Pay attention to how you’re feeling physically. Take note of how consistent the auto performance of your vehicle is. Driving in extreme heat isn’t a no-go zone. Hotter weather just calls for additional measures. This is especially true when it comes to operating an electric vehicle.

Both hot and cold temperatures can reduce the charge of an e-battery by as much as 40%. Whether your vehicle is manual, automatic, or electric you can avoid delays in transportation by planning ahead to account for any possible heat-related auto mishaps. Increased temperatures present increased road risks for drivers. Try adding an additional layer of safety with comprehensive and/or collision insurance.

 

Contact us today and learn how we can help you beat the heat.

signs of heat exhaustion
What You Need to Know About Massachusetts Auto Insurance

What You Need to Know About Massachusetts Auto Insurance

If you own a vehicle or occasionally drive one, chances are your state has minimum auto insurance requirements you need to meet before hitting the open road. These requirements are set in place to protect motorists from being solely responsible financially in the case of an accident. 

Nearly every state, excluding New Hampshire, has laws in place that dictate the minimum auto insurance each driver must carry to operate a motor vehicle. Failure to do so can lead to fines, suspension of your driver’s license or registration, and possible federal prosecution. This often makes the process of obtaining the appropriate amount of coverage an overwhelming task for many drivers. With so much on the line, it’s best to first take a look at your state’s requirements.

Auto insurance coverage in Massachusetts and New England

The lowest level of auto insurance required by most states is liability insurance which covers only the damages caused to the other party in an at-fault accident. In the state of Massachusetts, this includes four types of coverage, each with a required minimum coverage limit.

 

The four types of MA auto insurance required include:

  1. Bodily Injury to Others — $20,000 per person/$40,000 per accident
  2. Personal Injury Protection (PIP) — $8,000 per person/accident
  3. Bodily Injury Caused by an Uninsured Auto — $20,000 per person/$40,000 per accident
  4. Damage to Someone Else’s Property — $5,000 per accident

 

Drivers are required to purchase the minimum coverage, specified above, in order to register and operate a vehicle in MA and New England. If there is more than one licensed driver in a household, motorists should include them as customary operators within their auto insurance policy.

Insurers define customary operators as anyone who may use your vehicle. Drivers with their own auto insurance policies can be added to your policy as deferred operators, often at no additional charge to the policyholder. These precautions help protect you and your assets even if you are not the one driving your registered vehicle at the time of an accident. It allows policyholders to minimize the financial impact if someone in their household is at-fault or involved, whether it’s due to distracted driving or poor judgment while behind the wheel. 

NOTE: Drivers with Learner’s Permits are not required to be listed until they are fully insured.

Recommended auto insurance for liability from Downey

Customize your Massachusetts and New England auto insurance

The amount of auto insurance coverage you need can go beyond the state’s required minimum. Consulting an insurance expert will help you determine what additional coverage is necessary to ensure you and your family have the proper safety net in place. 

 

Ideally, you should carry the highest amount of liability coverage you can afford to avoid unexpected financial hardship. For most drivers, 100/300/100 is the best level of liability coverage—$100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident in bodily injury, and $100,000 per accident in property damage. Drivers should also seek to add the highest level of PIP and uninsured motorist coverage to help further protect their assets and future earnings. 

 

Adding wiggle room to your policy means that the financial burden of an accident will fall on your insurer’s shoulders instead of yours. Optional coverage options include comprehensive and collision.

Contact us today and get the right auto insurance coverage to fit your unique needs.

A little extra caution can go a long way while driving at night

Summer has ended, and while fall and winter have their own pleasure, longer nights mean increased danger on the roads.

You might think you drive just as well at night, but consider this: Even though nighttime driving accounts for just 23% of vehicle miles traveled, more than 50% of fatalities for vehicle occupants 16 and older occur between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., according to the National Safety Commission (NSC).

Because we’re big advocates for safety at Downey Insurance Group, we thought it would be helpful to take a look at why night driving is more dangerous, and what you can do to decrease that danger.

What’s dangerous about night driving?

  1. Decreased vision. We won’t go into all the biological details, but different parts of the eye (such as iris, pupil and retina) work differently at night. Your peripheral vision is actually slightly improved, but it’s more difficult to focus on objects ahead of you. And traveling between well-lit areas and darker roads creates issues as well.
  2. Driving too fast for your headlights. Depending on vehicle speed and headlight setting, many people “over-drive” their headlights. That means, by the time they see something on the road, it’s too late to stop in time to avoid it.
  3. Impaired judgment. Whether due to drowsiness or the use of alcohol or drugs, it appears that drivers at night often don’t use good judgment. According to the NSC, 66% of fatalities at night involve vehicle occupants who weren’t wearing seat belts.

So what do you do?

Sometimes, there’s no way around driving at night. So here are some tips to help you make a safe trip — whether you’re just running to the store, or you’re headed north to see the fall foliage.

  1. Make sure your vehicle’s lights are in good working condition. And not just headlights, but turn signals, taillights, etc.
  2. Avoid speeding. Leave a bigger cushion between you and other cars than you would during daylight hours. Leave yourself more time for the trip.
  3. Be more aware of your surroundings. You shouldn’t be using your phone, messing around with the radio or trying to find something on the floor while you’re on the road anyway — and distractions are even more deadly at night.

Of course, if you’re not comfortable driving at night, the best thing is to avoid it altogether if possible. There’s nothing wrong with asking for a ride from a trusted safe driver or waiting for the sun to come out!

We’re open all day!  Contact Us!

When you’re driving around during the day, stop in to Downey Insurance Group for a review of your auto insurance coverage. We won’t keep you after dark, we promise. Just give us a call at 508-485-0130. We’re here to help! We want to help you meet your goals, and make sure what’s important to you is protected!