What to Do If…? Drive long enough, and unfortunately, something will go wrong. Maybe not terribly wrong, but not every trip is a smooth one. We’ve chronicled some of these situations previously in addressing what to do if you hit a pothole and “How to Protect Your Car and Stay Safe on the Road.” Here are several more “what if…” scenarios and some recommendations on what can be done in those situations. What to do if… your car overheats. If the temperature gauge light has come on and you are in heavy traffic with no immediate place to turn, you might be able to keep your car going briefly if you turn on the heat full blast. That is certainly not ideal if it the summer, but the idea is to take heat away from the en ... read more

Minor car collisions unfortunately do happen. The driver behind you wasn’t paying attention and didn’t hit the brakes fast enough. Your car was hit hard, but not too hard. Nothing seems to be initially damaged. Or maybe you were trying to back out of an odd-shaped driveway, and moments later, you’re examining a tree or telephone pole with scuff marks and a car that fortunately appears to be fine. You, your passengers and the care are fine. You may think you don’t need to call the insurance company. Life goes on, and so does your car. Well, not so fast. Maybe your car is in good shape and there is no problem.  But you will also want to consider if there is some damage that will impact the performance of your car.  Just as you’d want to get checked out with a doctor if you ever have any doubt about how you felt after a fender-bender, you should think about getting your car a wellness visit after a minor accident. Rear-end collisions can leave a ... read more