Month: April 2017

Imagine cruising down the road in your car at a high speed, and suddenly realizing that the brakes are not working! This potentially life-threatening situation is every driver’s worst nightmare. While we hope you never have to undergo the harrowing experience of having your brakes go out, it is important that you be adequately prepared for such an eventuality.

Learn the correct way to cope with brake failure by familiarizing yourself with these 9 critical steps:

1. Remain calm

Try not to let panic get a hold of you. Keeping a level head will allow you respond with alertness and perform the steps that follow with confidence. At such a time, resort to defensive driving.

2. Reduce your speed

Keep your foot off the accelerator and downshift to lower gears to slow the car. Don’t downshift too quickly, however, or the car will start to skid.

3. Reassess your brakes

Check whether something is stuck under the brake pedal that’s rendering it ineffective. Clear the pedal’s path by kicking any obstruction out of the way. If the pedal feels soft and goes to the floor instead, you might need to rebuild braking pressure by pumping the brakes. In case your car has an anti-lock brake system (ABS), instead of pumping, just firmly press the brake pedal. But be careful not to slam the brakes too hard if your car is going downhill as this can cause brakes to fail, if they haven’t already. Instead, use downshift and engine brake while descending a slope.

4. Alert other drivers

Turn your hazard lights on and honk the horn to caution other drivers and pedestrians so they’ll know to give you plenty of room.

5. Ease out of the traffic

Use your turn signals and cautiously manoeuvre the car out of heavy traffic and into the left lane, which is usually slower.

6. Use emergency brake

Once you’re out of the traffic, stop the car using the emergency/parking brake by pulling it slowly. Tugging it too fast might lock the rear wheels and cause you to lose control of the car.

7. Scrub off speed

If the emergency brake doesn’t work, use friction to reduce the speed of your car. Rub the wheels against the curb or drive through gravel and light shrubbery. If you’re on the highway, steer the car sharply from side to side, but don’t attempt this at high speeds.

8. Find a soft landing

If your car still hasn’t slowed down enough for you to pull over, look for a safe spot to crash. Keep the engine running until you reach a complete stop. Turning off the ignition before can cause the steering wheel to lock in place.

9. Call a repair shop

Keep the hazard lights on and avoid standing next to your stopped car. Call for roadside assistance and have your car towed for inspection and repair. Check if your car insurance policy has a roadside assistance cover add-on, if not; make sure you get it added from the insurer. Find out and compare prices for roadside assistance cover on Turtlemint.

These steps can help you take control of the situation and get your car (and yourself) to safety. But don’t forget, prevention is better than cure! To cut down the chances of brake failure, take your car for routine maintenance, and have the brake pads inspected regularly.

Read more about Anatomy of a car insurance

Read more about  Car insurance terminologies you should know

You can compare and buy car insurance policies on our site.

Summers are here, and it’s not just you who is getting scorched in the heat. Your car needs as much as care as you to be safe in the rising temperatures. The condition of the car will help you get a better resale value and thus lower car insurance premiums. . But, the usual maintenance routine won’t do much for your car in the summers. Especially, if you are planning a road trip during the vacation, be extra vigilant of your car’s condition.

Read more about Tips on maximizing the resale value of your car

Prevent mechanical breakdown in the summers simply with these 8 point checklist:

1. Oil:
   The recommended interval for changing oil is usually after every 3,000 miles. To be on a safer side, before summers begin, you can use the dipstick to check the level and shade of oil, which should be a pleasant shade of amber.
2. Air Conditioning:
   Weak air-conditioning system won’t be able to handle the tough heat. Make sure you get it check by a mechanic. Summers also means more dust, don’t forget to get the filters cleaned too.
3. Cooling System:
   Overheating is a major reason for summer breakdowns. We would recommend it to be checked, flushes and refilled by a professional every 24 months.
4. Engine:
   Engine filters like the fuel, PCV, etc. too need to be cleaned or replaced as required. Check the user’s manual for how often these filters need to be cleaned.
5. Tyres:
   Tyres should be your foremost concern for safety. Get your tyres checked and rotated on time, usually every 5,000 miles. The tyre inflation should be checked every time you refill the fuel. Other aspects you should look at for tyre-safety would be tread life, uneven wearing and tearing, cupping, and alignment.
6. All Fluids:
   Fluids are the key to surviving summers in India for you as well as your car. We’ve covered oil, but there are other fluids like the coolant, automatic transmission fluid, power-steering fluid, brake fluid, etc.
   Not all cars are equipped with automatic transmission, but if yours is, check the owner’s manual on how to check the ATF levels.. It might be difficult to check the transmission fluid if it is manual. You can have it checked or if you are a DIY enthusiast, you can crawl under the car and look for yourself by removing the fill plug.
   For optimum performance, the coolant should be changed at least once a year. It would be best to do it before the summers every year.
   It is important to top off the power -steering fluid which is often overlooked in the regular servicing.
   Brake fluids play an essential role in the wear and tear of your brakes and tyres. Degradation of the brake fluid might result into complete brake failure. Have the brake fluid changed once every 2-3 years.
7. Windshield Wipers:
   Though you are not going to use the wipers much in this heat, the rubber is the reason you should get them renewed with proper summer wipers. Unlike monsoon wipers, summer wipers are designed to bear higher temperatures. Also, a dirty windshield poses a safety hazard. Keep enough windshield washer solvent stacked. As they say, wipers are cheap insurance.
8. Paint:
   A good session of washing and waxing will do much good for your paint to survive one summer. During the summers, park the car in shade and avoid direct light.

There are other little things you need to pay attention at. Check your lights and get the minor repairs done. Never forget a car emergency kit.

Let’s face it: the last thing you would want is a car breakdown in scorching heat. These precautions will save you from the distress of summertime breakdowns.

Also Read: 5 Things that Impact your Car Insurance Premiums

Read more about Car insurance terminologies you should know

Read more about Anatomy of car insurance

You can calculate your car insurance premium by visiting our site.