9 steps to take if your brakes go out

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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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

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

How Does Life Insurance Policy Work in India – Guide

“What is Life Insurance? How does it work?” If these are the questions on your mind about life insurance, worry not, as our Turtle is here to explain it all, in the infographic below.

Life Insurance Explained

Now that Rahul and you, both know the crux of Life Insurance, head over to Turtlemint to find a term life insurance plan that’s best value for your money.

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8 tips to keep your car cool

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

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

How to buy life insurance online?

We don’t hesitate today to buy any product online, be it apparels or electronics. Do you know that now you can buy insurance online too? Our Turtle explains the various advantages of buying insurance online.

Life Insurance Online Process

Visit Turtlemint to find the term life insurance plan that provides the best value for your money.

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Common terms in life insurance policies

Do all Life Insurance terms seem Greek to you? Well, let our Turtle help you understand these terms in a simple manner so you aren’t clueless next time you read them.

 

Life Insurance Terminologies

Hope the insurance jargon is no more an alien language to you just like Rahul. To know more, visit our website: turtlemint.com/term-life-insurance , call us at 1800-266-0101 or ask the Turtlemint chatbot.

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4 reasons why health insurance is an important investment

Ratan was planning his investments when his friend asked him whether he had included a health insurance plan in his portfolio. Ratan hadn’t. He believed that being young (he was in his early 30s), he didn’t require health insurance. When Ratan mentioned why he didn’t buy a health plan, his friend then briefed him on the importance of a health insurance plan. Having heard what his friend said, Ratan realized the error of his beliefs and immediately invested in a health plan for himself and his family. What about you? Do you know the importance of health insurance or are you too caught up in your pre-conceived notions?

Read more about Why you should invest in health insurance early

Though the awareness of having a health insurance plan has increased, some of us still do not understand its importance. Which one are you? Kudos to you if you know the importance of health insurance! If you don’t, read on to know what Ratan’s friend had to say about why health insurance should be a part of your investment planning:

  • Medical costs are injurious to your savings.

Do you know how high the medical costs have risen? The basic hospitalization costs have risen by more than 10% in a decade. Given below are the findings of the survey conducted by National Sample Survey Office in 2014:

 

Untitled

If hospitalization costs have increased so much, think about the cost of medical procedures. Wouldn’t they be high as well? Can you tackle these expenses yourself?

Medical inflation is forever on the rise, which increases medical costs. Increased medical costs deplete your wealth and savings. What is the point in creating all those investments if you do not have a health plan to protect them from being depleted? A health insurance plan is designed to take care of these increasing medical expenses. By paying such expenses, the plan protects your savings from being drained out in case of a medical emergency.

Read more about How cashless insurance can save you the day when money ends

  • You can get tax exemption under Section 80D.

Don’t you invest with a view to save your taxes as well? Your health insurance plan helps in this regard too. Health insurance premiums paid for yourself and your family (including your dependent parents), are exempted from tax under Section 80D. You can, thus, claim up to  Rs.60, 000 as  tax exemption if you pay health insurance premiums for self and your dependent parents (if both are senior citizens).

  • Health insurance helps in retirement planning too.

Did you know that health plans come with a lifelong renewability feature? Yes, you can now renew health plans for as long as you are alive without any maximum renewal age. This is helpful, especially after you retire. In your old age, your income is low and the probability of medical contingencies is high. If you have a health plan, any medical contingency you face would be covered by your health plan thereby sparing your savings. Here’s a word of caution, though. To enjoy lifelong renewability, you should not only buy a health plan, but also ensure its timely renewals.

  • Teach your children the power of a health plan.

If you inculcate the habit of making a health insurance investment, your children, too, will learn the importance of having a health insurance policy. This knowledge helps your children to include a health insurance plan in their investment planning and enjoy its benefits. So, learn the importance of health insurance yourself and then impart this knowledge to your children.

We invest for wealth appreciation and a health insurance plan helps in safeguarding your investments against medical contingencies. If the rising healthcare costs are any indication, you should invest in a health insurance plan at the earliest. Furthermore, health insurance investment is not a one-time deal. Timely renewals are also required to continue the plan benefits. Having a valid cover throughout your life helps after retirement too when your plan pays for all of your medical expenses. Ratan was duly educated about investing in a health insurance plan, were you?

Read more What is insurance and how does it work?

Read more 7 Reasons you should invest in health insurance early

Read more 4 Reasons why health insurance is an important investment

Also, check out our video below to understand why health insurance is an important investment

Feel free to share your comments below

Reasons to buy a life insurance now

Do you think that you’re too young to take a life insurance plan? But do you know that there are many reasons you should take it right away? Our Turtle gives you these reasons below.

7 reasons for buying Life Insurance

Rahul has now understood the importance of Life Insurance and got a better credit rating for loans.

Now you too, like Rahul, stop thinking further and get a Life Insurance online. To know more, visit our website: turtlemint.com/term-life-insurance

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Why is term insurance an absolute buy?

What is the first instrument which comes to your mind when you want to create your financial portfolio? Is it a mutual fund scheme, shares and stocks or the more conservative bank fixed deposits? What about a term insurance plan? Does it ever feature anywhere in your ‘to buy’ list?

When it comes to life insurance, we all have a tendency to ignore it. Blame it either on the lack of awareness or the biased perception, a life insurance policy is usually given a miss. When it comes to a term insurance plan, the situation worsens. Since term plans usually pay only death benefit, our aversion increases. We start questioning: What about the return on our investments? Let me highlight the various returns of a term insurance for you:

The returns provided by a term insurance plan far outweigh the monetary gains provided by other investment avenues. Here are the top reasons, which make a term insurance plan an absolute buy:

A contingency fund for your family.

Whom does your family depend on for meeting their lifestyle expenses? If you are the sole bread-winner, it would be you and your earnings. What would happen in case of your premature death? How would your family cope with their expenses? A term insurance plan comes to your rescue here. Since the plan pays a lump sum benefit on premature death, your family gets the much-needed financial assistance. The benefit received from the plan can be used for meeting the daily expenses and other financial obligations of your family. Thus, a term insurance plan helps in creating a contingency fund for your family in your absence.

Read on why life insurance should be bought early.

Gives you peace of mind.

Wise men say peace of mind is the best return and a term insurance plan gives you just that. By enabling you build up a contingency fund, a term plan assures peace of mind. You can relax knowing that even in case of any unforeseen eventuality (read premature death) your family would be financially secured.

High coverage at cheapest premiums

Considering the rising expenses in modern times, an optimal contingency fund is required for a complete financial security. Affording such a fund is possible only with a term insurance plan. In fact, the USP of term plans is the coverage level vis-à-vis the premium charged. You can avail high coverage at very low premiums through a term insurance plan. Don’t believe me? Here’s a look at the premiums of three popular term insurance plans for coverage of Rs.1 crore:

term insurance

 

Would you get such value for money anywhere else?

Protection against debt liability

Decreasing term plans are designed to take care of our loans and mortgages. Under these plans, the Sum Assured and the plan term are selected to reflect the loan amount, the interest rate and the loan repayment tenure. Every year, the Sum Assured decreases by a certain percentage (depending on the plan). The resultant Sum Assured (after every decrease) reflects the outstanding amount of loan. In case of early death, the plan pays the Sum Assured as in the year of death to repay the outstanding loan. Thus, your family is spared the burden of your debt. Decreasing term plans, therefore, are also called mortgage redemption plans.

Low claim rejections

Ideally, you should fill up the plan’s proposal form. If you do so and provide the relevant details correctly, the chances of your claim’s rejection become nil. You get assured claims if you furnish correct details. Moreover, courtesy of the Insurance Amendment Act 2015, any claims made after the first 3 policy years are compulsorily honored by the insurance company. So, your wish for your family’s security would not remain unfulfilled as your term insurance claims would be honored.

Thus, given all the above returns, a term insurance plan is an essential investment. It should feature in your financial portfolio. Given the plan benefits and the advantages, peace of mind being the primary one, how can you avoid it? So, stop ignoring a term plan and buy a term insurance plan at the earliest.

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Do you know some insurance companies offer term plans upto 99 years? Check out our video to know more

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