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Every year we all make new year’s resolutions! Now for some of us we are good about keeping them and others not so much. Here are 5 New Years resolutions for your car that you want to keep!
1. Don’t Neglect Car Maintenance
If you were lax about making regular maintenance appointments for your vehicle in 2020, your first new year’s resolution should be to call your mechanic! Yes, I know keeping up with car maintenance can be a pain, but when you don’t keep up with it bigger problems can arise. And it isn’t cheap.
Changing your oil regularly is important because it keeps your car’s engine properly lubricated. The longer you wait to change your oil the more it corrodes. When your oil starts to go bad it can no longer effectively lubricate your engine – resulting in more car problems. Check your owner’s manual to see how often your need to change your oil, and keep in mind that the older your car gets, the more oil changes it will need.
2. Learn To Do Basic Maintenance Yourself
Tired of scheduling appointments and spending so much on auto maintenance? Why not make it a new year’s resolution to learn how to do it yourself? While there are some maintenance tasks that should be done by a skilled mechanic, there are simple tasks you can do by yourself to keep your car maintained this year. Start with something small, like learning to replace your windshield wipers. It usually needs to be done twice a year and is important for road safety. It’s an easy goal for the new year to accomplish quickly.
3. End Distracted Driving
Did you know that on average 9 people are killed by distracted driving every day? Yes, that’s every day. Most people think that distracted driving means texting and driving but it actually refers to anything that can take your full attention away from the road.
According to the DMV there are many things that can cause distracted driving such as:
- Reaching for something
- Changing the music
- Using an app
- Checking your GPS or map
- Taking a photo
- Checking email or posting to social media
- Eating and drinking
- Putting on makeup/grooming
4. Be Courteous To Other Drivers
We all know driving can be frustrating especially with traffic jams, highway construction, and novice drivers. It’s easy to let that get to you causing road rage and potentially accidents. Make it a new year’s resolution to be patient with the people you share the road with. A helpful tip to accomplish this: leave 10 to 15 minutes early for your destination so you can allow for traffic, construction, and novice drivers.
5. Keep Your Car Clean
For some of you keeping your car clean comes naturally, but for the rest of us it is a daily challenge. If your car is a mess going into the new year learn how to declutter your car and prevent future clutter. Lastly, one of the most helpful things you can do is prevent the mess. Keep a small trash can in your car, plug the “black hole” between your seats, and make for easy clean up in your cup holders.