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Driving during the rainy season may pose some problems for you if you are not careful and your vehicle is not ready for the wet weather. Here are some tips on how you can have your vehicle ready and some driving tips as well to help keep you out of danger when it is raining. Check out these series of tips which may help prepare you during these conditions.

Windshield and Wipers

To be able to drive well, you should be able to see the road and your surroundings. Make sure that your windshield wipers are working well and can wipe off the rain water as it hits your windshield. The summer heat can cause it to wear out and possibly crack so by the time the rainy season comes, the rubber on your wipers are already useless, just spreading the rain water all over your windshield and not really wiping it off. Replace old wipers with new ones that you can purchase from most car accessories shop. Just make sure you get the right lengths for your wipers. Some wiper pairs may not have the same length. Check the size of your wipers before you make any purchase. Also, there are two types of connections, a screw type and a clip type. Make sure you get the ones that are applicable to your vehicle. Also make sure that your windshield washer is working fine and has a good amount of water and mild detergent mixture just to help your wipers wipe the dirt off your windshield.

When it rains, your vehicle’s air conditioner tends to be a lot cooler, thus, creating a mist on your door glass and back glass, making it hard for you to see your sides and your rear. You can pull up to a covered area or a gas station temporarily, roll down your door windows and roll them up again to clear the mist on the sides. If your vehicle came with a built-in defogger, then all you have to do is push on the defogger switch and wait for the back glass to clear and you’re ready to roll again. But if you don’t have a defogger, using the palm of your hands to wipe the back glass and the door glass might clear it temporarily but the mist will be back again after a short while. You need to have a clean piece of cloth to wipe off the mist on your door glass and back glass then lower the temp of your air conditioner and make the louvers face downward to help prevent the mist from coming back. It will be a much clearer view for you after doing this making it a lot easier to drive.

That’s it for now. More tips for the rainy season next time…

To coincide with a national observance this month, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is urging everyone to show a caring attitude toward their tires.

National Tire Safety Week, held during June 7-13, is a period that emphasizes the simple steps drivers can take to ensure their tires are in good working condition. Research reveals that motorists rank tires as the second-most important safety feature in vehicles next to brakes, yet only a third of consumers properly check their tire inflation pressure.

Improper air pressure in tires can lead to a multitude of problems – from uneven and accelerated tire wear, to structural damage in a tire. An underinflated tire also has the potential to affect tire performance, including making a vehicle less fuel-efficient. With temperatures rising and vacation travel commencing, the attention given to the care and maintenance of tires should be heightened, according to Goodyear officials.

“Checking tires for proper inflation and tread condition is one of the most critical – and easiest – maintenance procedures for a consumer,” said Joey Viselli, Goodyear brand director. “It doesn’t take much time or sophisticated equipment. Drivers can check their tires by themselves, or any of our retail outlets would be happy to provide the service.”

Goodyear-owned retail outlets and participating independent Goodyear retailers offer a service known as “Free Air,” in which consumers can stop in without an appointment for a free tire check. This includes an inspection of the tread condition and tire inflation, with air added at no charge if the inflation level is down.

According to recent research by the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), not only do most drivers ignore their tires, most simply do not know enough about how to care for the tires correctly.

Goodyear recommends that motorists should check tire inflation at least monthly or before a long trip. Tires should be inflated to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations printed on the vehicle door placard or in the owner’s manual, not the maximum limit stamped on a tire sidewall.

In addition to proper inflation, according to Viselli, another way consumers can potentially benefit from increased fuel efficiency is by choosing a tire such as Goodyear’s new Assurance Fuel Max. Available at Goodyear retail outlets since April, Assurance Fuel Max has a fuel-saving tread compound that helps reduce energy loss as the tire rolls. This helps to save 2,600 miles’ worth of gas over the life of a set of tires.

Among other initiatives from Goodyear during National Tire Safety Week are these:

• Goodyear outlets will distribute the RMA’s “Be Tire Smart, Play Your PART” consumer booklets. Those guides stress the importance of inflation pressure, wheel alignment, tire rotation and visual checks of tire tread.
• On www.goodyeartires.com, visitors will find extensive information on tire care, product selection and more. Through a link, visitors can request a copy of the “Goodyear Tire Buying Made Easy Guide.”
• With their lighted message boards, Goodyear’s famous blimps continue to spread the tire care message while in flight, urging consumers on the ground to check tire pressure and treadwear.

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