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Your car is an expensive investment at the end of the day. It's best to take proper care of it and to be extra precautious when driving it. But the reality is, we all have bad driving habits that are difficult to break. Some people like to speed, and some people neglect to use their turn signals. Those are not good habits to have as a driver, but some other practices can damage your vehicle's health. Let's take a look at these three driving habits (that you may need to break immediately):
Habit #1: Running Over Potholes
Potholes can be sneaky and disguise their depth with rain puddles. Some roads may have more potholes than others, but they're relatively common. When hitting a pothole head-on, it can severely damage your vehicle's suspension system, steering system and knock your wheels out of alignment. To prevent this problem, you need to stay sharp and drive defensively to avoid these damages. In some situations where potholes are unavoidable, slowing down can help minimize the force altogether.
Habit #2: Accelerating Over Speed Bumps
Similar to hitting potholes, speeding over a speed bump is a horrible habit to have. Doing so can jeopardize your vehicle's alignment, requiring a wheel alignment to fix the problem. These bars are called speed bumps for a reason; they are intended to keep both pedestrians and drivers safe by slowing down your speed. Your vehicle can also take a harder hit if it sits lower to the road. Hitting a speed bump can put dents/scratches on your bumpers and hurt the components on the underside of your vehicle.
Habit #3: Ignoring Dashboard Warning Lights
Your warning lights are there for a reason, and it usually means your car needs immediate attention! Leaving these colorful lights uninvestigated could leave you in hazardous situations. You can get stranded or even cause a preventable accident. Every time you see one of these lights on your dash, it's best to get an expert's opinion right away.
We hope some of these habits got you thinking about the little actions you take in your car. We invite you to stop by Harrell Automotive for a vehicle inspection to avoid the destruction of your vehicle. Our ASE-certified mechanics are experienced and trained in repairing any of the damages above and more. Please call us at (814) 983-6167 if you have any questions or concerns today.