With so many vehicles on the roads these days, Good Works Auto Repair wants to keep you safer than ever by reminding you of a few driving habits that could make a difference down the road. We know that a safe vehicle means a properly maintained vehicle, but there are a few things all of us drivers can do to protect the lives of our passengers, other motorists and ourselves when we are driving. Back in 2011, there were an estimated 240.5 million cars and light trucks on the road and today, that number is even higher! Manage your vehicle properly and avoid contact with any of them.

According to the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, steering and stopping are two things that when done a little better, could save lives.  Safe driving is something we all can do a better job at; we can all pay more attention to the task at hand, increase the distance we follow another vehicle and make sure we get the proper preventative maintenance to prevent accidents due to our vehicle breaking down or creating a dangerous situation.

It’s simple enough to brake sooner or keep two hands on the steering wheel, but what else can drivers do to improve their steering and stopping habits for safer driving?

• Pay attention to roads in need of repair. Major potholes or cracks in some of our older roadways could cause you to lose control of your vehicle, cause someone to swerve and hit another vehicle, or simply cause damage to your vehicle.
• Don’t put off the little auto repairs your vehicle needs now to save a few dollars. This increases your risk of a safety problem when driving or accident, and it will end up costing you a lot of money down the road. Good Works Auto Repair technicians are certified to work on any issue your vehicle has, big or small.
• Find a repair shop with the best brake service you can get. Reliable shops will do better work and use better products. Likewise, make sure they inspect all brake-related parts and do not choose the cheapest materials or parts to save money there either. Quality parts and quality auto repair shops will make your vehicle safer to drive.

Skipping your vehicle maintenance has proven to cause some pretty serious issues. As one ASE article describes, “diving the unperformed maintenance amount by an assumed (and generous) average repair cost of $300 per vehicle across the entire car and light truck fleet potentially indicates that 206.6 million vehicles need some type of maintenance and repair.” Those are a LOT of vehicles needing service and creating danger on the roads. Come see the ASE certified technicians at Good Works Auto Repair and ensure your vehicle is properly stopping and steering for safer driving!