Summer in the City
April is almost over folks, and before you know it summer will be here and what exactly does that mean? It means graduations, vacations, road trips and a lot of teen drivers NOT in school. If this scares you as much as it scares us, then worry not! We here at RC Autoglass have compiled a few tips, tricks, and suggestions to make help you feel a little bit better about your teens behind the wheel when it comes to not only the safety of your glass but the safety of your teen.
Slam dunks, not slammed doors
Most parents can relate to the overwhelming since of frustration when their child slams their bedroom door, but any car enthusiast feels the same way (maybe worse?) when someone slams their car door. Slamming car doors isn’t the only be a contributing factor to finally losing it and telling the kids one of them is adopted (even though they are not) but slamming your car’s door can harm your car in more ways than one. Slamming car doors repeatedly will cause damage to both the door track and the window itself. This could lead to unwanted road noise due to the window no longer sealing correctly since it is off track or even in extreme cases your window could potentially shatter under enough force. Closing the doors properly will prevent premature breakdown in your vehicle and help keep your windshield from destabilizing. It all fits together like a puzzle and if you rough up the edges it wont fit together the way engineers intended. Now while all of these parts are built to withstand NORMAL wear and tear, they are not designed to take repetitive abuse.
The need for speed
With statistics in the United States claiming that over half of teen drivers report driving 10 miles per hour over the speed limit regularly, it’s not a farfetched idea that they are 10 times more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle accident. While driving at a moderate speed it is much easier to control your vehicle but more importantly it can give you enough time to respond to an unexpected variable. Sure, we may see the pot hole in the road up ahead, but we sure as heck didn’t see the tiny bits of debris on the ground. Driving at the suggested speed can give us time to analyze a situation and plot a course that keeps the driver and their passengers safe. This also helps the people around us by not accidentally “kicking up” rocks with our back tires which can easily cause an accident for a jumpy driver. Most importantly traveling at the suggested speed limit makes you much more predictable which while on the road can keep you alive and well.
Tailgating; Here for a good time, not a long time
Chances are then when you hear the word “Tailgating” we immediately think of charcoal grills, drinks, big foam fingers, and of course the broskis right? It’s typically associated with something good but in the case it’s the opposite. Tailgating at the very least can contribute to your windshield being “sandblasted”. Sandblasting happens when the tires of the car in front of you kicks up rocks, pieces of gravel, and other various debris that can hit your windshield at a high rate of speed since your following so close behind (tailgating). Even a tiny piece of debris can cause a crack that would make the Grand Canyon blush. Multiple tiny blemishes on your windshield can compromise your visibility a lot more than you think, and with how close they tend to be to one another, it usually requires a complete windshield replacement. Sandblasting and flying debris aren’t even close to the worse thing that can come from tailgating… Fender benders, multi car collisions and even fatalities can be a result of tailgating. It drastically reduces the amount of stopping area that your car has which when trying to avoid an accident every inch counts.
You used to call me on my cell phone…
Ah the age of technology, phone books are gone, maps are archaic, food comes to us without even speaking to anyone, and CAT MEMES, CAT MEMES EVERYWHERE. Cell phones have changed our world in ways we once only imagined, and they continue to evolve with each passing day. As easy and convenient as cell phone have made our lives they have also added an element of distraction for new and experienced drivers. In 2017 a study at the University of Iowa concluded that drivers who were “using” a cell phone while driving (simulated) took about twice as long to answer the same true or false questions that were asked to those driving (again simulated) without using a cell phone. They also conducted another study in which they were able to measure the amount of time that a driver’s eyes took in between focusing on one object to another and how it was affected by talking on a cell phone. This phenomenon is called “attentional disengagement”. Many states (such as California and Nevada) have passed laws preventing the use of a cell phones while operating a motor vehicle to help deter drivers new and old from distractions that are easily avoidable. Between cell phone holders mounted to your dashboard or windows and Bluetooth compatibility we can help keep you reduce unwanted and avoidable distractions in your vehicle.
From slamming car doors to speeding and even cell phone usage, the more knowledge you have the better off you are (knowledge is power remember?). We here at RC Autoglass want to make sure that you are prepared and ready for what comes next. From installing a new deck with Bluetooth capabilities, to replacing your “sandblasted” windshield, even restoring your dull headlights we are happy to be the ones you can continue to count on to keep your family safe. We are ready for summer so be sure to book your appointment with us today!