Tag Archives: Driving Tips

If You’re A New Driver, Here’s What You Need To Know

drivingAs a new driver, it can be stressful being out there on the road. To ease your nerves, think safety first. Make sure that you and everyone in the car is safely secured and wearing their seat belt. Follow road signs and do not speed through traffic. To avoid rushing to your destination, plan your route before you leave. This way you will have time to account for traffic delays or construction.

Distracted drivers make bad drivers. Doing everything else other than driving such as eating, putting on makeup or using your phone makes for unsafe situations. Avoid distractions at all costs, especially texting. Not only is texting while driving is dangerous, it is against the law. Obey the rules of the road and stay focussed on the road.

Even if your vehicle is regularly maintained, breakdowns can occur. This is why you should add Dr. Hook Towing as one of your primary contacts. In addition to towing services, we also provide roadside assistance such as flat tires, out of gas, locked keys and battery service. Also, when you sign up as a Guaranteed Roadside Assistance member, we will have all your information in our system which allows for quicker service. Best of all, there is not fee in becoming a member.

These tips apply to new drivers as well as experienced ones. Stay safe and give us a call at (204) 956-4665 if you need us.

Do You Need Four-Wheel Drive?

While most of us are accustomed to having the option of upgrading a new automobile to four-wheel drive, recently, many makes and models are coming standard with four Wheel drive. Honda and Volkswagen are the first makers to bypass the idea of giving an option to customers and are only putting four-wheel drive on some models. Other makers are extending this traditionally SUV/truck option to their smaller, sedan models. Many still question whether this is actually a needed feature or just a way for car companies to make more money. There are many advantages and disadvantages to having four-wheel drive.

(1) Lack of crash tests studies
Although four-wheel drive increases traction, control and handling, it is a feature that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not fully tested. Although “all”-wheel drive is considered a safety feature in many publications, NHTSA has not officially named “four”-wheel drive as a safety feature.

(2) Most people DO NOT need it
With a price tag close to $2000, four-wheel drive is a feature that rarely pays for itself. Unless you live in extreme climates or environments such as mountains, you will likely never need this feature. Typically, automobiles with front wheel drive fare just as well as four-wheel drive in snow. Blizzards and ice storms may require four-wheel drive, but most people do not leave the comfort of their home (and aren’t recommended to leave) during these conditions.

Before you decide on a new model and its features, realistically consider the situations you will find yourself. If you happen to be a park ranger in a mountain community, then four-wheel drive is required. If you are a commuter in a northern environment, most often, you will require a simple front-wheel drive automobile.