Car lights & Wipers: The Keys to See and Be Seen

Car Lights and wiper blades play a major role in safe driving, as the chance of an accident increases if you can’t see or be seen.

Lights are normal wear items that require periodic inspection and replacement. The lighting system provides nighttime visibility; signals and alerts other drivers; and supplies light for viewing instruments and the vehicle’s interior. In addition to replacing dimming, rapidly blinking and non-functioning lights, the following tips can help keep you safe.

⦁ Ensure headlights, tail lights and signal lights are clean. External dirt and debris can dim operational lights from being seen by others.

⦁ Make sure that your headlights are properly aimed. Misaimed headlights blind other drivers and reduce your ability to see the road.

⦁ If there is any doubt on whether or not your headlights should be on, turn them on. Lights not only help you see better in early twilight, they also make it easier for other drivers to see you.

The wiper system keeps excessive water, snow and dirt from building up on the windshield, maintaining clear visibility. Many factors can accelerate the replacement interval of wipers, including operating conditions, frequency of use, material and type of wipers and sunny weather.

In fact, wiper blades can deteriorate faster and need more frequent replacement in desert states. Don’t forget to check the rear window wiper blade too!

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Did You Know Bad Roads & Over Speeding Are not the Major Causes of Car Accidents?

The rate at which Nigerians perish in road crashes is to say the least alarming.

Almost every day, the media is awash with stories of road accidents that cost the lives of Nigerians and inflict temporary or permanent injuries on some others.

There are several causes of accidents, the popularly known ones are Bad roads, Over Speeding, vehicle overloading, bad driving habits and fatigue. Many people fail to understand the dynamics of the road, there are other silent killers that most times car owners take for granted which cause accidents. The following are most times ignored by car owners which lead to road accidents.

Defective Windshield wipers

Windshield wipers would probably not be the first thing that comes to your mind when talking about causes of road accident. Windshield wipers are essential to the safety of any driver, and when they are not working properly, accidents are more likely to occur.

In a situation of a heavy downpour of rain and a car with a defective windshield wipers will cause one to lose visibility quite fast, and car accidents can result easily. 

Worn out shocks

The major function of a shock absorber is to prevent excessive spring movement and in so doing keep the car's tyres in contact with the road enabling you to keep control of it. Because of this it is a safety critical item, but most people ignore it. Because shocks are generally unseen items and they wear down so slowly that drivers grow accustomed to the ride and amend their style of driving to compensate for it. Not only are worn shocks life threatening, they can also cause costly repairs and maintenance on your vehicles.

Bad brakes

Brake pads and shoes are wear items and have a limited service life. The more you drive and use your brakes, the more the brake linings wear. Eventually, they wear down to the point where they have to be replaced. The hydraulic and mechanical components in your brake system also have a limited service life. Over time, rubber seals and hoses can deteriorate and leak. Metal components can rust and corrode. If your brake system develops a leak, it may cause the brakes to fail because of loss of hydraulic pressure when you apply the brakes.

Bad tyres & Tyre expiration
The condition of the tires should be inspected regularly. Look for unusual or uneven wear, bulges or wrinkles in the tire sidewalls, cracks in the tread that may indicate tread separation, or loss of air pressure. Over- or under-inflated tires can cause trouble for motorists, which could end up resulting in an accident if ignored. Also, using an expired tyre can be fatal - as the rubber ages, it perishes (dries out), and becomes weaker and brittle. At speed, it heats up and the pressure increases (as the air inside also heats up). This can lead to a blowout

Poor Vehicle Maintenance/Driver Negligence: It is the sole responsibility of the driver and car owner that the vehicle being driven is safe and roadworthy on the road. A quick walk around on cars by drivers before each and every drive is important not only as a good practice but sometimes save lives. A knowledge of those components which may affect road safety when broken down or deteriorated will be a benefit for drivers to enhance the confidence in driving.

FINALLY, taking your car to an unexperienced mechanic will not only cost you more money for eventually, it can cost loss of life and property. Your car needs proper routine maintenance to avoid a breakdown.

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Join us on Tuesdays and Thursdays on Twitter for our Online Car Diagnostics Program from 10:00am – 01:00pm. This Service is absolutely FREE. Don’t let your Local mechanic fool you with jargons. Let’s put you through the dynamics of your car!

When should you change your wiper blades??

Did you know that driver’s vision is a factor in more than 40 percent of all vehicle crashes? While there are many factors outside of our control in driving during the rainy season, like water or slush splashing on the windshield from other traffic, maintaining wiper blades in good repair can provide the best visibility possible and is something cost-effective and easy to address.

But how do you know if your blades are in bad?

Many factors can contribute to wiper blade wear, including use, extended exposure to temperature extremes, ozone, road salt, oil and even automatic car washes
To avoid the risks of driving with limited visibility it is important to recognize the warning signs of wiper blade wear and damage.

Streaking

Visual inspection of the wiper blade reveals rubber that has hardened and/or cracked due to exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, tree sap, and road tar, automotive chemicals like oil, brake fluid, coolant, and road grit. Bands of water remain after each wiping stroke.

Chattering

Extreme hot or cold temperatures or extended periods of non-use can cause blades to exhibit chatter. The blades may skip and vibrate. The characteristics to look for include a choppy wiping action or an overall performance set or curve to the blade rubber in one direction and smeared windshield appearance while wiping.

Worn Rubber
 When the wiping edge of the blade is no longer sharp, but rounded in shape or appearance, the wiper will smear the water across the windshield instead of clearing it off. This causes cloudy and impaired visibility.

 Squeaking

The old or worn rubber of the blade does not move quietly across the windshield.

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