Car Insurance Sort Blog

It sure it hot outside in most of the United States right now.  The heat affects many things, but some people may not realize how much it affects their cars.  Car insurance companies are well aware of increased wear and tear on cars in the hot summer months, and carefully compare what is covered by insurance by what is not.  Madison, Wisconsin’s WEAU News shared some of AAA’s “Tips to help your car survive the heat.”  Most drivers perform routine maintenance to protect their cars during the cold of the winter, but you should also do some maintenance for the dog days of summer.

• Batteries: The two things that wreak havoc on batteries are heat and vibration.  It is especially important during this uncontrollable heat to make sure that your battery is mounted securely and avoid any unnecessary vibration.  Battery fluid also evaporates faster in the heat, so clean off any corrosion and make sure that all of the clamps are secure.
• Engines: Since your engine is on overdrive during the summer heat, make sure to get routine maintenance done on your cooling system to protect your engine.  Also check for any deterioration on the rubber parts in your cooling system since heat makes them wear faster.
• Tires: Make sure that your tires are properly inflated to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations.  When tires are low, you are more likely to have a blowout because of the extreme heat on the roads making your hot tires even hotter.  Infinity auto insurance and other insurers hope drivers keep tires inflated because of heat, braking, and overall handling.  This helps reduce the risk of accidents and the claims on insurers.
• Fluids: Check all of your fluid levels because fluids help cool your car by taking heat away from other car components.  Transmission, power steering, and brake fluid, as well as motor oil are important to keep at the recommended levels.
• Air Conditioning:  Make sure that your air conditioning system is checked over and well maintained.  Cool passengers and drivers are better able to function on the roads and help avoid more accidents and car troubles.

Even with all of the proper preparations, you still may have a summer car breakdown.  As many people are keeping their cars more years to save money, older cars can breakdown more often if not properly maintained.  AAA recommends having a breakdown kit in your car just in case.  Be sure to keep your car as far off the road as you can and be safe in the event of a breakdown.

Car seat guidelines have been updated for the first time since 2002 and many parents are less than thrilled with the new strict guidelines.  According to Keith McCord of the Deseret News, “Parents (are) confused, upset over new car seat guidelines.”  Car insurance companies have a vested interest in these new guidelines because if they really do keep kids safer in crashes, that could lower the medical bills being paid out after car accidents.  The guidelines are a joint effort between the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  They are based more on height and weight now and less on age.

It is now recommended that children’s car seats remain rear-facing until at least the age of 2, an increase from the age of 1.  They pair this age 2 guideline with a weight of 35 pounds.  Many parents argue that their smaller children did not weigh that much until well over age 3 and say that their legs were way too long to be in a rear-facing car seat.  Insurers like Infinity auto insurance could then have to worry about broken legs in an accident, according to some parents.  But a manager at the Primary Children’s Medical Center says that there is no record of a child breaking their legs because they were rear-facing.  She also points out that a study in 2007 showed that children are five times safer when they are rear-facing than when they are forward-facing.

The other guideline ruffling some feathers is the recommendation that children remain in booster seats until they are at least 80 pounds, 4 foot 9 inches, and between 8 and 12 years old.  It is said that that is when they will best fit into regular seatbelts.  While many parents are up in arms about these new guidelines, they are meant with their children’s safety in mind and they are not law.  Each child grows differently and could be lighter or heavier than others their size.  It is best to go to an inspection station if you have any question about the safety of your children.