How to Keep Your Car Safe in the Summertime

Do you ever feel like it seems that we always go from one extreme to the next as far as seasons are concerned? For many, especially residents of the southeast, you may feel as though you go straight from winter to summer with no real spring-like weather in between. Not only is this annoying, it can actually bring havoc about when it comes to your vehicles. We've shared a lot of tips on keeping your car in shape during the winter, but now it's time to turn toward summertime maintenance.

Here are some hot tips to help keep your car running smoothly this summer...

Keep it cool

You may feel like you just can't avoid your car becoming really hot during the summer. While it's true that your car really will heat up during the summer months, you can certainly take some measures to prevent it from becoming too hot. Using window shades and a windshield shade can be a huge help. Those suction shades for the backseat windows aren't just great to use when you have little passengers. They can actually help keep your car cooler. They're retractable and easy to remove, plus- they're fairly inexpensive. A shade for your windshield is an easy purchase at just about any retail or online store.

Park in the shade

I used to give my husband a really hard time about parking as far away from the door of a building as humanly possible. Turns out, he was usually just trying to find a shady spot to park the car in. Parking in the shade can decrease the likelihood of the car's internal temperature from rising by several degrees. This can help keep you and your family safer. Keep in mind that you might have to wash your vehicle more frequently if you park under trees.

Keep up with fluid replacement

It's just one of those things that you have to do and should do, regardless of what season it is. Keep track of the fluids in your car. Have regular tune-ups, flushes, and replace fluids when necessary.

Check the tire pressure

No one wants to blow a tire while driving down the road, and it's even worse (and more dangerous) if it happens on a busy highway or Interstate. Always pay attention to your tire pressure, and check it regularly. If your vehicle doesn't have an automatic pressure alert system (older cars may not have them), you'll need to check it manually with a pressure gauge, which you can pick up at any auto store and most gas stations.

Keep your kids safe

One of the most devastating thing to hear in news reports this time of the year is that a parent left their infant or small child in a hot car, resulting in the unthinkable. A car's internal temperature can rise 20 degrees within minutes on warm days. I've been astonished by seeing 115 degrees on our car's temperature gauge after entering the car on a hot day. To help keep my kids safe, I keep small lap blankets in the back seat to throw over their seatbelt and car seat buckles. This keeps the metal cool and keeps the kids from being burned. I immediately crack the windows, and if another adult is with me, one of us starts the car to get the A/C running, while the other helps to get the kids safely buckled into their seats. We also don't leave drinks in the car on hot days to prevent our little ones from accidentally burning themselves on a hot cup or beverage.

Always, always, always check to make sure that your child is with you, and never leave them in a hot car, not even for a couple of minutes. You can also check for some other guide for child safety while driving, to always, be on the safe side.

Brought to you by Redman-Toll Chevrolet of Exton