A car breakdown, especially on a busy highway or interstate, is nerve-wracking, but if you know what to do, there's no reason to panic. Below you’ll find guidelines to help you stay safe until help arrives when you break down on the roads in and around Frederick, MD. Get Your Vehicle Off the Road When you feel something is wrong with your car and you can still drive it, get off the road and away from traffic as soon as it's safe to do so. Stop on the shoulder as far away from traffic as possible. Immediately turn on your car's hazard lights to alert other motorists. more Make Your Vehicle Visible Check for oncoming traffic and carefully exit your vehicle to take your flares and reflective warning triangles out of the trunk. Position the reflective warning triangles or flares behind your car, close to the road ten feet away, the next 100 feet away in line with the middle of your car's bumper, and the third 300 feet behind your car's right side. If it's nighttime, switch on your car's interior light to increase visibility. Call Roadside Assistance Lock your car's doors, check the street name, and take note of any landmarks nearby to make it easier to find you. Call your Toyota dealership for roadside assistance and stay safely inside your car until help arrives. If your cellphone is not working, and you're on a highway, use an emergency call box to call for help. If you are stranded on a busy highway or interstate, it shouldn’t be long before a highway patrol officer stops to assist you. What to Do If You Can't Move Your Vehicle If your car suddenly breaks down on the road, especially on a busy highway or interstate, and you can't move it, don't attempt to push your vehicle to the shoulder. Switch on your hazards and turn on the interior lights to make your vehicle more visible and warn other motorists. If your car breaks down on the road, it's not safe to stay in your vehicle. Check for traffic, exit your vehicle, and carefully cross the road to the shoulder. Take extra caution when crossing the road at night or in bad weather conditions when visibility is poor. Stand next to the road, as far away from the traffic as possible, and call for assistance. If your car suddenly breaks down, stay calm, follow the above guidelines, and keep yourself and your passengers safe. To prevent sudden breakdowns, trust DARCARS Toyota of Frederick. Schedule a maintenance service to ensure your Toyota is in perfect running condition and never lets you down. We hope you have found these tips helpful! To continue learning, click here for more auto-related blogs!
Learning to drive is a challenge, and it takes a while to get the hang of it. Even if you're already very good at navigating the roads in and around Frederick, MD, you might still struggle with parallel parking. For many people, this is one of the hardest maneuvers to master. Today, we'll discuss what to keep in mind when you're parking your car sideways. Find a Suitable Spot First, you need to make sure the spot you have chosen is meant for parking and won't cause anyone a problem. If you're not used to parking your car sideways, you will need more room than a more experienced driver. As a general rule, you should choose a spot that is at least one-and-a-half times the length of your car, since this minimizes your risk of bumping into another vehicle. Before you begin your maneuver, remember the handy acronym MSMOG. more This stands for check your "Mirrors, Signal, Mirrors, look Over your right shoulder, Go " - when there are no longer any obstacles. Whether you're still practicing your driving with your instructor or a family member or you're already licensed to drive on your own, it's important to remain vigilant at all times. You must make sure the coast is clear because you could cause an accident if you don't see a pedestrian or other car approaching. Reverse Your Car Next, you should position your car correctly, which makes parking it sideways much easier. If you're not sure where your car should be in relation to the other vehicles or landmarks, you should ask your driving instructor. Although there are general measures, it depends on the size and shape of the vehicle you are learning with. If you're too far forward, put your car in reverse and go backward slowly, and keep signaling to alert other drivers to what you are doing. Turn your Car 45 Degrees Next, you need to turn your steering wheel sharply so that your car will approach the curb at a 45-degree angle. When you can see the headlights of the vehicle behind you in your side-wing mirror, you should stop and turn your wheel back to the center. You can then continue backing into the parking space until the car is in the correct place. Straighten and Align your Car Finally, you need to turn the steering wheel the other way to straighten your car and align it with the others. If you're parked in between two vehicles, you shouldn't get too close to either of them to allow everyone enough space to depart. When parking in Maryland, the wheels of your car should be within 18 inches of the curb. Parking sideways is one of the most challenging maneuvers, and many people aren't confident even after they've taken lessons and passed their driving test. When practicing, make sure you remain vigilant and give yourself enough space to maneuver. Discover more from our DARCARS Toyota of Frederick blog today, like more automotive tips or fun things to do around town!
One-way streets do a great deal to improve the flow of traffic in congested areas, and they are also known to improve signal timing and reduce pedestrian accidents. Downtown Frederick, MD, has quite a few one-way streets, as do most towns in the state. But sometimes, these one-way streets can take drivers by surprise, so here are five valuable tips to help you navigate them safely. Keep an Eye Out for One-Way Signs Make a habit of checking for one-way signs every time you enter a new street. These signs will always be large and rectangular with a black and white arrow and a "One Way" warning. more It's also good to know that all lane markings are white on the one-way streets rather than yellow. Parked cars will all be facing in the same direction. And you'll also see a "Do Not Enter" sign at the opposite end of the street. Use the Correct Lane to Exit When driving along a one-way road, if you want to exit into another street, use the corresponding lane for left or right turns. For right turns, use the farthest right lane. For left turns, use the farthest left turn. As always, check that the road is clear and no pedestrians are crossing before you make your turn. Don't U-Turn This is perhaps a rather obvious warning, but never U-turn when on a one-way street because that would face you toward on-coming traffic. The only exception to this U-Turn rule is if you've mistakenly entered facing in the wrong direction. Stay Calm If You're Facing the Wrong Way If you realize you've accidentally entered a one-way street from the wrong end, don't panic. Never try to reverse out. Instead, pull over and turn on your hazard lights to indicate your predicament to other drivers. Wait patiently for a safe gap in traffic, then turn yourself around to face in the right direction. If sudden changes in direction like this make you nervous, don't worry. The ever-popular Toyota Corolla's sonar-based park-assist feature, combined with various oncoming vehicle detection features, makes quick parking and U-Turn maneuvers like this a breeze. The same features are available with most modern Toyota models. Warn Other Drivers Making This Mistake If you're driving down a one-way street and you see another driver heading toward you, facing the wrong way, then the driver probably hasn't yet realized their mistake. Honk and flash your lights to warn them. If they don't pull over immediately, pull over yourself to let them pass. Stay Within the Speed Limit One-way streets lead to fewer pedestrian accidents because pedestrians find it easier to know where vehicles are coming from. But unfortunately, many drivers accelerate down one-way streets because it feels slightly safer without cars coming in the opposite direction. This excess speed often leads to more car accidents. So don't be tempted to drive carelessly when you enter such a street, and always drive within the speed limit. At DARCARS Toyota of Frederick, we are passionate about doing our part to help keep our community safe! Whether it's valuable driving tips or helping maintain your Toyota, we have you covered!
