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Disaster Preparedness: Auto Breakdown
Although modern automobiles are reliable and sturdy most of the time, every so often, carssurprise their owners by breaking down, usually in the most inconvenient of places.Whether someone’s driving to a friend’s neighborhood, to work downtown, or even acrossthe country, it is always important to be prepared for the inevitability of an auto breakdown.Being unprepared often results in steeper prices for repairs, and can sometimes even behazardous to the health of those in the car. Under the right conditions, an auto breakdowncan even be fatal.The first step to being prepared for a breakdown begins long before actually getting into thecar. While it is possible that a car will breakdown while driving across town, it is much morelikely that the stress and wear-and-tear of long car trips will cause the car to fail. That’s whyit is recommended that people should take their auto in for inspection before leaving on anycar trip.The mechanic should inspect the car to make sure that it is in good enough shape to make along roadtrip--he or she should check a few fundamental aspects of the car to make certainthat it is roadworthy. Obviously, they should be checking the oil (which should be doneevery three months or 3000 miles anyway) and the brake pads and the tread, air pressure,and alignment of the tires.Some people, however, forget that their mechanic should also be checking all the fluids of the car, not just the oil. For example, they need to make sure that the transmission fluid,radiator fluid, and all the engine oils are acceptable and updated. People should also havetheir alternator checked, as well as their power steering, emissions systems, and electricalsystems.If all this sounds like a lot to remember, that’s all right: just asking for a 20 point inspectiongenerally covers all those points. Although if there is something in the car that seems causefor alarm, it is best to mention that to the mechanic so they can pay special attention tothat.Once the car has been deemed roadworthy, then it’s time to prepare for the unexpected.Although the car should behave properly if it’s passed its inspection, every so oftenautomobiles defy the odds and breakdown even when they shouldn’t. And of course, italways happens in the most inopportune places: while driving through Death Valley, up inthe Sierras where no one gets phone service, or even just on long stretches of near-deserted highways, to name a few examples.The next thing someone should do before they drive anywhere is pack anauto emergencykit. These are useful no matter where the car breaks down, as they contain essentials likelight sticks and reflective road safety triangles to flag down help. Quality kits will alsocontain somefoodand water, just in case the car breaks down in an inconvenient location,as well as standard emergency supplies likefirst aid kitsand some form of shelter. Even if  help does arrive quickly, they likely won’t be bringing any food or drinks for everyone, so inorder to make the best of the situation, it’s important to have these things on hand.Besides the auto emergency kit, the trunk of the car should also contain repair essentialslike a jack, lug wrench, jumper cables, flares, and reflectors, as well as any other suppliesthat the specific make or model of the car might need in order to attempt small repairs. If itis possible to, for example, change a tire or start up the battery without calling for help, itwill save a lot of money and time. And of course make certain that there is actually a sparetire in the car. Jacks and lug wrenches are pretty useless when there’s nothing to do oncethe tire’s actually off.Besides knowing how to change a tire, every car owner should also know how to check theirown oil, the radiator fluid, and connect the battery fluid. If these things can be fixed withoutputting the driver or the people in the car at risk, then it’s much cheaper and just aseffective to do it without calling for emergency assistance.Once the car is prepped for any emergency, now it’s vital to know what to do if the vehicleactually does breakdown. TheNational Safety Counciladvises anyone who has car trouble
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