The most common reason for a breakdown on the road is having a tire blowout. This can be dangerous especially if you are driving on an expressway or a busy road. Having to stop and change your tire can be very stressful and difficult when not everyone knows how to change a tire. Most of the times it is easier to just call a tow truck for roadside assistance and have them either change your tire for you or to tow your car to the nearest tire shop. However, being able to prevent a tire blowout from even happening in the first place, will not only save you money, but will help your tires last way longer. 
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Avoid tire blowouts in the future with these few tire maintenance tips! Prevention is key!

Getting stranded on road can be a tough and stressful situation that happens when you least expect it. Although it's a common occurrence, most of the times drivers are not prepared to deal with this type of emergency. Regardless the reason on why you are stranded, it is still very important to stay safe while waiting for roadside assistance.

Here are a few of the safest places to wait for roadside assistance.

• The Right Shoulder of the Road -

Most roads and highways have a shoulder on the side that people are allowed to use whenever there is an emergency. If/when you are stranded, it is advised, if you are still able to accelerate, to move onto the shoulder area so that way you are not blocking the road. Some drivers might not even notice that you are stranded and fail to move out of the way, which can cause a bad accident to occur. Moving to the right shoulder reduces the risk of getting hit by other cars and ending up with more damage than initially started. 

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• Inside the Car -

In some circumstances, staying inside your car while stranded can be the safest place to wait for roadside assistance. Unless your car engine is smoking or if your car has overheated, staying in your car with your seatbelt on is highly recommended.  Remember that vehicles are more visible than you are, so staying in your car, can keep you from any further damage. Remaining in your car is important in case you are stranded during nighttime, bad weather conditions such as storms, or even unsafe/unfamiliar places. If it is safe to remain in your car while waiting for roadside assistance to arrive, keep your doors locked and try not to draw attention to yourself or your vehicle because it may lure people who can take advantage of the situation to steal from you or even harm you. 

• Away from the Traffic -

If your vehicle breaks down on any busy road or highway and it is safe to get out of the vehicle, exit through the passenger side, making you further away from traffic. Remain near your vehicle, unless you begin walking towards a car shop, etc.. and try not to get in the way of any oncoming traffic. If you do decide to go find help for any reason, be careful when walking by the road or even crossing it. During nighttime, try to make yourself visible with any fluorescent clothing or items so that way passing cars can clearly see you and move out of the way. 

Driving on the road can be an intricate task to undertake especially when there is a large number of different interferences occurring all around us. Over time, distracted driving has led to numerous amounts of accidents, fatalities, and injuries on roads. It is important to remember and recognize the significance of driving safely, free from distractions. Many drivers participate in various everyday activities that are not meant to be done while behind the wheel. The majority of the time, these activities lead to distracted and immensely unsafe driving. In order to better protect yourself and others while driving, an understanding of what not to do while behind the wheel is crucial. Here are some tips to avoid getting distracted while driving.  

There are 3 main types of distractions that many do not know about. These main categories are as follows: 

1. Visual Distractions: Visual distractions are by far the most common types of distractions. Anything that takes the drivers eyes off the road is considered a visual distraction. How to avoid getting visually distracted:  Keeping and remaining your eyes on the road is a key element to prevent yourself from daydreaming and from not paying attention to the road . Silencing your cell phone is a great way to relieve yourself of looking over any calls, texts, emails, or any social media notifications. 


        2. Manual Distractions: Manual distractions occur whenever the driver physically takes his/her hands off of the steering wheel. By not having your hands on the wheel, you are minimizing your time to react to any sudden changes on the road. Manual distractions can lead to reckless driving and can actively downturn your ability to steer.
How to avoid manual distractions: Try not to change or mess with the radio station/music devices while driving unless you are completely stopped. Avoid using picking your phone up to answer and calls, texts, or any different notifications. Eating and drinking while driving can cause you to become distracted and not pay attention to your surroundings, so it is best to avoid doing that. 


3. Cognitive Distractions: This type of distraction keeps the drivers mind from focusing on driving. Usually many people can confess that they recall times when you do not remember the last couple of minutes while on the road. That is a perfect example on how cognitive distractions can impact drivers. Cognitive distractions include using hands-free devices, talking on the phone/ other passengers, daydreaming, listening to the radio, and so on. In order to avoid these distractions, remind yourself that safety is first, silence cell phones and try not to get distracted in conversation if there are others in the car. Another tip to follow is to make sure the music playing is music you enjoy so that way you are not distracted while trying to find what to play.