BROWSE CAR REVIEWS BY:
MAKE
MODEL
Click on a car body type for search results.
 |
 |
| SUVs (two rows) | SUVs (three rows) |
 |
 |
| Crossover | Minivans |
 |
 |
| Sedan | Hybrids |
 |
 |
| Wagons/Hatchbacks | Just for Fun |
New Year’s Resolution: Ideas for Stress-Free Driving
Jan 29 2008 by Colette Fischer
1/29/08
A New Year, A New Driving You
Like a cuddly newborn baby, a new year brings change, bright ideas and fresh beginnings. The slate is squeaky-clean. Go ahead, take a deep breath and ponder the simplicity and purity of it all: Anything is possible, even if you’re overworked, underslept, overdemanded, underappreciated, overscheduled and underpampered.
I’ve already got a few ideas up my sleeve to miraculously transform myself into Super-Mom Extraordinaire this year. How, you wonder? Well, by utilizing all my available resources to creatively outsource the duties of line cook, maid, laundress, social director, household directress, gardener and chauffeur, of course! Sound like I’m passing the buck, you say? Nah, not this mama — I’m just a realist.
Whether you’re a realist, an idealist, a perfectionist or whatever, we all have one thing in common: We spend oodles of time stuck in our cars. That’s not going to change, so how do we improve our daily driving lives? Consider these ideas:
1. Check your tire pressure monthly.
2. Vacuum all those raisins and cheddar bunnies out of crevices before they form a mountain range worthy of topographical analysis.
3. Compile a complete emergency bag.
4. Replace your dead or broken flashlight with a working one.
5. Place an accident report form in the glove box.
6. Get in the habit of leaving five or 10 minutes earlier to avoid making a mad rush.
7. Keep aromatherapy lotion in the car and treat your hands to a mini-massage while waiting in line at the drive-through.
8. The next time someone cuts you off, take a deep breath and think calm thoughts.
9. Acknowledge those who yield to you with a smile or wave. Spread a little kindness, even if others don’t.
10. Wax the car (and not just in the automatic car wash).
11. Make an appointment to visit your local fire station to learn correct car-seat installation.
12. Clear out the back pockets of the driver/passenger seat and retrieve molten crayons and other goo.
13. Regularly clear out the center console so “stuff” doesn’t grow in there.
14. Talk to your kids about car safety and explain (again) why it’s unsafe for you to drive the car and admire their artwork at the same time.
15. Only offer your kids water to drink in the car to avoid dreadfully nasty spills and — later — smells.
16. Subscribe to educational toddler/children’s magazines like Wild Animal Baby or Your Big Backyard so you can easily rotate reading material in and out of the car for the little ones. While you’re at it, make sure to keep some light reading material on hand for yourself.
17. Take advantage of car time with the kids by talking to them, singing with them or playing games.
18. Update your playlist so you’ve got your favorite tunes handy in the car. You’ve got to keep yourself happy, too!
19. Have baby wipes do double-duty. When stopped or waiting, give the dash a quick wipe to minimize dust buildup.
20. Read through your owner’s manual and learn something new about your car you didn’t already know.
21. Empower yourself: Learn how to change a tire.
22. Program the local state patrol number into your cell phone so you’ve got it handy if you need it.
23. Call the state or highway patrol when debris clutters the highway or someone is broken down or otherwise needs help.
24. Buy a first-aid kit for your car.
25. Know how to open the hood and check on all of your car’s fluid levels.
26. Weed out all your old car registrations and expired insurance cards.
27. Replace shoddy wiper blades. They’re not typically very expensive.
28. Wipe the inside of the windshield clean of all fingerprints, footprints, etc. It makes visibility much better.
29. Know how to recognize worn tires or uneven wear.
30. Get in the habit of completely cleaning out the car after each outing, including all the trash.
31. Keep an extra cash stash in the car for emergencies — and by that I don’t mean an unscheduled stop at Starbucks.
32. Keep kiddie books on CD handy for lengthy trips to foster their imagination.
33. Drive defensively by giving yourself more distance to the car in front of you. Remember the three-second rule: Pick out a landmark in the distance. Once the car ahead of you passes this marker, begin counting seconds. Stop counting once your car reaches the marker. Anything less than three seconds means you need to step off the gas.
Happy new year!
