Checklist to Consider Safety Precautions for Your Kids Before Buying a Car

How important is child safety for you when buying a car? Proper safety procedures can prevent most accidents and road mishaps. For instance, do you really look out if your car has air bags when you buy it? Whether you are buying a new or a used car, an air bag helps prevent deaths and mishaps by inflating the bags to reduce the extent of injuries.

You need to put some more thoughts to make a wise selection whether you are buying a new or used car. The critical factor is safety that must not be compromised at any level. So, when you looking for a new car, few things to keep in mind are as follows.

Child Car Seat Types: You can select the child car seat types as per the child age, body structure, etc. For example, rear-facing car seats are built especially for infants who do not have a good skeletal structure to support their fragile bodies. Booster seats are bigger seats for kids that are slightly raised and can accommodate the seat belt as well. Forward-facing car seats are bigger children like toddlers and preschool children.

Consider Back Seat: See how many baby capsules or children seat can fit the back seat so, the space is enough to fit them and you also have leg room for yourself under the dash. Get the seats inspected as you can be sure the safety of your child I not compromised at any level.

Doors: The doors of the car should be wide enough for a baby capsule to move in and out easily.

Specific Safety Features: Find tether straps for front-facing child seats and reverse facing child seats as well. This will reduce the chance of the seat to tip forward or back and minimizes the risk of whiplash, neck or head injuries. Also choose a car on which car crash test has been performed. You can see from the list of cars on which the crash test has been performed and what rating they have received. This also means you have a safe mode of transportation for your kids.

Rear Window: considering the configuration of the rear window is also important. Rear conditioning vents can save a child from direct sunlight. You can also attach after market sunshades so the kids can be safe even if it is too much sunlight and make them feel comfortable.

Cargo Room: If the cargo is stacked to the roof without the installation of the divider, then during a panic stop, cargo can fell on the child causing injury. So, check the vehicle’s trunk, if there is enough space for keeping the baby stuff, wipes, etc. while traveling.

You can refer to this checklist when you plan to buy a car for your family. It will help you make a decent choice to keep your family secure and safe.

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Tips for Better Fuel Economy

At a time the global fuel reserves can barely hold on for a century or so longer, the cost of petrol spiralling upwards is a common phenomenon in several countries. If you’re paying your taxes, you’re probably worried about the mileage of your car as well.

While some car models outdo others when it comes to fuel economy, there’s a lot you can do by taking the proper precautions. Yes, switching off the air conditioner when not required or going at around 40 miles an hour without changing gears can significantly up the fuel mileage of the car.

Getting the best out from your car, no matter how old it is

Here are a few tips to stop you from running to the petrol pump every few minutes just to get your car started. These tips are like simple DIY at home type of tricks, which will ensure that your car remains in great condition while caring for it at home:

• Tyre Pressure- Every little thing in your car when not taken care of, takes a toll on the fuel in some way or the other. It was observed that when your car’s tyre pressure is not up to the manufacturer’s recommended pressure, it can cost you almost 7% in wasted petrol!

• Type of Tyre- Manufacturers today even make tyres according to the customer’s preference, so selling you low-resistance tyres is something that they have been doing for a while now. These tyres offer less resistance when the tyres are being rolled on the road surface, which means less overall effort, contributing to lesser load on the main engine.

• Spark Plugs- Due to regular combustion and misfiring and short circuits, your car’s spark plugs can get worn out very quickly. So address it early to save on time and to save on money. Don’t wait for the car to reach a certain amount in kilometres to change the spark plugs, because by then your car would be worn out in any case. So it is always better to do it earlier on.

• Change Air Filter- Did you know that dirty air is filtered out through the engine every now and then? Well, if you didn't know that, you probably do not know that clearing out a clogged air filter can benefit you so much so that it increases the acceleration of your car by 6% to 11% as well. Some statistics even claim that you can save up to 15 cents per gallon just by changing out air filters regularly.

• Watch your foot! A heavy foot causes heavy problems for your car! Hard acceleration and frequent stopping and starting of the car too can cause your car a lot of discomfort. It is calculated to even cost you 20% more to do this activity.

• Maintain Speed while Driving- using your cruise control is actually a very smart idea. Accelerating faster in certain times and slowing down in some can actually be quite a killer in terms of hitting petrol levels.

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Simple Tips to Keep Your Car Clean, Tidy and Organised

Some car owners are extremely particular about their cars being spotlessly clean, while some should probably have a board mentioning- No Food Allowed! Juggling between kids, pets and a large family, keeping a car clean is quite a tedious task, after all. If you are wondering how your car could be sparking clean, worry not. Here are a few tips to keep your car neat and clean, without going crazy yourself.

•    Keep a vacuum cleaner handy - A car specific vacuum cleaner is a must in every car. This is a small dirt magnet that will reach into the tiny grooves and bring out things that are not visible to the naked eye even. You can use a vacuum cleaner once a week on the car.

•    Clean the car every 2 weeks at least - Make sure you get to do a quick clean up yourself probably every two weeks. Look out for chocolate wrappers or little scraps of paper that add to the clutter.

•    Keep paper or plastic bags handy - If you have kids, then this is the first thing that needs to be kept in the car. Anyone suffering from motion sickness will have no fear, and neither will you, when it comes to keeping the stains off the upholstery.

•    Air fresheners are a must - no one likes a stink, so keep them at bay with a light, air freshener in the car.

•    Emergency cleaning kit - Put together a cleaning kit with stuff that you may think is handy. This could include plastic bags, paper towels (wet and dry), a bristled brush and a cleaning solution.

•    First Aid kit - Most cars come with a first aid kit, but if it isn’t there then make sure you do have one. Injuries and other emergencies don’t come with a time- frame and blood spots are not nice to have in the car in any case!

•    Regular car servicing - While this may be an expensive deal, it is worth it if you don’t have time to keep the car clean yourself. You might need to take your car to servicing every six months, unless otherwise specified. It is important to keep note of the servicing dates so that you are not late. Your car requires servicing time to time. Regular car servicing helps your car going for a longer time.

•    Organize your things - look out for a back seat organizer that can be strapped onto the seat. This is very handy especially if you need to stack CDs, car papers or other general stuff that you need in the car on a daily basis. This way, they won’t be all over the place, and your car will be better organized. Also keep a notebook and pen in there; you never know when you might need to pen down something quickly!

While you might fear the work load in the beginning, cleaning your car isn’t that difficult. Once you get things going, it takes only a few minutes a day to keep your car clean.

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Tips for Buying a Used Car Online

We all want to buy that fine Porsche that can zap through the roads. With new models and a wide variety of cars to choose from we are often spoilt for choice. There is a tiny bit of problem though - the budget. New cars have a price tag that you may not really like – a reason why it might not always be possible to have budget to buy a first-hand car. However, buying a used car is not a very easy job. It’s easy to be cheated when buying used cars, a reason you need to use your judgment well. Here are some basic guidelines that will assist you in finding out how to buy a used car.

Get your budget right
It’s very important to know how much your pocket permits. Once you buy the car, there are many related expenditures that include insurance, registration, running cost and regular maintaining expenses. Also, you need to be vigilant enough to know where you can get the best affordable rates for these works to be done.

Smart research
The last line of the above point coincides with the fact that you need to do a smart research before you can actually get the car. The online advertisements, the magazines and even the newspapers provide you with the current rate of the prices of the car.

Check the car
Before buying any used car, how much less used it be, you must have a thorough check up of its model, body type, engine etc. If you check the regular car news, you must be updated with the latest brands and with a new model coming up, the price of the existing model reduces.

Get connected with the seller
Once you have done with all your research, probe the seller with all sorts of questions that are pinching you. how long has the car been used, did it ever face any damage, what is it's condition, why do they want to sell it and similar other questions will definitely help to get the right answers and consequently give you the clear picture of the vehicle and the probable modifications you might need to do.

Get the right history
If you are planning to buy it from a private party, get their home address and meet them there. This will help you verify the address with that on the registration certificate. Also, get the car's history verified and just do not go by the look of the car. You can get the VIN number and get it checked with the registered database.

Other points to keep in mind while buying car online

• You must get the car checked during full daylight.
• The car's interior should be check properly. The seatbelts, the dashboard, the steering, the switches etc.
• Do not forget to get a test drive before you buy the car
• Last but not the least always negotiate for the price. Get the paper work done only with support of the original documents and have all the details of the seller.

It’s important to do the homework well when buying used car. Do not forget to check out the servicing records as well and the issues found in the car. This will give you a fair idea of the health of the car and missing records surely give rise to suspicion.

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Tips On What to Look For When Buying A Used Car

Buying a used car is a great way to get yourself some wheels, without investing in a brand new car. The gamble is in the purchase itself. Once you drive away, the car is yours, so it pays to look carefully and ask the right questions before handing over your hard earned cash to avoid buying a lemon.

1) Check the trunk. It may sound strange but check the trunk of the car and under the mat. It is here you will see how the car has really been treated and any damp, rust or damage can be picked up.

2) Check the little details. Check the cigarette lighter, all the lights and the car stereo, particularly the speakers. Also look at the dashboard on the test drive to see if any warning lights appear. Another thing to check is the tyres. Some that only have a few months drive in means you will be paying out for repairs not long after you part with your cash.

3) Don't be afraid to ask questions! Look through the logbooks and servicing paperwork, ask about the history of the car and any issues. If your gut tells you something is off, you are usually right. If in doubt, don't buy.

Once you hand over the cash in a private sale, the car is yours with little chance of credit or return. If you don't want to take the gamble and need a reliable car to get you around, you may want to explore a used car dealership. These days bad service is quickly brought into the public eye and shared through social media. Today, reputable used car dealerships offer the same service as a new car showroom and offer great deals on used vehicles with flexible finance and warranty options.

Whichever way you decide to go, private or car dealer, make sure you do all your homework so you end up with a reliable vehicle to get you around town and country safely.

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