Sitting behind the steering wheel of a vehicle…with passengers or alone…makes imperative that safe driving becomes your top priority.  Contemporary distratctions are more abundant and sophisticated than ever before.  So knowing the basics of safe driving and practicing them every time you climb into that driver’s seat is crucial. Here are 4 high quality safe driving tips to guide you:

1. Focus on Driving

• 100% of your attention MUST be on driving at all times – no multi-tasking.
• No cell phone or any other electronic device usage while driving.
• Slow down. Speeding gives you less time to react and increases the severity of an accident.

2. Drive “Defensively”

• Defensively means being aware of what other drivers around you are doing, and expecting the unexpected.
• Assume other motorists will do something crazy, and always be prepared to avoid it.
• Keep a 2-second cushion between you and the car in front of you. Bad Weather = A 4-second cushion.

3. Plan Ahead

• Schedule time to stop for food, rest breaks, phone calls or other business during the trip.
• Adjust your seat, mirrors and temperature controls BEFORE putting the car in “Drive”.
• Pull off the road to eat or drink.  Focusing on that alone takes only a few minutes to get back on the road.

4. Practice Safety

• Secure cargo that may slide around while driving…you don’t need the distraction.
• DON’T attempt to pick up items that fall to the floor.
• Keep needed items within easy reach – such as toll fees, toll cards and garage passes.
• ALWAYS use seat belts & drive sober and drug-free.

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Becoming a new driver as a teenager creates an exhilarating sense of fun and freedom…as well as a boatload of new challenges and dangers.  It can also be a little scary, to say the least.  While genuine guided practice and patience can offset many of those negatives…distracted driving poses an ongoing threat that everyone faces…especially new teenage drivers.  What can they do to avoid distractions?

1. No Cell Phones in Hand or Within Reach Temptation – While undeniably useful and convenient, cell phone pose an incredible distraction for any driver.  If it’s out of sight while driving, everyone’s safer.  Driving should be like going to the movies…there’s very little it has to say that can’t wait.  Pull over if you absolutely must check messages or make a call.
2. Embrace Technology If/When Engaging Devices is Absolutely Necessary – Yes, technology can actually reduce the  intensity of distraction in little ways…like controls for cell phones and music being available right on the steering wheel.  If it helps keep your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel…try it.
3. Keep Things Quiet – Advocating total silence while driving is probably unrealistic…nevertheless…it’s a good idea to avoid any kind of major distraction.  If you know there’s a good chance you’ll get caught up in a “Sweet Caroline” moment like the Hyundai commercial…just don’t play the song you know you’ll get lost in.  Heated discussions, verbal romantic interludes and passionate Jerry Maguire moments are best left for driveways and parking lots.
4. No Makeup in the Car – and no electric razors…for faces OR legs.  Personal grooming is a  documented primary cause of distracted driving for teenagers.  Just don’t do it!  It not only requires you to take your eyes off the road…it takes your hands off the wheel too!

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Summer here…the season for family trips and all sorts of travel ideas.  Don’t forget how important your tires are for getting you there!  Here a few simple tire-maintenance tips to keep your travel plans from going off course.

1. Check pressure when the tires are at same temperature as their surroundings, typically after they’ve been parked for more than 3 hours.
2. Set the pressure to the prescribed level, which can be found on a placard on the driver’s doorjamb in most cars. Don’t use the pressure that’s noted on the tire’s sidewall; that’s the maximum pressure allowed for the tire.

Don’t Overload – Often miscaculated!  Here, the tire information placard IS your guide. It provides the allowable weight of all occupants and cargo combined.  Beware! Many vehicles hit maximum load capacity with just a few adults…and absolutely nothing in the trunk.

Spare Tire Check Monthly – Repeat…Monthly!  This is so overlooked …it’s not funny.  Check your spare tire every time you do  your regular monthly tire inflation check …AND before long-distance trips.

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Also Read: Changing a Tire in 8 Easy Steps from last month…practice makes perfect!

Been a little reluctant to try changing a tire on your own?  Go ahead!…the weather’s beautiful…and it beats trial by fire along side a highway when you’re late for a meeting.

Here they are 3 steps…easy peasy, lemon squeezy:

1. Loosen the Lugs – Once the car is on flat ground and the brake is set, break the lugs loose by turning them counterclockwise.
2. Jack up the Car – Raise the car with the jack until the flat tire is completely raised off the ground.
3. Off With the Flat – Once the car is off the ground, fully remove the wheel lugs and take off the flat tire.

Here’s the slightly longer version:

1. Get to a safe spot
2. Find your spare tire, jack and tire iron
3. Loosen the wheel lugs
4. Jack up the car
5. Remove the flat tire
6. Install the spare
7. Lower the car and tighten the wheel lugs completely
8. Important details about compact spare tires

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Been looking for that hot investment opportunity? Classic muscle cars might be worth looking at.  A unique combination of valuation factors can come into play…paying out leveraged dividends like you never thought possible…into the Thousands (1000’s) of percent increase over their original purchase price.  This 1971 Plymouth Barracuda, for example, has enjoyed a 58,000% increase in value.  But unrestored “mint condition” is a top quality that’s hard to come by.

Sfoskett~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). Own work assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=220464

Another classic car example is the 1967 Shelby Cobra…increasing 17,000% to $1.3 million. Other models are also yanking in big bucks at auctions around the US (shown below) includes the Cadillac Eldorado, Chevy Corvette, Pontiac Bonneville, Ford Thunderbird, and Ford Mustang GT.

The percentage increase in value is influenced by a unique algorithm with intangibles…the three Ps: popularity, pop culture and production volume.

“Many people think today’s uber-expensive vehicles always came with a hefty price tag, but these vehicles show that’s clearly not the case,” Eric Lawrence ~ Black Book

Every year since 2013 has brought record prices for classic cars—but the market is stabilizing. The prices paid for cars increased 25% in 2014 and rose by nearly 18% in both 2015 and 2016, according to the HAGI Top Index, a measure of prices paid for cars that cost more than £100,000 ($122,670). Most of the cars were sold in auctions around the world.

Read More – MarketWatch