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Essential Vehicle Safety Tips: Stay Prepared on the Road

Driver's side headlight on carPin

Overview

Season 1, Episode 11

In this gripping episode, we delve into the crucial topic of vehicle safety. Whether you’re commuting, running errands, or embarking on a road trip, this episode is packed with invaluable tips and tactics to keep you and your loved ones safe.

From routine maintenance checks like tire pressure and windshield wipers to essential gear you should always have on hand, we cover it all. You’ll learn how to inspect your vehicle inside and out, what to keep in your trunk for emergencies, and smart tactics to employ while driving or parked.

Gain insights into practical items like first aid kits, glass breakers, and even the importance of keeping your headlights on in inclement weather. Plus, discover strategic advice for everyday scenarios, such as parking under lights and maintaining situational awareness.

This episode is your comprehensive guide to ensuring vehicle safety, making it a must-listen for anyone who spends time on the road. Don’t miss out on these life-saving tips—tune in now and drive with confidence!

Transcript

View podcast transcript

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Music.

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Hello and welcome to another episode of the Self-Initiative Project Podcast.

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I’m your host, Jim O’Brien. Hey there, how is everyone?

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So welcome back to another episode of the Self-Initiative Project Podcast.

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We’re actually up to episode 11 where we’re going to be talking about all things

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having to do with safety in and around your various vehicles.

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But I thought before we got into our topic for this episode that I would remind

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everyone that The Self-Initiative Project is on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Most of our content that we’ve gotten to this point or that we’re putting out

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to this point is on Instagram.

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So by all means, go take a look, like, and follow us, and we would greatly appreciate that.

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And be sure to tell your friends and family about us, too. I think there’s a

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lot of good – I know there’s a lot of good information posted out there on Instagram for sure. Sure.

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Additionally, the podcast is not only available on Podbean, where it’s primarily

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hosted, but it’s also available through some of the other major podcast hosting services.

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So hopefully you can find a platform that’s convenient for you on your,

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whatever your listening device

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may be, whether it’s your desktop laptop at home or on your smartphone.

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So with that, let’s dive right into this episode’s topics.

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So I wanted to talk about vehicle safety and

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things that we should you know gear we should carry checks

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we should make and just general some general tactics

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we should use when we’re in our vehicles you know i don’t

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know about you guys but for me personally i spend

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an awful lot of time in my car it’s not that i have a driving job but i do spend

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a lot of time sitting in traffic my commute can be lengthy 45 plus minutes 45

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minutes to an hour and a half some days one way if i’m unlucky so So,

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you know, we spend a lot of time in our vehicles,

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whether it’s commuting back and forth to work, taking the kids to school, vacation.

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Running errands, or just short trips around town.

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Whatever it is we may be doing, you could probably say that you find yourself

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spending quite a bit of time in your cars or your trucks, your SUVs,

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whatever it is you have, it doesn’t really matter.

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So the nice thing about today’s topic is it doesn’t matter what type of vehicle

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you have, all of these basic sorts of things we’re gonna be talking about apply

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for us. So it’s not vehicle specific.

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So with that, I kind of, I may jump all over the place today, no doubt.

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My mind kind of works like that. It kind of looks like the cartoon that got

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scared and jumps off tangentially in a bunch of different directions simultaneously.

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But I tried to organize today’s topic by looking at the vehicle outside.

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Talking about a couple of things you can do under the hood because we don’t

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want to neglect what’s under the hood that keeps the car going,

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which is the motor, I should say.

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Talk about things we should be doing in and gear we should be keeping in the

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car, whether that be the trunk, the glove compartment box, or just somewhere inside the vehicle.

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And then when we’re actually in the vehicle traveling, going places like the

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ATM or any drive-thrus or the gas station,

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talk about some simple tactics that we can employ for ourselves to keep ourselves

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and our family members or our friends safe when they’re with us.

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So talking about kind of the way I view it as things outside the vehicle and

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what are some things I can be doing involving being, before I even get into the car,

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what are some things that I can be doing to ensure my vehicle’s safe condition

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for me to be in in the first place.

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So one of the things that I think probably gets overlooked from time to time

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are those pesky windshield wipers.

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Now, a few cars have a third one on the back windshield, station wagons and

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some hatchbacks, but you want to make sure your windshield wipers are doing their job.

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And so, you know, you probably noticed in the last rainstorm or two,

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and we’ve been getting a lot of rain here around the Atlanta area recently,

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but you probably have noticed whether or not you might think about replacing

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your windshield wipers.

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You know, you cut them on in the rain and they’re just not keeping that windshield

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cleaned off the way they once did when they were new.

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So, you know, the only real good way is to check your windshield wipers is to

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pay attention to how they’re performing when you are driving in the rain.

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But you want to get in the habit of making sure they are performing optimally

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and if not looking to replace them.

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Now, look, you can get windshield wipers just about any place from the big box

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stores to the automotive stores.

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But, you know, you want to spend a little bit of money on them.

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The cheap ones will get you by, but they don’t last very long and they have

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a tendency not to hold up in high heat very long, it seems like.

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So invest a little bit more money than normal and get yourself a good set of

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windshield wipers to get them on that car so you can see when the weather is inclement.

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One of the other big things that you want to make sure of that gets neglected

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a lot, and I understand why, is tire pressure.

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Tire pressure is so key. Number one is…

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Actually can make your car more fuel efficient. Now, it’s not going to be a

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huge, you’re not going to see a five mile per gallon increase in your gas mileage.

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But when your car’s tires are properly inflated, they do roll smoother.

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And because they’re rolling smoother, in theory, your car is moving more efficiently.

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So that’s where the gas savings is possible.

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And on top of that, that the car just handles better if you have the proper

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amount of tire pressure in there.

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So I know it’s kind of a pain in the butt because not all of us have air compressors

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at our house, but a lot of gas stations offer air for free.

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And if it’s not for free, $0.25, $0.50.

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And if you move quickly enough, you can get around the car and top off where you need to.

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And depending Depending on the type of tires you’re running and what type of

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car you have, etc., you know, the average for a car is somewhere between 32 and 35 PSI.

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So be sure you check that, especially before you go on any long trips.

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Tire pressure has a tendency to go down a drop about a pound for every degree

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or so of temperature that drops.

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In other words, in cold weather, when the weather starts to change and gets

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colder, your tire pressure will drop with the temperature.

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I forget exactly what the rate is, so don’t quote me on that.

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But at any rate, the point is, is pay special attention to your tire pressure

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during the winter months, especially in the transition seasons of fall and spring,

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because that’s when you’ll notice the most change in your pressure.

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But it’s just a good idea of getting in the habit. But when you go to the gas

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station to get gas, go ahead and check your tire pressure and top it off while you’re there.

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Another one that we can check and is our lights, both the headlights and the

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tell lights are break lights.

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And, you know, I mentioned this to people and they say, well,

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how can I check them by myself? It’s really hard to check lights by yourself.

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You have to have somebody around.

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That’s why I don’t do it that frequency that frequently. the

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reality of it is is it’s not that hard to

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check lights right if you have a garage you can

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pull in your garage you can even just pull up your garage door and it’s easy

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enough to turn all your lights on put your car in park put the emergency brake

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on especially if you’re in a hill another little bonus safety tip i’ll give

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you use your emergency brake a lot of people don’t and anyway way,

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get your lights on and get out of the car and walk around the car.

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It’s that easy. It literally takes 30 seconds. Walk around to the front of the car.

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Make sure that both headlights are on. Make sure you’re, not your turn signals

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at that point, because we haven’t gotten there, but make sure your parking lights are on.

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The orange lights that are either on the lower part of the bumper or off on

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the side of the headlights.

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You know what I’m talking about. If you see one on, there There should be a

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matching pair, a matching one or a matching pair on the other side as well.

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Walk around to the rear of the car, same thing. There’s generally some marker

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lights back there and your tail lights.

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You can plainly see when your red tail lights are on.

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Next thing you want to do, and you don’t even have to get back into your car,

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is turn your turn signals on. First one direction, then the other.

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So you push down on your indicator, that’s going to be your left turn signals.

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You quickly look at the front to make sure the indicator lights on that side

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are flashing on and off the way they should.

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You walk around the back and make sure the same thing’s going back there.

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Then you go back and put the indicator switch on your steering column in the

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opposite direction. If it goes up, it’s to the right-hand side.

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You walk around to the right-hand side of your car and you look and make sure

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those indicators are flashing properly on the front and in the back.

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And so it’s very easy to do a basic light check.

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By yourself. And you say, but Jim, what about my brake lights?

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How in the world will I ever check my brake lights by myself?

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Well, that’s a good point. So this is what you do.

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If you have a garage, you can do one or two things.

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You can either back into your garage or before you open up your garage door,

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you can back up to the garage door and likely without even getting out of your car,

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you can turn around and while you look backwards, tap your brake lights and

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make sure it looks as though the glow is coming from both sides of the back of the car.

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In other words, that both of your primary brake lights are actually activating

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because especially in newer cars,

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those LED bright lights are going to be super bright when you tap those brake

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lights, and you should expect that brighter glow from both sides of the back

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of the car. And that’s all you have to do.

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You don’t have to worry about the center brake lights so much,

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especially nowadays, because with LEDs, they’re seldom going to burn out unless

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you’ve shorted them out or unless you’re driving an older vehicle.

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Yes, some freak, freaky things can happen where they go bad,

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but typically you’re looking for your primary brake lights, which are the ones

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on either side, your tail lights to be working.

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And that’s as simple, that’s as complicated as it’s got to be.

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It’s really easy to check those lights by yourself.

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And that’s good to do at least every six months I would say to make sure they’re

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working because you want to drive

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safe when the weather is inclement and especially when it’s getting dark.

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Or it’s dark out. And so it’s a quick less than two or three minute check to

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make sure those lights are working.

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And if not, again, light bulbs are fairly easy to acquire for yourself.

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You can find the numbers, the models of the lights that you need,

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likely in the booklet that came in your car and that can be located in the glove

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compartment box most of the time.

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So we talked about tire pressure a minute ago, and you actually have five tires.

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A lot of cars still have a spare in the trunk.

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If it’s a truck or SUV, it might be under the back of the truck.

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You likely know where your spare is.

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And so you need to be sure to check that once in a blue moon as well.

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Spare tires typically require much higher pressure than the average regular

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tire that goes on your car does.

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For example, somewhere in the neighborhood of, you know, instead of 32 to 35

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normal for an an average car, we’re looking at 55 to 65 typically for those

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what they call donut spare tires.

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And so you want to not forget about that spare tire underneath the carpet in your trunk.

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So once in a while, get that thing out and make sure it’s properly inflated

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because you don’t want to have a flat spare when you go to use it to replace

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one of your regular tires being flat.

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So don’t forget get that spare in the trunk. Some newer cars are running on run flats.

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They have a super stiff sidewall on them, which allows them to run with little to no pressure on them.

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But a great number of us still have spare tires. So don’t overlook that one.

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So now that we’ve kind of talked about the outside of the cars,

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our vehicles, I don’t want to bias this towards cars.

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I know not everybody Everybody has a car, our vehicles. Let’s talk about popping

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that hood real quick. Now, look.

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Ladies, anyone else, men that haven’t really spent a lot of time getting intimate

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with the engine of their vehicles, don’t worry. This is easy.

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When you pop the hood for your vehicle, there’s a cap likely on top somewhere

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that’s clearly labeled, or at least it’s generally clearly labeled,

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unless it’s really old or the new one had the lettering rubbed off of it for some reason.

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It generally has a label called oil, and this is your oil filler cap.

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And somewhere under that hood, maybe near that cap, but kind of down off to

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one side of the other, you’ll find a loop.

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Usually it’s marked with a color orange or yellow, something like that.

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It may not have a color loop on it. It may just be a metal loop.

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But you want to find your oil’s dipstick. And what the dipstick does is it goes

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down into the oil pan and allows you to check the oil level in your oil pan.

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And on the tip of that dipstick, when you pull it out to look at it, you’ll see markers.

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Usually there’s a very low marker and then the proper level marker.

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And your oil level ideally should be to the top of that.

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That’s the best case scenario. But your oil should definitely be somewhere in

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between the low and high filler markers on the end of that dipstick.

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And once in a while, get underneath your hood, especially if you have an older

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car. we shouldn’t have to be worrying about our oil levels so much with newer vehicles. But if.

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But get under there every once in a while, maybe every couple of months, and check the oil level.

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More frequently, maybe once a month if you have an older vehicle.

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And let’s make sure that oil is at the proper level. If oil runs out of your

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car or your vehicle or it’s too low, you can cause massive engine damage.

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And the engine, if you were to run extended periods of time on too little or

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no oil, your engine could likely seize on you, which would not be good while

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you’re driving down the highway at speed limit, of course.

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So check that oil. You can, again, check the owner’s manual that’s likely located

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in your glove compartment, worst case, your trunk somewhere,

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depending on your vehicle.

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And it’ll tell you where to find that filler dipstick.

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I should say the dipstick for the oil. If nothing else, get online, search for it.

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You’ll find tons of information, tons of videos, too, to help you find your car’s dipstick.

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Usually, you can just search on what year, make, and model your car is and find

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all the information you could possibly conceive of ever needing. So, look at the oil.

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Another thing that we want to do from time to time is check the coolant levels,

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especially in colder weather or even in the summer.

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Really, coolant is valuable to that car, that vehicle’s engine all of the time.

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In the wintertime, it’s going to keep things cool and it needs to have the proper

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level and it needs to be fresh coolant from time to time so that it can cool

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the engine properly because it does lose cooling properties over time.

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And in the summer month, this is especially critical with the high temps outside.

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We definitely need to make sure that the coolant water in our cars is up to level.

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And every so often, you want to look to have that coolant replaced in the car

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because, again, it does lose its cooling properties over time.

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They make little tester kits that you can check its general cooling property.

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But you don’t even have to go that far unless you want to.

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Just make sure the level’s up. usually the radiator

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holds a certain amount and then the reservoir which

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is usually clearly marked the reservoir

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needs to be topped off and again there’s generally a

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low level marker and a high level marker and as long as you’re in between those

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two on your coolant you’re good it doesn’t hurt to top it off so check your

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coolant from time to time as well and then every so often look to have it replaced

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while you’re under the hood do a real quick check of your windshield wiper fluid Again,

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the fill cap is generally clearly marked.

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It has a little picture of what looks to be your windshield and then some splatter marks.

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It looks like windshield wiper fluid being sprayed up on it.

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It’s the best they can do for an icon, I guess.

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Top that thing off. At big box stores, you’re looking at about $1.30 for a gallon

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of windshield wiper fluid.

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Not a big investment to keep hassle down.

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Wintertime, you want to look for windshield wiper fluid that dips below that

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can handle temperatures below freezing, obviously, so you don’t get that fluid

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frozen in its reservoir and not squirting out onto your windshield.

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But keeping that windshield wiper fluid full will enable you to keep those bugs

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cleaned off in the summertime better and the rain spray and anything else that

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may get on there year round.

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So take a minute to top that off from time to time and And you’ll know frequently

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because you know how much you use that windshield wiper fluid when you’re in your car.

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So we’ve kind of talked about what we can do quickly around the outside of the car.

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We’ve talked about some things to keep track of and check from time to time

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underneath the hood at the engine, the important part that makes the thing go.

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And now we’ll start talking about some gear and items that we should have in

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the car, whether it’s in the cabin with us up front, in the glove compartment box or trunk.

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You can decide best where you want to keep some things. but I’m just going to

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go through a list here of real quickly, not necessarily in any particular order,

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but just some things that you should look to keep in there.

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First on my list, and this is near and dear to my heart, especially here lately,

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is you want to have a basic first aid kit and possibly even a trauma kit if

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you know how to use that with a tourniquet.

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And we’re not going to get into that because we’ve covered some of this in previous

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podcasts, both we talked about the Stop the bleed program previously.

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And we’ve also talked about how to build our basic trauma kits and what to keep in them.

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So we won’t talk about that here again, but ideally you want to have a basic

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first aid kit and then a trauma kit if you’re comfortable using it.

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Ideally, you should keep one of the other of those in the cabin up front with

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you, but certainly in the trunk.

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This is a piece of gear that especially if you’re traveling a lot or you’re

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going on vacation, you’ve got your family and your kids with you,

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you should definitely have these.

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Newer and or luxury cars typically have a basic first aid kit in them these

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days, or at least they can, but they certainly don’t have the trauma kit in them.

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So either way, you probably want to beef up whatever might come in your car already be in there.

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But the point is that you want at least a first aid kit.

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And then again, if you’re comfortable and you understand how to use the items

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that are in it, you want to have your basic trauma kit included in there as well.

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Again, you know, these are in no particular order, but I put water on the list.

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I think this is a good one that gets overlooked a lot.

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You know, you should think in terms of having drinking water,

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especially in the hot summer months, and you want to be sure to have enough

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00:19:54,092 –> 00:19:56,152
for your entire family, your kids included.

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But you want to possibly have at least a gallon or so of water in your car,

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especially if you have an older car, in case it overheats,

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because you’re going to need to get fluid back into that radiator if you develop

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00:20:11,232 –> 00:20:17,952
a pinhole in one of the rubber hoses for the coolant or if your radiator decides to crap out.

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You’re going to need to try to get some water back in

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that system likely you might have

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00:20:23,772 –> 00:20:27,212
to call a tow truck anyway but you’re you’re

295
00:20:27,212 –> 00:20:29,852
going to want to have some spare water in there so if you

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00:20:29,852 –> 00:20:32,672
do spring elite you might be able to get enough back into the

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system to get you to the dealership or the service station of your choice that

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you’d like to go to but keeping water in the trunk especially in the summer

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00:20:41,872 –> 00:20:47,772
months for drinking is especially important so we talked about this in one of

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00:20:47,772 –> 00:20:51,592
our Instagram posts that long, not that long ago, actually.

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And it was about the fact that you don’t need to keep valuable items,

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00:20:56,612 –> 00:21:00,312
objects in plain sight inside your car.

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00:21:00,672 –> 00:21:05,072
And it doesn’t have to be high end jewelry and stuff like that.

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You just want to keep most of your personal items out of sight because people

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00:21:10,052 –> 00:21:13,012
that like to break into the cars are looking for easy targets.

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00:21:13,152 –> 00:21:16,712
They’re looking for the doors to be unlocked and they’re looking for things

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00:21:16,712 –> 00:21:21,592
that they see that they can grab quickly and make a quick buck off when they go to sell them again.

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00:21:21,712 –> 00:21:25,492
So keep valuables out of your car. It’s kind of getting into the tactics,

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00:21:25,572 –> 00:21:29,372
but it’s just a good policy not to keep your stuff in plain sight up front.

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Put it in the glove compartment box or put it in the trunk and keep it out of sight and locked up.

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Another thing that you want to keep up front with you or consider keeping up

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00:21:38,421 –> 00:21:42,221
front with you, either in the center console where you keep your gum and pens

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00:21:42,221 –> 00:21:48,121
and whatever else, your cleaning rag for your sunglasses or your glove compartment box,

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you want to consider keeping a glass breaker in there.

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You never know if you’re in an accident or you happen to drive off the road

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00:21:56,641 –> 00:21:59,581
into the ravine down into the lake or river.

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We think these things are far-fetched and extreme and will never happen to us,

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00:22:04,321 –> 00:22:06,361
but the reality of it is they can happen.

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And so a glass breaker is not a bad idea. And typically these glass breakers

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00:22:11,761 –> 00:22:15,741
will not only be a glass breaker, but a lot of them will have a razor blade

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00:22:15,741 –> 00:22:19,861
built into the handle for seat belt cutting. And I think that’s a good idea too.

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So consider keeping a glass breaker in the center console, their glove compartment box.

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Center console is probably better because it’s closer to you,

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00:22:28,281 –> 00:22:29,681
which means you can get to it.

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00:22:29,881 –> 00:22:33,921
You know, if you’re in a bad car accident and your door’s got jammed shut and

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you’re not unconscious and you’re capable of getting out on your own,

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00:22:37,261 –> 00:22:42,981
you know, and your car door’s been jammed shut because you’ve been hit T-bone so hard,

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00:22:43,141 –> 00:22:46,161
whatever it is, a glass breaker can come in handy.

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00:22:46,561 –> 00:22:51,041
So consider carrying a glass breaker. And along with that, consider carrying

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00:22:51,041 –> 00:22:54,241
a knife or a Leatherman tool or some sort of multi-tool.

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00:22:54,561 –> 00:22:59,561
It’s not a bad idea. You never know when you need a good blade and cutting through

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00:22:59,561 –> 00:23:05,021
a seatbelt or your child’s seatbelt might be something that you have to do at

333
00:23:05,021 –> 00:23:06,801
some point in time. You never know.

334
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It’s not being paranoid. It’s being prepared and having a plan.

335
00:23:11,621 –> 00:23:14,361
So that’s the way I like to go about these things.

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00:23:15,381 –> 00:23:19,961
Talking about things to keep in the trunk, and again, some of this to me can be seasonal.

337
00:23:20,141 –> 00:23:23,601
I keep some seasonal things back there in addition to my year around.

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00:23:24,788 –> 00:23:28,888
Some of the things that I keep in my trunk all of the time is a get-home bag,

339
00:23:29,048 –> 00:23:31,828
or what they refer to as a GHB bag.

340
00:23:32,008 –> 00:23:35,188
And in this bag, and we may talk about this in a future podcast,

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00:23:35,428 –> 00:23:39,368
but in this bag, there’s some of that water, there’s some first aid items,

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00:23:39,488 –> 00:23:43,648
there might be a change of clothes, a poncho, first aid kit,

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00:23:43,868 –> 00:23:46,648
there might be a firearm and some ammo.

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00:23:47,148 –> 00:23:53,348
Again, a get-home bag is basically a bag that contains 24 hours worth of supplies

345
00:23:53,348 –> 00:23:57,408
for you, obviously included in that are some snacks and some basic foods.

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00:23:57,828 –> 00:24:01,708
And again, if you have a family, then you need to think about what each of those

347
00:24:01,708 –> 00:24:03,088
people are going to carry.

348
00:24:03,128 –> 00:24:05,228
Each of those individuals are going to carry for themselves,

349
00:24:05,268 –> 00:24:10,328
but likely you’ll have the same bag repetitively based on the number of people

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00:24:10,328 –> 00:24:14,408
in your family or the number of people that you have in your vehicle at a time with you.

351
00:24:14,608 –> 00:24:19,148
But certainly want to think in terms of having that in case something happens.

352
00:24:19,148 –> 00:24:23,848
So another thing that I like to keep in the trunk all the time are some flares

353
00:24:23,848 –> 00:24:29,428
or some of the triangular reflective, big triangular reflective roadside markers.

354
00:24:29,608 –> 00:24:33,448
Now I carry the roadside markers, the big triangular roadside markers.

355
00:24:33,488 –> 00:24:35,888
I don’t have flares, but flares are an option.

356
00:24:36,068 –> 00:24:40,048
Another option are some glow sticks, and all of these things are relatively

357
00:24:40,048 –> 00:24:40,988
inexpensive. expensive.

358
00:24:41,528 –> 00:24:46,648
Another thing that I keep in the trunk all the time is a spare change of clothes

359
00:24:46,648 –> 00:24:48,728
and some extra shoes even.

360
00:24:48,788 –> 00:24:53,168
Usually I’m at least business casual, so I might, especially if I have to deal

361
00:24:53,168 –> 00:24:59,008
with a flat tire or something or whatever else, or maybe I’ve got to walk home or walk for some miles,

362
00:24:59,208 –> 00:25:03,088
I got a spare change of clothes and I’ll swap that out depending on if it’s

363
00:25:03,088 –> 00:25:04,888
wintertime, cold weather, summertime,

364
00:25:05,168 –> 00:25:09,568
hot weather, shorts and t-shirts and tennis shoes in the summertime,

365
00:25:09,568 –> 00:25:14,848
Summertime, and I’m more likely, obviously, to wear jeans, try to layer some top shirts,

366
00:25:15,168 –> 00:25:18,628
t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, flannel shirts, fleece, whatever it is.

367
00:25:19,324 –> 00:25:25,044
And in the wintertime, I’ll carry a wintertime jacket, some gloves,

368
00:25:25,284 –> 00:25:28,884
a stocking cap or toboggan, I guess, depending on where you’re from.

369
00:25:29,144 –> 00:25:32,484
I say stocking cap, gloves, a heavy jacket.

370
00:25:32,944 –> 00:25:37,084
And of course, I take that out again when the summer months roll around.

371
00:25:37,244 –> 00:25:43,184
But I want that extra, you know, back in 2014, Atlanta had what we lovingly

372
00:25:43,184 –> 00:25:45,304
refer to now as Snowmageddon.

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We were totally caught with our pants down. And, you know, a normal 30 minute

374
00:25:49,844 –> 00:25:54,744
commute home from the office took me personally three and a half hours to make

375
00:25:54,744 –> 00:25:57,564
that afternoon because the snow started falling at noon.

376
00:25:58,004 –> 00:26:02,104
I made the mistake of not waiting to leave the office till around four,

377
00:26:02,204 –> 00:26:03,364
four thirty that afternoon.

378
00:26:03,504 –> 00:26:07,384
And it wound up taking me three and a half hours to get home.

379
00:26:07,444 –> 00:26:09,904
And luckily, I got home unscathed and safely.

380
00:26:10,064 –> 00:26:14,424
My car made it home without a scratch on it. But some people spent eight,

381
00:26:14,544 –> 00:26:18,624
nine, even 12 hours on the road. Some people had to find hotels.

382
00:26:19,204 –> 00:26:22,144
Some people got out of their cars and left them where they were.

383
00:26:22,804 –> 00:26:27,904
And so, you know, all these spare clothes and this wintertime coat I told you

384
00:26:27,904 –> 00:26:31,684
I kept back there would have come in handy if I had been stranded or had to

385
00:26:31,684 –> 00:26:36,064
walk somewhere because I got stuck or was in a car accident and needed to go somewhere.

386
00:26:36,664 –> 00:26:40,444
And so the other thing that I’ll keep in my car, and this is one that I’ll actually

387
00:26:40,444 –> 00:26:42,524
keep in there year-round as a blanket.

388
00:26:42,944 –> 00:26:45,944
You never know when you’re going to need a blanket. it. You think wintertime

389
00:26:45,944 –> 00:26:53,084
only, but if you happen to stop to help somebody, you might need to elevate a body part for them.

390
00:26:54,004 –> 00:26:59,384
You might need to use it as a pillow. If they’re in shock or if it’s wintertime,

391
00:26:59,464 –> 00:27:02,024
you might want to cover them up, at least in part.

392
00:27:02,204 –> 00:27:05,664
So a blanket’s nice to have in the trunk one way or the other.

393
00:27:05,744 –> 00:27:08,804
And that’s one of the items that seems like a wintertime item,

394
00:27:08,864 –> 00:27:11,744
but it’s really appropriate to have around there year-round.

395
00:27:12,904 –> 00:27:16,004
One of the other things that I like to keep either in the glove compartment

396
00:27:16,004 –> 00:27:18,364
or in the trunk is some spare batteries.

397
00:27:18,844 –> 00:27:22,224
You know, one of the things that you should likely keep up front in the cabin,

398
00:27:22,344 –> 00:27:26,044
likely another item for your glove compartment box, is a good flashlight.

399
00:27:26,644 –> 00:27:31,504
And when you carry a flashlight in your car, it’s probably a good idea to check those batteries.

400
00:27:32,124 –> 00:27:36,464
It is a good idea to check those batteries about every six months,

401
00:27:36,624 –> 00:27:40,984
certainly once a year annually, because those batteries go dead.

402
00:27:41,064 –> 00:27:44,044
And when you need that That flashlight, you don’t want a dead flashlight.

403
00:27:44,204 –> 00:27:47,844
So keeping some spare batteries in the trunk is not a bad idea.

404
00:27:48,324 –> 00:27:54,124
Typically, some C’s or double A’s are more typically what gets used in flashlights.

405
00:27:54,144 –> 00:27:58,684
But whatever your flashlight you choose to carry in the car is a good idea for

406
00:27:58,684 –> 00:28:00,704
you to carry the spare batteries for it.

407
00:28:01,356 –> 00:28:06,176
And so with all of that being said, any of that gear that you think in terms

408
00:28:06,176 –> 00:28:10,456
is for you, if you’ve got a family and you’ve got your kids with you,

409
00:28:10,456 –> 00:28:14,836
you need to think about having enough of the same things for them too.

410
00:28:14,936 –> 00:28:18,096
So they should have their own gear in the trunk along with yours.

411
00:28:19,076 –> 00:28:22,576
Another thing that I keep in the trunk, especially in my older vehicle,

412
00:28:22,796 –> 00:28:24,716
is a set of jumper cables.

413
00:28:25,356 –> 00:28:30,696
You know, batteries can last on average anywhere from two to five years.

414
00:28:30,696 –> 00:28:33,456
Sometimes a little longer than five years if you’ve

415
00:28:33,456 –> 00:28:37,376
got a really nice expensive battery in your vehicle if

416
00:28:37,376 –> 00:28:40,176
you’re cheap and you look to get the

417
00:28:40,176 –> 00:28:43,356
cheapest thing from one of the automotive stores sometimes those

418
00:28:43,356 –> 00:28:48,436
batteries can only last a year or two i’ve i’ve been guilty of buying cheap

419
00:28:48,436 –> 00:28:52,876
batteries in the in the past and i’m lucky to get two two and a half years out

420
00:28:52,876 –> 00:28:56,976
of them so just know the more money you spend on a battery for your vehicle

421
00:28:56,976 –> 00:29:02,036
it is worthwhile because that means it’s it’s going to be a while before you

422
00:29:02,036 –> 00:29:03,176
have to deal with it again.

423
00:29:03,436 –> 00:29:08,156
But in the meantime, you want to have a set of jumper cables in your car that’s

424
00:29:08,156 –> 00:29:10,476
appropriate for your vehicle. And I’ll tell you why.

425
00:29:10,736 –> 00:29:14,756
You never know when someone else needs help. And that’s a good reason just to

426
00:29:14,756 –> 00:29:19,416
keep jumper cables in your trunk year round and, you know, not think just in

427
00:29:19,416 –> 00:29:23,416
terms of what you may need one day, but the fact that you could help someone

428
00:29:23,416 –> 00:29:25,256
else if you’re so inclined.

429
00:29:25,656 –> 00:29:29,716
One of the things that I keep in the trunk, I actually have a couple just in

430
00:29:29,716 –> 00:29:35,656
case I lose one, is if you’re like me, you have lock lug nuts on your rims.

431
00:29:35,656 –> 00:29:40,556
Not that I have fancy pants rims or anything, but I did put lock lugs on there.

432
00:29:40,656 –> 00:29:45,296
Now your option is to not put a lock lug on each of your rims,

433
00:29:45,296 –> 00:29:48,036
but I opted to just to make it harder.

434
00:29:48,176 –> 00:29:51,256
If somebody really wanted to take them off the car, they still could.

435
00:29:51,256 –> 00:29:54,136
But if you do have lock lugs you

436
00:29:54,136 –> 00:29:57,676
want to make sure you have that lock lug key in your

437
00:29:57,676 –> 00:30:02,376
car so that when you need to change a flat tire on the side of the highway you’ve

438
00:30:02,376 –> 00:30:06,716
got it or when you take your car into the shop to have your tires rotated and

439
00:30:06,716 –> 00:30:10,936
balanced you’ve got it available for those guys now typically the shops have

440
00:30:10,936 –> 00:30:16,796
their own keys that generally fit most everything out there but when you take your car in,

441
00:30:16,876 –> 00:30:21,796
whether it’s the dealership or the big warehouse place that has the automotive

442
00:30:21,796 –> 00:30:23,756
shop in the rear or wherever it is,

443
00:30:23,936 –> 00:30:26,976
they’ll generally ask you where your lug key is.

444
00:30:27,136 –> 00:30:29,936
And so you want to make sure you’ve got that. And again, if nothing else,

445
00:30:29,976 –> 00:30:31,356
it’s going to be really inconvenient.

446
00:30:31,876 –> 00:30:35,816
If you get a flat on the side of the road and you go to change the tire and

447
00:30:35,816 –> 00:30:40,156
you can’t take it off because you don’t have that lug key, lug nut key in there.

448
00:30:40,256 –> 00:30:41,936
So that’s, that’s really important.

449
00:30:42,476 –> 00:30:45,396
Kind of moving back up to the front of the car again, and again,

450
00:30:45,456 –> 00:30:47,176
I warned you I’d be all over the place.

451
00:30:47,836 –> 00:30:52,276
One of the things that you probably want to keep in your car is a detailed map

452
00:30:52,276 –> 00:30:55,716
of the area in which you live, or at least the general area where you live.

453
00:30:55,856 –> 00:30:59,716
So I keep a map of Atlanta in my glove compartment box, pretty detailed.

454
00:31:00,636 –> 00:31:05,616
And I think that’s a good idea because we can’t always guarantee our electronics are going to work.

455
00:31:05,736 –> 00:31:10,476
Sometimes these GPS systems have been known to freeze and known to lead us down

456
00:31:10,476 –> 00:31:15,096
the dark alleys and not where we thought we were going. So I like to keep a map.

457
00:31:15,316 –> 00:31:20,216
If I travel to other states or other cities frequently, I’ll sometimes keep

458
00:31:20,216 –> 00:31:27,716
maps of those states which are much broader, you know, a much broader range, not near as detailed.

459
00:31:27,716 –> 00:31:31,716
But at least I’ll understand where major highways are and have a good idea of

460
00:31:31,716 –> 00:31:34,016
where I’m located and how to get to where I’m going.

461
00:31:34,476 –> 00:31:38,676
So that may be a little old school, but I still recommend keeping a map in the

462
00:31:38,676 –> 00:31:39,736
old glove compartment box.

463
00:31:39,956 –> 00:31:43,596
It’s out of sight, out of mind, but when you need it, it’s there. So that’s a good idea.

464
00:31:44,156 –> 00:31:47,176
Another thing to keep in the car is a phone charger. Now

465
00:31:47,176 –> 00:31:49,916
we all have USB cables today and they go

466
00:31:49,916 –> 00:31:53,716
from your phone and a lot of new cars have USB plugs

467
00:31:53,716 –> 00:31:57,116
built into to them kind of like the old cigarette cigarette lighters

468
00:31:57,116 –> 00:32:00,216
do but it’s not bad to have a

469
00:32:00,216 –> 00:32:03,256
phone charger or a backup charger one of these little separate

470
00:32:03,256 –> 00:32:07,276
battery backup chargers that you bring in the house and charge up once in a

471
00:32:07,276 –> 00:32:10,476
while and then you you take them and leave them in your car so that when you

472
00:32:10,476 –> 00:32:14,996
have something died let’s say your battery dies on your car right we just talked

473
00:32:14,996 –> 00:32:21,796
about in having jumper cables well if the battery goes dead on your car or the alternator goes out,

474
00:32:21,896 –> 00:32:26,176
then how can you possibly crank your car to charge your phone to get a cell

475
00:32:26,176 –> 00:32:32,576
signal to call 911 or call the hero truck or call your husband to come get you,

476
00:32:32,636 –> 00:32:36,536
let’s say, or your significant other, as I should say.

477
00:32:36,876 –> 00:32:42,116
Whatever it is, having a spare backup charger in the car is not a bad idea,

478
00:32:42,156 –> 00:32:45,936
and certainly the cables to allow you to plug these devices in, right?

479
00:32:45,936 –> 00:32:49,176
You might want to consider AAA I

480
00:32:49,176 –> 00:32:52,416
know that’s a big automotive roadside assistant of

481
00:32:52,416 –> 00:32:55,956
course there’s OnStar and some of the GM cars that’s

482
00:32:55,956 –> 00:33:01,276
been shown to be fairly effective my buddy uses it and has good luck you can

483
00:33:01,276 –> 00:33:06,116
also call these hero trucks now at least here in the metro Atlanta area my point

484
00:33:06,116 –> 00:33:10,996
being is that if you’re not savvy enough to take care of these things when something

485
00:33:10,996 –> 00:33:15,156
happens to you and you get stranded on the side of the road you need to know that.

486
00:33:15,823 –> 00:33:21,403
Police may not necessarily stop for you. You know, it’s awfully nice when they do.

487
00:33:21,563 –> 00:33:25,843
A lot of times when police officers, we see police officers on the road,

488
00:33:25,883 –> 00:33:29,503
they’re either driving to work or home from work.

489
00:33:29,703 –> 00:33:34,163
And in both of those scenarios, we can’t always expect them to stop and help

490
00:33:34,163 –> 00:33:37,023
everybody all the time because it would be an impossible task.

491
00:33:37,283 –> 00:33:42,183
Those guys work their butts off either way. If you do have a police officer

492
00:33:42,183 –> 00:33:44,103
stop for you, consider yourself lucky.

493
00:33:44,183 –> 00:33:47,743
Be sure to thank them because that’s not necessarily part of their jobs.

494
00:33:47,863 –> 00:33:53,423
They’re supposed to be out there stopping the criminals and the lawbreakers

495
00:33:53,423 –> 00:33:56,023
not helping you change your spare tire.

496
00:33:56,023 –> 00:34:00,243
So just know if they do, just know that they’re probably going out of their

497
00:34:00,243 –> 00:34:05,243
way a little bit to do it for you, taking time out from what they should more likely be doing.

498
00:34:05,683 –> 00:34:09,283
And you just want to be sure to be appreciative and thank them for their time.

499
00:34:09,523 –> 00:34:14,303
But the chances of that are rare. so you need to be have these other numbers

500
00:34:14,303 –> 00:34:18,743
available to you keep them saved in your phone and whatnot so you can get a

501
00:34:18,743 –> 00:34:23,183
hold of them when and if the time comes because the law enforcement’s not necessarily

502
00:34:23,183 –> 00:34:28,443
going to stop with you for you when you get into trouble on the roadside.

503
00:34:29,043 –> 00:34:35,043
One of the things that i have chosen to keep in my trunk in addition to my umbrella

504
00:34:35,043 –> 00:34:40,623
which is also So another good item to keep is a crowbar and the chances of me

505
00:34:40,623 –> 00:34:42,763
needing that crowbar are slim to nil,

506
00:34:42,803 –> 00:34:47,503
but I actually did work an accident not that long ago.

507
00:34:47,563 –> 00:34:50,763
It’s been, I guess it’s been several months ago now, I guess.

508
00:34:50,823 –> 00:34:55,443
So I take that back, but I worked a roadside accident first on the scene,

509
00:34:55,563 –> 00:34:56,763
no other first responders.

510
00:34:56,863 –> 00:34:59,923
So I took it upon myself to stop and help.

511
00:34:59,983 –> 00:35:03,583
And a kid, I guess, was on the job delivering pizzas or whatnot,

512
00:35:03,743 –> 00:35:08,323
had made some bad decisions in traffic wound up flipping his SUV over.

513
00:35:08,603 –> 00:35:13,503
And so one of the things I wanted to do for him was pop his hood and disconnect the battery.

514
00:35:13,683 –> 00:35:17,463
Because generally that’s the first, one of the first things that fire’s going

515
00:35:17,463 –> 00:35:21,443
to do when they arrive on the scene, unless the vehicle’s drivable and then

516
00:35:21,443 –> 00:35:22,843
they’ll have it move it out of the way.

517
00:35:23,863 –> 00:35:27,843
But a lot of times disconnecting that battery is the first thing they do,

518
00:35:28,003 –> 00:35:32,423
especially if they figured the integrity of that engine or gas tank or whatever

519
00:35:32,423 –> 00:35:36,323
about that vehicle may be questionable because we don’t want any sparks on scene.

520
00:35:37,263 –> 00:35:40,483
Fortunately, I didn’t have to get out the crowbar with a little bit of elbow

521
00:35:40,483 –> 00:35:44,863
grease. I popped the hood on the SUV and disconnected the battery for the kid.

522
00:35:45,043 –> 00:35:50,563
But having a crowbar in there allows us to have a tool that we may or may not ever need.

523
00:35:50,683 –> 00:35:54,123
But when we, if we do have it, it comes in awfully handy. And that would have

524
00:35:54,123 –> 00:35:59,243
been a time that potentially could have been handy to have a crowbar,

525
00:35:59,343 –> 00:36:01,083
a big pry bar in the trunk.

526
00:36:02,221 –> 00:36:05,661
So I’ve mentioned this a few times already because there’s information in there

527
00:36:05,661 –> 00:36:09,701
that we need to reference from time to time, whether it’s finding the right

528
00:36:09,701 –> 00:36:15,541
viscosity oil to put back in our car or the model number of the light bulb that

529
00:36:15,541 –> 00:36:17,141
you discovered had been burned out.

530
00:36:17,581 –> 00:36:21,661
It’s a good idea to keep the owner’s manual for your vehicle in the car.

531
00:36:21,761 –> 00:36:25,101
Now, some people, I think, take it out because they got other stuff they’d rather

532
00:36:25,101 –> 00:36:27,421
have in the glove compartment box, and that’s great.

533
00:36:28,061 –> 00:36:31,101
If you’re not going to keep it in your car, then at least keep it somewhere

534
00:36:31,101 –> 00:36:35,241
in the garage or in your house where you can get to it when the time comes because,

535
00:36:35,361 –> 00:36:39,781
again, that manual comes in awfully handy when you need to reference it for

536
00:36:39,781 –> 00:36:42,421
something, whether it’s the exact tire pressure for your car,

537
00:36:42,661 –> 00:36:47,521
what type of oil to put back in when you’re topping off the oil after you found

538
00:36:47,521 –> 00:36:51,981
it was low, or whatever it may be, that manual has a lot of good information in it.

539
00:36:52,421 –> 00:36:56,861
Again, you can find most of the information about your vehicles online these

540
00:36:56,861 –> 00:37:02,101
days, but when you need it out on the road or on vacation, it’s good to have that book.

541
00:37:02,241 –> 00:37:07,241
And I just recommend keeping it where it came, which is generally in the glove compartment box.

542
00:37:08,041 –> 00:37:14,521
So we’ve talked an awful lot about gear and specific things that at least I like to keep in my cars.

543
00:37:14,761 –> 00:37:21,201
And so I wanted to talk a little bit about some tactics that we should utilize

544
00:37:21,201 –> 00:37:24,541
or be aware to utilize when we’re in our car.

545
00:37:24,541 –> 00:37:28,861
And I’m not going to harp on this a lot, a bunch of different scenarios,

546
00:37:28,961 –> 00:37:32,141
but it really does apply in a lot of different places.

547
00:37:32,261 –> 00:37:36,501
Whether I’m going to the grocery store, whether I’m at the gas station,

548
00:37:36,601 –> 00:37:42,381
especially if I’m at the gas station or the ATM at the bank or wherever it is,

549
00:37:42,581 –> 00:37:49,021
the drive-through picking up my prescription drugs or even the fast food drive-through,

550
00:37:49,121 –> 00:37:53,861
I cannot tell you how important it is to keep your car doors locked.

551
00:37:54,939 –> 00:38:00,899
This could prevent so many crimes, so many thefts, so many issues that if you

552
00:38:00,899 –> 00:38:02,279
just kept your door locked.

553
00:38:02,519 –> 00:38:08,099
I can’t tell you how many cars are broken into simply because the owner left the car unlocked.

554
00:38:08,639 –> 00:38:12,819
You know, recently I was listening to a radio station like I do every morning,

555
00:38:12,899 –> 00:38:14,619
listening to one of the DJs on there.

556
00:38:14,619 –> 00:38:18,879
And he was talking about in his part of town that the community made the decisions

557
00:38:18,879 –> 00:38:20,379
for themselves that a lot of

558
00:38:20,379 –> 00:38:25,719
them in the community just left their cars unlocked because the car theft,

559
00:38:26,019 –> 00:38:32,099
the car, you know, the car theft, you know, whether it’s taking the car or generally

560
00:38:32,099 –> 00:38:34,679
more just breaking in the car to steal things.

561
00:38:34,799 –> 00:38:39,819
They just made the decision to leave their car doors unlocked to prevent their

562
00:38:39,819 –> 00:38:43,139
windows being broken out every other day or whatever. ever.

563
00:38:43,579 –> 00:38:47,719
Well, you have to decide if that’s the technique that you want to follow.

564
00:38:47,799 –> 00:38:54,159
I say it’s more important to keep those items of value or not value out of clear

565
00:38:54,159 –> 00:38:57,479
sight and locked up, take them in the house at night, lock them in the trunk,

566
00:38:57,639 –> 00:38:59,739
whatever it is, and keep that door locked.

567
00:39:00,059 –> 00:39:04,739
But look, if you’ve got that much trouble, you probably need to be looking to move anyway.

568
00:39:05,219 –> 00:39:08,799
So I’m a proponent of keeping your doors locked no matter what.

569
00:39:08,899 –> 00:39:12,799
Of course, if you’ve got the jewelry out on the front seat or the CDs out on

570
00:39:12,799 –> 00:39:16,619
the front seat or a wad of cash laying out in the backseat, whatever it is,

571
00:39:16,759 –> 00:39:20,839
you can bet you’re probably going to be broken into, especially dependent on

572
00:39:20,839 –> 00:39:21,999
the part of town you’re in.

573
00:39:22,379 –> 00:39:26,779
So it’s good policy to keep the stuff out of the car and keep your car doors locked.

574
00:39:26,899 –> 00:39:30,839
And especially if you’re by yourself or you’re out at night.

575
00:39:31,099 –> 00:39:37,059
Now that’s another tactic that I’m going to tell you, especially if you’re a lady and alone,

576
00:39:37,339 –> 00:39:42,839
you need You need to plan out your day a little better so that you’re not going

577
00:39:42,839 –> 00:39:46,799
to the ATM or the gas station after dark.

578
00:39:46,979 –> 00:39:54,019
You can avoid a lot of hassles for yourself if you do a better job planning

579
00:39:54,019 –> 00:39:58,339
out your time and your day where you’re not having to go to these places after dark.

580
00:39:58,679 –> 00:40:04,279
Not that bad things don’t happen during the day, but after night we know they can get bad.

581
00:40:04,279 –> 00:40:09,059
So think about rescheduling your day where you can get to the bank or the ATM

582
00:40:09,059 –> 00:40:13,799
or the gas station, whatever, or even the grocery store for that matter,

583
00:40:13,839 –> 00:40:17,119
while it’s still daylight and you’ll do yourself a lot of favor.

584
00:40:17,984 –> 00:40:21,504
When it comes to parking, when you’re out and about, especially at night,

585
00:40:21,584 –> 00:40:25,304
if you happen to have to go out at night, you want to try to park under lights.

586
00:40:26,044 –> 00:40:30,324
Lights in dark spaces tend to make the bad guys think twice.

587
00:40:30,364 –> 00:40:34,604
Now, again, bad guys do their thing even in broad daylight, but these are just

588
00:40:34,604 –> 00:40:38,084
some tips to help you go about your day and your business, the things that you

589
00:40:38,084 –> 00:40:40,504
need to accomplish a lot smarter.

590
00:40:41,124 –> 00:40:45,864
And when you’re at the grocery store, consider parking next to the buggy rack,

591
00:40:46,044 –> 00:40:48,944
the place where all the buggies are dropped off

592
00:40:48,944 –> 00:40:51,944
because this gives you more open space

593
00:40:51,944 –> 00:40:54,684
especially if you’re getting small children out of your

594
00:40:54,684 –> 00:40:57,404
car on that side this gives you

595
00:40:57,404 –> 00:41:00,444
more open space you can see around you more easily

596
00:41:00,444 –> 00:41:08,244
this keeps the aisle way between you and the car next to you much more wide

597
00:41:08,244 –> 00:41:12,204
open in other words you don’t have a tall vehicle parked right up next to you

598
00:41:12,204 –> 00:41:15,484
where people People can’t see straight through to you because typically those

599
00:41:15,484 –> 00:41:20,204
buggy return racks are much lower, much shorter, if you will.

600
00:41:20,324 –> 00:41:23,504
And so you give yourself a little bit more visible line of sight,

601
00:41:23,644 –> 00:41:29,424
both people being able to see you, you being able to see them back out and a little bit more room.

602
00:41:29,724 –> 00:41:32,564
Of course, you do run the risk of getting your car banged up,

603
00:41:32,624 –> 00:41:36,764
potentially by a buggy, but that’s just something to consider in the mix as well.

604
00:41:36,764 –> 00:41:40,044
Well, one of the things we’ve talked about recently on Instagram,

605
00:41:40,164 –> 00:41:44,524
too, is when you’re pulling up beside behind someone in traffic,

606
00:41:44,684 –> 00:41:48,464
you don’t want to tailgate them. Some of us have a really bad habit.

607
00:41:48,524 –> 00:41:51,504
We think we’ve got to get right up on the person in front of us.

608
00:41:51,564 –> 00:41:54,784
And maybe we think that’s a courtesy to the person behind us is,

609
00:41:54,864 –> 00:41:59,544
you know, taking up the most of the space that we have to give them the room that they need.

610
00:41:59,624 –> 00:42:03,104
But the reality of it is, A, it’s kind of rude to tailgate.

611
00:42:03,224 –> 00:42:10,144
And B, you’re not doing yourself any favor. When you roll up behind somebody, stop light or stop sign,

612
00:42:10,404 –> 00:42:14,944
you need to leave yourself enough room between yourself and the person in front

613
00:42:14,944 –> 00:42:16,464
of you so that if something happened,

614
00:42:16,644 –> 00:42:20,144
like let’s say you had to get out of the way real quick because you saw an accident

615
00:42:20,144 –> 00:42:24,584
unfolding right before your eyes and a vehicle was heading straight towards

616
00:42:24,584 –> 00:42:29,304
you, you need enough room to scoot out from behind that car one way or the other.

617
00:42:30,044 –> 00:42:33,944
So the recommendation is that you never want to get so close to the car in front

618
00:42:33,944 –> 00:42:36,684
of you that you cannot see their rear tires.

619
00:42:37,504 –> 00:42:41,704
Generally, regardless of the vehicle you have, if you use that rule,

620
00:42:41,824 –> 00:42:45,184
if you apply that rule of being able to still see their rear tires,

621
00:42:45,304 –> 00:42:46,704
the rubber of their rear tires,

622
00:42:46,864 –> 00:42:51,544
then regardless of your vehicle, you’re going to have enough room to work your

623
00:42:51,544 –> 00:42:53,404
way around them one way or the other.

624
00:42:53,764 –> 00:42:58,524
When we’re driving in inclement weather or when it’s dark or starting to get

625
00:42:58,524 –> 00:43:00,544
dark or are even starting to get light.

626
00:43:01,448 –> 00:43:06,668
People, let’s get those headlights turned on. There’s no excuse for them being off.

627
00:43:07,228 –> 00:43:12,008
In Georgia, it’s actually the law that I have to have my headlights turned on

628
00:43:12,008 –> 00:43:19,668
30 minutes before dusk and up to 30 minutes before dawn. It’s the law in the state of Georgia.

629
00:43:20,328 –> 00:43:25,368
Most new cars come such that the running lights have at least the headlights

630
00:43:25,368 –> 00:43:30,848
or at least maybe even a dulled down version of the headlights on all the time.

631
00:43:30,848 –> 00:43:35,948
So why you intentionally turn that off, I don’t know, but it’s the law in the

632
00:43:35,948 –> 00:43:39,148
state of Georgia to have your headlights on at the right times.

633
00:43:39,448 –> 00:43:46,288
And look, that goes for dark, near dark, near light, and most importantly, inclement weather.

634
00:43:46,368 –> 00:43:51,748
If it’s raining or snowing, you need to have your headlights on. That’s the bottom line.

635
00:43:51,928 –> 00:44:00,488
End of story. Look, headlights are not on your car just for you to see where

636
00:44:00,488 –> 00:44:02,228
it is you’re going, okay?

637
00:44:02,748 –> 00:44:07,568
That might be a common misconception out there. So let’s dispel that now.

638
00:44:08,188 –> 00:44:15,728
Headlights are not just for the sole purpose of allowing you to see better where it is you are going.

639
00:44:16,188 –> 00:44:19,848
So that’s why they’re on at night, right? It’s completely pitch dark out.

640
00:44:19,908 –> 00:44:22,348
I got my headlights on. Now I can better see where I’m going.

641
00:44:22,708 –> 00:44:26,028
That’s one and only one purpose of headlights.

642
00:44:26,388 –> 00:44:30,588
The other purpose, which I argue is just as important,

643
00:44:30,908 –> 00:44:35,768
if not more important, is that when you have your headlights and your taillights

644
00:44:35,768 –> 00:44:44,728
on, for that matter, it allows other people on the road and around you to more easily see you, period.

645
00:44:45,628 –> 00:44:49,808
Headlights being on allow others to see you.

646
00:44:49,808 –> 00:44:52,728
And like I said that’s just if not more

647
00:44:52,728 –> 00:44:55,748
important than you being able to see where you’re going so you’re

648
00:44:55,748 –> 00:44:58,708
thinking oh it’s just a cloudy day or it’s

649
00:44:58,708 –> 00:45:04,048
raining other people can see me just fine I can see where I’m going so I don’t

650
00:45:04,048 –> 00:45:08,808
need to have my headlights on no you absolutely need to have your headlights

651
00:45:08,808 –> 00:45:16,268
on especially in inclement weather so that other people can more easily see you and identify you.

652
00:45:16,348 –> 00:45:20,268
And look, if you’re driving a silver car of any shade or a black car,

653
00:45:20,468 –> 00:45:27,488
this goes doubly for you because your cars in the rain are very difficult to

654
00:45:27,488 –> 00:45:29,228
see, especially at distance.

655
00:45:29,528 –> 00:45:34,168
So headlights aren’t just for you being able to see where you’re going more easily.

656
00:45:34,228 –> 00:45:41,488
They’re also, and arguably just as important in helping others see you.

657
00:45:41,668 –> 00:45:43,308
So turn those headlights lights on.

658
00:45:44,609 –> 00:45:49,469
Additionally, our vehicles come with at least three mirrors equipped with three

659
00:45:49,469 –> 00:45:52,889
mirrors that we can utilize and we should be utilizing them.

660
00:45:52,949 –> 00:45:56,629
The first one you’re fairly familiar with because it’s square in the center

661
00:45:56,629 –> 00:45:57,609
of your front windshield.

662
00:45:57,909 –> 00:46:02,749
You should check behind you, look up, glance up in that on occasion to see what’s

663
00:46:02,749 –> 00:46:06,129
going on behind you, see who’s tailgating you, whatever else.

664
00:46:06,129 –> 00:46:10,089
But when you’re getting ready to turn or change lanes, more importantly,

665
00:46:10,289 –> 00:46:14,029
use those side mirrors outside your front doors.

666
00:46:14,289 –> 00:46:19,209
That’s what they’re there for. And just a quick check of those mirrors will

667
00:46:19,209 –> 00:46:25,149
ensure that you’re likely not going to hit someone when you change your lanes on a whim.

668
00:46:25,149 –> 00:46:28,109
And to take it a step further just take

669
00:46:28,109 –> 00:46:31,089
the extra second or two the extra energy and effort to

670
00:46:31,089 –> 00:46:33,949
swivel your head around a little bit depending on

671
00:46:33,949 –> 00:46:36,789
which lane you’re playing what direction you’re planning to

672
00:46:36,789 –> 00:46:40,789
change lanes whether it’s to your left or your right make that little bit of

673
00:46:40,789 –> 00:46:44,769
extra effort to look to check your blind spots because your mirrors based on

674
00:46:44,769 –> 00:46:48,689
how they’re adjusted or the size of your vehicle or how your mirrors are aimed

675
00:46:48,689 –> 00:46:52,729
you may not be able to see the blind spots completely down the side of your

676
00:46:52,729 –> 00:46:54,709
vehicle using the mirrors.

677
00:46:54,929 –> 00:47:00,049
So make that little bit of extra physical effort to look to check the blind

678
00:47:00,049 –> 00:47:02,609
spots before you change lanes blindly.

679
00:47:02,809 –> 00:47:07,429
Don’t expect others to be on the lookout for you. You’re responsible for you.

680
00:47:07,589 –> 00:47:10,489
So use those mirrors and use those turn signals.

681
00:47:10,669 –> 00:47:15,109
If you’re not, if you happen not to be concerned about your own safety and well-being,

682
00:47:15,189 –> 00:47:19,649
then just do that as a courtesy to the drivers that may be around you.

683
00:47:20,249 –> 00:47:24,349
You know, again, Again, the overall goal is to do these things,

684
00:47:24,529 –> 00:47:29,149
making us safer drivers, making conditions safer for everyone involved.

685
00:47:30,291 –> 00:47:33,271
Sometimes I take the extra step if I have something valuable,

686
00:47:33,611 –> 00:47:38,191
I’ll not only put it in my glove compartment box, I’ll lock the glove compartment

687
00:47:38,191 –> 00:47:40,571
box. That’s generally when it’s something small.

688
00:47:41,151 –> 00:47:44,051
I don’t carry a lot of small things that I need to lock up.

689
00:47:44,131 –> 00:47:49,791
But if I do put something of value, whatever it is, into the glove compartment box, I like to lock it.

690
00:47:49,831 –> 00:47:52,631
Now, look, you lock your car, you lock your glove compartment box,

691
00:47:52,831 –> 00:47:55,071
you shut and lock your trunk, you know.

692
00:47:55,751 –> 00:48:00,051
If somebody wants to get into your car, they’re going to get into your car.

693
00:48:00,271 –> 00:48:04,531
If they want in your glove compartment box, they can get into your glove compartment box.

694
00:48:04,851 –> 00:48:10,751
It’s all about being a deterrent by making your vehicle less of a target,

695
00:48:10,911 –> 00:48:15,171
less attractive to be hit by someone with ill intent.

696
00:48:16,071 –> 00:48:20,031
So I like to lock up the glove compartment box. If I put things in there,

697
00:48:20,111 –> 00:48:24,551
most of the time I lock them up in the trunk, again, out of sight and locked up.

698
00:48:25,711 –> 00:48:30,611
One of the tips that we’ve talked about too is taking the extra step when I’m

699
00:48:30,611 –> 00:48:32,691
home and I’m pulling into my garage.

700
00:48:32,831 –> 00:48:39,551
I want to back into my garage so that at no time someone can sneak up behind me as I’m pulling in.

701
00:48:39,671 –> 00:48:42,751
And I think that’s a really good tip, but I don’t follow it.

702
00:48:42,831 –> 00:48:44,891
I think that’s a little over the top for myself.

703
00:48:45,591 –> 00:48:49,771
I come home, I pull into my garage, I get out of my car, and as I’m going into

704
00:48:49,771 –> 00:48:54,411
the house, I shut my door down. I’m generally fairly aware of what’s going on,

705
00:48:54,531 –> 00:48:56,831
even when I’m at home and I’m outside.

706
00:48:57,131 –> 00:49:03,311
So that’s not so much a thing for me. But if you’re in a, if you know you’re in a worse part of town,

707
00:49:03,411 –> 00:49:08,271
or if you know your house is way back up off the road where no one can see you

708
00:49:08,271 –> 00:49:11,711
so easily, you might want to consider instead of pulling straight into your

709
00:49:11,711 –> 00:49:13,591
garage, backing into it.

710
00:49:13,611 –> 00:49:18,711
Again, the idea being this allows you clear view of everything down your driveway

711
00:49:18,711 –> 00:49:22,871
and out to the side or the front of your house, however your garage is oriented.

712
00:49:23,471 –> 00:49:29,031
And I’m a proponent of anything that enables you to stay, pay more attention

713
00:49:29,031 –> 00:49:33,571
to what’s around you, to allow you to maintain your level of situational awareness.

714
00:49:33,791 –> 00:49:37,231
I think that’s a good thing. But again, it’s something you can decide for yourself.

715
00:49:37,271 –> 00:49:42,931
For me, I found it a little more than what I needed to do or wanted to do for myself.

716
00:49:43,211 –> 00:49:48,411
But again, your situation, you may want to start backing in as an option for sure.

717
00:49:49,251 –> 00:49:54,631
So this next tip tactic should go without saying, but we see it,

718
00:49:54,631 –> 00:50:00,531
I won’t say fairly regularly, but we definitely see it still to this day from

719
00:50:00,531 –> 00:50:04,011
time to time in the media and hear about it through the news.

720
00:50:04,351 –> 00:50:09,551
So I’ve got to say it because if I didn’t, I’d be remiss. I think is look,

721
00:50:09,591 –> 00:50:12,671
don’t leave your children or your pets alone.

722
00:50:13,412 –> 00:50:18,672
Unattended in your vehicle. Even if you crack the window for them, just don’t do it.

723
00:50:18,752 –> 00:50:22,312
And certainly if you’re going to leave a pet in the car, be sure to leave those

724
00:50:22,312 –> 00:50:27,212
windows cracked significantly so they can get air, especially in the summer months.

725
00:50:27,812 –> 00:50:33,072
If you’re the type of person that needs a reminder, a special bracelet or alarm

726
00:50:33,072 –> 00:50:37,032
on your phone or whatever it is to remind you to get your child out of the back

727
00:50:37,032 –> 00:50:40,832
seat, you probably didn’t need to have that child in the first place.

728
00:50:41,032 –> 00:50:44,252
And that’s just me being completely candid.

729
00:50:44,452 –> 00:50:49,332
But with that being said, even if you’re running into the gas station real quick

730
00:50:49,332 –> 00:50:54,392
to buy your smokes or whatever it is, please don’t leave your children unattended in the car,

731
00:50:54,592 –> 00:50:59,592
unattended in their vehicle, and please don’t leave your pets unattended in the vehicle.

732
00:51:00,692 –> 00:51:07,072
So I think with that, that concludes our episode talking about all things safety

733
00:51:07,072 –> 00:51:08,612
in and around our vehicles.

734
00:51:08,972 –> 00:51:13,052
We’ve talked about everything outside the car that you should check regularly

735
00:51:13,052 –> 00:51:18,112
to ensure that you’re safe and as ready for any road trip as you possibly can.

736
00:51:18,272 –> 00:51:22,092
We’ve talked about the two or three important things that you should do under

737
00:51:22,092 –> 00:51:23,412
the hood from time to time.

738
00:51:23,832 –> 00:51:28,492
And then we’ve talked about what to keep in the car, either inside the cabin

739
00:51:28,492 –> 00:51:30,992
closer to you or in the trunk.

740
00:51:31,092 –> 00:51:36,272
The trunk Trunk becomes a giant keeper of all things needed on road trips for sure.

741
00:51:36,712 –> 00:51:42,232
And then we’ve talked about just several random miscellaneous safety tips and

742
00:51:42,232 –> 00:51:44,452
tactics to follow when we’re in the car.

743
00:51:44,852 –> 00:51:48,952
And I hope you can take away at least one thing that maybe you haven’t thought

744
00:51:48,952 –> 00:51:51,052
about or haven’t employed for yourself yet.

745
00:51:51,112 –> 00:51:52,872
Or maybe you haven’t been sure what

746
00:51:52,872 –> 00:51:56,592
to do or what you should take and keep with you or how to go about it.

747
00:51:56,592 –> 00:52:03,092
And look if you find our podcast valuable and informative please please please

748
00:52:03,092 –> 00:52:06,352
share them with your friends and family because we want to get this information

749
00:52:06,352 –> 00:52:08,772
out there more frequently and,

750
00:52:09,312 –> 00:52:14,492
we want people to know about us and know what we’re doing so if you would tell

751
00:52:14,492 –> 00:52:18,592
your friends and family we would greatly appreciate it and we thank you for

752
00:52:18,592 –> 00:52:23,412
being here with us and we’ll look forward to talking to you the next time thanks so much.

753
00:52:24,240 –> 00:52:42,562
Music.

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