Latest news with #drivingtips
CTV News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
Gas prices going up? 4 tips to help you save money
A motorist fills up at a gas station in Montreal. (Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS) It's no secret that gasoline prices have skyrocketed in recent years. With people searching for new ways to protect their wallets from the soaring expenses, some may wonder if they should be taking a closer look at their cars. CAA-Quebec automotive expert Jesse Caron gives Noovo Info his tips and tricks to help motorists avoid over-consuming gas. Pick your vehicle carefully The larger your vehicle, the more it will cost you at the pump, Caron explains. 'If you don't need a large, gas-guzzling vehicle, skip it,' he quips. Check your tires Significantly under-inflated tires have a direct impact on gas consumption. 'Tires at four to five PSI can consume up to 15 per cent more fuel just for that reason,' Caron points out. Vehicle maintenance Making regular maintenance appointments at the garage could cost you less in the long run. Two things to remember: change your oil and clean your air filter regularly. 'Oil that's too old will over-consume fuel,' notes Caron. Refine your driving techniques 'You can make the biggest difference at the wheel,' says Caron. A few things to remember: Accelerate and brake smoothly Follow the speed limit Maintain a constant speed When you disobey the speed limit, especially on a highway, your wallet also pays the price, Caron points out. 'At 120 km/h you get between 15 per cent and 20 per cent more fuel consumption,' he said. Overall, Caron explains that any driver who isn't careful with their vehicle could consume 40 to 50 per cent more fuel. Myths about fuel consumption Does turning on and off your engine consume more fuel than simply leaving it on? It's a myth, says Caron. 'You can turn the engine off as much as you like and start it up again without consuming more fuel,' he said. What about air conditioning? It depends, said Caron, pointing out that there isn't much difference if you're on a highway.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Want to avoid aches and pains while driving? Physiotherapist reveals all
A physiotherapist has revealed a number of tips for motorists so they can avoid aches and pains while driving. It comes as research from Cazoo found that 57% of drivers surveyed say they suffer from 'Repetitive Driving Strain' (RDS). This is pain in areas such as their back, neck, shoulders and hips while driving. To help them out, Helen O'Leary, director and physiotherapist at Complete Pilates, has teamed up with Cazoo. Together, they have created a driver-friendly car guide on how drivers can best position themselves when driving, to avoid aches and pains. It's important to if you're driving a shared car to adjust the seat so it bests fits you when you're behind the wheel. Helen explains: "First of all, you need to ensure that the seat is not pressing against the back of your knees - many cars allow you to lengthen or shorten the seat to achieve this. "Seat height is also key - you should be sitting upright, similarly to in a desk chair. "Finally, when thinking about the steering wheel height, you should ensure that your arms are slightly bent. "Most modern cars allow you to adjust the seat exactly, so ensure you take time to set it correctly before each drive.' Supporting your spine is the most effective way to avoid RDS, which can be done fairly easily. Helen says: "The easiest way to do this in a car is getting Lumbar support, or finding a way to support your lower back - for example through a cushion. "Ensuring you have enough support in your lower back will help you sit up straight without overextending.' If you have the option for cruise control in your car, then that can help reduce RDS. Helen explains: "This feature can be incredibly useful for preventing pain. Having a car with cruise control means that you can take your foot off the gas and therefore not work your foot and ankle muscles constantly. "This will help reduce the chances of a sore and tired foot and ankle, particularly those muscles at the front of your shin.' Cars with options for this include a Volkswagen ID5, and a Ford Mustang Mach E. It's important to take breaks from driving to give your body a chance to move and lubricate its own parts. Recommended reading: UK's top 10 stolen car models in the last year revealed (Is yours on the list?) The top 10 cars on the market that are the easiest to park in the UK How often should your car's engine oil be changed? Motoring expert reveals all Helen adds: "It is also worth taking time to stretch in this break, as it can help to prevent any further stiffness'. It is important to maintain a good strength and flexibility routine to aid recovery after long drives. Exercises Helen recommends include back extension, Reverse Nordics, sumo squat, high step up and book openings.
The Sun
09-07-2025
- Climate
- The Sun
Make your car's air con blow even colder with Aldi's £1.35 kitchen staple – as temps to hit 31C this week
DRIVERS are being urged to use a cheap hack to cool down their cars as scorching temperatures of 31C are set to arrive later this week. Motors with little or no air conditioning can benefit the most from the £1.35 Aldi kitchen essential. Motorists face an uncomfortable few days as Britain is set to bake in the third heatwave so far this summer. But a tea towel from supermarket giants Aldi - costing less than a cup of coffee - could be the answer to their problems. It is cheap to buy and takes a matter of minutes to prepare. For those who are struggling to cope with the stifling temperatures, start by wetting the tea towel until it is damp and sodden. The wet rag should then stored in the freezer for a decent amount of time - perhaps overnight - until it is frozen solid. As soon as you're looking to head out in your car, grab the frozen tea towel and place it in front of your car's air vent. This will prevent the warm, stale air that has been sitting in the vehicle from being blown around the car. Drivers can then benefit from a cool stream of air from the cloth instead, which will be a game changer during these hot summer days. Andrew Smart, who tested the hack out, explained how he felt the cold air on his face "almost instantly". Writing for The Herald, he said: "After setting off, I noticed the cold air blowing on my face almost instantly, and the car began to cool down over the next five minutes. "However, a massive drawback was that the cold rag would dry up in no time, meaning it would lose its effectiveness very quickly. "But, by the time this happened, the car was already much cooler, and the air being blown at me from the vents was much more refreshing." Dr explains why cold showers or baths are a bad idea to cool you down While the tea towel may dry up after a period of being blown by the fan, it is a great method of immediately cooling down a car. It could come in incredibly handy over the coming days, as temperatures of up to 31C have been predicted. The weather turnaround comes after a miserable weekend of heavy rain and thunderstorms. Marco Petagna, senior meteorologist at the Met Office, said that Brits are set to bask in increasingly hot temperatures as we head into next week. He said: 'I think Wednesday is probably going to be the day when we could start to reach the thresholds of 25 to 28 degrees, depending on where you are. 'But temperatures are going to continue to climb as we go toward the end of the week and certainly by Friday and Saturday we could see 30 degrees, perhaps just nudging into the low 30s. 'At the weekend, we could just start to see humidity increasing a little bit as well and nighttime temperatures look like they are going to be, so it will be starting to become more uncomfortable by night.' Experts have also pointed to a £30 Amazon product that can help transform your vehicle's air conditioning system. Amazon's Clima Set comes with two air condition recharge gas cylinders and is compatible with all cars that use R-134a refrigerant. The product details describes the set as "nature conscious and vehicle safe". Enthusiastic motorist, Scott Kilmar said: "This car hack will save you thousands in AC repairs." In his step by step guide on how to use the product, he explained that "it is not that hard to do." It comes as Yorkshire Water slapped a hosepipe ban on five million people, meaning washing motors with a hose will be off-limits from Friday. Drivers in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire will have to find other ways to wash their car or risk being slapped with fines of up to £3,000 for breaking the rules. 2
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Unmarked Police Cars Are Designed to Fool You but These Clues Give Them Away
Being pulled over is not a fun experience! Sitting on the side of the highway while waiting for the police officer to come knocking on your window, wondering if you can talk your way out of the situation. Luckily, there are some ways drivers can attempt to identify unmarked police cars to avoid getting pulled over. An unmarked police cruiser is simply a police car without any of the badging, labels, and colors. It can look almost like a civilian car, blending in with everyday traffic. While it's probably not recommended to try to point out unmarked cars instead of, you know, just driving safely and within the law, there are some things to keep in mind. We developed this guide by analyzing multiple online sources, including reputable publications such as LifeHacker and Car Throttle, and community-driven discussions on platforms like Reddit. These sources offer expert insights and firsthand experiences from drivers encountering unmarked police vehicles. The information was carefully selected to align with commonly reported indicators of unmarked police cars. I'm no expert at evading the law — the most I've gotten are a few disputed tickets. So to find the most useful signs for spotting unmarked police cars, I checked out publications like LifeHack as well as the r/driving subreddit and other forums where drivers clearly are scared of getting pulled over for whatever reason. From here, I looked up how valid these telltale signs really were and then chose the ones that seemed the most obvious for drivers to identify themselves. Just don't use this guide for evil — and if you do, don't mention me. The easiest way to spot an unmarked police car is to keep an eye out for specific car models. American brands often have a specific model that was created with the police department in mind, meeting performance and feature requirements. This includes cars like the Ford Police Interceptor Utility with a manual pursuit mode and the Dodge Charger Pursuit with its HEMI V8 engine. We're not saying all Fords and Dodges are police cars, but maybe don't challenge them at a stoplight just in case. LifeHacker states you should look for the following models: 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe PPV (RWD and 4WD) 2021 Dodge Charger Pursuit (AWD and RWD) 2021 Dodge Durango Pursuit 2020 Ford Police Interceptor Utility (based on the 2020 Ford Explorer) 2021 Ford F-150 Police Responder According to Quora, while some unmarked police cars have license plates that look no different from yours or mine, there may be a few giveaways that could give you a better indicator. Some unmarked police cars may sport municipal or exempt tags, and others don't have registration stickers. Basically, cops are above the law. Who knew? Unmarked police cars are still police cars, so they'll often have a lot of the same features. One dead giveaway is the cage that's used to separate cops from whoever is sitting in the back seat. Also called a "prisoner partition," a cage is used to keep cops and their equipment safe. According to Detective Sgt. Gordon Eatley on Quora, not all undercover police vehicles will have this feature, depending on what they're used for. However, if you see a car or truck driving around with this, it's safe to assume it's a cop vehicle, and you should slow down before you end up in the backseat yourself. You may not even have to squint into the car's backseat to notice some questionable police-related memorabilia. Unmarked police cars will often have the same gear that's found on regular police cars, like dark-tinted windows and a bullbar over the front grille. According to Car Throttle, a super common equipment that even unmarked cop cars can't resist is spotlights. There will often be at least one, which can be found on the driver's side door near the mirror. If you see one of those behind you, it's a bad day to have expired plates. Patrol cars and other police vehicles are kept very clean, according to a site dedicated to police news and equipment. Why? Most cars are shared between officers, and it's just common courtesy to keep the vehicle tidy and safe. If the car behind you looks extra shiny and free of blemishes, it could be a cop car. That's not always the case, of course — there's plenty of anal people out there that are scrubbing their cars down if even a speck of dirt is noticeable. But it's better to be safe than sorry, pulled over on the side of the road by a disinfected cop car. It's not only the car's appearance that may give away its true identity — it could be how the vehicle is driven. However, according to Blu-Eye, a company developing automotive technology, that's not a fool-proof way to identify an unmarked car, as depending on the situation, they may drive cautiously or more aggressively. If a car seems to be tailgating you, that's also sketchy behavior. If you feel as if the car is watching you or following you, it could be a nosy cop, so it's best to make sure you're obeying all traffic laws just to be on the safe side. While police cars are decked out with extra safety features like the aforementioned cage and bullbar, police departments aren't going to splurge on frivolous add-ons. Deputy Sheriff Paul Harding writes on Quora that most police cars are base models, meaning they didn't pay extra for a higher trim. For this reason, you'll often see black trim instead of chrome, including on the wheels. In case you're planning your next Fast & Furious-style bank heist, keep these tips in mind for spotting unmarked police cars. While unmarked cars can sometimes blend into daily traffic, there are some dead giveaways, like police gadgets on the outside and missing registration on the license plate. And remember, check your state's individual rules regarding unmarked police cars — some states don't allow unmarked cops to pull you over for speeding and other offenses.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
4 common mistakes you're making with your car in a heatwave
With temperatures set to soar this weekend, many Brits will already be thinking about their weekend getaways and how they'll cope in the sweltering weather. Whether it's visiting family and friends, or heading to the beach, temperatures of up to 33C are expected to see families hitting the road - bringing a host of other factors for drivers to consider before they get behind the wheel. Here, Yahoo News UK rounds up some of the top mistakes motorists could make: As temperatures rise outside, so does the temperature inside your car - including its engine. Engine oil helps keep your engine at a correct temperature and prevent damage or overheating. To check your oil levels, make sure your engine is cool enough by leaving it for at least a few hours after it was last driven - if you don't, you risk being burned by hot oil. Your car's coolant system also helps keep everything in check during warm weather. As with engine oil, make sure your car is cool before checking levels - there should be markings on the side of the coolant bottle to let you know when it needs topping up. You should also keep an eye on your car's temperature warning light. If it lights up while driving you should pull over as soon as it's safe to do so and lift the bonnet to cool the engine down to avoid potential damage. Changes in temperature can cause significant variations in tyre pressure, especially over the British spring and summer and all the varied weather it can bring. Higher temperatures increase tyre pressure, potentially leaving them over-inflated, which can in turn cause excess wear and tear and even affect braking. Fortunately, tyre pressure can be easily checked at most petrol stations and tyre shops. It's also a good idea to keep an eye on your tread depths - the legal minimum is 1.5 millimetres. Also, loading up for everything you need for a day at the beach can put extra strain on your tyres, so it's helpful to keep a spare or a puncture repair kit. Decreasing the amount of light entering your car on hot days can make a huge difference not just for your driving comfort (and that of your passengers), but also for making sure you are driving safely. Sun visors for the driver's and front passenger's seats can reduce the amount of light entering your field of vision, especially on sunny days, which in turn help your eyes adjust more quickly when you enter a patch of shade or an indoor area, such as a multi-storey car park. Semi-transparent covers can also be bought to cover rear passenger windows, if needed. When you're not driving, a windscreen shade can also significantly decrease the amount your car heats while when you're not in it. It is not illegal to drive in the UK without shoes, but you might want to think carefully before you get behind the wheel without any. According to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the organisation which sets the standards for British driving tests, the most important factor is to be in control of your vehicle - something you may struggle with without shoes or in summer footwear, such as flip flops. While there are not any types of shoe which are illegal to drive in, anything which affects your ability to control a car could mean you are driving without sufficient care, which can in turn result in fines or other penalties. The AA recommends soft shoes with thin soles and good grip, such as trainers, loafers and boat shoes. Just like anything else left in your car on a hot day, child seats and boosters can heat up pretty quickly when left in the sun. Depending on the design of a car seat, dark plastic components can potentially get very hot, leaving children at risk of burns. A 2012 report in the Pediatrics & Child Health medical journal revealed the case of an 11-month-old who was taken to hospital with an unexplained burn on his leg which was later found to have been caused by an overheated car seat. Always check the temperature across the whole of a car seat before strapping your child in and if possible leave it covered while not in use.
