Working as a King County car crash attorney in a Bellevue personal injury law office I know the intense dangers associated with driving, including the dangers of having a car break down in an intersection. At one point or another everyone in faced with the highly stressful situation of being stranded along the side of the road. Having your car stall in the middle of an intersection or not working along the side of a busy road at night is extremely dangerous and can lead to fatal car accidents. This situation becomes even more stressful when you are a young driver without a clue as to how to handle the situation. Whether the car troubles be due to an accident or a mechanical problem there are certain steps you can take to ensure your child is prepared for these instances.
The ways to help your child in instances such as these are simple: education and preparation. The first instinct in these types of catastrophes is to panic- so before any types of car trouble rears its ugly head you must prepare your child by not only telling them how to deal with these problems, but show them and make them practice. If a teen has already had to change a tire or refill their oil they will feel more comfortable with their knowledge and skill if they are ever put to the test.
What to Teach: there are a variety of things that quite a few drivers do not know that would make their driving experience as well as everyone else’s less hazardous and stressful. You should go over the symptoms for common car problems with your teen and write these down in a notebook to be kept in the car. This will help your child pay attention to their car- learn it’s sounds and feel and be able to quickly realize when something isn’t right and diagnose the problem before it escalates.
• Flat Tire/Changing a Tire:
o As a new driver teens may not realize when they are driving on a flat. For adults with experience it seems as if the most obvious problem as you can hear and feel the flat tire- but without being extremely familiar with a cars sounds and feel this can be a challenging feat. Telling your child how a flat tire will feel will ultimately make them more alert to how their car drives and save you the cost of replacing a rim and tire.
o Along with teaching your child how to look for a flat tire they must also know how to replace a tire that has gone flat. The best way to learn, of course, is through practice. As one of your own personal drivers-ed lessons have your teen change a tire.
• Low Tires/ Filling Tires:
o Many adults can’t tell when their tire pressure is off making it even more difficult for young drivers to learn. Common symptoms of a low tire: the vehicle pulling to one side which is not only exhausting for the driver but extremely dangerous.
o An easy solution: equip your teen with a tire gauge as well as either a bottle of fix-a-flat or a portable compressor.
• Checking and filing oil:
o Knowing when to check a cars oil can be tedious depending upon the vehicle. If your teens vehicle burns through oil make sure they are aware of this and checking the oil frequently. Even if your teen is driving a brand new car make sure they know where the dipstick is located and how to check and fill the oil.
• Filling windshield fluid:
o Having adequate windshield fluid is important particularly in summer when bugs littler the windshield in non-transparent waste. Showing your teen how to fill the windshield fluid and keeping them supplied with extra is important to maximizing their visibility.

• Jump Starting a Car:
o Everyone makes the mistake of draining their battery by leaving their lights on- for this reason your car should be equipped with jumper cables and your teen should be instructed on their use.
• Filing water:
o Without water an engine is bound to overheat- particularly if your teen is driving an older vehicle make sure they are aware of this.

• Common Symptoms and Problems
o Overheating engine:
*Heater no longer works- only blows cold air
*The engine temperature gauge moves beyond the mid setting
o Running out of engine oil:
*Engine oil is the blood of a vehicle- it keeps all parts in the engine lubricated so they may function- without it the engine parts will create too much friction and cease to work. Because there are no pre-cursing symptoms it is important to maintain the oil regularly.
o Flat tire:
* Clunking sensation
* Car pulls to one side
o Low tire pressure:
* Car pulls toward one side
* Hard to keep the car straight on the road
o Breaks are going bad
* Intense squeaking when used
* Have to push further down to make the car stop

Safety Tips: When a car problem does arise it can be extremely dangerous, particularly, on a busy street or at night when visibility is decreased. There are a few important tips you should share with your teen in case they become stranded.
• Get your car as far from the road as possible
• Indicate to drivers your cars position and problems through flares and using your emergency blinkers
• Do NOT use flares on grassy terrain- place flares only on non-flammable surfaces and make sure they are placed in areas useful to your position.
• Be cautious of those trying to help you- the saying remains don’t get in a strangers car
• Call for help

Things to Prepare:
• Accident Kit- an accident kit is useful to keep in the glove box so your teen is prepared if they are involved in an accident. The kit should include:
o Camera
* To take pictures of the damage

o Personal info sheet

* Prepare pre-done sheets with your name, phone number, address and insurance information
o Pen and paper
*It is useful to outline the information necessary for an accident so when your child is stressed out they won’t forget anything
• Name, address, phone number
• Vehicle make, model and color
• License plate number
• Insurance information

• Emergency Kit- an emergency kit should be kept in the vehicle at all times this kit should include:
o Jumper cables
o Roadside flares
o Two quarts of oil
o Antifreeze
o First aid kit
o Flashlight and extra batteries
o Flat head screwdrivers
o Phillips head screwdrivers
o Pliers
o Adjustable wrench
o Tire inflator (such as a Fix-A-Flat)
o Tire pressure gauge
o Rags
o Duct tape
o Washer Fluid
o Pocketknife
o Ice scraper
o Granola or energy bars
o Bottled water

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