Essential Motoring 101

I often hear people say (especially the men) that women only know how to start the car and step on the pedal…:P I hope after reading this post the women drivers would be aware and more car-savvy to prove the men wrong.

With the increasing number of vehicles on the road, which mostly dominated by women, the need for automotive ‘first aid’ is on the rise, whether they like it or not. We all know that these creatures are the most ‘interesting’ drivers on the roads for any country in this world that we either love them or loathe them.

Unlike the early days, women are more willing to do the dirty jobs
(Picture: Old Picture of the Day)

No, this is not a biased nor sexist post. I am in no way or intention to mock or look down on the women drivers of the world. Just want them to be better, defensive drivers.

Here is a report about women and car maintenance:

• With regard to vehicle maintenance, 74% of women state they are responsible for making the maintenance decisions concerning their vehicles. 18% reported the decisions were shared and only 8% said they were responsible for none of the maintenance decisions. (Automotive Service Councils of California, 1999)

• The OnStar study showed 65% of women surveyed said having a flat or a car breakdown was a concern.

Most accidents or breakdowns are caused by a faulty part in the car. It is recommended that the driver should perform a quick check on the car before starting the engine and drive away. More so for the female drivers because quick checks like this would go a long way in ensuring a safe and smooth journey from point A to B. This would also help if their husbands/boyfriends, male friends are not available/reachable to help fix the problem, which could be somewhat petty and solvable by applying the right remedies.

Here are the essential points:

• Check the Oil Level
• Check the Transmission Fluid
• Check the Vehicle Coolant
• Check the Air Pressure in the Tires and be able to air them up alone
• Change a Flat Tire
• Check the Brake Fluid
• Understand how to use Jumper Cables
• Understand how to hook up a battery
• Know how to check the fuses in the vehicle
• Do their own oil changes
• Change the spark plugs
• Change the air filter
• Change the fuel filter
• Change an alternator
• Change an alternator belt
• Change a starter
• Jump-start a starter/battery

A little bit too much to learn? Well, for the sake of safe journey and getting out of the car alive, I say its really worth breaking a little sweat to learn them all.

Here is a little poll:

For female drivers:
If there is a half day workshop that teaches you all of the above points, would you be keen to enroll for it?

For male drivers:
Would you be willing to spend/encourage your woman/wife/spouse/girlfriend to sign up for this course that teaches everything on the list above?

Your answers can be posted in the comments section below.

(List source: AssociatedContent.com)