Is Tire Alignment Really Necessary?
If you have not been in a wreck there is no need to align your car. Your alignment is set at the factory and unless you wreck it or hit a curb at over 25 mph you should not need to align the vehicle ever. You may need to replace a few parts along the way as they wear out but even then, no alignment is needed unless the parts are install differently then they were removed. This "you need an alignment every time you have your tires replaced" is just Good Marketing form big chain tire stores. If you wreck the car, you will need an alignment done. If you have parts replaced and do not get them back in the same place as the old parts, you will need an alignment.
I hydroplaned and wrecked...now I get paranoid when it rains, and can't drive...need some help?
About 6 months ago I wrecked my mustang, I had bad tires and was a bit too confident in my driving. I was going 80mph is the rain on one of the main highways here, hit a puddle of water hydroplaned and spun out in the middle of the highway and fell in a ditch. I got new tires all around now on the mustang and rain still gets to my nerves. I have no problem driving in the dry day/night fast or slow. In the dry i can get up to 100+ and feel in control of the car, but now when it rains I think the fastest i've gone is 25mph, it scares the crap out of me...I think I will hydroplane all the time. Even in my BMW with Michelin rain tires I have the same feeling. And it pisses me off to see old beat up cars driving at a high pace without slipping and sliding. I really need to fix this problem, it's interfering with my work right now. And just to add, Yes i know i shouldn't have been going 80 on a rainy day. Any body got any ideas to fix this? Thanks
What is the likelihood of surviving a car crash at 60 mph?
Rear end collisions, even on the freeway, typically have low fatality rates. For one thing, it is unusual for people going highway speeds to crash into stopped vehicles. Much more common are the situations where lines of cars are bunched up and something causes the front car to slow suddenly. With inadequate following distance the braking becomes more intense as it works its way back and eventually it gets to a car that can't avoid hitting the car in front. It is common to damage cars beyond economical repair that way but injuries are rare. Keep four seconds between you and the car ahead of you and it is not really an issue - you wont even have to brake so hard the guy behind you runs into you. Intersections are the biggest risk. You will get plenty of practice looking for trouble at intersections.