The Safe Driver

How to clean your headlight lens and other little things

There’s a lot we all know, but there are many little things we’re not aware of. Wow, that’s deep. I’ve met many intelligent people in my life. I’ve even taught many of them how to drive. But every now and then we find there are a few little things that can be helpful that many people just aren’t aware of. Maybe this is a good time to let drivers know some of these things.

There’s a gas station I frequent that amazes me. Almost each time I visit there I witness drivers pulling to the pumps in the wrong position. Their gas cap is on the other side of the vehicle so they pull the hose out and drape it across their vehicle. They’re risking having scratches across their hood, trunk and any other part of their vehicle. Here’s the little thing; beside the picture of the gas pump on their fuel gauge there’s an arrow that lets the driver know which side of the vehicle has the gas cap. Neat, huh!

Speaking of gas stations, getting the higher octane fuel doesn’t really benefit your vehicle as much as you think it does. There are enough cleaners in the 87 octane fuel (regular) that will keep your engine running smoothly. Save your money and get the regular.

During winter we all seem to struggle with getting thick ice off the windows after freezing rain has struck. If you sprayed washer fluid from a spray bottle on each window first, then went back to begin scraping the first window you sprayed, it would be a lot easier to get the ice off. That’s cool.

Each time I park my vehicle or have any of my students from Young Drivers of Canada park the vehicle, we always use the parking brake. Some people call it a hand brake or an emergency brake. Whatever you call it, you need to use it. The interesting thing is that if you stop using the parking brake regularly, it stops working. The parking brake is comprised of a cable underneath the vehicle. It can rust and corrode and perhaps seize up with lack of use. The parking brake can stop your vehicle if your regular brakes fail, but it won’t help if it’s seized up.

Over time the headlights of vehicles become dull and yellow. The grime that hits the vehicle makes this happen sooner than we would want. Did you know that regular toothpaste can clean that right up? Just spread toothpaste across the entire face of the lens, let it sit for roughly 30 minutes, then wipe it clean. You would be surprised just how clean the lens can get. Not only will the toothpaste get the lens clean, but it will also make it smell minty fresh.