Johnson Insurance Offers Helpful Advice in COVID Times

With COVID-19 keeping most of us working from home these days, your car is likely spending more time in park than it is in drive! Leaving our cars parked in our driveways can lead to a variety of consequences if not properly looked after. Here are a few tips to keep your car in tip top shape even when it’s not getting used. 

Take It For A Drive - One simple and effective way to keep your car in good working order is to take it for a 20-minute drive, once or twice a week, assuming you have adequate insurance in place. Doing this provides a number of benefits:

• Warms up your tires
• Protects tires from flat spots
• Returns charge to your battery
• Wears surface rust off brake disks
• Keeps fluid moving to ensure proper lubrication

Check Tire Pressure - Leaving your car on the driveway for an extended period of time can lead to low tire pressure, or flat spots. Check your tire pressure to ensure they meet factory specifications. If you don’t have a gauge at home, you can usually find them at a gas station air pump. You can also find the manufacturer’s pressure recommendations on the tires themselves, in your car manual, or on a placard on the inside of the driver’s side door.

Check Tread Depth - While checking tire pressure, you should also check tread depth. An easy way to test your tires tread depth is to take a quarter and place it in the groove of your tires with the caribou facing downwards. If you can see the tip of the caribou’s nose, it means your tread depth is no longer sufficient, and it’s time for a new set of tires. If you are unsure of the status of your tires, something doesn’t feel quite right, or have any questions, check with your mechanic.

Be Road Ready - While you’re checking on the more technical aspects of your car, take a moment to clear out your glovebox, and give your car a little clean, so when it is time to leave home, your car will feel as good as new.

Johnson Insurance offers Ontario Tech alumni a complete and comprehensive range of home and auto coverage combined with the very best assistance and personal priority attention. In addition, PS Plan policyholders receive a number of special service advantages absolutely free, including:

• Priority attention from a personally assigned service representative
• 24-hour emergency claims service
• Monthly premium payments with no interest or service charges applied
• Online access to your insurance policy through a safe and secure members-only website

Visit the Johnson for Ontario Tech alumni website to learn more.