Flat tires are a common occurrence for car owners. A flat tire can be caused by under inflation, by dry rot of tires or by slow loss of tire pressure.  Sharp objects and hazards on the road can puncture a tire.  Hitting a curb, a nail or another sharp object can create a slow leak or a dangerous blowout at high speed.  whatever the cause of your flat tire, remain calm.  If your are driving when this happens, grip the steering wheel firmly and and slow down by taking your foot off the accelerator (gas pedal) and allwing the vehicle to slow down while pulling off the road.  Turn your emergency flashers on to warn those around you that something is wrong.

You can now either seek professional help to change the tire or you can change it yourself. If you have a cellular phone you can call a friend, a mechanic, or the automobile club, if you belong to one.  If you decide to change it yourself, be sure that you have pulled sufficiently far off the road that you are out of danger from passing vehicles.  If this is not possible, get away from the vehicle to a safe place and wait for help to arrive. A tow truck can safely tow away your vehicle and repair or replace your flat tire. or a passing police officer may stop to render assistance, especially if your car is not safely off the roadway.

Once you are ready to replace the flat tire yourself, check that you have a spare tire and that it is in good condition and filled with air.  Your car needs to be on firm level ground.  If it is on dirt or on a slanted roadside or hill, this will cause problems with your ability to change the tire.  Somewhere in your car, usually in the trunk (boot) or somewhere in the rear compartment, will be a car jack and a lug wrench which you will use to lift the corner of your car that has the flat tire.  Before lifting the vehicle, remove any hub cap or wheel cover to expose the lugs nuts of the wheel using the lug wrench or a metal object such as a screwdriver or your key (be careful not to break it or you will have bigger problems.)  Loosen the each of the lug nuts on the wheel with the flat tire slightly before lifting up your vehicle

Once all the lug nuts are slightly loose, use the car jack to jack the vehicle up to a level where the flat tire is above the ground.  Loosen all the lug nuts and remove the wheel from the car.  Replace the flat tire with your spare tire, and re-install and tighten the lug nuts hand tight (do not tighten completely with the lug wrench.)   Remove the car jack and tighten the lug nuts using the lug wrench. Tighten the nuts in a sequential manner using a star pattern for wheels with five lug nuts. Replace the hub cap or protective cover if it will fit on the spare tire and put away your jack and lug wrench. Drive to a tire store or mechanic and have the tire repaired or replaced.

If you drive without car insurance in Oklahoma, you’re going to nabbed a lot quicker. It’s because the state is going to an electronic insurance verification system. Right now, when law enforcement pulls you over, they ask to see a little piece of paper that shows you have insurance. But soon they will be able to do verify it electronically by themselves.

This new system is currently being tested by Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers in Lawton. “It’s not fair that almost 25 percent of the people do not have insurance and we do try to target those people and make sure that they are cited,” said Captain Mike McClellan.

They said it isn’t always easy. “Takes away from people being able to purchase insurance for 6 months and then turn around and cancel that insurance and still have the card,” said Trooper Larry King.

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About one-fourth of Oklahoma motorists don’t have auto insurance, according to state Insurance Department spokesman Marc Young. To crack down on uninsured drivers, police across the state are launching a new system that allows them to electronically check a vehicle’s insurance information. “In recent months we have seen the number of uninsured motorists on our roads continue to rise, and we hope this will be a significant step to address this problem,” said Young

Source:   SmartBrief

Officials initiating ‘no refusal’ for Memorial Day weekend

Drivers pulled over this coming Memorial Day weekend for suspected driving while intoxicated may want to rethink refusing the breathalyzer test if they’re asked to perform it.

From 5 p.m. Friday, May 22, until 5 p.m. Monday, May 25, local law enforcement officers will be able to submit probable cause affidavits to Nacogdoches County Court-at Law-Judge Jack Sinz to obtain a search warrant to test a driver’s blood for signs of intoxication.

County Attorney John Fleming, who approached Sinz and local law enforcement agencies about a no-refusal weekend, said often times when someone refuses to take a breathalyzer test, it makes it more difficult for the prosecutor to make his or her case due to a lack of evidence. But, with the no-refusal weekend, drivers who Sinz finds likely to be intoxicated by the reasons laid out by the arresting officer in the affidavit will have no choice but to submit their blood for testing — something that Fleming said will provide the needed evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt if the individual was intoxicated or not.

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Look out for cancellation penalties. Beware of energy surcharges. And watch for facilities fees.

No, not on your airline ticket. Not on your hotel folio. You may find these new extras on your next car rental bill.

Beleaguered auto rental firms are quietly adding new surcharges designed to lift revenues in a recessionary economy.

To get an idea of how absurd it’s becoming meet Jim Swofford. He found a mysterious $5 fee on his Hertz bill recently, which a representative described as a cancellation fee. Car rental companies typically don’t charge their customers for cancellations, so Swofford, who frequently rents from Hertz, said he didn’t want another car he’d reserved for later.

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