First and foremost, deal with any injuries. A good portion of hit and runs do involve injuries and/or fatalities. Deal with that first. Of course, contacting any emergency personnel should include law enforcement. They should be contacted as soon as the accident happens and you realize that it is, in fact, a hit and run.

A hit and run accident is a crime. It occurs when there’s an automobile accident and one of the people involved leaves the scene of the accident without first giving the other party the information they’re required by law to provide. That information usually includes the driver’s name, a current address and phone number, their driver’s license number, insurance information and the vehicle license number.

While there may be some variation from state to state, a hit and run can be either a misdemeanor or a felony. If there are no injuries involved, then the accident may be considered a misdemeanor. If there are injuries involved, however, the situation becomes more serious and fleeing the scene of the accident is usually a felony. Now, the sad part is that if you are hit as part of a hit and run, there may be little recourse in recouping the cost of your damages.

There are a few things that you can do in order to help you in your claim and to help the police who are investigating the accident. Begin by remembering that you aren’t just a claimant in an accident, you’re a witness to a crime. Make no mistake, hit and run is a crime and it will be investigated.

Try to remember as much about the person who hit you as you can. Car make, model and color are a good place to start. But there’s another level – you have to be able to identify the person behind the wheel. This might happen at another location, especially if the police are able to catch the person who hit you. Remember, no one can out run a radio.

Sometimes you might be asked to ID someone by photographs. This is just as good a way as a face to face ID. Work with the police however you can and they’ll do their best to try to bring all of this to a successful conclusion.

Remembering the license number is good, but that may be too much to ask of you in the situation. See if there were any other identifying factors about the car. Which part of the other car was damaged is another helpful piece of information, as other officers will be able to look for a car with fresh damage like the one you describe. Any information you can provide about the situation will be helpful in resolving this unfortunate situation.

Unfortunately, the computers in our cars sometimes collect far more information than we know what to do with. And quite frankly, the car manufacturers don’t really want the consumer to do that much. So they’ve wired all of the information that’s gathering into one outlet – the check engine light.

But what does that really mean? The check engine light isn’t actually to be taken literally. You, as the driver, can look at the engine all day and you won’t see a thing wrong. What these lights are really saying is, “Take this car to the mechanics so that they can check the engine.” Of course, that would be a bit hard to fit on the dashboard.

Nowadays, when you go to a mechanic, he doesn’t look at the engine first – you tell him the check engine light is on and he gets out a device called a scan tool. The scan tool is basically a small computer that will talk to the computer in your car. The first thing it will do is show the mechanic a code that’s specific to both your car and what’s wrong.

With this information, the mechanic will know exactly what the computer says is wrong with your car. Some things will be major, some will be minor, and some – quite frankly – can be ignored. Yes, ignored. In fact, some people report having vehicles that have had the check engine light on for 175,000 miles or more without any issue.

Clearly, the check engine light being on tells you little – if anything – about what’s wrong with your car without the proper scanning equipment. You’ll need a mechanic with a scan tool to really tell you what’s going on. And in these cases, your mechanic’s judgment is another invaluable tool.

You see, the check engine light will come on for something as minor as a group of sensors going out to a leak in a non-vital system like the heating or air. Or it could be for something very serious – you have to go in to tell.

That’s where the judgment comes in – both yours and the mechanic’s. If he considers the check engine light trigger to be a minor problem, he may be able to reset the computer to ignore the signal and turn the check engine light off. Conversely, it may be a signal of a dangerous problem that needs to be fixed immediately. You won’t know until you take your car in.

However, you should never let the warning light take the place of actual physical warning signs. Strong vibrations coming up through the steering column usually mean a serious problem with a ball joint or a tie rod – in these cases, don’t wait for a warning light. Instead pull off to the side of the road, stop the car and have it towed to your mechanic. In addition, a battery light means a problem with the alternator, which means your car will be stopping shortly – whether you want it to or not. To be safe, pull off to the side of the road immediately.

The first thing you should do is make sure that you and your car are safe. This means that if your car has stalled or broken down in the road, you need to get the car off to the side of the road as quickly as possible. Turn on your emergency flashers at the first hint of a driving disaster. If you can, drive the car or allow it to coast off the side of the road. Get as far from lanes of traffic as you can. If you have emergency flares in your car first aid kit – and you should – this is the time to use them.

If you don’t know anything about cars, your next step is simple – take out your cell phone and call for help. Depending on the severity of the situation, you may want to call your automotive club, a friend or relative, or even your local emergency services dispatcher. If it’s safe to do so, stay with your car – a car is much easier to find than a person wandering around alone.

If you’re driving and you notice that your car is overheating, there are a few steps you can take to help you get to a safe place to stop. First, turn off the radio, the air conditioner and anything else that’s putting a strain on the engine. Roll down your windows and turn on the heat. That’s right – the heat. Doing this will pull some of the heat away from your engine and buy you a few minutes to pull over safely. Once you’re pulled over, you’ll have to allow your car to cool pretty thoroughly before additional coolant can be added to the radiator. Try to open the radiator too soon and you can get a seriously nasty burn – in fact, most modern radiator caps have special safeguards to prevent this. Be sure to practice a little prevention – regular checks of your fluid levels can help prevent this situation from ever occurring.

Or, if you’re driving and you notice that your brakes are feeling a little soft, you also need to find a safe place to get off the road. Try pumping your brakes – sometimes an air bubble in the fluid lines can be eliminated this way. Obviously, slow down as much as you can. If your brakes fail, you can downshift to help slow your car, use your parking brake and – if all else fails – try to run into something soft while avoiding people. Again, regular checks of your fluid levels can help prevent this situation from occurring too.

Finally, if you’re driving and a belt snaps, get yourself off the road. Depending on which belt snaps, this can be a difficult task – if your power steering goes out, you’ll have to steer your 3,000+ vehicle manually. But unless you just happen to have a set of tools and the right kind of belt on hand, you’re going to need professional help. Depending on the belt, there are some folks who might be able to make a repair with duct tape, but for most people, it’s better just to whip out your cell phone and make that call to AAA.

A number of sensors are located in the car and can register when the vehicle is involved in an accident and whether or not an airbag is deployed. If the vehicle is involved in an accident, a cascade of events takes place. The sensors register the accident and transmit that information to the Sensing Diagnostic Module. An automated call is made from the system to OnStar that includes information about the severity of the crash and the car’s position as determined by GPS. The OnStar representative receives the information and can call the vehicle to speak with its occupants and also alerts emergency services.

But you needn’t wait for your car to call OnStar. If you need emergency services, just press the red emergency button. Your car’s position is determined by GPS and the system places a call, which is routed to the nearest emergency services provider. That same GPS system can allow OnStar to track your car if it’s stolen or locate a provider who can bring you gas if you’re run out, change your tire if it’s flat, or tow you to a service station.

OnStar can also perform vehicle diagnostics. Every month, the OnStar system runs a computer diagnostic of your major systems, including the engine, anti lock brakes and air bags. This information is relayed to OnStar. If a serious problem is discovered, OnStar will call you right away. Otherwise, you’ll receive a status report via email.

Can’t find your car? Locked your keys inside? Just call OnStar. They can send a signal to unlock your car or turn on your car’s lights and horn so you can find it.

The OnStar system also makes it easy for you to make and receive cell phone calls in hands-free mode, either by linking the hands-free calling module with your existing Verizon wireless plan or by buying blocks of minutes for the hands-free cellular built into the system.

OnStar can do a number of other things as well, such as giving you step-by-step driving directions and telling you what the weather forecast is for your area. These services and more are available through a variety of subscription plans, which range from $199-$299 per year.

So is OnStar right for you? Only you can make that decision. The monthly automatic diagnostic is a feature that can easily pay for itself if it alerts you to just one problem that would have been more expensive to repair if it hadn’t been discovered it in its earlier stages. And knowing that help will be on the way if you’re involved in accident can bring a peace of mind that’s priceless.

First, don’t panic. Assess what’s actually happening with your car. Is the fan blowing air, but the air isn’t cool? This means that the fan is working, but there’s a problem with either the compressor or the coolant. In this case, you’d better hope it’s the coolant. Fortunately, this is the most common problem with car air conditioning systems, and the easiest thing to fix.

However, the process of adding coolant is more complex than it was 15 years ago, as steps have been added to ensure that the coolant doesn’t escape to harm the environment. You can find a shop with the necessary tools and experience with a simple phone call or Internet search. The process usually doesn’t take very long – less than an hour – and usually around $50 or less.

Or, perhaps the problem is that your vents seem to be issuing forth cold air, but it doesn’t seem to spread out to fill the car. This could be a problem with your fan. Fan problems can be either ridiculously simple or ridiculously expensive. On the ridiculously simple hand, a fuse needs replacing, and you’re looking at less than $5 and five minutes. In fact, finding the right fuse and your car’s fuse box may take longer than buying and installing the fuse.

On the ridiculously expensive hand, the fan itself may have mechanical defects, meaning that it will need to be replaced. The cost of this repair depends on the expense of the part, how accessible the fan is, and how the fan interfaces with the rest of the air conditioning system. You could spend from $75 to $300 depending on your car and how your fan is configured.

Finally, you may have air blowing that’s not cold and you’ve been told that you have plenty of coolant. Or maybe the air feels cool when you start driving, but gets less cool as you continue to drive. Both of these problems can be caused by a faulty compressor. If there’s a worst case scenario for car air conditioning problems, this is it.

Here’s a dirty little secret of the auto industry – cars aren’t designed for air conditioning. The physics of air conditioning really doesn’t lend itself to being conveniently installed in the relatively small space it’s allotted under the hood of a car. Air compressors are always hard to get to – in some cases; you have to remove the entire dashboard to get to the compressor. Air compressors are expensive, and since you’re opening the air conditioning system, you again need someone who can handle the possible loss of coolant into the atmosphere.

Air conditioning problems can be simple or complex, and reasonably priced or outrageously expensive. A quick visit to your mechanic can usually help you determine what the problem is. Whether or not fixing the problem is something you want to do is something only you can decide with all the facts in hand.

There are different kinds of jumper cables, and you can buy a pair inexpensively in most any store. However, if you buy the cheapest you can find, you get the minimal quality you’re paying for – in other words, not much.

For best results, buy jumper cables that are least 15 feet long – 20 to 25 feet long is better. The longer the cable, the more flexibility you have and the more convenient the process of jumping a car will be.

The next thing to consider is the size of the cable. Cables have different ratings regarding the amount of current they can carry – the heavier the cable, the more current it can carry. This means that if the first person to happen by to offer you a jump is a truck driver, you won’t have to worry about his larger battery frying your jumper cables.

The other consideration you should make when purchasing jumper cables is the type of clamps at the end of the cables. They should be large, well insulated and have a fairly heavy spring. The clamps themselves should have teeth that come together completely and firmly so that you can successfully attach them to any type of battery, from large top-post truck batteries to the smaller side-mounted battery terminals of some sports cars.

Some cables come in coils, while some come on reels and others just come attached to a piece of cardboard. These considerations matter little when you’re purchasing jumper cables. What you need to consider is length, current carrying capacity of the cables, and quality of the clamps at the end. No one who has needed them has ever said, “I wish I had spent less money on my jumper cables.” These are one of those purchases where quality matters – spending a little more to purchase good equipment is a good idea here.

When it comes time to use the cables, separate the clamps so that none of them are touching. Some people like to take one of the clamps and clamp it on to the cable below the other clamp at the same end – a handy trick, but not necessary. You can also use what is affectionately called the “Buddy method,” as in, “Here Buddy, hold these apart while I work with the other end.” If you have an extra set of hands – and you surely will – this is probably your best bet.

It doesn’t matter whether you begin connecting the cables with the car that has the dead battery (DB) or the car with the live battery (LB). Just let the colors be your guide. Connect the red clamp to the red post of the battery. If you can’t find a red post, look for a plus sign. If you can’t find a red post or a plus sign, you need a mechanic. Connect the black clamp to the black post of the battery. If you can’t find a black post, look for a minus sign. Again, if you can’t find a black post or a minus sign, you need a mechanic. Hooking the jumper cable up to the wrong post can fry your alternator, which is both expensive and inconvenient.

Once all four clamps have been properly connected, start the car with the LB if it’s not already running. Then, wait for a few minutes and try to start the car with the DB. If it doesn’t start, wait a few more minutes and try again. If the car with the DB doesn’t start after three of four tries, it probably won’t and you need a mechanic.

To disconnect the jumper cables, reverse the process you used to connect the cables. Remember to use the Buddy method again and keep the clamps from touching. Return the jumper cables to your trunk and lavish your appreciation on the Good Samaritan who stopped to help you.

Finally, there’s one small thing you need to be aware of. Batteries can explode. This is rare and typically only happens if a battery is leaking, cracked or otherwise damaged. A quick visual inspection of both batteries in question should tell you if this is the case. If you follow these instructions, using jumper cables is generally safe and simple.

The roadside assistance program has long been the cornerstone of AAA’s offerings. The association was founded in 1902, when driving was still an event and the road system was new. In these times, traveling long distances could be problematic if you didn’t have a support system in place. Remember, there were no cell phones, no yellow pages where you could look up a local mechanic – in fact, just finding a phone to call for help was sometimes a challenge.

As times have changed, so has AAA. While their roadside assistance program is still their best known offering, their other excellent programs are well worth consideration, including map services, travel discounts, insurance – including auto, medical, home and dental programs – and financial services, such as auto loans, CDs, IRAs and money market accounts.

AAA’s roadside assistance philosophy can be summed up by the phrase, “Go, Not Tow.” The roadside assistance they provide is designed to get you back on the road as quickly as possible. The following are some of the services offered:

Locked yourself out of your car? They’ll help you get the car open.
Flat tire? They’ll come out and change your tire, or if you don’t have a spare, they’ll tow you to a mechanic.
Run out of gas? They’ll deliver some to you, no matter where you’re stranded.
Involved in an accident? They’ll tow your car to a mechanic for you.
Car off the road? Not a problem – they can recover your car with a winch.
Dead battery? They’ll come out and give you a jump or, if that doesn’t work, they’ll replace your battery and dispose of the old one for you.

Yearly rates for AAA membership are very reasonable, and there are different membership levels available, depending on the level of services you want to have. Having to call a tow truck could easily cost more than the membership fees of your roadside assistance program, not to mention the monetary value of the time and inconvenience you’ll be able to avoid.

In fact, the service is so popular with today’s drivers that more than 3,400 service calls are made by AAA across the nation each hour. And, as an association, AAA also lobbies on behalf of its members, working to ensure legislation that looks out for drivers, and not just the auto industry.

In short, if you drive a car, your AAA membership is like a horn – chances are you won’t use it every day, but when you need it, you’ll be really glad it’s there.

First, see if anyone is hurt and address that first. Call emergency services, usually 9-1-1, if there’s even the smallest of injuries. You owe that not only to anyone else, but to yourself as well. If you aren’t sure about the severity of a person’s injuries, it’s best to play it safe and call for help. The faster someone is examined after the accident, the faster their recovery will be, as an untreated injury can lead to severe pain later, even if it didn’t seem serious at the time. There are some injuries that aren’t apparent from the outside and which can only be discovered on careful examination. Having a complete medical assessment for any injuries can also help you out if you become involved in a lawsuit over the accident in the future.

If you decide to help other people while waiting for an ambulance or the police, be careful about it. Never move an injured person unless you know exactly what you’re doing. If you don’t have EMT training or other medical emergency training, don’t move them, as any movement may increase the severity of their injuries.

However, if there’s a fire involved in the accident, you do have a good reason to move yourself and anyone else, regardless of how they’re injured. But don’t worry – the chances that an accident will involve an automobile fire are very small. Just don’t endanger yourself unduly. The faster you call emergency services, the faster professionals – with all the training and safety equipment that makes them professionals – will get there. Barring that, everybody stays put – don’t leave the scene of the accident until the police have arrived.

Now is a good time to call 9-1-1, if you have not done so already. The dispatcher will ask you if anyone is hurt, and they’ll dispatch an ambulance. Some areas will automatically send a fire truck, just in case there’s a gas spill or the medical personnel need help removing someone from a vehicle. You may need to give a location, or your cell may have a GPS that the dispatcher can access. Be ready to give your location, and always stay on the line until the dispatcher hangs up to make sure they have all the information they need.

Once any injuries are addressed and emergency contact has been made, you can consider whether or not to move your vehicle. Laws vary from area to area – some major interstate highways require that vehicles be moved out of traffic lanes whenever possible. When in doubt, and unless your car poses an obvious threat to others, leave it where it is. The police can get a better picture of exactly what happened if the cars are in the position they were when the accident occurred.

Take the time to talk to the other people involved. Get their names, addresses, telephone numbers, insurance information and driver’s license numbers. Ask to see those documents and copy the information down exactly as it appears. They’ll probably ask you for the same information, so be ready to give it.

In the event that anyone refuses to give you this information, write down their license plate(s) and call 9-1-1 if it hasn’t already been called. Also note how many passengers are in each vehicle. This way, dishonest drivers can’t claim they had more passengers in the car than they actually did.

The dispatcher will notify the local police immediately, and officers will arrive on the scene to take photos, make some measurements, draw diagrams, and take notes. If litigation does become necessary, this documentation will be very important and may be critical to your case.
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The officer will also ask to see your insurance card, driver’s license, and vehicle registration. Have them ready. You will be asked what happened, and probably the officer will ask that of each driver.

After you’ve answered all the questions, ask the officer for his name and badge number, the address of his police station, and its phone number. You should also ask for the accident report number, case number, when the report will be filed, and how to obtain a copy. All this information is important because your insurance company will need to look at the police report before they decide whether or not to pay your claim. If witnesses are present, the officer will talk to them as well and record their statements in the accident report.

Although it may seem time consuming, following these guidelines will put you in a very good position to deal with any consequences that may follow your car accident.

Stolen or Towed?

The first thing you should do is look around where you had parked your car.  If you see any “No Parking” signs, time limited parking indications or expired meters, it’s fair to assume that your car was towed and not stolen. In addition, if you know that you have several unpaid parking tickets on your car, it was most likely towed.  But if you know that you don’t have any unpaid tickets and there are no signs around that could mean you parked illegally, it’s possible that your car was stolen.  Either way, the first call you should make is to the police.  They will be able to let you know if your car was towed away, or will help you to file the correct paperwork if it was stolen.

When cars are towed for any reason, the tow company must report the tow to a national database.  The police will check this database whenever there’s a call reporting a stolen vehicle.  If they can’t find a tow report for your car, they will dispatch officers to your area to assist you; otherwise, they’ll give you the contact details of the towing company.  You’ll need to check with them to find out how to get your car back.

Why was my car towed?

Cars can be towed for many reasons – and the officer you spoke with earlier should be able to tell you why.  If it was towed because of unpaid parking tickets, you can get information from the officer on how to get them paid.  Just a warning – you won’t be allowed to get your car out of impound until the outstanding tickets are paid.

If your car was towed because you parked in an area with limitations on parking or because of an expired meter, you may have received a ticket along with the towing.  Though it’s a new ticket, you’ll still most likely have to pay it before you’re allowed to rescue your car from the impound lot.

Often, businesses and other property owners will have cars towed if they’re left unattended after business hours or appear to be abandoned vehicles – or for a number of other reasons they feel are adequate enough for towing.  Since these entities aren’t legal agencies – like the local police ordering the tow – there won’t be any new tickets accumulated for unauthorized parking.

Picking up your car

Getting your car from the impound lot can be very expensive, so tryNo, this isn’t another Ashton Kutcher movie.  Unless you were going to parties the night before and just don’t remember where you left your car, chances are your missing car has been stolen or towed.  Depending on the situation, there could be several reasons your car was towed, including unauthorized parking on private property, past parking tickets, or parking in a tow-away zone.

Stolen or Towed?

The first thing you should do is look around where you had parked your car.  If you see any “No Parking” signs, time limited parking indications or expired meters, it’s fair to assume that your car was towed and not stolen. In addition, if you know that you have several unpaid parking tickets on your car, it was most likely towed.  But if you know that you don’t have any unpaid tickets and there are no signs around that could mean you parked illegally, it’s possible that your car was stolen.  Either way, the first call you should make is to the police.  They will be able to let you know if your car was towed away, or will help you to file the correct paperwork if it was stolen.

When cars are towed for any reason, the tow company must report the tow to a national database.  The police will check this database whenever there’s a call reporting a stolen vehicle.  If they can’t find a tow report for your car, they will dispatch officers to your area to assist you; otherwise, they’ll give you the contact details of the towing company.  You’ll need to check with them to find out how to get your car back.

Why was my car towed?

Cars can be towed for many reasons – and the officer you spoke with earlier should be able to tell you why.  If it was towed because of unpaid parking tickets, you can get information from the officer on how to get them paid.  Just a warning – you won’t be allowed to get your car out of impound until the outstanding tickets are paid.

If your car was towed because you parked in an area with limitations on parking or because of an expired meter, you may have received a ticket along with the towing.  Though it’s a new ticket, you’ll still most likely have to pay it before you’re allowed to rescue your car from the impound lot.

Often, businesses and other property owners will have cars towed if they’re left unattended after business hours or appear to be abandoned vehicles – or for a number of other reasons they feel are adequate enough for towing.  Since these entities aren’t legal agencies – like the local police ordering the tow – there won’t be any new tickets accumulated for unauthorized parking.

Picking up your car

Getting your car from the impound lot can be very expensive, so try to get your car out of there as soon as you can after it’s been towed.  Many lots charge daily storage fees, on top of the towing fees they initially charged.  And to make matters worse, if your car was towed after their business hours, they could charge you an overnight storage fee.  However, before you head out to the lot, make sure you find out what their payment options are, as many only accept cash.
 to get your car out of there as soon as you can after it’s been towed.  Many lots charge daily storage fees, on top of the towing fees they initially charged.  And to make matters worse, if your car was towed after their business hours, they could charge you an overnight storage fee.  However, before you head out to the lot, make sure you find out what their payment options are, as many only accept cash.

While we hope that this will never happen to us, it’s important to be prepared for the possibility.  If you find that your car has been stolen, there are some very important steps that you must follow.

Contact the police

The first thing you must do after your car has been stolen is to call the police.  When they arrive, the officers will have you fill out a stolen car report.  Take this seriously, because your insurance company will require it before they’ll honor your claim.  You’ll need to fill in some information about your car, including the make and model of your car, license plate number, any external or internal damage to the car, color, VIN number (you can get this from your insurance company if you don’t have it on you), a list of any personal identifying items that were left in your car, and anything that might help distinguish your car from others.

Contact your insurance company

Once you’ve finished the report with the police and they’ve freed you to go home, call your insurance company, even if you only have a liability policy.  They’ll want the same information that the police wanted, along with a few other things, including the names of people who had access to your car and their contact details, the location of all the keys to your car, and a copy of your title.

You’ll also want to spend some time discussing the specifics of your policy coverage with them.  Some policies will have coverage for a rental car you can use until your car is recovered.  If yours does, you’ll need to find out how much of the rental fee they’ll cover.  You’ll also need to ask your company what portion of any damages you’ll have to pay if the car is recovered damaged, and how long they wait before they consider your car unrecoverable. 

Keep safe

Although you’re probably pretty upset about your car at this point, you’ve got to think about yourself as well.  Keep yourself safe – especially if there were any identifiable items in your car.  Even a stray piece of junk mail gives the thief enough information to case your home for valuables.  Have a friend stay with you awhile, or go stay with them if you live alone.  It’s always better to be safe then sorry.

Make your car unattractive to thieves

You can lower your risk of having your car stolen by making your car more trouble then its worth to steal.  Instead of having a simple alarm that only goes off when a window is broken or a door is opened; get one that uses a motion detector.  Never leave personal or valuable items out in the open; they only make your car more tempting to thieves.  And though professional thieves can remove steering wheel locks, use one.  Most would rather choose a car without one because of the extra time it takes to disable them.  And finally – although it should go without saying – never leave your car running with the keys in it!