Recent Hawaii Shipping News

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Defogging your car’s windows
Preventing your car’s windows from fogging up
Conclusion
 

Defogging your car’s windows

Driving without complete and clear visibility through your windshield is extremely dangerous and irresponsible. If when you get in your car, your windshield is too fogged up, you will need to wait until your car runs for a bit and the windows clear. Many times, this will not be much of an issue. However, if you are in a rush, it can be a miserable inconvenience.

There are really just two ways to defog your car’s windows. Otherwise, you should consider doing what you can in order to prevent your windows from getting fogged up in the first place. Regardless, the way you can defog your vehicle’s windows will come down to the weather. In Hawaii, foggy windows will always be due to warm weather. If your car windows are fogged up in hot or warm weather, you can defog them by turning your air conditioning off for a bit and then using your windshield wipers to clear the fog. For your side windows, you can simply roll them up and down a few times each to clear the fog.
 

Preventing your car’s windows from fogging up

Preventing foggy windows in your vehicle will always be better and less time consuming than clearing already fogged up windows. Ways that you can prevent your car’s windows from fogging up in warm weather include:

• Keep your windshield and windows clean. When you allow dirt and grime to collect on the outside of your windshield/windows, moisture becomes much more likely to stick to it which makes fogging much more likely.
• Use a defogging solution on your windshield and windows. Simply buy a defogging solution for use on the exterior of your windshield/windows then apply it after you have cleaned your windshield and it is free of fog.
• Keep your car in a garage if possible. If you have a garage, keep your car in it until you need to use it. This will minimize the effect of the warm or hot weather.

Conclusion

Foggy car windows can really put your ability to see the road ahead in jeopardy which is a tremendous safety hazard. That is exactly why you must defog your windows and windshield prior to beginning to drive. Thankfully, in Hawaii it will be due to warm weather which is a quicker fix than if it were due to cold weather. However, you can also take several steps in order to prevent fog from forming in the first place including treating the outside of the windshield with a defogging solution. Whenever you need a car or any other type of vehicle shipped, get in touch with the vehicle shipping experts at Hawaii Car Transport for an instant quote by calling (808) 445-6695!

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What you can do when someone stops-short
Keeping your distance and other preventative measures
Conclusion
 

What you can do when someone stops-short

Unfortunately, other drivers frequently “stop short” when they are driving. They do so for a variety of reasons as well. Regardless, if you are driving behind them, you might not be able to avoid hitting them in the rear end of their vehicle. Unfortunately, if this does happen, you will be at fault almost every time. Even if you capture someone stopping short on a dash camera, they likely had good enough reason to do so. For example, if they stopped short because an animal ran into the road, then you hit them, a court and your insurance company will look at it as if you were following too closely and/or driving too fast.

If you are in a situation where you are driving and someone stops suddenly in front of you where you feel you will not be able to stop in time, there is not much you will be able to do. If you are in the furthest right lane and there is a clear shoulder on the side of the road, you could quickly turn your car onto that shoulder. However, never do this in the middle or left lane. If you suddenly jut into another lane without warning, you can end up causing a much more severe accident than if you just slowed down as much as possible prior to the fender bender. The only true defense that you will have against someone “stopping short” in front of you will be preventative safe driving methods.
 

Keeping your distance and other preventative measures

By far, your best defense against a collision when someone stops suddenly in front of you will be to always keep the proper distance between you and the driver in front of you. As a general rule, you should keep a single car length of space between you and the vehicle in front of you for every five miles of speed that you are driving. So, if you are driving fifty miles per hour, there should be ten car lengths between you and the car in front of you.

You can also use the “2 second rule.” This is a bit simpler in that you just pick an easy to see landmark on the side of the road such as a street light, and from the point that the vehicle in front of you passes it count two full seconds. If you have not passed the same landmark in under those two seconds, you are at a safe distance.

Other preventative measures will include:

• Driving at or under the speed limit
• Avoiding driving behind aggressive drivers
• Remaining completely focused on the road ahead

If you want to take staying focused on the road in front of you a step further, you can start slowing down and braking anytime you notice brake lights ahead of the driver in front of you. If someone is braking correctly in front of them and they are not paying attention, this can easily lead to a situation where they stop suddenly.
 

Conclusion

As a driver, you only have control over what you do out on the road. Unfortunately, this means that other drivers can drive in a less than safe manner. This definitely includes stopping suddenly and without warning. If that happens and you hit them from behind, you will be held liable for all of the damage. Do yourself a favor and keep the correct distance between yourself and the driver in front of you at all times. Use the “two second” rule as an easy reference to ensure you are a safe distance behind another vehicle and always obey the speed limit.

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The danger of falling asleep while driving
How you can avoid falling asleep while driving
Conclusion
 

The danger of falling asleep while driving

If you end up falling asleep while you are driving the end result could cost you and/or other people their lives. The statistics about drivers that fall asleep behind the wheel are just as horrifying too. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Association, well over six hundred people died from “drowsy driving” accidents in 2020. Back in 2017, there were over eight hundred deaths and fifty thousand people injured due to “drowsy driving” according to the NHTSA. The CDC estimates these numbers are vastly underreported and estimates that several thousand deaths occur each year from drowsy or sleeping drivers.

Let’s look at what specifically occurs when you start to doze off at the wheel. Once you start getting drowsy while driving you are not able to focus on driving as well. This means reaction time drops significantly even when you are technically not asleep quite yet. Drowsiness leads to what experts call “microsleep” which is when you fall asleep for just a few seconds.

Those few seconds are several straight seconds where you are unable to react to anything at all. On top of that, when a driver is sleeping and crashes, the crash occurs at full speed thus resulting in a maximum amount of damage and the greatest possibility of injury or death. Always be aware of common signs that you are getting drowsy and/or falling asleep. If you experience any of them pull over and rest or let someone else drive. Some common signs of drowsiness while driving are:

• Struggling to keep your eyes open.
• Many yawns in a short period.
• Having difficulty maintaining your lane.

How you can avoid falling asleep while driving

It is imperative that you do everything possible to stay alert and focused when you drive in order to avoid getting drowsy and risking a severely bad accident. Here are a few ways that you can stay awake and alert while driving:

• Check your meds and avoid booze – Many medications can easily induce drowsiness as a side effect. Read the labels of any medications that you are taking prior to driving while using them. Never drink prior to driving.
• Always get enough sleep before driving – Do your best never to drive without a fresh seven or more hours of sleep under your belt. Driving with less than six hours of sleep is very dangerous as well as irresponsible.
• Music and conversation – In addition to and not as a substitute to the above steps, playing music and/or having a conversation with a passenger can help you stay alert and focused so that you will not begin to doze off.
• Coffee in emergencies – If you are driving somewhere and you feel you definitely are falling asleep, see if you can drink a couple cups of coffee. Then (after you drink the coffee), take a nap for about a half an hour. The NHTSA recommends this based on scientific studies that have been done.

If you feel like you cannot avoid falling asleep, pull over and get some rest in your car or at a hotel immediately. It can easily be the difference between causing an accident or not.
 

Conclusion

Driving while you are tired and could potentially fall asleep is both a terrible and very selfish decision. Thousands of people are injured and thousands more are killed in “drowsy driving” accidents each and every year. Always get enough sleep and if you do happen to end up catching yourself in a state where you feel you might fall asleep, pull over and take a rest as the risk will never be worth it. If you need a vehicle transported to Hawaii, get a free instant quote by using the form on our homepage!

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Why you should keep the inside of your windows clean
Effective Technique
Conclusion
 

Why you should keep the inside of your windows clean

We all know that the outside of your windshield and windows need to be clean in order for you to be able to have a clear view of the road and your surroundings when you are driving. However, many people forego keeping the inside of their windows completely clean and that does not make much sense. Obviously, if you have some sort of dirt or food on the inside of your car windows, you need to clean it immediately.

However, smudging from dust and lightly being contacted over the course of weeks can build up. Over time, this smudging and light film of grime on the inside of your windshield and windows can actually lead to lower visibility by increasing both glare and fogging. Not only does this make it generally harder to see, but it also puts more strain on your eyes which can affect your ability to drive safely as well. This is why it is critical for you to clean the inside of your windshield and windows at least once every month.
 

Effective Technique

An effective technique for cleaning the inside of your windshield and windows will be very important. This will be critical in preventing the problems we mentioned such as increased fogging and glare, but this will also ensure that you do not make things even worse. If you do not use the proper technique and supplies, you could be worsening the smudging in a significant way.

An effective technique will start with the right supplies. You will need two small microfiber towels, a household glass cleaner, some rubbing alcohol and some sort of extender if you yourself cannot reach the far low corners of the windshield yourself. The microfiber towel is important because paper towels can end up leaving streaks and make the issue worse if the technique you use is not perfect.

The actual technique itself will start with the application of the glass cleaner. Always apply the glass cleaner to the microfiber towel and never to the window. This ensures that there is not any left over excess of cleaner on the window or windshield which can leave streaks on the window if not wiped up right away. After that, be sure that you use a circular motion to clean the windows/windshield. Small concentric circles are definitely best.

Once you have completed this, do the same with the other microfiber towel and the rubbing alcohol. This will help keep any future fogginess to an absolute minimum and it will simultaneously maximize your window’s shine. Finally, try to avoid doing this on a sunny day because a hot and bright sun can cause the window cleaner to evaporate which will lead to noticeable streaking.
 

Conclusion

Odds are that the inside of your windows will get cleaned each and every time that you bring your car in to get washed. The issue is that the workers at the car wash are overwhelmed most of the time and will make overly quick work of your car’s interior including the windshield and windows. So, it is likely that you will have to clean them yourself from time to time. You just need to be sure to use the correct technique and supplies when you do this. That will include using a microfiber towel, applying the cleaner to the towel – not the window, and making sure you clean in small concentric circles.

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The list of apps
Parking tips
Conclusion
 

The list of apps

The following are some of the best apps to use in order to find parking in major cities around the country or even the world. Parking in major Hawaiian cities like Honolulu can be found on all of the apps listed below. Each app also has a fully functional desktop version.

• Parkopedia – Parkopedia is an app that will show you all sorts of parking options with great detail including whether it is free or paid, how much it will cost if its paid, when you can park there and for how long you can park there. The options it offers are the most robust of any of the apps on the list.
• ParkWhiz – ParkWhiz has functionality that allows you to pick an area or city as well as a timeframe and then see nearby parking and how much it will cost. You can also toggle the options to sort by “closest” or cheapest”. There is an option to search for monthly parking options as well.
• SpotAngels – With this app you will be able to select a general location and specific time period in which you will need to park. From there, you will be served the various options for parking including free parking, paid parking and metered parking. You can also find month-by-month parking as well as nearby gas stations by using this app.

Parking tips

In addition to using these helpful apps, you can do a few things to see if you can find a great spot on the street if you happen to have the time. First, many people perpetually drive around until they find a space. Often times, that can be a mistake, especially near the busiest streets and areas. You can pull over near a hydrant or a driveway entrance and sit for a few minutes at a time without be hassled (most of the time) by police. This will allow you to be first in line for any nearby spots as soon as someone pulls out rather than missing out by circling the block or area.

Always check whichever city’s website which you are going to be parking in for more information on parking regulations. If it is a holiday, you could get lucky and end up with free parking that is otherwise metered on most other days. Finally, if there is snow in the forecast, be careful not to park on the street at all if you can. If you must park in the street in this circumstance, park on the left side of the street as snowplows throw snow to their right.
 

Conclusion

If and when you need to find parking in a busier area of Hawaii such as Honolulu or Maui, you should always be proactive and use a parking app like the ones that were mentioned above. Most of these apps will show you all of the paid parking options you have within a few mile area for the time period that you specifically need parking. Some apps will even show you the nearby free parking options as well as paid monthly options too.

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Make sure you have enough room
Check your blind spot
Conclusion
 

Make sure you have enough room

When you park on the street in a popular area in Hawaii such as Honolulu, pulling out of the spot can be dangerous if you do not pay close attention to what you are doing. Oncoming traffic and the cars parked in front of behind you make for a treacherous situation as you exit the space. Prior to pulling out the first thing that you will need to do is to ensure that you have enough clearance in front of you to pull out without making contact with the vehicle parked there. This seems obvious but is something people often forget or overlook.

You should always start by physically inspecting the amount of space in front of your car prior to even getting in. You should also check behind your car to see how far you can move back in order to increase the amount of space you have in front. If things are tight on either or both ends, you might need to “angle your car out” of the space by moving back a bit, cutting the wheel, pulling forward a bit and then repeating those steps until you are certain that you have the clearance to pull out cleanly. Many newer vehicles will have a parking assist system that will alert you when you are close to contacting something, make use of this if your vehicle has it.
 

Check your blind spot

Once you are absolutely certain that you have the clearance to pull out, turn the steering wheel so that your front wheels are angled so that you will pull out to the front left. Then, turn on your left turn signal so oncoming cars will know you are about to pull out. At this point, never start out of the space until you properly check your blind spot over your left shoulder. Not doing so can result in an accident that you will be at fault for. In order to check your blind spot, turn your head over your left shoulder from the twelve o’clock position to the eight o’clock position so that you can see all oncoming traffic behind you. Once you see that there is enough time and space without oncoming traffic for you to safely pull out, you can do so.
 

Conclusion

Pulling out of a parking space on the street may seem simple enough. However, if you do not take the proper care when you do so, you risk damaging another vehicle parked near you or, even worse, you risk getting into a dangerous and costly accident with oncoming traffic. Always ensure you have the clearance in front of you in order to pull out. Before you do begin to pull out, always check your blind spot as well.

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How to avoid getting pulled over
What to do if you are pulled over
Conclusion
 

How to avoid getting pulled over

Getting pulled over is obviously no picnic. It likely will end up costing you a few hundred bucks, might cost you points on your license and may even force you to spend a day in court. On top of that, if you are going somewhere and need to be there by a certain time when you are pulled over, you will almost certainly end up being late.

So, obviously the best option is to avoid getting pulled over in the first place. The clear and easiest way to do this is by always obeying all traffic laws. However, you also need to make sure that your car is always functioning correctly. This will specifically include ensuring that your headlights, taillights and turn signals are always working.
 

What to do if you are pulled over

If you do happen to get pulled over, there are a few simple tricks that could possibly prevent you getting written up with a ticket. The first is that you should always pull over as soon as you possibly can safely. The shoulder is fine as long as the officer has room between your car and the nearest lane of oncoming traffic. When you do pull over, immediately shut your car off, put your keys on the dashboard where the officer can see them, have your license and registration ready and place your hands on the steering wheel at ten and two so the officer can see them at all times during the stop.

You should always be courteous and respectful when you are talking to the officer. If you know why you got pulled over, be honest and admit it when the officer asks, “Do you know why you got pulled over?”. Finally, you should always keep spare bulbs for your headlights, taillights and turn signals in your car. In case one of the lights bulbs you are currently using burns out, you do not notice and get pulled over, you can tell the officer that you will replace it right now in front of them There is a decent chance that they will then let you off without a ticket.
 

Conclusion

Getting pulled over in Hawaii is the same as it is anywhere else, it is no fun. However, if you obey all traffic laws and ensure that your car is always in working order (particularly your lights), you will have the lowest chance of getting pulled over. If you do get pulled over, do so quickly and safely, have your license and registration ready and always be respectful (if you want the best chance of not getting a ticket).

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What are the risks?
What are the benefits?
Conclusion
 

What are the risks?

When you park under and/or next to a tree in Hawaii, the first thing you should consider is the risk of possible damage to your vehicle. Branches, leaves, and even fruit can fall from the tree and damage your car. If it is a particularly tall tree, the damage occurring from this can be even worse. Do your best not to park near any trees on windy days to avoid this.

You also risk insects and wildlife that are habituating on that tree from making contact with your car and getting it dirty or even leaving slight scratches. Finally, if you park next to a tree and have an unwitting passenger in your car, they can accidentally open their door too far and hit the tree leaving a dent and/or scratch. Always be sure that you give any passengers enough room in which to open their doors.
 

What are the benefits?

There are also a couple of benefits when you park near a tree in Hawaii. First, these spaces will be open more frequently due to the possibility of the negative effects previously mentioned. So, if you just need to park for the short term, you likely will not to worry about any of the negative occurring. Also, on particularly hot and sunny days, a tree can offer your car shade which will keep the internal temperature of your vehicle down while you are gone. This will allow you to run your air conditioning for a shorter period when you return to the car. Finally, if it is a busy tree with lots of cars parked on it, the tree can act as a landmark to help you quickly identify where you parked if you walked a long distance away initially.
 

Conclusion

Parking next to and/or under a tree in Hawaii does have both its pros and cons. The potential negative effects of branches, fruit and bugs falling on your vehicle are enough to typically try to avoid parking under a tree. However, if it is short term and there is a spot open near a tree it could work well. Parking under a tree can also provide shade for your vehicle which is valuable in Hawaii due to high temperatures and the potential for a very hot interior of your vehicle when you return. If you ever need a vehicle shipped to or from Hawaii, call our vehicle shipping experts for a free quote anytime at (808) 445-6695!

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A donut is only a temporary solution
Permanent solutions for your tire
Conclusion
 

A donut is only a temporary solution

If your tire goes flat and you need to drive on a donut you should be aware that doing so is only a stop-gap solution until you can get your tire repaired or get a new tire. Typically, you can only drive up to a hundred miles on a donut, at the very most. If you want to play it safe, you should not drive more than seventy miles on a donut.

You also should not drive too fast on a donut. Do not go over fifty miles an hour while you are driving with a donut on. Finally, avoid any hasty maneuvering while you are using a donut on your vehicle. If you do exceed these limits, your donut could go flat or blow out which will leave you with no options other than to get towed and or call AAA.
 

Permanent solutions for your tire

As we said, the only permanent solutions for your tire are getting it repaired or buying a new or used tire to replace the last one. Getting your tire repaired will ultimately be the cheaper option. However, a repaired or patched tire will quite likely not last as long as a new or used replacement.

So, you should weigh the risk to benefit by considering how frequently you drive as well as how far you drive. If you do drive frequently and longer distances when you do, a repaired tire might not last that long. In that case you should just get a replacement tire because getting a tire repaired several times could end up costing more than just replacing it in the first place.
 

Conclusion

When you are put in a situation where you must drive on a donut, do so at an absolute minimum. Your donut is only meant for a maximum of one hundred miles of driving. Any more driving than that on a donut and it could blow out or go flat too, leaving you stranded. Make sure you get the tire in question repaired or replaced as soon as possible. If you need any time of vehicle large or small, transported to Hawaii give Hawaii Car Transport a call at (808) 445-6695.

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When you should get your car serviced normally
Signs that you might need unexpected service
Wrapping up
 

When you should get your car serviced normally

Typically, you should get your car serviced after every five thousand miles of driving. A 2017 survey showed that, on average, US drivers drove 25.9 miles per day. This comes out to just under 10,000 miles per year. If that is about what you drive in Hawaii, you should be getting routine service for your car about twice a year. The 5,000-mile number is not a hard limit though. For example, if you drove 6,200 miles in a year, getting routine service once that year would likely be fine depending on how old your car was.

“Routine service” could include a bunch of different things. However, routine service for your vehicle will typically include getting your oil changed, your brakes being checked and serviced, your wiper blades being checked, tire pressure being checked, other fluids such as transmission fluid being changed and more. All of that combined would be quite a large undertaking for the layperson but for your mechanic, it will likely just be a couple of hours in the shop.
 

Signs that you might need unexpected service

There will also be the times that your car will need repairs and/or unexpected service. The problem is that you might not know what the signs of such necessity for maintenance will be. Fortunately, most of these cases will be brought to your attention by the “check engine” light. However, that is not always the case.

You should also be on the look out for things such as weird vibrations that last more than a few seconds or occur when your car is at rest. You should also take your car in for service if you ever see smoke coming from your car or smell something out of the ordinary coming from your car. Finally, if you have trouble starting your car on any sort of a consistent basis, it is time for it to be serviced.
 

Wrapping up

How often you get routine maintenance for your car depends on how much you drive it. Odds are that you will need to get your car serviced about twice a year based on national averages. There will also likely be the times you will need to take your car in for maintenance for unexpected issues. Any time your check engine light goes on, you should take your vehicle in for service. You should always be on the look out for abnormal activity from your vehicle such as smoking, odors or trouble with the engine turning over as those all could be signs that it is time for maintenance.