Steering You Right With Sharon Peters
Q: My fiancé diligently removes the driver’s headrest from every car he buys (and it’s really tough to do it sometimes). He insists that he does this because he doesn’t use it, and it blocks visibility, but mostly I think he just doesn’t like having it there. Isn’t he wrecking the car’s resale value?
A: The short answer is yes.
But let’s clear this up: It’s not a headrest. It’s a head restraint. It’s there to help reduce injuries to your neck and spine if you’re involved in a crash, particularly a rear-end crash, which is the most common type of vehicle accident.
Some head restraints are more effective than others, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. But any restraint at all gives you some protection from whiplash.
As to whether there’s much chance a neck injury will result from a wreck, consider this: About 2 million neck-injury claims are filed every year, according to the IIHS.
I find his behavior odd. But if you can’t convince him to leave those restraints where they belong to protect himself, try making the argument that the car will probably be driven by you or someone else while he owns it. He’s creating an unnecessary risk to people he cares about.
Q: You’ve written about tires and tire safety a lot, but there’s one thing I haven’t seen you mention: You need to tell your readers to check the air in their spare tires. I had to use my spare a couple of weeks ago, and when I hauled it out of the place in my trunk it had resided for five years, I discovered it was pretty darned flat. Not flat as a pancake, but too flat to drive on safely. The auto club told me this happens all the time.
A: Good point. I’m glad you raised it.
Air has a tendency to seep out of tires (that’s why you’re advised to check your tire pressure at least once a month) and that includes the spare.
It’s a pretty ugly thing when you’ve gotten a flat tire, only to discover the spare can’t be used. So take steps to ensure you don’t land there. If you can’t bring yourself to check the pressure of the spare every month, at least make it a practice to get the service guys to check it for you when they rotate your tires (which, of course, you’re doing regularly, yes?).
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What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. E-mail her at [email protected].