Windy City Tips for Driving
Tuesday, February 21st, 2012Chicago has much to offer, with Cubs and White Sox baseball, Bears football, tall skyscrapers, great museums, art and culture, and delicious Chicago-style deep-dish pizza and hot dogs on practically every corner. But driving there can sometimes be a real hassle.
Driving in Chicago is pretty wild with stop and go traffic, meaning go very fast and stop on a dime. Many highways have express lanes, which are a welcome edition, but even the extra lanes still aren’t enough when things get really backed up. With a population of almost 2.9 million, that’s to be expected from the third largest city in the nation. Thee of the top 25 worst bottlenecks in the USA are in Chicago with ranks of three, eleven and nineteen. Chicago is tied with Washington, D.C. as the metro area with the biggest congestion problem. You can expect to lose an average of 70 hours a year stuck in traffic.
When cars are moving they move fast, dashing in and out of lanes and over to exit ramps with little or no warning. The red flare of brake lights is the thing you’ll notice most in the many tunnels along the Interstate or at night. This can be a very trying experience for your car. No one likes to be stuck in the narrow breakdown lane along the Dan Ryan with traffic flying by.
Of course, it’s always a good idea to make sure your vehicle is in good shape, especially in such a demanding city. Car service in Chicago is easy to find if you don’t want to do things yourself. If you feel up to the challenge you can perform these easy tune-ups on your own. Make sure your tires and fluids are at the proper levels. Try not to let your gas go below ¼ tank because the gas is actually used to keep the fuel pump cool, and anything less will cause the pump to run hot. If this happens every now and then it’s not a major deal, but doing it on a regular basis will cause the pump to fail. Regular oil changes are also a good idea. Most shops recommend servicing your oil at regular 3,000 mile intervals. Don’t let that little reminder sticker they put in the upper left corner of your windshield go out of date.
Regular maintenance will cut down on the number of potential problems for your vehicle. That’s where an expert mechanic comes in. You might think it’s expensive, but you have to keep you and your family’s safety in mind. You need to think of it like insurance: a necessary expense in exchange for peace of mind.