Blog

If parallel parking makes you nervous, you're not alone. Many drivers find this tricky parking technique a little daunting, especially inexperienced drivers who might have only recently taken their first car off the Kia dealership lot and fear scraping the paintwork. But by practicing the correct sequence of steps a few times, you'll find that parking in small gaps between other vehicles becomes rather like tying your shoelaces: an easy, effortless habit. Let's look at how to do it well. Stop Beside the Car in Front The very first step is to position yourself directly parallel to the parked car at the front of the gap: the car in front. You'll need to leave a two-foot gap between you and the car in front. More than a three-foot gap is too far and will make parking unnecessarily difficult. more Check Your Mirrors Before you begin reversing, scan carefully for oncoming vehicles. Check your mirrors and also glance back into your blind spots. If you see cars approaching in your lane, wait until they've passed before you begin. Signal the Maneuver Signal that you're about to turn right, so oncoming vehicles know what you're doing. After signaling, check your mirrors once more. You can never be too cautious. Begin Backing Up Look over your right shoulder, so you can clearly see the parked cars and the gap. Then begin to slowly reverse. As you do, gently turn the steering wheel to the right, which will steer your car's rear into the gap. Straighten Up As you enter the gap, when the rear of your car is moving directly toward the curb, straighten the steering wheel. Keep backing up slowly, glancing at the car parked in front to ensure that you're not getting too close. Turn the Steering Wheel to the Left Once your front bumper becomes level with the rear bumper of the car parked in front, it's time to turn your steering wheel to the left. This will curve your reversal, so you become parallel with the curb. Continue slowly edging backward until you've gone as far as you can without risking touching the rear parked car. Edge to the Center of the Gap Lastly, move forward until your car is directly between the two parked cars, with an even gap at both ends. If you're not close enough to the curb at this point, you can edge forward and backward as much as you like to get closer to the curb. But with practice, you'll find these final adjustments aren't necessary. You'll be getting it just right every time. Ask for Tips at Your Local Kia Dealer The friendly staff at a good dealership are always happy to talk about all things related to cars. You'll find them generous with parking or driving advice. If you need more extensive guidance, you can always hire a local driving instructor to give you a few lessons and polish those parking skills. Visit Our Kia Car Dealership in Lanham, MD For any Kia servicing or purchasing needs you have, visit DARCARS Lanham Kia. The staff at our Kia dealership is welcoming, knowledgeable, and always happy to help.

Your Kia dealer has seen a fair share of aggressive drivers over the years. Keep these useful tips in mind when you encounter aggression on the road. Lanham, MD Kia Dealer's 5 Recommendations for Staying Safe Around Aggressive Drivers 1. Recognize the Signs In order to know how to deal with road aggression and in order to keep yourself from becoming an aggressive driver, you should know what aggressive driving encompasses. The most common associated behaviors include speeding, weaving through traffic (with excessive lane changes and passes), tailgating, and running red lights. Some studies indicate that over two-thirds of driving deaths result from aggressive driving. more 2. Do Not Engage Aggressive driving can easily stir anger and cause an incident to escalate into even more dangerous road rage or into a tragic accident. Resist the temptation to interact. Even more importantly, do not meet fire with fire by mimicking the offending driver's reckless behaviors. If someone cuts you off, for example, don't attempt to speed up and pass them improperly. Instead, take a deep breath, stay calm, and keep your eyes straight ahead on the road. If you do feel yourself getting angry, pull over into a safe space and cool down. If you believe the driver was being especially reckless and poses a danger, you can channel your negative feelings in a positive way by calling authorities and reporting the behavior. 3. Move Away If you notice someone driving aggressively, make every effort to stay far away from them. If you can safely change lanes, do so. Allow the driver to pass if you are in the same lane. If you find a spot where you can securely park until the driver is out of your line of vision, this might be a good step to take as well. 4. Drive Defensively Adjusting your own driving behavior can likewise keep you safe. For one, do not succumb to any aggressive driving behaviors yourself. Stay a proper distance away from the car in front of you. Don't change lanes frequently or without your turn signal. And don't hang out in the fast lane. Park within the proper spaces and give yourself enough time when you start a driving trip to reach your destination without speeding or running lights. If you are being tailgated, do not nudge up closer to a car in front of you. Maintain your proper distance. In addition, when you encounter aggressive driving in any form, make sure your seatbelt is secured and stay extra alert. Obey all rules of the road and all traffic signals. 5. Avoid Confrontation If an aggressive driver follows and approaches you because of some perceived slight, do not get out of your vehicle. Keep your doors locked. Remain polite and level-headed. The aggressive driver, when met with calmness, is much more likely to come to their senses and emerge from the irrational rage felt in the heat of the moment. If you sense the situation is spiraling out of control, have a phone on-hand so you can call 911 immediately. You may also use your horn to draw attention and encourage the driver to back off. Find Yourself a Safe Vehicle at Our Car Dealership in Lanham, MD Most of today's new cars have invaluable security and driver-assist features to help keep you safe. Visit DARCARS Lanham Kia and check out our inventory of safety-enhanced autos. Explore new Kia models and used cars for sale.

If you've just bought a new Kia in Lanham, MD from your local Kia dealer, you'll no doubt be keen to take it for a spin around the local area. But if you come across one of the increasing number of traffic circles dotting Maryland's roads, you might be a little unsure of how to navigate them. A few simple tips can keep you safe. Slow Down on Approach Roundabouts can be pretty busy places. With vehicles whirling around, entering, and exiting, there's a lot to take into account. That's why it's so important to slow down on approach. If you zoom onto a traffic circle at top speed, you're putting yourself and other drivers in danger. more Slow down and stop at the give-way line before entering. This will allow you to look out for oncoming traffic and choose the optimal time to enter the circle. Most of the time when you approach a traffic circle, you will see a give-way line and a stop sign before them, so be sure to look out for any other important instructions. Keep Right When you reach a traffic circle, you always have to travel on the right. That means that whichever direction you're ultimately moving in, you have to turn right when entering the circle. Remember, even if the exit you want to take is just to your left, you have to go all around the traffic circle to reach it. This may seem like a pain, but it's absolutely essential to keep everyone safe. If you turn the wrong way, you're at risk of a head-on collision, and you could be in big trouble if you're caught out by the police. Avoid the Center Circle At the center of every traffic circle is a center point, marking the spot where vehicles should travel around. The center spot could be a large, raised area, a circle of paving, or even just a patch of paint on the ground. Whatever the center circle looks like, it's important not to drive over it, even if you don't see any other vehicles around. When you cut across the circle, you run the risk of collisions, as well as potentially damaging your tires and suspension on a raised surface. Your best bet is to imagine the center point as a solid concrete pillar, to be driven around and not driven over! Drive Safe with a Great Vehicle from Your Local Kia Dealership Wherever you are on the road, it's important to have a safe and reliable vehicle. When you buy from our dealership, you know you'll be driving a vehicle that you can rely on. With the benefits of our service, you can drive with peace of mind, secure in the knowledge that we only provide our customers with top-notch cars, whether they're new or used. Pick Out Your New Kia at Our Maryland Kia Dealership Ready to get out on the road and tackle any obstacle you find on the way? Come on down to DARCARS Lanham Kia today for all your automotive needs!

It's imperative that you stay safe on the roads, and it can be most difficult when those roads are covered in snow and ice. If tackling icy roads is a challenge for you, don't worry. We have some tips that may help you keep you, your passengers, and your vehicle safe. 1. Use Winter Tires Winter tires are the best for taking on ice, and they have the added benefit of being able to tackle deep snow, too. Winter tires usually have a more aggressive tread with superior traction; they can make any winter journey safer. Visit your dealer to talk about acquiring some winter tires. If you're buying a new vehicle, you should ask your dealer if they can throw in some winter tires as part of the deal. more 2. Be Gentle You never want to drive with speed on ice. Always go slowly and ensure you can hear the tires on the ice. Although road noise isn't always desirable, that crackling sound that tells you the tires are sticking to the ice is vital. If you speed up too much, then this sound disappears, and you know you're not getting as much traction as you should be. Be sure to take corners even slower and drive with care. If you do this then you should have no problem staying safe. 3. Black Ice - Watch Out On ice-covered roads, you shouldn't trust any street that looks shiny or wet. While a potential shine you're seeing may just be a puddle, it's better not to risk it. Treat every road like it's covered in black ice. If you think like that then you should have no problems. It's better to go slow but not hit ice than it is to speed up and skid on ice that you didn't account for. 4. Be Mindful of Other Accidents While you may not get into an accident yourself, it's far too easy to get caught up in someone else's. For example, say you're driving behind car A and you think they're going a little too fast. Car B comes along in the other lane, skidding a little, and suddenly car A and B are on a collision course. None of this is your fault, but it can be just as fatal for you as an accident of your own doing. On ice-covered roads, you should pay as much attention to other motorists' issues as you pay to your own. If you think someone on the road is driving dangerously, stop. Get out from behind them, switch lanes, or find another route. Visit Our Lanham, MD Kia Dealership for Winter Maintenance If any of these tips helped you, visit us at DARCARS Lanham Kia and we can get you a great deal on a vehicle that's fantastic for driving on ice-covered roads. We also have a Kia Service Center so we can get your vehicle fixed up with some solid tires for taking on ice and other challenging conditions. Need other services? Schedule an appointment today.

If your car is in need of some aid, it's always best to have a professional service technician take care of it. But sometimes life surprises us and we need to provide some first aid to our vehicle before we can get it to a professional. That's why we've made a list of the essential items you should include in your car first aid kit. 1. Reflective Cones and Triangles First things first: if your car breaks down on the side of the road, you want to be able to get out and look at your vehicle safely. Whether it happens at night or in the light of day, it's always best to set up some cones around your vehicle and secure the perimeter. Reflective cones are relatively inexpensive to buy, and most people don't think of them when they're planning on items for car trouble, but it's always best to be safe if your car breaks down in unexpected places. more 2. Reflective Vest This goes hand-in-hand with the item above. You don't just want cones to keep your vehicle safe from oncoming traffic. If you're outside the vehicle and performing some first aid on your car, you also want other drivers to be able to see you. That's why you want a bright yellow or orange reflective vest to let other drivers see you no matter what time it is. 3. Spare Tire and Tools One of the simplest and most common reasons you may need to perform first aid on your vehicle is to change a tire. Flat tires are unexpected, but we can always plan ahead by keeping a spare tire and the proper tools in our vehicle. Make sure that you have a wheel wrench and tripod jack so you can change your tire in case of an emergency. 4. Jumper Cables The second most common reason you may need to perform some first aid on your vehicle is if the car battery stops working. Always have a set of jumper cables in your vehicle because you don't know when you might need them. A dead battery is a simple and easy thing to fix as long as you've got the essential items needed to handle it. 5. Cell Phone Charger In case your car troubles are a little more serious and you can't perform any momentary fixes like the ones outlined above, it's always best to have your phone fully charged so you can call for help. That's why you should always have a cell phone charger ready inside your car, so you never lose the ability to call for help in the case of an emergency. Remember Your Lanham, MD Car Maintenance, too! You never know what the road may bring you, so it's always best to think ahead and be ready. That's why everyone should have a kit of essential items in their car in case of emergency, as well as have your car regularly maintained. Come to DARCARS Lanham Kia for all your vehicle maintenance needs! Click here to schedule an appointment.

Driving in rain can be extremely nerve-wracking and dangerous, especially when it's pouring down and your visibility is impaired. How can you navigate securely during rain? The following tips will help you to drive safely in wet conditions. 1. Defog Your Windows Turn on your heater or defroster and defog your windows before you drive off to ensure that you can see where you are going. There are also products available on the market that will prevent fog from forming on your windows. more 2. Test Your Windshield Wipers Before you take to the road, check that your wipers are in good working order. Test all the settings to ensure that your wipers will give you the visibility you need to see where you are going. 3. Check Your Tire Pressure If your vehicle's tires are in good condition and inflated to the correct pressure, you will have more traction. This will lower the risk of your vehicle sliding and skidding in wet conditions. 4. Put Your Lights On Often, rain can impair visibility on the road, especially during heavier storms. The headlights on your car will increase your visibility and make it easier for other drivers to see you. 5. Drive Slowly The water can make driving conditions very slippery. When you drive fast on wet roads, your car can easily slide over the wet, oily road surface, and you can lose control of your vehicle. If your car hydroplanes, stay calm, immediately take your foot off the gas, and don't steer until your car makes contact with the road again. 6. Keep a Safe Following Distance You want to be able to have time to spot if need be. Keep plenty of space between your vehicle and the one in front of you to assist. This will give you more time to react. 7. Don't Brake Hard If there is enough space between you and the car in front of you, you will have enough time to remove your foot from the accelerator to slow down without hitting the brakes hard. Hard braking can cause your car to slide on the wet road and cause a collision. 8. Avoid Outside Lanes There are more water and big puddles in the outside lanes. Drive in the middle lane where possible to avoid running or standing water. 9. Keep Proper Space from Large Vehicles If there is a truck or a bus in front of you, keep generous space in between you and the other vehicle. The large tires can cause more water to hit your windshield and make it difficult for you to see. 10. If You Can't See Pull Over If it's raining hard and you find it difficult to see, find a safe spot to pull over and wait for the weather to improve. Trying to drive in extreme conditions is extremely dangerous and should be avoided where possible. Be Prepared for Wet Weather and Remember Routine Maintenance If you can, and we know it's not always possible, try to avoid driving in wet, rainy conditions. If possible, be patient and wait until the rains stop before driving. It’s also important to keep your car maintained to ensure parts, like the brakes, tires, and more, can work optimally in inclement weather. Schedule service with DARCARS Lanham Kia, and the certified technicians can perform a complete inspection to ensure that your vehicle performs at its best in wet weather conditions.