Millions of car accidents every year are avoidable, either through paying extra care to your driving or properly maintaining your vehicle. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were nearly six million accidents in 2022. How many could have been avoided with more care and attention? If you’ve been involved in an accident due to another driver’s negligence, an experienced Austin car accident lawyer can help you understand your legal options.
Proper maintenance saves lives because a car that isn’t functioning at 100% doesn’t perform at 100%, which puts you and others at risk. Keeping your vehicle in good condition reduces the risk, but did you know how often you drive your car plays into maintenance?
In this guide, we discuss the impact of driving frequency and provide ten tips for keeping your car in prime condition.
Key Takeaways
Driving your vehicle regularly is essential for avoiding many of the most common car-related problems, including dead batteries, corrosion, and tire flat spots.
Taking your vehicle out for drives at least once every week or two for a 30-minute drive and one longer drive per month is enough to prevent maintenance problems by heating up the engine to its optimal temperature.
Ensure that you take your car for regular maintenance checks at least once per year as a precaution. You can also prevent problems for rarely used cars through devices like fuel stabilizers and trickle chargers.
Improper maintenance increases the risk of experiencing an accident due to issues like tire blowouts and underperforming brakes. This may result in incurring liability, which could also result in criminal charges in cases of gross negligence.
Contact a personal injury attorney if you were involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault or if you believe improper maintenance and mechanical failure were factors in your accident.
How Often Should I Be Driving My Car?
Driving regularly keeps your car in good shape. According to Toyota, it’s perfectly fine to let your car sit parked in the garage for weeks without experiencing any problems, but it’s better to drive it regularly. They recommend driving your vehicle at least a couple of times a month for a minimum of ten miles at speeds of over 50 mph.
Ensuring you’re getting your car out and about a couple of times a month keeps everything ticking over and prevents premature degradation of the components within.
For example, this is why if you take an old car that hasn’t been driven in a few months, the chances are you’ll have to start it with jumper cables because the battery has gone flat. It’s nothing unique to any particular model. All types of machinery require regular use to stop the parts from degrading.
Is it OK to Drive Your Car Once a Week?
Driving your car once a week is enough to keep your car in good condition. However, you must drive it long enough for the engine to warm up fully. Giving your car a good workout of at least ten miles or more helps stop several issues from coming to the fore, including:
Battery drain
Brake corrosion
Flat spots in the tires
According to the AAA Foundation for Safety, the average American drives over 29 miles daily, but the issue often isn’t not driving enough. Instead, vehicles tend to degrade when you have two cars or more as one gets left in the garage.
The Importance of Regular Driving
Cars are designed to move. It’s the same with humans. Stop exercising for a few months, and you won’t experience the same performance you had before. With any car, regular driving ensures that your vehicle doesn’t degrade over time.
It’s all down to the vehicle mechanics. The biggest problem is battery drain because your car’s alternator cannot recharge the battery while your car sits unused for long periods.
Other issues related to infrequent driving include:
Fluid Degradation – The lifeblood of any vehicle is the fluids within. Irregular driving means fluids like brake fluid and engine oil aren’t circulating and are encouraged to degrade. Naturally, this will impact how effective they are at doing their jobs.
Rubber Component Degradation – Your car is equipped with various seals and gaskets. When your car isn’t running, it can dry out. Let them dry out enough, and you’ll start to see leaks.
Rust – Another problem is moisture building up in the car. Any moisture trapped in the car could start to rust any exposed metal. With regular driving, the elements disrupt this process, preserving your car.
Like a master surgeon who hasn’t worked on a patient in a long time, you can’t expect your car to stay frozen in time when you’re not driving it regularly. You don’t have to drive your car daily or for long distances. A quick workout is all that’s needed to ensure your vehicle doesn’t begin experiencing problems.
The Risks of Infrequent Driving
Different components react differently to infrequent driving. Metal components might start to rust, whereas brake pads lose their flexibility. Over time, you’ll begin seeing degraded performance in everything from braking to tire support.
Here are the biggest risks of infrequent driving:
Your battery will lose its charge because your engine isn’t turning over.
Dry tire rot can set in, leading to cracks and splits forming in your tires.
Rust and corrosion in the engine and undercarriage may cause irreparable damage.
Damage from sap and droppings can ruin your paint job.
Rodents may take up residence in your vehicle.
Your brakes may experience corrosion, and your brake pads may become less flexible, resulting in your brakes no longer working correctly.
Tire flat spots might eventually form because of the weight of the vehicle, concentrating pressure in specific areas of your tires.
Fluids within the vehicle, including oil, eventually lose efficacy and go stale.
Many of these problems are easy enough to resolve and aren’t dangerous in themselves. However, issues that affect your wheels, brakes, and fluids can make your vehicle unsafe to drive.
Don’t underestimate the risks involved. The NHTSA reported that 2,600 fatalities and over 100,000 disabling injuries occur every year because of poor vehicle maintenance.
General Guidelines for Driving Frequency
Driving frequency can be confusing, even for veteran drivers. According to Consumer Reports, driving your vehicle for at least 20 minutes every two weeks should be the minimum for keeping your car in tip-top condition.
However, many road safety experts recommend cutting this to once a week to keep the battery charged, prevent flat spots, and ensure that fluids circulate throughout your vehicle. Avoid long periods of inactivity stretching longer than a fortnight, as this is when problems start occurring.
If you can’t drive more than once every two weeks, there are actions you can take, including:
Use a trickle charger, known as a battery tender, to maintain battery life.
Check your tires and reinflate them to the proper pressure.
Consider investing in a fuel stabilizer if you plan to leave your car sitting for over a month.
Note that you should aim to take a long drive at least once a month. Take to your nearest highway for a 30-60-minute drive. Adding a long drive to your regular car maintenance ensures that you’ve fully warmed up the engine, and it can burn away moisture.
Another reason to take a long drive is to exercise your car’s critical components, including the brakes and transmission. It also helps to maintain your catalytic converter and any other emissions systems attached to your vehicle.
Seasonal Considerations
Temperature also impacts your vehicle and how quickly it degrades without regular use. Remember, everything from temperature to humidity changes through the seasons, regardless of whether you store your car inside a garage or on the street.
Typically, you should drive your car more frequently in the winter because car batteries are prone to freezing. The same goes for fluids. On the other hand, heat can increase wear on your tires and internal coolant systems. In this case, you might want to limit your driving to the absolute minimum or store it inside a garage (if possible) to protect it from direct sunlight.
Driving Duration and Its Benefits
Driving frequency matters, and so does driving time. Turning on your car and letting it idle in the driveway isn’t a substitute for taking it out for a proper drive. Different driving durations have different benefits.
Here’s a rundown of the benefits of different driving durations:
Short Weekly Drives (15-30 Minutes)
These short weekly drives keep your car’s basic systems up and running. They keep your battery charged, circulate fluids, and stop flat stops. Most of us can keep our vehicles running simply by driving to the store once a week.
Longer Monthly Drives (30-60 Minutes)
Taking your car out for a long drive gives your vehicle the chance to reach its optimal operating temperatures. It’s also a chance to give those critical components a workout they don’t get during shorter drives.
These long drives properly engage several systems, including:
Emissions systems
Brakes
Transmission
According to Cars.com, another benefit of driving faster for longer once a month is stopping carbon building up in the engine. Let carbon build-up go on unattended, and it could eventually destroy your engine and, thus, your vehicle.
Short, Frequent Trips (Under Five Miles)
Taking shorter yet more frequent trips might sound like a good idea, but it’s not. According to AAA, these types of trips stop the engine from warming up completely and cause the components to wear out faster.
More specifically, when your engine doesn’t reach the optimal operating temperature, condensation, and contaminants in the oil start to build up. Inefficient internal combustion systems also lend themselves to carbon buildup.
Key Components Impacted by Infrequent Driving
Infrequent driving impacts different parts of your vehicle differently. The four parts of your vehicle likeliest to be hit by infrequent driving include your battery, fuel systems, tires, and brakes.
In this section, we’ll discuss what infrequent driving means for each component and what you can do apart from driving more often.
Car Battery Health
Your battery is the primary problem when you’re not driving your car. It will eventually lose charge, with extreme heat and cold making the problem worse.
If this happens, you’ll notice that your battery will be dead, and the battery’s terminals might have corroded. Moreover, if your battery is fully drained too often, you might have to replace it with a new battery.
The easiest way to solve this problem is to attach a trickle charger to your car to maintain the charge. It’s especially useful if you’re putting a car into long-term storage or you only drive it seasonally.
Fuel System Integrity
The fuel already in your car is also vulnerable when your car isn’t doing anything. Over time, the fuel can degrade because of the ill effects of oxidation and any moisture that’s managed to sneak its way in. This is a common problem in vehicles that haven’t been touched for a month or more.
Problems include your fuel becoming contaminated or your fuel injectors getting clogged up. Like the battery, there’s a device to prevent this problem. Attach a fuel stabilizer to the car if you’re not planning on driving it for a while.
Tire Condition and Pressure
Your tires may lose pressure over time. Flat spots might also appear, where the vehicle’s weight bears down on a specific spot. Eventually, you’ll notice underinflated tires or even permanent flat spots, requiring you to replace the tires altogether.
Before storing your car for long periods, inflate your tires to the recommended pressure. Bridgestone also recommends moving the car short distances to prevent flat spots from forming.
Brake Functionality
Your brakes are designed to be used. Lack of use can cause buildups of rust on the brake rotors. Unfortunately, that’s a problem that directly influences brake performance, potentially putting your life at risk.
One of the telltale signs that this has happened is you feel your brakes sticking, or they start squeaking when you use them. Unfortunately, the only way to solve this problem is to take your car for a brake and practice engaging the brakes every so often.
10 Expert-Approved Tips for Maintaining Your Car
Maintaining your vehicle is beneficial because it extends its lifespan and stops minor problems from becoming catastrophic problems later. According to Motor.com, 64% of drivers are putting off regular maintenance, with 28% saying they’ve been constantly postponing an oil change.
Staying on top of maintenance doesn’t just stop significant problems from developing, but it also guarantees that your car is safe to drive. Nobody wants to be stuck at the side of the road, but simple problems like cracked tires or faulty brake pads could kill someone.
Here are ten expert-approved tips for getting the most out of your car.
Stick to Your Scheduled Oil Changes
Oil has an expiry date, and it’s one of the biggest aspects of car maintenance drivers put off. Regular oil changes stop engine wear, keep it lubricated, and protect against contaminants from getting into the system.
Typically, it’s recommended that you change your oil every six to twelve months or every 5,000-7,500 miles. Skip those oil changes, and you risk sludge building up inside, which can lead to your engine overheating and blowing up.
Rev Up Your Engine Periodically
Revving up your engine allows it to reach its optimal operating temperature. It’s something that happens naturally when you drive for at least a half hour every week. This stops moisture from building up in the engine and exhaust.
Take your car for a drive on the highway to get your engine up to speed. This allows any carbon deposits to be burned away.
Keep a Close Eye on Tire Pressure
Check your tire pressure at least once a month. When your tires are underinflated, it increases the rate of wear and decreases your overall fuel efficiency.
You can find out whether your tire pressure is at the appropriate level with a tire gauge.
Fuel Up Your Gas Tank Before Extended Idle Times
If you’re planning to put your car into long-term storage or not planning on driving for a while, fill up your tank so it’s at least half full. When the fuel level is too low, the tank starts adding air, allowing moisture and other organic materials to build up, which degrades the fuel inside. Buy a fuel stabilizer if you’re storing your car for over a month.
Shield Your Car’s Exterior from the Elements
Ideally, you want to store your car in a garage or under some form of shelter to prevent direct exposure to the elements. Sun, rain, and snow can all damage your car’s paint job and cause rust to appear. If you have to leave your car on the street, use a wax or sealant to protect the exterior.
Maintain a Pristine Interior
The interior of your car is just as important as the exterior. Clean your interior every so often to stop mold and odors from accumulating. Use protective sprays on the seats and trim, especially if it’s genuine leather.
Check for Pests
The last thing you want is for pests to make your vehicle their home. Your car is a natural hidey-hole for everything from rats to cats, especially during the colder months. They can chew through the wiring and nest within the engine bay.
Inspect your car, if possible, or use peppermint oil as a natural deterrent.
Safely Disconnect Your Battery When Needed
Battery drain is a common problem when cars aren’t regularly driven. You’ve got two options to deal with this problem:
Attach a smart charger to keep the battery ticking over.
Disconnect the battery entirely.
On a side note, if you’re disconnecting the battery, disconnect it from the negative terminal first to avoid unwanted short circuits.
Don’t Neglect Your Fluids
Coolant, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, windshield washer fluid, and brake fluids are all part of what keeps the different parts of your car working. Check fluid levels and top them off to stop overheating and other mechanical problems.
It’s also worth scheduling an annual fluid check to catch potential leaks before they cause catastrophic issues.
Ensure Your Auto Insurance Remains Up-to-Date
Don’t allow your auto insurance to lapse just because you’re not using your vehicle. Full coverage auto insurance protects your vehicle even when you’re not driving, including against theft, vandalism, fire, and natural disasters.
It’s also worth talking to your insurer if you’re not planning to drive your car regularly. Some insurers will offer significant discounts if your driving habits have changed or you’re a low-mileage driver.
Legal Risks of Infrequent Driving and Poor Maintenance
Drive with a vehicle in poor condition, and you’re asking for trouble. Vehicle malfunctions, such as faulty brakes or tire blowouts, can cause accidents, and you’ll be blamed if you don’t stay on top of maintenance.
For example, in the case Scott v Clark, two pickup trucks were driving in opposite directions. One truck had a blowout, and the driver lost control, swerving into the oncoming lane. The other truck driver was killed. It was later found the tire had 15-20% tread remaining and was full of holes. To make things worse, it was an old mobile home tire.
It's an example of how poor maintenance can quickly result in an entirely avoidable accident with tragic consequences. Unfortunately, this doesn’t just mean civil liability. It could also mean criminal liability in extreme negligence cases like this.
Can Poor Vehicle Maintenance Make You Liable in an Accident?
Poor vehicle maintenance could make you liable in an accident. Catastrophic component failures could result in causing an accident, making you entirely liable for everything, such as:
Property damage
Medical expenses
Repair bills
In states operating under the comparative liability model, poor vehicle maintenance could be seen as a contributing factor to an accident, even if it wasn’t your fault. In these states, you may be held partially liable, which will reduce your overall compensation award.
State Laws on Vehicle Roadworthiness and Driver Responsibility
Inadequate maintenance isn’t just a liability issue but a legal issue. Every state has rules and regulations regarding roadworthiness. In all cases, the onus is on the driver to ensure their vehicle is roadworthy.
These laws cover several components, including tread depth and fully operational brakes. States like New York and California also require you to pass these checks as part of mandatory annual vehicle inspections as a condition of renewing your registration.
Failing to keep your vehicle roadworthy is a crime in many states. For example, if it’s found that your vehicle is unsafe to drive, you could be ticketed. In Illinois, a traffic officer may issue a “fix-it ticket,” which requires the issue to be resolved within a specific period.
Depending on where you live, the consequences for violating roadworthiness laws include:
Fines
Points on your license
Vehicle impoundment
Increased insurance premiums
Insurance Consequences of Neglecting Car Maintenance
Neglecting your car maintenance also impacts your insurance coverage. It can impact how claims are processed, whether your claim is accepted, and future auto insurance premiums.
Here’s what poor car maintenance could mean for you:
Denied Claims – If poor maintenance was a defining factor in your accident, your claim could be outright denied. Maintaining your vehicle is a condition of coverage.
Increased Liability – Expect to face an increased liability risk if you don’t stay on top of maintenance. Although your auto insurer might still pay for the accident, there’s a real risk you may be held responsible for damages that go beyond your existing coverage limits.
Policy Cancellation – In extreme cases of maintenance neglect, you could see your policy canceled outright. If this happens, it usually means an insurer sees your vehicle as high-risk and won’t allow you to renew your coverage.
Bigger Premiums – Got a history of claims that involved preventable issues? Your increased risk profile could incur bigger insurance premiums to cover the extra risk an insurer takes by agreeing to cover you.
Reduced Payouts – Cars that are totaled mean that you get the actual cash value of the vehicle. Unfortunately, if your vehicle has been neglected, the insurer reserves the right to reduce the actual cash value payout.
Limited Coverage Options – Finding affordable coverage becomes extremely difficult if you’ve got a history of maintenance-related claims on your record. Some insurers may refuse to insure you entirely.
As you can see, a lack of maintenance has real consequences. A lack of regular driving alone won’t cause your coverage to become compromised, but not maintaining your vehicle will.
Liability Issues for Accidents Caused by Vehicle Malfunctions
Accidents caused by vehicle malfunctions might lead to liability issues for you, depending on the circumstances. However, liability might also fall upon the mechanic who serviced the vehicle or even the manufacturer itself.
The accident investigation will focus on the cause of the malfunction, whether that malfunction resulted in the accident, and whether the vehicle's owner could have prevented the malfunction.
For example, if your tire blew out and caused you to crash, you could be held liable if the tire had little to no tread because that’s on you for not maintaining your vehicle. However, if you purchased a new tire and it blew out on the way home, liability could fall on the mechanic or the tire manufacturer.
In situations like this, it’s vital to call a personal injury attorney to assist with the investigation and gather evidence to prove that you weren’t at fault. They’ll collect all available evidence and build your case to win you the compensation you deserve.
How Often Should You Get Safety Inspections to Avoid Legal Trouble?
Legally, your state may require you to get an annual inspection with a registered mechanic as a condition for renewing your vehicle registration. Other states may require this only once every two years, but most road safety experts recommend a complete annual inspection of your vehicle as standard.
Of course, if you notice that your vehicle is showing signs of problems, take your car to your nearest garage immediately.
The Role of Vehicle Recalls in Accident Liability
Vehicle recalls are where the manufacturer issues a general recall for vehicles due to a defective part. You’re entitled to get your car repaired or replaced at no cost, which is an entitlement protected by federal law.
As the owner of the car, you have the legal responsibility to have your car fixed. If you fail to do so, you could face legal consequences if you’re involved in an accident. Ignoring a manufacturer’s recall after being sufficiently warned could even invite criminal charges if you’re in a serious accident.
The easiest way to avoid this problem is to stay aware of potential recalls. You’ll find recall information on the manufacturer’s website. Act immediately to limit potential legal liability and protect others on the road.
Proving Mechanical Failure vs. Driver Negligence in Court
Proving that an accident was caused by a mechanical failure instead of driver negligence requires identifying the specific failure and providing evidence that it directly led to the accident. If proven, this could partially or fully shift liability from the driver to a mechanic or manufacturer.
But what evidence can show a car malfunction caused an accident? Examples include:
Maintenance records
Expert witness testimony
Accident reconstruction
Existing or previous recall notices
These types of evidence can impact your legal case by providing a professional opinion on the cause of the accident and how neglect via maintenance records contributed to the increased likelihood of the accident occurring.
However, calling an experienced personal injury lawyer is critical for gathering this evidence. They can utilize their connections to enlist expert witnesses and commission accident reconstructions to prove or refute claims of mechanical failure.
Can a Lack of Maintenance Lead to Criminal Charges After an Accident?
In some cases, a lack of maintenance could result in criminal charges. Criminal cases are separate from civil cases, with the former focusing on punishment. Typically, these cases must meet the threshold of criminal negligence, whereby a person doesn’t take reasonable precautions and disregards the safety of others.
Criminal charges may come into play if you’ve already received a repair order after being pulled over by a traffic officer or if your vehicle fails to meet roadworthiness standards in your state. They’re also more likely if an accident results in serious injury or death.
If you’re facing criminal charges due to a lack of maintenance, or you’re the victim of criminal negligence, get in touch with an experienced car accident attorney to defend your rights and fight your case.
Car Maintenance FAQs
How often should you drive a car?
Try to drive your car at least once every one to two weeks for around thirty minutes. At least once a month, take your car for a 30-60-minute drive on the highway. Aim to drive for at least ten miles at speeds of 50 mph and above to enable the components of your vehicle to reach their optimal temperatures.
What is inadequate maintenance?
Inadequate maintenance from a legal standpoint means that your vehicle doesn’t meet the legal roadworthiness standards for your state. Factors include tire tread and brake condition. View your state’s DMV website to learn more about the requirements in your state.
What’s the most common car maintenance issue?
The most common car maintenance issues, as outlined by Bridgestone Tires, include oil changes, keeping tires round and inflated, and brake problems. Unfortunately, many drivers put off these issues until they experience major problems, which inadvertently puts them at risk of liability if they’re involved in an accident.
