2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 15:44
Just before Christmas, drivers should fill up their vehicle again. Because on the holidays, the fuel prices rise significantly. We give you tips on what to look out for on New Year's Eve.
If you want to find your car as undamaged as possible after New Year's Eve, you should find a secure parking space in good time. Rocket dents in the roof, firecrackers in the exhaust and broken pieces under the tires: This is what the worst case scenario looks like on a New Year's Eve. Whether intentionally or by mistake, it is not uncommon for the car to come under fire at the turn of the year.
Parking the car thoughtlessly on main streets or in residential areas can take revenge. Otherwise, drivers shouldn't approach the last festival of the year too thoughtlessly.
New Year's Eve tips for drivers are provided by ADAC and the German Automobile Club (AvD).
Park the car in the garage if possible
Where there is nothing going on, nothing can happen: That is why the right parking space is essential on New Year's Eve. AvD advises the safest way to park your car under a roof, i.e. in a parking garage, garage or carport. If you don't have that nearby, you should at least stand in a quiet side street for the risky night. Basically, side streets are better than main streets, lonely corners are better than residential areas.
If possible, the car should be parked away in the early evening. Because trips on New Year's Eve usually took much longer than on normal nights, warns the AvD. Police checks and people partying on the streets repeatedly caused delays. Anyone who still has to drive at night should be prepared for the fact that sudden bangs or lightning bolts can distract them from firecrackers and rockets. He should also be prepared for the celebrants to ignite on the road. Then the best tactic is: stop and wait.
Vehicle owners shouldn't have to be too afraid of falling rockets, says Maxi Hartung from ADAC. "By the time the rocket comes down, it won't be hot anymore," says Hartung. "Nothing really happens there." If traces remain in the paintwork, they can usually be simply wiped off. Even an ordinary tarpaulin prevents such harmless but annoying quirks.
Damage is partly covered by insurance
Major damage to the car is less harmless and much more annoying. For example, if a firecracker explodes in the exhaust, the damage will be covered by fully comprehensive insurance, says Christian Lübke from the Association of the German Insurance Industry. This generally applies regardless of whether damage to the car was caused willfully or accidentally. "In very busy streets, people can scratch it or even willfully hit bottles of champagne," says Hartung. The partial comprehensive insurance, on the other hand, only covers fire damage, i.e. if a set of firecrackers or rockets should set the car on fire.
The AvD also advises that owners with fully comprehensive insurance should consider the premium increase. In the event of damage, you should therefore always have a calculation of how much more expensive the premium will be in the next year. Sometimes it can be worthwhile to pay for the repairs out of pocket.
The day after: Anyone who thinks they have survived the ghost on January 1st is wrong. Hartung advises that drivers should look at the exhaust and tires before driving for the first time in the New Year. Because it always happens that groups passing by put bangers in the exhaust pipe at night. No bottles should be left in front of or behind the tires. "Such shards can damage the tire."
Refuel in good time
New Year drivers should not underestimate their residual alcohol either, warn the automobile clubs. No one is allowed behind the wheel from 0.5 per mille There is no tolerance whatsoever for novice drivers, the zero alcohol limit applies. Under favorable conditions, people lose 0.1 per mil per hour and kilogram of body weight. “And you don't go to bed at midnight on New Year's Eve,” notes Hartung. After a night of partying on New Year's Eve, the safest option is to simply leave the car standing.
If there are holidays, gasoline prices rise. Maxi Hartung from ADAC advises anyone who can, therefore, should fill up their tank well before Christmas. If drivers cannot manage with one tank of fuel, it is best to stop at the pump in the middle of the week, more precisely on Tuesday or Wednesday before New Year's Eve. Because this year New Year's Eve also falls on a Saturday. "And on weekends the prices always go up anyway." (dpa)
