Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange
Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [safety]

Questions relating to the safe use of tools, safety procedures, use of safety equipment and other methods of avoiding harm to yourself or others.

A question that is related to the safe use of tools, how to use safety equipment or what safety hazards equipment, materials and procedures require can use the safety tag to help guide others to your question.

If what you are asking involved wondering if something can cause bodily harm, this tag is for you.

Topics can include:

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Are classic cars safe?

Are classic cars safe? I am interested to know the differences between modern vehicles and vehicles of old from the 1960s. In the event of an accident, how does a classic vehicle compare to a modern machine? Are safety features on new vehicles…
Jonathan Musso
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Why don't rally cars have airbags?

Why don't rally cars have airbags? Other competition cars, including Ken Block's don't have airbags either. Is it just for weight reduction, are they redundant or is there another (major) reason?
Andrei Rînea
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How do I save myself from a sinking vehicle?

Every year in Arizona there are monsoon storms and somebody inevitably get's killed in a car that is sinking in water. It appears the primary issue is getting free from the vehicle. After that, there's an entire set of other issues. Aside from…
DucatiKiller
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Does kicking a tire off your car from underneath it while it's held up by a stable jack pose safety threats?

I just had to put a doughnut on my car and I used the typical manufacturer car jack that fits into that little slot of metal near your wheel. After I got all the lug nuts out, I tried pulling the wheel off in several different ways with all my…
Katz_Katz_Katz
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10 answers

Is it safe to use a hydraulic jack as a stand? If not, why?

"If a jack can lift a load, surely it can withstand the load for extended periods of time?!" I've come across some conflicting ideas regarding this subject: The user guide for my low-profile hydraulic jack warns against using it as a stand for…
Zaid
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How to raise the car higher than the jack stands will allow?

So it's time to raise the car onto jack stands, but for whatever reason it needs to go higher than the stand height allows. How can I safely raise the height of the car? What I have done in the past is put a 2in concrete pave stone under the stand.…
cdunn
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Why don't cars have circuit breakers instead of fuses?

While there are exceptions the majority of cars use fuses instead of circuit breakers to protect electronics and I'm wondering why circuit breakers are not more widely used. Is it practicality, cost, regulations or a combination of those factors?
GdD
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Is a bigger car safer than a smaller car?

From the point of view of mass, a smaller car appears to be a disadvantage if in an accident with a bigger car, because the change in momentum of the smaller car will probably be higher. A bigger car carries more material that can absorb energy via…
Sparkler
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I drove with my Parking Brake on for 30 mins: should I be worried?

Yesterday, I was driving my car for about 30 minutes on the highway at speeds of up to 60 mph. I felt my brakes weren't really working and looked down to notice my emergency brake had been on the whole time (my indication lights don't work, so I…
Siena
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What's the best gear to leave a manual vehicle in when parked?

I've been told that reverse is the "strongest" gear, so in a manual transmission vehicle you should park your vehicle and leave it in reverse in the event of a parking brake failure. Others have said first or second gear are fine as well. Is there a…
William
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Can this tire sidewall damage be repaired or should I replace the tire?

I* hit a curb and got a small tear in the front passenger side tire. The tear is about 1" long and goes mostly across the surface of the tire but also a little bit, maybe 1/4", toward the inside of the tire. If this is beyond cosmetic and not…
Shimon Rura
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What factors affect the maximum air pressure that should be put in a vehicle's tires?

For just about every car, there's at least two different "maximum tire pressure" ratings. The vehicle manufacturer's rating. This is usually found on a sticker attached to the driver's door. The tire manufacturer's rating. This is usually found…
Iszi
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Do these tyre cracks necessitate replacement?

My car has been off the road for a few months, but will be back on it in a few weeks. The other day, I noticed some cracks between the treads on the front tyres. Not sure how long they've been there. I know tyres cracking can be bad, but I'm not…
raydowe
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Is a tire with exposed wire safe to drive on?

This is my front passenger tire. As you can see, there is a large crack where you can see wire underneath. I ordered new tires that are supposed to arrive on Friday, however, I still need to get to & from work every day this week (approximately 10…
user12727
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How to keep wheel ramps from sliding?

I have a very smooth garage floor. When I try to use my wheel ramps for the quick and easy way to raise a vehicle, they will often slide, sometimes just one, but other times both. They will sometimes even continue to slide as the tire pushes them…
Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
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