(NAPSI)—How do you think automobile manufacturers would characterize your driving? Surprisingly, according to their definitions, most people who think they are normal drivers are in fact severe.
Take heart. Severe driving is not about your driving style. It refers to the conditions you drive in. If you drive in hot or cold weather, in dusty or muddy conditions, on rough roads, in lots of stop and go traffic, make frequent short trips, and/or drive in coastal areas or where road salts are used, you are a severe driver.
The majority of owner’s manuals recommend changing the oil every 3,000 miles if the vehicle is driven under severe conditions. However, according to a recent poll, most people either do not read their manuals (or only skim them when they first purchase a car), or they misinterpret the information. Younger drivers are even less likely to consult their owner’s manuals than their older counterparts, according to the survey.
The Pennzoil-Quaker State Company/Harris Interactive Poll also revealed that 86 percent of the 3,345 people surveyed initially rated themselves as normal drivers. Only 14 percent thought they were severe. However, when given the criteria for severe driving conditions, the numbers dramatically reversed.
Soccer Moms=Severe Drivers
Many people are surprised to learn that what they thought were normal driving conditions are actually severe. For example, few people would initially consider “soccer moms” to be severe drivers, but when you consider the numerous short trips and stop-and-go traffic that they endure as they shuttle their children to and from their many activities, you can see how they in fact meet this definition.
Once normal and severe conditions were explained, the 14 percent of survey respondents who originally assumed they were severe drivers increased dramatically to 55 percent. Also, the 90 percent of female drivers who first assumed they were normal dropped to 40 percent.
With the summer travel season going into high gear, severe driving conditions will abound. Experts recommend changing your car’s oil every 3,000 miles as an essential part of preventive car maintenance under severe driving conditions.
Over time, the additives in the motor oil are “used up” and the only way to get the engine the protection it needs is to routinely change the oil and filter.
To learn if you are a normal or severe driver, visit www.pennzoil- quakerstate.com.
High temperatures and lots of stop-and-go traffic create severe driving conditions, in which preventive car maintenance is even more important.
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