Transportation & Driving

If your gas pedal ever gets stuck while you’re driving, most people freeze up and have no idea what to do. Here’s the move that could save your life — and it’s simpler than you think.

A lot of young drivers assume traffic tickets before 18 just vanish once they hit adulthood. They don’t — and finding out the hard way can cost you real money and your license.

Your instinct might be to jump out and get away from a broken-down car on the highway. But where you go next actually matters a lot — and the advice is more specific than most people realize.

Getting pulled over for something small — a busted taillight, a rolling stop — can turn into a real arrest if there’s an outstanding warrant attached to your name. Even an old unpaid traffic ticket can do it.

Hydroplaning feels terrifying, and your first instinct is totally wrong. Here’s the move that actually saves you.

If you borrow a friend’s car and get into an accident, your own auto insurance usually won’t save you. The car owner’s policy is what matters — and if they don’t have one, you could be on the hook for everything.

Most young drivers pick their first car insurance without really knowing what they’re buying. Here’s the difference that could cost you thousands if you get it wrong.

If someone you care about asks you to co-sign their car loan, it feels like a favor. But if they stop paying, it becomes your debt — and your credit score takes the hit every single month they miss.

If you’re still making payments on a financed car and it gets stolen or totaled, your insurance might only pay what the car is worth — not what you still owe. That gap can cost you thousands.

If you’re hurt in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, don’t assume the other driver’s insurance swoops in and pays the hospital. It doesn’t work like that — and if you don’t know what’s actually happening behind the scenes, you could end up blindsided.

Most people’s instinct is to stomp and hold the brake pedal to the floor. For most brake failures in standard hydraulic systems, that’s the wrong move. Pumping the brakes repeatedly can build enough pressure to slow you down. But if your car has ABS (anti-lock brakes), the rules are different — keep reading.

If your car gets recalled, the manufacturer has to fix it at no cost to you. But until you bring it in, that risk is still on you.

If your navigation app tells you to do something illegal and you do it — and someone gets hurt — that’s on you. The app doesn’t know traffic law. You’re still the driver.

If your car breaks down on a highway, your instinct might be to get out and away from the vehicle. That instinct could get you killed.

Most people don’t realize they can say no when a cop asks to search their car. But there are real exceptions that can override that right, and not knowing them could cost you.

Most states won’t let new drivers under 18 bring friends along for the first several months — and breaking that rule can seriously set back when you get your full license. Rules vary by state, so always check your own DMV’s guidelines.

Dropping to liability-only insurance to save money on a financed car can seriously backfire. Your lender has the right to step in and buy their own policy on your behalf — and stick you with the bill.

A tow is already a bad day. But if you don’t act fast, storage fees can stack up until they’re worth more than your car — and then the tow company can auction it off to cover what you owe.