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Do you ever find yourself getting frustrated in the parking lot? That just means that your experience is missing something. Like the Salt Bae and his spice, the parking lot just needs a sprinkle of politeness. Keep reading to find out some of the essential parking lot etiquette tips! One of the most obvious things is to make sure you’re taking up only one space. Taking up more than one space is just plain rude! If your car has the world’s most amazing paint job, or if it’s too wide to fit comfortably in one spot, park further out instead of trying to find a place closer to the store. Walking is good for you, anyway. While we’re on the subject, don’t walk down the middle of the lane when you’re a pedestrian. Always watch for cars, make sure you stay in the crosswalk, and stick to one side of the road or another. Walking down the middle is a surefire way to get someone in a 2,000-pound bullet angry at you, which is never a good thing. Take turns when it comes to finding a parking spot. Stealing spots is SUPER rude and can lead to accidents. Be patient. Another spot will be open. Park straight in the parking space. This is related to the first tip we shared here about not taking up more than one parking space. If you’re parked too close to one side of the space, or if you’re parked off-kilter, that can force someone else to need to find another space when the one next to your car WOULD have been just fine… if they’d been able to open their door. On that same note, don’t park too close to another car that’s already parked. You can risk damaging their car, and also trapping them outside of their car until you leave. Basically, just be polite. Use common courtesy. There you go! Perfectly Parking Lot Sized Specials

When we’re on the road, one of the most important tools that we have at our disposal as drivers is our turn signal. Luckily, we have two of them! The only problem is that we are generally really bad at using our turn signals, and then when we see other people using them improperly (or not using them at all) we tend to get a little irate. So, this blog today is dedicated to why we tend to not use our turn signals, and why we are WRONG and should be ashamed of ourselves, and then correct our behavior. So, some people don’t use their signals when they’re making a right turn because it’s just a right turn. False! No turn is ever “just” a turn! You should be using your turn signals no matter what... because you’re making a turn. That’s what they’re for. Come on, people! Another reason we might not use our signals is that there’s nobody around. Sure, that’s a somewhat valid argument, but when you don’t use your signals you create habits for yourself. And those habits can carry over into times when you ARE around other people, and then it’s super dangerous to not be using your signals. The thing about turn signals is that they are our primary way of communicating with other drivers on the road, and when you don’t use them you are not only endangering yourself but the other drivers that you are sharing the road with. So, moral of the story, use your turn signals! And if you’re the type of person who prefers videos, check out this one on using your signals! Safe Specials for Safe Drivers

Winter is coming… and even though we’re in Maryland, where winter is just a chill in the air at the mildest and a little nippy at the worst, we should still think about winterizing our cars in preparation for the season. Anything can happen, and you don’t want to be that one person stuck in the freak storm without preparation. So, check out our tips for winterizing your car, no matter where you live! Make sure your battery is in fighting form. This entails having your mechanic check it out, testing it yourself, or replacing it if you’re due. Change out your wiper blades and stock up on wiper fluid with antifreeze. Make sure you have the all-season wipers on before the winter actually starts! Consider snow tires if you’re concerned about slipping and sliding in colder temperatures. Otherwise, check out snow chains or other traction devices. Be extra vigilant about your tire pressure. This not only helps you get better gas mileage, but it helps your vehicle with traction. If you have four-wheel drive, make sure it’s in working order. Again, talk to your mechanic about checking this out. Make sure you have an emergency kit in your car and that it’s fully stocked and ready to go. You should also keep a couple of blankets in your car, just in case you need them for any reason. Have your mechanic check your oil viscosity and the belts and hoses inside your engine. If something breaks, you’re not going to want to fix it in the winter. That’s just a fact. Winter driving can be hazardous wherever you are - make sure that you’re prepared no matter what! Come see us at King Kia and we’ll get you squared away for whatever’s in store. Our Best AWD Vehicles!

If you’ve ever experienced a tire blowout, you’ll know that it’s pretty much the worst thing that can happen to you. It’s not just a flat tire, which can sometimes be temporarily repaired with a patch kit. Oh, no. A blowout is when half of your tire, all the way around your tire, separates from the other half. Your tire is literally blown in half! When you come across those giant long strips of tire on the highway, those are remnants of truck blowouts. Safe to say, you don’t want this to happen to you. But, sometimes it’s unavoidable. This blog is here to tell you what you should do in the event of a blowout happening to you - and let’s hope it never happens! So, you’re driving along and suddenly you hear a loud booming noise and your car starts to go all over the place. The first thing you should do is stop (safely, and on the side of the road). Put on those hazards and get out of the car to investigate. If it’s a blowout, no patch kit is going to save you. Make sure you’re in a spot that’s far enough away from traffic, then get out your tire changing kit. Jack up your car per the instructions in your owner’s manual - this is important because there are specific places on your car that are reinforced just for the express purpose of putting the jack there! If you put the jack in the wrong place, you could damage your car. Anyway, jack that puppy up and remove the old, blown out tire. You may want to keep it as a fun souvenir to show everyone. I mean, you’re gonna have to keep it anyway, because to leave it would be to litter, but you know what I mean. You’re going to have to keep the tire rim anyway if it hasn’t been damaged by the weight of your car. Hopefully, you have a spare tire, and if you do you should put it on. If not, call for roadside assistance as soon as you’re pulled over! Put that tire on and you’re good to go - straight to a garage! If you’re close to home, take your vehicle in to your dealership. Yeah, sure, we are a dealership, but we’re stressing this because pretty much universally you know that technicians at dealerships are specifically trained in your make’s maintenance. That means you’ll get the best service possible, and you’ll get advice and help with avoiding any more blowouts. If you’ve had a blowout or just want someone to check up on your tires, come down to King Kia today and we’ll help you out. We’ve attached some rockin’ service coupons as well - just for you! Exclusive Service Coupons Through Here!

If you have trouble seeing the light at night, then you might have an issue with your headlamps! There could be several issues - they could be actually dying, they could be half dying, or (and this is the best case scenario) they could just be dirty! In this blog, we’ll give you some tips on how to clean up or replace your headlights so that the road ahead is no longer a frightening mystery after dark. So, the first thing you should always do is clean your headlights with some good old soap and water, or even glass cleaner. Number one, this always cleans up your headlights on the outside, no matter what. So, this is always good to do! Number two, if your headlights were just dirty and that’s why they were dim, this is the solution to that problem. However, if your headlights still look dim, you probably need to go a little deeper in terms of cleaning or reconditioning your headlights. Keep reading for that next step! Ah, good, you’re here still. The next step is just to get a simple reconditioning kit for your headlights. This is something that you can pick up pretty much at any auto parts store for pretty cheap. Just follow the instructions and you should be set! Reconditioning your headlights, to get into the (literal) nitty-gritty, is using an abrasive polish to literally take off the layers of UV damage and damage from things like rocks and gravel and other things that can hit your headlights as you’re driving. Hopefully this will brighten your headlights up! If it doesn’t, time for step three. Welcome to step three! This involves replacing your headlights. You can take your vehicle to your dealer or shop and have them do it, but if you are more of a DIY-er, it can be pretty easy to replace these yourself. Check your owner’s manual for the type of headlights you have, and then check out a YouTube video or other guide that’ll tell you how to replace the lights. You can even upgrade to brighter halogens or LEDs if you don’t have either of those already! Headlights are one of the most important safety features in your car. If you see them dimming, get that checked out as soon as you can because without headlights, you’re at a SUPER high risk of crashing in the dark. Do people actually drive after dark without headlights? Don’t do it! You will probably hurt yourself and others really badly! Make sure your headlights are working well, please! Stay Safe In A Kia From King Kia

It’s never a good idea to focus on anything but the road when driving, but something that’s become an increasingly serious problem on the road is drivers who text while operating their vehicles. 9 Americans are killed every day from motor vehicle accidents that involve distracted driving - something that encompasses not only texting while driving but also using a cellphone in general or eating. The probability that a cell phone was involved in a motor vehicle crash is an astounding 1 in 4, and using a cellphone while driving increases the risk of a crash by 4x. Texting while driving is banned in 47 states, including the District of Columbia, and talking on the phone while driving is banned in 15 states and the District of Columbia. The statistics speak for themselves - texting while driving is incredibly dangerous, not only to yourself but to the drivers on the road with you. Some solutions to needing to use your phone while driving are: Let people know that you will be driving and unable to answer your text messages while you are doing so before you get behind the wheel. That way, nobody will worry or get mad at you for not texting back. Utilize text stops, parking areas, and rest stops along your route. Many states have places for drivers to pull over, turn off the engine, and check their messages safely while on the road. If you have a co-pilot, have them take custody of your phone for the drive. If an important message or call comes in, have them use your phone for you to answer. Utilize your car’s Bluetooth capability for phone calls. You’ll be hands-free and able to pay attention to the road while using your phone. Put your phone away for the duration of your drive. As the old adage goes, “out of sight, out of mind.” If you can’t see your phone, you won’t feel the urge to use it while driving. Texting and driving is a huge problem these days, and it’s up to us to set an example and follow the letter of the law when it comes to cellphone use in the car. You could save not only your car, but your life and the lives of other drivers around you. Stay Safe In A Kia From King