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Whether you’re a new parent or a have been doing it for years, car seats are everchanging and although they are getting safer they are getting more complicated. However, making sure your car seat is properly installed and you are taking the proper precautions, like making sure your child is rear-facing and not turning them around to early are extremely important. And although many of us follow the car seat directions word for word, we can make minor mistakes that we don’t even know about, but they can have major consequences. We know that every car seat is different and that’s why it is important to have your car manual and car seat instructions with you at all times, but this week we want to give you some helpful tips to keep in the back of your mind and look out for to make sure your little love bugs are safer than ever inside your Chevy! And if you think it’s time to upgrade your ride to a more family appropriate vehicle, browse our inventory and stop in today! Car Seat Do Tips: Make sure the harness-retainer clip is level with your child’s armpits. If they are in the wrong place, the straps could end up sliding off. Take your car-seat to a local inspection site so a professional can ensure the installation is correct. Choose a car-seat with a five-point harness. If you have a forward-facing seat, place the harness straps on your child’s shoulders to ensure the most protection in the event of a collision. If your child has outgrown a car-seat, try using a high-back booster seat. Studies have shown these are safer than backless ones in the event of side-impact collisions. Tighten the harness straps so they are tight enough for you to only fit one finger underneath. Safety-belts should be tightened enough so the seat is only able to wiggle less than one inch from side to side. Find The Perfect Ride For Family

Spring has officially sprung and as the cooler weather rolls out and the warmer weather rolls in, many of us will be hitting the road for getaways and joyrides, but even if the weather is nicer it doesn’t mean you should forget about safety. Hopefully, the snow is gone for good but the roads can still be dangerous. Spring weather brings rain which can make the road slippery, but apart from weather conditions, the warm weather brings more people out and about which means you need to be more vigilant to watch out for pedestrians, bikers, and motorcycles. Since it’s been a while since the weather has been really nice we want to give you a reminder of what to keep an eye out for. Check it out below Be On The Lookout For Potholes: Winter weather takes a big toll on our roadways, which leads to some pretty nasty potholes. If your speeding down the road and don’t slow down in time and hit a pothole, then chances are that your vehicle is gonna have some damage, serious damage. Damage can include a punctured tire, bent rim, suspension damage, poor alignment, and exhaust system damage. Slow Down For Spring Showers: Did you know that roads are most slippery when it first starts to rain? This is caused by the rainwater mixing with contaminants on the road, such as oil and grease. Make sure to increase your following distance to allow for proper braking. Watch For Animals On The Move: Animal activity is up when the weather starts getting nicer. That means keep an eye out and drive slow especially for animals like deer that are known to be out at dusk and dawn. Watch For Pedestrians: Similar to animals, people tend to be out and about more when the weather starts getting warmer. Whether that means there are more walkers, cyclists or kids play hopscotch. Be sure to slow down especially in residential neighborhoods and busy streets. Share The Road With Motorcycles: Spring is when the motorcycle riders come out, and because of their speed and size, they may come in and out of your blind spots quickly. Be sure to listen to the sound of their bike and take a few extra seconds before switching lanes. If you are following a motorcycle, remember to leave a good amount of space in between. Maintain Proper Tire Pressure: During the winter months, your tires lose air due to the cold temperatures, this cause your tire to be under-deflated. Vice-versa, warm weather will cause them to be over-inflated. Each situation can lead to increased wear and poor handling. Inspect Your Tires: Spring will bring the showers and when that happens making sure your tire tread is in shape is important to the quality of your driving. Just like snow, rain makes the road slippery and having good tires will make or break your driving experience. Remember to use easy tricks the penny test to check your tire tread and regularly check your tire pressure if your vehicle doesn’t display it for you. Pay Attention In Construction Zones: When the snow washes away and the spring days are here to stay, construction will start up again. One thing to keep in mind is that construction zones ask you to slow down for a reason, do it. Remember to... Be attentive. Construction workers and equipment may suddenly enter the roadway. Traffic patterns can change daily to accommodate the work being done. Understand and follow the signs. Make safe lane changes. Solid lines in construction zones mean that you should stay in your lane. Slow down. Fines may be doubled in construction zones. In addition, slowing down can save a life. Find Your Dream Ride Here!

Your vehicle’s blind spot can cause you a lot of issues, luckily today, a lot of newer vehicle have Blind Spot technology that will actually alert you that someone is in your blind spot. But if your vehicle doesn’t have this feature, or you’re a new driver trying to learn the basics, you might need a little help on what you should look out for. First off, the blind spots in your vehicle is an area around the vehicle that cannot be directly seen by the driver, even in their mirrors. Regardless if you drive a car, truck, or SUV, blind spots happen in all vehicles and tend to be a big issue when you are turning or changing lanes. For Chevy drivers, many of their new vehicles, whether it be a car, truck, SUV, or even van, have Side Blind Zone Alert. This technology provides side mirror alerts to help the driver potentially avoid crashing into a moving vehicle detected in their side blind zone during a lane change maneuver. So if you’re stressed about your blind spots, stop into Galles Chevrolet and allow us to help you find your dream vehicle with this advanced safety technology! Schedule your test drive today or stop onto Galles Chevrolet now! Pedestrians and Blind Spots: Avoid being in a vehicle's blind spot, especially trucks and buses. Make eye contact with the driver. Otherwise, assume the driver cannot see you. Be alert at intersections, even when you have the right of way, e.g. on a green light or pedestrian crossing signal. Pay attention to the turn signal lights used by vehicles at intersections. Do not cross behind a vehicle as it could back up without noticing you. Be visible: wear bright clothing, reflective strips, etc. If you are trying to make your presence known, keep in mind that the driver cannot hear you. Walk on the sidewalk, or, if there isn’t one, on the side of the road, facing traffic. Cyclists and Blind Spot Avoid being in a vehicle's blind spot, especially trucks and buses. Make eye contact with the driver. Otherwise, assume the driver cannot see you. Pay attention to the turn signal lights used by vehicles at intersections. Be visible: wear bright clothing, reflective strips, etc. Never pass on the right near an intersection. Motorists, Motorcyclist and Blind Spots: Avoid being in a large vehicle's blind spot Do not cut off a larger or heavy vehicle Never pass a heavy vehicle on the right at an intersection Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the heavy vehicle in front of you Pay attention to the turn signal lights used by vehicles at intersections. Find You Ride With Side Blind Zone Alert At Galles!

We’re in the heart of summertime and with the hot rays and humidity, comes the heavy rainstorms that we love oh so much. When it storms and there is heavy rain the chance of a flood is much higher than normal rainstorms, but flooding can also be caused by blocked drains, burst water mains, tides and burst river banks. So no matter where you live you could experience flooding. And although it might have rained so hard the roads are flood you still have to get home from work, school, etc. so what do you do? When is it too flooded to drive? Don’t stress I’ve got everything you need to know as a driver if you find yourself driving in a flood. Driving in HEAVY water: Turn your headlights on- it can sometimes be hard to see in heavy rain and you want to be sure other drivers can see you Use fog lights: fog lights will help you see better when you can’t see through the rain Leave Lots of room: It is SO important to leave room during these storms, people can slide,  or they might break and you don't see them till it’s too late Slow down: If you feel that light due to hydroplaning, ease up on the gas and gradually decelerate, DON’T slam on the breaks Standing Water: Avoid standing water if you can, you don’t know how deep it is until you enter it and too much water is bad for your car If you’re unsure if you should drive through standing water let another car pass to see how deep it is. The rule is don’t enter standing water more than 4” deep If you do have to drive through standing water make sure you go slow and don’t cause waves Test your brakes immediately after If the water is moving fast NEVER enter it! What to look out for: Look out for slip and trip hazards like curbs under the water Manhole covers can get lifted and moved Water levels can change quickly Assume that flood water is contaminated Driving during a flood is never a great idea but it is understandable that sometimes there is nothing we can do about. Drive extra cautious is extremely important, be over-vigilant to dangers that could be lurking under the water. Most summer storms pass pretty quick so if you can pull over and wait out the storm you should do so. When it comes to a flooding due to a main break or another reason see if there is alternate root. Standing water is not safe for you or your vehicle if you have to go through proceed with caution. If you experience any damage call for help. Need to Maintenance Your Car After The Storm?! Let Us Help!

Are you in the market for a new SUV that is big enough to fit the whole family everything that comes along with them? Well look no further, The 2018 Chevrolet Traverse could be the vehicle that you are looking for! Starting at an amazing price of $29,930 this car could be the perfect fit for your family! The Traverse has maximized space for premium comfort with luxury features like Available Dual SkyScape 2-panel power sunroof, Comfortable seating for up to 8, Enhanced Smart Slide® second-row seat, and Available heated and ventilated front seats. But that’s not all, the Traverse has a Hands-Free Liftgate, Smart Slide® Seating, and Hidden Storage, perfect for the family that lives life on the go! What I really love about the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse is the AMAZING safety features that it has! The Traverse is the perfect family car and you never want to ask yourself if your vehicle should have been safer. Behind the wheel of the Traverse, you’ll never have to ask yourself that. Traverse takes safety seriously, especially when it comes to crash prevention. This smart SUV uses available cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radar to look out for potential hazards to help you avoid collisions before they happen. In addition, the 2018 Traverse received a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score for safety† from NHTSA. Keep your precious cargo protected: Forward Collision Alert: Using camera technology, this advanced feature will alert you to slowing vehicles detected in your path. You’ll be able to set the distance indicator for far, medium, and near Rear vision camera: Standard in the Traverse, the camera will display a live image of the area behind your vehicle to give a little extra help. Surround Vision: This available technology uses strategically placed cameras to create a virtual bird’s-eye view of the vehicle. The system is made up of four cameras – the standard rear vision camera, a forward-looking camera in the front grille and one under each side mirror of the vehicle. Adaptive Cruise Control: This available feature automatically maintains a driver-selected distance from the vehicles in front of you. Teen Driver technology: Can mute the audio until front seat occupants are buckled, to automatically turning on available advanced safety technologies like Side Blind Zone Alert, Forward Collision Alert, and Forward Automatic Braking to ensure your new driver is being as safe as possible. So if you are sold on the new 2018 Chevrolet Traverse come on down to Century Chevrolet and test drive yours today! You’ll drive more confident than ever before!FOR Get Your 2018 Chevrolet Traverse Today!

Let’s take a minute and think about some of the important things about traveling with children. There are a lot of things you need to bring along with them whenever you plan to go anywhere, no matter the duration. But one thing that is extremely important when traveling with children is car seat safety. It is important to find a car seat that will provide the most protection and assure you that your child will be safe in the event of a collision. Once you find the perfect car seat to keep your precious cargo safe, follow our tips below to further the safety of your child. Avoid straps from slipping off your child by ensuring that the harness-retainer clip is always level with your child’s armpits. Check the clip and straps each time you buckle your child into the car seat Ensure that your car seat is installed correctly by bringing your vehicle and the car-seat to a local inspection site for a professional opinion A five-point harness car seat are among the safest car seats in the market If you have a forward-facing car seat, place the harness straps on your child’s shoulders. In the event of a collision, this will provide the most protection for your child. Children can outgrow their car seats, fast! If your child has outgrown theirs, high-back booster seats are safer than backless ones if a side-impact collision occurs, studies have shown. Harness straps should be snug enough to only allow you to fit one finger in between them and the strap. If you can fit more than one finger, tighten the straps a little more to ensure their protection. Car seats should never be allowed to wiggle more than one inch from side to side. Safety-belts should be tightened enough so the seat can wiggle but will not fall over or bounce around when the vehicle is moving. Children under the age of 12 should ALWAYS ride in the back, especially if they are in a car/ booster seats. In the event of an accident, the backseat of a vehicle is generally the safest place for them to be. We hope you find these tips helpful and if you have not already started using them, that you do next time you head out with your little one! Let us know of any tips or tricks that you find useful when traveling with your children. Keep Precious Cargo Safe In A Chevy

Driving your vehicle on empty is a bad idea for so many reasons. Number one, how can you stand the anxiety of not knowing how much further you can go? There are plenty of videos out there of folks testing how far they can go when their vehicle says they have 0 miles left until empty, but they were doing an experiment so that you don’t have to! If this doesn’t convince you, then here are some more reasons why you should always have at least a quarter of a tank of gas in your vehicle. First of all, running on empty makes your fuel pump wear out very quickly. Normally, the fuel pump uses the gasoline that it, you know, pumps as a coolant. When there’s no gas to pump, it has to use air. The air creates heat, and the heat burns the pump out. And that’s an expensive repair. Secondly, the gas gauge isn’t entirely accurate, by any means. It can be hovering over the “E” and that could mean that you have 50 miles or 0.5 miles left and there is no way of knowing until your vehicle physically stops moving because it’s out of gas. Remember what I said earlier about never going below a quarter of a tank? I was being serious. Finally, one of those little quirks of vehicles is that there’s sediment that collects at the bottom of everyone’s gas tank. When there’s hardly any gas left, well, that gas is the sedimenty stuff. That sediment is very efficient at clogging up your fuel lines and fuel injectors, and if you run on empty a lot then you’ll need a full engine flush sooner rather than later. That’s also expensive. The final thought I will leave you with today is that running on empty is very dangerous and potentially expensive, and a tank of gas will always cost less than a repair on an integral part of your fuel system. Just sayin’. Service Specials To Keep Your Engine Happy

Do you have trouble driving in the dark? Check out our tips for driving after the sun has gone down safely! Don’t use “night driving glasses.” In fact, don’t wear glasses with any tint at all when driving at night. The only spectacles on your nose should be the ones with your prescription in them (if you wear glasses). Otherwise, keep that tint out of here! If approaching headlights tend to blind you, focus on the white line on the side of the road. You’ll stay in your lane and not get spots in the center of your vision from the oncoming headlights. Try to work your schedule around nighttime. If you know that you’re going to be driving after dark, try and find a ride home or to wherever you’re going. Ridesharing services or taxis are also a great option. Alternately, just don’t leave the house after dark. (This is what I do. I am very lazy and any excuse to stay in bed is a good one.) Try and drive in well-lit areas at night so that you can have the added bonus of streetlights. Have your dealer look at your headlights and ask about reconditioning or upgrading to brighter bulbs. It can make a difference! Service For You, For Less

Are your headlights dying, or just dirty? You might notice that your headlights aren’t as bright as they once were…. Unfortunately, the time you’re most likely to notice this is when you’re driving at night and observe that you can’t really see the road ahead of you as well as you could before. This is a serious problem - you’re at a higher risk of getting into an accident if you can’t see properly! So, it’s time to take a look at those lights and figure out if they’re dying or if they’re just dirty. First of all, give them a good wipe-down with a clean cloth and some cleaning solution. This might be all your headlights needed! If they’re still dim, or if you see that the plastic lens is yellowed and scratched, there are options you can explore to clean them up and get them bright again. Check out this video on various methods of reconditioning your headlights to brighten them up! If these don’t work for you, bring your vehicle in to Galles Chevrolet to have us take a look. You deserve to see the road! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBnmQBinYTc Amazing Service For Less!

Defensive driving is, to most of us, a course that we have to take when we are kids just getting our licenses, or, something we have to take if we get too many tickets. However, it's also something that we should practice every day in order to stay safe on the road and make sure that we are being the best drivers we can be. If you're prone to road rage, defensive driving is a good practice to make a habit of - instead of being angry behind the wheel, focus on being careful. Here are some ways to practice defensive driving every day when you're getting from point A to point B. 1. Watch your blind spots. If you're keeping an eye on where other drivers might be, and making sure that you're not in other peoples' blind spots, you're at less of a risk of cutting people off or being cut off. This is definitely frustrating when it happens, and by avoiding it you're staying safe and keeping your cool. 2. Keep space between yourself and others on the road. This makes it easier for you and other drivers to change lanes and make quick stops. If you're making sure there's space, there's more time for you to react to things on the road - safe! 3. Slow down. Driving fast might get you where you need to be marginally sooner, but it opens up a ton of risks. When you're speeding, you're at more of a risk of getting into an accident, getting a ticket, and getting frustrated. Keeping up with the flow of traffic is always a good rule of thumb, and if there's no traffic you should be obeying the speed limit as much as you can. Your speeding can also make other drivers irate, which can put them in danger as well. 4. Focus on what you're doing. Your main job when you're behind the wheel is to drive as safely as possible. When you are fiddling with your playlist, talking to others in the car, or adjusting the temperature, you're not focused on the road. If you have a co-pilot, have them take care of these things for you. Otherwise, make sure everything is the way you want it when you get into the vehicle so that you don't have to adjust anything while driving. 5. Respond safely to people who are tailgating you. The correct response is not to slow down or speed up to try and get them to back off. If someone is following you too closely, you should make sure there's ample distance between you and the car in front of you, just in case there's an accident brought on by the tailgating. When you have the time and space, slow down a little more and get into the furthest right lane to allow them to pass. This is definitely stressful but managing a tailgater productively can be the difference between being angry and getting into an accident and staying safe. We hope these tips help you out! Remember, driving safely is a thousand times more important than driving fast or being angry behind the wheel. Chill Out With Galles Chevrolet

At Galles Chevrolet, we have a lot of people asking what the best tire pressure for their tires is. Typically they assume that the maximum PSI listed on the sidewall is what they should be going by. Unfortunately, the maximum PSI and the OPTIMUM PSI aren’t the same time. Sometimes, the maximum is actually doing more harm than help. Which is why it’s important to find the perfect balance. Let’s talk about what the maximum PSI is. Somewhere on the sidewall of your tire, just below the big, bold letters of the manufacturer, for example, you might have noticed the words, 'Max. Press. 35 PSI.’ That number tells you the maximum cold pressure needed for your tire to carry its maximum load. Now, that is the absolute MOST tire pressure your tire can have. Can being the operative word here. What it CAN have, not what the tire should have. We mention ‘cold’ pressure because that means you’re filling up your tires at the ideal time which we’ll talk a bit about later in this blog. Usually, your tire’s maximum tire pressure is either 35 or 44 PSI. What happens if you inflate your tires to the max PSI? The handling characteristics change Since tires inflated to the max can’t give as much on the sidewall, you might see superior cornering, but it could be at the risk of your braking threshold. One quick corner and your back end could slide out. The life of your tire decreases. When your tires are inflated too much, the rubber rounds out at the top of the tire when you’re driving, and the center will quickly wear out. You’ll also reduce your traction and you could even cause a blowout. Check out our post on avoiding blowouts. So, what’s the right tire pressure for your vehicle? You can find the manufacturer recommendation on a sticker in the door jam, or in your owner’s manual. Some models even place the stickers on the trunk lid, in the console or on the fuel door. Usually, the recommended pressure is usually between 30 and 35 PSI. That number basically shows the amount of air pressure needed to support your vehicle’s maximum load-carrying capacity most efficiently. Any less, and you’ll see poor fuel economy and handling as well as premature wear from too much flexing and tire overloading. When your tires are inflated to the recommended PSI, you get the best out of your tires and more for your money. The best time to check your tire pressure is every time you fill up for gas, every 10-degree change in temperature, or every 30 days. When adding air to your tires, try to do so when they are cool. It’s preferable to add air after your car has been sitting in the shade for a while. If you want to make sure your tires are inflated to the right pressure before you head out for a drive, stop by Galles Chevrolet. Just pull up and we’ll check your tire pressure and top up your tires if needed. Plus, we can even re-torque your wheels while we’re at it so you know you’ll have a smooth ride. Are Your Tires Under Pressure?

Every other day of your life goes by perfectly fine, but somehow, when your mother is around EVERYTHING goes horribly wrong and you end up looking like you can’t handle yourself. Just a me thing? Cool cool. Welp, if you hadn’t guessed, my mother was in town last weekend and it feels like every time I tried to show her that I’m doing fine out here in the adult world, something went wrong and she seemed more concerned than confident in my abilities to survive on my own. Let me break down for you how this catastrophe of a get together went. We started off strong when I was running late to pick her up from the airport and got a ticket for speeding. Nice. Then, when I arrived at the airport to pick up my mom, while waiting for my mom to exit the gate, I was trying to hold too many things and spilled my center-of-the-sun hot coffee down my shirt, at which point, obviously, she walks right up to me. The whole front of my shirt is covered in coffee, my skin looks to be covered in 2nd-degree burns and my mom is attempting to remove the coffee stains with a Tide to go pen. I’ll let you decide how successfully that went. Then, after quickly throwing on a sweatshirt to cover my coffee stained shirt I took my mom out for lunch. Things were starting to look up. Well, they were until I realized that in my haste to get my mom I left my wallet at home. So my mom ended up covering our lunch. When we were ready to leave we walked out to the parking lot, but couldn’t find my car anywhere. I thought I must have parked in a different place, but there were only so many places I could have parked. My car was 100% not in the parking lot. MY CAR WAS STOLEN. Really? REALLY?! Perfect. So my mom and I call the police and wait. Fortunately, I got my car from Galles Chevrolet, the only auto dealer in the state of New Mexico who currently offers the LoJack System. ALL of their vehicles are equipped with the LoJack System. Which means things might just be ok! It took a few hours, but the Police were able to recover my car and I was able to get back to visiting with my mom. Fortunately, none of my mom’s things were stolen, BUT whoever took my car made off with my Justin Bieber CD. Of all the random things in my car, that’s what they took. Whatever. After all of this, I was CONVINCED that my mom thought I was a total failure. As is turns out my mom thought that the whole situation was unfortunate, but definitely made the trip more interesting. The only thing that mattered to her was that we were safe and she got to spend time with me. The takeaway here, pun intended, is that things happen sometimes, that’s life, Mom won’t hold it against you. The better news is that when you go to Galles Chevrolet, your car is that much safer against theft. This wasn’t something that I had factored in when I was buying my car, but it definitely will be from now on! Is Your Car Protected Against Theft?