SAN FRANCISCO – If you regularly find yourself stuck in stop and go commute traffic there’s a good chance you’re driving your vehicle under “severe” conditions, and your car could be suffering for it.
 
AAA Northern California is warning drivers that more than half of them aren't properly scheduling vehicle maintenance based on their driving behavior.

To improve reliability and longevity of their vehicles, AAA has always advised motorists to follow the automobile manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule.

However, owner’s manuals usually contain two different maintenance schedules – one for normal service and one for severe service, depending on how the vehicle is driven.
 
In a new study from AAA, only six percent of motorists felt they did most of their driving under severe conditions. But when asked about the actual driving behaviors that create severe operating conditions, 62 percent of motorists admitted they drive their vehicle that way all or most of the time.
 
“Driving in severe conditions has become the new norm when you account for traffic congestion and longer commutes,” said AAA Northern California spokesperson Matt Skryja. “Manufacturers provide differing sets of recommendations for severe driving conditions because of the increased wear they put on vehicle components and fluids, yet many motorists do not realize what they think of as normal driving is actually severe when it comes to wear and tear on their vehicle.”
 
Vehicle manufacturers vary slightly on how they identify severe service driving, but AAA’s study asked motorists if they frequently:

Drive on short trips of less than five miles in normal temperatures or less than 10 miles in freezing temperatures.
Drive in hot weather, stop-and-go traffic.
Drive at low speeds of less than 50 miles per hour for long distances.

 For additional assistance in evaluating whether they drive under severe conditions and determining the proper maintenance intervals for their vehicles, motorists can visit any of the more than 8,000 AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities across North America.

These shops have undergone an extensive inspection and meet stringent AAA standards for quality, ability, integrity and professionalism in auto repair. Shops can be located online at www.aaa.com/repair .