A Working Car is Part of a Safety Net for So Many Families
Some people might think that a car is a luxury, but the truth is that a vehicle is a lifeline for many Americans, and it’s important to know why and what you can do to keep your car in top shape.
Most families around the country can’t survive without at least one car in their household because it means getting to school and work on time as well as being able to run all the necessary errands for your family. Sometimes, it’s a source of employment for people, which is why you have to know how to fix some issues. Basic knowledge of maintenance and repairs can be a lifesaver because you won’t have to spend much or wait for an available mechanic.
Transmission repairs are common with older models, and you should know how much to have transmission rebuilt costs. You should also find out how much to put a new transmission in a car costs and how to fix your transmission to avoid problems in the future or big expenses. However, you should find a local transmission service you can trust just in case something happens.
There are other things you must understand about the importance of cars for a family, so let’s find out more!
For many Americans when a vehicle goes down it is a lot more than an inconvenience, low cost car repair can be a lifeline. Many families depend on transportation to get them to work, school, and to keep medical appointments. It can be hard to fathom the idea of how important a running vehicle is to many millions of people in the United States.
Working reliable transportation and access to low cost car repair keeps food on the table in many households. About 45% of the US does not have access to public transportation. This means that 45% of the population depends on having their own vehicle to get them where they need to go.
For Many Americans No Car Means No Job
One of the many questions an employer will ask a candidate is “do you have reliable transportation?” It is a necessary question. Employers want to be reassured that their employees can get back and forth to work when they are scheduled.
As urban sprawl takes on a new meaning because businesses are moving out to the burbs for better tax advantages and cheaper real estate, it is getting increasingly harder to find employees to fill positions because of the transportation problem. Rural and suburban areas typically do not have mass public transportation available.
There are plenty of bodies to fill the positions and plenty of people that would welcome the opportunity, but exactly, how does one get to work when there is no public options? They depend on private transportation, but that opens up a whole new cycle of problems. How does one afford to buy a car when they cannot get a job without a car? How does a family succeed financially when they do not have the basics like transportation?
There is an organization that is focused on changing things. Working Cars for Working Families have identified a tremendous need and has set out to make changes to meet those needs. Through community efforts, policy change efforts and promoting practices that help families get in a reliable vehicle, Working Cars for Working Families is changing lives.
Working Cars for Working Families is a great resource for working-class low income families that need to:
- Enlist the help of the over 120 community programs that are dedicated to helping low income families secure safe transportation.
- Find low cost car repair to help keep their vehicle on the road.
- Learn about lemon laws in their state and find out about policies.
Helping families find the transportation that they need and can afford is vital to the success of families. Working Cars for Working Families has stepped up to the plate to help low income families find the path to success.
About 80% of the population drives to work because they do not have access to public transportation. Not having a running vehicle is not an option for many Americans. Working Cars for Working Families makes helping families, linking resources, and lobbying for change in policies a priority.
Low Cost Car Repair is A Saving Grace
There are so many things that can go wrong with a vehicle that can keep it parked. When a family depends on their vehicle to get family members back and forth to work, car repair takes on an entirely new urgency.
The cost of everything from new auto parts to simple maintenance can be out of range for working families that are already living on a shoestring budget. Often, desperate families are taken advantage of by unsavory practices starting at the car dealership and sold cars that are in need of repair.
Of course, some of the problems that a used car comes with are not huge problems but still require low cost car repair. For example, exhaust work does not leave a vehicle inoperable but it may cause a vehicle to fail inspection, which of course, means the vehicle cannot be legally registered. Unless your vehicle can pass inspection, you cannot put it on the road legally, which means, it stays parked.
For any family that is struggling to stay afloat low cost car repair can help to keep the car running, and in good shape, and on the road where they need it to be. Thanks to the work of Working Cars for Working Families there is finally a resource that can point families in the right direction when they are searching for low cost car repair at trusted auto repair centers.
With the help of this great organization families is able to connect with an automotive service and maintenance center that provides low cost car repair to keep their vehicle running, safe, and to even avoid bigger mechanical issues.
Here is a good example of how getting low cost car repair in the first place can put an end to the cycle of bigger and more expensive problems. We can all agree that tires can get costly. If an alignment is off, you will go through tires at a ridiculous rate. However, a full-priced alignment can be shoved to the back burner of things to do with your income when you are a low income family.
Low cost car repair like an auto alignment restoration can make the alignment more affordable, easier to access, and ultimately save on the cost of new tires every few months. Of course, this type of maintenance also keeps the vehicle safer.
While there is nothing wrong with families practicing a little DIY auto repair and using recycled auto parts to save and get the repairs done, there are some things that unless you are a pro you simply cannot do yourself.
Low cost car repair can fill the gap in between what you can DIY and what you cannot. Having access to low cost car repair is truly a way for many families to meet their basic necessities. Without it they would really be at a loss.
Not Just Mechanics
Obviously no one wants people on the road driving in vehicles that are unsafe because the brakes are going out, or the exhaust is just pouring pollution out of it, but there are other issues that low income family have to contend with when it comes to low cost car repair.
Broken, chipped, or damaged windshields are another safety hazard that many low income families cannot afford to repair. Getting the vehicle to the auto body shop and having to pay for new auto glass can really send a budget into a tailspin.
Low cost car repair for auto glass repair can help to improve safety on the road for both the driver and other drivers. A cracked windshield may not seem like a big deal, but it can impair vision, and of course, it is not as structurally sound as an intact windshield. Access to low cost car repair to repair glass and other structural body challenges is important as well.
It Can be a Financially Devastating Cycle
Both major and minor issues can keep a car parked while the family is frantically searching for solutions to their transportation problems and risking job security. On top of the worry about getting their vehicle back on the road, in some cases, the matter deteriorates into a much worse situation. Many municipalities have laws on the books about where you can park unregistered vehicles and where you can leave broken down vehicles and for how long. Unfortunately, if you do not have the money to get the repairs done, and you do not have the money for auto towing services, you are at great risk of losing your vehicle.
Municipalities have contracted towing companies that will tow the vehicle (at a cost to the owner of course). They will drop the vehicle at a storage facility where the charges will ring up for every day that it is there.
After a certain point the vehicle will be turned over to an auto salvage yard, but the owner will still be pursued for the charges that have already accumulated for the towing and the storage. Liens can be applied to other properties, and civil charges can be taken out against the owner for not paying the penalties. All for what? The family could not afford to make repairs in the first place.
Working Cars for Working Families is lobbying local and state governments to change laws that punish people for being poor. For many families access to low cost car repair can be a tremendous game changes and keep them out of this never-ending cycle.
How Can You Get Help?
If you are struggling to get your vehicle back on the road and you need to find low cost car repair or a repair shop that will work with you on the cost reach out to Working Cars for Working Families to learn more about the resources that are available in your community.
If you need to buy a car to get back and forth to work, Working Cars for Working Families can also share resources with you. There are other programs that can help. Here are some tips for finding low cost car repair in your own community:
- Check with your local social services program. Some local social service offices keep a list of auto repair shops that will work with low-income families on pricing for repairs. Call your local social services office and explain your situation they may be able to help.
- Contact church groups. Start calling local churches to see if they have a program that can help. Typically, church groups will share information about what they are doing in the community. You may get a no with the first phone call but that church may know of another church that does have such a program.
- Call auto repair shops and ask for help. Explain your situation to local auto repair shops, you never know, someone may help.
The first thing you want to do is not panic. Arrange for a friend to pick you up for work if you can. If you do not have anyone to provide you with transportation, call social services, and ask for help there, they may have a program in place.
Ask neighbors, friends, relatives if they know of any place that offers low cost car repair. You never know a neighbor may have a brother, uncle, father, or another relative in the industry that can help. The point is, don’t give up. There is help you may just have to ask for it.
Working Cars for Working Families is a great resource that will do its best to help you find the support that you need. Don’t give up hope and don’t give up on your car.
What Can You Do To Help?
If you are in the auto repair industry, you can reach out to Working Cars for Working Families and offer your services. Providing low-cost car repair for a few families each year will make a tremendous difference in their lives.
If you own any type of business, spread the word, and get other businesses involved. You do not have to be an auto repair shop to help people find low cost car repair. You can just be a business owner that wants to donate to the cause.
If you are a community leader, make this your pet project. Help people to help themselves. If you give people in your community the tools that they need to succeed they will be successful. Having a reliable vehicle to get to work, to get to medical appointments, and to just be able to buy groceries for your family can lift working-class families up and out of poverty.
If you are just a community member that wants to make a difference in your community, share information about this great movement and how it can make your community a better place. Everyone has the power to help their neighbors.
Anyone can reach out to Working Cars for Working Families to learn more about ways they can help. This is a great organization that can make a tremendous difference in so many lives, and certainly a worthy cause to get involved in.
