How to Drive a Convertible

It's a blast to drive with the top down. But there are a few things you'll want to keep in mind.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cars

1. Pull over and come to a complete stop before you open or close a convertible top. Don't try to open or close it at speed - wind force may damage the mechanism that controls it.

2. Wear eye protection. This will keep airborne debris from getting in your eyes. If it's sunny out, wear sunglasses.

3. Park away from trees if you plan to leave the top down. Otherwise, you may find tree sap or bird poop in your car when you return.

4. Avoid leaving loose articles such as paper or clothing inside the car - especially in the backseat. These can rise up and start flying around at highway speeds.

Tips & Warnings

• Depending on the aerodynamic design of the convertible, you may find that a light rain doesn't get the vehicle's front passengers wet. Driving in heavy downpours, however, is a bad idea.
• Always wear your seat belt. Otherwise, you risk being thrown out of the vehicle in an accident.
• If you plan to keep the top down when you leave your convertible parked somewhere, be careful not to leave any objects of value in sight.

[truckson]

on 10/5/2007 it is a good idea to purchase a convertible with rollover protection bars and a strong windshield frame, so that your head is not crushed if your car flips. many cars have these features now, look at the safety review. there are also special airbags in a few cars that help with this.

on 11/30/2005 It IS definately a good idea to get an alarm system on your car, however, don't opt to get a motion detector installed with the alarm. You should know not to leave anything of value in the car with the top down anyway, not to mention, you will grow to hate the alarm system due to several false alarms everyday (wind blowing a peice of paper inside your car will set it off) so eventually you will think your car is just "crying wolf".

on 11/22/2005 Get an alarm system for the car, convertibles are the easiest cars to get into, especially if you leave the top down in a public place.

on 11/22/2005 When the top is down, put ALL the windows down! I hate seeing people with the top down and all the windows up! Why didn't they just buy a car with a sunroof? Remember: WINDOWS DOWN!!

on 11/22/2005 Don't park under billboard signs in the evening. Otherwise you might find your car filled with moths when you leave after dark!