Girls in Gear

Dominican High School · Presented by Clean Fleet Auto Body

Your glove-box handbook for ages 16–18. Everything from class lives on this page: warning lights, fluids, tires, batteries, what to do after a crash, and Louisiana road rules. Add it to your phone’s home screen so it’s there when you need it.

Need help now?

911Anyone hurt, fire, or you feel unsafe

*577*LSP · Louisiana State Police from any cell phone

Get safe first. Hazard lights on. If the car can move and nobody is seriously hurt, Louisiana law says to move it out of the travel lane.
Broken down on a busy road? Stay buckled in with the doors locked and call for help. Don’t stand between cars or next to traffic.
Then call a parent once you’re somewhere safe.
Something feels wrong? Trust it. Drive to a well-lit, busy place (gas station, fire or police station) and call.

Dashboard warning lights

The color tells you how fast to act. Symbols vary by make and model, so your owner’s manual always has the final word.

Red · act nowStop safely. The car may be unsafe or getting damaged.

Amber · check soonDrive with care and get it inspected.

Green / blue · infoA feature is switched on.

Three rules to remember1. Never ignore a red light. 2. A flashing light is usually more urgent than a steady one. 3. The owner’s manual is the final authority.

Light came on while driving?Stay calm. Note the color and how the car feels, then get to a safe spot. Never ignore smoke, a burning smell, loss of steering, strange braking, or a temperature gauge climbing fast.

Checking fluids

Before you open the hoodPark on level ground and let the engine cool completely. Hot coolant and engine parts cause serious burns.

Every 2–4 weeks

Engine oil

Check: Pull the dipstick, wipe it with a rag, push it all the way back in, pull it out again. The oil should sit between the two dots or lines.
Top off: Twist off the cap marked with the oil-can symbol. Add the oil type listed in your manual, a quarter-quart at a time, then recheck. Don’t overfill.

Monthly

Coolant

Check: Look at the see-through overflow tank near the radiator. Level should be between Min/Max or Low/Full.
Top off: Never open a hot radiator cap. Unscrew the plastic tank cap and add pre-mixed 50/50 coolant that matches your car’s spec.

Whenever it’s low

Washer fluid

Check: Find the tank with the windshield-wiper symbol on the cap. You can usually see the level through the plastic.
Top off: Pour washer fluid in up to the fill line. Use washer fluid, not plain water.

Look, don’t pour

Brake fluid

Check: Small tank near the driver’s side firewall, usually with a yellow or black cap. Level should be between Min and Max.
If low: Brake fluid doesn’t get “used up.” Low fluid can mean worn pads or a leak, so have a shop check it instead of just topping it off.

Tires & flats

Monthly, tires cold

Air pressure

Use the number on the sticker inside the driver’s door jamb, not the max number printed on the tire. Check before driving, with a gauge. Gas station air machines work too.

Every oil change

The penny test

Put a penny in the tread with Lincoln’s head upside down. If you can see the top of his head, the tread is too worn and the tires need replacing. Worn tires hydroplane easily in heavy rain.

Changing a flat tire

Golden ruleNever change a tire on a soft shoulder, a curve, or next to a busy highway lane. If you can’t reach a safe spot, stay in the car with your seat belt on and call for roadside help.

Find a safe zone. Flat, level, solid ground, well away from traffic.
Secure the car. Hazards on, parking brake firmly set, car in Park. Put a wheel chock (or a brick or heavy rock) against the tire diagonally opposite the flat.
Loosen the lug nuts. Remove the hubcap if there is one. Turn each nut counterclockwise about half a turn while the tire is still on the ground. Don’t take them off yet.
Raise the car. Find the jack point in your owner’s manual (usually a notch on the frame behind the front wheel or in front of the rear wheel). Lift until the flat is about 6 inches off the ground. Never put any part of your body under the car.
Swap the tires. Remove the lug nuts (put them in the hubcap so they don’t roll away), pull off the flat, slide the spare onto the bolts.
Hand-tighten. Thread the nuts on by hand, clockwise, until snug.
Lower and tighten. Lower until the tire touches the ground but isn’t carrying full weight. Tighten the nuts with the wrench in a star pattern (skip one each time) so the wheel sits evenly.
Finish. Lower all the way, remove the jack, give every nut one last tightening. Pack up the tools and the flat.

About that little spareMost compact “donut” spares are temporary. Read the speed limit printed on its sidewall (usually 50 mph), check its air pressure every few months, and drive to a tire shop soon. Have the lug nuts re-checked after the first 50 miles.

Battery & jump-starts

Protect your peaceThink of the car battery like your social battery. Cut out the negative vibes first. Bring back the positive energy first. Negative is the first to leave and the last to come back.

Action	What goes first	The mental trick
Taking it off (disconnect)	Negative · black (−)	Cut out the negative vibes first.
Putting it on (reconnect)	Positive · red (+)	Bring back the positive energy first.

The wand rule

Treat the wrench like a magic wand. Never let it touch a battery terminal and the car’s metal body at the same time, or it will spark.

Put it to bed

After you pull the black cable off, tuck it away (wrap it in a rag or glove) so it can’t spring back onto the battery.

The ring rule

Take off rings, bracelets and metal jewelry before touching a battery. Metal conducts electricity instantly.

Jump-starting: the matchmaker rule

Jumper cables are like matching up friends at a party: positives hang out together, but negatives need space.

Before you clip anythingCars close but not touching. Both cars off, in Park, keys out of the ignition. Check both owner’s manuals first: some cars have special jump posts under the hood, and hybrids and EVs have their own rules. Never jump a battery that is cracked, leaking, or bulging.

Red to dead. Red (+) clamp on the dead battery’s positive terminal. The sad car gets love first.
Red to donor. Other red (+) clamp on the donor battery’s positive terminal. Positives matched.
Black to donor. Black (−) clamp on the donor battery’s negative terminal.
Black to bare metal. Last black (−) clamp on clean, unpainted metal on the dead car’s engine (a bolt or bracket), away from the battery. Connecting it to the dead battery can spark right over battery gases.
Start the donor car and let it run 2–3 minutes. Then start the dead car.
Disconnect in reverse: black from metal, black from donor, red from donor, red from the formerly dead car. Drive for at least 20–30 minutes so the battery can recharge.

After a minor crash

Screenshot this section or keep a printed copy in the glove box. Breathe. You’ve got this.

Stop and get safe. Never leave the scene. Hazard lights on. Check yourself and your passengers. If anyone is hurt, call 911 right away.
Move it if you can. In Louisiana, if nobody is killed or seriously hurt and the car can still be driven, the law requires you to move it out of the travel lane. If it’s safe, snap one or two quick photos of where the cars ended up first. Then turn off the engine.
Call the police. Louisiana requires police to be notified when anyone is injured or damage is over $500, which is almost any dent on a modern car. Call 911 or *577 and ask for an officer to make a report.
Stay calm and polite. Get out only when traffic allows. Don’t argue, apologize, or say whose fault it was. Stick to the facts with the officer.
Document everything. Photos of all damage, both license plates, street signs, road conditions, and the whole scene.
Exchange information. From the other driver, get:
- Full name and phone number
- Insurance company and policy number
- Driver’s license number
- Vehicle make, model, color and plate
Find witnesses. Politely ask anyone who saw it for a name and phone number.
Call your parent, then your insurance. Report it while details are fresh. Ask for the police report number.

Need a tow?Tell the tow driver to take your car straight to Clean Fleet Auto Body. Clean Fleet pays the tow bill up front and gets reimbursed by the insurance company later, so you don’t have to pay the driver. Questions? Call Clean Fleet at 504.888.0000.Metairie: 4432 Hearst Street, Metairie, LA 70001
Belle Chasse: 7248 Highway 23, Belle Chasse, LA 70037

Know your rightsIn Louisiana, you choose the body shop. An insurance company can recommend a shop, but it can’t require you to use it, and it has to tell you that you aren’t obligated to.

Road smarts

Louisiana rules for new drivers

Everyone · since Aug 2025

Hands-free law

It’s illegal to hold your phone while driving. Calls only through hands-free, and navigation only on a mount. Tickets started January 1, 2026, and fines are higher in school and construction zones. Set your music and map before you shift into Drive.

Intermediate license

Curfew

No driving from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. unless a licensed parent, guardian, or adult 21+ is with you.

Intermediate license

Passengers

From 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., no more than one passenger under 21 who isn’t immediate family, unless a licensed adult 21+ is in the car.

Every trip

Seat belts

The driver is responsible for making sure every passenger is buckled before the car moves.

Water on the road

Turn around, don’t drownYou can’t tell how deep water is or whether the road under it is gone. About 6 inches can stall a car or make you lose control. About a foot can float many cars. Two feet of moving water can sweep away SUVs and trucks. Find another route.

Hydroplaning? Ease off the gas, don’t slam the brakes, and steer straight until the tires grip again. Slow down in heavy rain and keep tires in good shape.
Storm coming? Keep the tank at least half full during hurricane season, and never park in spots that flood.
Heat: Never leave a child, friend, or pet in a parked car, even for a minute.

Personal safety

Lock up. Doors locked as soon as you get in. Have your keys out before you reach the car and look around (and in the back seat) before getting in.
Park smart. Pick well-lit spots near the entrance. Don’t sit scrolling in a parked car; get in, lock, go.
Think you’re being followed? Don’t drive home. Call 911 and drive to a police or fire station or a busy, well-lit business.
Unmarked car with flashing lights? Turn on your hazards to show you see them, slow down, and call 911 to confirm it’s a real officer. Drive at a safe speed to a well-lit, public place before you stop. Keep doors locked and the window cracked only.
Real traffic stop? Pull over safely, engine off, interior light on at night, hands on the wheel. Stay calm and polite.
Share your trip with a parent on longer drives, and say when you’ve arrived.

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