Categories: Tips and Tricks

Will your vehicle’s battery die if you don’t drive it enough?

One grey color car is parked.

How often should I drive my car during quarantine?

In these uncertain times amid the coronavirus pandemic and stay-at-home orders enacted across much of the country, including here in New Jersey, many questions arise, even ones that you may not have thought about before a lot of the world stopped what it was doing to stay inside. Some such questions that might come up are, will your vehicle’s battery die if you don’t drive it enough? Is it okay to leave your vehicle in your garage or driveway for such a long time without using it? If you are asking yourself, “How often should I drive my car during quarantine,” we looked into it for you.

Things to do online while self-isolating in New Jersey

Driving your automobile to keep the battery charged

Experts tend to agree that you should drive your vehicle at the very least a few times a month, and preferably at least once a week or every few days. Actually driving it is best, rather than simply turning it on and leaving it to idle for a while in the driveway. It is recommended that you drive your vehicle for at least 10 minutes, and it is even better if you get a chance to drive on the highway for even a couple of minutes so your car remains used to working as hard as it needs to at such speeds.

Your vehicle’s battery needs charging, and driving your car around will help keep it from sitting and just draining, especially since many modern cars include alarms or other such systems that could end up draining the battery while the car is not in use. Your tires could also become flat from being in the exact same position for so long.

So, while non-essential travel is not allowed during this quarantine, according to Governor Murphy’s Executive Order, you can still enjoy some outdoor recreation as long as you are practicing safe social distancing measures. Go ahead and take your car out for a spin every few days if you can. It will do your car good, and it’ll perhaps do you a bit of good as well if you are feeling stuck during these trying and isolating times. Please be safe out there, everyone, and be sure to listen to health experts and officials on how to approach self-isolation, social distancing, and proper hygiene and prevention measures.