HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times-Advocate, 2002-11-06, Page 32A fact of life in Canada
is that it snows. Another
fact of life is that
Canadians drive cars.
Unfortunately, often the
two can mean trouble
when mixed together.
The following are some
general tips to help you
drive safely this winter.
PREPARE YOUR
VEHICLE
Having a dependable
vehicle is one less thing to
worry about on winter
roads. It pays to have
your car tuned-up and
“winterized.” For exam-
ple:
•Change to a light-
weight, multi-grade oil as
heavy oil thickens in cold
weather, making it hard-
er for the engine to turn
over.
•Cold weather is hard
on batteries so if your
battery is a few years old,
check to make sure the
connections are not cor-
roded.
•Safety, mileage and
tread wear are all affect-
ed by improper tire pres-
sure often as for every 5C
the temperature drops,
your tire pressure
decreases by one pound.
Have the brakes
checked to make sure you
have equalized braking
on all wheels - this elimi-
nates pulling to one side,
especially when stopping
on a slippery surface.
WARM UP YOUR
CAR
Take time to warm your
vehicle in cold weather.
Clear off the ice and snow
and defrost all windows.
Remove any loose snow
from the hood and roof to
prevent snow blowing up
on the windshield and pil-
ing up on the rear win-
dow as you pick up speed
- it’s also a courtesy to
those driving behind you.
Listening to the radio to
find out about road condi-
tions and any accidents
will help you “warm up”
mentally for the drive
ahead.
SKID CONTROL
For better traction, start
out slowly and maintain
an even speed; jerky stops
and starts can cause skid-
ding. Slamming on the
brakes is a normal reac-
tion in a skid situation but
it’s the worst thing to do!
Knowing how to handle a
skid before it happens will
help you get out of it safe-
ly. As a general rule of
thumb:
•turn you steering
wheel slightly so your
car’s wheels point in the
direction you want to go.
•take you foot off the
gas slowly.
•de-clutch with a stan-
dard transmission or shift
into neutral with an auto-
matic car.
•apply the brakes grad-
ually and gently by
squeezing the brake pedal
until you feel it grabbing,
then ease off and repeat
this procedure until you
have stopped.
Your wheels won’t lock
and you’ll maintain trac-
tion for steering out of the
skid.
WINTER
COVERAGES ON
AUTOMOBILES
As winter approaches,
many people routinely
take insurance off vehi-
cles they don’t drive in
winter.
“If you get your auto
insurance suspended for
a vehicle you don’t drive
in the winter, we recom-
mend you keep some cov-
erages for your protec-
tion,” says Deborah
Blewett, an auto insur-
ance expert.
“Most insurers in
Ontario require you to
keep a portion of each
coverage (Third Party
Liability, Accident
Benefits and
Comprehensive) in force,
for which there is a pre-
mium charged. Collision
Coverage (as the car is
not being driven) is not
needed.”
What do these cover-
ages protect? Third party
liability protects you vehi-
cle if it’s damaged by a
third party. Accident ben-
efits coverage protects
you if you are injured as a
pedestrian or as the occu-
pant of another vehicle.
Comprehensive coverage
provides protection
against fire, theft and
vandalism while the vehi-
cle is in storage.
IN CASE YOU’RE
STRANDED
It could save your life to
have the following items
as part of your in-car
emergency kit; gas line
anti-freeze, flashlight, call
police sign, flares, warm
clothing, or blankets,
sand or kitty litter for
traction of you get stuck,
first aid kit, booster
cables, shovel, tow strap,
cable or chain.
As winter approaches, people are preparing for the
alternating freezing and thawing they’ll face as cold
weather battles the warm temperatures for control.
This fight can be brutal, and it can even leave scars —
potholes — on the road before the really cold weather
even sets in. These obstacles make driving in slush and
snow more challenging than it already is.
Dodging potholes isn’t always possible. So, after dri-
ving through a deep pothole, one can only hope that he
hasn’t damaged a tire or broken a spring. Sometimes,
a driver may even break a bracket that secures the
muffler and pipe to the frame, and may end up drag-
ging his tailpipe behind him along the street.
Strong shock absorbers and struts can help keep
people from losing control when driving through pot-
holes. However, bumpy rides cause these parts to
wear, and they gradually lose their ability to keep the
car stable.
Worn shocks and struts are unsafe and can increase
the wear of other car parts, including tires, ball joints,
steering linkage, springs and c.v. joints.
Signs that the potholes have affected shocks and
struts include when:
• the vehicle rolls and/or sways on turns;
• the front end dives when applying the brakes;
• the rear end “squats” when accelerating;
• the vehicle bounces or slides when on a winding,
rough road;
• the vehicle bottoms out.
To discover if potholes have damaged their cars, peo-
ple should take them in for under-car inspections.
When checking cars, experts know to look for leaks,
dents on struts or shock bodies, worn bushings, abnor-
mally worn tires and damaged or missing compression
bumpers. To see how bad the damage is, alignment
checks may be needed.
Potholes can wreak havoc on cars — and people’s
nerves. So, stop worrying about what damage might
have occurred, and take your car to a professional to
be checked.
32 Wednesday, November 6, 2002Exeter Times–Advocate
Cold weather can be tough on roads — and cars
•Complete Collision and
Unibody Repairs
•24 Hour towing
•Insurance Replacement
Vehicles
•Free Estimates
55 Waterloo St. Exeter
24 hrs. - Call 235-0411
Steve and Deb Roy - Owners
SOUTH HURON
AUTOMOTIVE INC.
235-2277
586 MAIN ST. S., EXETER
Call us for complete car and truck service including
diesel, air conditioning, transmission, fuel and electrical
Box 39, 274 Victoria St.
CENTRALIA, ONTARIO N0M 1K0
Phone: 519-228-6114 Fax: 228-7027
Fall is Here
Winter is Near
Have a good look at the condition of
your tires! You’d be surprised the
number of collisions that could be
prevented by travelling on good tires
ROB DALE MOTORS
Hwy #4 Centralia, Ontario
Phone: (519) 228-6810
Fax: (519) 228-6810
“Quality Reconditioned Vehicles”
FULL SERVICE AUTOMOTIVE CENTRE
OIL UNDERCOATING
Vehicles $50.00/Trucks $60.00 + taxes
Safety Inspections
Competitive Labour Rates
FOR ALL YOUR AUTOMOTIVE NEEDS
CALL ROB
228-6810
Winter weather is on its way