HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1975-10-23, Page 9A
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CHECKED OUT -Signs posted in all Pennsylvania service facilities licensed for, inspec-
tion 'give motorists a list of whit their vehicles are being checked for. Checks include all
•,•.44ights, glass, mirrors, washers fend wipers, tires, brake', exhaust ,system, wheels, steering,
emission control devices, body 'condition. Emissions inspection is being added in Penn.
syhania.
GODERI�CH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23,4975—PAGE
Ell11S1 your car in. b
'attle for sllOW
yuur Q
Bad weather
season, ,gas
problems
show need
for
car care
Often, it is difficult for the average citizen to imagine,
how anything he or she does as an individual can affect
the `course of the nation. C'ert'ainly, a vote is important
but a single ballot among millions cast appears to get
llostin the.seeming axalanche of public opinion. A com-
munication to a legislator may receive a courteous
reply but one often wonders if the, letter actually made
any impression at all.
Now a situation corlfronting the nation has an aspect
that each of us, particularly motorists, can influence in
a direct and compelling way. And that is the energy
problem that threatens to s'ap our nat?nal vitality a•pd
has already shaken our ecortomy,
Regarding the oil supply
In particular regard to our oil supply, we are d4pend=
ent upon enormous quantities of imported petroleum.
Much of the crude comes from areas whose past his-
•
,i•c.ionnomotoop:..
4
tortes indicate they are of questionable dependability.
As a result, prices for oil have gone t� heights un-
imaginable only a few years ago and the specter of
new shortages constantly ,looms over us.
In a "heavy, heavy hangs over thy head" mood,
our tiation's leaders propose rationing, burdensome
taxes on fuel, prohibition of driving and ether detri-
ments to our primary• transportation system," the 'private
automobile.
Yet if governmental spokesmen are to be heeded, if
we were to cut our gasoline consumption by one sixth,
our oil import problem would largely dimihish into
maable proportions.
And . that ' is where each of us conies in.
By properly maintaining -your 'car, by driving k
sensibly and by sharing the ride when possible,
that 16.6 per cent fuel savings is attainable.
We know an untuned engine wastes between
one and two gallons of .gas per tankful and that
60 per cent of all cars in the nation need engine
service.
'We also know that millions of vehicles are so
badly out of tune that they are wasting inVxcess
of 20 per cent of their fuel supply.'
We, know motorists are guilty of other sloppy
maintenance habits that waste fuel and "other natu-
ral resources.'
Underinflated tires, another cause of wastedfuel,
are virtually 'epidemic among our ,vehicles, accord-
ing to a recent tire company survey.
And thoughtless, driving habits like traveling too
fast, weaving in and out of traffic, panic stops and
"jet -plane" take -offs can waste close to half the fuel
supply in extreme cases.
Unfortunately, the typicaf motorist has a lifetime of
bad habits to overcome. Heretofore, maintenance has
been something the guy you sold your year-old trade-
in to had to worry about. And sen ible driving was fine
— when you spotted a police car in hei rear-view mirror.
Of course the biggest chane a to the motorists
in • this battle for survival confronts all motorists
everywhere regardless of whtere you may do. most
of ,your driving.
For now conies the bad weather season with its
extraordinary demands on' efficient motor vehicle
performance. Hard starting with its accompanying
drain on •the gasoline supply, when the car is not
properly tuned, is a most common problem fre-
quently affecting automobiles. in the south as well
as those in the blustery,.wintry, snowy north.
Motorists everywhere must cope with gas-guz-
zling stop and go driving in bad weather.
Best place to start
We, who have always. taken pride in responding to •
national emergencies before, must realize that the en-
ergy problem is as much a threat, to us as any foreign
adversary ever was. And unless each of us pitches in
to save our resources, • .the consequences could be un-
thinkably dismal
The best place to start is to bring your car into your
. favorite service outlet to make sure it in good condi- t..
,tion not only for fuel conservation ,but also for safe and
,dependable operation. Use this care for your car sec-
tion as reference to, help you determine just what your
car, might need.,
- Keystone state
inspection system
tilled best in nation
Starting with July 4,
1776, some pretty good
ideas' stemmed from the
State of Pennsylvania.
While hardly as momen-
tous as the Declaration, of
Independence, the Penn-
sylvania motor vehicle in-
spection law has been
hailed by many traffic
safety experts as the best
in the nation.
;Originally established in
1927 as a" measure to check
, headlights, the . Pennsyl-
vania law was amended to •
include all safety cdthpo-
nents in 1929. Since th'a't
time, the Keystone State
has 'compiled one of the
best safety records in the
nation.
As one of the first of the
31 states, that now have •
Periodic Motor. Vehicle In-
spection (PMVI) programs
on their books, Pennsyl-
vania's law is effective
largely due to:
1., hnspections, con-
ducted twice annually, are
thorough and tough. With °
19 itcins inspected, there
is little chance a car with
.defects will escape notice.
2. Facilities inspecting
cars are numerous enough
that there is no need for
any motorist to wait
long for inspection. Some
15,000 inspection stations
are in operation, conduct-
ing more than 12,000,000,
examinations a yciir.
Also, stations are close-
ly supervised, assuring that
personnel conducting ex-,
ams, are qualified and
equipment' used is top
quality/
In answer to critics from
the 19 states without PMVI
who doubt compulsory in-
spection's value, Pennsyl-
vania officials say "surveys
prove a sharp decrease in
fatalities and property
damage in all states that
have even token inspec-
tion programs over figures
in, states without suclit •' a
program."
Pennsylvania 'inspectors
also believe 'a vehicle pe-
riodically inspected gives
better service, prevents
major repair bills and
earns higher trade-in or
resale prices.
Removal of vehicles that
are completely unsafe also
is credited to the Pefinsyl-
vania program. In '"cone
ear, 1966, some 200,000
unkers were taken off the
road, largely due to the
inspection program.
Pennsylvania will soon
add emissions inspection
to its safety program. In
August, voluntary inspec-
tions were begun. By Aug-
ust 1976; emissions inspec-
tions are scheduled to be-
come mandatory.
Everything but
your gloves
To solve the "it's never
there when you ' need it"
problem, here's a ,list of
items every motorist
should keep in his glove,
compartment.
A flashlight, first aid
kit, whitueloth to use for
emergent, signalling, pa-
per towel, "soap -and -tow-
el" packets.
Also, coins taped inside
the door for an emergency
phone call in case of car
trouble.
LET THERE BE LIGHT
IfY ou drive an older
car, it's increasingly im-
portant to check the align-
ment of your headlights.
As cars get older, 'they
develop sagging springs
which can affect aim of .
the lights. The Borg-War-
ner Company suggests get-
ting headlights adjusted
every six months.
P
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