The Goderich Signal-Star, 1972-06-15, Page 35The Signal-St,r, June 15, 1972—Car Care Supplement
hat DoYou a an
�,Brakesars Arer S�o►t.
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PoliceOfficerFrequently Hears Motorists OTbjecf
By CHARLES BARUCH
"What do you mean my brakes are shot?' The car stopped,
didn't it?" •
The motorist's reaction was considered not !unusual. by
Officer Frank Blankwell. Officer Blankwell • (net his real.
name) was completing a long, tiring day on a spot-check
vehicle inspection lane near a major•city. He had been listen-•
ing to alibis ranging frorrl the ridiculous to the less than
sublime:
Misaligned headlights? •"It's the—manufacturer's fault.
They should make them so they don't go out of whack," the
owner said.
Bald" tires? "I was going to get new ones but Ihaven't
.had time."
Badshock, absorbers?
"Shock absorbers! What are
they?"
As offending drivers were
handed a violation notice,
requiring them to have the
trouble repaired and bring
the car back in 10 days `for a
recheck,. Officer Blankwell
was often greeted with- a
scowl or muttered comments.
like, "Why aren't you guys
going after: muggers?,'
Since vThiele inspections
were introduced, better than
50 percent of all cars tested
Well-functioning wiper blades are an integral part of a safe ear. Here inspections test the tension
Of the w•iper.arms. About half of all cars toted have at least one safety, defect, vehicle inspectors find.-
Drenched Road,WornTires
Can Lead To Hydroplaning=
•A, downpour that covers
the highway with water can
create a hazardous driving
condition.
Water standing on a high-
way can lead t� hydroplan-
ing, a condition where the
front wheels lose contact
with the road surface and ac-
tually ride on top of the
water. When this occurs, you
-- lose control of brakes_ and
steering` and the end result
is the same asl driving on ice. for --Finest Diagnostic
SAFETY AERVICE
crease driving speed when
there. is evidence of water
standing o on- or running
across a highway.
have failed in at least one -
critical safety area.
"Better Than Average"
Officer Blankwell was run-
ning a little better than the
national average that day.
Heand his crew had checked
better than 50 cars and 29 of
them had defects.
Brakes and tires were the,
most common failings with
steering and misaligned
lights ranking 'next. .Some of
the bars inspected looked like,
•refugees from a scrap yard.
Officer Blankwell said;
"We're accused of discrim-
inating against the poor man
who can't afford a new car
but needs transportation to
get to his job. And,it bothers
me to tell -a man he can't
drive his car.
"But it would bother me
even more to pull him out of
a wreck caused by a the fail-
ure at high speeds. "
"And it. would bother me
a heck of a lot more to see
some child run down because
someone with faulty brakes
couldn't stop in time."
Blankwell,. operates in an
area that does not have com-
pulsory vehicle inspection.
Instead, it uses the spot check
lane system where police in-
" spect cars at random. .
Said BlankweIl, "I know
the arguments against com-
pulsory inspection. Our legis-
lature apparently believes
that passing an inspection
gives the motorist a false
sense of security and that he
won't maintain his car until
the next check.
EARLY TESTING
"I personally can't buy
that approach though. The
conscientious car owner will
take care -of his car. The
careless' one needs prompt-
ing, even if it's only once or
twice a year."
Tail Pipe 'Bumping
As . Blankwell's crew was
stowing their '.check .equip-
ment for the day, a car drove
by. Its tailpipe was bumping
on the pavement • and the
front wheels• were wobbling.
"That's what I'm talking
about," •the officer said.
"There are more ways to save
lives than to -nab a mugger. •
Test tracks for cars are not
new. Way back in 1915 auto
makers began putting cars
through outdoor obstacles.
The most common .cause
of hydroplaning is when •the
depth of your tire grooves is,
less than. the- ' depth of water
standing. on a highway.
The best safeguard against
the hydroplaning ' phenom-
enon i to replace worn tires
witl1 nett- ones: and to de
Lane
e PERIODIC .,MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION
That's the brakes
Neglected brakes are no joke. So
why kid around? Bring your car in
fciir our expert safety check today.
It'llbrake you up. _ • -,
BLUE1WATER
TEXACO
s
ut
is j11 overllO
DIAGNOSTIC Centers
ALL to Made Yours
the Accident that NEVER HAPPENED-
•
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232 Picton St. - -526)1B1
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Time is-
Car
Care
start yours with our
Pre -Trip--
Safety Check
• Emissions check
• ,Tune-up •
• Electrical system
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• Oil and filter
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• Cooling system
• Brakes
• Tires
• Exhaust _system
• Lights
• Wipers and washers
Complete
Air Cond. Service
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MOTORS
3 5 SOUTH ST.
GODERICH
5249308'