Winter Sucks But Be Ready

Here it is late November and so far the only signs of the approaching winter weather we’ve had here are the bare trees, cooler nights and one day with some ice pellets and a couple of flurries. No doubt the worst is yet to come and if this winter is anything like the past several, we can expect lots of snow and some nights of extreme cold.

Any Canadian or anyone who lives in a place where we spend close to half the year dealing with these bloody awful conditions, knows it’s best to prepare ahead of time then to be caught off guard.

Already I’ve planned where I’ll be putting the snow to keep the driveway clean, I’ve filled up the gas tank in the snow blower and had it running once to make sure it’s in tip top shape to save my back some pain. The shovels will be next to come out for those light dustings and for clearing the deck and the bags of ice melt will be purchased soon.

Most people plan for their homes but what about your vehicle? There are plenty of things you could and should do to make your mode of transportation as winter ready as possible.

Not everyone can afford two sets of tires for their car or truck, myself included, so I’ll be gingerly making my way around on All-season tires instead of the much better Winter tires. Quebec is the only province where Winter tires are mandatory from mid November to mid April. I believe in B.C. it’s mandatory to have the tires or chains when travelling on mountain highways.

While purchasing winter tires is an expense I just can’t afford right now (I just bought 4-new All-season tires this past summer) I do think it’s the smart thing to have on your car when the snow flies. They may not be perfect but they do make a difference and could save lives. I’ll be chancing it for now like I have been since I started driving. If you drive accordingly and avoid bad road conditions whenever possible, you can do just fine.

Tires are the main safety item but there are other things you should think about as well.

I just had my rear window defroster fixed so I won’t have icing on my windows. Make sure your heater, blower and defrosters are working. If your windshield wipers are getting old, have them replaced to make sure your visibility remains as clear as possible. There’s nothing worse then looking through dirty, streaky windows and then ploughing into a snow bank.

Some people like to store a “Survival Kit” in their cars. While I don’t have all of the suggested items in mine, I do keep a few things in there, especially the ones I’ve used in the past. At the top of my list is a shovel. It doesn’t need to be a big one as long as it will do the job clearing away snow from the tires or to clear a path. Many times I’ve been snowed in while at work or the plough has gone by and created an ice and snow wall in my path. The shovel is nice to have to get out of those situations.

I think everyone has an ice scrapper or snow brush in their cars…that’s a no brainer. Extra windshield washer fluid is always a smart thing to have on hand along with gloves, hats, a blanket and a flashlight. I think that’s the bare minimum but you can be even more prepared with booster cables, sand, tow rope, first-aid kit, candle, matches and food but if you’re not venturing into the wilderness, you can probably mange without most of that. Just don’t plan any day trips into the Northwest Territories.

One other thing I always do, even in the summer time, is never let the gas in my car drop below half a tank. It’s just a habit I’ve gotten myself into and I think it’s a good one. If you get stuck somewhere, you can at least keep warm by running the car if you have the gas to do so.

Just a couple more things I would suggest and these are things that drive me nuts. I always clean my car off before I hit the road. I’ll clear the windshield, side windows, rear window, hood, roof and trunk along with my lights and license plate. How many times have you watched a car go by and someone has only turned their wipers on to get a view but their mirrors, side windows, headlights, back window and plate are still covered. These people need to be fined. In all my years I can’t recall ever seeing a cop pull someone over for this. I’m not saying they don’t, just that I’ve never seen it. They’re endangering others on the road and pedestrians as well.

Along the same lines are the people who don’t let their windows defrost before taking off. There they are hunched over to the right, peering though the only small clear spot on the windshield trying to get where they’re going. This is an accident waiting to happen. Plan ahead and give yourself time to properly prepare your car for the trip.

Finally, the best advice I can give is this…if you don’t have to absolutely travel in bad weather…DON’T. Stay off the roads. Going to work or emergencies are one thing but traveling in horrible weather conditions to pick up a loaf of bread is crazy. It can wait. Of course if you’re beer supply is running low, then I suppose that could be classed as an emergency situation.

Have a safe winter!

Learn To Drive Will Ya!

I don’t think I’m telling you something you didn’t already know when I say that there are a lot of really bad drivers on the road. It’s not that they can’t keep their vehicle on the street; they just don’t know the rules of the road.

The simplest rules are forgotten most often and unfortunately this lack of knowledge or the sheer lack of common sense of some road warriors will be the cause of many accidents.

Now, I’m not about to make this a male versus female issue even though the majority of the offenders in my experience are women. While that may be the case, men and young drivers are just as guilty.

I’m also not going to harp on those with a lead foot. I myself have been known to creep over the speed limit from time to time, especially on the highway. The fact that I think the speed limit on the major highways should be raised from 100 to 120 kilometres per hour is just my opinion. I love to travel in the U.S. because the speed limits on the Interstates are higher than they are here in Canada and you can actually get where you’re going in much better time. Not to mention the traffic seems to flow better as well for some reason.

This discussion I am more concerned with some simple regulations of the road that people just don’t have a grasp of and I’d rather see the police start ticketing these individuals rather than someone who is 10 or 15 km’s over the limit. So here are my current driving pet peeves:

1. Turning into the Wrong Lane at an Intersection
I’m sure you’ve all seen this before and this one drives me crazy. Picture yourself sitting at a stop light waiting to turn left onto a four lane road (two lanes in each direction). There is also a car waiting across the intersection facing you waiting to turn right to travel in the same direction as you. The light turns green. What should the drivers do? According to the law you each turn into the closest lane. That means you turn left into the passing lane while the car facing you turns right into the curb lane. That’s how it should work but I would say nine times out of ten one of the cars cuts across into the far lane cutting me off. At this point my horn, hand gestures and foul mouth all go into action. Where are the police when you need them?

2. Driving in the Passing Lane
This one really steams me sometimes, especially when the car is going slow. Once again you’re traveling down a four lane road. The right lane is the driving lane and the left is the passing lane. I know this might come as a shock to some, but they call it the passing lane for a reason. You go out there to pass someone and then you pull back over to the right into the driving lane and continue. You don’t stay out there and keep putting along. The folks who really tick me off are the people who stay in the passing lane because they’re eventually going to turn left onto another road. Get the hell over until you’re almost at your turn. Surely to goodness you can change lanes half a kilometre away. You don’t need to drive 5km in the passing lane before you turn. Where are the police when you need them?

3. Passing on the Right
Along the lines of the last one, possibly as a result of someone driving in the passing lane you may have to pass on the right if they’re going too slow in the wrong lane. That is the only time I condone this. However, recently I was coming to a stop light in town and was preparing to make a left turn. Some asshole in a truck came flying up beside me on the right and swerved in front of me cutting me off and jammed on the brakes for the light. I was pissed off to say the least. So for the remainder of the light, I had one hand on the horn and the other flipping the bird. Road rage? Perhaps. Pointless? Also perhaps but it makes me feel better and in a situation like that, that’s all I care about. Where are the police when you need them?

By the way, I have to give thanks to my brother for teaching me to use the horn. He does it all the time in Florida. Maybe it’s an American thing. It accomplishes nothing but it feels so much better to help release the anger. After all, like the Hulk, you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.

4. Merging Into Traffic…You Don’t Have the Right of Way
I see this all the time as I’m traveling along the 401 highway. I’ll be motoring along in the driving lane (right lane) and as I approach an area where traffic can enter the highway I can see cars preparing to merge onto the motorway. Normally most drivers would move over to the left passing lane and allow those cars entering the highway an easier and clear spot for them to do so. However, sometimes the traffic is thick and you can’t move over. These idiots feel that they have the right of way to merge when actually they don’t. They will force their way on to the highway and nearly cause an accident or at the bare minimum make the oncoming traffic hit the brakes to avoid them. What they should have done is waited for the traffic to pass and the lane to clear before proceeding. They do NOT have the right of way. Where are the police when you need them?

5. Not Using the Ramp to Accelerate to Speed
Going hand in hand with number four is this one. Drivers who instead of using the on ramp to get up to speed before entering traffic, merge immediately while only doing half the speed they should be. Meanwhile, the traffic coming up behind this “tool” is forced to weave around or brake to avoid hitting said “tool.” Use the damn on ramp for its intended purpose. They make it long for a reason. Where are the police when you need them?

6. Approaching an Intersection with the Stop Lights Out
Finally I come to one that is near the top of my list of most annoying ignorant driver screw-ups. This has been a common one this summer as we’ve had a number of storms that have caused power outages at intersections. As you approach an intersection and you notice that the power to the stop lights has been interrupted and they aren’t working, what should you do? In this case you don’t just go flying through the lights if you happen to be travelling along the busier road. That’s a great way to cause an accident. Instead, you treat the intersection as a Four Way Stop.

That’s right; you must come to a complete stop and allow the car or cars to the right of you that were at the intersection first to proceed before you continue your journey. It’s really quite simple but once again, we have a lot of people driving today that either have forgotten what they learned or just don’t care and that’s why people are dying on our roads. Where are the police when you need then?

People can talk about drivers using cell phones or speeders causing accidents. I won’t deny that those situations can lead to fender benders or worse but I bet there are just as many accidents caused by people who don’t know the rules of the road rather than by those who choose not to follow the rules.

If any of the above situations sound like something you may be guilty of, I hope I’ve helped to refresh your memory and perhaps next time you find yourself in one of these situations, you’ll remember to do things properly. Happy Driving!

Oh, and to answer the question I kept asking about the police…check a Tim Horton’s parking lot.

Bad Rap For Cell Phones

If you believe that people shouldn't be allowed to talk on cell phones while driving their cars and that a law should be in place to that fact, then I'm afraid I don't want to talk to you anymore.

Well, maybe that's a bit too extreme. Perhaps I'll just give you the silent treatment for a few minutes instead.

I'm a firm believer that people who are good drivers and careful can operate a motor vehicle and converse on the phone at the same time. It all comes down to the extenuating circumstances of certain situations that determine the odds of crashing while doing so.

What I mean by this is that simply driving your car in a situation where there's zero traffic and excellent driving conditions with a quality driver behind the wheel should be safe. The problems arise when a driver has to deal with outer influences. These could include heavy traffic, poor weather, taking your eyes off the road or just not paying attention. It could also happen because he or she is just a rotten driver.

I'll be the first to admit that no phone call is more important than the safe operation of a vehicle. I have been driving and talking for many years with nary an incident. The reason...I'm able to recognize the time to put the phone down or pull over.

Whenever possible, I will try to avoid dialing a number while driving. I'll dial the number and then begin driving to allow me to keep my eyes on the road. Of course with voice dialing and speaker phones this becomes much easier as you can simply hold the phone in your hand, push a button on the side and say a pre-recorded name to initiate the call.

I also make use of my flip phone so that when I receive a call, I can simply just open the phone and it answers automatically. The need to look at the phone for the "send" button isn't necessary and you've already improved the situation.

I'm not saying that accidents won't happen as a result of using a phone because that would be silly but to ban their use is crazy. Yes accidents happen but where are the statistics that include all of the people who use phones and don't get into an accident? I know I've never been involved in any study. Instead they perform a test to determine if you're distracted while using a phone. Of course you'll be slightly distracted but I don't think it would be anymore then the person reaching down to play with the radio, combing hair, eating a burger, applying lipstick or reaching into the back seat to deal with kids. How about picking your nose...isn't that a distraction? Heck it might even slightly impair your vision and how often do we witness people doing that?

The point I'm trying to make is that lawmakers should just leave well enough alone. The police have enough to worry about with drug dealers, gangs, illegal weapons and pedophiles. They don't need to be pulling people over just because they're talking on a phone.

Cell phones are an important part of every day life now and I wouldn't want to see them banned. However there are a few pet peeves I'd like to share with you and they include:

1. Use a good ringtone and not an annoying one.
   
2. Talk quietly. You don't need to yell to be heard and I'm quite certain that everyone within earshot doesn't give a damn what you're talking about or who you're talking to.
3. Don't wear your phone on your hip/belt. It looks terrible. Some people, mainly older individuals, feel the need to clamp their cell phone to their hip. Is this some Batman fantasy or are you just trying to advertise that you have finally graduated to the 21st Century? The phones are small enough now that you can just put them in your pocket, coat or backpack.
4. Stop using the Blackberry. There’s nothing more irritating than someone ignoring you in the middle of a conversation just so they can read the oh-so-important email, and naturally respond. Get over it and don't be rude.

These little rules are simple and fair and anyone who breaks them has no right to complain when we take their phone and drop it into a toilet. Besides, they're probably ready to upgrade to the latest version any way.

Seriously, there are some positives and negatives of automotive cell phone. Here are some of the positives:

1. Economic: They allow us to conduct business while stuck in traffic.
2. Personal Safety: They make it easier to call for help in an emergency.
3. Mechanical: Roadside assistance is just a phone call away.
4. Access: We can stay in touch with loved ones and colleagues.
5. Money Saving: It's sometimes cheaper to call long-distance from our cars than from our homes.

Finally...before I wrap up this subject, here are some safety tips that will hopefully make your cellphone use behind the wheel a little safer for you and those around you.

1. Get to know your phone and its features.
2. When available, use a hands-free device.
3. Position your phone within easy reach.
4. Suspend calls in heavy traffic or hazardous weather conditions.
5. Do not take notes or look up phone numbers while driving.
6. If possible, place calls when you are not moving or merging.
7. Do not engage in stressful or emotional conversations that may divert your attention from the road.

I hope this has both entertained and enlightened you and will go a long way towards making the roads safer for everyone while at the same time ensuring my right to talk and drive for many years to come.