There's
3 things men always talk about:
Women...Sports...Cars!
(according to Mario Lopez)
Just
as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster
and faster
when
the wheels are in perfect alignment,
you
perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals and
values
are
balanced. (Author unknown)
A
Bug's Life:
Before
Volkswagen wraps production this coming July, Mathew Guy looks back
at the beloved Beetle.
Volkswagen's rounded little runabout drove the peace...love...joy
movement of the 1960's. Small and efficient, it was there for
drivers when the fuel prices skyrocketed in the 1970's. But it was a
short-lived affair. The original rear-engine model left Canadian
showrooms in 1979.
Volkswagen, in 1998 introduced the New Beetle
with
engine in front and a 21st
century-ready design ~ it also was short-lived.
Volkswagen recently announced that the production of the 'Beetle'
will cease in July 2019 due to market shifts. Volkswagen's boss
hinted that the beetle could return some day.
Three eras of the Volkswagen were illustrated:
1952 ~ Humble beginning;
60's and 70's ~ Peak of popularity,
1998's ~ new look was a convertible appealing to 'hippies' and urban
commuters.
2019
show-cases its Final Edition with paint colours paying tribute to
past Beetles.
A
dream without ambition is like a a car without gas -
you're not goin' anywhere. (Sean Hampton)
Questions
Addressed to an Auto Expert
Q: by Min: “ I recently bought a new metallic black sedan. I
always washed my car by hand ~ by hand, using a dishwashing liquid
(advised by a friend). Should I continue to use it on my new car?”
A.
by Ryan: “Dish soap should never be used to wash a vehicle; it's
abrasive and will damage the finish. Instead, use an
automotive-specific car-wash soap. One of my favourites is from
Goclean.
Not
only is it a great protection ~ it's environmentally friendly and
made in Canada.”
Q. by Thelma: “I'm going away and leaving my car in my driveway
for 3 weeks. Is it better to leave the gas tank full ~ or half
full?
A. by Ryan: “Store the vehicle with a full tank of fuel to help
prevent condensation build-up inside the gas tank. In cold weather,
I would also use an automatic trickle charger to keep the battery
from discharging.
Vehicles
vs Cyclists
Watching out for Each Other and Sharing the Road!
Canada will soon be emerging from hibernation.
Many will face the risks of 'sharing the road' with cars, trucks,
buses and cyclists.
“On
average, 7500 Canadian cyclists are severely injured each year ~ and
74 are killed!” according to Statistics Canada numbers from 1994 to
2012.
Jamie
Stuckless, executive director of the
Share the Road Cycling Coalition (an
advertising group)
said,
“People
want to ride bikes, but they don't feel safe doing it.”
Safety Tips to Help Everyone Feel More Confident on the Road (from
the recent CAA magazine):
Leave
a Safe Space:
When a driver is passing a cyclist, they should leave at least one
metre between the bike and their car. (That's the law
in Ontario and all Atlantic provinces.) That space is crucial
because cyclists need room to steer around the myriad of obstacles
that litter roads ~ including pot holes and sewer grates. Stuckless
says “If the lane isn't wide enough to accommodate a one-metre
buffer, drivers should change lanes ~ just like they would any other
slow-moving vehicle.
Go
Dutch:
They are the bane of cyclists everywhere:
car doors!
In 2016, more than 200 cyclists in Toronto alone, barrelled into
vehicle doors as they were being opened ~ a collision so common it
has its own name 'dooring'
. “ Those crashes are “incredibly painful” and in the worst
case scenario, can send a cyclist careening into traffic, with
potentially deadly consequences,” said Stuckless. That's why she
recommends drivers exit their vehicle, using what's known as the
Dutch
Reach. The
maneuver, which is de
rigeur in
the Dutch-loving-Netherlands, sees drivers use their right hand to
open their door. The move forces them to reach across their
body...turn their torso...and in the process, able to check their
'blind spot'!”
“It's
easy to understand how invisible you can be biking at night:
Without lights, it's really hard for other road users to see you!”
Light
Up:
Cycling can be dangerous during the day, but the risks are magnified
after the sun sets. “ Without lights, it's really hard for other
road users to see you,” stated Stuckless. That's why it's important
for cyclists to put 2 lights on their bikes: a white one at the
front ~ and a red one (or reflector) at the rear. (In Ontario, it's
also the law!”
Advice to cyclists: Lights should be on 30 minutes before sunset
and remain on 30 minutes after sunrise ~ and any other time when
visibility is low.
Avoid
Getting Hooked:
One of the most frequent collisions between bikes and cars is
what's known as a 'right hook'. That's when a right-turning vehicle
runs into a bike going straight at an intersection. Cyclists
should never pass cars on the right in a 'shared lane':
Going into a vehicle's blind spot is asking for trouble. At the
same time, drivers must make sure that bike lanes are free of traffic
before they make a right turn through them.
Do
Cyclists Practise These Signals?
Left
Turn:
Left arm pointing straight left.
Right
Turn:
Left arm bent at 90 degrees, fingers pointing skyward.
Right
Turn alternative:
Right arm pointing straight right.
Left
arm bent at 90 degrees, fingers pointing at the ground.
Now, readers, I know and have observed that many, many cyclists
fail to signal their intentions, as required by law: biking through
red lights...
passing and changing lanes without signalling...etc.etc.etc.
Traffic officers (police) are only occasionally trying to rectify
these misdemeanors.
Advice
for Drivers
Every move you make: checking for bikes before passing or turning
helps keep all road users safe.
Writer: Merle Baird-Kerr...February 24, 2019
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