I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the weather has been crazy these past few months. Where it is supposed to be summer, they are getting storms. Where it is supposed to be cold, the temperatures are way up. In case you find yourself driving in the rain, here are some tips that will help you stay safe.

Pay extra attention when it suddenly rains after a long dry spell.
This may seem common sense but sometimes, people overlook like. The fact is that during dry spells, engine oil and grease build up on the road surface. When it suddenly rains and the road gets wet, the grease and oil mix, making more dangerous than usual.

Brake sooner and with less force.
Slippery roads make for dangerous times when you brake. As such, when driving in the rain, do brake sooner than you normal would. Also, do not press on the brakes with as much force as you normally would. This would not only give you more distance between your car and the car in front of you but it would also give the driver behind know enough time to hit the brakes himself.

Do NOT use cruise control.
Cruise control was invented for a reason but it was never meant to be used in bad weather. Do not feel lazy when driving in rainy weather but instead be alert as you possibly can.

These are some of the most simple tips that can help you in bad weather. More to follow in the next post.

Written by Marcel on August 10, 2011 | 2 Comments

Driving is not that hard of a task but it can be made quite difficult – and dangerous – by various factors. Low light or driving at night is one of those things that can make driving a little bit more difficult than usual. Not only do some people have problems with low light but having the oncoming traffic flash their high beams on you aggravates the situation even more.

So how is your night vision? Do you think it can use some helping? Well here are some tips that could help you improve it.

Turn off your dome lights or other strong sources of light.
You might think that that does not make sense. However, if you already have low ambient light and you have other strong light sources, you might find it even harder to see the road. That is why you should not focus on bright light sources that will not aid you in seeing the road ahead. Same thing goes with looking at the lights of oncoming cars.

Take your time.
That is, let your eyes adjust to the night light. If you are in no particular hurry, don’t go rushing into the road. Instead, wait for it to become dark and let your eyes get used to the dark before driving off.

Keep one eye used to the dark.
That sounds funny, eh? What I mean is that if you go to a well lit place while on the road, try to keep your night vision for the other eye. You can do so by closing one eye while in the well lit place. You might look freaky but hey, it can help you a lot when you go back to the road.

Written by Marcel on March 31, 2011 | 1 Comment

How many times have you heard a motorist say “I never saw him!” after getting into a road accident? I bet that you have heard this excuse so many times you cannot even count. You might have even used this excuse yourself.

Let me tell you this, though, that line just doesn’t cut it. More often than not, when a motorist says he didn’t see the other vehicle, it is a case of not paying enough attention to the road and surroundings. Inattention is actually a general term that can involve one or more of the following:

• Sleepiness or drowsiness
• Daydreaming
• Distractions such as texting, talking to the passengers in the car, talking on the mobile phone, etc.
• Fatigue
• Etc.

These things – and more – can cause a driver to be inattentive while on the move. As a driver, your primary responsibility is to be alert and to be able to see an accident coming and be able to avoid it. However, what normally happens is that when you are a seasoned driver, the task becomes automatic, making it highly likely that your mind will wander.

Think about it – as you get in your car later, try to focus only on driving. Think about nothing else. Just look at the road ahead of you, check your side mirrors and rearview mirrors. Think about using the blinkers when changing lanes, and so on. Try and see how long you can keep that up without thinking of any other thing. I bet that you won’t last 5 minutes without thinking of something else.

That is how easy it is to be inattentive while driving. But you and I know that paying attention can save your life and the lives of others. So, as you hit the road, do try to focus on your task. Leave your woolgathering or texting or whatever for later.

Written by Marcel on March 24, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Thinking back, I should have posted this before the previous article. You see, I saw a comment by one of our readers asking for posts on automatic transmission. That is why I am on a seemingly “automatic mode” right now. Anyhow, I realized that as simple as this topic may be – driving can’t get any simple than automatic, right? – it will still be useful for some.

So this is what you do to get started…

Once in the car, take a look at the two pedals on the floor in front of the driver’s seat. The pedal on the right is the accelerator and the pedal on the left is the brake. Unlike with the stick shift, you only have to use your right foot to man those two pedals.

Look to your right and get to know that gear shifter by heart. The automatic gear shifter will normally have settings with these labels: P, R, N, D, 2, and 1. P stands for park, R for reverse, N for neutral, D for drive, 2 for 2nd gear, and 1 for first gear.

Now you may be wondering what the gears are there for – it’s an automatic car right? the first and second gears are there in case you need them for bad weather conditions. Don’t diss them just yet – you will find them handy one of these days.

Now you’re ready to drive. Check that the gear box is set to P. Most cars will not start unless it is on P anyway, but just make sure. Step on the brake, and start the engine. Now shift the gear box to D or R, depending on whether you have to go forward or back up. Slowly ease up on the brake until the car begins to move. (If you’re used to driving manual, this first movement might be a bit surprising.) Put your right foot on the accelerator and go!

Written by Marcel on February 16, 2011 | 2 Comments

So you got yourself an automatic huh? I know a lot of people these days who prefer to drive an automatic car in the city, for everyday use. Of course, there are still a lot who prefer to drive the stick for better control, but for those who have automatic drives, here are some ways you can wreck the transmission of your car. Of course, I do not have to explain the sarcasm behind these words, eh?

Shift into reverse or park while the car is still moving forward.
The newer cars have a safety feature to guard against this – the park and reverse are locked if the car is still in forward motion. But if your car doesn’t have this feature, then make sure you grab that knob and shift to reverse or park. Doing this over and over again will ensure a wrecked transmission one of these days.

Rev your engine instead of using the parking brake.
You know how you have to keep your car still when waiting for traffic to move while you’re on an incline? Well, you do have a parking brake which you can use, but why do that when you can rev your engine? It is more fun, it sounds fun, and it wrecks your transmission in the long run as well!

Don’t change the transmission gear oil on schedule.
That schedule is merely a suggestion. If you’re a little short on money, save it for later. The car will still work anyway.

Written by Marcel on December 27, 2010 | Leave a Comment

So you’re going to Europe, and you want to explore behind the wheel. This is not at all uncommon, as hitting the road can get you places which are out of the usual tourist paths (of course we know that this is the best way to explore). Before you get into the driver’s seat, however, make sure that you know exactly what you are getting into. The European Union may have united many of the countries in the continent, but that does not mean that the laws of the road are the same in each country. Take a look at these tips before you travel.

Whether you’re driving your own car, borrowing a friend’s car, or renting one, you should always have three things with you:

1. Driving license
2. Insurance papers
3. Vehicle registration papers.

Plan, plan, plan. While adventure is fun, it is also practical to have some idea of your route. You know, just to have a fallback in case you find yourself lost in the middle of nowhere. Oh, and bring your GPS with you – it just might save your life.

Make sure you have headlamp beam deflector strips and warning triangles. Also know that in some European countries, the law requires you to dip your headlights during the day. Some of these countries are Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Iceland.

Know the blood alcohol limits in each country you plan to visit. While drinking and driving is a NO NO, we know that you might find yourself behind the wheel after having a glass of wine with dinner. Just make sure that you know exactly what is legal and safe.

Written by Marcel on December 23, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Many people have dreamed of getting an RV when they get older, and going around the country at a leisurely pace. In this day and age, when hopping on a plane to get from one destination to another is the norm, driving a good old RV is not that common anymore. But anyone who has had the experience of traveling on one will tell you that there is nothing like it. Of course, you have to pay attention to the details and know how to drive safely in that oversized van. Here are some tips to stay safe on the road in an RV.

Take your time. An RV is not meant to go fast. It is the ride of choice for those who want to take it slow and take in the scenery. Going up a hill, you cannot expect to do it the same way as you would if you were driving, say, a Mustang. Don’t rush it!

Never drive down a road/street if you’re not sure there is an exit. Have you ever tried having to bust a U in a small space, or maybe back out of an alley in an RV? If so, then you would know that this piece of advice is perhaps the best that you can ever have. Before you turn into a side street, make sure that you have a way out.

Trust those side mirrors like anything. If you’re used to looking at your rear view mirrors, you better get the hang of relying almost solely on RV’s side mirrors. You will not be able to see much from the rear view mirrors (except your bed maybe) and you’ll need those side mirrors more than anything else in an RV.

Written by Marcel on December 20, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Research into possible assistance by the car’s computers along with various sensors in aiding drivers when driving in bad weather is underway to make the roads safer. Funded by Veridan and Honda, the researchers at The University of Buffalo are working to perfect and prototype a system which would have some built-in reflexes into the car allowing it to assist the driver in case of a skid or slide. Many drivers still get into accidents when ice, rain and other weather impair the usual driving environment.
The system would involve the car’s computer which would have some pre-loaded reflex routines that tackle most driving situations, sensors that will be embedded in every part of the vehicle and active assist systems much like ABS assists you in maneuvers on slick roads. There is a required level of skill that is involved in order to recover from a spin such as which way to turn the wheel to counter the spin and how fast the driver has to turn it to effectively avoid disaster. The braking, engine, steering and many more parts of the car would assist the driver in making that critical split-second decisions on which way to turn the wheel and how much braking and engine power would be required. The parameters that would be built into these proposed systems are being tried out in simulators to obtain repeatable and standard results.
Researchers have found that the best and least invasive assistance technique can be achieved by audible warnings which allow the driver to keep his eyes on the road to allow better understanding of the situation. The new system would supplement but not totally take over the control of the vehicle for the best and fastest computer in the world is still the human brain which makes hundreds of thousands of calculations from visual cues and other sensory gathered information to allow the proper technique to be executed. The driver is still the most dangerous part of a motor vehicle for even with all the advanced technologies and safety systems that have been developed; the person is still the biggest threat to himself. Proper training and stimuli can help make a person more focused on his driving and lessen the accidents that have become more common on the streets of today.

Written by Marcel on September 24, 2010 | 1 Comment

This is rule #1 in defensive driving. You should always pay attention to the road, and driving should have your undivided attention. Try to refrain from using your cellphone, fiddling with the stereo controls, or even chatting with your passengers.

One statistic often quoted is that most collisions happen within a short distance from home. Why is this true? Since we mostly drive in our own neighborhoods, the odds are we’ll have most of our mishaps there. Close to home we get more comfortable and perhaps let our guard down (and the other guy does the same thing); you’ve heard that “familiarity breeds contempt?” Better yet, familiarity breeds inattention. We don’t often consider that serious or fatal injuries can occur in low speed collisions.
…
Paying attention can become a habit, but you have to work at it. Make conscious, persistent choices NOT to eat while driving, or whatever you do that takes your attention off where your moving vehicle is pointed. Connect your mind to your eyes and work at consciously analyzing what you see while you drive. We call this “situational awareness.” Driving is the most dangerous thing most of us ever do. It deserves your full attention. Mastery of this one habit can almost make you bullet-proof. Not quite, but almost. – Road Trip America

Written by J. Angelo Racoma on July 8, 2010 | 1 Comment