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PÂAGE ~ 24 1 1Irrnv PRF.I PfPS. MWETD Y. NOV1EM1BEI 30.198 Nissan trade quality has increased: survey Nissan pickup truck quality has increased over last year according to a recent survey, says the Nissan company. Nissan points out that the latest J.D. Powers survey shows that several other manufacturers' scores have actually decreased while only two manufacturers, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, scored better than Nissan. Nissan, which introduced the first compact pickup trucks to the North American market in the early 1960s, says its 1989 Ilardbody pickups offer top quality, design innovation and lowest prices in Canada for pickup, King Cab four-seater pickup, 4by4 truck and import long box work truck. All four-cylimder models. are powered by , a 2.4-litre fuel-injected engine (106 hp) and can tow up to 3,500 lbs. The 3-litre V6 produces 145 hp and tows 5,000 lbs. Heavy duty radiator, starter, alternator and battery are also standard equip- nient. Warranties cover the -vehicle bumper to bumper for three years or 60,000 km, and for six years or 100,000 km, the entire power- train. Midway Motors, 1300 Dundas St. E., Whitby, has been in the Nissan business since 1965. The holiday season is fast approaching. A time for rest, relaxation and spiritual reflection. But first --- a time for shopping! Buying presents, cards, wrapping paper, decorations and enormous amounts of food. Many of these festive season activities take place at one of our ever expanding shopping centres. Inside a enclosed mall, away from the elements, Christmas shop- ping can be fun --- even exciting. But going to and from the shopping centre may not be as safe as we might think. Very few motorists realize that about 15 per cent, or almost one out of six, motor vehicle accidents occurs at an off-highway location. Many of them in parking lots and many of them during the holiday season rush. Why will so many of us go shopping for an accident next month? Two reasons. First and foremost because we do not think of parking lots as particularly dangerous places. We tend to believe that 'low speed' roads and 'safe' roads are one and the same thing. That high level of concentration we use when driving along the road --- constantly looking for pedestrians, cars, traffic signs, and so on --- gets refocused when we enter a parking lot. In a crowded lot our #1 goal is to find an empty parking space. Looking for pedestrians and moving vehicles are way down on our priority list. Paying attention to ONEWAY arrows also appears to be a RANDY MCLEAN IS A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER WHO SPECIALIZES IN TRAFFIC SAFETY. Mr. McLean has reviewed thousands of individual motor vehicle accident reports and his close working relationships with police agencies, governments, safety associations, ipdustry and the public, have given him a true overview of traffic safety issues, problems and solutions in Canada. low priority. The only thing we are really looking for is an empty parking space, preferably in our aisle but we are usually looking at least one, if not two, aisles off in the distance. When we finally find that elusive empty parking space we then set into motion the second major contributing factor in parking lot accidents. We drive nose first into the space, thus later requiring us to back out. While backing into a parking space is slightly more difficult than driving in, backout out is considerably more dangerous than driving out. The biggest advantage of backing into a space is that the two vehicles on either side of you are not moving. They will not unexpectedly jump into your path. Backing out is essentially the same maneuver as backing in, except when L.-Xxi r backing out the cars and pedestrians in the aisle behind you are moving. And, we already know that they're not paying much attention to uven if we do take the time to scrape all the ice and snow off our back and side windows and wait for them to properly defon --- which most of us won't --- we will still have a large blind spot over our shoulder. If we happen to be parked beside a van or truck, now increasingly used as family vehicles, our blind spot will be considerably larger. At best we will be backing up, partially blind, into two moving lanes of cars and pedestrians. While most parking lot accidents are not very serious, they can be surprisingly expensive. A minor fender bender can easily add up to $500 - $1000 or more. And, although relatively few in number, serious personal injury can occur, particularly if a pedestrian is involved. This holiday season, DONT GO SHOPPING FOR AN ACCIDENT! Don't turn off your defensive driving skills when you enter a parking lot. Try to back into parking spaces whenever you can. If you find old habits hard to break and continue to drive in and back out, please be aware of your blind spots. Especially remember to look for children and elderly pedestrians who may be walking more slowly and take a longer time to clear out of your blind spots. Best Wishes for a Happy Holiday Season, and please DRIVE SAFELY! K- Il&%