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page 18, Whitby Free Press, Wednosday, September 21,1994 Cruîin CIassîcs: PROM PAGE 16 - The three-miilionth vehicie built at GM's Oshawa plant was a 1956 four-door Chevrolet. - Canadian car ownership increased from 1,497,000 registrations in 1945 te 5,256,000 by 1960. - The first production Mustang was a white convertible that went on a transcontinental tour,, with the rest of Ford's iineup, in 1964. *The teur ended in Newfoundland, where the cars were sold at a discount, and the Mustang purchased by airline pilot Captain Stan Tucker. The Henry Ford Museum later realized what had happened and offered Tucker a brand-new 1966 Mustang for it. On the condition that the car would be placed on permanent display, Tucker handed the very first Mustang over. - In 1911, Ontario license plates were mnade of porcelain. Ganadian car tacts "Due te their fragile nature, 'that 'only lasted one year. In 1931, Ontario plates were first made by inmates at the Ontario Reformatory in Guelph. The crown on our plates dates from 1937, when it first appeared te commemorate King George VI's coronation. - A law requiring ail license plates te be six inches by 12 inches was passed in the U.S. in 1957. Canada quickly followed, but the Northwest Territeries used their famous poar bear plates, the only non-rectangular ones in ail of North and Centrai America. ' Safety standards on used cars became mandatery in Ontario in 1968. 0 - At one tuine, Canada had more than 200 independent car manufacturers. Today the only ones left are those affiliated with American or overseas companies. Many of those old, uniquely homegrown models can be seen at the Canadian Automotive Museum on Simcoe Street in Oshawa, which is believed te own the largest collection of Canadian cars in the world. Neyer seen a Redpath, a Tudhope-MeIntyre, a Brooks or a McKay? Get yourself down to check it out; after ail, there's no basobail this weekend -- what else are you going to do? mm -- Sales Manager's MODEL 2 DOOR COUPES Now Sale *ýAmh Priced $10oI "LOADEDY Automatie - Air Conditioning Dual Air Bans NwSl AM/FM/CA§S Now ae Power Windows Pie Cruise-Tilt From -Woodgrain Dash Plus Many More Luxuiy Features $19,970 * EG $19.000 FINANCED OVER 48 MONTHS @ 5.8% APR C.0.B. $233456 .MONTHLY PAYMENT $ 444.47 e *U . A LOADED WITH LUXURY Stock Units Now Sale Priced From $22,990 * Other vans may be cheaper, but none of them are bette,'! Now Sale Priced From I~fl~~' $1o 0Y Amý* SAVE $2,OOO0On ail in-stock 4x4 King Cabs * Freight & PDI <$690), taxes, licence extra DRI VIN% with RANDY RANDY McLEAN IS A PROPESSIONAL ENGINEER WHO SPECIALIZES IN TRAFFIO SAFETY. Mr. McLean has reviewed thousands of individual motor vehicle accident reports and his close working relationships with police agencies, govemments, safety associations, industry and the public, have given hlm a true overview of traffic satety issues, problems and solutions ln Canada. DRIVING THE CITY OUT 0F TUE COUNTRY You can take the driver out of the city, but you can't take the ci ty out of the driver. City folk, like myseif, like to g t away from the hustie and bustie of the urban area to a peaceful, rural, countryside setting.' Unfortunately, (for the country folk) in our attempt to escape the rat race we usually bring two things along with us -- the race and the rats. City drivers are always in a hurry. It doesn't matter whether we're two minutes late or two hours early. Once we get into our car we instinctively hurry. Most city drivers believe they have an appointmnent deadlinie to keep with the beach! This may explain why they so often risk life, limb and high blood pressure, racing te get te soniewhere they can relax. Rats act on instinct. Once they've beenï trained te mun through the blue door, they always run through tghe blue door. Similarly, once we've learned to drive in a certain manner, we almost always drive in exactly the samne manner, regardless of road, weather or trafflic conditions.. Although there are obvious differences in the design of rural roads and urban streets, many moterists drive essentialiy the samne way on both. (Iompared to most urban streets, rural- roacts can havè sharp horizontal and steep vertical curves wých significantly reduce visibility to traffic approaching fromn side roads. Trees can also limit sightline distances at intersections. Why are these differences important? If you approach this type of intersection at the maimum posted speed limit you are' probably overdrwving the conditions. By the time you actually see a car cutting across your path, it will b e teo late te, stop. The result is a right-anjle collision, at relatively high speed, likely invoiving personal injuries. Since you are on a low- volume road some distance from a hospital, it may be a *long time before medical care is summoned and arrives. So there is a very real risk of miner or moderate injuries beceming more serieus. What can yeu do te reduce your risk?*First, and most importantly, recognize the hazard. As *you approach an intersection with limited visibility, tell yourself (or at least think to yoursel9 )"I cannot tell if another car is approaching." The mere thought should cause your right foot te lift off the accelerater pedal. You probably won't lose any speed, your memientum will carry you quite a distance, but you are now looking for an appreaching vehicle and you are in a good position to apply your brakes immediately if the need arises. Depending on your age and reflexes you have just saved yourself 1.5 to 3.0 seconds. More importantly, you may have just saved someone's life. Angle impact collisions re dangerous. Ontario accident statistics sh w that of al two-vehicle accidents, only heaS-on collisions resuit in more fatalities. Low-volume roads are not low-risk roads. If you can't see far enough to ensure your- safety, then prepare yourself to respond quickly. Don't letsomeoneelse involve you in their accident. DRIVE SAFELY! Soe yths aoù t car theft PROM PAGE 16 0lleys or unsupervised parking lots s0a1'm fot at risk for having my car stolen. Your place of residence ranks as the nuxnber one spot where thieves are most likely ta strike, followed by shopping centre parking lots. Most people are not as sympathetic te automobile theft victims as they are te victims of burglary. Because they are viewed as non-violent crimes, automobýle" thefts hardiy cause a ripple. Usually the victim is not irjured and if they are insured, they wili be reimbursed and everything wili soon be back te normal. But the reaiity includes the emotionai upset of victims and the loss Uf' irreplaceable personai belong- ings. Tips For Preventing Theft Several automobile manufacturers have introduced features designed te reduce the incidence of vehicele theft (e.g. alarms and ultrasonic devices, the etching of parts and accessories, fuel cut-off systems, etc.) Ask your local police and motorists' association for advice on which vehicles are the most difficult for thieves to steal. Here are some tips on how te discourage car thieves: e Don't leave your car unlocked or with the key in the ignition. Always pocket the keys. a Keep your house Iccys separate from your car keys. a Park your car in a busy, well- lit area. *Do not leave valuable items or packages in sight in your car. *Keep y'our vehicle registration in your wallet or purse. * Etch or mark some of the more expensive parts on your car in an in.çonspicuous place with an engr aving tool, uising your car's vehicie identification number (VIN). O n metai parts, cover the number'with rust-inhibiter. e Instali safety door lock buttens. e Aiways keep your car trunk locked.0 e Keep your windows closed when your car is unattended. *Lock your gas tank cap. "While your insurance company doesn't ask for. a picture of your car, take one youself and keep it in a safe place. It will make the job easier. for police if your car is stelen." says Blewett. The RV vacation The uMotor home that drives like a van" is becoming a vaca- tion preference for many. Owasco RV offers Roadtrek moterhomes that have comforts and conveniences such as air conditioning, freezers, full-flush toilets and stand-up showers. Moreover, «They retain their value better than any other van conversion » says Bob Verwey of Owasco R'ý1, on Dundas Street East in Whitby. The Roadtrek motorhomes, manufactured by Home and Park in Kitchener, start at $39,000. However,, Verwey says Owasco offers a plan by which a purcha- ser can rent his/her motorhome through the dealership when it's not in use. "We will guarantee you will earn $6,000 income per year on your motorhome, plus tax bene- fits from deductions and interest costs as well,» says Verwey. Owasco staff can aIse rebuild, remodel and modifS' RV vehicles of any size in their specially buiît body shop. Renting te buy is another option, te find eut if a particular rec vehicle is suitable. RentaIs are popular for family vacations. Owasco also selîs used motor- homes from $7,900. They also seIl the large, fuli-size motor- homes, including the Volkswagen Camper. r- L- ma NI SAN L1,994 AL TIMA ou