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page 16, Whitby Fiee Press, Wednesday, August 23. 1995 Drive Ut before you bu (NO) You should always test drive a vehicle before buying it, say automnotive' specialiats at General Moters. Wihile that may sound like obvieus advice, as many as haif of ail car and truck buyers hand over their rnoney before even putting the key into the ignition, GM specialists report. Tfhe time to check out a vehicle thoroughly for . fit, finish and features is before buying it. There are a Inumber of things te look for and consider before and during a test drive, according te vehicle. specialists at GM. These include: 0 Is there enough room in the trunk for groceries and other * P155XSORX13 $42.00 O P175X80RX13 $55.00 4 à P185XBORX1'3 $57.00 rn P185X75RX14 $58.00 P195X75RX14 $59.00 * P205X75RX1 4 $62.00 More Sizes Available * P215X75RX15 $71.00 ROAD HAZARD P225X75RX15 $73.00- WARRANTY * 257R1 7.0USDTRS$0&U e.... ..... s,,. ST s s o s s s s s e M à a à m bibi=, MOST DOMESTICS and UP We also buy: e Copper e Brass Aluminum e Batteries «»5 686- 3775 DURHAM AUTO PARTS 250 ROSSLAND RD. E., AJAX Open Sat. 8am-5pm, Sun. 9am-2pm HWY #401 AUO é PA TSm RQSSLAND] OU- UHWY #2 typical loads? Can they be lifted in and outeasily? If the vehicle is te be used for towing, what's the recommended tewing capacity? *Once in the vehicle, can you adjust the seat te a proper fit? Move your iight foot from the brake pedal te the gas pedal, then back again. Do your legs and knees clear the steering wheel, dash or control knobs? Can you reach the steen*ng- wheel comfortably, with elbows slightly flexed? e Reach for every control. If you smoke, try the ashtray and lighter. Can yeu live with the arrangement? Try the glovebox. Easy to open? Eneugh room? Pretend you're pa ssing a car and pulling in front of it. Can you see eut the rear window and ie your vision eut sidq windows ebstructed by Pillars or headrests? e Are there convenient sterage areas for commuting items such as notepad, change, maps, coffee cups, garage door epener, etc.? Be sure te try the back seat for ieg room and overal comfort. 0 Once eut on a test drive, is the ride smooth and comfortable SAFELY with RANDY RANDY McLEAN IS A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER WHO SPECIALIZES IN TRAFFIC SAFETY. ». McLean has reviewed thousands of individuai motor vehicle accident reports and his close working relationships with police agencies, goverrnments, safety associations, industry and the public, have given him a true overview of traffic safety issues, problems and solutions in Canada. ff TAKES TWO TO MERGE AND THEE',s A CROWD Great athietes, business leaders, politicians and others who have achieved a high level of sucoess in their endeavours ail have two things in commnon. One is the ability te observe trends and patterns and anticipate future events. The second is the ability te foster a team environment. Only lottery winners succeed without these two skills. Anticipation and teamwork are also essential te being a great accident-free driver. Merging ente a highway or transferring between the core and collecter lanes of Highway 401 provides an ideal example of hew these two skills, anticipation and teamwork, work together to reduce the risk of an accident. In Ontario, merge areas are clearly indentified by 'Lane Enda' arid 'Merge' signs as well as extra wide lane lunes painted on the read. Motoriets in the through lane of the highway and those in the merge lane both know that these two lanes are about to become one. Yet it is net uncommon te see motorists in the through lane blocking a or harsh and jarring? Can you re-centre the steering easily after turning a corner? On the highway, is there sufficient power te merge or pass easily? Is the vehicle nimbie at lane chagnes?, 0Another test-drive item te check is noise level. Could you talk te a passenger witheut yelling? Even with the air conditioner or heater fan on? Every vehicle has its own unique features and quirks. Make sure you-'reaware of them before you buy se0your vehicle ownership experience is as pleasant as possible. merging manoeuvre. Sometimes this block is unintentional. The through meteriest may flot be paying enough attention te what's ahead or assume that it je the entire responsibiity of the merging vehicle te find an adequate gap. Frequently, though, it seeme the block je deliberate. Moterists acoelerate te prevent' the merging vehicle from cutting inte "their" lane. Faced with a "Lane Ends' eign, the merging vehicle really deesn't have any choice in this matter. We should aise remember that the geometry of the merge lane generally requires merging vehicles te travel at a slower speed than traflkc in the through lane. Consequently, merging vehicles muet acoelerate ente the highway. Blocking a merge means forcing a merging vehicle te slow down abruptly and then attempt te enter the highway from a much reduced speed with very little of the merge lane left. This increased speed differential significantly increases the potential for an accident.' It* take two te merge. Drivers in both lanes should adjust their speed te facilitate a safe merge. The motorist in the through lane should attempt te create -a gap. The driver in the, merging lane should attempt te accelerate inte an available gap. On multi-lane highways, motorists in the through lane may even move inte the passing lane when safe te do se. This will give" traffic entering the highway a free lane te m erge into. A less common but more dangerous merging errer occurs when a driver in the passing lane moves into the curb lane just before or within the merge area. The result is a three-lane merge. This is particularly dangerous sinoe the merging meterist will be concentrating on traffic in the through-curb lane and may net see the third vehicle approaching from the far*side. Safe d riving pai By the Insurance ]Bureau of Canada Safe driving is a mix of three factors -- mechanical soundness of the vehicle, and physielogical and psychological- soundness of the driver. It is net only important, for example, that your car's brakes are in working order, but that your eyes aren't tired, or that your blood pressure isn't going through the roof because of a traffic jam. Many unsafe driving behavieurs are obvieus -- speeding, or drining and driving -- and by avoiding them we can make driving safer. But being mentally and physically prepared for driving are also good ways te prevent accidents. Consider fatigue. When you're tired, or low on energy (for example, woring bard and missing lunch) you. are at greater risk of falling asleep at the wheel. As well, your reflexes are slower and you are more likely te misjudge traffic conditions. Your number one priority while driving should be driving -- stay alert. It wiIl help if you are rested and the vehicle well ventilated. You can avoid eye fatigue by varying the focus of your concentration on the road rather than staring at a single point in front of you. You should aise be checIng the rear view mirrer often. In bright light -- sunshine or when there's snow on the ground -- wear a quality pair of sunglasses that reduce glare and the level of UTV rays. If you find you become drowsy because of the mionotony off ofI driving, try playing the radio, singing aloud or taking along a passenger for company. When you become tee tired, stop the car. Get eut of the vehicle, stretch your legs, stop for a bite te eat or a cup of coffee. If you are stili tee -tired te drive, then you need te have a nap. Many car accidenta are caused by the driver falling asleep behind the wheel. Better te get there late, than net at ail. à I 1 FoIIow the'rmies To tii.ed fitor: Do you eijoy a good game of bridge, poker, Monopoly, golf, etc? To do se, yeu must follow the rifles. To really ertjoy driving, try following the rules. Do you know where te position your car at intersections, or when te, stop on an orange light? Do you signai your intention te, make turna, or signal when you are turning? Do people who cheat on the driving rifles indicate that they may cheat at other rules in other involvements of life? Just wondering. It take time te, drive without cheating. Dugals Gorden Whitby Ut ---L 1 r ir