The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday September 10, 2003 - C 7 YOUR PARTNER IN AN EMERGENCY See Page 8 DUNDAS & TRAFALGAR ROAD 400 Dundas St. East* 257-TIRE 0AKT0WN SHOPPING PLAZA 550 Kerr Street · 844-0202 You, your car and winter storms inter travel by automobile can be serious business. Be prepared. Membership in the Canadian Automobile Association is recommended. If you do a lot of winter driving in isolated regions, you might consider having a Citizen's Band radio. *911 is a free call to police and ambulance on your cellular phone, and *CAA is a free call for CAA Emergency Road Service, for CAA members. Heed the warnings Local weather offices of Environment Canada issue warnings of impending bliz zards, heavy snow, freezing rain or drizzle, cold waves and winds. KNOW THE HAZARDS Blizzard The most perilous of winter storms combin ing falling, blowing, drifting snow, winds of 40 km/hour or more, visibility less than 1 km, tem peratures less than -10°C; duration: six hours or more. Heavy snow Ten centimetres or more in 12 hours, or 15 cm or more in 24 hours. Even less in temper ate climates. Freezing rain or drizzle An ice storm coating roads, trees, overhead wires, etc. with ice. Cold wave A rapid fall in temperature in a short period, requiring greater than normal protective meas-" - ures. Winds » The cause of blizzard conditions, drifting, reduced visibility and wind-chill effects. TUNE UP YOUR CAR Winter weather presents the greatest chal lenge to your car and its engine. Prepare for winter by getting a complete check-up in the fall. The following systems should be checked: Battery: Cold weather starts require a battery that is fully charged. Recharge or replace weak bat teries. Have your charging system checked, too. Ignition system: Damaged ignition wires or a cracked distrib utor cap may cause a sudden breakdown. Lights: Regularly check that all lights are function ing properly and that headlights are properly aimed. Brakes: Brakes should be checked and, if needed, serviced to ensure even braking. Tires: The traction between the tires and the road surface determines how well your vehicle starts, turns and stops. Make certain your snow tires or all-season radials are properly inflated and in good condition. Ensure all four tires have the same tread pattern for even traction. The exhaust system: Have the exhaust system fully checked for leaks that could send carbon monoxide into your vehicle. Heating and cooling system: Check your radiator and hoses for cracks and leaks. Make sure the radiator cap, water pump and thermostat work properly. Test the strength of the anti-freeze, and test the func tioning of the heater and defroster. Windshield: Make sur6 wipers are in good condition and fill up on winter washer fluid. One way to find a good repair facility to tune-up your vehicle is to look for the CAA Approved Auto Repair Services sign at garages. Check the Yellow Pages or contact your local CAA office. These garages must meet CAA's special standards for fairness and reliability. WINTER CAR survival KIT The Canadian Automobile Association rec ommends the following items be kept in the trunk of your car. · Shovel · Sand, salt or kitty litter ·Traction mats · Tow chain · Compass · Cloth or roll of paper towels · Warning light or road flares · Extra clothing and footwear · Emergency food pack · Axe or hatchet · Booster cables · Ice scraper and brush · Road maps · Matches and a 'survival' candle in a deep can (to warm hands, heat a drink or use as an emergency light) · Fire extinguisher · Methyl hydrate (for fuel line and windshield de-icing) The following items should be kept in the cab of your car: ·Flashlight · First-aid kit · Blanket (special 'survival' blankets are best) you are travelling too fast on a curve and encounter a slippery surface. Skids can best be avoided by anticipating lane changes, turns and curves: slowing down in advance: and by making smooth, precise movements of the steering wheel. Regardless of the type of skid you encounter, to regain control of your vehi cle, DO NOT PANIC. W f t BRAKING To survive on the road in winter, proper brak ing is essential. Stopping on slippery surfaces means motorists must increase sight lines, following and stopping distances. Beware of shaded spots, bridges, overpass es and intersections. These are areas where ice is likely to form first or be the most slippery. Braking if you don't have anti-Jock brakes: If you don't have anti-lock brakes, the most efficient technique for braking under these conditions is to use threshold braking together with de-clutching (manual shift) or shifting to neutral (automatic transmission). The best way to threshold brake (to make a controlled stop) is the heel-and-toe method. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use your toes to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal just short of lockup to the point at which the wheels stop turning. Under the stress of trying to stop quickly, drivers almost inevitably overreact and lock the wheels. If this happens, use toe-and-heel action to release brake pressure one or two degrees, then immediately reapply it with slightly less pressure. If you get TRAPPED in a STORM or SNOW BANK Don't panic. Avoid over-exertion and exposure. Shovelling and bitter cold can kill. Stay in your car. You won't get lost and you'll have shelter. Keep fresh air in your car. Open a window on the side sheltered from the wind. Run your motor sparingly. Beware of exhaust fumes and the possibility of carbon monoxide. Ensure the tailpipe is not blocked by snow. Use the candle for heat instead of the car's heater, if possible. Set out a warning light or flares. Put on the dome light. Overuse of headlights may run your battery down. Exercise your limbs, hands and feet vigorously. Keep moving and don't fall asleep. Keep watch for traffic or searchers. Wear a hat as you can lose up to 60% of your body heat through your head. Braking with anti-lock brakes: According to a survey conducted by the CAA/AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 50% of people are unaware of how anti-lock brakes and traditional brakes differ. If you have an anti-lock brake system (ABS), use the heeland-toe method, but do not remove your foot from the brake. When you put on the brakes hard enough to make the wheels lock momen tarily, you will typically feel the brake pedal pulse back against your foot. Don't let up! (Novice A B S users can try hard braking in a vacant snow-covered parking lot.) KEEP CONTROL of YOUR VEHICLE to avoid COLLISIONS. Winter collisions can occur when your vehi cle skids. A skid occurs when you apply the brakes so hard that one or more wheels lock, or if you press hard on the accelerator and spin the drive wheels. Skids also occur when APPLE A u to Glassnovusr O u r S e r v ic e m a iz e s t h e Thank you Oakville for voting us #1 " The Best in Auto Glass Service" E n d o f Su m m er C lea r o u t at G WINDSHIELDS ^ D if fe r e n c e Your Dodge Caravan is ready when you are 2003 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SPORT DVD EDITION F a c to r y O . E . 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Caravan SXT & 300m Models. See dealer for details. OA.C. 2 0 0 3 C H R Y SLE R 3 0 0 M The Perfect Combination of Sport and Luxury Citizen Appointments to the Community Advisory Committee to Petro-Canada PETR0CANADA Applications are now being accepted for membership on the C o m m u n ity Advisory Com m ittee to Petro-Canada. T he C om m ittees mandate is to w ork cooperatively w ith Petro-Canada O akville Refinery, in reducing negative environmental impacts on the com m un ity and to investigate com m unity complaints and to make recommendations concern ing the environmental effects o f Petro-Canada's operations at the Oakville Refinery on the local com m unity. Members o f the public are invited to subm it their expressions o f interest in serving on the Com m ittee, accompanied by a resume o u tlin in g educational, business, technical, and com m u n ity experience. Applicants should please note that meetings are held on the fourth Thursday o f every m onth, at 3:30 p.m. at the O akville Refinery site. Applications must reach the C lerks Departm ent o f the Town o f Oakville no later than 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, O ct. 1, 2003. Anyone requiring further inform ation may contact: Carol Provost, C om m ittee C o-ordinator Town o f O akville, 1225 Trafalgar Road , O akville, O n ta rio, L6J 5A6 (905) 338-4129 cprovost@oakville.ca 2004 CHRYSLER PACIFICA 9 9 * /month $2500 down · Infinity Intermezzo Surround Sound month lease · · · · · · · · Power Sunroof High Intensity Discharge Headlamps Rear Seal Video System 17" Aluminum Chrome Wheels Premium Leather Low Back Bucket Seats Heated Seat Group 4 Speed Automatic Transmission 3.5 L v6 24V MPI Engine · Power Uftgate Stock #4T013 'Pirn taxn. freight, Aoni on 48 month lout. WAOOkn'ytar OAC 0%for $je*n tpplxi to Dodge Grand Cdnun Sport 0%for 6jetn appbei to Dodge CtmrnnSJCT. 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