The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, JANUARY 24,2001 PAGE 7 Winter driving - it isn't summer driving Too many motorists don't change their habits behind the wheel It usually takes a few months of bad weather before drivers remember how to drive in slippery conditions. BY KEITH GILUGAN Staff Writer "Think snow, think ice, think space." As Shaffie Mohammed notes, too many motorists don't adjust to winter driving. driving. Instead, they drive the same way year round. The owner of Shaffie's Professional Driver Training System in Ajax and a former former Metro Toronto Police officer, Mr. Mohammed Mohammed should know a tiling or two about safe winter driving. "Drivers don't make the transition from summer to winter driving," the Whitby resident said. "I shake my head at the driving driving habits. And, it has nothing to do with age. Attitudes don't change. "People expect to get to their destination destination in the same time, whether it's snowing or not. They cut comers, take chances and risk other people's lives." *** On a recent Saturday, 16-year-old Pickering resident Lindsay Stevens headed headed out for a 90-minute class with Mr. Mohammed. Mohammed. Lindsay drove on residential streets, learned how to evade a head-on collision and how to avoid an accident. She also drove on Hwy. 401 for the first time. Before pulling out, Mr. Mohammed made sure Lindsay adjusted the rear-view mirror so she could see all four comers of the back window and the side mirror so it didn't show any of the car to "maximize your visibility on the left". '.'Sensing Lindsay was a little nervous, Mr. Mohammed said, "Take your time. Youre not going for a driving test. You're going for a drive." During the' ride, he quizzed Lindsay • about situations'and what a driver should do, along with asking rules of the road. ' With alriiost all questions, Lindsay had the answer. | In the Winter, wlien approaching a stop sign or red light, Mr. Mohammed said a ' motorist should stop at least a half-car ' length behind the white line. The extra space gives vehicles making a turn more room and, if hit from behind, there's room ' to stop before being sent out into tire inter section. "Pizza delivery guys are cutting corners corners because they'rejn a hurry," he noted as a reason for staying back a half-car length. If there's a vehicle : behind you and you're coming to an intersection, you should stop two car lengths behind the white line. This will give you room to manoeuvre manoeuvre if the car behind you can't stop, he said. "Your eyes are always leading the car," Mr. Mohammed reminded, meaning a driver driver should be looking for trouble, not waiting waiting for it to happen. Trouble in the winter is someone backing out of the driveway and not seeing oncoming vehicles because of snow banks. "You have to be mentally and physically physically ready when driving," he said. Driving along Altona Road, a two-lane street, he noted, "There's all kinds of reasons reasons it's dangerous. There's only a yellow line separating the two sides. On the 401, there's a median to separate traffic." If someone is heading straight for you, Mr. Mohammed said a motorist should honk their hom and pull to tire right, making making sure there's no one to your right. "If it's snowing and there's snow banks, if you drive into the snow bank, you're going to live. You can fix a car," he said. "If' you panic and stop in tire middle of the road, you could be hit head-on and you could die." Should you be in a position where you have to drive into a snow bank, do so at a mild angle, he said. To avoid a head-on collision, keep two wheels on tire road for stability, he added. "He may side-swipe your car, but you lived." If you should start to slide, steer the car in the direction you want the engine to go, Mr. Mohammed noted. "If you can handle a car under slippery conditions, you can when it's dry," he said. "Whenever you touch the brake pedal, you're affecting the man behind you. Part of driving is to help people get there safely," safely," he said. "The most common accident is a frontal crash. Use space to avoid it." Once you've spotted a problem, "don't focus on the problem anymore. When you see a problem, dispose of it. You have to think where to put the car. Don't look at the problem, look for space," he said. "Spot the problem and then react. Perceive Perceive and react. That's why you're two to three car lengths behind. When you brake, always go to the right. It's the safer place to go. If you go left, you go into traffic. "If you're looking at the problem, you're most likely to go into the problem." Tire biggest mistake made by most drivers drivers in the winter is following too closely, Mr. Mohammed said. It's not only against tire law, but it will cost you three demerit points. Tire second problem is not having the vehicle properly outfitted for winter driving. driving. This includes having snow tires, winter windshield wipers and taking the vehicle in to be checked and winterized. "A lot (of vehicles) don't have proper tires," he said. "It should be mandatory. It's not only for stopping, but for traction, turning turning and acceleration. They're for all motions motions of a cai'. A driver may have the reaction reaction to turn or accelerate, but they don't have the traction. "We've been told if we have all-season radiais, we don't need winter tires. Experts say they're not a substitution. If they're new and it's not a bad winter, you're able to use them. But, as they wear down, they're not able to do the job winter tires can do." As for driving in tire winter, he said, "We teach students to look far ahead, more than normal. The cm - will lake two to three times (the nonnal distance) to stop. They have to be looking two to three times ahead to take evasive action." Also, motorists should use twice the normal distance when following in the winter, he added. On diy roads, a car will take two to three seconds to stop. In the winter, that increases increases to four to six seconds, or about eight car lengths. "You don't see people doing that. People People follow the same under adverse conditions conditions as dry conditions and, of course, people people can't stop," he stated. Mr. Mohammed recommends all motorists motorists carry some safety items at all times. "People live in tire city and they have a tendency tendency not to carry them. You can walk to get assistance." If a motorist is out in tire country, it's a different story. Having the items could be a life saver. "They usually keep a scraper, snow brush, jumper cables, extra fluid and they may have a first-aid kit. For safety, these tilings should be kept in the car at all times. "In tire suburbs and the country, they should have extra tilings, like a shovel, flashlight, flares, tow line and supply of perishable food for energy," such as chocolate bars or peanuts. If in a position where you've gone off the road and into a snow bank, don't keep die engine tunning because the tail pipe might be blocked and cause the car to fill with carbon dioxide. "You should only run it for one to two minutes. As soon as it's heated, turn it off," he suggested. And, keep a window open a slight crack. Dr. John Balenko 6)623-7412 Dr. Karl Vermeulen 6)623-7100 GENERAL FAMILY DENTISTRY EMERGENCY CARE AVAILABLE 0 Sedation 0 Children's Dentistry 0 Peridontist 0 Orthodontics Lafer-Bgntistry^) 60 LIBERTY ST. SOUTH fgg\ BOWMANVILIE 2E @ [Pi "TIIKI.IGl IT TOUCH" Driving.tips • With snow and ice on the ground, . stop two car lengths from the','.vehicle in • front of you while keeping your, eyes on the mirror. When a vehicle behind you stops, then you can move forward a car length. By keeping two vehicles back and .. your eyes on the mirror, you can avoid a rear-end collision. . 0 : , •'.Don'ttrUst ' a' ; id river 1 vyHo j^as- n.q{ 1 cleaned the snow off their'vehicle. They ■ can't see you and you can't see their signals, signals, brake lights or head movements. • Winter driving starts with good ■ tires. Have snow tires installed before the, snow starts to fly. ' • Perceive other drivers' problems and stay out of their way. Look out for < cars making turns when it's snowing or ■ icy, because they could lose control. Which of These Costly Homeseller Mistakes Will You Make When You Sell Your Home? DURHAM - A new report has just been released which reveals 7 costly mistakes that most homeowners make when selling their home, and a 9 Step System that can help you sell your home fast and for the most amount of money. The industry report' shows clearly how the traditional ways of selling homes have become increasingly less and less effective in today's market. The fact of the matter is that fully three quarters of homesellers don't get what they want for their home and become disillusioned and - worse - financially disadvantaged when they put their home on the market. As this report uncovers, most homesellers make 7 deadly mistakes that cost them literally thousands of dollars. The good news is that each and every one of these mistakes is entirely preventable. In answer to this issue, industry insiders have prepared a FREE special report entitled "The 9 Step System to Get Your Home Sold Fast and For Top Dollar". To hear a brief recorded message about how to order your free copy of thjs report, call 1-888-327-7513 and enter ID# 1100. You can call anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call NOW to find out how you can get the most money for your home. Courtesy of Laura McBain, Sales Representative, RE/MAX Ability Real Estate Ltd., Copyrights 1997. Not intended to solicit properties currently listed for sale ' I/jV 1053 SIMCOE ST. NORTH Mon-Frid 10-6 Sat 10-5 Sun 12-4 OPEN SUNDAYS 12-4 Rite Baby Bools Stride Rite Baby Boots Regular 54.98 Now Only $39.98 : Limited Time Sale Kingchurch Nissan 1-800-565-6365 fiVIISSAM Ajax, Ontario 905-686-0555 1998 Chevrolet Malibu LS, Full Power Group Windows, Locks, Cruise, Tilt, Air, AM/FM CD, Cassette, Power Mirrors, Alloys Showroom Condition 1997 Pontiac Montana Quad Seating, Power Seat, Traction Control, Air Suspension, Alloy Rims, AM/FM Cassette CD 88.000 kms 1997 LAND ROVER Discovery, Dual Power, Sunroofs, Leather Interior, Heated Power Seats THE ULTIMATE 4X4 62.000 kms 1998 Nissan Maxima SE Automatic, Power Roof, Spoiler, Alloys, Keyless, Power Seats, New Tires After Hours Please Call Tom Carette at 905-706-2720 Helping save lives Captain Bruno Castonguay coordinates air rescue for the Canadian Forces. He and his colleagues and partners help Canadians in danger, They respond around the clock to emergencies on land or at sea and help save lives. This is just one of the hundreds of services provided by the Government of Canada. For more information on government services: • Visit the Service Canada Access Centre nearest you • Visit www.canada.gc.ca • Call 1 800 OCanada (1 800 622-6232) TTY/TDD: 1 800 465-7735 Canada