Monday, October 29, 2007

A Clean Car Is Cool

Cleaning a car: a piece of cake, right? Certainly, if you follow the procedures suggested. While it's the most basic procedure in car care, it does deserve some thought.

The first step in cleaning the car is to wash it. Give it a good rinsing from top to bottom, including the wheels and inside the fenders. Always clean the tires and wheels before washing the body, and don't use the same mitt for both. This way you'll avoid contaminating the vehicle's paint with debris from the wheels and tires.

Use a good tire cleaner with a stiff brush, to improve your tires' appearance even if you don't have white sidewalls or white letter tires.

Next, clean the wheels with a wheel cleaner that removes the brake dust, which often blackens the front wheels. Application of these cleaners vary, so be sure and follow the directions on the container.

Now it's time to wash the body. Use a product sold specifically for automobiles. (Household cleaners can strip the wax from the paint and damage the finish.) Starting at the top, wash one section at a time, thoroughly rinsing away the soap. Work your way down toward the front, sides, and rear of the vehicle. Clean the rear last since it usually has the largest accumulation of dirt and grime, which can contaminate the wash mitt. Wash the inside door jams about once a month.

To rinse, remove the spray nozzle from the hose. Starting at the top, let the water cascade down the surfaces of the vehicle.

Then, to avoid water spotting, dry with a chamois or other product made for this purpose.

Now is an excellent time for waxing, which not only protects the finish but also makes subsequent washing easier. Before proceeding, look for foreign particles on the paint. Use a car cleaner, available at auto supply stores, to remove contaminants imbedded in the paint.

Once the surface is clean, apply the wax, following the manufacturer's instructions for application of the product. Often they recommend not using the product in direct sunlight..

Keeping your vehicle clean, while it doesn't require a lot of effort, it does foster a feeling of pride and accomplishment.


Link

Monday, October 22, 2007

Your Local Holiday Trip Checklist

SOUTH Africans are at last discovering that they don’t have to jet off to far off places to spend their holidays. There are destinations in their backyards that are just as good as any other in the world, and offer them all that they seek. But it’s interesting to note that it took soaring airfares and a one time weak rand to make them realize this.

While all this is excellent for out local tourism industry and the spin offs they offer to many rural
communities, they do place a burden on our roads during the holidays as people move in their carloads and bus-loads from one province to another in search of scenic beauty, dazzling nightlife and sea and sand.

It is in our interest to plan our holiday first before we turn on the car ignition to hit the road. Here’s a guide on what you should do for your safety and for the safety of those with you.

A vehicle breakdown can ruin your holiday. So as part of your pre-trip preparation ensure that your vehicle is in top condition. Although it is not possible to guard against all mechanical and electrical faults, doing this considerably reduces the chances of defects occurring.

It is always wise to plan the route in advance. Getting lost will lead to a waste of precious holiday
time, frustration and anxiety. All this unnecessarily exposes you to dangers on the road. The best route is one that is the safest, most convenient and with plenty of opportunities for rest to ward off driving fatigue.

Long trips can easily cause driver fatigue a major cause of accidents. Even if you close your eyes
for just half a second it is enough to cause you to veer off the road.

Driver fatigue is a physical as well as mental condition. Often, you are not even aware that you are suffering from fatigue until it is too late. Be on guard for the following signs:

  • Sweaty palms
  • Heavy and sore eyes
  • Blurred or dim vision
  • Droning or humming in the ears
  • Constant yawning
  • General discomfort
  • Deterioration of concentration and slow reactions
  • Poor gear change
  • Inconsistent speed
  • Tendency to drift out of your lane
  • Impatience and temper
If you experience any one of these symptoms, stop at a safe spot to rest.

Here are some of the things you can do to avoid or reduce driver fatigue
  • Make sure that you rest well before you embark on your journey
  • Avoid alcohol consumption the night before embarking on a journey
  • Avoid driving when feeling sleepy
  • Be comfortable. Adjust your seat and make sure your back is properly supported. Use a pillow if necessary
  • Sit upright to maintain your spine in an erect position
  • Get your blood circulation going to avoid stiffness. Revolve the wrists; rotate your head periodically to prevent stiff neck; move your left leg up and down while keeping your toes on the floorboard (the left leg gets more tired than the right as it is idle); draw imaginary circles with the toes of your left foot; and at every opportunity, take your right foot off the accelerator and draw imaginary circles with your toes. But do these things only when you think it is safe
  • Take a break at least every two hours
  • At each stop, get out of your car to stretch and exercise your limbs
  • If there’s another driver, take turns driving
  • Eat well-balanced meals but exercise restraint. A big meal can induce drowsiness
  • Have water, wet face towels or mist sprays available so that you can refresh yourself when you need to do so
  • Avoid driving for more than eight hours a day
Don’t force yourself to continue driving when drowsiness or fatigue sets in. This will only endanger your life and of those with you. Remember, you are on holiday. Don’t ruin it by taking uncalled for risks.

Monday, October 15, 2007

You can Beat Car Sickness

SOME of us are more prone to car sickness than others. But whatever the degree of the affliction, sometimes it can certainly ruin our car trips. Although there is no cure for motion sickness, it can be prevented in all but some extreme cases. Passengers are more likely to experience nausea or vomiting than drivers, and it affects people travelling by road, air or sea.

Some car travellers have reported being so severely affected that they resorted to unusual methods to cope. Among them are:

  • Travelling with the windows wide open even in winter
  • Using only those routes where they can stop easily every 15 minutes
  • Avoiding roads with bends
  • Wearing sunglasses even when the sun was nowhere to be seen
  • Fasting for 24 hours before trips
  • Chewing liquorice or sucking sticks of celery
Motion sickness occurs when two "motion messages" to the brain are in conflict. One comes from the balance centre of the inner ear, while another comes from the eyes. The brain becomes confused by the discrepancy between sight and sensation when it interprets movement, even though the body isn't actually moving. People suffering from motion sickness often then have some resulting nausea or vomiting.

This problem affects some groups more than others. Women are more than twice as likely to be
affected as men - particularly during their menstrual cycle. Children between the ages of three and 12 years are also prone to car sickness.

The United Kingdom-based RAC Foundation, an organization established to promote the
environmental, economic, mobility and safety issues relating to use of motor vehicles, has issued
the following advice on how you can prevent your journey from becoming a misery:

  • Choose the front seat and face forward, keeping your head steady
  • If you have a choice, drive rather than being driven. The concentration required distracts you from the sickness and enables you to visually look at the horizon and road ahead
  • As a passenger, try to focus on the horizon straight ahead of you - don't look from side to side or turn around to talk to those behind you
  • Don't read in the car, not even a map - let someone else navigate
  • Avoid heavy meals before travelling and steer clear of fatty or spicy foods and alcohol
  • Never travel on an empty stomach or consume alcohol before travelling
  • Avoid direct exposure to the sun
  • If you have a choice, a straight road is less likely to make you feel queasy than a winding one
  • Try driving at night when there are fewer visual stimuli to confuse your brain - provided you are not tired
  • Get plenty of fresh air by opening a window
  • Try not to feel anxious about it as this merely increases the likelihood that you'll feel queasy
  • For children, travel games that don't involve looking down make good diversions. Anything that requires looking out of the window (for example car spotting) is suitable, as are word rhyme games
  • Travel with a leak-proof container or a strong plastic bag in case of emergencies
People can also buy over-the-counter drugs to prevent motion sickness. Such drugs need to be
taken at least 30 to 60 minutes before travelling - but advice on the best type of drug should be
sought from a pharmacist. Motorists should always ensure that any drug they take, whether
prescription or over-the-counter, has no side affects that could affect their driving ability.

Alternative suggestions for combating motion sickness include "acu-pressure bands". Such
wristbands have a small plastic bead that puts pressure on the inside of the wrist - preventing the user from experiencing motion sickness. This can be done manually by applying gentle pressure between the two tendons about 3cm or so back from the wrist joint.

Herbal remedies may also help. Many people use ginger root to help calm the stomach and thus
prevent motion sickness. This can be bought as a tea drink, in capsule form or chewed raw in small slivers.

Monday, October 8, 2007

Overtaking.

Must do:

  1. Overtake only when it is safe to do so.
  2. Pass the vehicle you want to overtake, on the right-hand side of the road.
  3. Only return to the left-hand side of the road, when you are safely past the vehicle you overtook.
  4. When you are being overtaken, keep as far to the left of the road as possible.
  5. You must signal your intentions, so that other road users know what you are going to do before you change lanes, or overtake another vehicle.
  6. Be on the lookout for passengers getting onto or off a bus, or walking in front of or behind the bus.
Must not do:
  1. When your view of oncoming traffic is obstructed by (a) A turn in the road, (b) The crest of a hill or (c) Any other place, it is illegal to overtake.
  2. Where a road marking, traffic sign prohibits overtaking, you may not overtake.
  3. When being overtaken, do not accelerate.
  4. Do not drive over a solid white line road marking, when overtaking.
  5. When approaching the crest of a hill, do not overtake, unless the road is wide enough.
  6. Do not overtake an immobile vehicle at a pedestrian crossing.

You may overtake on the left side of the road:
  1. When you are not going to drive onto the shoulder of the road.
  2. When it is safe to do so.
  3. When the road you are travelling on is a one-way road and it is wide enough for two vehicles to pass.
  4. When a traffic officer instructs you to do so.
  5. When the driver in front of you is busy turning right.
  6. When the driver in front of you is signalling to turn right.
  7. In a two-way rural road which is wide enough to accommodate two traffic lanes, where the traffic travels in the same direction.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Keep Your Pet Safe in the Car

Pet Safety Travel Tips

When you travel with your pet, whether it's across the country or just around the corner, it's easy to overlook your pet's safety. Letting your canine or feline family members simply jump into the back seat is dangerous for them and for you.

Follow these tips to keep your pets safe in the car.

General Safety Tips for Dogs and Cats

Make car trips safer for your pets by following these simple travel tips.

  • Secure your pet with a harness or a strapped in kennel.
  • Gently accustom your pets to the car by taking them with you on short trips before you spring a long road trip on them.
  • Of your trip, bring vaccination and health records. Depending on specific guidelines, you may need to get these records 10 days before you travel.
  • Attach your destination information to your pet's collar and bring pictures of your pet in case you are separated.
  • Always leash your pets before you let them out of the car. They may dash into traffic if they are unleashed.
  • Take familiar items like toys or blankets with you if you're traveling for a long period of time.
  • Speak to your pet in a soothing, reassuring manner if they seem upset.
  • Be prepared to make frequent stops to allow your pet to walk and stretch on long trips.
  • Make sure your pet is welcome at your destination.
  • Try to keep your pet's food and restroom schedule as normal as possible, or start a travel feeding schedule ahead of time. Do not feed your pet while the car is moving.
  • Bring a pet first-aid kit with you. The kit should contain emergency vet contact information, bandages, prescribed medication, etc.
  • Be aware of regional hazards such as ticks, mosquitoes and fleas — pets are very susceptible to these pests. Bring treatments along if advance preventive care is not available.
  • Never leave your pet unattended in the car. During warmer weather, cracking windows may not be enough to prevent your pet from suffering heatstroke, and it can take relatively little time for a pet's temperature to rise to a fatal 107 degrees. Keeping a normal demeanor helps you stay in control of the situation.
Dog Safety Tips

Dogs tend to be more willing to ride in the car than cats, so take advantage of their enthusiasm
while keeping their overall safety in mind.

  • Use a pet harness specifically made for dogs. These harnesses protect their chest area in sudden impacts or stops. Do not treat your pet like a human by strapping him into the car seat belt. These belts are engineered for people, not canines.
  • Never let your pet ride in your lap or unsecured in a seat. If an accident happens, they become deadly, free-flying objects.
  • Keep your dog's head inside the car. At high speeds, a dog's eyes and nose could be damaged by objects whizzing past the car.
  • Bring supplies like plastic bags and water bowls so you don't leave a mess behind, or in your car.
  • Keep your dog in the back seat, away from air bags. If an air bag deploys, it could seriously harm or kill your dog due to its child-like size and fragility.
Cat Safety Tips

Cats tend to be terrified of car trips, so it may take some coaxing to get them in the car and keep
them safe.

  • Do not let your cat ride in your lap, even if it helps provide comfort. If an impact occurs, cats can become deadly, free-flying objects. Cats also may try to crawl behind the pedals when they're nervous, which could cause an accident or injuries to both you and your cat.
  • Keep your cat in a padded kennel that is secured by a seat belt. Cats tend to feel more comfortable in a kennel than out in the open. The kennel padding will provide a cushion against sudden stops or jolts.
  • Keep travel as smooth as possible. Drape a towel over the kennel (without obstructing air flow), minimize sudden stopping or acceleration and keep a calm atmosphere in the car.