Breakdown Basics
By Chuck Mai, AAA
With more than 125 million vehicles on the roadway and Americans relying on their cars for nearly every part of their life, one of the most stressful things a motorist can encounter is a sudden breakdown. In 2012, AAA received more than 28 million roadside assistance calls. While 58 percent of those breakdowns could be resolved at the roadside by AAA technicians, nearly 12 million vehicles needed to be towed to a local repair shop for further help.
What to Do When Your Vehicle Breaks Down on a Roadway
If the car is clearly experiencing a problem but can still be driven a short distance, drive to a safe location such as a parking lot. If the vehicle stops running but still has coasting momentum, guide it to the far right shoulder as far off the road as possible while remaining on level ground. Turn on the emergency flashers to alert other motorists.
If the car cannot get completely off the roadway, switch on the safety/emergency flashers and consider leaving the vehicle and moving to a safer location. Occupants should not remain in a vehicle if there is a possibility it may be struck by other traffic. For the same reason, it is generally not a good idea to attempt to push a disabled car off the road.
Drivers and passengers should exit a broken down car on the side away from traffic if at all possible. Use extreme caution and watch for oncoming vehicles, especially at night or in bad weather when visibility is limited. While waiting for help, never stand directly behind or in front of the disabled vehicle.
In addition to turning on a vehicle’s emergency flashers, drivers can signal other motorists that they have a problem by raising the car hood, tying a brightly colored handkerchief or scarf to the antenna or door handle, or setting out flares, warning triangles or emergency beacons. These signals can help other drivers recognize there is a problem and hopefully prompt them to slow down, move over to allow more room and proceed with caution as they pass.
Once the driver and passengers are in a safe location, request assistance from a roadside assistance provider. Make note of surroundings, landmarks, buildings or road signs to help relay your location. This is why as you are traveling Interstates, always keep track of where you are by paying attention to mile marker numbers.
The Heads-Up Driving Quiz
So, you think you’re up on the risks of distracted driving? Take this quiz from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
1. Which of the following is NOT a distraction risk when driving?
a. Texting or reading email
b. Eating a hamburger
c. Programming a GPS device
d. Checking rear-view mirrors
2. Distracted driving is a factor in what percentage of fatal crashes annually?
a. 80%
b. 75%
c. 1%
d. 16%
3. Using a cell phone (handheld or hands-free) increases your crash risk by how much?
a. 10%
b. 50%
c. 100%
d. 400%
4. During the four seconds it takes to read a text message, how far will a car travel at 55 mph?
a. 50 feet
b. 10 miles
c. Four car lengths
d. Just over the length of a football field
5. What is the best way to manage your distracted driving risk?
a. Practice multi-tasking more
b. Roll down the window and play the radio loud
c. Buy a cell phone with more features
d. Put the devices away and zero-in on driving
Did you answer “D” for all the questions above? If so, you’re paying attention! Driving is a complex task that requires undivided attention and focus.
And if you really want to reduce your risk on the road, contact your state legislator and ask him or her to support legislation banning texting while driving in Oklahoma. House Bill 1503 by Rep. Curtis McDaniel will do just that, if it makes it through the legislature this session. Your help is needed right now. Thank you.
Front Bench Seats Taking a Back Seat
By Chuck Mai, AAA
Steering column mounted gear shifters disappeared a long time ago, except on some pickups, and now front bench seats in passenger cars are about to also pass into automotive oblivion. Yes, they’re getting kicked by the bucket.
The 2014 Chevy Impala carries the distinction of being the last production car since the days of the horseless carriage to offer a front bench seat. Until recently, bench seats were also standard equipment on the Ford Crown Victoria and the Lincoln Town Car until those vehicles were both discontinued in 2011.
Will we miss the bench? Apparently not. During 2011/2012, only one in 10 Impala buyers chose the $195 option on the LS and LT models. General Motors says they expect the preference for front bucket seats to continue.
“A lot of people prefer bucket seats because they’re sporty, even in models that aren’t sports cars,” said Clay Dean, GM’s director of design. “Our customers also appreciate having the center console as a convenient place to store their phone and other personal use items.” Plus, it appears we’ve become used to those center console cup holders.
The first Chevrolet ever manufactured, the Series C Classic Six of 1911, featured a front seat bench and for decades, American cars were typically equipped with benches. In the days of larger families and one car families, they made sense because they allowed three passengers to sit comfortably albeit cozily in the front seat.
Bucket seats first came into vogue after World War II on small European imports. Not only did they do a better job of keeping passengers in place when making sharp or quick turns, they were necessary to accommodate floor-mounted shifters and parking brake levers in small cars.
By 1962, more than one million U.S.-built cars were factory equipped with bucket seats. Buckets really took off with the “pony cars” of the mid-sixties, cars such as the Ford Mustang and the Chevy Camaro.
Today, the need for six-passenger sedans is largely being met by SUVs or crossovers, which offer seating for up to eight. Chevy, for one, will continue to offer bench seats on pickup trucks and sport utilities.
But who knows? There’s a certain nostalgia for bench seats. Hard to snuggle up with your sweetie at the drive-in movie while sitting in bucket seats. Some experts say we may see bench seats re-emerge someday, possibly in very small cars like the EN-V urban mobility concept vehicle, in which the feeling of open space may be very desirable.
Oil Changes Have Changed
By Chuck Mai, AAA
Here in Oklahoma, we love our oil. So do our cars – especially fresh, clean oil. But knowing when to change your oil can be slippery business.
To get an idea, consult your owner’s manual, probably one of the least-read books ever printed. (Hint: it’s in your glove compartment.) The OM will tell you what’s best for your particular model vehicle. Bear in mind, those recommendations are for normal driving conditions. If you regularly drive in stop-and-go traffic, at prolonged higher speeds, in extreme temperatures or in dusty or muddy conditions, you may need to change your oil more frequently.
The motor oil lubricates the moving parts in your vehicle. Without it, these parts would rub together and eventually melt due to the friction. The oil also helps clean off the buildup that commonly occurs in a combustion engine and suspends contaminates and residue.
Oil viscosity is the extent to which oil resists the tendency to flow at different temperature ranges. This varies from vehicle to vehicle, so it’s important to use the correct oil viscosity to operate your engine at optimum efficiency.
Premium conventional motor oil is the industry standard with the typical recommendation for oil changes ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 miles.
Synthetic blended oils are designed for vehicles driven in extreme conditions because it holds its viscosity better. While used most often in high-tech engines, synthetic oil can actually be used in any vehicle. It provides superior protection and contains additives that prevent the buildup of the sludge that accumulates after lots of severe driving.
Without a doubt, changing your oil is the single most important thing you can do for your engine.
Racing was in their blood, families and friends in their hearts
John Saucier, of Midwest City, was a legend at the Ponca City Grand Prix, among the best to ever compete there in its more than 25 years.
Bill Stengle, of Enid, didn’t run at Ponca, but he did make build and drive midget racers, and he enjoyed motorcycles. He raised a son, however, who DID race at Ponca City.
I saw John race many times while growing up in Ponca. But it wasn’t until years later, when I returned to The Oklahoman, that we became friends, all because of one column I wrote recalling the PC Grand Prix. He thanked me “for the memories” and gave me an update on some of the drivers I had mentioned.
I never met Bill, but I saw his son, Jim, race a few times in Ponca City. Jim and I became close friends while I was living in Enid. We met through my association with others in the Sports Car Club of America and we both were members of the Enid A.M. Ambucs.
Jim was the only guy I ever knew who had a Corvette … in his attic. Disassembled, of course. I wouldn’t have believed it if his wife, Dixie, hadn’t gotten him to show me when my wife, Becky, and I visited them one night. Dang if it wasn’t true.
John died Jan. 25 at age 74, I’m sad to say. Scott Munn of The Oklahoman noted that John won 28 SCCA championships and was a member of the organization for 55 years. Scott said John was the only person to race in each of the 26 Ponca City Grand Prix events.
Jim’s dad, Bill, died Jan. 11 at age 95. His obituary included points about his innovative, mechanical abilities, such as this: “For extra income, he began drilling water wells with a rig he built himself.” That takes some skill, for sure.
Both men had served in the military, both men had loving families, both men were well respected and both were extremely talented.
I’m proud to say I knew John and I know Bill’s family. All because of shared interested in racing that has circled the track for many years.
New Website Examines Rural vs. Urban Roadway Safety
By Chuck Mai, AAA
Anybody who follows Oklahoma’s motor vehicle crash reports with any regularity knows that rural roads are more dangerous than urban ones.
I have a distinct desire to be around this old earth long enough to see the Chicago Cubs win the pennant, so traffic risks are things I pay particular attention to. It’s all about surviving driving, which is no mean trick. Traffic crashes are still the leading cause of death for those 25 and under in our state. Numero uno. In fact, far ahead of whatever’s in second, third and fourth places.
So, when Fred Storer of Bartlesville sent me a study he had done of Oklahoma roadway collisions, I was all ears. Using information from NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fred’s contention is that “Oklahoma’s county roads and state number highways are three times as dangerous as the balance of the state roads combined.”
He examined the 3,006 highway fatalities in Oklahoma for the five years 2007 through 2011. The results? Twenty-eight percent of them occurred on urban roads and 72 percent on rural roads. See Fred’s website, www.saferight-of-ways.org.
You have to ask yourself, “Why?” Why are so many more of us dying in collisions on rural roadways than on urban ones? The answers are many: narrower roadbeds, limited shoulders, lack of medians, inadequate lighting, speed, tight curves, older bridges, and as Fred says, too many hazards placed too near the roads, hazards such as mailboxes.
But what’s happening inside the vehicle to cause these things to be final factors, that one last element that causes the fatal crash? Alcohol, certainly, plays a role in many of these wrecks, as does fatigue. But probably the number one facilitator of fatal crashes is distractions: other passengers in the car or pickup, reaching for something in the glove compartment, fiddling with an iPod, eating, drinking, smoking – and using a cell phone to either talk or text.
We have it within our power and abilities to save our own lives and those of others on the highway, whether rural or urban. You know how, it’s just common sense – limit distractions, pay attention to the road, drive refreshed, avoid alcohol and buckle up. And encourage your loved ones to do likewise.
Golden Oldies
By Chuck Mai, AAA
Statistics show that car thieves prefer older vehicles. Surprised?
People tend to think that older cars are of little interest to those sneaky ol’ car thieves because of their low retail value. But there are two reasons why older vehicles are so often on the bad guys’ hit parade: 1) Most vehicles are stolen for their parts, not for the vehicle itself, and used auto parts that many vehicles can use are in big demand, especially now that so many of us are keeping our cars longer; 2) older cars typically aren’t equipped with the sophisticated locks and security systems of newer models.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the top ten stolen vehicles in Oklahoma are:
1) 1994 Chevy pickup (full size)
2) 2006 Ford pickup (full size)
3) 1996 Honda Accord
4) 2001 Dodge pickup (full size)
5) 2000 Honda Civic
6) 1994 GMC pickup (full size)
7) 2002 Ford Explorer
8) 1998 Chevy pickup (small size)
9) 1995 Ford Mustang
10) 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee
So, you might want to consider keeping comprehensive insurance coverage (covers theft) on that 1988 Dodge Horizon you’re driving. You’ll at least have some payout if your car is stolen, and the coverage isn’t likely to alter your insurance rates dramatically.
It’s only money
There are lessons to be learned. No matter how much you try to school them, regardless the advance warning, despite all the “when I was your age” comments, young people have to learn for themselves.
And when the time comes during their teen years that they have to make decisions that can cost them money, they learn just how costly those decisions can be.
A family I know well enough to be related to (and am) is about to get a double dose of the money game. Two teenage daughters, with two months difference in their ages (they’re stepsisters) are entering into the world of higher learning.
It can be a great time, it can be a tough time. It all depends upon the decisions you have to make and how you do so.
Their dad has set them up to learn, with a little room to fail. They get an allowance, a decent one. OK, very decent. Each receives 40 times what I got at the best level I ever had. I won’t deny that times were much different and items much cheaper. It’s all relative.
Now comes the adjustment.
Until now, others have made many of their purchases for them. Food on the run, cosmetics, trinkets, or whatever usually has been more of a “gift” from others. They’ve been told that now that those expenses will be their responsibility. But the biggest change will be in transportation.
Now, they will both have a driver’s license. Their dad bought them a car to share, fixed it up with some nice added features and got them both a set of keys.
But he told them they would be responsible for handling the cost of fuel with their allowances. I suspect there will be a steady decline of some other purchases, beginning pretty soon.
So what comes next? A little exercise in budgeting, he says. They’re going to have to learn how to budget their money, because he added a stipulation when he set up their allowances: don’t ask anyone for money; you have your own, until it runs out.
I also suspect there will be some employment considerations, along with a push for an additional vehicle.
The lessons are just beginning.
Check the resources in KNOWIT.NEWSOK.COM/MONEY-OKLAHOMA to help you with your personal finances. There’s some pretty sound advice there, no matter your age.
Advice for the Stranded
By Chuck Mai, AAA
When AAA roadside assistance technician Tim Griffin came to the aid of a stranded family on I-75 in Atlanta late one night, he assumed it would be a routine call. But, in fact, Griffin’s road service vehicle ended up being the life-saving barrier between a speeding car and the family of six he was assisting.
With his truck’s safety lights flashing and safety cones in place, Griffin was helping the family with their disabled mini-van when a passing car slammed into his vehicle. “If I hadn’t positioned my truck behind the family’s van to protect it and its occupants, that car would have struck it. And as fast as it was going, I know it would have injured those kids sitting in the back,” said Griffin.
Unfortunately, incidents like this occur all too frequently. Stranded motorists as well as roadside first-responders are faced with the danger of passing vehicles swerving into them each day.
You can take some key steps to protect yourself along the roadside.
• Pull off the road. Try to exit onto the far right shoulder as far off the road as possible while remaining on level ground. On an interstate or multilane highway with medians, you may consider the left shoulder, again pulling as far away from the traffic as possible.
If you cannot pull off the road, switch on emergency flashers, and do not risk danger to yourself by attempting to push your vehicle to a safe location. If you think your vehicle might be struck from behind, do not remain in it. You should proceed carefully and watch for oncoming traffic while exiting the vehicle; never stand behind or directly in front of it because other drivers may not see you.
• Alert other motorists. Make sure your vehicle is visible to other motorists by turning on your emergency flashers. If your vehicle is along the roadside, raise your hood and tie a brightly colored handkerchief or scarf to the antenna or door handle. Flares or warning triangles can also be placed behind your vehicle to alert other motorists.
• Communicate your situation. Once you and your passengers are in a safe location, call for assistance. If you have a cell phone, call for help from inside your vehicle if you are safely out of traffic. Otherwise, call from a safe distance from the vehicle and roadway.
• Remain with your vehicle. Under most circumstances, if you have a cell phone, it’s best to remain with your vehicle until assistance arrives. If there’s no telephone available within a safe walking distance, try to get the attention of other drivers and seek out law enforcement if possible.
If you choose to leave your vehicle, exit through the side of the vehicle facing away from the road. If you remain inside, keep the windows almost closed and the doors locked.
• If you just have a flat tire, go ahead and drive slowly on it to a place of safety away from traffic lanes.
Highway Characters
By Chuck Mai, AAA
All the world may be a stage, but Shakespeare never had to share the road with the jesters and clowns you and I encounter every day.
Maybe we should give awards to these characters: “Worst Performance by a Driver on an Urban Highway,” “Most Blatant Display of Distracted Driving,” “Dubious Achievement in Visually Terrifying Effects” – that sort of thing.
My list of actors and actresses is a who’s who of road-worthless evil-doers:
• Lane-jumping Johnny. This is the guy who is determined to get there seven seconds before you do. To him, driving is a game to be won at all costs. Or, to be fair, maybe he’s a doctor rushing to an emergency at the hospital. At any rate, give Johnny a wide berth.
• Tail-gating Terry. What’s scary is that sometimes Terry’s not even aware he’s doing it. He just wants to get there so bad, he gobbles up every available square foot of real estate between you and him and constantly wants more. Pull over, let him have it.
• Left-lane Louie. This guy lays claim to the left lane (the “passing lane”) of a divided highway, whether he’s passing anybody or not. Sometimes I think Louie’s just asleep.
• Blind Spot Doggers. Here’s an interesting personality. There’s tons of unoccupied divided roadway in front of this joker yet he persists in driving a car length behind me, one lane over, right in my blind spot. I figure he has a fear of passing (doesn’t want to appear to be speeding) or perhaps driving in synchronicity with me affords him a certain degree of security. Or maybe, like Left-lane Louie, he’s just asleep.
• Cruise Control Connie. This driver seems loathe to switch off her cruise control on the highway, so it takes her seven minutes to overtake a vehicle going in the same direction. It’s like she has found that perfect cruise control setting – within the speed limit – and she’ll be darned if a lawbreaking speeder is going to make her have to reset it.
• Cell Phone Charlie. It’s as if Mr. Multi-tasker is so important, he has to yak on the phone while driving. Many women do this, too. And the teenagers who text-message while driving? Well, I am at a loss. Where are the parents? Who’s coaching these kids on the dangers of risky driving? Text-messaging requires that you look at the phone a lot. Glance up at traffic for a second, look down at your phone for three seconds. Glance up at traffic for a second, look down at your phone for three seconds. Glance up at traffic for a second, look down at your ph . . . crash! No wonder teens pay more than anybody else for car insurance.
