SAFETY CAGE, Dual Air
Bags, Crumple Zones and
Anti-lock Braking Systems are
but & few of the modern safety
features found in cars today.
Ever wonder why?
Well, certainly, to make you and

your passengers feel more safe. but.
what I infer from these great

. advances in automotive engineering is
that car manufactuters have given up
-on the idea of safe drivers and. invent
ed the safe car instead, ;

Over-dependence on car dangerous

A safety cage? Go ahead and
swerve about like a pinball if'a crate
falls off that truck in front of you
(just like in that TV commercial) —
just hope that all the cars around you
also have “safety cages.” Who taught
that truck driver how to secure a load.
anyway? Sure enough, these things
happen. but the onus is now off dri-
vers to deal with such emergency sit-
uations properly.

Dual Air Bags? This amuses me to

no end because cars used (o be
equipped with a driver’s-side air bag
only. Were manufacturers so snug
with the idea that more than one per-
son per car, was unlikely? These days
¢ have both driver and passenger air
bugs —- but what about all those pas-
sengers that ride in the back seat?
Crumple Zones? This is the nifty
feature that allows the front of your -
car to crumple up on impact like an |
~ accordion so you won't have to
“ sweep that dirty old engine off your
lap after a crash. No need to antici-
pate that brick wall in your lane
ahead, the car is designed to handle
such day-to-day obstacles. Personally.

OLLISION SPECIALISTS.

Our 37th Year

1 get very nervous when [see a car
with a slightly crumpled front-end in
my fear-view mirror — what did that
driver hit last time? The car in front
of him? Yikes.

Anti-Lock Brakes? In Shaun's
world these are called “Anti-thought”
brakes. Go ahead and panic; slam on
those binders and swerve about ‘til
your heart's content. Maybe close .
your eyes while you're at it. Do you
realize that you're letting a computer
do your braking for you? Remember
HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey?

Don't get me wrong, | am very
pleased with these moder innova-
tions because accidems do happen.

But my complaint is this: Most
vehicle collisions, loosely termed
“accidents.” are completely avoidable.
Drivers should know how to antici-
pate hazards ahead and behind and
deal with any potential crash before it

_ happens.

For example, is there a truck with
a loose load directly in front of you?
Good grief, driver, get out of that lane’
or get back.

Might there be a boulder in your

ee

See Pie page 27

NEWS photo Cindy Goodnian

JOEL BARRETT with his Teain Associated entry at

North. Vancouver's. Randy Shantz Raceway is busy
preparing for an upcoming Sunday race. The dirt track:
located at Mackay, Creek Park, 1000-bik. West 14th:
Street, features five classes of ‘racing every Sunday, '
weather permitting, until October. For more informa-
tion phone 984-4199: :

ACB.C. - B.C.AA. - ARA.
' APPROVED CENTRE

"FREE COURTESY CARS

__ FOR COLLUSION REPAIRS
P “LIFETIME GUARANTEE”
“AS LONG AS YOU OWN Your CAR

~ DON TAYLOR
Same owner :

Own an. all new 95 Esteem for. just $329/ mo. ne
te including | tax with’ just $2000: down, es

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