38 ~ Friday, Nov. 20, 1992 ~ North Shore News

AUTOMOTIVE
Timely suggestions
for winter driving
safety preparedness

WHAT WOULD you do if
your car got stuck on the
road in the cold of winter?
How would you keep
warm? How could you have
avoided getting stuck in the
first place?

If you know the answers to
these questions, then you’re prob-
ably quite well prepared for winter
driving, but if you den't know the
answers, then you should read this
advice froin Emergency
Preparedness Canada, the federal
organization reponsible for ad-
vancing civil preparedness for
emergencies of all types.

You might consider membership
in the Canadian Automobile
Association (CAA).

S

é4 Drive with
caution. Measure
your speed to
conditions. Be
defensive. #9

If you do a lot of winter driving
in isolated regions, ycu might also
consider having a Citizen’s band
radio or cellular phone.

Hiced the warnings

Turn on the radio and listen to
the local weather forecast. If you
hear warnings of winter weather
conditions for blizzards, heavy
snow, freezing rain or drizzle,
cold waves and winds, then maybe
you shouldn’t venture out on the
highway.

Know the hazards
@ Blizzards — a combination of
falling, blowing, drifting snow,
high winds, low visibility, cold
temperatures (less than -10 C);
duration — six hours or more.

@ Heavy snow — 15 cm or more
in 12 hours.

© Freezing rain — an ice storm
coating roads, trees, overhead
wires, etc. with ice.

@ Winds — the cause of blizzard
conditions, drifting, reducéd
visibility and wind-chill effects,
Weather offices issue warnings
when a wind-chill {rate of cool-
ing) of 2,000 watts per square
metre is expected. This is cold
enough to freeze a person’s face
in less than a minute (equivalent
to -40 C).

- Pre-winter check list — ignition

battery. wipers,
lights defroster, cooling system,
snow tires, fuel system, chains,
lubrication, antifreeze, exhaust
system, winter oil heater.

Winter travel kit checklist

For country driving put a winter
storm kit in the trunk of your car.
Even for city driving you should
have some of these items with
you: shovel, ice scraper and
brush, sand. road maps, first-aid
kit, tow chain, matches in water-
proof container, Mashlight, knife,
warning lights or road flares,
candic in deep can (to warm
hands, heat a drink or to use as
an emergency light), extra winter
clothing and footwear, methyl
hydrate (for fuel line and wind-
shield de-icing), emergency food
and water pack, axe or hatchet,
booster cables, fire extinguisher,
compass, pliers, sleeping bags,
whistle, reflector or hand-held
mirror for signalling, space
blanket, screwdriver,

When vou travel
®@ Drive with caution. Measure
your speed to conditions. Be
defensive.

@ Don’t press on. If the going
gets tough, turn tack or seek ref-
uge.

© Try to keep to main roads.

@ Make sure you have ample
gasoline.

@ Don’t be foolhardy.

@ Keep your radio tuned to a
focal station for weather advice.

if you get trapped

Don't panic. Avoid over-exer-
tion and exposure.

Shovelling and bitter cold can
kill. Stay in your car. You won't
get lost and you'll have a shelter.

Keep fresh air in your car.
Open a window on the side
sheltered from the wind. Run your
motor sparingly. Beware of ex-
haust fumes; ensure the exhaust
pipe is not blecked by snow.
Remember, you can’t smell car-
bon monoxide fumes.

You can run the car engine
about 10 minutes every nalf hour
— as long as your exhaust system
is working well.

Set out warning lights or flares
Put on the dome light. Overuse of
headlights may run down your
battery. .

Exercise your limbs, hands and
feet vigorously. Keep moving and .
don’t fall asleep. Keep watch for
traffic or searchers.

Dressing for the cold

Put on a hat as well as extra
socks and mittens. Without a hat,
you can lose up to 60% of your
bady heat. Add extra outer wear,
or a pair of coveralls as the extra
layers of clothing will trap warm
air near the body, acting as in-
sulation,

Cautien: do not drink alcohol
in bitter cold as it lowers the body
temperature.

system, brakes,

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