Check on corr

Iris Winston
Contributing Writer

FRANCES Olsen removed one more
shard of glass from her leg a couple
of weeks ago. After nearly two years,
she is still finding slivers of broken
windshieid under her skin.

Her husband, Bob, lives with constant pain
since the vertebrae in his neck were crushed in
the sane crash in July 1098.

The Olsens, en route from their home in
Alexandria, Ont., near Cornwall, to visit family
in Winnipeg, were following a General Motors
pickup truck when its externally mounted spare
Ure dropped from its attachment point under
the truck bed and carcered towards them.

As Mr. Olsen puts it: “We survived. Our car
did not.”

* The tire smashed through the top of the
windshield of their 1987 Chevy Nova and
peeled back its roof.

“You just watch in horror (as the tire heads
towards you) knowing it’s going to hit you,”
recalls Mrs. Olsen.

Transport Canada’s Motor — Vehicle
Regulation Branch has received some 400 com-
plaints about spares dropping from their mount-
ing points under light tucks, minivans and
sport-utility vehicles because of broken or rust-
ed attachment mechanisms.

The Olsens are listed as having suffered
mipor injuries after a collision with a tire thar fell
from a truck.

But Frances and Bob Olsen point out that
they still feel the after-effects of their “minor
injuries.” And they retain vivid memories of the
events that day. They were driving on the
TransCanada highway near Wawa, Ont., north
of Sault Ste. Marie. The pickup was about 60
metres (200 feet) ahead of them.

“There was a lot of construction,” says Mr.
Olsen, a retired salesman who has held a driver’s
licence for 55 years and estimates he has driven
several million miles. “You never knew when
you were going to have to stop, so nobody was
driving fast.”

This highway is bounded by a guard rail and
ravine on one side and a rockface on the other,
notes Mr. Olsen. “There is no place to go, no
way to escape” and no way to prepare for the
shock of a tire falling off the vehicle ahead.

“Your first reaction is pure surprise as this
tire, which looks far bigger than it is, bounces
towards you in a puff of dust.”

He attempted to avoid it by turning towards
the rockface — which he judged a better choice
than the risk of breaking through the guard rail
and rolling down the ravine.

Moments IJater, the tire hit the windshield
and destroyed the roof of the Nova.

The truck driver was among motorists who
stopped. “He felt so bad, but it wasn’t his fault,”
says Mrs, Olsen.

She was taken to hospital on a stretcher. Her
husband stayed with the damaged vehicle.
“Later on, you have a sleepless night. You can’t
sleep because everything hurts.”

After they were treated, the Olsens returned
home by bus — a 15-hour trip during which

€O| We Repair All Kinds of Radiators

both in constant
pain.

Thev say they were
satistied by their insur-
ance settlement, which
paid for the loss of their
car. “Insurance is meant
te put vou back where
you were before the acci-
dent happened, and
that’s what our insur-
ance company did,” says
Mr. Olsen.

Now, the Olsens
steer clear of vehicles
with externally mounted
spares.

“f either pass them or
back right off,” says Mr.
Olsen, who as a volun-
teer driver for cancer
patients is still on the
road frequently.

He says the collision
als) underlined — that
“seat-belts work. If we
hadn't had seat-belts on,

don’t think we'd be
here today.*

But he says the colli-
sion should never have
happened.

“There is no need to
have a tire exposed to
the clements,” he says.
“You can still have room
inside (the original rea-
son for cradling the
spares with steel cables
under some vehicles) if
you just fica box under-
neath and have the tire
slide in and our.”

The problem is simi-
lar to the runaway trans-
port wheels that have
caused several deaths
and injuries on Ontario
highways. But those fail-
ures were blamed on
poor maintenance, and
have been largely eliminated by stepped-up
inspections, heavy fines and improved training
for drivers and tire installers.

In the light trucks, the problem is a design
issue and fails under federal jurisdiction.
Transport Canada says it has been “prodding”
manufacturers to address its concerns about
dangers posed by the breaking and loosening of
the cable-winch mechanisms used to suspend
the tires in many vehicles.

Chrysler began installing a secondary latch
on its spare tire restraints beginning with 1996
vehicles, but no manufacturer has recalled vehi-
cles already sold. General Motors says any prob-
lems with the mechanism appear to be mainte-
nance-related.

In 1997, the Canadian Automobile
Association ‘warned owners to regularly check
the winch and cable systems for corrosion, and
to lubricate all attachments.

were

U

plastic, aluminum, copper, brass

domestic ... import
Don't throw tha! radiator away . . . Until you've checked with us!

Why? Because you
may not need a new one.
Contzary to what some
detail

Although the
materials may have
hanged. our attention to

Now, we aren't saying
all radiators can be fixed.
That depends a great deal
on the nature and the

ople would like you to
Believe, the “new”
radiators on today’s cars
can be repaired,
reconditioned or recored.
Sure, materials have
changed. We've changed
too! We've learned new
repair techniques, gor the
right equipment and
stock the right parts.

and quality work
havens, We've been fixing
radiators for years and
still fix chem — regardless
of what they are made.
Whatever the
radiator's construction or
condition — send it to us
for “the eapert’s opinion.”
We have the wehnology
to test, clean, tepair, and
replace what is needed.

extent of the damage. But
how will you know if you
just throw it away? If it
can be repaired, we'll do
it. If it needs to be
replaced, we have it.
Radiator repair is our
business. We fixed them
for years - why change?

Free Esrimares

Nor-est Radiators

Coaling Systems Speviatists £7 Years
1175 West 14ch, North Vancouver

3 blacks south of Marine off Pemberton

Mon-Fri 8:30-5:30; Sat 8:00-3:00

984-0374

IL: aM

lon B NG!

Photo submitted

BOS and Frances Olsen survived a crash caused by a spare wheel breaking free of its externaily
mounted restraints. Their car did not.

Complete mechanical & electrical repairs
by factory trained technician .
IMPEX AUTO 1166A West 14th Street Tol: 985-6237

(off Pemberton Ave., entrance at rear)
Visit our web site: wwew.izapexauto.com

| Lube ii & Filter:

' Change with 56 Pt. !

i H Car Care Inspection H

B | faciudes: Lubrication; up to 5 Liters of Warranty |
a Approved Esso 10W30 Motor Oil; New Filter: -

(Metric Filters Extra); For Most Cars. Pricing May

al Vary on Luxury and Diesel Equipped Vehicles. i
B Ask for Details. |
a
I

or fess plus é
environmental
charges and taxes. 5

All offers expire Aprif 15, 2000
Quality Parts provided by North Shore =

Mehrdad Sultani }

1392 Marine Drive i
West Vancouver, BC

922-3925

| Brake. Sarva!

| Drum 8rakes. inctudes: labour to install new
1 Drum ee quality brake linings; resurface two
brake drums; 9-point braking system check;
I repack wheel bearings; road test. Cost of brake
f linings extra. Mast cars. Ask for details.

{ Disk Brakes. Inc!udes: labour to install new

ry premium quality disc pads; resurface two disc
rotors; 7-point braking check; road test. Cost of
brake pads extra. Rear disc brakes extra. Mos

I cars. Ask for detaits. 5

1 2 wheel disc or drum 9

brakes. Most cars
i Fees

pledour only ~ parts extra

oe less j

a ixes §

Tew BE wows Ro ac os BD

| Maintenance
ne-Up «

Includes: Labour to
install new spark
plugs; Check
distributor cap,
rotor; Check PC.V.
valve; Check and
adjust idle speeds
(rpm's); Final

LAAT

59

gant: Mam 4 cul cats pas loses

Xs
fre spat ot ered oc tyyy Mast € cyt tare ply Lacey

Most cars and light pick-ups.
ignition system Vans and micivans oxtia.

. jor details.
analysis; Road test. Labour anly - pacts era