AUTO ADYER TS: Meats rh We ae ‘hi RI ORR REAR : ott Meg; By as Mie oor a ee aa ad HERE’S A vet peeve that I share with many: People who drive slowly in the fast lane. “Fast Lane” is not defined in the Motor Vehicle Act at all. So, for this article, it does not exist. The Upper Levels Highway here on the North Shore is an east/west connection that links Horseshoe Bay with the Second Narrows Bridge. It Maintains two, sometimes three lanes of travel in each direction. It is intersected once by Westview Drive. Some of iis regulatory signs read - “slower traftic keep nght.” In other - areas signs read “keep right except to pass.” At no time.do we read “speedy folks use the left lane." So you see, the onus is on the slower vehicles to keep to the right. Slower than what? Asks you, Slower than anyone around you, responds 1. If you travel at the speed limit bui every other driver around yout is exceeding the speed limit, and there- by breaking the law, you also are in error if you do not keep to the right. If you drive fess than the speed limit then you definitely keep right. Even when everybody drives very slowly, as in heavy traffic or extreme weath- er, the slowest drivers stay right. Granted, the right lane is busier because it must deal with merging traffic (don’t get me started) but it is infinitely more easy for a merging car to deal with a steady, properly paced vehicle than a vehicle that is zipping into the right lane in order iv get past what he or she considers a slow poke. Passing on the right is not illegal on the Trans Canada, as some may think, nor on any road with more than one lane traveling in the same direction unless specifically directed by a regulatory sign or road marking (as ina solid white line). {t is. how- ever, obviously more dangerous than passing on the left. Those who find themselves in the teft lane but can’t seem to man- Luxuries abound in plush new Explorer From page 22 The face-lifted and re-engineered Explorer has arrived, complete with an updated style, smoother handling and ride, first class safety features (dual airbags, ABS) — and in the case of high-end models —- Lincoln- like luxury car features. The Ford Explorer has been the best selling sport utility vehicle in North America since its introduction in 1990, so engineers and designers must have toiled deciding what to . Change in the Explorer when the time came to do a make-over of the . vehicle, Jn the end, they decided to incorporate numerous refinements to make the vehicle more like a car, and less like a truck —- without altering its basic character. ; On the outside, this translates to a totally revised front look and modi-- fied rear tail-light, which make the multi-link suspension, revised power steering, standard four-wheel anti- lock brakes, and a sophisticated three-mode four-wheel-drive system called the Control! Trac, which engages the Explorer's four-wheel- drive system only when the road is slippery. Thanks to these changes, the Explorer handles more sharply and glides over bumps with ease. While the Explorer feels more refined and offers the roomiest cabin in its class, its relatively noisy, short- on-breath 4.0-litre V-6 engine carried over from last year takes away some ” of the driving fun. As before, the new Explorer is available in many variations in both two- and four-door configurations, with 4X2 or 4X4 systems. The price — ranges from about $24,000 to over $43,000 for a fully-equipped. gad- get-galore Limited model. nterc! age to move lo the tight because everybody is passing over there, don't panic, speed up — not so much that you break the speed lintit, but enough to get reasonably close to the flow of traffic — then try the lane change, Most importantly, put your darn signal on and show peo- ple that you want to move over — you'll be surprised at how many cars are eager to let you do that. Finally, I like to ask a couple of questions of that fellow who gave my student and me a very dirty look when we were driving ihe speed limit in the teft lane on the Upper Levels, We moved jnto the left lane because we wanted 10 tam Teft at the Westview Drive interchange. This fellow thought it appropriate to ride on Our bumper (figuratively, thank God) and flash his high- beams at us, When we didn't move out of his way he sped past us on the right and came to a screeching halt at the traffic lights, which were red. Of him | must inquire: “Did you truly expect us to make an insane left turn at Westview from the right lane? and: “How much time did you save waiting at that red light?" Photo submitted LOCAL RACER Justin Stubbs piloted his North Shore News- sponsored car to a first-place finish at Mission Motorsport Park fast weekend. li was the first race of the season for the Sports Car Club of B.C. ERIN ATE IE FLY | 200SX SE-R RRR SDCE REI SRSA new Explorer look more mature and sophisticated. The inside changes are even more significant, with an all- new dash panel and trims gracing the interior. The smartly arranged controls, human-friendly features . and available upscale options (mem- ory power seat, automatic tempera- ture control, etc) muke this vehicle one of the nicest to spend time in. There are significant new.compo- nents lurking underneath the vehicle body as well, including a new front ‘nm? |B, GOB # Features on the 240SX SE-R include: 2.0 litre, 140 hp 16-valve DOHC engine * Power windows, mirrors f and door locks * Dual airbags * Rear. spoiler, side sill spoilers and fog lights ¢ 15” alley wheels © Anti- ; theft system and keyless entry remote system * 4-speaker AM/FM stereo cassette and more! CONTEST WINNERS The following people are the North Shore News Car Care Contest winners: Yvonne Bolan Joan Humphries John McKellar Doug Muir Geoffrey Tindale. SIERRAS ene Tee -DAVE BUCK FORD SERVICE LOANERS 2) Automatic _ Oi Power Steering 0 : GQ Air Conditioning Cl Air Bag . _ | CLAM/FM Stereo “AU Rebates Assigned Ta Deuter. 879 MARINE DRIVE NORTH VANCOUVER ° SERVICE © PARTS PRETENCE Tea is UAL ORD -SALES BODYSHOP