If you've been driving collision-free for years, you might take it for granted that you're a great driver. After all, what better standard for competence than a clean driving record? But veteran driving instructor Valerie Williams, a motorcycle-riding grandmother and operations manager for the Ontario Safety League, believes motorists who never question their driving skills could be slowly slipping into a rut of sloppy or outdated habits. "It's like eyesight deteriorating," says Williams, 55. "It doesn't happen overnight. It's so gradual, you're not aware of it at first."
Advances in auto technology mean previously "good" habits can become unsafe. Pumping the brakes in a vehicle equipped with antilock brakes, for example, hinders emergency braking. If you haven't analysed your driving routine recently, it could be time for a tune-up.
Good driving habits begin before you leave the driveway. Just as cars need a moment at start-up to "wake up" and check circuits, drivers should do a personal inventory before getting into a car. Alcohol isn't the only cause of impaired driving. If you're tired, sick, hungry, thirsty, medicated, angry, sad or hurried, it can hamper your driving. If you must drive, make an extra effort to stay focused.Check the weather and traffic reports. Allow more time so you won't be late and impatient. Check your windshield-washer fluid weekly; replace your wiper blades every six to 12 months; promptly replace burned-out headlights; keep a pair of sunglasses in the car and always brush off all the snow on your car.
A clean driving record doesn't mean you're a great driver. |
You should sit so your right foot can rest on the floor behind the brake pedal with the knee slightly bent. Your left foot should rest comfortably on the dead pedal, that raised area to the left of the pedal assembly. Your wrists should be able to rest on the top of the steering wheel, elbows slightly bent and breastbone 25 centimetres from the air bag.
Headrests aren't called neckrests for a reason. They're meant to prevent or lessen whiplash but they can't do their job propped against the curve of your neck. The thickest part of the headrest should be slightly below the deepest part of your skull, near the top of your ears.
Maryanna Lewyckyj is consumer advocate for the Toronto Sun. She conducts car care seminars for women through her company, Autophobics Anonymous.
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