Things every driver should know

There has been a lot of talk in the news recently of the Toyota recalls. There has been something lost in all the discussion of floor mats and blame. There has been very little said of the driver’s responsibility.


This is not about pointing fingers but there are a few things that are vital for every driver to know:



1. If your vehicle is accelerating out of control you need to keep calm. After you have verified that the brakes are not helping it is time to stop the power from getting to the wheels. If it has a manual transmission push in the clutch. If this does not work grab the shifter and pull it out of gear. If it is an automatic transmission push the shifter in to neutral. All regular automatic transmissions will go in to neutral if they are pushed forward, as long as you don’t push the button on the shifter it will not go in to reverse. If all of this fails, turn the engine off. If you turn the key to the “electrics on” instead of all the way off the steering lock will not engage.



2. Know where your spare tire is. Know how all the tools work. Most important thing is to know where to place the jack under the car. Doing this wrong can crush the quarter panel or even more funny the jack can go through the floor.



3. Know where empty is on your gas tank. It is surprising how this can throw people off. American cars tend to have a big reserve when the gauge reads empty. Compare this to Volkswagen, when the low fuel light comes on you has exactly 5 litres of fuel and when the fuel gauge reads empty it is empty. You have to like their straight forward reasoning. What is the point of having a gauge if you are not going to have it accurate?



4. Know if your vehicle is front wheel drive, rear wheel drive or all-wheel drive.



5. Do you have ABS? This is important to know because it will change your reaction under hard braking. Without ABS you will have to pump your brakes to keep them from locking up. If you do that in a car with ABS your braking distance will increase. Not what you want to do if you are in a panic stop. You should also feel what the ABS feels like when it is activated. It feels a little different in each make. It can be quite startling. The first time I experienced ABS, in a rented Chevy Cavalier, it made such a racket that I was sure I had run over a trash can. I literally got out and looked under the car. This is not a distraction you need in an emergency.



6. What side is your fuel filler cap on? Knowing this will make your life much easier at a busy gas pump and save you from looking like Chevy Chase in Vacation.



7. Know how to jump start a car. This is one of those things that can be very useful to know and very dangerous if done wrong. There are lots of places to find detailed instructions, but here is the quick version: Positive to positive, negative to ground, NEVER let the cables touch each other until all the crocodile clips are disconnected. NEVER rest the clips on the car, you may complete the circuit. Leave the car that you are getting the boost from running.



8. Where is your owner’s manual? It is a fantastic source of information. It is worth spending an afternoon reading it. It won’t be the most entertaining thing you have ever read, but you will learn so much. It is well worth the investment of time.



It amazes me how lightly people take the concept of driving. You are in control of two tonnes of glass and steel. Hitting a curb hard can destroy a tire. Hitting the guard rail can destroy a fender. Hitting a person can destroy a life.