The high gas prices are really starting to scare me. Even if they drop again it will likely only be a matter of time before they spike. I have ridden the wave of high gas prices in the past and never once considered grounding my car. But this time it’s different.

I have a van and I figure that, between me and my daughter, gas costs around $500 per month. $500 per month! Do you know what I could do with an extra $500 per month?  Don’t get me started!

I always drive to work because of my early work hours. I have to be here before 5 a.m. and the subways don’t run until 6 a.m. So, if I didn’t take my car, my options would be either the all-night bus or car pooling. Something to consider. 

I know that my daughter would absolutely freak if I grounded the car now, but when she goes away to college in the fall I just might try it for a month or so just to see how it goes.   Now that I think of it, by grounding my car, I could save enough to pay for her college tuition.

I am lucky that, in my area, there are several grocery stores that are quite close by.  I used to ride a bike everywhere.  Maybe I could start taking the bike to the grocery store and do a couple of small shopping trips a week rather than one big one.  Or I could get one of those carts on wheels and walk. 

If I had to go to an appointment downtown after my shift I could grab a Bixi bike. These rental bikes have just been introduced in Toronto and are designed for short trips. Just grab a bike and drop it at the docking station closest to your downtown destination.  There’s a stand right outside Rogers here. There are 80 docking stations around the city with 1,000 bikes altogether.  And the price is very reasonable.

I know this wouldn’t work during the winter months but it’s all food for thought. 

I’m just exploring my options. Because one day in the not too distant future, I just might decide to ground my car for a while.

Over the past few years wiper technology has really changed.  In the good old days we basically had the conventional rubber wipers.  Now we have choices.  We still have the conventional ones but we also have winter wipers that are designed to help prevent ice and snow buildup on the blade.  Some wiper blades are coated with water-beading technology to help repel rain, sleet and snow.  There are blades that are a blend of silicone rubber that are designed to last years not months.   They do not become stiff, tear and crack like plain rubber wipers and they remain flexible in extreme temperatures.  And I am sure there are others on the way.

Even though good wipers are vital to our safety when we are behind the wheel, they are constantly overlooked.  We think about oil changes and regular vehicle maintenance.  We think about tires and tire pressure and topping up our windshield washer fluid.  But we don’t give our wipers much thought.  I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I didn’t even know they had a shelf life so to speak.  I just figured “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. I just assumed that wipers always left streaks.

How long your wipers will remain effective depends on a lot of things.  For example, there are many environmental factors to consider.    Rain, snow, sand, mud, dust, tree sap, salt, car waxes and even the sun all can take their toll.

So be kind to your wipers.    Make sure you clean your windshield every time you fill your gas tank.  That should help a bit.   Wipe down your wiper blades with a damp cloth every so often.  During the winter months make sure you scrape ice off your windshield before starting your wipers and lift the wipers off the windshield to stop them from sticking.

I have to say that I am thrilled with my new wipers.   I can’t tell you a thing about them.  I don’t know if they are rubber or silicone or what.  I left all those decisions up to my trusted mechanic.   All I know is that they clean my windshield beautifully,  giving me a streak-free view of the road.

Go ahead. It’s okay to laugh. Technology is rapidly changing the driving experience. Now kids have technology that travels with them, whether it be their phones, iPods, iPads, laptops etc. Entertaining kids in a car is easier that ever.

But technological advancements aren’t just for kids. The GPS has become standard in so many vehicles. Some drivers wouldn’t think of traveling anywhere without one. There are rain-sensing wipers and cars that virtually park themselves.

Some vehicles boast “chill zones:” air conditioned compartments built into the car to keep drinks cool. Talk about luxury.

There have been so many innovations under the hood as well. One of the latest is a brand new suspension design conceived by Bose, a name synonymous with acoustics. Apparently, The Bose system uses a linear electromagnetic motor (LEM) at each wheel in lieu of a conventional shock-and-spring setup.  Without getting technical this suspension system is designed to “virtually eliminate all vibrations in the passenger cabin. The wheel’s motion can be so finely controlled that the body of the car remains level regardless of what’s happening at the wheel. The LEM can also counteract the body motion of the car while accelerating, braking and cornering, giving the driver a greater sense of control.”

Wow. Maybe I find this a fascinating concept because my cars have generally been clunkers. They don’t always start out that way but over time, well, you know what happens. As someone who spends a lot of time in her car, a smooth ride would be quite the luxury.

First of all, leaving summer windshield washer fluid in the receptacle over the winter months … not a good idea. Summer windshield washer fluid is a more diluted mixture of water and cleaners, as much as 10:1, while the winter fluid is more typically a 1:1 ratio, and often contains other ingredients such as anti-freeze. So if you leave the summer fluid in during the cold winter months it could freeze, expand, and ruin your washer reservoir.

Now I’m not saying that’s why I ended up with a big crack at the bottom of  mine this winter but I’m not ruling it out. I know this year I wasn’t too careful about making sure I was using the winter or all season mixture. It is so important to make sure you always have enough windshield washer fluid, especially during the slushy months of winter and spring. The dirty spray can blind you when it covers your windshield. So having a receptacle to hold the fluid is vital to your safety.

I had a bit of a problem getting the reservoir fixed, however, because they were on backorder and unavailable to me when I needed to replace it. Thank goodness I have a resourceful mechanic who was able to fix it for me. So far it is still holding up well. I have learned my lesson. Just in case, I will never use summer fluid again, regardless of the time of year. It’s winter or all season fluid for me from now on.

Lesson number two. Just because your fuel gauge isn’t completely on empty and your low fuel sign isn’t flashing does not mean that you have enough gas.  I found this out the hard way just last week. I was heading south on Jarvis and my car stopped.  The scary part is that, when you run out of gas, you lose your power steering and power brakes.  I had no idea I was out of gas and was terrified that my brakes and steering weren’t working at all.  I let the car coast as far over as I could and called for a tow. My hands were shaking so much I couldn’t even send a text to my daughter to tell her I wouldn’t be bringing her lunch.

Since the price of gas has risen so dramatically recently I have been trying to make it on one tank of gas a week. That is why I didn’t want to fill it up the day before. And I got caught. But now I know. My mechanic told me to make sure that I always drive with at least a quarter of a tank of gas. You do not want to be driving consistently with little gas, not just because you could get caught as I did, but because this practice can put extra wear and tear on your fuel pump. It is an expensive part to replace.  Trust me.  I know.  Because I had to replace mine.

So there you go.  Two lessons I learned this winter about my car.  Hopefully this will help you avoid making the same mistakes I did.

As I’m sure you know, the Distracted Driving Law makes it illegal for drivers to talk, text, type, dial or email using hand-held cell phones and other hand-held devices.
In October 2009 this became law in the Province of Ontario, with drivers being given a grace period of several months before fines were actually given out starting February 1. So it’s now been about a year that the law actually has had some bite.

So what’s been happening? I see people behind the wheel talking on their cell phones and texting on a regular basis. In just one day last November, two police divisions here in Toronto targeted distracted drivers and ended up handing out 70 tickets.

In York Region police have handed out just under 3,000 tickets to distracted drivers over the past year and have also given out over 700 warnings. Fines start at $125, by the way.

So what is going on? Did it take this long for seatbelt legislation to work its way into the psyche of the driver? Maybe it did.

I have a theory about the use of hand-held devices, especially texting while driving.  Academically it seems like an insane thing to do. In just five seconds of texting you can cover more than the length of a football field driving at normal highway speeds.  The length of a football field. Do you know how much ground that is? Suffice to say it’s a lot.

But I am not here to preach. I am here to say that I almost broke my own rule and the law the other day and just stopped short of texting while behind the wheel. How did this happen? I have a new phone and have not set up my hands-free earpiece yet to accommodate it. I was waiting for some important information which I received while sitting at an intersection. I was just about to text a reply when I stopped short. I actually said “What am I doing?” I immediately tossed my phone into the side pocket of my car door. I couldn’t believe that I had almost done something I feel to be an extremely dangerous activity.

It made me think about what brings people to text and drive and I really don’t think it’s always a conscious thing. The portable phone is such an integral part of our lives and now with Blackberries and iPhones, we are constantly referring to them as a source of contact and information. We are in the habit of checking them every where. Nothing is sacred anymore, not even the washroom. So it isn’t a big stretch to see how we can unconsciously pick up our phones while in the car. I am certainly not condoning it! It’s just that I can see how easily it can happen and how we really have to take drastic measures and put that phone out of sight and out of earshot when we are driving.  We have to make that extra effort for our safety and the safety of others.

I have been in the traffic business for many years now, enough time to notice traffic trends. I have to say that every January the traffic trend is a pretty nasty one and this month is no exception.

January 2010 was insane on the roads and subsequently here in the traffic centre. The winter wasn’t all that bad really but through the month of January the number of collisions we had was very high.

It would seem that so far, this January is a repeat. Yes, the weather has been a bit worse but that can’t be the only reason we have had so many accidents.  Other factors have got to be at play as well.

One thing I didn’t know for many years as a driver is that stopping distances are greater when the weather is cold.  Even if your vehicle is boasting a set of really good snow tires you are still susceptible to greater stopping distances when the temperatures dip. So it is really important to stay further back if you can, and watch your speed.

Something else that could cause problems for you is a dirty windshield. It is very hard to keep cars clean this time of year, never mind the windows. But you need to make the effort so that you have good visibility behind the wheel. When the sun hits a dirty windshield it is sometimes impossible to see.

Of course we also have the potential to run into any combination of winter driving conditions, be it snow or ice or freezing rain.  That’s why we have to be extra vigilant this time of year and really try to concentrate and be prepared for driving conditions to deteriorate at a moments notice.

So try and increase the distance between you and the vehicle in front, make sure you keep your car windows clean, listen to the weather forecasts so that you are aware of any impending weather patterns that could affect your drive, and watch your speed.  All of these factors could go a long way in helping you have a trouble free drive throughout the winter months.

I am not a big believer in New Year’s resolutions per se because I get the sense that they are often based more on emotion than anything else and ultimately they can’t be sustained. So rather than calling them resolutions, I am more inclined to try and make some positive changes that will enhance my life in some way. At least this way I don’t feel as much pressure!

On that note I asked some of our traffic reporters here at the 680 Traffic Centre what they would suggest drivers could start doing to help enhance their driving experience. One of our traffic reporters suggested that, as soon as you get behind the wheel and start your car, you should turn on the radio and listen to 680News. That way you will get an up-to-date traffic report before you hit the road. So many times we get calls here at the traffic centre from motorists who are already stuck in traffic   They tune their radio to 680News only after they hit a traffic problem. It’s always good to find out why you are stuck in traffic, but it is even better to get some advance warning and be able to avoid the problem altogether.

Another traffic reporter made a suggestion regarding your safety. We always appreciate calls from traffic spotters but safety comes first. So, if you haven’t done this already, please make sure you have the ability to contact us hands-free. Not only is it the safe thing to do, but it is also the law.

And here is another suggestion for the New Year. Get to know your alternate routes. People are creatures of habit. Most of us drive the same routes every day to get where we need to go. When a problem arises on our route, and we don’t have the luxury of a GPS, then we are stuck. I live in Etobicoke, and the Queensway is a street that can often be full of traffic. There are all kinds of new housing developments popping up in my area that are adding to the congestion and, over the years, more and more traffic lights have been added. That’s why I love Evans and North Queen. Those are two great alternates that have very few sets of lights and I take them regularly.

These are just a few ideas from us here at the 680 Traffic Centre that hopefully will make your drive just a bit easier in 2011.

The holidays are upon us and many are off work for the next few weeks.  But the roads never sleep and neither do we at the 680 Traffic Centre. 

Regardless of the time of year we are committed to serving you 24/7 through “rain and snow and sleet and shine”…especially through “rain, snow and sleet” because that is when you need us the most.  But even when the weather is good we still have traffic troubles somewhere that need to be covered. 

I could give you lots of warnings regarding driving at this time of year, like “Don’t Drink and Drive” but I think awareness is very high on the dangers of that.   Driver distraction is huge this time of year so please, please, please try and focus on what you are doing when you are behind the wheel.  Also, even when the roads look clear and dry there could be icy sections so be ready.  Even if there is no ice, your tires just don’t grip the pavement as well when the temperatures dip.  So when you hit your brakes it will take longer to actually stop.

But what I really want to do is send you a holiday message.  May you share happy times with friends and family.  May the New Year arrive full of health, hope and promise.

We really appreciate your input and assistance in the traffic centre year round.  Your calls are invaluable to us.  Thank you for helping us help others.

If there was ever any doubt about which season we are in, that doubt was put to rest this week with the arrival of the first significant amount of snow. Some areas got hit worse than others but regardless, the traffic was greatly affected. 

If you have already put on your snow tires and have taken your car in for its winter maintenance check and topped up all fluids, and you have a good window scraper,  then you should be in great shape for the winter months ahead.

Unfortunately, you will need a couple of things that you can’t buy.  One is extra time for your drive and the other is patience.  If you are able to dig deep and come up with these, they will stand you in really good stead when the weather turns nasty.

You will need to take the time to clear the frost and snow off your windows before you even start your drive, not to mention the extra time you will need on the roads to get to your destination.

And you will need patience.  If you get irritated by the other drivers or the pace of the traffic flow you could end up doing something rash and paying for it by getting involved in an accident. 

Winter driving brings with it all kinds of safety issues that you don’t have to worry about in the summer. For example, stopping distances can double on snowy roads and be even greater if the surface is icy, so please do not follow too closely! Because of all the winter weather systems, visibility can often be greatly reduced. Even the winter clothing that we wear can become a safety issue. With bulky coats are our seatbelts holding us properly?  And with heavy winter boots it’s sometimes hard to distinguish the gas pedal from the brake.

So here we go again. This weather will be with us now for several months so we need to switch our mental gears into winter driving mode.

According to the weather experts we are supposed to have three times as much snow as we had last year. So make sure that you take the time to get your snow tires on. I am sure you have heard how important it is to have winter tires in a climate like ours, so I won’t preach. As soon as it snows, you are definitely going to need them to help you negotiate not only the streets but also the shopping mall parking lots.

Last weekend I braved the malls on a Sunday afternoon and was taken aback at how reckless so many of the drivers were. People are so distracted this time of year and are even in more of a hurry than usual. Add a bit of nasty weather and things can get really bad for drivers both on and off the roads.

As you probably heard, there have been a rash of accidents involving pedestrians lately. As I discussed in my last blog, this time of year is terrible for pedestrians. It gets dark so early. The weather can be a problem as well and everyone is rushing around thinking of a million things. We have to be so careful, whether we are driving or walking. We need to be aware of our surroundings and keep our heads up!

So good luck in not only finding that perfect gift but also in making it to, and through, the holidays safely.