What do You Do When...Road Debris is in Your Path

Houston's ABC 13 Eyewitness News reported yesterday on the death of a motorcyclist:

"A piece of debris on the East Loop played a role in a fatal accident Wednesday night. A motorcyclist drove over a large wooden board, sending his bike into the air and causing the rider to hit the guard-rail. He died at the scene. "

Wherever you drive you will find debris on the road posing a hazard to you and other drivers. Objects lying in the road can cause serious crashes, injuries, and deaths. Road debris comes from a variety of sources. Equipment can break loose from vehicles, objects being transported may fall out of truck beds or off the roofs of cars, and tire treads may separate, placing debris on the roads.

Objects ranging from blown tires and tire treads to drive shafts, bumpers, hoods, leaf springs, brake parts, and dislodged cargo have all contributed to serious crashes. One report mentions that even off beat items such as ladders are commonly found in the roadway.

At highway speeds even a relatively small object such as a hand tool, spare tire, tarpaulin, or tie-down strap can be deadly.

Every state and major city has some version of a "debris patrol". In the Houston area six Texas Department of Transportation drivers patrol every day. Their main job is looking for debris. But even then, they say the problem doesn't go away.

Texas DOT's John Zientek explained, "It's a daily battle. I'm pretty sure that when I get back out there, there will probably be another good amount to pick up just on the same area I just went through."

What actions can you take to avoid junk on the road that may hurt you or damage your vehicle?

1. Brake if traffic permits.

2. If braking is not an option you can elect to swerve around the debris, strike it a glancing blow, or drive over it.

3. If confronted with something slippery such as an oil spill or a truckload of smashed pumpkins maintain your speed and roll right through the mess. Don't brake. Don't accelerate. Don't try to get fancy and swerve around it. An abrupt change in speed on a slippery surface will probably send you into a skid. Just keep on going, even if there are crates in your way.

4. If you come upon something of considerable mass like a freezer unit, a chest of drawers or a stuffed elephant you have a major challenge. You definitely don't want to hit such things squarely, but if you brake suddenly you risk a rear end collision. A sudden swerve to avoid may put you in conflict with traffic that is on your flanks.

You will have to make a quick mirror and blind spot check and go around if possible. If you're skillful enough (and lucky as well) you may just come out of the situation unscathed.

5. If you can't execute the swerve, hit the junk off center. The glancing blow might move the object out of your way causing only bumper or fender damage.

6. When faced with mystery debris like a paper bag or a cardboard box you may gamble on straddling them if they appear to be small enough. If you win, no harm done. If you lose the debris may rip through your oil pan, put your car in the shop, and you in the hospital.

I once sent twenty-four Pepsi cans rolling all over Quentein Road in Palatine while playing this game.

Be careful out there.

Lists

No fancy prose today. We'll merely look at lists. Perhaps this light reading will cause you to do some heavy thinking.

List #1 - The Top Ten Causes of Accidental Death in America (In Reverse Order)

10. Machinery - Deaths per year: 350

9. Medical & Surgical Complications and Misadventures - Deaths per year: 500

8. Poisoning by gases - Deaths per year: 700

7. Firearms - Deaths per year: 1,500

6. Suffocation - Deaths per year: 3,300

5. Fires and burns - Deaths per year: 3,700

4. Drowning - Deaths per year: 4,000

3. Poisoning by solids and liquids - Deaths per year: 8,600

2. Falls - Deaths per year: 14,900

1. Motor vehicle crashes - Deaths per year: 43,200

Compiled by soyouwanna.com

List #2 - Top 10 Driving Mistakes

On May 27, 2003, the newly formed coalition "Drive for Life: The National Safe Driving Test & Initiative" cited the following as the 10 most common driving mistakes:

1. Failing to pay attention -- "zoning out"

2. Driving while drowsy

3. Becoming distracted inside the car

4. Failing to adjust to weather conditions

5. Driving aggressively

6. Making assumptions about other drivers' intentions

7. Speeding

8. Changing lanes without checking blind spots and mirrors

9. Driving while upset

10. Ignoring essential auto maintenance

For more on the initiative, or to take the Safe Driving Test, visit the Web site at http://www.safedrivingtest.com.

List #3 - Top Driving Distractions

1. CD/Cassette Players and Radio
2. Children
3. Pets
4. Eating
5. Drinking
6. Smoking
7. Cell phones
8. Personal grooming

http://www.safedrivingtest.com/moredistractions.html#tdd

What Do You Do If...Objects Are Thrown From An Overpass?

Believe it or not there are those that don't think that driving is risky enough. They want to spice up the experience by throwing objects from overpasses onto unsuspecting drivers and their passengers. We've been hearing about this more often. Just Google "Objects Thrown from Overpass Hit Cars" and you'll get a slew of headlines - here are a few:

Rocks Thrown From Overpass Hit Cars on Beltway - Southern Maryland ...

Orlando Sentinel - More vehicles hit with thrown objects by ...

ROCK THROWN FROM OVERPASS PUTS TEEN DRIVER IN HOSPITALIT WAS THE ...

Parkway West Thrower Targets Driver - News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh

Projectiles range from AA batteries to 20 lb frozen turkeys. Given the force of impact at higher speeds even the little batteries can wreak havoc on vehicles and human flesh.

So what can you do to protect yourself from this menace?

Well, if you're lucky enough to see the thrower before you reach the overpass you can reduce speed, change lanes, and head for the shoulder.

While heading for the shoulder take extra care if other traffic is attempting evasive action. What happens when you have 5 to 10 vehicles scattering to avoid bricks raining down on them? Don't get caught in the melee.

Once you make it to the shoulder you can call 911 (hopefully you have a cell phone) and bring the police to the rescue. Keep an eye the thrower(s). Once he hits a car or disrupts traffic he'll usually flee. It may help the police if you can tell them which way the bad guy went.

If you are unable to take evasive action because you spotted the thrower too late, sound your horn. Perhaps it will divert or even deter the goofball.

What Do You Do When...Your Engine Overheats?

"We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret and disappointment." ~ Jim Rohn

It's vacation time and you're on the road. You're visiting your sister Anna in beautiful Chicago. It's mid-morning on the third day of your visit and you're both on the Kennedy Expressway enroute to enjoy a Cub's game in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.

It's a beautiful day for a ball game. The sun is shining in a cloudless sky. The temperature is 82 degrees, and the A/C is on keeping you and Anna cool and comfortable. When you began your trip to Wrigleyville the traffic was light and you made good time. But now you're closing in on your destination and the traffic is becoming more congested. You're slowing down. About a quarter of a mile ahead you can see traffic has stopped. Then your pace slows to a crawl.

You are now ensnarled in a traffic jam. But that's OK. You've planned your excursion wisely and you're not worried. There's plenty of time to get there, park and find your seats before the first pitch.

Hey. What's that funny smell? Something sickly sweet is wafting through the air. You vaguely remember that smell from the time your Dad's car overheated on that family trip to Disney World way back in ... '99 wasn't it? Oh! Oh! Something is not right. Oh, No!! The temperature warning light just lit up.

What do you do now? Can you still get to the game? Can you do it without destroying the engine?

Here's what you do:

1. Turn off that air-conditioner immediately! The A/C makes the engine work harder, give it a bit of a break right now.

2. Turn on the heater. Yes, turn it on right away. I know it's going to make you very uncomfortable, but you need to draw the heat away from the engine and this is how you do it. Flip the climate controls to vent, turn the heater all the way up, and turn the fan all the way up. Open all the car windows or you will roast .

The heater in most cars works by using extra heat from the engine to heat the incoming air. (This is why it always takes the heat a few minutes to "come up" in the winter.) So turning the heat on full-blast pulls as much heat as possible off the engine and blows it into the passenger compartment of the car.

3. Turn off your engine, but only if you are sitting in traffic and not moving for more than a minute. Keep a lookout ahead for when the traffic will move and turn your engine on and put it in gear before everything gets moving. (This will help a lot because as soon as your engine turns off the cooling system gets a break.)

Keep a steady, slow pace in stop and go traffic. This beats moving so fast that you catch up to the vehicles ahead and have stop again. This stop and go cycle contributes to the overheating. (Don't worry about people cutting you off. Everyone is stuck in the same situation.)

4. Pull over if you think your car will break down in stop and go traffic. Turn off the engine and wait for the traffic to start moving normally. Once the traffic starts flowing again, it is better for you to drive faster than slower as more air will come in and cool your engine.

If your car does overheat and steam starts to come out from under your hood, you'll have to pull over. You can add coolant (or water if you don't have coolant) to the radiator, but be careful opening it. When you take the cap off, steam will pour out and scald you. Instead, place a towel over the cap and radiator, grip the cap through the towel, twist and pull away quickly. It is better to open the radiator cap while the engine is idling rather than turning it off. Do not turn the engine off to add water. If the cold water you are pouring in comes in contact with the very hot engine it will crack the block and it's then time to replace the engine! It ensures that no steam will pour out when you twist open the radiator cap because hot water is still circulated by the water pump.

If your coolant is leaking somewhere, then you will have to continually replenish it. Pull into locations likely to have a garden hose that they won't mind you using. Churches are usually a good bet.

5. Take your car to a mechanic ASAP.

Sorry you missed the game. Maybe you can go tomorrow.