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Show Driving Tips From The Pros It's no accident that truck drivers have a better safety record than passenger car owners, says the Automotive Information Council. LATEST records compiled by the American Trucking Association show that drivers of those mammoth tractor semi-trailers were involved in 3. 2 accidents for every million miles of travel in 1975. Smaller trucks averaged out to 6.5 accidents per million miles. The passenger car figure was much higher at 10.6 per million miles. Truck drivers, the real pros of the road, don't trust to luck. They use their -experience to advantage. With the summer vacation season upon us, AIC offers these tips from the people who earn their salary behind the wheel to the people who drive to get away from it all: RUN with the pack. Too much speed and needless lane changing are direct causes of crackups. Driving too slow impedes other traffic and is an indirect cause. Warning. Don't let the pack lure you into speeds above 55 mph where it's the legal limit. Avoid left turns. In heavy urban traffic, make a series of right turns around the block. If you go left, use your directional signal. Keep your wheels straight when stopped. If you do get bumped from the rear, you won't be forced into oncoming traffic. THINK ahead. Emergency stops are common in flowing but heavy traffic. Allow a car length of space ahead of you for each 10 miles of speed. Danger at dusk. For some reason, objects seem farther away at twilight. Allow for this by cutting your speed Use low beam lights. High beams add to brightness still in the sky and offer a greater challenge to your ability to see. SLOW down at night. Headlights do a good job but not that good. Visibility is poorer after sundown. Seeing ability decreased by 20 feet for every 10 mile per hour increase in speed. More night time tips. Fresh air (oxygen) helps your eyes adapt to darkness. Keep a window open and stop or cut down on smoking. Also, focus your eyes on one object for only a few seconds. Shift your line of sight often to relax eye muscles. IS YOUR car ready? Inspect tires (including the spare), steering, brakes, lights, windshield wipers. What you don't need is a breakdown. Tune up your car and get an under the hood inspection of hoses and other critical parts. Have you changed oil or antifreeze an-tifreeze lately? |