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Show "i May 21, Hh fe)flwifi) floor Air In the case of a front-tirblowout, he said, the vehicle may turn into a sideways skid. With rear-tirfailure, the vehicle will fishtail. Both cases may lead to a serious accident. What you should do, Solomon said, is slowly decrease the vehicle's speed while using steering. But this can only be done if both hands are on the wheel, where, he says, they should always be placed. Reason being, if you drive with only one hand, by the time you realize there is a problem, chances are likely you'll go into a sideways spin. Using both hands offers better control of the vehicle. As the vehicle's speed decreases, you should work your way to the right, in the direction of the emergency lane, making sure not to exit to another road. turn signal or emerTo do this, use the right-hanbefore flashers. But crossing lanes, check your gency mirrors and blind spots. Once on the shoulder, Solomon says to get well off the road. As you slow down, the vehicle will begin to look lopsided. The reason it may not have done so when e Force News Service Morning rush hour. As you cruise down the highangle way, your left elbow retreats to a between the window frame of the left door and your head, leaving only the right hand to steer. The radio sounds fade as your thought process drifts to the day's upcoming events. Suddenly, you're distracted. Something's not right with the car. Although it's not lopsided, there's a terrible sound coming from the front. As huge chunks of black stuff fly across the windshield, you come to, and realize you've just blown a tire. Without thinking, you slam on the brakes. 45-degr- STOP! "A big mistake is to slam on the brakes," said James Solomon, aclministrator for defensive driving courses for the National Safety Council in Chicago. "Doing so causes the vehicle to go out of control in the direction of the damaged wheel." two-han- d d Facts of life o n c hanging tires by Kathleen Keane Air Force News Service The best defense for replacing a blown or flat tire is being prepared. James Solomon, administrator for defensive driving courses for the National Safety Council in Chicago, offers some advice. Study car manuals. Don't subscribe to the saying, "It won't happen to me," because it just might. When putting the car in park, put the emergency brake on as well. Put a piece of wood under the tire opposite the one you're changing. For example: If changtire, put the wedge under the ing the right-rea- r left front tire. This will keep the car from moving. (Sometimes with an automatic transmission, the car can move an inch or so, even with the emergency brake.) Loosen the lug bolts, or nuts, before j acking the car up, so if the lugs are hard to turn, you Hilltop Times 13 (gcoon e by Kathleen Keane 1992 won't wiggle the car while it's up on the jack. After taking the hubcap off, lay it to the side, inner side up, so when you take the lugs off, you '11 have a place to lay them and know where they are. Make sure the tools provided by the manufacturer work for you before you need them. For example: The manufacturer puts lugs on with air wrenches. If you're stronger than the wrench provided, you may twist it in half. Remember that when replacing the tire, you're usually doing so with an emergency tire that can be driven no more than 40 miles at no more than 45 miles per hour before it will blow up. Therefore, get it replaced with a standard-size tire as soon as possible. There are still people who may think they can outfox the system by belonging to an emergency car service. Solomon says that's a good back-up- , but says to keep in mind that depending on the weather, and some other conditions, you may wait many hours before the service gets to you. And, if you're off on a desolate highway somewhere, you may not be able to call for help. the tire blew or went flat is a combination of two things: The weight of the car and the speed at which it was traveling. The momentum may have caused the vehicle to stay up, especially in the case of small cars. With your car in a safe place, it's time to remove the remnants of the old tire, and replace it with the spare that's in the trunk, provided you've checked to make sure it's there, as well as the tools needed to change the tire. "Those things should be there if the vehicle is new," Solomon said. "But you should still check to make sure they were included." The items to look for are a jack, a handle for the jack, a tool to remove the hubcaps and a tool to remove the lug bolts. Also, he says, there should be directions on how to lift the car. But these are just the basics needed to change a tire. Solomon offers several suggestions to lessen the trauma of the experience. First, before trying to drive your vehicle, understand it. This means reading the manual and knowing where parts are located. For example, where exactly in the trunk is the spare stored? Next, he suggests including a few other items that might aid the changing process. Such things include two reflectors, one to put at the rear of the vehicle and another to be placed about 150 feet from the rear. piece of wood is helpful Carrying a in case you're stopped on a grassy area. It provides firm ground for the jack. A spare screwdriver can help to remove the hubcap. Concerning hygiene, Solomon suggests carrying reflectorized poncho for inclement a weather. And in the first aid kit, include treated towels, similar to baby wipes, that cut grease and oil off your skin. The wipes can be purchased at most auto stores. Because tire blowouts and flats usually use the tactic of surprise when they happen, it's imperative to always wear a seat belt, Solomon says. Echoing this is Jeri Rood, editor of Road and Recreation magazine, at the Air Force Safety Agency at Norton AFB, Calif. He cites one instance when an Air Force member had a blowout, went off the road, into a ditch and then rolled twice. Although the passengers in the vehicle were injured, it could have been worse. "Fortunately, they had their seatbelts on," Rood said. "They might have been injured much more seriously if they hadn't." water-repelle- nt |