Articles – Page 30 – Shaun de Jager

Airbag Safety and Best Practices

In North America Airbags, aka Supplemental Restraint System (SRS), first started being installed in cars back in mid-1970’s and have been required by law since 1989. We all understand the basics – in the event of a collision, the airbags (but perhaps not all of them) will deploy to help protect the occupants. Pretty simple […]

Prescription Medicine, Drugs and Driving

This can often be a confusing issue. Whether we like it or not, at some point we’re going to end up taking some form of medication. Perhaps it’s just something from the shelf at your local pharmacy, known as Over The Counter (OTC) to treat the symptoms of the Common Cold, or perhaps it’s something […]

Check Your Nuts!

Hopefully by now everyone have switched to Winter tires but have you checked your lug nuts since they were switched? Well if you haven’t switched to Winter tires yet, you’re long overdue but it’s not too late and that’s something you should get done as soon as possible. The next thing to think about is […]

Towing an RV Travel Trailer Tip – Load Distribution

Once the weather starts getting nice, people all across North America hook up their travel trailers and head off on camping vacations. Sounds lovely. But one thing that most drivers don’t think about is how they load their trailer, which is hugely important. Time and time again, RV camping trailers sway out of control, flip […]

Ghost Car

Sometimes life is just stranger than fiction. This evening while coming home from Minden, we (fellow instructors Traci, Michelle and I) had an interesting and rather scary moment when we met a Ghost Car. Driving in Pea Soup thick fog (Traci was driving, I was in the front passenger seat, with Michelle in the back), […]

Road Myths: How long can you drive after the fuel light comes on?

October 25th, 2010

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Filed under: Safety, Ownership and Repair

Shaun de Jager, Founder of RoadAwareness.org speaks out about road safety and road related issues.

How far can you go once your low fuel light comes on? This is a question that drivers have been pondering since the first car rolled off the production line. It’s also a question that most dread to learn the answer to.

The simple answer is that there is no simple answer. Every vehicle is different and so is every driver. If you are a more aggressive driver or prone to driving fast, you will burn more fuel per kilometre than a more relaxed driver does. That’s assuming you are comparing drivers with the exact same vehicle because every vehicle is different, too. Additionally, stop and go traffic will certainly burn more fuel per kilometre than maintaining a constant speed.

Okay, I guess that leaves us with averages, guesses and personal opinions. Some mechanics will say you can get anywhere from 50km-100km once your “low fuel” light switches on. Well that’s still a rather large range but each mechanic you ask will also say “it depends on your car and how you drive it.” Hmm, still not very helpful, I know, but it’s true.

Continue reading Road Myths: How long can you drive after the fuel light comes on?

Road Myths: How long can you drive after the fuel light comes on? originally appeared on AOL Autos Canada on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Road Myths: Do red cars attract more tickets?

October 19th, 2010

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Filed under: Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Safety, Design/Style, Ownership and Repair

Shaun de Jager, Founder of RoadAwareness.org speaks out about road safety and related issues.

Do drivers in red cars get more traffic tickets?

This may well be a common belief among many drivers and a belief that people have uttered for years. But do they really? No, not really. I’ve often said, “It’s not what you drive, but how you drive it”; something I’ve said to many of my student drivers for over six years.

This false belief is largely based on the fact that red cars catch the eye of the police more than other cars. Well, yellow is also very eye-catching but the myth doesn’t seem to apply to them. Why not? Simply put, red is a sporty colour and a favoured colour for “sporty” drivers. But once again, it’s how you drive it.

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Road Myths: Do red cars attract more tickets? originally appeared on AOL Autos Canada on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tow to Tow With Drivers: Risking life and limb on the shoulder of a highway

October 7th, 2010

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Filed under: Safety, Police/Emergency

Shaun de Jager, a tow truck driver for CAA by day, blogs about the crazy, weird, and downright scary things he sees on our roads.

Always slow down and move over when approaching stopped emergency or service vehicles. Not only is it the law but it could save a life — perhaps even yours. You would certainly be saving the life of whoever is standing or working on the shoulder, including police officers, paramedics, firefighters, and of course the lowly tow truck driver.

Driving for a living means that my job exposes me to more dangers on the road than the average commuter and when I have to rescue someone from the side of the road, the danger levels spike dramatically.

Continue reading Tow to Tow With Drivers: Risking life and limb on the shoulder of a highway

Tow to Tow With Drivers: Risking life and limb on the shoulder of a highway originally appeared on AOL Autos Canada on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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