Sending your child to college? Make sure they're ready with these essential items

When a parent sends their children off to college, they'll send them on their way with all of the essentials that these students need to live while studying: Clean bedding and towels, laundry soap, and an industrial-sized box of macaroni and cheese.

But what about transportation? If your university-aged child is bringing a car to college, make sure that they will be safe while driving. If I remember back to my college days, the cars of college students were not the safest or most reliable pieces of machinery on the roads. So you might make sure that they have clean underwear but you should also make sure that they can get to and from class safely.

Give them the gift of safety by bringing their car in for a tune-up, oil change, and tire rotation before they leave for school. Chances are, they won't have enough money or time during school to do this themselves so you'll ensure that the car is in good working order before school starts. Consider replacing the tires on their car from those bald balloons to something with a little more traction. After all, you want them to get home safely for Christmas.

Provide them with an emergency roadside kit that contains booster cables, safety markers or pylons, a first aid kit, emergency candles, a blanket and a small shovel. You might also consider springing for some traction mats or kitty litter in case they end up stuck in the snow.

This is also a good time to make sure they know a few fundamentals about the car: For example, do they know how to change a tire? (Hey, why not get them to rotate the tires on your car as practice?). And, do they know the top reasons that a car won't start? And don't forget what happens if they do get into an accident: Do they know what to do? Do they know what information to get from the other driver? And do they know what to do with their damaged car?

As a parent, you want to make sure that your child's university years are safe, fun (and full of learning – of course) and you can do this by making sure that their car is in good shape and that they are ready for anything.

Here's one way to help them: Put a list of important telephone numbers in the glove compartment for them: Do some research and include the names of the police department, tow trucks, your insurance company, a taxi company, and a local Boyd Autobody & Glass collision repair facility so that if they do get into an accident, they'll have all the information at their fingertips.

Tips for driving safely through water

There's nothing like a good rainfall. The thunder and lightning can be fearsome but torrential downpours are also cleansing. And you can almost hear the grass growing right after a good burst of rain. Although our lawns might like wet weather, our cars do not necessarily thrive in wet conditions.

Cars are built to handle inclement weather but only within certain parameters. If you are driving during or shortly after a rainfall, here are some tips to take care of your car:

• Steer clear of puddles. Yes, puddles seem innocent enough and splashing through one can remind us of when we were kids with rubber boots. However, puddles can do two types of damage to your car: First, puddles can hide a pothole. Running over a pothole can damage your car's tires and undercarriage, and knock your wheels out of alignment (which can cause further wear and tear). Second, puddles can splash. That doesn't seem like a big deal except that puddles can splash under our own car into the engine compartment (which can cause damage) or it can splash other cars and affect their ability to see clearly (which can cause accidents!). If you see a puddle, slow down and try to avoid it.
• Be cautious about hydroplaning. Hydroplaning sounds like a superhero's water vehicle but it's really a dangerous situation that can occur during or after a heavy rain. Rain water that doesn't drain off of the road quickly enough can cause cars to lose traction. When your car loses traction, you lose your ability to control your car. Unfortunately, a roadway where the threat of hydroplaning can be difficult to see since all you really see is a wet road. But the threat is real. Slow down a little during and after a rainfall and avoid making sudden changes in direction.
• Don't drive in deep water. During torrential rains, storm drains become overwhelmed with the amount of water and they don't drain fast enough. Roads become rivers. Driving in these conditions is extremely dangerous: You can no longer see potholes or even the curbs, water can get into your engine very easily, and you can even float away in a wave caused by another vehicle! During a bad storm, our instinct is to get home to safety but if we're driving our car we should really just park off of the roadway and let the water diminish.

With the crazy and unpredictable weather we've been experiencing in Canada in the past few years, it's hard to know when the next rainfall will be and exactly how much water will plummet from the skies. Use these tips to drive safely. If you do find yourself caught in a heavy rainstorm, have your car inspected right away.

And if you lose control and collide with another vehicle, bring your car to Boyd Autobody for a repair. We'll dry out your car and repair it and get you back out on the road as quickly as possible.

Is your car an investment?

We all know the "rule of thumb" that your car loses half its value as soon as you drive it off of the dealership lot. Cars depreciate and unless you own a nicely restored classic car or antique car (you know, from the years when they looked GOOD), you're pretty much guaranteed that you are going to lose money on your car from the moment you purchase it.

For this reason, personal financial experts will tell you that your car is not a good investment… After all, investments are supposed to make money, not lose them. But your car might actually be a better investment than you think.

Cars depreciate. That part is indisputable. But cars are an investment in other ways:

1. Cars are an investment in making money: Your car enables you to get to and from work regularly so you can earn an income. A small portion of that income goes toward maintaining your car, but much more of your income goes toward all of the other things that we need in life.
2. Cars are an investment in saving time: Public transportation is good for the environment and a nice alternative when you don’t want to drive or fight for a parking spot downtown. However, there are many times when you need to get somewhere a little faster than by bus and a car can get you there. And since "time is money", saving times means that your vehicular investment is that much more worthwhile.
3. Cars are an investment in convenience: Have you ever shopped for groceries then had to walk all the way home? It's not very pleasant, especially in particularly hot or cold weather. Along with getting you to and from the grocery store quickly, your car makes your life more convenient.
4. Cars are an investment in safety: When you drive, you're literally hurtling down the road in a cage of steel and glass, zooming by other cages of steel and glass. Buying a car means buying a high-tech safety device that you can move your family around safely in.

For these four reasons, your car IS an investment. Sure, you probably won't "buy low and sell high" as you would with shares of a company on the stock market, but investing in a car means investing in yourself and your ability to make money, save time, enjoy an easier life, and travel safely. Those are important and worthwhile things to spend money on.

Since your car is an investment, it makes sense to take care of it. After all, your house is also an investment and you take care of that. To take care of your vehicle investment properly, you need to do two things: First, keep the car's mechanics well-tuned so the engine runs smoothly and will last a long time. But a tuned engine is only the first step. Earlier in this article we said that your car is a high-tech cage of steel and glass. You need to keep it maintained so that it will last as long as the engine does. At Boyd Autobody & Glass, we can help. From fixing major fender-benders to tiny door dings and glass chips, we can help to prolong the value of your investment.

If Hollywood Predictions of Driving Come True

If television and movies are an accurate indication of what the future will be like, here is what it will be like to drive:

1. If the Jetsons are an accurate depiction of what driving is like in the future: We'll drive around in flying cars and that means there are going to be way more collisions. Sure, the flying car manufacturers will tell you that there will be fewer collisions but consider this: No one checks their blindspots now and we're only driving on a 2-dimensional plane. Factor in vertical lift and that's a whole other set of blindspots that we'll ignore.

2. If Star Wars (and its sequels and prequels) are an accurate depiction of what driving is like in the future: Everything goes faster. Today, we've got the high-pitched whine of street bikes to warn us of their approach but in the future, people will be racing around on super-fast jet bikes. We'll have to change the rearview mirrors from "objects in the rearview mirror are closer than they appear" to "if you see it in your rearview mirror, it's probably too late." (Note: The IT guy just pointed out that Star Wars happened "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away"… so this one might not be a problem).

3. If Star Trek is an accurate depiction of what driving is like in the future: We'll have nothing to worry about because we'll beam everywhere. (That's good news because maybe I won't be as late to dinner at my mother-in-law's house on Sunday afternoon… oh, but it probably means that we'll have to stay longer because we can no longer use the "long drive home" as an excuse to leave early).

4. If Mad Max is an accurate depiction of what driving is like in the future: We'll be forced to drive like maniacs from one collision site to another as we search for gasoline for our cars or dog food to eat. That's alarming enough but even more alarming is how uncomfortable the all-leather clothes will feel in the hot sun.

5. If 2012 is an accurate depiction of what driving is like in the future: Everything will be normal until the very end… and then the world will be destroyed and we won't have to worry about cars anymore anyway. Oh. That's kind of depressing.

If we're still driving in the future, and if you robot chauffeur gets into a collision, bring your car (or jet cycle) in to Boyd Autobody & Glass and we'll fix it up and get you back out on the road quickly and safely.

Useful tricks to help you drive safer

There are a lot of reasons why collisions occurs but one of the biggest reasons is because people cannot accurately judge distance when they are driving.

(It's not that humans are incapable of judging distance accurately, it's just because our sensation of speed is dulled by the fact that we are sitting in a quiet, comfortable car.)

So, if we want to accurately judge distance to drive safer, here is a useful piece of information to know: When traveling at 50 km/h in dry conditions, it can take an average car approximately 24 metres (78 feet) to stop.

• Forget what you think about your superior foot-eye coordination or ABS brakes – physics is in control here and you get 24 metres as the minimum stopping distance. (That's assuming that you actually have good foot-eye coordination and you can put down your coffee in time and have a car in perfect operating condition and are not driving in rain and snow). (Source http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie).
• Park your car at the curb and then measure. Use a steady, full pace (which is slightly less than a metre for most people) and count off at least 24 paces. Or just look at the property lines. In a city where property frontages are 50 feet each, you'll need one and a half properties to stop. Or use sidewalk squares – since most sidewalk squares are a uniform length (often they are 4 or 5 feet long), count off the required number of sidewalk squares. Once you know the distance, mark it somehow and then sit in your car and observe how far away it is from your car.
• See for yourself: Take your car out to an empty road and drive at a steady 50 km/h. Then, when you pass a fixed point (such as a fence post), try to stop your car as quickly as possible without locking up your brakes. Then get out of your car and see for yourself what the distance is. The distance will surprise you and should alert you to the distance required when driving on busy streets.
• One of the most practical tips to use while driving (to keep your speed in check) is to use the "two second rule". The two second rule advises that all drivers keep a minimum distance away from vehicles in front of them under optimum conditions (and increase that distance to three or even four seconds when the weather is bad). To apply the two second rule while you drive, choose a fixed point beside the road (like a tree or a telephone pole) and watch the car in front of you as it passes that fixed point. As soon as its rear bumper passes the fixed point, start counting – "one Mississippi, two Mississippi" – and see when your front bumper passes the same fixed point. If you're like most drivers, you'll pass the tree or pole in one or less seconds!
• The distances we've covered are only for regular city travelling at 50 km/h. It's important to remember that as your car speeds up, your distance required to stop increases, too.

Even when we're extra careful, collisions still happen. When they do, bring your car to Boyd Autobody & Glass and we'll help you get your car fixed up and back on the road quickly and safely.

Forget 'road rage'… people now have intersection rage

Recently, I was turning in an intersection and the car behind me was right up on my bumper. As soon as we completed the turn, the other driver raced around me and shouted obscenities as he passed, and was quick to point out that I didn't turn fast enough for him.

Strange, because I estimate that I got through the intersection in probably three or four seconds. Even if I was a slow driver (which I'm not) I would have still cleared the intersection in less than ten seconds. Unfortunately, the driver behind me suffered from what I call "Intersection Rage". It's a subset of Road Rage that seems to only spring up around intersections.

Intersection Rage can be triggered by any combination of the following ten problems:

1. The lights take too long to turn from red back to green
2. Other cars that slow down too slowly
3. Other cars that slow down too quickly/too close to the intersection
4. Other cars that stop too close to the car in front
5. Other cars that stop too far from the car in front
6. Other cars that run a yellow light
7. Other cars that jump the light (by going before it turns green)
8. Other cars that accelerate too quickly
9. Other cars that accelerate too slowly
10. Other cars that that take too long in the intersection

 Do any of these drive you crazy? I think most of us suffer from some sort of Intersection Rage because I suspect that most of us are annoyed by a handful of these problems… although I think it's probably different for each person. I don't care so much if someone slows down far from the intersection but I'm driven crazy by people who feel the need to jam on the accelerator as soon as the light turns green.

Which of these drives you crazy?

The problem is, you can't do a lot about how other drivers drive. In fact, if you look at these ten problems, none of them are things you can personally control (and maybe that's why they make us bonkers).
But let's take a minute and assess ourselves: How many of these issues are REAL problems that should annoy us?

I think that there are two things we need to do to eliminate Intersection Rage from our driving habits.

First, we need to be a little more courteous to other people. It's not a contest out there… it's just driving.

Second, we need to revisit our ability to tell time. Yes, this probably sounds funny but I think it's a significant cause of the problem: We get upset if someone clears an intersection in six seconds instead of four seconds.

We get impatient if the light is red for 2 minutes instead of 1 minute.

Don't let an intersection get the better of you. Master your Intersection Rage!

If an intersection gets the better of you and your car is wrecked in the process, bring it in to Boyd Autobody & Glass. We'll fix it up and make it safe for your family once again.

We're living in a zombie apocalypse

Yes, you read that correctly. We are currently living in a zombie apocalypse and we're all in immense danger. But before you get a rifle and lock yourself away in a remote cottage with a bunch of strangers, you should know that there is something you can do about it.

Each day, millions of sleep-deprived people get out of bed and shuffle toward their car (with hair askew and arms outstretched). Once in their car, they drive to work, paying about as much attention to the road as the undead pays to personal hygiene. After a long day at work these same zombies shuffle back to their cars and journey home. They'll go to bed too late and won't get enough sleep…

… And tomorrow, the undead will rise to roam the earth again. Fatigue is a serious problem on our roads and it is creating an army of drivers who are as close to zombies as you can get (while still being medically alive).
We don't get enough sleep at night. We work hard through the day. We're tired during our commute to and from work. We're busy and stressed with family responsibilities. We don't go to bed on time at night. This vicious cycle repeats itself every single day.

It takes a toll on our minds and bodies and it turns us into the living dead: Research shows that fatigue dramatically decreases our ability to think clearly and logically, it slows down our mental reaction time and our physical responses, and it degrades our ability to act with precision.

The only difference between these real life zombies and the ones depicted in fiction is the insatiable appetite for human flesh. Otherwise (at least from a mental perspective), our streets are filled with zombie drivers.
"It's not that bad" readers might object. "Everyone's just a little tired… but we have to carry on anyway". But it IS bad. Studies from the National Institute of Health (in the US) show that the effects of fatigue compared to moderate alcohol consumption are surprisingly similar. Yes, you read that correctly: The more tired you are, the more you react as if you've been drinking.

Imagine if every driver woke up in the morning and drank 3 or 4 beers or a couple glasses of wine before driving to work, and then had the same amount of alcohol before going home for the night. If everyone was doing that, we wouldn't drive on the streets because of the high risk… But that dramatic and alarming illustration is really happening on our streets today, all because of fatigue!

The solution is simple, and here is where we depart from our usual "slow down and drive safely" articles to recommend that you eat balanced meals, drink plenty of water, get some exercise, and go to bed early. All of these great disciplines (which we all want to do anyway) help to improve our ability to sleep and decreases our stress (which also helps improve our ability to sleep) and a good night's sleep makes us more productive AND safer drivers.

By the way, if your car is attacked by zombies, bring it in to your local Boyd Autobody & Glass location. We'll take care of your car so you can get back on the road safely (and while we're fixing your car, you should get some sleep!).

Bad driving habits we learn from television

There's nothing like a mindless action flick to escape into after a busy week at work. The villains are villainous, the heroes are virtuous, and no one gets seriously wounded in spite of the amount of shooting, punching, and car-crashing depicted.

It would be great if that escapism was purely escapism… but it's possible that we subconsciously learn bad habits from television and film. Here are four bad driving habits we see frequently in movies and TV:

1. You don't need to look out the windshield when you're having a conversation

This one is one of the most common! Two people are having a conversation in a car but the driver doesn't look at the road for extended periods of time. That may work in movies but it doesn't work in real life! Keep your eyes on the road and off of the leading lady sitting beside you.

2. You can do several complex things while driving perfectly (usually through a crowded, narrow European street)
Laws are being passed all over North America to ban drivers from using cell phones while driving. Statistics show that we can't use cell phones and drive at the same time. But we're taught by television that we can use a cell phone, shoot a gun, solve a mystery (and probably eat a sandwich) while racing at high speeds… and usually through the most crowded, narrow, and winding streets in Europe.

3. Everyone else moves at a uniform rate of speed, allowing you to weave through traffic

Have you ever noticed this? While the hero races after the villain, every other car seems to drive at a uniform speed and perfectly spaced from the person in front of them, allowing the two action cars to slalom between the innocent drivers. This doesn't happen in real life: Beware of all other cars on the road… no one ever drives at a uniform speed.

4. Car chases have no consequences

This one is another very common scenario in action movies: Entire city streets are completely demolished, cars crash into buildings, they drive on sidewalks, they sideswipe parked cars, they run red lights… all while people from one car shoot at another. Amazingly, no one gets hurt. In real life, this doesn't happen. There are consequences to every decision we make on the road and some of those consequences are disastrous… or even fatal!

It's okay to watch exciting action movies and to get caught up in the thrilling adventure. But make sure you get a reality check before you sit behind the wheel of your real car… because the consequence-free high-speed action sequences do not exist in real life.

If you experience the consequences of a collision, bring your car to Boyd Autobody & Glass. We've been helping action heroes like you by repairing cars and making them safe again.

Why you SHOULD talk to yourself while driving

If you've been driving for a while, it's easy to slip into the "autopilot mode" that we all can so easily drive with. You know the mode I'm talking about – it's when you stop thinking about the road around you and your focus goes into your mind where your thoughts are. You start to think about all the other things you need to do in your day and you forget to pay attention.

That's when collisions occur.

To avoid this problem, follow this one simple trick: Keep a running commentary about what's going on around you, as if you are a golf commentator. (You can do this out loud or, more likely, you'll just do this in your head).

So, as you drive down the road you might say: "I'm approaching an intersection in 100 yards. The light is green now but it could be yellow by the time I get there. There are two cars in front of me and they might brake quickly to reach that yellow…
 

… No, the light has stayed green. I can make it through. But there are cars driving on the cross street. Do they see that their light is red?
 

… Yes, they do. It's safe to proceed."

What I’m describing here is not as crazy as it sounds. You did this when you were first learning to drive (even if you don't remember doing that). And it's a great way to help keep us focused on what's going on and to create enough relevant "noise" in our minds to crowd out the distracting thoughts that arise.

As you narrate your journey, watch what's going on all around you.

• Name the cars and where they are – "red sedan is ahead, turning left… I'd better slow down", "blue SUV is right behind me but is signalling to pass… I'll keep an eye on my blind spot".
• Discuss the road geometry (intersections, curves, corners) and signs.
• Highlight potential dangers – "There's a school zone ahead and it's 3:30… kids could come running out into traffic unexpectedly". And don't forget to talk about potential contingencies to situations.
• On long trips, this skill also helps you stay alert. Don't forget to include gauge checks, mirror checks, and car-function checks – "The car's performance is changing slightly. It looks like the temperature gauge is rising" or "Mirror check! There's an 18-wheeler behind me. I'd better be careful about how quickly I slow down."

Like any skill that you might have used once but haven't used in a while, you might feel rusty and you might even forget to do it. But do your best to remember. And if it feels weird, just remember that you've used this skill in the past and it's something that can help you stay alert and focused and safe while you drive.

Lessons from Canada's Worst Driver #5

This is part 5 of a 5-part series on the lessons we can learn by watching Canada's Worst Driver. If you ever get a chance, watch an episode or two as both a quick refresher on some of the basics about safe driving but also as a reality check to realize that no one is safe on the roads as long as these people are on the roads!
The lesson we're covering in this article is: "Stay calm and carry on". That's a saying that goes back to the war (although it's seen an inexplicable resurgence in recent times). It's a worthy lesson to learn from Canada's Worst Drivers.

We regularly see Canada's Worst Drivers encountering situations that are overwhelming to them… even though they seem to be situations that most of us face every day. For example, they might be asked to drive carefully down a course without hitting the walls on the course. And, because it's good television, they end up melting down and weeping uncontrollably and crashing into things and then running off of camera, often accompanied by the bleeping of the editor's "curse" button.

What most of these drivers don't seem to possess is emotional self-control. It's as if their emotions are bubbling just below the surface and the slightly ding or bump or scrape from their car will turn into an emotionally explosive situation.

You and I might have slightly better control of our emotions, but not all of us do. And, we all have some triggers that can turn us from civilized into emotional disasters.

So, if you want to be a better driver, the best thing you can do is stay calm in all situations.

It's hard to make the decision to keep your wits about you, but it's the best thing to do on the road. Here are a few examples where a little more calm and a little less emotion would be helpful:

• Rush hour. Yes, we're all going as quickly as we can so sticking your head out the window or leaning on the horn won't get the other cars moving faster. Likewise, when someone does those things to you, retaliating won't help. Stay calm and carry on.
• At 4-way stops. When vehicles approach a 4-way stop, things can get confusing. Some people go straight, some people turn, and some people generously wave others on. It can be stressful to get through. Stay calm and carry on.
• In tight spaces or high-stress situation. If you are trying to parallel park in the middle of downtown, you'll probably have cars honking at you like there's a sale on car horns. Ignore them. Stay calm and carry on.
• In a collision. Collisions are jarring and very troublesome and they can bring out a lot of emotion. Sometimes people leave the scene of an accident, not because they're on the run but because they freak out and can't handle the stress. Stay calm and carry on.

The decision to stay calm and carry on is not easy but it's necessary if we want to be safer drivers.
If you do get into a collision, stay calm and bring your car to Boyd Autobody & Glass for a fast, safe repair.

Lessons from Canada's Worst Driver #4

Canada's Worst Driver is a reality TV show in which bad-driver participants are nominated by a friend or loved one and they learn how to become better drivers… with a lot of tears and melodrama along the way.
In this article (part 4 of a 5-part series on lessons we can learn by watching Canada's Worst Driver), we'll be talking about the 4th lesson we can learn from Canada's Worst Driver: Pay attention and be responsible.

Most of the contestants on the show will arrive at "The Rehab Centre" (that's what it's called on the show) and they seem to be completely oblivious to their problems. Sometimes their problems are bad habits that are deeply ingrained from years of bad driving – such as driving too slow or not being able to deal emotionally with traffic. But a lot of the drivers are nominated for a different reason: They are simply unfocused and irresponsible.

Usually, the lack of focus comes from cell phone usage or from food or from being distracted by other things (pets, children, etc.). And usually the irresponsibility comes from allowing these distractions to pull away their focus but they don't adjust their speed accordingly. In other words: They drive fast while talking on the phone and eating.

So what's the lesson here? It's probably obvious but it bears mentioning: Focus on driving, and be responsible when driving.

Focus on driving: Driving is more complicated than we think it is. The activity of driving deserves our full and undivided attention. Things that take our hands off the wheels or our eyes off the road should be eradicated from our driving habit. If your cell phone is going to be a temptation every time it chimes, turn it off. If you like to eat on the ride home after work, stop at a restaurant. If you like to travel with your pets in the car, put them in the backseat and restrain them with a pet-appropriate safety device.

Be responsible: Don't speed. That one should be obvious. Be courteous. That one should be obvious, too. If we slowed down slightly and didn't mind that another driver passes us on the road, our entire outlook in the day will be completely different! Responsibility also means: When something happens to change driving conditions or to pull your focus away from the road, adjust your driving appropriately. Slow down or stop at the side of the road, take care of whatever the situation is, and then return to driving.

These two lessons seem obvious but it's clear from watching Canada's Worst Driver that there is an epidemic of distraction and irresponsibility on the road, and those two factors help to contribute to millions of dollars in damage, hundreds of thousands of injuries, and thousands of fatalities on Canadian roads.

If you get into a collision, Boyd Autobody & Glass can help. With our convenient, local locations, we have a shop that can help to repair your car and get you back on the road safely!

Lessons from Canada's Worst Driver #2

Canada's Worst Driver is a television show in which bad drivers attend "Driver Rehabilitation" to learn how to become better drivers. Inspired by lessons from the show, we've created a 5-part article series about 5 lessons the rest of us can learn about how to drive better.

In this article, the second lesson we can learn from Canada's Worst Driver is to look where you want to go. Now, as you read this you might think that this is possibly the most obvious advice ever written, but you'd be surprised at what's really going on out there on the roads.

Drivers should look where they are going but very frequently, they do not. On the TV show Canada's Worst Driver, we see collision after collision after collision because drivers aren't looking where they want to go.

Here are three typical scenarios that every driver (possibly even you) encounters every time they get behind the wheel.

1. When driving down a normal street with a clear view and easy, predictable traffic, we can become a little lazy. Our eyes will fixate on a point just in front of our car (perhaps 10 or 15 feet in front of the car). Instead of diligently looking around at everything, we zone out and turn into zombies who are focused without really focusing. Instead of looking where we want to go (straight ahead) we are lulled into thinking that we are looking straight ahead but instead we're just unfocused.
2. Or, let's say that you are focused – not in that zombie state – and you are trying to drive diligently. Instead of focusing on the road ahead (and occasionally your mirrors) and using your peripheral vision to take in additional information, you end up looking intently at the radio or the speedometer or the climate controls or your coffee cup. You miss the road ahead. And, if you're not careful, your gaze can linger on these items for an unsafe amount of time.
3. Or here's the most insidious of all of the scenarios. If you are surprised by something – an animal or a child or an oblivious postal worker – you look AT them because they are a visual break in the landscape pattern. But you should see them and immediately look at where you want to turn to avoid them. When watching Canada's Worst Driver, you see this as a skill that drivers don't have until they practice. And once they master it, they can accomplish some complicated evasive driving maneuvers that would make most normal drivers quake with fear.

So, when you're driving, look intently at the road ahead. Rely on your peripheral vision to take in other details that you need. And when you're surprised by something unexpected, learn to spot the danger and immediately look at where you want to drive.

Collision can happen – maybe someone hit you because they weren't looking where they wanted to go. When that happens, bring your car to your local Boyd Autobody shop for a safe, professional repair.

Lessons from Canada's Worst Driver #1

Have you watched any episodes of Canada's Worst Driver? It's a show where a handful of contestants are nominated by a friend or loved one (or perhaps an enemy) to as one of the worst drivers in Canada. Then this group meets at a "Driver Rehab Centre" to learn basic driving skills. At the end of each episode, someone "graduates" and can go home. And at the end of the season, someone is named "Canada's Worst Driver".

It's an entertaining show, although it's also a little scary – viewers quickly realize that the mistakes these drivers make are probably repeated by thousands upon thousands of other drivers every single day. It's enough to make you want to run out and buy a bus pass.

We're writing 5 articles to list 5 lessons we've observed by loyally watching Canada's Worst Driver for several years. In this article, we're talking about one skill we've seen is horribly lacking in Canada's Worst Drivers: Smooth driving.

Good driving should be smooth: You should be able to accelerate and decelerate smoothly. You should be able to turn corners smoothly. Nothing jerky, sudden, or unpredictable.

In the show Canada's Worst Driver, the drivers are taught smooth driving by trying to drive a car carrying a giant tub of water on the roof. When they accelerate or decelerate or turn without doing it smoothly, a good portion of the water will spill over the tub, through the sun-roof, and onto the driver.

Smooth driving is good for a number of reasons:

• It makes you predictable to other drivers, allowing everyone to drive safely around you. (They'll be less likely to crash into you if they can accurately estimate what you are doing!)
• It's easier on your car if you drive smoothly than if you jam on the gas and the brake and careen around corners like you're in an action movie.
• It's safer for you – you give yourself enough time to react (plus you'll have enough control to react) when you operate your car smoothly instead of sporadically.

So, how do you drive smoothly? Here are some tips:

• Start braking sooner than you have been, and slow down slower (that is, don't stand on the brake pedal in order to stop).
• When accelerating, press down consistently on the gas pedal and slowly bring your speed to the legal limit.
• When turning, slow down and keep control of the vehicle as you approach the corner, turn the wheel smoothly (don't jerk the wheel or crank it around quickly) and then cleanly come out of your turn.

According to one of the lessons we learned from the show Canada's Worst Driver, smooth driving is a way to get where you want to go safely.

And if one of Canada's worst drivers collides with you, bring your car to Boyd Autobody for a quick safe repair. We'll get you back out on the roads in no time!

How to avoid this common type of car crash

Recently, while doing some research on collision, I stumbled across a very interesting statistic: "Over 31% of all U.S. car-related fatalities are caused by vehicles running off of the road, an event more likely to happen along highways or where there is a steep shoulder." (Source: http://www.autos.com/driving-and-safety/car-crash-statistics-based-on-age-and-location).

This is an interesting statistic. It's not clear whether only one car or more than one car is involved, which is why the title of this article used the word "car crash" instead of "collision". Presumably, the 31% of occurrences could be caused by a single car simply driving off the side of the road or a multi-car collision.

Either way, nearly one-third of US-based traffic fatalities are the result of driving off the road.

Is Canada any different?

We're in Canada – particularly the prairies – so a few factors will impact the statistic:

• A factor that reduces the statistic: There aren't steep drop-offs. In some situations there are (BC and Western Alberta) but a lot of the roads are prairies.
• A factor that increases the statistic: Our roads are in worse condition because of the extreme temperature shifts.
• A factor that increases the statistic: Bad winter weather can potentially make driving more dangerous.
• A factor that increases the statistic: It's farther between towns so there are more rural roads.
• With these reducing/increasing factors, it's safe to assume that we have an approximately equivalent 30% of car-related fatalities as a result of people driving off the road – perhaps even slightly higher. Since there were 2209 traffic-related fatalities in Canada, let's assume that 30% -- 660 – of those fatalities were related to driving off the road.

Why this matters to you

We've been talking about big numbers and statistics but let's boil it down to why it matters to you: This all-too-common type of car crash sounds like one of the more preventable collisions! As drivers, only a few things tend to force us off the road:

• Loss of focus (often related to something inside the car, like falling asleep or a ringing cellphone)
• Loss of control (often related to weather, a mechanical issue, other drivers, or animals)

So, how can you avoid becoming one of a fairly significant statistic? Knowing how common this type of collision is and identifying what factors will cause it can help you to drive with a greater awareness and a higher level of caution. There will always be circumstances outside of our control but we can minimize them to help us drive more safely.

We want you to be safe! If you do get into a collision, the team at Boyd Autobody can help to repair your car and get you back on the road quickly and safely.

Collision warning indicators

Our world is filled with warning alarms and buzzers and flashing lights – they all tell us that something unusual is happening and we should continue with caution. For example, consider the warning light on your stovetop, telling you that an element will burn you if you touch it. Or consider the little flashing light in your car when your fuel indicator needle touches "empty".

When these alarms and indicators alert us to something, we take action to correct or prevent the situation.

Wouldn't it be great if our cars displayed some kind of warning device to tell us that we are approaching a dangerous place in the road – a place where collisions are more likely to occur? Do you think we might slow down slightly, look around a little more diligently, and proceed a little more carefully?

It wouldn't be that difficult to set up: Many cars come with GPS and there's likely a municipal or law enforcement database somewhere with collision statistics. Combine those two pieces of technology together and suddenly you have an early warning system telling you to be cautious.

Until science catches up, here are two things you can do to achieve a similar effect:

1. Watch the signs. Okay, this sounds like a smart-alecky thing to say but the signs are theoretically there to serve the same purpose as what was just described above. Think of signs as old school, low-tech early warning indicators to tell us that we are in a potential danger zone. Adjust your driving according to the signs just as you would adjust your driving if your car started beeping the same message. When you see that "Merge" sign, assume that someone will try to merge. When you see that "Hidden Intersection" sign, assume that someone will suddenly appear without warning.
2. Be aware of what's going on around you: Look far ahead in the road to assess and anticipate what you might experience. If you see an intersection, look for the control (stop sign or lights, etc.) far in advance and assume that someone else will completely miss it and barrel through the intersection at high speed. It's not just intersections that deserve your attention – look for driveways, merging lanes, environmental conditions (such as slippery roads or blinding sun). Pay attention to the yellow line in the middle of the road – a dashed line might suggest that someone can pass you, which adds an extra layer of complexity to the drive.

At some point, technology will probably reach a point where we can enjoy convenient warning signs ahead of time. Until then, a little common sense and anticipation can achieve the same thing.

If you do get into a collision, Boyd Autobody & Glass is there to help. With autobody shops across Western Canada, we can quickly repair your car to restore its look, functionality, and safety.

11 signs that you're a Canadian driver

Living in Canada offers up a variety of challenges for drivers. In the summertime, we expect a plague of mosquitos while we run from the car to the house (but the warm weather makes up for it and it doesn’t' seem so bad).

In the wintertime, though, we're faced with enough crazy driving scenarios that it would make a compelling reality TV show… but it's perfectly real and we face it every day. The cold weather, the snow, the ice, the blizzards, the sleet, the snowbanks, the unplowed roads, the snow shoveling, the shivering, the reluctant-to-start cars. It's all part of what we call every day life.

Here are 11 signs that you're a Canadian driver who has faced off against a prairie winter:

1. From just a glance through a window, you can assess whether it's a "dry cold" or a "wet cold"… and that determines whether you leave 5 minutes early or not.
2. Once the snow falls, you navigate highway driving by those side-of-the-highway novelty-sized landmarks that each town has – the egg, the kettle, the giant fork. (They ARE useful for something).
3. You love the wide expanse of prairie horizon, and you know that visibility is important for safe driving, but you only chip a tiny little hole in your windshield if it's really icy.
4. After a heavy snowfall, your method of cleaning the snow off of your car is to get in and drive a little faster than usual.
5. You still stop at intersections even though a snow plow knocked over the stop sign and covered it with a mountain of snow several weeks earlier.
6. You've used your windshield wipers and washerfluid as a method to clear the ice from your windshield.
7. You've said "at least we don't live in [Ontario or BC] where they have to contend with icy hills."
8. You use snow banks as landmarks for in-city driving.
9. You've ditched the car and dug yourself out and were still on time to wherever you needed to go.
10. You judge the "niceness" of a winter by how little you've had to plug your car in.
11. When you get stuck, one of the techniques you use is to "rock the car".

Winter driving is no picnic, no matter where you live. But driving in a Canadian prairie winter is 6-month-long extreme challenge that daredevil drivers wouldn't even dare!

Oh, and once the snow has melted, prairie drivers have another challenge ahead of them: potholes!
If you're navigating our snowy roads this winter and you get into a collision, bring your car to Boyd Autobody & Glass. We'll fix it up and get you back on your way.

All the best in 2012

The countdown is on!

Have a safe and happy New Years Eve...

and all the best to you in 2012.

And please, please, please remember: Stay sober and STAY SAFE on the roads!

The best part of a romantic comedy is the worst part of winter driving

In every romantic comedy set in the summertime, the girl is just about to leave on an airplane and the guy is somehow able to circumvent a million National Security regulations and run out onto the tarmac and win the girls' heart back.

Winter RomCom "Serendipity"

But in every romantic comedy set in the winter, the girl and boy meet in the evening on a beautifully plowed street (and perfectly shoveled sidewalk) and there's always a good, steady snowfall of those thick flakes.

Either the girl or the boy will, at some point, stick out their tongue to catch a snowflake. Every romantic comedy set in the winter is like this. You know the snowfall I'm talking about, right? It's the really good kind of snowfall – the one rare time when you actually like winter and want to invite everyone over for hot chocolate and carols.

Well, the best part of romantic comedies is the worst part of winter driving. Have you ever driven down a dark highway when it's snowing like that? It's horrible. Hey, I've been driving long enough to know how to drive in blizzards, how to dig my car out of the deepest of ditches, how to navigate some black ice like I'm in an Olympic slalom… but the worst part of winter driving is a night of steady thick snow.

It's the kind of snowfall that seems to come down nice and heavy when you're standing still but when you're driving, the snow streaks toward you like you've just taken the Millennium Falcon into warp speed. (Uhh… my editor is a nerd and pointed out that I just mixed up my sci-fi references there).

It's nice for about 5 minutes as you pretend to be Han Solo rescuing what's-her-face from the dude in the mask. (My editor is now shaking his fist at me). But then something happens. That nice, fluffy, romantic-comedy-meets-the-Millenium-Falcon snow starts to mesmerize you. It starts to hypnotize you.

Within a few minutes of driving like this, you're cross-eyed as if you are trying to see a 3D tiger in a Magic Eye picture. You're magically lulled into a weird zombie-like mental state where you can't look anywhere else but straight at those streaking star-like snowflakes. Your mind is numb. Your body is frozen.

Obviously, it's horribly dangerous. And weird. But mostly dangerous. For a brief moment, you really are lulled into some kind of Twilight Zone and, unfortunately, just about anything could happen and you wouldn't notice until too late: Deer, car, sleigh ride of merry-making snowmen, Santa, whatever. Too much of that mesmerizing snow and suddenly WHAM! (No, not the band from the 1980's – I'm making a graphic onomatopoeic reference to a collision).

It's too bad we can't use that hypnosis in our favor. Perhaps when you're driving in that kind of weather, you can convince yourself to quit smoking or lose weight or cluck like a chicken. (I'm sure people go to hypnotists for other things, but those are the 3 things I've gone to a hypnotist for).

On second thought, maybe it's not such a good idea. Maybe if that kind of snow starts falling, it's best just to stay off the road. After all, there's a good chance that a bunch of lovebirds are out catching snowflakes on their tongues.

If you don't have choice and you DO happen to go out into that hypnotizing snow, if you do happen to crash into a snowman or Wham (now I am referring to the band) or to anything else, bring your car to Boyd Autobody & Glass for a quick safe repair to get you back out onto the road this winter season.

Six skills you need when driving

It's unfortunate that most of us learn to drive when we are young and don't need to recertify throughout our lives. It might actually help to diminish some of the collisions on our roads today.

If you are a driver who wants to drive safer, here are six skills that you should work on improving:

1. Use your full field of vision: Look all around you (including blindspots) and sweep your eyes around your field of vision frequently to take everything in. Also, pay attention to your peripheral vision (most people don't) and make sure that what goes on in your periphery registers in your mind.
2. Speed of response: Good driving is all about responding to what is going on around you. The faster you respond, the better. Unfortunately, most of us get complacent as we drive (a combination of fatigue, age, and habit) but we can push through and speed up our response.
3. Learn to make quick decisions: A fast response (above) is only as good as your ability to respond in the right way. Work to improve your decision-making speed. You can do this by following the next step.
4. Know all of your options: Driving in your current lane at the current speed and assuming that no one else wants to occupy the same physical space as you is dangerous! You have several lanes to choose from, you have several speeds to choose from, and there are plenty of other drivers on the road who are not as skilled at driving as you are. Smart drivers know that they have several options at all times.
5. Anticipate: Try to figure out what other drivers are likely to do. Is there an intersection ahead? The car you're following could turn left, turn right, drive straight through, or brake. All of those options will change how you have to drive. That is anticipation.
6. Courtesy: Courtesy is a skill that needs to be honed. After years of driving and seeing the nonsense that goes on around us, it's easy for us to become less courteous. However, a courteous driver gives people plenty of space, doesn't provoke other people, and doesn't respond when provoked.

Driving with these six skills will make you a safer driver, they'll help to make your travels more enjoyable, and if we all work at improving these six skills in ourselves, our roads will be that much safer.

Unfortunately, you might come in contact with a driver who has missed out on some of these six skills. When that happens, your car pays the price. If you are in a collision, bring your car to Boyd Autobody & Glass for fast, safe repairs to get you back on the road. The six skills are things you'll have to work on yourself but we can help to make sure the car you're driving is the best it can be.

5 ways to master the dreaded snow bank

One of the very first times I drove into a snow bank, I was by myself in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. It was not good. It was too cold to walk anywhere and I didn't have the kind of emergency survival equipment that one might need to stay alive in a situation like this. It was a "dig out or else" situation… and not something I ever want to repeat. (And since I'm writing this, you can probably figure out that I survived).

I did some pretty crazy things to get out of that snow bank (including leaving the car in drive while I ran out behind it to push (NOT ADVISABLE). Fortunately, that stupid solution didn't work. I was stuck solidly. I didn't get out until someone else happened to be driving down the same remote road some time later that night. We used a snow shovel, some car mats, an old coat, and a heck of a lot of muscle-power to unstick my car.

Since then, I don't travel without a few things in my car that will solve the problem. Depending on where I'm going and how bad the weather is supposed to be, I travel with some combination of the following items, and you should consider including some of these things in your car, too:

1. Snow shovel. I like using a plastic shovel that is lightweight and doesn't take up a lot of room in the trunk. It does the job in a pinch and doesn't cost a lot. (Also, the plastic ones won't puncture the rubber if you're digging around your tire).
2. Cat litter or salt. This is good to get traction on ice… especially if you've spun your tires a lot and turned the snow into ice!
3. Towel. I was surprised at how well this worked: It was enough traction to get out of snow.
4. Wooden boards. I've used these with some success in the past. They're good for those occasions when you are on some deep snow and have a little bit of distance to traverse before you get out. Just be careful that you don't stand directly behind them when driving because they can shoot out from under the car!
5. Tow rope. Tow ropes are great if you have another vehicle to help you get out.

Once your car is out of the snow, walk around it to make sure that there isn't a big build-up of snow around the tires or in the exhaust pipe or engine compartment. Snow in these areas can degrade the operation of your vehicle and can even be very unsafe to drive!

Also, walk around your car and check for damage. The snow, ice, or something hidden by the snow can damage your car. Check under your car, the body of your car, and keep an eye on your wheel alignment.

If your car's body is damaged, bring it to Boyd Autobody & Glass right away. We'll restore it quickly and professionally to help keep rust out of the damaged area and to return the car to its safest condition.