I finally had to take the flashing message,”Thank you for visiting, Mr. Sun. Please stay awhile” off my outdoor reader board at the shop. Summer’s officially over without the usually(mostly) guaranteed beautiful September I’ve come to expect in fair trade for the unpredicatable rains. We have the Puyallup Fair for one more weekend. The Fremont Oktoberfest and Burien Octoberfest are going on this weekend(they spell it different).
Our last family fling will be Friday to the drive-in movies at Auburn, watching from the back of the Ford Pickup backed in(think we can make it through the double-feature?). I’ll report on that later. Then off to Alki Beach for a sunny 75 degree Saturday(“they” say), with lunch at Spud’s.
The daylight is getting less, and the rains are looming, so make sure to check your lights, wipers, and tires for safety’s sake. Stop by the shop and we’d be happy to inspect them for you at no cost. And enjoy the week ahead!

So I was sitting idle in my car in the cold rain on the freeway, not moving for 30 minutes, due to an accident, after a long day at work. I decided to call my good friend to catch up on life, since I hadn’t talked to him in a while, on my hand-held cell phone. This made me think about the subject in my header line.
Cell phone talking while driving: I thought,”I’m not REALLY driving; I’m just sitting here, so it’s okay(I think)”. A study I read this week stated that whether driving with a hands-free (Bluetooth)cell phone or using a conventional phone, an equal amount of attention and focus are lost to conversation, instead of on the road. Apparently, cell phone users are four times as likely to get into crashes. The only difference in using a hands-free phone, is one might look right and left more readily since it’s easier to do, and have an “extra” hand to use things like turn signals, wipers, lights, etc(my feeling is there might also be a lack of the additional stress of “being caught” talking on a hand-held phone, by a friendly law-enforcement officer). Some would say the law against using hand-held cell phones while driving taking effect June 10, 2010, is a “feel-good” law, as in “we’re trying to do SOMETHING to address the problem”.
*I think this latest gimmick tops everything: a mount for your i-pad on the steering wheel or dash(guaranteed not block your vision, of course!)so you can check e-mail, surf the web or watch movies while driving. Uh-huh…
I realized recently that whether riding my bicycle, motorcycle, or car, I subconsciously look immediately at drivers of other vehicles around me to see what they’re doing, using that to size up their attention span. That’s a sad change.
My goal? Minimum or zero cell phone time while driving, hands-free or not. I’m getting closer every week. I’m actually feeling kind of good about saying, “I didn’t answer because I was driving”.

Baldness may be beautiful, except when seasonal rains let loose. Don’t reach for a hat, however; a thorough inspection of your tires may be a safer choice. That’s because motorists are facing a wet forecast, and it seems a slowing economy is delaying new tire purchases.

Increased puddling on the roadway can make vehicles susceptible to loss of traction. A heavy downpour or thunderstorm dumps rain at the rate of 2 to 4 inches per hour, building a film of water up to 0.08 inch deep on the road. If the amount of water a tire must displace through tread grooves is greater than the capacity of the tire, excess water builds up in front of the moving tire. As water pressure mounts, the fluid acts as a wedge and literally lifts the tire off the road, similar to the bow of a speedboat lifting off the water.

Loss of traction on wet pavement is a potential driving dilemma year-round, but it doesn’t have to be. When it rains, slow down, drive cautiously, steer and brake with a light touch and make sure you have adequate tread depth remaining on your tires. A car’s speed plays a major role in wet-traction performance; loss of traction can occur at speeds as low as 45 mph or less on curves. A smooth road, low vehicle weight and low tire inflation pressures also contribute to loss of traction.

Worn tires and a National Weather Service forecast calling for significant rainfall and perhaps flooding is a recipe for disaster. Federal and state laws prohibit bald tires, where the tread has worn to 2/32nds of an inch and exposed wear bar indicators are revealed in the tread.

Drivers should inspect their tires for adequate tread depth to ensure that they can handle the puddles and slick pavement that springtime brings. An easy way to check tread depth is to use the penny test. Turn the penny upside down with Lincoln’s head entering the tread groove. If you can see the top of his head, it’s time to replace the tire.

You can extend the life of your tires by regularly having your tires rotated every 5,000 miles. Regular tire rotations will help protect your tires against uneven wear. If you don’t remember the last time you had your tires rotated, give us a call at 253.922.9922 or use our real-time online appointment scheduler to bring your vehicle in for a tire rotation. You can print our Spring Maintenance Special coupon on our website to save money. It includes a tire rotation.

Safe and happy driving!
Mark