8CarCare'91The Daily Tar HeelTuesday, November 19, 1991
Packing it in can be a pain in the boot
The Associated Press
Seems like a simple enough project
for the road trip: Get the stuff the family
needs, put it in suitcases and drop them
into the trunk. Right?
Maybe. Auto makers have been pay
ing more attention in recent years to
trunk size, trying to create the most
amount of room for the things that
Americans just can't do without.
But trunk space does have its limits
as families trying to save gas money by
using a small car for a vacation find out
all too often.
Yet with a little planning and some
careful placement, a lot of gear can be
packed into a trunk without having to
use a shoehorn. Ford Motor Co. 's North
American Design staff has some sug
gestions for efficient packing:
Pack the large pieces first, prefer
ably luggage lying flat on the trunk
floor between wheel wells.
Reserve a little bit of time and try
out different configurations. The idea is
toeliminateasmuchareabetweenpieces
of baggage as possible.
V fVJ f n "
Getting it all to fit can take some maneuvering
DTH file photo
Small, hard-sided baggage goes in big pieces, along the rear edge of the
next, closest to the rear seat, atop the trunk.
three-suiters. Use the smallest pieces and soft-
Golf bags go on top or beside the sided luggage to fill in the spaces.
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Weathering the roads
when sides aren't sunny
The Associated Press
"Gee, isn't that an unusual cloud,
Henry?" says Gert as the two drive
across Iowa.
"Sure is, Gert. In fact, it seems to be
growing a tail."
Encountering severe weather, be it a
tornado, heavy wind, earthquake or a
blizzard can be a frightening thing.
Especially when people are in a ton
and a half of metal, rolling at 50 tnph
down a lonely stretch of road.
The Weather Channel, a cable tele
vision station devoted to meteorologi
cal coverage, has prepared a booklet in
conjunction with the American Red
Cross and Michelin Tire Corp. on how
motorists can handle weather emer
gencies. Some severe weather, such as bliz
zards or hurricanes, can be predicted
hours or even days in advance. Others,
such as tornadoes and earthquakes,
occur without warning.
Generally, it pays to pay attention.
Tuning in news-oriented radio stations
when skies appear threatening should
be routine for any good motorist.
5 Here are some tips on how to deal
with some events of nature:
I Hurricane. The best use of a car is
to get out of the way of the storm when
official evacuation orders are given.
Failing that, don't use a car as shelter in
these enormous storms. And even after
a hurricane has passed and it looks
clear, flash floods often occur, so don't
count on driving coastal roads or near
swollen streams.
Earthquake. The booklet advises v
motorists to stay in their cars but away
from bridges, power lines or trees dur
ing earthquakes. There is little chance
of fissures swallowing cars in the man
ner which Hollywood has portrayed in
the past When the shaking stops, pro
ceed carefully and remember that
bridges and overpassesmight have been
weakened by the temblor, ;
Tornado. A tornado can toss a car
around like a golf ball. If a tornado is
spotted, get out of the car and look for
shelter. If no apparent shelter is avail
able, head for a ditch and lie flat, pro
tecting your head and face. Remem
ber, tornadoes can move fast and they
don't have to yield to oncoming traf
fic.
Flood. Flood waters can rise
quickly and carry a lot of force. Never
try to drive through water on a road'
way . A void dips in roads under bridges
where Hood waters can form quickly.
If you are caught in a flood, get out of
the car and try to get to higher ground.
Thunderstorm. Heavy, dark
clouds can carry rain, hail and sleet, all
of which can cause havoc for motor
ists. If you're caught in a heavy thun
derstorm with a hard-topped car, park
it away from trees, which can act like
lightning rods, and stay in the vehicle.
If you are in a soft-topped car, evacu
ate it if you can.
- Blizzard. Someofthe best protec
tion is winterizing the car before start
ing on a trip. Check to be sure the car
is equipped with proper tires for snow
and ice travel, keep the gas tank as
close to full as possible, and carry
emergency gear. If you get stuck in a
winter storm, stay in the car and tie a
brightly colored cloth to the antenna.
Run the heater as needed, but only if a
downwind window is open a bit to
allow poisonous carbon monoxide gas
to escape. Be sure the exhaust pipe
isn't blocked by snow or ice.
Drivers should be prepared
for anything when night falls
The Associated Press
Driving at night, even in familiar
parts of town, can be a troubling thing if
something goes wrong.
One of the most helpful tools in a car
for anyone driving through rough or
unfamiliar neighborhoods or parking in
an unsecured lot or deck can be a car
phone. But not everyoneneeds one.
With a little forethought, a nighttime
drive can be made as safe as possible.
In addition to normal maintenance
precautions, here are some safety-related
ideas from the Chicago Automo
bile Trade Association:
The value of a car is determined
by what a buyer will pay.
Here's a new approach to purchas
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Always keep at least a half-tank of
gasol ine in your car, lessening the chance
of having to pump gas after nightfall.
Know the route to your destina
tion. If you need to consult a map, study
it before you set out so you won't have
to juggle a map, steering wheel and a
gear shifter while in strange territory.
If you have the opportunity, drive
the route in the daytime, remembering
landmarks along the way. Keep in mind
that things can look a lot different at
night than in the daytime.
Lock your doors at all times.
Drive more slowly than you would
during the day. Your range of vision at
night is shorter, meaning you have less
time to react to sudden changes in the
traffic pattern.
Drive in the center lane. Outside
lanes are more likely to have standing
water or other debris in them.
If another driver flashes lights at
you, check to be sure your lights are on
and all your doors are closed and keep
driving. If the flashing continues, stop
only when you are absolutely sure that
the other car is a police car.
If you have mechanical problems,
turn on your four-way flashers and pull
safely out of the traffic stream. Stay in
your car with your windows rolled up
and your doors locked. Wait for a police
or roadside assistance vehicle to arrive.
Park under a light and look around
for anything suspicious.
When approaching your parked
vehicle, have your keys ready.