Fuel for Thought
Just like a well-oiled machine,
GasBuddy.com works to keep consumers in the know about the best-priced gas in their areas. Using gas price data from several sources this easy-to-use site breaks out the cheapest-and most expensive-gas in a given area.
Users simply enter an address and, within seconds, are shown a map with the fuel prices of nearby stations.
The rising cost of fuel is especaially hard on small businesses. In NFIB'S 2004 Problems and Prioristies study, the "cost
of natural gas, propane, gasoline. diesel and fuel oil" was ranked as the fourth most important concern of small businesses
(up from 10th in the 2000 study).
Asleep
at the Wheel
By
Lauren Fix, the Car Coach
Have you ever nodded
off while driving, only to be woken up by the edge of the road or even
worse, hitting a road barrier or shooting off a curve into a ravine
with no skid marks. Police are seeing more cases like this – it’s
attributed to falling asleep at the wheel.
Research shows the chances are greater that you will fall asleep at the
wheel and that an incident could occur in the early morning and most
likely when the driver is an hour or so short of home. Police say that
most people often succumb to drowsiness while driving. These people also
tend to party the heartiest, push the limits, and try to push through
sleep deprivation to get home before it’s time to go to work. The
easy answer for these types of people is to not start a long or short
drive while tired, and don’t continue it when drowsiness sets in.
| Are You Tired or Fatigued?
Sleepiness and fatigue is not
exclusive to drivers with inadequate sleep. Long, dull roads and sitting
in one position for long hours is draining, the lack of varied stimulants
on wide, endless highways is also a factor, Certain cars cause a hum
of flat noise that can put you to sleep at the wheel. I’ve had to drive back from events where
I thought I was perfectly awake, as I’d drive down the highway
I’d suddenly get drowsy, no matter what I would do, within an hour
my body seemed to just want to force my eyelids closed and start my head
nodding.
You could choose to drive over
the speed limit or seek and alternative route that is less constant
in nature and more demanding of attention. Driving faster sounds like
fun but it can earn you a nice ticket or even an accident for other
reasons. Taking the longer path may just waste time, too. Personally,
I have found that listening to books on tape, talking on the phone
(of course with a hands free device) and stopping every 2 hours at
maximum works best. But if you are really tired – get
a room and get some sleep. Resting in your car on the side of the road
or at a rest area can be dangerous – especially if you have a leaky
exhaust system.
The Bottom Line
If you insist on driving anyway, if
you have even a fleeting moment of hallucinating, or realizing that you
are at the edge of being asleep at the wheel. You can kill or be killed.
Stop and do something about the situation.
Here are some other ideas to fend off
drowsiness:
- Carry on an active conversation
with a passenger.
- Listen to whatever involves
you more on the radio – a talk show you can shout back at
or music you can sing and tap along to while driving, Be wary of
elevator music or music that makes you want to relax.
- Keep the climate a little on the
chilly side. If the car gets too warm it will give you the nods.
- Chew on something that is noisy,
such as raw carrots, celery sticks, pork rinds or something a little
spicy.
- Everyone thinks that the caffeine
in coffee, colas or tea will work, but it will only work for a short
period of time.
- Take an active break, Get out of
the car and trot around for a few minutes. Stretch or do a few jumping
jacks.
- Swap drivers frequently, if you
have someone with you.
- The only sure thing is to stop and
go to sleep. Be sure to find a motel. If catnaps work for you, take
a 10 to 20 minute snooze in the car with the doors locked. Just make
sure to drive safely.
Lauren Fix is an automotive expert on the Do-It-Yourself
Network (DYI), providing in-depth demonstrations and tips for auto repair.
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The
Importance of Trust
Long
gone are the days of "shade tree mechanics" and caring for
your vehicle's maintenance and repairs in your own garage. Today's vehicles
are complex pieces of machinery requiring computer diagnostics and sophisticated
tools for repair. Now, more than ever, you need to find someone you
can trust to take care of your car, truck or van.
Complicating the problem is the increased expense in maintaining and
repairing modern vehicles. When you see a high repair bill, it's east
to target the technician or shop, assuming they must be taking advantage
of you. Again, it comes down to a matter of trust. So what's a motorist
to do? Well, for starters, be sure you use a garage with ASE-certified
technicians. At least then, you'll have the confidence that the technician
can properly diagnose your vehicle and perform the needed repair. But
understand, when we go over the estimate of final repairs, we don't
set the prices on those parts. And that often means more costly parts.
The
best way to save money on you vehicle's repairs is to keep it properly
maintained. Many expensive repair bills can be avoided by following
the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule. If you're not sure
what yours is, just ask us.
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