Columnist Reese Says He Doesn't Need "Government Ratings"

King Features Syndicate ^ | 07-25-03 | Reese, Charley

[Theodore R.]

Government Ratings

I was amused recently to see that the federal government has rated vehicles on their propensity to turn over. Their ratings are based on a math formula, not on a field test.

But who needs the federal government to tell them the obvious? Anybody with sense enough to pour rain out of a boot knows that a tall vehicle will tip easier than one built low to the ground. After all, racing cars are not built low to the ground just for looks.

Anytime a vehicle gets into a turn, centrifugal force and gravity have a contest. Gravity is pulling down, and centrifugal force is pulling in the direction opposite to which the car is turning. Race-car drivers learn to ride that fine line between staying upright and flipping over in making fast turns. Those of us not on the racetrack need only know that the best way to negotiate a curve is with gentle acceleration. This often means slowing down just as you approach the curve.

Whether you are driving a Porsche or a tall, boxy sport utility vehicle, the condition of the road and the weather will determine just what is a safe speed. If you need a highway sign to tell you, you're in trouble.

Of course, if you're tooling along and a child darts out in front of you, forcing you to make a snap turn, then your SUV might turn over. So be it. That's better than hitting the child. Every vehicle has advantages and disadvantages, and you just have to incorporate the vehicle's characteristics into your driving. The be-all and end-all of driving, of course, is to maintain control of the vehicle at all times.

I often thought, back when it seemed everybody was suing tire companies and car companies, that probably most of the wrecks were caused by the drivers, not the tires blowing out. On a straight highway, a blowout should not cause you to lose control of the vehicle even at high speeds, provided you do the right thing.

When a front tire blows, the vehicle will suddenly lurch in that direction. A normal, but wrong reaction, is to jerk the wheel in the opposite direction. This just throws the weight of the car on the blown-out tire and will often flip you, especially if you compound the error by slamming on the brakes.

The proper procedure is just to grip the wheel tightly and keep the vehicle going straight. At the same time, take your foot off the gas and let the engine drag slow the car. When it's slowed to a safe speed, then gently ease the car onto the side of the road and bring it to a halt. That way, you still have to change the tire, but you avoid the hospital or the cemetery.

It seems that the more advice, rules, regulations and warnings we get, the less common sense one sees. On any interstate highway you can see fools tailgating each other at 75 to 80 miles per hour — a pileup just waiting to happen. And, of course, you see people talking on their cell phones, eating, putting on makeup, shaving and, I suppose, in some cases reading.

My old man would laugh with scorn. He was a great driver, but he wouldn't tolerate a radio in the car and darn little conversation. When he drove, he concentrated on driving, scanning the road and the sides of the road continuously and listening to the sounds of the car. Just as well, because he drove 85 miles per hour on two-lane highways with plenty of side roads and driveways in those pre-interstate days. He would have loved the interstates.

I've driven cars in excess of 100 miles per hour and ridden in cars going even faster, but that was back in my don't-give-a-hoot days. Now, on the interstates, I like to drive about 10 miles per hour slower than the traffic. This is usually the legal limit of 70. It's almost like having a whole highway to yourself. And I do just fine without any instructions or advice from federal bureaucrats.

© 2003 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.