WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE JUMP STARTING YOUR CAR

... let this photo serve as a caution to be careful.  If you mix up the wires...

Jumper cables are one of those essential items every driver should have in his or her trunk. You never know when you'll forget to turn off your headlights or do something else to cause your battery to go dead.

Most times, you can jump-start a dead battery and get at least enough energy to drive home or to a service station. Done properly, this is a fairly simple task. But many car owners don't know how to jump-start a car battery safely. Each year, unsafe jump-starts cause many Americans to suffer serious eye injuries from auto battery accidents.

Car batteries contain sulfuric acid and produce hydrogen and oxygen gases. If you don't jump-start a battery properly, you can cause the battery to explode. If the gases come in contact with a spark, flame or lit cigarette, the battery can explode, sending battery parts and acid flying.

Wait! Don't Jump!

Before you try to jump-start your car, or use your car to give someone else a jump, check your owner's manual. Some new cars have specific instructions or prohibit jump-starting.

If the battery is cracked and liquid is leaking out, do not try to jump-start it. The battery is no longer good and if you try to jump-start it, it will explode. Similarly, do not try to jump-start a battery if your car's fluids are frozen; an explosion could occur.

Also make sure your jumper cables are rust- and corrosion-free and have no exposed wires. And wear a pair of polycarbonate goggles with the designation Z-87 on the frame.

Ready to Jump

If the battery is suitable for jump-starting:

Line both cars up so the batteries are as close as can be. Make sure the cars are in park, are turned off, and are not touching each other. Make sure all lights, signals, radios, and fans are off.

Locate the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals of both batteries. The batteries should be clearly marked.

Clean off any corrosion around the dead battery's terminals with a wire brush. Corroded posts

prevent the power from getting through the cables and into your battery.

To attach the jumper cables correctly:

1. Clamp one cable to the positive (+) terminal of the dead battery. Don't let the positive cable touch anything metal other than the battery terminal.

2. Connect the other end of the positive cable to the positive terminal of the good battery.

3. Connect one end of the negative (-) cable to the negative terminal of the good battery.

4. Connect the other end of the negative cable to metal on the engine block on the car with the dead battery. Don't connect it to the dead battery, carburetor, fuel lines, or moving parts.

5. Stand back and start the car with the good battery.

6. Now start the stalled car.

7. Remove the cables in reverse order as to how you attached them.

Drive the car for 30 minutes so the alternator can recharge the battery.

-- Kenneth Krause

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Fatigue? Don't drive tired

Fatigue is often ranked as a major factor in causing road crashes although its contribution to individual cases is hard to measure and is often not reported as a cause of crash. Driver fatigue is particularly dangerous because one of the symptoms is decreased ability to judge our own level of tiredness.

Fatigue is more likely to be a factor in crashes in rural areas as they can involve long trips and extensive periods of continuous driving, however anyone can be affected by fatigue.

If you don't get enough sleep you go in to sleep debt and you owe yourself more sleep. The only way to repay this debt is by sleeping. Until you catch up on your sleep, you will have a greater risk of having a fatigue related crash.

The facts!

Your eyelids droop and your head starts to nod. Yawning becomes almost constant and your vision seems blurry. You blink hard, focus your eyes and suddenly realize that you’ve veered onto the shoulder or into oncoming traffic for a moment and quickly straighten the wheel. This time you were lucky; next time you could become the latest victim of the tragedy of drowsy driving.

• Research suggests that almost 20% of accidents on major roads are sleep-related
• Sleep-related accidents are more likely than others to result in a fatality or serious injury
• Peak times for accidents are in the early hours and after lunch
• About 40% of sleep-related accidents involve commercial vehicles
• Men under 30 have the highest risk of falling asleep at the wheel

 How do I know if Im fatigued?

Signs of fatigue include:

1. constant yawning
2. drifting over lanes
3. sore eyes
4. trouble keeping your head upright
5. delayed reactions
6. daydreaming
7. difficulty remembering driving the last few kilometres
8. variations in driving speed.

Most importantly if you feel tired, pull over and have a powernap, otherwise you may experience microsleeps which are dangerous while driving. Once you are fatigued the only cure is to stop and take a break.

THINK! Advice

• Plan your journey to include a 15-minute break every two hours. 

• Don't start a long trip if you're already tired. 

• Remember the risks if you have to get up unusually early to start a long drive. 

• Try to avoid long trips between midnight and 6am when you're likely to feel sleepy anyway. 

• If you start to feel sleepy, find a safe place to stop - not the hardshoulder of a motorway. Drink two cups of coffee or a high-caffeine drink and have a rest for 10 to 15 minutes to allow time for the caffeine to kick in. 

• Remember, the only real cure for sleepiness is proper sleep. A caffeine drink or a nap is a short-term solution that will only allow you to keep driving for a short time.

Will You Pledge Not To Drive While Fatigued This November?

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