NOTICE
DRIVING ALONG IN YOUR AUTOMOBILE
Just because you're not a race car driver doesn't mean you shouldn't know some basic driving skills and ways to keep your car in shape
After circling the same streets three times waiting for someone to leave, you finally find it. The perfect spot. And it's even in the shade. So you pull forward, back in and perform an Austin Powers-like maneuver to somehow fit your car into a space that seems far too short. You come
dangerously close to hitting the BMW behind you, but opt for running over the curb instead. Then you realize your car is jutting into the street. So you try straightening out but that doesn't help. Finally you give up, resigning that perhaps a little more parallel parking practice is in order before you can hit the streets of Lawrence and stake out the perfect parking spot.
It's not only important that
ONLINE HELP
Tice, whose first car was a stick shift, says that it's important to be patient when you're learning.
Lauren Tice has been driving a stick for more than three years, but she used to fear driving on hills.
afraid I'd roll back and hit him," Tice, Overland Park junior, said.
If you want some pointers on how to drive a stick and parallel park, these Web sites can help.
Learn how to drive a stick shift
Now that she's had plenty of practice, Tice prefers a stick and says it's more fun to drive because it's engaging.
Even if your car is automatic, you never know when it'll come in handy to know how to maneuver a five-speed, whether you're borrowing a friend's car or renting one.
Driving a stick shift
* www.standardshift.com/
videos.html
* video.google.com/
videoplay?docid=882995045863544224
* www.youtube.com/
watch?v=rqtctkznYjk
you know how to maneuver your car, but how to take care of it too. Lawrence's steep hills, brick roads and one-way streets can make driving around town like an obstacle course.
"After I first started driving, a cop came behind me and I was
Here are a few tips to ensure a smooth time on the road.
Parallel parking
taller parking
* www.ehow.com/how_
1872_parallel-park.html
* www.openroad.com.
au/motoring_newdrivers_
parkingrules.asp
* www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/
dlhsec1.pdf
"You'll get it eventually," she says.
Jonathan Freeman, Tonganoxie sophomore, took three months to learn how to perfect driving a stick. He's been using one for five years, but when he first learned, he had trouble with squealing tires at stoplights and stop signs. Freeman says he prefers driving a stick instead of an automatic because it's more reliable, has better gas mileage and is
more fun to drive.
"The hardest part is trying to get two feet to use three peddles,"he says.
Learning the proper technique in the beginning is important because habits develop through repetition, says Bill Kennedy, owner of the Topeka Driving School, 3641 S.W. Plass Ave. #6C4. He suggests practicing in flat, empty lots first and to leave between five and six feet in front of and behind your car about the average height of a 16-year-old.
You'll end up shoving tons of money in meters or circling parking lots waiting for a spot if you can't successfully wedge your car between two others.
Learn how to parallel park
If you can't bribe a friend to
teach you the basics of driving, enrolling in a driving school is an option. If you don't mind the 15- and 16-year-olds learning the rules of the road right along with you, having an instructor can provide individualized training. Midwest Driving School, 1152 E. 1300 Road, offers lessons.
Take care of your car
It's not going to matter if you know how to parallel park or drive a stick shift if you don't have a car to drive. Because cars are often the most expensive assets students own, they need to take care of them accordingly, Michael Right, vice president of public affairs for AAA, says. If you want your vehicle to provide reliable transportation at a reasonable cost, it needs to be cared for, he says.
Taking care of your car doesn't have to be overwhelming, as long as you don't neglect maintenance, says Danny Fox, owner of Lawrence Automotive Diagnostics, 2858 Four Wheel Drive. Keeping up with maintenance will minimize the
To keep your car in the best possible shape during college, Fox recommends finding one car shop and staying there while you're in Lawrence. Keeping a continuous history while you're at school makes it easier to notice irregularities.
repairs your car will need later on. Car maintenance becomes expensive when you neglect routine procedures, Fox says.
The top two common problems Fox sees with students' cars are running low on gas and not having enough air in the tires. If you run your car low on gas, you'll damage the fuel pump, which is crucial to keeping the car cool.The amount of air in tires is something Fox says students fail to check before going on a road trip or trekking home. When there's not enough air in the tires, they overheat and blow out, Fox says. He recommends checking the liquids and the air pressure before a long drive.
if you're handy yourself or just want to save money, you can buy a maintenance manual
for nearly any modern car and do repairs yourself, says Dan Ramsey, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Car Care and Repair Illustrated. Doing so can save up to $75 an hour in labor costs alone. You may not be able to do all the maintenance, but you can at least do some of it and you'll be able to understand what your mechanic is doing. Ramsey says.
Regardless of whether you take care of your car yourself or seek professional help, Ramsey suggests keeping an eye on basic car functions. While you're filling up with gas, take a few minutes to check out each tire, open the hood and check the oil and inspect other parts that wear easily such as wind as windshield wipers.
Whether you enlist friends, family or internet tutorials to help you become a more competent driver, be patient, be careful and in no time you'll be able to pull into a tight parking spot, keep a five-speed from stalling and prevent unexpected trips to the mechanic.
CAR MAINTENANCE LOCATIONS
Lawrence provides the option of visiting a car dealership or an automotive shop. Toyota, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Chevrolet, Nissan and Honda all have stores in Lawrence.
Jack Ellen Honda
2957 Four Wheel Drive
(785) 843-0550
Laird Noller Automotive
935 W.23rd St.
(785) 843-3500
Lawrence Automotive Diagnostics 2858 Four Wheel Drive (785) 842-8665
Midas Auto Service
Experts
2801 Iowa St.
(785) 841-1767
1
1234567890
09.14.2006;JAYPIAN<15
2005,4,10 YARVAL<11