PumpTalk - Petro-Canada

Performance Driver Training Tips Applied to Everyday Driving

Back in June, we provided you with some great videos on driving from our resident expert, Brett Goodman, on our high octane fuel Ultra 94 Facebook page. Brett is the owner and race director of performance driving school Bridgestone Racing Academy and is an expert in performance driving and safety - on and off the track. He has been racing and offering performance driver training for over 25 years. We've just finished the remainder of the driving videos and wanted to share them with our PumpTalk readers too. These advanced driver training tips can definitely be applied to every day driving - including winter driving!

There are eight performance driving videos in the “Safer Driving Through Performance Thinking Series”.  They include a variety of topics like traction control, skidding, cornering, following distance and more.

Choose the driving video you want to see first:

• Episode 1: How to Set Your Following Distance
• Episode 2: Anticipating Your Next Move, Gretzky-style
• Episode 3: Being the Traction Manager for Your Family
• Episode 4: How to Avoid Skids
• Episode 5: Driving Position
• Episode 6: "9 & 3" Thinking
• Episode 7: A Racer's Driving Computer - And Yours
• Episode 8: Safe and Effective Cornering 

Or watch all of the driving videos in the “Safer Driving Through Performance Thinking Series” series below:

You can also visit our Ultra 94 Facebook fan page for more performance driving tips.

So what do you think? Were these videos helpful? Feel free to leave your comments below.

Julie S.

How Modern Car Technology Makes These Old School Driving Tips Obsolete

Photo: iStockphoto

Many of my childhood memories growing up in Edmonton involve winter driving - mainly in my father's silver 1977 Aspen. This car was a neighborhood legend. The local mechanics down the street would literally come out and applaud when we drove by, because they couldn't believe the Aspen (a.k.a. The Grey Ghost) was still moving.

The Aspen was particularly finicky in the winter and we had all kinds of tips and tricks to keep her on the road. I thought I knew everything there was to know about preparing the car for safe and successful winter driving. But with the advent of modern car technology, I've had to radically change my approach to cold weather car care and driving preparation.

Here are a few of my tips for those of us who still have an old school approach to cold weather driving:

Ways to Save on Fuel: Infographic

We are excited about this week's post as we have compiled an infographic for you - and who doesn't love infographics?

We all want to save on fuel, and over the years PumpTalk has highlighted many fuel savings tips. So we decided to bring a few key ones together in this handy infographic, based on the informational sources cited at the bottom.

Check it out and let us know your thoughts.
 
NB: Sadly, doing everything on this handy list won't add up to $1.16 per litre savings on fuel - if only it did! But following these tips can help you reduce your gas costs (and that's always a win in my book).

- Julie S.

Buckle Up (Properly) and Stay Safe

Photo: iStockphoto

We've all done it - hopped in the car to drive to the corner store for a quick errand and not bothered with a seatbelt. It's such a hassle! It's just a few blocks away! What could happen?

While it's true that not putting on your seatbelt may save you valuable nanoseconds, it is also true that accidents can happen anywhere. And wearing your seatbelt is the single most effective way to increase your chance of surviving a collision. According to the US-based National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seatbelts reduce the risk of death to front seat occupants by 45% and the risk of serious or critical injury by 50%.

Seatbelts are a powerful safety system - but only when they're used correctly. When I began researching this subject, I thought -  are there any details we really need to know, how difficult is it to buckle up? After doing some digging, I realized that there are a few key things you need to make sure you are doing - some I wasn't even aware of!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Photo: iStockphoto

Well for some... but for others the thought of snow and shoveling is not a pretty picture. As 2011 comes to an end, we wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a wonderful Holiday season. We hope you have found our posts interesting and that you will be back for more in 2012. We also want to thank those who participated in our poll, "We Want To Know What You Think" as it has given us great insight on topics for the New Year. Look for more posts on fuel efficiency, vehicle maintenance, fuel pricing and more in 2012. Don't forget to subscribe to the blog so you can get our weekly posts delivered right to your RSS reader or email. You can do this on the right hand side following the "Recent Posts" section.

Remember - this blog is meant for you, our PumpTalk readers, so please leave any suggestions, questions or comments you have in our comments section underneath each post.

And of course, as you're driving around doing your last minute shopping, visiting relatives and friends just keep in mind these Holiday safety tips:

• Don't drive in a hurry - better to be there a little late than to not be there at all.
• Have some patience for other drivers during the Holiday season - I'm sure they are running around trying to check their lists twice too!
• Top up that windshield washer fluid and clear away that snow (especially on the roof) before you get into your vehicle.
• Be aware that your stopping distance is reduced in winter weather.

There is a great chart on stopping distances for Winter Tires and All-Season Tires at the bottom of the page here. 

Health Canada also has some great Holiday Safety Tips as well.

And ofcourse, if you are looking for last minute gifts check out a previous PumpTalk post which has some great ideas!

Wishing all our PumpTalk readers a Happy Holiday and a prosperous New Year,
- The PumpTalk team.

The Lost Art of Manual Transmission Driving

Photo: iStockphoto

Remember that first feeling of getting behind the wheel? That feeling of control and power, knowing that you could feel the vehicle respond at the slight touch of your foot on the accelerator. For me, that feeling is almost always present when I'm driving a manual transmission. I love being able to control the vehicle, knowing exactly when I want to shift for more power to the wheels, and commanding when to pull it back a notch. And of course, who can ignore that great feeling of a perfectly mastered rev-matched downshift. Nowadays, with more and more emphasis placed on multi-tasking, it may be tough to focus on shifting while you sip your coffee, talk on your Bluetooth and keep one eye on your three year old in the backseat who insists on opening that box of cookies! Understandably, most people I talk to have never driven a manual transmission - nor do they care to!

There are some actual economic benefits to driving a manual transmission which many people forget:

Anticipating Driver Moves

Photo: iStockphoto

When heading out on the weekend for a long drive with my husband, I often bet with him on who is going to change lanes ahead of us. "Black Camry… 3 cars ahead, right lane… moving to the left". Seconds later, their blinker goes on and I usually have a pleased, "I told you so" look on my face. Why? I always try to anticipate drivers' moves ahead of me. I'm always looking for that little "tell" that drivers unconsciously reveal before they physically make their move, like moving towards the lane divider line in their lane, right before they decide to change lanes. Sometimes it doesn't really matter if the driver ahead of you is changing lanes, but sometimes it has a big impact. If the driver is coming over and traffic is coming to a halt - you'll need to brake earlier than you initially planned. Anticipating this can sometimes save a fender bender - or at least save your coffee from spilling all over.

Getting Out of the Groove: Winter Driving Tips

Photo: iStockphoto

With the advent of all-season tires, many drivers don’t feel they need to change out their tires for the winter. After all, they’re called “all-season tires”! Not “all but one season” tires! Ha ha! But seriously, folks, if you live in an area that sees regular snowfall throughout the winter, it’s best to have winter tires for your car.

That said, sometimes even your winter tires, with their wider, deeper grooves and better flexibility at lower temperatures, can’t get you out of the snowy ditch you just slid into. There are few things more frustrating – or panic-inducing – than feeling those wheels spinning out while your vehicle stays put.

Car Coats and Platform Shoes: At the Intersection of Driver Fashion and Driver Safety

Photo: iStockphoto

In one of my favourite scenes from the 1995 comedy Clueless, Cher is getting driving lessons from her former stepbrother Josh. As she drives down the middle of the street, causing general havoc, he says to her:

“Hey. James Bond. In America, we drive on the right side of the road.”

She replies “I AM. YOU try driving in platforms.”

In days of yore, driving a motorcar required a specific style of dress. Driving shoes, car coats, soft leather gloves and travel caps were de rigueur for driving – not just for fashion but also for safety and warmth.One simply did not leave the house without taking care to dress. Driving was serious business and no one was wearing platform shoes – or any footwear that negatively impacted driver safety - behind the wheel.

In modern times, of course, driving has become totally mainstream. With the advent of reliable interior climate control, driving fashion has taken a real nose dive. Why button up your car coat and wrap your neck in a silk scarf when you can blast the heater and drive to the 7-11 in your pyjamas and flip flops?

Types of Driving Distractions

Photo: iStockphoto

After watching cars crawl past a police car with its emergency lights on the other evening, I've been thinking about distractions that may affect us while driving. According to CAA, there are three different types of distractions. There are physical distractions which cause a driver to take his/her hands off the wheel. There are cognitive distractions, described as activities that take the driver's mind away from the road. And finally, there can be a combination of both which may take hands, eyes and mind off the road.