We try to avoid driving downtown whenever possible. Parking isn't very plentiful and when street parking IS available, there are often signs like this one that make it even more difficult to decide if you can park there and for how long.

Wouldn't it be great if the sign KNEW what time and date it was and just told me what I needed to know - like a "Go/No Go" decision at NASA Mission Control.

Well, the city of Sydney, Australia is trying something like that. The Australian Road and Maritime Services (RMS) has installed e-ink traffic signs on some Sydney roads. The signs run on solar power and can be updated via wifi. The e-ink component of the sign can be updated to reflect the current situation - whether pre-scheduled traffic information (like standard parking regulations) or temporary parking information (due to unique events like filming, street cleaning, marathons, etc).

Photo: Visionect

This technology could simplify the driving experience for Sydney commuters as well as save RMS money. It is estimated that Los Angeles spends $9.5 million each year on temporary parking restriction signage. With a permanent but customizable solution in place, time and money could be saved.

What do you think - would these signs improve your parking experience by not having to interpret ALL the parking options? Are customizable traffic signs the future? Share your thoughts in the comments.

- Rose R.

Well, the holidays are over – unfortunately, winter is not. But when the weather outside is frightful, WinterGas™ is delightful! And it’s available again this year at Petro-Canada.

What makes WinterGas different from regular gasoline?

WinterGas is specially formulated to have a higher vapour pressure. Essentially, gasoline in winter months needs to be more volatile to help your engine start more quickly. So WinterGas helps with cold weather start ups.

WinterGas also includes Petro-Canada’s Tactrol™ additive, which is designed to act as a detergent. Tactrol helps keep your engine operating efficiently and reliably by removing deposits formed in the fuel and intake system.

The final additive that makes WinterGas more effective in harsh winter conditions is our gas-line anti-freeze, which helps prevent fuel line freezing and keeps the fuel moving when temperatures drop.

Is WinterGas more expensive than regular gasoline?

Nope. WinterGas is available in all grades of gasoline – including Ultra 94 – at no extra cost.

Where can I get WinterGas?

No other gas station in Canada makes WinterGas - it's available exclusively at Petro-Canada from November through March in all gasoline grades at Petro-Canada gas stations across Canada (except the Greater Vancouver Regional District, Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast).

As our iconic WinterGas commercial says, "you have to live here to get it"!

What’s the winter been like in your area this year? Let us know in the comments. And stay safe out there, drivers!

- Rose R.

We ended last year with a poll – so we thought we’d kick 2016 off right with another one!

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE making New Year’s resolutions. Keeping them is another story – but I find that even if my loftier goals crash and burn in a pile of donuts three weeks into the year, a few of the good habits that I try to cultivate at the beginning of the year manage to take hold. Last year, for example, I vowed to start each day with hot water and lemon and I’m still doing it in 2016. The year before, I resolved to always empty the dishwasher first thing in the morning instead of putting it off until later and two years later, Present Rose is always grateful to Past Rose for tidying the kitchen so consistently.

So you may not build your own car from scratch or save up enough cash for that Lamborghini in 2016 – but there are small habits you can try to change, particularly when it comes to driving behaviours.

So over to you! What are your driving resolutions for this year? Take our poll below!

Don’t see your goal on our list? Leave us your resolutions in the comments. We here at PumpTalk wish all of our readers a Happy 2016!

- Rose R.