Summertime driving.

What is it about this type of driving that is so compelling?



Summertime and driving go hand in hand to the extent that those people who don't own a car feel the urge. To pack the car with, of all things, children and tons of stuff and head out for a road trip is an annual ritual that is sacred. Here in Spain there are times when authorities specially prepare for what constitutes the great escape from the cities, followed by the great return.

What bothers me is that during these times the death rate on the roads spikes upwards, but it need not be so. It's true that a great many more vehicles are concentrated on the roads within a short span of time, however, if drivers were to increase their own vigilance and use common sense crashes would simply not occur.

For instance, when taking road trips in the past there have been stretches of road when I was driving that offered spectaculr scenery. I am yet to see it because as the driver I had to keep my eyes on the road and to drive very carefully. I could not allow myself to be distracted by anything. The consequence of that is that we are home safely, as are all the other people whom we passed going in the opposite direction. Each of we drivers upheld our individual responsibilities, but the net result is that all of our passengers enjoyed the drive and the scenery. We drivers will have to go back as passengers to see what all the raving was about.

The other thing about summer driving is to put the top down if we have a convertible. This is a strange concept, one that looks great, but if you drive a convertible you will know that it is a hot, and sometimes uncomfortable experiance. The windscreen keeps the wind  from directly cooling you down while the lack of a top has the full power of the sun raising your temperature. And then, there is the rain. The surest way to bring the rain is by lowering the top of the car.

But still, after all's said and done, Summertime is best and it raises our spirits like nothing else. So, here's wishing everyone safe driving and a most enjoyable time in the great outdoors. Just leave alcohol alone if you have to drive.

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael

A Big Bubble Building!

Brand new cars awaiting buyers

When car manufacturers roll new cars off the assembly line the cars are placed in large lots awaiting orders and shipment to dealers. That is perfectly normal. However, it is  May, 2014, and more and more parking lots like the one above are appearing in far too many places, full of unsold stock. This is not are pretty sight and it feels uncomfortably like another bubble that is building towards bursting.

At what point do manufacturers say, enough already!

Without quoting the statistics, it's very easy to see that manufacturing of cars and trucks and busses is very big business. In the United States the combined group of employees who provide seperate parts and who turn out the final product is so huge, that whenever the order goes out to shut down the assembly line the impact is negatively felt throughout every corner of the American economy. This is an industry that is too huge and too important to fail.

However, it is indeed failing. The economic crash of 2008  that reverberated around the world is still with us. The United States, through the help of the Federal Reserve has made a strong comeback. Or, has it? Housing starts are indeed up, and the great middle class are back to spending the country back to good health. But, there are all these unsold cars, and the inventory keeps expanding everyday.

I can see this with my own eyes,  right here in Valencia, Spain. I would like to think that there is a large turnover  in the parking zones for new vehicles, rather than the very same ones. The numbers seem to be getting larger, not that I am actually counting them over at the Cheste grounds, but I don't have a good feeling about this.

The problem is that people like myself, retired and afraid for my pension cannot just go out and buy a new car every year, or for that matter, at all. I am being served by my  faithful 1995 Volvo. I frankly love this car, but a brand new Volvo would be nice too. Perhaps I could donate my old faithful to a new immigrant who is trying to get a step up. There are also several other model cars that I fancy. It would be nice to have a Jeep Patriot,  the new Jaguar to stand side by side with my classic Sovereign; and of course, a Mercedes S Class.

I would love to make that my contribution to the motor industry, but were I to have so many cars we would need a big new house to stable them. (We haven't gone through my wife's dream list as yet, or my son's.) I'm sure this kind of contribution to the building industry would be appreciated, but the trouble is that we have built so many houses, I fear we don't need to build another for the next 20 years.

As we say here in Spain, falta dinero! I know what I could do with the money, now all I need is the money. I am patiently waiting for my Big win to happen on the lottery. When that happens there are a lot of people who should be sitting down.

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael

P.S. Today is Day 79 and flight MH370 is still missing. Is anyone looking for it in NorthWestern Australia?

For the avoidance of All Doubt

This week, a driver reported that law enforcement officers pulled him over while driving and charged him with using his mobile phone while moving.He protested his innocence that he had neither made or received a call, and that the phone's log could prove it. The officers were adamant and he suffered a fine of 100 euros with the loss of three points from his license.

Police officers are only human, and as such they might indeed think they saw something such as illegal use of a mobile. What can we do as drivers to counter this possibility?

My suggestion is that we place our mobile phones in the luggage compartment of the car. If you are a woman, or a man with a man bag, and if you place the bag in the luggage compartment there can be no doubt that you could have used the mobile phone while driving. There would also be the added security that no thief could reach into the car to snatch the bag.

However, when placing the bag into the boot take careful note if there are people close to the car, because you will close the boot and walk forward leaving the contents vulnerable. If it is momentarily safe, then once in the car, lock all the doors.

The same advice is offered regarding alcohol that has been opened. It should be carried in the boot so that there can be no doubt that anybody in the car had been drinking while the car was in motion.

I agree that this is an extreme measure and a nuisance, but if it saves you a fine and the loss of points from your license I think you might agree that it will be worth the effort.

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael

The New traffic Laws are now effective! Beware!

The Comandments of the Road Code

I have saved this change in the law till last because I think it is the most contentious. It is the law that states that in a collision between a motorist and a wild animal, unless there has been authorised activity to corral or hunt animals in a specific area in the very recent past, the fault shall be deemed that of the motorist.

I have always believed that a collision with a wild animal is the only real accident that occurs. If the animal is the responsibility of some person, a collision means that the animal has escaped the control of its master. A wild animal has no controller, and has even escaped the animal control fence that runs along the side of most highways.

The State can place warning signs in areas where animal activity has ben noted so that motorists can be aware, but if it happens it will be sudden and most likely unavoidable. Personally, I have been very lucky in that all my encounters with animals have resulted in narrow avoidence. Keep in mind that conventional wisdom advises that we not swerve to avoid colliding with an animal as that places in danger those people in other cars, as well as your own passengers and yourself.

This is a law that potentially makes a culprit of a motorist when said motorist can have no real control to avoid running into an animal that takes it into its head to bolt out into the roadway. In my opinion this is completely unfair to the motorist.

There is no point in my saying that we should take care.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

Would you have a Mercedes to drive at 35 kph Max?

This is The Bermuda Highway

When American visitors first visit the island the first thing that they notice is that Bermuda drives  on the left. The second thing they notice is that they never ever find the main highway. Nothing like what they left in the United States. Most people think their king-sized mattress is wider than Bermuda's roads. The continuous middle unbroken line is the same throughout the system. Overtaking in never legally sanctioned.

So, why on earth would you buy a top performing car such as a Mercedes or BMW? You wouldn't do so for any practical reason, because it is highly unlikely that you will ever reach fifth gear. Not only are the roads very narrow, they are also congested. The island is controlled by a law that allows only one car per household. However, when Bermuda's economy was raging people bought their own homes just so they could have their own cars. Now, Bermuda has too many homes and too many cars.

Government tried to discourage the high-end cars by applying an import tax of 110% of the landed value of these cars. Clearly you would have to have more money than you knew what to do with to buy these cars. The fact is that many people who want to show off are doing just that.

The most popular car on the island has become the American Jeep, especially the Jeep Patriot right hand drive.  I personally like this particular model and I think I would have this car if I lived there.

Add to the tiny roads and the massive traffic buildup the fact that Bermuda has a fleet of buses that are driven by the most expert drivers, as well as trucks delivering cargo containers to and from ships. The chaos is incredible and calls for totally sober drivers who are focused.

Oh! Did I mention the tourists on their mopeds who are anything but focused?

Happy motoring folks! Small wonder the maximum speed limit is 35 kph.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael