More unsafe tips from the Road Warrior

(Credit: myparkingsign.com)

Editor's note: Road Warrior John Cichowski doesn't know any more about safe winter driving than you and I, but as a concerned reader shows in this e-mail to The Record's management, the desperate columnist doesn't hesitate to give bad, unsafe advice.

In his Dec. 28 column, the Road Warrior continues his frequent habit of offering misleading, unsafe, reckless or potentially illegal advice, which has been repeated in previous columns about winter road safety, as noted below.

The Record should make appropriate corrections in a future Road Warrior column.

1)  Misleading, Unsafe Bad Advice - "Wipe ammonia or rubbing alcohol on blades to eliminate streaking and squeaking."

BETTER SAFE ADVICE - Do NOT recommend ammonia since it irritates the eyes, lungs, and skin, and should only be used with rubber gloves.  It can cause nausea, dizziness, and headaches, and can lead to an asthma attack.  Even if it is a common household cleaner, there are safer alternatives.

Blades need to be CLEANED with windshield-washer fluid, diluted soapy solution, or rubbing alcohol to help eliminate streaking and squeaking.  Simply "wiping them" with rubbing alcohol will still leave the blades dirty and subject to streaking or squeaking.

2)  Unsafe and Potentially Illegal, Bad Advice - "If you must drive before a plow sweeps away the snow, practice driving in a snowy empty parking lot."

BETTER SAFE ADVICE - The Record should NOT recommend driving in snowy parking lots, unless it wants to be responsible for drivers being cited for reckless driving, trespassing on owner property, and costly crashes or towing.

Police who I spoke with are NOT happy and would crack down on this activity.  Private and public owners of parking lots would also not be happy, since it could subject them to unnecessary liabilities, and would warn these drivers NOT to use their property.

This is also very bad, unsafe advice.

Parking lots are simply NOT set up for higher speed driving to practice driving that is comparable to road driving.  Many parking lots also have speed bumps and concrete dividers, which would be hidden by snow, that could cause harm to the car and driver.

Driving on unplowed virgin snow in a parking lot does not come close to replicating the more hazardous driving conditions where other vehicles have already travelled on unplowed roads or on roads that have been previously plowed, and caused new snow to be compressed, along with potential icing.

Cars are more susceptible to get stuck and to be towed with deeper snow in a parking lot than on unplowed roads, which had many cars driving over the snow and compressing it.

3)  Somewhat poor advice -  "If your driver's license is newer than the nameplate of the White House incumbent, visit exchange.aaa.com/safety for additional enlightenment"

BETTER ADVICE -  Visit exchange.aaa.com/safety/roadway-safety/winter-driving-tips/ for more comprehensive winter driving tips and its safety links for additional enlightenment for novice and experienced drivers.

First, Road Warrior's suggested exchange.aaa.com/safety is NOT just for novice young drivers.  Second, there is no clear link that takes a user to more comprehensive driving winter tips, which was the Road Warrior's column focus.

4)  Doyle's Big Right Foot Advice - "Don't brake incorrectly with boots [that] too often inadvertently depress BOTH accelerator and brake with one large right foot. And if you have a right foot, don't brake with the left."

BETTER ADVICE - This advice, which has been endlessly repeated, might be more suitable for male giants and novices in Driving Class 101.  First time it was presented, it may have been cute. However, Road Warrior needs to focus on the more valuable and relevant advice for all drivers on how to brake in snowy or icy conditions.

5)  Misleading, Bad Advice - "Replace windshield cleaner fluid with de-icing fluid."

BETTER ADVICE - Replace regular windshield cleaner fluid with cleaner fluid with de-icing capabilities.  De-icing fluid does NOT clean.

6)  What Advice? - "Carry a shovel and emergency kit"

HELPFUL ADVICE - It would be more helpful to know what should be included for an emergency since it is NOT obvious to most people.  These items should be described as emergency "provisions" rather than "kit" since many of these items will not fit in a "kit".

7)  Misleading, Bad Advice due to Key Omission - "Keep your tires inflated to proper pressure."

BETTER ADVICE - Keep your tires inflated to proper pressure specified for your car's model.

Many people do not know the "proper pressure", which can be found on the inside frame of the driver's side door jam.

8)  Confusing, Bad Advice - "Slip snow wiper blades over wipers"

BETTER ADVICE - Replace with new snow wiper blade assemblies.  You want to replace the whole wiper blade assembly and not just the wiper blade.  You can slip on rubbers or galoshes over your shoes, but no one "slips" on wiper blades over wipers and it also sounds very confusing.