Secrets of Driving and Automobile Care

By Michael Ghatine

tips on driving, auto care and maintenance, road safety, auto insurance tips, driving safety, new drivers to North America, young drivers, driving for different road conditions, auto check tips

• Language: English
• Publisher: Secrets of Driving and Automobile Care
• Release date: May 17, 2016
• ISBN: 9781926926674

Book preview

Secrets of

Driving and

Automobile

Care

Michael Ghatine

Secrets of Driving and Automobile Care by Michael Ghatine

Edited by Gary W Lund

Illustrations by Flanda Sargoni

Book design by Shirley Aguinaldo

Published by In Our Words Inc. (IOWI)

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Ghatine, Michael, author

Secrets of driving and automobile care / Michael Ghatine.

ISBN 978-1-926926-42-1 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-1-926926-67-4 (e-book)

1. Automobile driving. 2. Automobiles--Maintenance and repair. 3. Traffic safety. I. Title.

TL152.5.G43 2014       629.28’3       C2014-904049-0

Copyright © 2013 Michael Ghatine

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author and publisher.

"learn how to play chess

before you learn how to drive"

~ Mike Ghatine

Contents

Introduction

Choosing a Car and Insurance

Used Car Inspection Tips

Insurance: the Cost of Traffic Tickets and Accidents

Prepare Yourself and Your Car Each Day

Your Fitness to Drive

Vehicle Inspection and Preparation

Principles of Safe Driving

Stay in Control

Avoid Distractions

Don’t Drive When Tired or Sleepy

Keep Your Cool in a Traffic Jam

Resist Road Rage

Safe and Effective Driving Techniques

Freeway Driving

What to Do when Pulled Over by Police

Adapt to the Weather, Season, and Time of Day

Driving Habits that Improve Fuel Efficiency

Collisions and Break-Downs

What to Do after a Serious Collision

What to Do if Your Vehicle Breaks Down

What to Do If You Get a Flat Tire

Vehicle Repairs and Maintenance

Tires

Brakes

Cooling System

Oil Changes

Battery

Lights

Cracked Windshield

A Final Tip on Repairs and Maintenance

Conclusion

Introduction

I drive a transport truck for a living. Over many years of hauling, I’ve observed many examples of good driving habits as well as bad ones. People who take care of their vehicles and drive with skill and a professional attitude improve everyone’s chances of getting to their destinations safely and on time.

I’ve also witnessed many incidents that resulted from poor driving habits and attitudes. These included near-misses, collisions, and roll-overs—sometimes with tragic results and long-term, painful, and costly consequences. They were all unnecessary; all avoidable.

I wrote this book to share with the motoring public, many things I’ve observed and learned over my years on the road, about safe driving practices and vehicle care. In the practice of driving, I follow the strategies used in playing chess. I believe that if you use the same tactics as those used when playing chess, it will make you a better driver. In the pages that follow, I will explain how applying some basic strategies of chess can help anyone be a better driver.

In addition to many years’ experience as a professional driver, I am a