I'm never one to be like Chicken Little – the sky is falling, etc. I'm also not the type to fear the worst in every situation, preparing for doomsday. We are not the kind of auto repair shop to use scare tactics, or the typical “would you put your wife/kids in that car” line. But we do come across clients every now and again who leave our shop, fully acknowledging that they are driving an unsafe vehicle and not wanting any repairs done. They usually tell us that they're safe drivers or they haven't experienced any issues yet, and shrug it off.
I want to make it very clear that when a client decides that they don't want to repair their unsafe vehicle, they are not only endangering themselves but they are also putting others on the road at risk. We, as auto repair technicians, are concerned about your ability to maintain control of the vehicle in an emergency situation.
The fact that no one was seriously injured is a MIRACLE. This was during rush hour and anyone in the GTA knows that Toronto traffic is horrendous. We are jam-packed on the highway like sardines. None of those motorists woke up that morning, predicting that they would be confronted with a transport truck landing in their path.
Consider this... is your car safe enough for you to make emergency manoeuvres? If you had to swerve to avoid an accident, would you oversteer? Is your suspension system able to handle the sudden weight transfer in an emergency situation? Are your brakes or tires in good condition so you won't need extra stopping distance?
You may be a perfectly good driver, but you can't control the other drivers around you. That's one reason why I hope you're not the type to shrug off safety-related repair and regular vehicle maintenance. If you can't afford to maintain and repair your car, you should definitely help keep our roads safe and re-consider owning a vehicle.
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