I spent 2 days at the Bridgestone Racing Academy (in Bowmanville, Ontario) and I have to say this—driving a race car has been on my bucket list for a long time. Where else can I legally go crazy fast and be taught the methodology of going even faster? And have a team of mechanics on hand so that I don’t have to think about fixing the car?!
On Tuesday, July 16, 2013 a 2-year-old fell out of a vehicle that was travelling on a ramp on Toronto's Don Valley Parkway. The rear passenger door opened while the vehicle was moving and the child car seat fell out with the toddler still strapped in it. Police believe that the child car seat was not installed properly (I would suggest that the seat wasn't installed at all) and have charged the driver.
The Hankook Tire Canadian Index reported that 8 out of 10 families are planning a vacation this year and 78% of those families are planning to travel by car. More specifically, in those families with children under the age of 18, that number rises to 82%.
The 2013 Chevrolet Trax is GM's newest crossover type vehicle. I'm not normally a huge fan of crossovers — my personal preference is either a sedan or an SUV... but the Trax had me reconsidering.
Here are some key features that made my life easier:
Subaru wants to take five Canadian families to Mont-Tremblant, QC, to compete in a family-friendly, action-packed rally race! The goal of the rally is to challenge the families to maneuver the course quickly and accurately using the Forester’s one-of-a-kind features. Winner takes home an all-new 2014 Subaru Forester.
A recent YouTube video shows a woman on a scooter towing a baby carriage across a busy road. It’s earned comments along the lines of ‘most horrible parenting.’ Can you believe this video?! What’s not clear is whether or not there’s actually a child in the stroller.
How much does driving your car cost? Most of us would consider car payments, insurance, and gas in determining the cost of owning the car. Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) has released a Driving Costs Calculator on their website to help Canadians calculate the real cost of owning and operating a vehicle.
We recently had the opportunity to film with Cosmo TV. For this episode of Man Cave, we put two "not-so-manly-men" (as described by their girlfriends) against each other to compete on an automotive task: changing a spare tire. I showed both contestants how to do it and then it was off to the races. They got points for doing the job safely and in the right order.
The sun is out, the snow is melting... spring is just around the corner. I bet some of you are itching to get those winter tires off. So when's a good time? Generally, when the temperature is consistently above 7 degrees (Celsius) then it's time to switch to your all-season tires.
Recently, I came across One Million Moms’ statement that a GEICO Insurance TV commercial ‘…plays with the idea of bestiality.’ What? That cute little gecko? Nope—it turns out it’s a commercial with Maxwell the pig and he’s in a car with is date (a human girl). The commercial shows them in his car overlooking the city and the car broke down. Maxwell is showing how GEICO’s app makes it easy to call for a tow truck.
PRNDL—Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive and Low. Some gearshifts will have L, 2, 1, or 2, 1, etc after D. Most automatic cars have two or three options after Drive. Do you know what these positions are for? Have you used them? Do you know when to use them? The answer is in your owner's manual but here is a (very) brief explanation.
Earlier this year, Michael Small reported on Canada's most dangerous intersections based on information he gathered from national and provincial accident statistics between 2002 and 2004. According to his findings, 30% of vehicle deaths and more than 40% of serious vehicle injuries occurred at intersections. Furthermore, Small indicated that over 20% of intersection deaths and serious injuries happen between the rush hours of 3pm and 6pm. Yikes!
I love driving in snow. For me, it's fun! A few weeks ago we got one of the worst snowstorms since 2008 and I was driving my son home from school. When our car got stuck, no problem. Using some techniques I learned from my dad, we got out in no time.
The day before Valentine’s Day, Chevrolet Canada unveiled the new 2014 Corvette Stingray. At the moment of reveal, this 7th generation Corvette first roared with presence when Canadian race car driver Ron Fellows revved up the engine, and settled into a nice purr. To me, there's nothing like getting excited just by the sound of a car.
On August 3, 2012, 27-year-old Abigail MacNaughton was involved in an auto collision that claimed her life. Her vehicle was struck head-on by a truck whose driver lost control. According to the investigators, the truck was unsafe yet was issued a safety standards certificate one month prior to the accident.
I've mentioned this before: I don't get to drive cars that don't need fixing very often.
Driving the new Honda CR-V was an interesting experience for me. Our family cars are a Buick Rendezvous and a Toyota Corolla so the CR-V was something in between. Smaller than my Rendezvous, with the height advantage over the Corolla.