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As summer approaches and the days get warmer, the hills beckon. One of the joys of owning a modern car is that no preparation is necessary for a long journey. If your car has been serviced as per the manufacturer’s recommendations, the car is good for a couple of thousand kilometres of motoring. All you need is a tank full of fuel. Fuel is one problem you
may face if you tank up along the highway. Fuel stations along the
highway can be unscrupulous and your chance of picking up adulterated
fuel are pretty good. A fuel-injected engine needs good quality fuel.
Choked nozzles will put an end to your motoring holiday. Pumps in
large cities dispense huge quantities of fuel and really don’t need
to adulterate the fuel. Look for them.
Global warming. But no one told the snow gods that. Rohtang had a snowfall in March. Be prepared. Even going to Kasauli for the day, take along some woollies. The clouds roll in and a drizzle can lower the temperature in minutes. Children should be kept warm as they are more susceptible to the cold. An umbrella is a good item to carry along. A good way to be ready for an impulsive trip is to have a cardboard crate in the boot. Why cardboard? Its clean, lightweight and won’t rattle. Pack it with a few litres of water, a few packets of oral rehydration salts (ORS). Dehydration is a serious problem under bright blue skies in the mountains where ultraviolet light can be intense. Similarly, a sun-block cream is a must. In case it rains, reduce
speed and drive on lights at low beam. Make sure the windshield washer
fluid is topped up. Your driving license, registration certificate,
pollution certificate, insurance must all be Some drivers, to save fuel, switch off the engine while going downhill. This is extremely dangerous. You will loose your power brakes, power steering, electric windows. To save a miniscule amount of fuel, you could lose everything, What is very important is that your tyre pressure has to be correct. It helps in good road holding, secure cornering and braking. The spare wheel should be properly inflated. Your jack, rod and wheel spanner should be handy. Lubricate your jack. In case you have not used it for a year or two it could be rusted and difficult to work. Avoid carrying alchohol in the car. While crossing borders from the UT to Haryana and then to Himachal, carrying alchohol is illegal. Also, alchohol and driving do not make a good cocktail. It leads to aggressiveness on the road, rash driving, risk taking and road rage. A recent news item reported two cars came face to face in a narrow street. Neither would give way. The occupants got out and got into a scrap with steel rods. Three people sustained serious injuries. It reminded me of a story my father told me many many years ago. Two motorists were on a narrow bridge with place for only one car to pass. Said the driver of the big fancy car, "I am not going to back up for a fool like you!". Said the other driver, softly and politely, "But I will!" and he reversed ! Don’t expect this etiquette on Indian roads. Drive sensibly. Happy Motoring !
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