VEHICLE SAFETY

Unless you live way up north ...

A 50-50 antifreeze mix is probably best for your car's cooling system

It's a common mistake for do-it-yourselfers. Before the coldest weather, or when they suddenly realize the belowzero stuff is approaching, they drain their radiators. So far so good.

Because they want to be extra nice to a car, they fill the radiator with straight, uncut antifreeze. According to Tom and Ray (Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers), this is a mistake. On good authority, they say antifreeze mixed half-and-half with water has a lower freezing point and a higher boiling point. The 50-50 mix offers freeze protection up to -34 degrees and boilover protection up to 265 degrees.

For colder climes, a mix of 70 percent coolant and 30 percent water gives freeze protection to -84 degrees and boilover protection to 275 degrees.

Antifreeze has another function. It keeps the cooling system from rusting. The rust protection breaks down over time. Change coolant every year or as recommended by your owner's manual. It also removes dirt and rust particles that can plug up the system and cause problems either in winter or summer.

Green-colored antifreeze can be used in any car. Long-life coolants in other colors should be used on recent models. It can damage gaskets in older cars.

An engine that boils over or freezes can cause any number of dangerous situations, all of which are avoidable.

If your coolant boils and expands, or if it freezes, the engine block will be permanently damaged. That brings a very, very expensive repair job.

Check on how a car will hold up in a crash

A car crash is the most serious safety risk most people face.

You can decrease your risk of serious injury by wearing a seatbelt, obeying traffic laws, and driving sober, but what you drive also counts.

According to a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, improved seat belt and side air bag features have made many cars safer.

But, don't assume size or luxury buys crash protection.

For example, a number of new midsize SUVs have been reengineered for the 2008 model year. The institute found some improvement in front crash test performance but most models were still not state-of-the art in side crash tests.

The Ford Taurus X won the institute's SUV Top Safety Pick for 2008.

If you want to shop safety, a number of Web sites offer car safety ratings.

To compare safety performance, go to www.iihs.org. Click on "Vehicle Ratings" to see how your vehicle compares with others on the road. You can compare one car with others in its class.

Safercar.gov offers the federal crash rating (five star system) but also has complete, readable safety descriptions and even photos of the crash tests when safety concerns are noted.

Using gas-powered equipment

Each year, more than 400,000 people are treated in emergency rooms for injuries from outdoor equipment. Before starting your snowblower or other gaspowered machines, check that safety devices are in place and function properly. Handle gasoline with care.

Never fill gas the tank while the engine is running. Wipe up spills, and store fuel in an approved container away from the house. Never smoke while using gasoline.

Speaking of Safety

Volunteers point the radar guns

Residents of some communities in the U.S. are tired of speeders, so police departments are arming them with radar guns.

The volunteers can't issue speeding tickets, but they report offenders to the police department. Depending on how fast the drivers were going, usually 13 mph over the speed limit, the offenders receive a warning letter from the police department.

Typically, the volunteer serves in a three-hour stint and must remain in his or her car while using the radar gun.

Speeding reduces the amount of time available to avoid a crash. It significantly increases the likelihood of crashing, and it increases the severity of a crash once one occurs.

Check tires, don't overload

Nine percent of passenger cars in the U.S. have at least one bald tire, according to the National Highway Safety Administration, and 27 percent are being driven with one or more substantially underinflated tires.

Having adequately maintained tires can keep you driving safely and improve your gas mileage. Check your tire pressure, tread, and alignment frequently. A blowout could cause a fatal accident as one did recently on I-69 in Indiana. It caused the driver of an overloaded van to lose control and crash, killing five people and injuring others.

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