Cancer Society of New Zealand

Driver's Corner

 

Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege.       
John D. Rockerfeller Jr.

Driver’s Corner

As a Volunteer Driver you may well spend some time in the lounge at Richard Evans House waiting for a patient. There are plenty of books to borrow from the Volunteer Library to help pass the time! You might enjoy reflecting upon this little gem of a book that has recently been acquired:

The Council of Dads: Family, Fatherhood and Life Lessons to Leave my Daughters, Bruce Feiler, (Sphere, 2010)

Bruce Feiler writes to his daughters: “The men in this circle aren’t my only friends. They’re not my only mentors, teachers or guides. They’re not my brother, my sister, or my family. They aren’t your daddy I’m afraid. But they constitute various sides of me. They are a narrative of my selves. In the event of my death, they can carry on my life. If I go silent, they can continue to speak for me.”

Uponlearning in 2008 that he had a rare, life threatening cancer in his femur,Bruce Feiler, father of twin, three-year-old daughters Eden and Tybee, facedthe question of how he could show his love to them if he ceased to be aphysical presence in their lives. His idea was to appoint a Council of Dads, agroup of six men from different areas and stages of his life, to be his voiceand fatherly representative in his daughters' lives if the worst did happen.Despite Bruce's cancer diagnosis, he looked outside himself and his problemsand realized that the needs of his girls were more important than his own –that should be what a father is all about, and the reader appreciates his loveand care for his family. Thebook is arranged in alternating chapters of letters to his family and friendsabout the process of fighting cancer and family life, and chapters describingthe six men whom he selected to be part of his Council. This is not only a bookon fighting cancer, but also an exposition on what it is to realize your ownmortality. FortunatelyBruce's treatment worked and in 2010 he can still continue his life as afather. The book ends with a letter from Bruce to his daughters that he hopesthey will never have to read, in which he tells them about the Council of Dads,giving them fatherly advice and wisdom – the sort of letter we all should writeto our loved ones; or even compiling their own Council of Dads, which somereaders may do after reading this book. Volunteer Reviewer Diane Davies December2010 Thisbook is available to borrow from Cancer Society Volunteer Services Library

 

Pressure Points

Before you head off on your summer holidays or a trip over the hill to the Martinborough Fair or the Tauherenikau Races, be sure to check that your car is roadworthy.  For starters maintaining tyre pressure suitable for your model of car can be challenging in the heat of summer.

 

Half of the cars on our roads have under-inflated tyres – wasting fuel and compromising safety.  A random survey by the AA of 150 cars undergoing Warrant of Fitness checks showed half had under-inflated tyres and only 17% had tyre pressures at or within 0.5 pounds per square inch (psi) of the manufacturer’s setting.  The average variation was about four psi, although several were out by double or more.  One vehicle was 13 psi under-inflated, at nearly half its recommended setting, and another was nearly twice the recommended air pressure, both seriously compromising safety.

Over-inflated tyres cause uneven wear, harsh ride, less traction in certain circumstances and they compromise braking efficiency.  Under-inflated tyres contribute to excessive tyre wear and reduced cornering ability, braking performance and water dispersion.

Under-inflated tyres also increase rolling resistance, which reduces fuel efficiency.  An earlier test by the AA published in the Autumn 2010 Directions showed that driving with tyres seven psi under-inflated increased fuel consumption by nearly 8%, which equates to about an extra 14 cents per litre at current prices.  That adds $200 to the annual fuel bill for the average motorist in a medium-size petrol car.

“That’s nearly four times the saving of most supermarket fuel vouchers,” says AA Technical Advice Manager Jack Biddle.  “On top of that, correctly inflated tyres last longer and so save more money, and they also improve your car’s grip on the road and are therefore safer.”

At 4 psi under, the owners of the vehicles in our survey would be using about 4% more fuel, or an extra 58 litres per year for an average petrol car travelling 14,000kn annually.  If the survey is typical of the national fleet, that could be costing motorists at least $130 million per annum in additional fuel.

“After our fuel-saving test, the AA wanted to know just how many cars could be wasting fuel by running around with under-inflated tyres.  A lot of people were telling us they don’t check their tyre pressures often or at all, and it seems to be backed up by the Warrant of Fitness check, so if people don’t do it themselves, then chances are they’re needlessly using more fuel and potentially risking their safety.”

Jack says the AA recommends motorists check their tyre pressures at least every couple of months and especially before going on a long trip.

“Try to get into the habit of checking your tyres regularly.  Recommended tyre pressures are usually printed on a sticker on the driver’s door pillar, or listed in the owner’s manual,” he says.

TYRE TIPS:

.  Check your tyre pressures regularly.

.  Find your recommended tyre pressures listed on a label inside the driver’s door.

.  Try to check your tyres when they’re cold, or after travelling a short distance.

www.aadirections.co.nz