Dear <<First Name>>,
The KCC is proud to announce the creation of of our newest branch, ROSSLAND. The folks in Rossland have done a huge amount of work to secure new members and start up grant monies to make this new branch a reality. We look forward to seeing Rossland become a strong and successful carsharing addition to our KCC family.
Thanks to everyone sending in answers to our KCC newsletter question of the month. Trina Ladd was picked out of the 20 entries for the free KCC 100kms, congrats Trina. Please have a look at the end of the newsletter for the BCAA answer to FWD skids. Look for our next quiz contest in the New Year.
- HOLIDAY KCC OFFICE HOURS
- 1/2 FULL FUEL POLICY FOR WINTER
- EMERGENCY KITS
- NEW HOME FOR 3 KCC VEHICLES
- ANSWER TO FWD SKID QUESTION
- THE KCC BOARD NEEDS YOU
Bruce
Kootenay Carshare GM
Member News
- The KCC office will be closed for the following days over the holiday season. Please call the emergency cell number 250 509-2002 if you encounter an emergency over this time.
- Tuesday Dec 24,
- Wednesday Dec 25 (Christmas Day)
- Thursday Dec 26 (Boxing Day)
- Friday Dec 27
- Wednesday Jan 1, 2013 (New Years Day)
The office and KCC board wish every member of the
Kootenay Carshare a HAPPY and SAFE Holiday Season.
We have enjoyed serving the membership in 2013 and look forward to continuing that service in 2014.
- We are still encountering problems with members not returning vehicles with half a tank of gas. Please be sure to fill any KCC vehicle whenever possible, not only do you get a 100% of your fuel costs back but you also help the carshare run smoother. Otherwise filling the vehicles with fuel falls to a few select members and this is not fare to them or the carshare.
- The KCC encourages all members to carry their own personal emergency kits when driving our mountain roads. These kits should include the following:
- Blanket and extra warm cloths
- Matches and candles
- Flashlight and radio with wand and stand (hand-crank/battery operated)
- Warning light or road flares
- Fully charged mobile phone
- Water bag/unopened drinking water and extra food.
- We are still looking for a parking space for our Dodge Ram and 2000 Neon. The Nelson Commons parking lot is still available but in the new year, when construction starts, we will need to find new homes for these vehicles. Please let the office know if you have any ideas for new parking spots in the downtown core..
- We are sad to announce that the 02 Caravan had to be removed from the Nelson fleet. Last week we found that the transmission has gone and the replacement costs could not warrant doing the work. Currently we have moved the 99 Caravan into Rosemount and will monitor the fleet usage to see if another van is needed.
- Our AGM will be coming up in April and the KCC Board would like members to consider if they would like to become a board member for 2014. If you have some interest please contact the office and we will be happy to put you in touch with the board. Also if you would like to attend a board meeting, to see what it is all about, the board usually meets the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Please call the office to confirm the time and place.
Reminders.
- Please be sure to give yourself some extra time on your bookings this season. Winter driving always requires a bit more time so be sure to include this on your bookings.
- Please fill the vehicles with gas if you can and the min is a 1/2 tank of gas upon return. This helps all members and the carshare run smoothly.
- Please remember that a minimum booking on a Carshare vehicle is 1/2 hour. You cannot book a vehicle for 1/4 of an hour due to our 1/4 hour grace period.
- Reminder about reporting vehicle damage: if the damage is serious give us a call in the office (250-352-2033 or 250-509-2002 for the emergency cell). If you report an issue in the log book we won't know about it until the 10th of the following month! For larger issues we'd like to know sooner than that so we can get it fixed.
Lost and Found.
- Sunglasses and reusable bag
FWD SKID QUIZ ANSWER.
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Front-Wheel Skids
Front-wheel skids are caused by hard braking or acceleration if your vehicle has front-wheel drive. When the front wheels lose traction, you will not be able to steer the vehicle. Sometimes front-wheel skids are perceived as more dangerous because they are experienced less often.In actuality, front-wheel skids are easier to correct and less hazardous, because there is no risk of the vehicle skidding in the opposite direction.
Regardless of whether the vehicle has front-, rear- or four-wheel drive, the best way to regain control if the front wheels skid is:
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Take your foot off the brake if the front wheels skid due to hard or panic braking. Ease your foot off the accelerator if the front wheels lose traction due to hard acceleration.
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2.
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De-clutch on a vehicle with manual transmission, or shift to neutral (if you are certain of finding neutral immediately) on a vehicle with automatic transmission.
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3.
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If the front wheels have been turned prior to the loss of traction, don’t move the steering wheel. Since the wheels are skidding sideways, a certain amount of braking force will be exerted.
Unwinding the steering wheel will reduce the steering angle and result in regaining steering sooner; however, the vehicle will be traveling faster because there is little sideways braking force. This technique should only be attempted in situations where limited space and sharp curves exist.
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4.
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Wait for the front wheels to grip the road again. As soon as traction returns, the vehicle will start to steer again
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When the front wheels have regained their grip, steer the wheels gently in the desired direction of travel.
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6.
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Release the clutch or shift to drive and apply gentle accelerator pressure so that the engine speed matches the road speed, and accelerate smoothly to a safe speed.
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Remember, it is very important that you keep your foot off the brake pedal if you start to skid and steering correctly will depend on the direction of the skid. Skids can best be avoided by anticipating lane changes, turns and curves; slowing down in advance; and by making smooth, precise movements of the steering wheel.
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