Blowout Basics
Q: My grand-daughter was in a rollover after having a blowout on the interstate. She’s fine, but was in rehab for weeks. The car was totaled out. We want to coach her sister on what to do if a blowout happens, but we’re actually not sure if there are new rules for dealing with all the new technologies. I know blowouts aren’t common (hers was because of highway debris), but they happen.
A: The rules continue to be the same: DON’T jump on the brakes.
Brake-slamming is the first instinct, as you want desperately to immediately stop this vehicle that’s no longer gliding smoothly along. But punching hard on the brake pedal when the car’s already unstable because one of the four weight-bearers isn’t doing its job can turn wobbling into careening. And things will go even worse when the panicked driver does a steering overcorrect. This all holds true, too, on vehicles with brake-assist technologies (which are designed to properly distribute weight to four tires, not three, during crisis).
So: keep your foot on the gas; concentrate all your energy on steering, to keep the car on course (you’ll have to use the full strength of both hands - yet another reason not to be using the phone or clutching a Big Gulp, but it’s not impossible to keep the car between the lines); and gradually let up on the gas. In seconds the car is under control and you can apply brakes gently and ease it onto the shoulder.
Q: I live in Washington (state), where it seems everyone drives a reliable, workhorse-like, never-say-die Subaru. Given its reputation as a dependable, inexpensive ride, why would Subaru begin making sports cars? That new BRZ doesn’t make sense to any of us.
A: Makes sense to me.
If a company already offers sedans, crossovers and small SUVs that most buyers agree are well-priced stellar performers, why not try to tap into another potential market: folks who want some road-snugging pizzazz?
In addition to the obvious market - twenty- and thirty-somethings - I’ll bet the BRZ (which starts at about $26,000) will appeal to an entirely different set: the fifty- and sixty-somethings who’ve driven schleppmobile Subarus for years and now want a fun, spunky getaway car.
What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. Email Sharon@ctwfeatures.com.