Your vision is never overrated – whether flying a USMC Harrier Jet or driving Richmond roadways

That US Marine Harrier pilot knows how important vision is while flying. Vision, and proper adjustment of
rearview mirrors is equally important when you're driving on Richmond highways.

A US Marine who used to work on Harrier Jump Jets once said of the planes, “Wings are overrated.” Of course, he was kidding. In fact, the comment was funny because it was the absolute opposite of the truth. We all know that wings are essential to a heavier-than-air craft (dirigibles are considered lighter-than-air craft and helicopters, essentially, have wings that rotate above the craft).

If you were to say that vision is overrated when driving a car on a Richmond road, the joke is the same – it’s absolutely the opposite of the truth. Vision is absolutely essential to safely operating a car, truck or SUV – any motorized vehicle on the roadways.

When you talk about vision while driving, this refers to night and day, as well as front, back and to the sides. The better your vision, in all directions and conditions, the more you’re able to adjust your driving to increase safety.

Looking forward, this means that you should keep the windshield clean. You may want to take this more seriously than some do. Wiping down the windows may look good until the sun, or someone’s headlights, bear down through the glass. Suddenly, you’re liable to recognize the streaks your efforts left in their wake. Instead of enhancing your vision, you’ve actually harmed your ability to see clearly.

Make sure your headlights work and that they’re clean. In fact, you may want to ensure that you’re using the best bulbs in your headlights that will do the most to enhance your vision at night.

The principle of cleaning your car windows applies out the sides and the back. And, when the Richmond weather plays havoc with your vision, it’s critical to clean snow and frost away so you can see clearly. You may also want to warm the car enough so that the windows don’t fog up as you drive. But, rearward vision goes beyond cleaning the windows. It also applies to proper adjustment of the mirrors.

You generally have a side mirror on each side of the car and a rearview mirror suspended from the windshield. The goal when adjusting your mirrors is to eliminate or, at least, to reduce blind spots. A blind spot is a place where a vehicle, even a motorcycle, can drive near your car, truck or SUV and you won’t be able to see them. If you don’t know they’re there, you can’t take appropriate measures to avoid an accident. You may pull into them without realizing it.

So, how do you adjust your car, truck or SUV’s mirrors? Here is a short lesson in adjusting your mirrors:

Step 1. Adjust the rearview mirror so you have a clear view out the rear window. You should be able to see out the rear window without your own head blocking your view (use a different mirror to check your hair and not while you’re driving).
Step 2. Sitting in the driver’s seat, move your head over until it’s pressed against the driver-side window. Now, adjust the driver-side mirror so that you can just barely see the side of your vehicle, looking along the side of the car and not at the ground or the sky.
Step 3. Lean so your head is over the console and adjust the passenger-side mirror the same way so that you can see along the passenger side of the vehicle.

Is your antifreeze safe from freezing this Richmond winter

You still have time to have it checked Well, there’s no denying it – winter tends to get chilly here in Richmond. We have to deal with snow and ice on the roads, scraping the same off our windows and windshield, and staying warm while we drive. Of course, you had your antifreeze checked before winter rolled into town. What?! You didn’t have your antifreeze checked before winter clamped down on Richmond? So, how’s your antifreeze doing? If you haven’t had it checked, there’s really no way of knowing, is there? This car has overheated in the middle of a Richmond winter. But, on the other end of the spectrum, the antifreeze can also freeze if it's not up to its job. Hopefully, you haven’t had a serious problem with your antifreeze already. If you did, you’d probably know. When antifreeze fails, it’s a potentially catastrophic condition for your vehicle’s engine. You could have hoses that have burst because of freezing antifreeze. Worse than that, your engine block may have crac...

Blocks of ice falling from cars in McHenry could cause accidents or damage

We’ve all seen those blocks of snow falling from behind the rear tires of a car when the snow rolls into McHenry . Fortunately, they’re just packed snow that will disintegrate under your vehicle’s tires as you simply drive right through them, right? Don’t count on it. Those blocks of snow are often packed so tight, condensed by the thaw-and-freeze cycle, that they’re anything but oversized snowballs . They’re often more like boulders. Hit one of those blocks and the collision between the block and one of your tires could send you careening off the road or into oncoming traffic. In some cases, they’re so solid you could pound them with a sledgehammer with little effect. They truly can represent a serious road hazard. The problem is that it’s difficult to tell how solidly they’re packed when you see them on the road, left their unwittingly by another driver. Either way, your best bet is to try to avoid them. But you want to be careful dodging blocks of ice in the road, too. You need...

October 20 Hootenanny will benefit veterans with PTSD

Been to a Hootenanny lately? When you read that question did you ask, “What?” Well, if you have gone to a Hootenanny in a while, or if you don’t know what a hootenanny is, we have an event for Oct. 20 that will clear up either question. From 6 p.m. to Midnight, Saturday, Oct. 20, MC3, the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce business networking group, is helping to host an inaugural Veterans R&R Wild Horse Hootenanny at Beyond Stable Farm (11129 Rte. 176, Woodstock). The event will benefit Veterans R&R Operation Wild Horse. Operation Wild Horse serves veterans with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Working with the horses has proven to have an incredibly calming effect on the veterans. And, it’s good for the horses, too, rescued wild mustangs. This means that the hootenanny is for a very good cause. But, it’s also a lot of fun. So, what is a hootenanny? According to a Google search, a hootenanny is “an informal gathering with folk music and sometimes dancing.” The V...

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