2014 winter driving guide

8/10/2019 2014 Winter Driving Guide

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Also inside:

Oops, locked your keys in your car?

Page 5

A Publication ofThe Livingston Enterprise

& The Big Timber Pioneer

Towing is tough work Page 3

Winter Driving Guide


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Page 2 WINTER DRIVING GUIDE 2014


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Enterprise photos by Hunter DAntuono

Above:Ken Gray, owner of Whistler Towing in Livingston, is pictured in his towing yard Thursday afternoon.On the cover:Bob Gray, 73, who helps his son Ken out at Whistler Towing, secures a truck to his tow trucks bed on Saturday morning on the Mission Creek exitoff of Interstate 90.

By Jordon NiedermeierEnterprise Staff Writer

Highway traffic increases duringthe holiday season. Motorists fightpoor weather conditions on the trekhome and face a greater chance ofending up broken down on the side ofthe road or stuck in a ditch.

According to Ken Gray, owner ofLivingstons Whistler Towing, carcrashes dont adhere to businesshours. Traffic accidents and roadside

emergencies dont take breaks fornights, weekends or holidays either they become more frequent.

Towing companies like Whistler

answer phone calls all day long, 365days a year. Operators regularlyrespond to calls in hazardous condi-tions with low visibility.

The Montana Legislature enacted aslow down and move over act to pro-tect emergency responders, but Graysaid many drivers are unaware of thelaw. Cars will fly by without changinglanes, making some routine towingjobs life threatening.

Here we dont have the problemlike they do back East. We dont have

the traffic but it does exist out here.Just the other day a wrecker got hit inBillings, Gray said.

Doug Schott, owner of Crash Towing

in Livingston, said hes had severalclose calls, even being forced to jumpon the deck of his truck once to escapecars rushing closely by. Another timehe was almost hit by a vehicle he esti-mates was doing in excess of 90 mph.

I looked back and I saw head-lights, Schott said, and thought hehad plenty of time to finish what hewas doing.

Next thing I know it was rightbehind me, he said.

Despite the dangers, Gray said he

enjoys what he does. Wreckers assistpeople in tough situations and trau-matic experiences like rollovers.

I love helping people. Towing is

either in your blood or its not. Youeither love it or youre not doing itvery long, Gray said.

Theres no doubt it is in Graysblood. His father, Bob Gray, startedtowing more than three decades agoas an addition to an ambulance servicehe owned in Livingston.

Bob Gray said back then the jawsof life extraction tools didnt existand tow trucks were used to separatecars after collisions so the passengerscould be rescued. It was a natural

decision for an ambulance operator to

Tow truck operators are part road rescuers, part psychologists

See Towing,Page 9

Towing is tough work


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Danna Lawellin Alice Senter Annemarie Quinto Milee Morrison

Owned & Operated by Monte & Darla Payette

Tune Ups Cummins Diesel Repair

Automatic/Manual Transmission Service & Repair

ASE Certifed

Call or stop by for an appointment ~ Open Mon-Thurs 7-6

316 1/2 South B Street 222-3426 behind Granite Sports Medicine


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Enterprise photo by Thomas WatsonEric Hogan, locksmith at Livingstons B Street Keys, demonstrates how he uses a lockout kit employing slender poles he inserts into a car door after using aninflatable air cushion to make room for them to rescue folks who have locked their keys in their car.

By Thomas WatsonEnterprise Staff Writer

Making sure your car is running prop-erly always takes precedence. Theright tires are a must during Mon-tana winters.

But none of that will matter muchwithout the keys to the car.

Locking the keys inside the car can be extremely

frustrating, and in extreme hot or cold tempera-tures, downright dangerous.

When you lock your keys in your car because it

will eventually happen to everyone the firstthought is to call the police.

No more slim jimsUp until a few years ago locally, an officer on duty

would be dispatched to the scene and use a toolknown as a slim jim to unlock the car doors.

However, interim Livingston Chief of Police DaleJohnson said the Livingston Police Departmentstopped unlocking cars because of a policy change

years ago.We do get a few calls once a month or once every

few months, said Johnson. It used to be that we

unlocked cars, so we got them more often, but ourpolicy has changed. We dont unlock cars for liabili-ty reasons.

From what I understand, one time somebodydamaged something inside the car. Because of that,we had to stop doing it. We refer them to locksmiths,where they know what they are doing. We used tomake people sign releases, but still, just for safety(we refer them to a locksmith).

In fact, because of the policy change, officers no

LOCKED OUTOops, you locked your keys in your car. Now what do you do?

See Locked out,Page 11


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buy a tow truck.As an EMT, the elder Gray learned to

thrive in high-pressure situations and hadsome good saves, but operating two busi-nesses proved to be too time consuming.Bob and his wife put both operations up forsale, and when the ambulance service sold,he became a full-time wrecker. Thirty-fiveyears later, he still tows seven days a weekalongside his son.

I like towing, Bob said. Its always achallenge. People say, When are you goingto retire? Well I have retired, but it doesntmean I gotta quit working.

Ken Gray said every tow is different andthere are more aspects to the job than justthrowing a hook on a car.

He often tows tourists visiting Yellow-stone National Park, and his tows frequentlytake place in scenic areas like Paradise Val-ley. Gray said he takes the opportunity toshare his knowledge of the surroundings.

You just got done (loading) their $35,000vehicle and you gotta calm them down,Gray said. You gotta be their psychologist,tour guide and everything.

Towing,from Page 3

RIGHT: Bob Gray introduces himself to TylerChamberlain and Cheryl Bos before prepar-

ing to tow Chamberlains truck, whichbroke down Saturday morning on the Mis-

sion Creek exit off of Interstate 90.

Gray makes a hookup under Chamberlins truck to prepare it for towing, Sat-urday morning.

Gray finishes securing Chamberlins truck for the trip to Livingston.


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Car Care Council

October is Fall Car Care Month, and the Car Care

Council reminds motorists that checking their vehi-cles before the temperatures drop is a sensible wayto avoid being stranded out in the cold and the unex-pected expense of emergency repairs.

The last thing any driver needs is a vehicle thatbreaks down in cold, harsh winter weather. Wintermagnifies existing problems like hard starts, slug-gish performance and rough idling, said RichWhite, executive director, Car Care Council.Whether you perform the check or maintenanceyourself or go to the repair shop, its a small invest-ment of time and money to ensure peace of mind,and help avoid the cost and hassle of a breakdownduring severe weather.

The Car Care Council recommends the followingFall Car Care Month checklist to make sure yourvehicle is ready for cold winter weather ahead.

Heating, wipers and lights Make sure heaters, defrosters and wipers work

properly. Consider winter wiper blades and use cold-

weather washer fluid. As a general rule, wiper

blades should be replaced every six months. Check to see that all exterior and interior lights

work and headlights are properly aimed.

Tires and brakes Check the tire tread depth and tire pressure of

all tires, including the spare. If snow and ice are aproblem in your area, consider special tiresdesigned to grip slick roads.

During winter, tire pressure should be checkedweekly.

Have the brakes checked. The braking system isthe vehicles most important safety item.

Gas, oil and filters Keep your gas tank at least half full throughout

the cold weather to prevent moisture from forming

in gas lines and possibly freezing. Be diligent about changing the oil and filter at

recommended intervals. Dirty oil can spell troublein winter. Consider changing to winter weight oilif you live in a cold climate.

Check the fuel, air and transmission filters atthe same time.

System checks charging, cooling and exhaust

Have the battery and charging system checked,as cold weather is hard on batteries.

Clean, flush and put new antifreeze in the cool-

ing system. As a rule of thumb, this should be doneevery two years.

Have the exhaust system checked for carbonmonoxide leaks, which can be especially dangerousduring cold weather driving when windows areclosed.

Pack the essentials Make sure that your ice scraper and snow brush

are accessible and ready to use. Stock an emergency kit with jumper cables, a

flashlight, blankets, extra clothes, bottled water,nonperishable food and a first aid kit with any need-ed medication.

Order a free copy of the recently-updated80-page Car Care Guide for your glove box at www.carcare.org/car-care-guide.

The Car Care Council is the source of informationfor the Be Car Care Aware consumer educationcampaign promoting the benefits of regular vehiclecare, maintenance and repair to consumers. For afree copy of the councils popular Car Care Guide orfor more information, visit www.carcare.org.

Are you ready for winter? Look at this checklist

By Enterprise Staff

New information from the Insur-ance Information Institute shows thatanimals, primarily deer, caused morethan 1.2 million collisions with vehi-cles between July 2012 and June 2013,according to a recent news releasefrom AAA MountainWest.

In Montana last year, AAA Insur-ance had a total of 45 auto claims thatwere identified as animal-related, for

an average per-claim cost of $2680.Animal collisions result in about 200human fatalities per year, the releasesaid. The worst month for this type of

collision is November, the height ofthe deer mating season. And as thedays get shorter, drivers are morelikely to be on the road at dawn anddusk, times when animals are active.

Montanans know that deer and oth-er animals are unpredictable, saidAAA MountainWest spokespersonLynn Solomon in the release, butthere are steps we can take to helpprevent an accident or to reduce thedamage an animal might cause.

Solomon said AAA offers a varietyof tips and tricks to help avoid a crashwith an animal or to lessen the impactif a collision happens:

Be aware of the sides of the road.Animals may be alongside the road.While the most likely accident is adriver hitting an animal, at othertimes, they hit the sides of cars.

Be especially attentive in earlymorning and evening. Many animals,especially deer, are most active dur-ing these times, roughly 5 a.m. to 8a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Use high beams when theres nooncoming traffic.

Slow down and watch for otherdeer. Deer rarely travel alone. Whendrivers see one, its likely there areothers.

Slow down around curves. Animalsare harder to see in advance whendrivers are navigating curves.

Use brakes if an impact is immi-nent. Dont swerve. It can put the driv-er in the path of oncoming vehicles orcause a collision with something onthe side of the road.

Always wear a seat belt. And neverdrive drunk, distracted, or drowsy.

Dont go near or touch a woundedanimal. A frightened and wounded ani-

mal can be unpredictable and causeinjury. If its in the middle of the roadand blocking traffic, call law enforce-ment.

(BPT) If youre feeling nervousabout handing the car keys to yourteenager for the first time, youre notalone. Its a common sentiment given

some sobering statistics.According to teendriversource.org, 20percent of all 16-year-old drivers will beinvolved in an accident during theirfirst year behind the wheel. And studiesshow more teenage motor vehicle fatali-ties happen during the summer thanany other time of year. But there aresome things you can do to help keepyour teenager from becoming a statis-tic. The National Association of Insur-ance Commissioners (NAIC) has sometips and tools to keep your teen safe.

Though auto accidents are a fact of

life for most drivers, even a minorfender bender can impact insurancerates, costing parents and teens for

years to come. The good news isresearch shows teen drivers who fol-low rules are half as likely to get in anaccident. Before your teen hits the

road, consider establishing some sim-ple guidelines to protect his or hersafety and your wallet:

1. Set a driving curfew. More than40 percent of teen auto deaths occurbetween 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Set a cur-few to keep your teen off the roadduring these times.

2. Limit passengers. A teens rela-tive risk of being involved in a fatalcrash increases with each additionalpassenger. More passengers equalmore potential distractions.

3. Make the cell phone off limits

while driving.Talking and texting candouble the likelihood of an accident. Ifyour teen must use the phone, instruct

him or her to pull over before doing soand be sure to set a good examplewhen you are behind the wheel.

4. Empower your teen to exercise

his or her rights as a passenger. Only44 percent of teens say they wouldspeak up if someone were driving in away that scared them. Remind yourteens they are just as vulnerable in anaccident as the driver, so they shouldspeak up if they feel unsafe.

5. Be prepared. Arm your teens withthe knowledge of what they should doif they do get into an accident. Mobileapps such as WreckCheck can helptake the guesswork out of a tense situ-ation, guiding users through a step-by-step process to create an accident

report. WreckCheck uses yourdevices location service, camera andaudio recorder to document all perti-

nent information about the incidentand provides tips on how to file andfollow up on a claim.

A Teen Driver Contract is a simple

way to keep your teen accountable. Itestablishes basic driving ground rulesand clearly lays out the consequencesassociated with driving privileges.The NAIC has developed an onlinetool to guide parents through buildinga customized Teen Driver Contract.Theres also a downloadable samplecontract to help get you started.

Educating yourself and your newdriver about the risks and insuranceimplications of unsafe driving cansave lives and money. As your teenbegins his or her journey on the road-

ways, take time to speak openly andcandidly about your expectations forbehind-the-wheel behavior.

Here are tips for avoiding deer collisions on Montana roads

Before your teenager hits the road, establish these simple guidelines


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Don't wait until it's too late. Now's the time to getyour vehicle ready for winter driving.

ENTERPRISE

t h e l i v i n g s t o n

Whether it's snow tires, a tune-up or a thorough check of your

car by a mechanic, don't put off having your car winter-ready any

longer. Check out the articles and the ads in this special section

for tips and then drive worry free this winter.

longer carry slim jims and can only direct people toa locksmith unless there is an emergency.

Unless there is something pressing like a childlocked in the car, we dont even respond (to those

calls), said Johnson. We advise them to contact alocksmith. In emergency cases, we do have someonerespond quickly.

Johnson said the department has had a number ofemergency calls with a child or dog locked in a car.

When a toddler or dog accidentally locks them-selves in the car, thats when people usually call us,said Johnson. Especially in the summertime whenit is hot, we get one of those calls once every coupleof months.

When those calls come in, the department stilltries to get a locksmith at the scene in a timely fash-ion, but if that cant happen, they will break a win-dow.

We dont even have slim jims anymore, so if anowner requests it, we would bust out a window,Johnson said. If we felt like a childs life was indanger, wed just do that anyhow if need be.

Locksmiths to the rescueEric Hogan runs B Street Keys in Livingston, one

of a handful of locksmiths in the area that canrespond to calls when people lock their keys in theircar.

Hogan has been a locksmith running B StreetKeys for over a year now following his apprentice-ship with the previous owner.

Hogan said he gets multiple calls a week.

During the summer and big vacation or travelingdays, I tend to get more calls because of the peopletraveling through, he said.

Often, Hogan gets called out to people who haverealized they locked their keys in their car whenthey return from a hike. People river floating alsobecome customers of Hogans.

During the summer, I get a lot of people whohave lost their keys doing floats, said Hogan.

Depending on the model and year of a car, makingan impression key is one method of unlockingtheir cars, he said.

This method involves cutting a blank key on siteand methodically shaping it until it fits the lock.

It really is very time consuming, Hogan said,and a lot of the time I just dont have the time. Its

just me. Im one guy, and normally I am jam-packedbusy. If someone needs a key impression right away,I usually send them to someone else.

Making an impression key can run between $100and $200, which is significantly more than if thedoors are simply opened with a lockout kit.

When Hogan goes on a call for someone who has

locked their keys in their car, he uses the kit ratherthan a simple slim jim.

The lockout kit includes four, slender, variouslyangled poles or rods that can be inserted into the cardoor, as well as a kind of air bladder.

First you use an air cushion to pump up the doorand get a crack in it, Hogan explained about how hemakes room to slide one of the poles in. Then Illstick the pole in and reach for the lock.

He continued, A lot of the newer cars, you canteven use a slim jim. They make them so the slim jimdoesnt do any good anymore, but most cars arepretty easy to unlock.

Hide-a-keyBoth the police and locksmiths like Hogan suggest

having an extra key that is not on the same key ringas your primary keys. Hogan said many people havea spare key, but never actually separate it fromtheir primary.

Along with keeping a secondary key at yourhouse, a magnetic hide-a-key somewhere on the caris also a viable option.

Johnson said he used a hide-a-key after lockinghimself out of his own car a number of times.

As long as a hide-a-key is in a hard-to access, veryhidden location, there is not much safety risk, John-son said.

Of course, other than spare keys at home or hide-a-key, the best protection is being careful andchecking twice before you lock your car door.

Locked out,from Page 5

During the summer

and big vacation or traveling

days, I tend to get more

calls because of the people

traveling through. Eric Hogan,

Locksmith at B Street Keys in Livingston


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2014 winter driving guide

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