Question: My wife and I both drive a good distance to our jobs every day, and the cost of gas is really taking a toll on our household budget. I have suggested that whenever possible, she should leave the car air conditioning off and just roll down her windows, as I do, since the air conditioner eats gas. She has not been willing to try this, which I believe might be related to hairstyle concerns. I think the added gas savings would be worth a few out-of-place hairs. Can you give her some encouragement on this issue?
— Delbert Watson, Corona
Answer: I'm afraid I'm going to have to side with your spouse on this one, Delbert, but not because of the potential for mussed hair or even because of other potentially more disturbing hygienic consequences. The truth is that them air conditioning compressor does pull power from the engine, which uses some gas, but the effect is actually quite minimal in today's more modern cars. On the other hand, driving with your windows down at high speeds can create aerodynamic drag, which causes your car to burn more fuel.
Question: In my daily commute, I drive a motorcycle, and there are three traffic lights on my route with in-road sensors that do not notice my bike, and therefore will not change. Must I wait for a car to arrive to trip the sensor? Sometimes I can sit and wait over 10 minutes. Should I make a right turn, followed by a U-turn? Or can I just wait a few moments, and if traffic is clear, run the light?
— Toma Agee, Chino
Answer: This has always been a tough problem for motorcyclists, Toma. While making turns to avoid the signal is always an option, running the light should never be considered. The sensors in the road are essentially metal detectors. Since the largest portion of inductive metal on most bikes is upright, the sensors often do not pick up the bike's presence. If you have already tried putting the part of your bike with the most metal over the sensor, touching your kickstand down briefly to the sensor for metal-to-metal contact, and rolling your bike back and forth over the pad, you may want to consider purchasing a small device you can install called a Green Light Trigger. The device, which costs less than $25, simulates the arrival of a larger vehicle by sending out a wide magnetic field under your bike.
Question: I am not originally from California, so I do not understand why cars merging onto the freeway do not fall in behind the line of cars they are merging into. Instead, they will pass everyone on the right and force all the cars to brake as they squeeze in at the last possible second. So many people do this, I was wondering – is this taught in California's driver's training or something?
— Pamela Rivard
Answer: I'm afraid there is no requirement in California to pass the learning module "Rude and Aggressive Driving 101." You have to give each individual that drives like this credit for being self-taught.
Michelle Groh-Gordy is the owner of InterActive! Traffic School Online atwww.trafficinteractive.com , and writes a syndicated weekly column on driving for the publications of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group.
