WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1985 PAGE 13 On the Whitby beat By PETER BRAMMA Community Services Branch Durham Regional Police Force You are driving on a two lane, two way road and a tailgater inches up to your rear bumper. What do youdo? a) Slow down slightly and increase your following distance if there is a vehicle ahead of you. Slowing down will encourage the car behind to pass. b) Ignore the tailgater, since you are moving for- ward, not backward. c) Pump your brakes vigorously to teach the tailgater a lesson in safety. d) Don't worry, since only an experienced driver would attempt tailgating. e) Accelerate and maintain a faster speed, to create more space between you and the tailgater. The answer is at the end of the column. Let's look at one of the most common driving errors committed by drivers today: tailgating, more properly known as following too closely. When looking back at accidents I've investigated through the years the rear end collision has to be one of the most common. Although many were the result of not paying attention to the road ahead, following at a safe distance would have given an extra margin for error in which to have perhaps avoided the ac- cident. I guess the reason that tailgating is such a problem is because it's a judgement call. Drivers have to make up their own minds about what con- stitues a safe distance for the road and traffic con- ditions. How can a driver decide what is the "safe" distance? Read on. The method recommended by the Ministry of Transport is called the "Two Second Rule". Here's how it works: watch the vehicle travelling ahead of you. As the vehicle passes a check point such as a sign, street or post, begin counting in normally paced words, one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two. If it took less than two seconds for the front of your vehicle to reach the check point, you're too close. Two seconds is correct. If more than two seconds, then the safety factor increases. Use more than two seconds whenever the roads are in anything but per- fect condition. If you regularly use this method to check your following distance you will be a safer, more courteous driver. After ail, there's nothing more annoying than to have a driver tailgating you! Answer to the question: (a). Crime Round-up VandalbustersMakeFirst High School Appearance Whitby's celebrated recreation director tation, the town thanked Vandalbusters made Wayne DeVeau, will be theibrary, the police their first appearance at taking its message to aill fscholnf rthei s o rt a local school last week. of the town's grade schools for their support Through story telling, a three to eight students of the pilot project. puppet show and a film before the year end. What councillors presentation, the To celebrate the first didn't know was how en- students at E.A. Fair- week of the anti-van- thusiastically their man school got a strong dalism campaign, the parks and rec director dose of squad's anti- first of its kind n the has taken to visiting the vandalism message. area, Alexander and schools. The team, composed DeVeau presented the of Whitby assistant members of town coun- DeVeau cuts quite a librarian Joanne cil with Vandalbuster different figure rocking Alexander, Durham buttons and Robby Rac- to the strains of Ghost- Region police constable coon anti-vandalism busters in a schooi gym Peter Bramma and coioring books. than he does in the Whitby's parks and Fnliowing the presen- council chambers. Durham Board of Education trustees and employees will have the rates pald for kilometers travelled increased on Nov. 1. The rate paid per kilometer for travel to conventions and con- ferences will increase by 2 percent to 19.07 cents; for regular duties it will increase by 1.9 percent to 22.48 cents; and for main- tenance personnel carrying tools and equipment by .94 per- cent to 27.6 cents. The last increase was in July, 1983. Ladies' Curling The Whitby . Curling Club kicked off the ladies afternoon curlers 1985-86 season with a "get acquainted day" to introduce new members to each other. And what's an in- troduction without a lit- tle competition? First place rink was skipped by Ev Miller with San- dra Wood as vice, Shirley Sheppard as second and Janet Zim- merman at lead. Their winning score: 14 poin- A Whitby gas bar was robbed Saturday and $800 taken. McKee gas station at- tendant Tina Roberts was pumping gas when two males pulled a gun on her and demanded she hand over the cash in the station till. According to Durham Regional Police the hold-up occurred around 6 p.m. The suspects are described as white males, between 20-25 years of age. They were wearing faded blue jeans and black gloves at the time of the crime. Police say the gun- men fled the scene by car. The gas bar is located on Brock St. N. near the Third Con- cession. Two stores at a small Brock S. N. plaza were broken into Saturday and several hundred dollars worth of mer- chandise and cash stolen. The break-ins at Fan- tasticuts and Italian Style Pizza are believed to have occurred bet- ween 2 a.m. and 8:16 a.m. Saturday. The thieves broke into the businesses by twisting the lock cylin- ders off the front doors, said a spokesman for the Durham Regional Police. Approximately $230 in cash was removed from the hair salon and a calculator, Viking TV set, Sony cassette deck and $75 were taken from the pizza restaurant. Damage to Fantasticuts is estimated at $50 while damage to Italian Style Pizza is estimated at $650. The cash register in the latter business was dragged into the store's backroom and pried open by the thieves. Type writer RENTALS t also SALES & SERVICE Stop at Midas Mutler and Brake inspection. if your car needs Specialist. Hes specially trained Shops and we'Il perform a f ree. repairs. you'iI gel a professiorial on brakes. so you know when no obligation brake system brake job f rom a Midas Brake theyre f ixed, they're f ixed right. REAR DRUM FROM FREE INSPECTION AT PARTICIPATING S HERE'S WHAT WE'LI inspect your vehicle's1 system completely at n REAR DRUM • resurface your brake drums e instalil premium quality brake shoes MOST DOMESTIC CARS FRONT DISC FROM $795 MOST DOMESTIC CARS (semi-metallic pads extra) 5HOPS, FRONT DISC clean and repack front L DO.* resurface your brake rotors wheelbearngs brake • instail premium quality a replace front wheel bearing o charge. disc pads seals Midas disc brake pads and brake shoes are guaranteed for as long asyou own your car 'The cost of additions components and labour rqirdt. rooeake systm to Its prope option lyoad not authoute -G ie, .. - .th..to ddIbb.I1 bbe. b i bse, you wilt r bee r aton It ta. n- anted repacmen a . Iessordst bra- V.ds 1220 Dundas Street East WHITBY IL