jims-blog-world-blog

[jims-blog-world-blog]

Keep safe through out the winter

It is important to remain safe while driving during winter, as you have some challenging weather conditions where you can have everything from snowstorms to sunny dry winter roads and even slush. These can be some of the trickiest conditions to drive in. Slush can also cause the tires to lose contact with the road and cause slushplaning. Slushplaning happens when tires aren’t able to push all the wet snow from the surface and the tire loses contact with the road surface. In this case you are gliding on a layer of slush, which means you lose control of the vehicle. This can cause accidents and is a dangerous state to be in, in a similar way as hydroplaning on wet roads.

Driving with all season tires on snow and ice is also dangerous as they are not able to create sufficient grip on ice and snow and are not able to effectively prevent slushplaning. In addition to not having the correct tread pattern to deal with winter conditions, they also get hard when the temperature drops, as their rubber compound is optimized for warm temperatures. When the rubber is hard it can’t provide the same grip as they can on dry roads. This can be seen from their bad braking distance on ice and snow.

When winter arrives, you will need to have tires that are officially approved for winter use and they will carry the severe service emblem on the sidewall of the tire. This guarantees they have been approved for winter conditions. Although it sounds like all-season tires would include the winter season, they don’t and are not designed for handling winter conditions. Here you will need to select either a dedicated winter tire or all weather tires that are approved for winter use. Both options will provide your vehicle with sufficient safety to drive in winter conditions.

For dedicated winter tires you have both studded and non-studded tires. Studded tires are not allowed in all states or provinces, while non-studded tires can be used freely. They should still be complemented with all-season tires for the non-winter seasons. The choice between winter and all-weather tires is based on whether you winters that lasts a few months, then it is worth adding some extra safety in having proper dedicated winter tires. They do however require that you have them mounted on your vehicle before the winter weather arrives and that you have them on at the end of the season until the last winter spell has hit. It can easily happen that you get caught with the wrong tires on your vehicle and you need to get somewhere. If you have winter tires and you have summer conditions, it’s not as bad as having tires that aren’t approved for winter conditions when you have snow or ice. It is always recommended that you leave your vehicle behind and find alternative modes of transportation. That problem doesn’t exist when you use all-weather tires.

[jims-blog-world-blog]

De tre vanligaste däcktyperna

När du väljer däck är det viktigt att överväga faktorer såsom kvalitémärken och fast värde, men det är också grundläggande att välja rätt sorts däck för ditt fordon. Flera däcktyper kan passa alla sorters fordon och alla sorters körförhållanden.

Året-runt-däck

Året-runt-däck är allmänt använda och den mest populära däckvarianten som innehar S och T-hastighetsmätning. Sedaner och minibussar använder vanligtvis året-runt-däck som standard. Året-runt-däck är framtagna för att hantera de flesta förhållanden, från torr asfalt till vått väder eller måttlig mängd snö. Året-runt-däck kännetecknas av en bekväm och tyst åktur, pålitlig hantering likväl som en lång slitbanehållbarhet. Året-runt-däck är ett bra val för de flesta bilförare, förutom när vintrarna är allvarliga.

Vinterdäck

En slitbana med gripkanter för bättre hantering på både snö och is är vad som särskiljer vinterdäck från året-runt-däck. Vinterdäck är ofta framtagna med en mjukare gummiblandning som behåller sin flexibilitet i extremt kalla temperaturer. Vinterdäck är inte optimala för användning på rent vägunderlag (fritt från exempelvis snö eller is) då de tenderar att inte ha lika bra fäste som året-runt-däck och slits ut fortare. Vinterdäck bör användas under körning vid extremt kalla väderförhållanden.

Sommardäck

Förare som söker efter det huvudsakligt mest högpresterande däcket för milda klimat och årstider, kommer upptäcka att sommardäck erbjuder en prestandanivå som är snäppet över året-runt-däck. Sommardäck är, som namnet antyder, inte alls lämpade för att användas i snö eller is-förhållanden, utan erbjuder istället trygg hantering på torra eller våta vägar i milda temperaturer. Detta är på grund av att de mjukare gummiblandningarna som används i sommardäck, till skillnad från de i vinterdäck, blir hårdare i kallare temperaturer.

[jims-blog-world-blog]

Sjekking av dekkmønster og lufttrykk

Dekk er en investering i din sikkerhet og en viktig del av dette er å ha nok mønster. Å sjekke dekkmønster er enkelt da alle bildekk, lette lastebildekk og medium kommersielle dekk har mønsterindikatorer støpt inn i dekkmønsteret. Disse indikatorene er plassert på bunnen av mønsterfurer på flere steder rundt på dekket, og når dekkene er slitt, og disse indikatorene blir synlige på mønsterklossene ved siden av, er det på tide å bytte dekket.

Også, retningslinjer krever at dekkene på ditt kjøretøy må være i god stand med et mønster på minst 1,6mm over hele mønsteroverflaten.

Korrekt sommerdekk trykk

En av de viktigste stegene for å vedlikeholde sommerdekk, og oppnå lenger levetid på dekkene, er å fylle riktig lufttrykk på dem. For å få riktig avlesning av lufttrykket må de måles når de er kalde.

Tips for å vedlikeholde korrekt dekktrykk

• For å finne korrekt dekktrykk, vennligst referer til servicemanualen eller dekkleverandørens lufttrykksguide.

• Ikke sjekk lufttrykk når dekkene er varme.

• Ventilkjerner og ventilhetter bør skrus godt fast for å unngå lekkasjer.

• For hvert dekkpar bør dekkene ha likt lufttrykk.• Sjekk lufttrykkene i dekkene minst en gang i uka.

[jims-blog-world-blog]

Top tourist places in Italy during winter

Italy, a country located in Europe, experiences varied climate throughout year. Winter weather (December to February) in Italy ranges from relatively mild along the coasts of Sardinia, Sicily, and the southern mainland to very cold and snowy inland, especially in the northern mountains. ... For most of Italy, the highest rainfall occurs during November and December, so winter may not be as rainy as fall. Hence it is one of the most beloved destinations among tourists. No matter which area they visit. Here is a list of major tourist places in Italy during winter. Tourism is not so much at peak during winter season, but there are benefits of lean season here.

Venice, with clear, crisp and cold winter days, tops the list. Due to lesser crowd the air is much cleaner and you could enjoy Gondola ride, baroque architecture and food plus wine at great prices.

Palermo and Sicily are some hot cakes during winter being an island. Sicily experiences milder winter hence tourists throng here. Sicilian food is famous for home grown produces and great wine due to yearlong sun shine. Christmas markets and nativity add to the celebration flavour. These cities surely enthral you with its medieval charm.

Rome is much fun during winter with its snow capped cathedral domes and buildings. Owing to lesser tourists you could leisurely walk through the museums and cathedrals. Rome is not just about religious visit but it offers plethora of fashion shops. It is also a capital for art and craft items.

Talk about snow adventure and Turin crops up. This is a major winter sport attraction for adventure lovers. A particular highlight is the annual Luci d’Artista, a celebration of art through light, which sees the city lit up in many creative and imaginative ways. The city is also a food lover’s paradise with the original ‘Eatly’ store located here, showcasing the finest Italian produce.

Amalfi coast is ideal place for a road trip in winter. One must ensure the studded tires policy of traffic regulatory authorities in Italy is, one wishes to drive self. In most of European countries a car or SUV with SUV studded tires are banned as they corrode the asphalt. Coming back to Amalfi coast, this seaside coastal region is much quieter and serene during winter, so taking a road trip and soaking in coastal climate is ideal.

Tuscany completes the Italian winter backdrop. Its bright sunny countryside provides perfect holiday destination during winter. It is a place with numerous thermal water springs, where you could relax in a spa with snow covered vistas around you.

Naples winter is sunny and this place is famous for presepi (nativity scene). Enjoying crisp and bright winter at Naples during festive season is a great idea.

Italy is not just about Pizza and Rome but many other treasures that wait for tourists to visit and explore.

[jims-blog-world-blog]

Celebrate 125 years of auto racing

Quasquicentennial celebrations of auto racing are to end in two more months.  Mercedes team celebrated  the 125 years of motorsport  by revealing a unique "retro" half-white liver for their cars at German Grand Prix. It will be used to race by the current great race drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Botttas. It is one of the ways that Europeans celebrate the glory of auto sporting, which is part of their life

Auto racing before and after 1894

With the most magnificent invention wheel in ancient times and stream powered automobiles in 1769, auto racing was not far behind.  During the mid 18th century, auto racing was conducted as reliability trials to prove new machines are ready for transport. Racing was held in 1867 and 1887 in Paris, but the first official first motoring competition happened on July 22nd, 1894, from Paris to Rouen. All the 102 race drivers had to pay an entrance fee of 10 Franc to participate, unlike today when they are given millions to participate in car races.

Auto racing evolution

Formula one car's exhaust is hot enough to melt aluminum is the proof that auto racing has rapidly changed in the last 125 years. Now. F1 car hits up to four 4 Gs or gravity force, which is one more than the shuttle launches. It is the reason they are so high priced at 12.2 million dollars and increasing every year. Top race teams spend more than 400 million dollars to develop the cars for the race.  Also, auto racing has made Lewis Hamilton earn a whopping 31.2 million Euros.

Top teams of auto racing

Mercedes team set to win this year's F1 race is one of the top teams of auto racing in the world. Ferrari stands tall at second.  The other significant teams that are racing every year to give tough competition to Mercedes and Ferrari include Red Bull, Mc Laren, and many others. With hundreds of millions, every team is spending on F1 racing and others, are taking auto racing to new levels.  Also, technology has played a vital part in developing racing cars, which are fast and safe. They all contribute to the glory of auto racing not only in Europe but worldwide.

Top drivers of auto racing

In auto racing, the real craze is the drivers. From Fangio to Prost and Ayrton Senna to Michael Schumacher and Current favorite Hamilton are all household names in Europe. They are the brave hearts and idols for the Europeans and never stop talking about them. They are paid in millions for their daredevil driving, and it is only increasing every year. The F1 highest-ranked Hamilton with 78 wins, is only next to Schumacher and is paid around 31.2 million Euros, which is closely followed by Vettel, who makes 26.8 million Euros.

For those with racing dreams in Europe, first, it is safe to drive with winter tires or non-studded tires this winter.

[jims-blog-world-blog]

Behind the European Wheel: Rules of the road

In Europe, it is but obvious to be familiar with the rules of the road on top of having good driving skills. Summers are the best time to go for a vacation.  If you have an SUV, make sure that you have good quality SUV summer tyres for a heavenly ride. Below are my top tips for driving safely, and enjoyably, on European roads.

Passing:

Be careful in overtaking or passing another driver. On winding, narrow roads, the slower car ahead of you is likely to use turn-signal sign language to let the other drivers know when it's OK to pass. Do not follow everything consistently and blindly.

No Right when red

To turn right on red light is strictly forbidden across Europe unless you have a sign that specifies the same.

Speed limit

You will have cameras that will be monitoring the speed limits all the time. Make sure not to have any kind of accidental breach.

Driving with Kids

For kids under the age of three, have safety belts and for kids above three and less than 8, have booster speeds. You will not see kids under 12 riding without booster seats.

Drinking and Driving

The legal alcohol blood driving is lesser in the European Sub-continent is much lesser as compared to the United States. The DUI laws are dealt strictly and any violation, provoked or unprovoked is likely to draw the legal ire, with a strong likelihood of getting imprisoned.

Safety Rules

While driving on the European roads, refrain from using the mobile phone. Some European countries would be wanting you to keep your headlamps on, even in broad daylight. Reflective safety vest and other kits are also a mandate as per some laws. For e.g. if your car has summer tyres, they should be in a good condition and should not be susceptible to buckling.

Traffic planning

Make sure that you are aware about how the maps and navigation sites work. Get complete insight about any and every route that you vouch for.

Expressway tolls

While it’s free to drive on expressways, the likelihood of toll booths getting encountered is very much there. You may find some automatic, cashless tool systems but there is typically a toll-booth option to pay with cash or a card.  Make sure you have adequate cash or an active card to swipe through this

You may have to carry a permit sticker or a vignette flashing on your windshield. Make sure that you comply if it is an official mandate.  You can easily procure one at border crossings, gas stations, and post offices. If you do not have stickers, then there is a possibility of a fine getting levied upon you.

If you want to skip the express ways and instead prefer going by the secondary roads, you may not see a need of buying any sticker.  But again, get all the information confirmed from the horse’s mouth.

Urban Areas

Now a days, majority of the European cities have rolled out strong legislation's in reducing air toxicity and that is why if you are driving through these cities, you may be asked to park your car in the outskirts.  There are legislation regarding the CO2 emission levels that one needs to strictly obey (unlikely to be a problem with your rental car).

Attitude Adjustment

Once you’re behind the wheel, make sure that you are legally compliant to all the traffic rules and regulations. You should not take any kind of law in hand.  Driving in Europe will never be mundane but very memorable provided you act as a law abiding citizen.

[jims-blog-world-blog]

[jims-blog-world-blog]

There is no best place for watching the sunset over the Grand Canyon – just great places and even better places. Look for viewpoints in the national park that jut into the canyon for views both east and west, and plan to arrive as much as 90 minutes before sunset. Don’t rush off. Stay at least 10 minutes after the sunsets and is no longer illuminating the buttes and pinnacles of this Arizona landmark – the sky may light up red, pink or orange. Photo courtesy of Jacob W. Frank.

[jims-blog-world-blog]

Take a trip to Navagio Beach

Navagio Beach, or Shipwreck Beach as it is known, is undoubtedly the most famous beach in Greece, and home to the wreck of a ship that ran aground here in 1980. It is only accessible by water, but is definitely worth the trip to see the beautiful cove and spend time on it’s white sandy beach. 

Although you need to take your own amenities as there are no facilities… and the only little bit of shade you’ll find is in the shadow of the wreck. 

Got the travel bug? Discover more here.

[jims-blog-world-blog]

No matter what season, safety while driving gets top priority!

The world is divided into various climatic zones. The weather prevailing in a country leaves a long-lasting effect on people’s life style. Not just the life style but also many other factors such as food habit, clothing, usage of various man made commodities such as vehicles, houses etc. that are related to living in that particular climate zone that gets affected due to climate. Every commodity is manipulated or modified in order to suit to the needs of humans.

Vehicles also undergo multi-fold of changes to suit to the requirements and needs of people living in particular region. To cite an example of such change would be the car seats fixed in the frigid zones or temperate zones, where the summers are very mild but the winters are very harsh and severe. In order to make the driver comfortable immediately after starting the engine, the seat covers are equipped with heating pads, that heat up with the engine and make seating comfortable for the driver and others. Temperature control for cabin is also another important function in high summer or colder winter. All these are just some examples for making your journey comfortable, no matter what weather is prevailing. Taking you to your destination safely and comfortably also save your time is what the basic function of vehicles.

While they are performing their tasks, we too need to pay keen attention to the upkeep of engine and other components of your vehicle. Since vehicle is a machine wherein all the components are inter- related or interlinked, one damaged component can affect the performance of the vehicle drastically and adversely.

Wheels are a part of the exterior of your vehicle but these load carriers play vital role in gaining good mileage and reducing or increasing load on the engine. In many tropical countries, where summers are hot and winters are very mild, people prefer all season tires. They are made of hard rubber compound which offers long tread life. But they loose their traction during harsh winter due to hardening of rubber. Talking about treads on them, Germany has an interesting way of checking whether treads are at least 4 mm in depth. They run one Euro coin through the treads and if the golden edge of the coin is not seen then it is supposed to be good or else it requires a change.  A closed tread pattern on them is designed to push away mud and slush from the road during wet season.

Since the dawn of frequent road trips SUV all season tires in countries with milder and wet seasons have become very popular as they give the best result without having to worry about change over to suit to the seasons.

[jims-blog-world-blog]

Retirement Home: How to choose it?

Moving into a nursing home is an important, often painful decision because it affects emotional and financial issues. Before embarking on a research, often long and difficult, it is better to know what we are looking for.

Is it better to enter a nursing home when one is still in relatively good health, with perhaps a slight handicap or waiting to have reached the limits of independence? Each formula has its followers! In any case, it is better to establish from the start clear criteria of choice.

Staying at home or going to a retirement home?

It is up to everyone to ask what quality of life he/she wants. While home care is generally a priority, it is sometimes necessary to recognize that a dependent person is better cared for in a nursing home than at home. Especially as this solution does not rule out going back to spend few days or holidays with his children.

The important thing

It is essential to prepare, to take the time. If the initiative comes from the children, they should not jostle or pressure their parent. To leave his/her home, to leave behind those little things that made one’s life. We do not go to a retirement home as we go on vacation, even if we see a way to break up our loneliness, to be better helped, to be more secure in terms of medical care.

To envisage this possibility, sufficiently in advance, makes it possible to get used to the idea, to specify its choices. It is also true that, even if one does not want to say much anymore, waiting lists exist, especially for senior living homes whose reputation is excellent.

Know how to assess your health

This is one of the first criteria of choice. Old age is not a disease as such, but it imposes adaptation steps. In order to find the right home for retirement, it is important to evaluate your autonomy capital, or the evolution of a disability and, in this perspective, your attending physician can help you to take the decision.

The apprehension of the elderly is natural

What are we going to do with my furniture? Will my apartment, my house, be sold? How are the other residents? Who will take care of me? Will I get used to it, etc.? ? One cannot help thinking of the worst situations frequently.

However, after a certain period of adaptation in senior living communities, the majority will recognize that their quality of life has improved, some have become friends with other residents, others have found old acquaintances, and for many Life is more comfortable, cheerful than before. Some even say they have rejuvenated into a retirement home!

Retirement home: the choice of location

Proximity allows relatives to visit, as often as possible, the person concerned, who on his part may not wish to go too far from his former living environment.

Evaluate your budget

Knowing how much you can count allows you to make a realistic choice. A helping hand of the children is most often necessary.