The Driver's Seat: Five Automotive Resolutions for 2012

[AF News Desk]

The Driver’s Seat:
Five Automotive Resolutions for 2012
Who says resolutions for the New Year can’t be related to cars?

Jonathan Swigart - AutomotiveForums.com
Jan. 7, 2011

Now that it’s the New Year, you can finally get back to the gym – per your New Year’s resolution.

Of course, you’re more likely to be attacked by a shark than keep that resolution, so let’s just forget we mentioned it and talk about resolutions you might actually keep.

To be honest, these are actually resolutions I’ve made for myself this year, each of them related to the world of automotive and how I approach it. Don’t worry – I have no way of finding out that you thought they were so good you used them as your own, so before I get started, I’ll just say it: You’re welcome.

Resolution No. 1: Talk to myself (and other drivers) less while driving.

You may be familiar with this habit as someone who engages in it or someone who has witnessed it. For those of you who DO engage in this, I feel your pain. I know - it’s really annoying when people cut you off without signaling and proceed to go under the speed limit. I also realize how incredibly frustrating it is to be tailgated through traffic like you’re towing the person behind you. And yes, it does bother me a little bit when people speed up as you are passing them.

However, we all need to keep this in mind (my wife reminds me of this frequently): They can’t hear us. At all. While we’re colorfully explaining to them (and mostly ourselves) how stupid they are, they’re moving along with no idea how much we wish they would simply veer off the road and disappear from our view.

That said, I’m going to make an honest attempt to think out-loud less – much to my wife’s delight, I’m sure. The question then becomes what I should tab as the over/under on when I get a nervous tick due to suppressed rage.

Resolution No. 2: Drive my car less aggressively.

Since I started driving, I’ve always been an aggressive driver. Part of that I can blame on my dad (I don’t blame much on my parents, so I think this one is ok) while the other part stems from my desire to have the shortest commute possible. Fortunately for everyone else on the road, I’m not the pushy kind of aggressive driver that tailgates you until you move so I can go 20 mph faster than everyone else. I am, however, someone who will try to find ways to move through traffic. It’s not quite weaving in and out of traffic, but it’s close.

Anyway, my point is, I don’t want to be “that guy;” the one who seems like he’s in a huge rush all the time. Maybe you’re like me and are thinking I’ve gone soft. That’s fine, but trust me when I say, I’d rather be less stressed about getting to my destination and end up a couple minutes late than risk putting myself in a precarious situation to save what amounts to seconds on my commute.

Resolution No. 3: I will clean my car more.

My car is a mess.

And not just any mess. It’s a “I live in an apartment with two other dudes who carpool with me and eat on the way to work” mess. The problem with this is, I’m a married with an 8-month-old son that has yet to discover the joys of trashing everything he sees.

I do clean my car… on occasion. That occasion is usually “someone is going to be riding with us,” or… actually, that’s about it.

Don’t get me wrong – I care that my car is clean, but I simply don’t have the time to take an hour and clean it out. That’s where the resolution comes in: I’m going to try and MAKE time, lest my car somehow becomes sentient and decides to strike on me due to wrappers on the floorboards.

What’s more is, I honestly owe it to myself and my car to keep it clean anyway. It’s been a good car for me and I feel like I should be returning the favor as a grateful owner. If you’re like me and have had problems in this area, maybe you can start making more time to clean your car too. Even if it does move from once a year to twice a year.

Resolution No. 4: I will make a greater effort to be involved in motorsports.

Despite writing about cars and generally enjoying them, I must confess: I’ve never been big on motorsports.

Now that you’re done shaking your finger at me and gasping in shock, the only reason I can think of for this is my lack of a real attention span for most of my short 26 years. There has usually been something else going on and by the time I get to hearing about what’s happening with Formula 1 or Nascar or SCCA or the various other racing circuits out there, the season is either over or it’s to a point where getting into it would be pointless.

However, no longer will I sit idly by as my friends talk about how Sebastian Vettel is a beast while I look at them and ask “oh, did he win something?”

That was an example by the way. I’m not so daft that I don’t know who Vettel is and how dominant Red Bull Racing is.

But you get the point. I want to be able to “talk shop,” and not feel like that guy who saw one F1 race and now thinks he knows everything about it (you know the guy I’m talking about).

Resolution No. 5: I will work on my own cars more.

It's one thing to be knowledgeable about cars and the auto industry, but it's another thing entirely to turn a wrench and do it well.

While I know how to do some basic maintenance on my own cars, I feel like I should know how to do more, considering my father might as well be able to do a transmission job in his sleep. He's had more years of practice than I have years of life, but that's ok. I want to be able to rely more on my own ability when it comes to my cars. It may not extend to certain areas, but the current selection is pretty small.

The primary reason for this isn't to say that I do work on my own cars , but as a cost saving measure. Based on things I've seen and heard from friends, you can save a great deal of money if you invest the time in your own skills and seek out parts instead of paying a mechanic $80 an hour to do the same work (not to mention the cost of parts).

* * *

Like all resolutions, the aforementioned points are going to require me to hold myself responsible for getting them done. Most people who make a resolution – a staggering 85 percent – don't actually keep their resolutions.

Fortunately, we have five of them listed above, so our odds of keeping to at least one of them look pretty good.

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Jonathan Swigart is an award-winning journalist and has been around the automotive world his entire life. "The Driver’s Seat" will explore some of the basic aspects of driving that drivers often overlook, among other topics related to driving and the auto industry. He lives in Champaign, Illinois with his wife and son and works at the University of Illinois.

You can reach Jonathan by emailing [email protected]

[MagicRat]

Fine list. However, don't beat yourself up about #4. If you have not been particularly interested in motorsports yet, chances are you never will simply because it does little for you. For most of us, family, work, home and other responsibilities take precedence, leaving precious little free time. So why not fill that time with stuff you really enjoy instead of relying on a resolution?

I have been a huge automotive enthusiast for 40 years, since I was a toddler. I tried to get interested in racing, but I realised at the professional level it is simply a business. Sponsorship, advertising, media coverage and fake, manufactured drama all have been created simply to get you, me and other fans to spend our money on stuff.

Frankly, I have no interest in being advertised to or manipulated to spend money, so I pretty much ignore all professional sports. I am not criticizing pro sports at all. I am happy that others like it, but it just is not for me.

Amateur racing is altogether different. I have 100% respect for the little guys who scrimp, save and work hard to go racing for the sheer joy of it.

[jus blaze]

Great list. My only difference is to #1. I make #1 a game. I see how many exits I can go before I run into a slow driver in the left lane or when the first person comes by playing pinball with their car (usually 5 to 10 exits). My #6 would be to chat more often with car enthusiasts.
P.S. To the Mods, Staff and Members, Thanks and Have a Happy New Year!!!

[-Josh-]

My only resolution is to get back into the performance car scene this year with another STi, i've been out of the game to long!

[travisbeach]

All good resolutions. My big resolution is to get out of debt. If you live in the Sacramento area you should check out Sacramento Car Title Loans as they don't don't discriminate against people with bad credit.