All professional drivers know that flats and blowouts are part of their landscape. In the forth-coming articles many tire-related fundamentals will be dealt with. Each of these will try to contain an animated cartoon describing something related to tires that all drivers face everyday.

The purpose of this and the following animations is to visually say what would take me many pages to describe. So, and because I realize that your time is priceless I'm limiting the amount of text in each of these articles.

This particular animated cartoon basically describes the horror of drivers who are confronted with one of these beasts while on a night run. We all know that visibility is severely restricted at night. And, that no-matter how far up the road we extend our eyes they are stopped at the end of our headlights.

Most drivers have experienced whiteouts, intense rays of the sun, and dense fog or sheets of rain. But the night is especially tricky. We think we can see through this dense black soup. But we are only letting the darkness cloud our reasoning. Due to the pressures of time scheduling we often find ourselves trading or marginalizing safety by driving in this obscurity where even light treads cautiously.

The truth is - we can't see in the darkness of night. Furthermore, the road is not a safe environment no matter how careful we are, nor how many laws & rules are conjured-up. The speed limits say to slow down in adverse driving conditions. Well, how slow do we drive during the poverty of light and yet arrive on schedule? Obviously, experience and Lady Luck gets most of us, most of the time through this adverse driving condition.

Many of us travel by night due to scheduling and reduced traffic congestion. But, Nature's creatures don't always know or obey our rules and frequent these night-time corridors of commerce. Consequently, we disturb their nocturnal dinning habits. And, for those of us who have had misfortune to encounter these night dwellers know how difficult it is if not impossible to avoid a collision and it's our lunch that gets eaten.

In spite of all the well-known night hazards there are worse things to fear. These are the dark sinister nite-crawlers that blend with the road. I shudder to think what would happen if I were to run over one of these insidious road shadows. Should this unfortunate event take place, I can only hope that it won't throw me off the road or sever my fuel line. And, if I survive the initial embrace I still have to worry about it's claws and fangs ripping apart my airlines at 60 mph.

So, as these critters continue multiplying we can no longer pretend that these hideous beasts don't exist. Therefore, it's my intent to help reduce the number of terrifying confrontations with these monstrosities. Perhaps, if this information will help stop just one destructive collision, thereby saving a life or avoiding injury then I will have helped make our hwys a little safer. I realize that RoadGators will never become extinct, but it is my aim to get them listed as an endangered species.

To view a cute "Road Gators" animation click here.

It's your vehicle, your cargo, your road, your tires, your life and your profession, so stop relying upon luck and help make the road a little safer behind you.

I would appreciate any and all feedback, so write me about your experiences, ideas and concerns. Just email me: Joseph Cummins.

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Created: 02/01/2000
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