NLE — a haven for road huggers

It has been a while since I traveled through the North Luzon Expressway until last weekend and what I noticed Saturday evening may be one of the major causes for our economy’s snail’s pace growth.

What was glaringly visible was that traffic was being held considerably to an abnormally slow pace because of the proliferation of truck drivers who just didn’t know how to properly use the highways. Trucks were virtually hugging the innermost lane, which, basically should only be used for passing or overtaking slower vehicles.

Other motorists are having a very difficult time maneuvering past all these behemoth trucks that stay on the passing lane, not only causing so much delay, but also creating a very volatile situation that can only wait for an accident to happen.

What the NLEX management can do is apprehend these drivers that do not know or refuse to follow basic traffic rules and regulations, give them an hour’s seminar on the first offence, two hours of seminar on the second, three hours on the third and for the recidivist, cancellation of license or a total ban from using the NLE. A computer file complete with these apprehended drivers’ pictures (in the event that they have several licenses) can be created to keep tab of these violations and apprehensions.

What do you think of the idea, Mr. Ping de Jesus?

Fantastic fuel performance by the Hondas

The 3rd Leg of the Honda-Petron Xtra Amazing Fuel Eco Run went smoothly and for the participants very excitingly last weekend in Pangasinan. The goal of Honda Cars Philippines (HCPI) in organizing these series of "eco-runs" all over the country is to promote fuel economy awareness and demonstrate the Honda i-DSI engine’s excellent fuel consumption.

This particular leg organized through the help of the Honda Cars Pangasinan Dealership was a more than 50 kilometer run on concrete and asphalt roads that started in Lucao in Dagupan City and ended in Lucap, Alaminos City.

The event was open to 1.3 Honda City and 1.3 Honda Jazz owners with a minimum of two participants per car composing of at least the driver and navigator.

The HCPI group came in full force headed by Arnel Doria, deputy head for marketing with Tintin Reyes, Sheryl delos Santos, Art Briones and Albert Teneros to name some. HCPI president Takashi Sekiguchi was also scheduled to grace the dual-event but political events last Friday prevented Sekiguchi-san from making the trip. It was actually a dual event because aside from the eco-run, Saturday, February 25 was also the 13th anniversary of the Honda Pangasinan Dealership that’s headed by Herman Chong, president and general manager and executive vice president Melchor Co.

Our TV production staff that covered the event also took the opportunity to accept the invitation from Honda Cars Philippines to tape an episode of Auto Focus, the premier motor show on Philippine television that centers solely on the automobile and the automotive industry. We did the show right at the showroom and lounge of Honda Cars Pangasinan, the anniversary celebrant with interviews with the dealership’s top guns, brothers Herman and Melchor.

Browsing through the fantastic results of the fuel run, what really caught my attention was the outstanding fuel performance of 37.1 kilometers per liter registered by the winning team of Michael and Mary Grace Asuncion in the Jazz Automatic category. The winners in the Jazz Manual category, Manuel Serafica and Raul Carunungan, themselves registered amazing figures like 32.2 kilometers to a liter but this virtually made a myth out of the common notion that automatics consume more fuel than those with manual transmission.

The difference in fuel performance in the City’s Automatic and the Manual was not that dramatic but no less still fantastic and amazing with the Manual category being toped by the team of Ronald Geronimo and Hubert Sy Tu with 32.1 kilometers per liter while in the Automatic category the tandem of Red Erfe Mejia and Tintin Canillas came first with a 31.3 kilometers per liter performance. All winning teams became P10,000 richer after the awarding ceremonies held at the Don Gonzalo Montemayor Wharf overlooking the very beautiful world-renowned Hundred Islands of Alaminos.

Next stop for the Honda-Petron Xtra Amazing Fuel Eco Run is Cebu to be followed by Davao. Well, Honda Cars Philippines indeed has those fuel-misers in their hands — might as well flaunt them.

A new Jaguar free!

Do you know that you can win for yourself a brand new Jaguar X-Type 2-liter V6 for free? But then there are three main requirements — first, you have to be a golfer, second, you have to be invited to the 7th Jaguar/Land Rover Golf Invitational and third, you have to make a "hole-in-one" during the tourney.

The prestigious yearly event that’s extended exclusively to Jaguar and Land Rover owners and a select and limited number of VIP guests is scheduled at the Sta. Elena Golf Club in Sta. Rosa, Laguna on March 15-17, 2006.

Thanks for the invite Willy but I guess I’ll have to say pass this time, maybe next year. I wish you all the luck in your event Mr. Soong.

Pit Lane Notes

Wow, what a monumental slip! And I wish to thank the following kindhearted people, namely, Annaise Nadine Fragante, Paul Dimerin, Rod C. Silvestre, Stevenson Uy and motoring peer James Deakin — Formula One fans all — for pointing out an error in last week’s "Pit Lane Notes" regarding the new names of F1 teams.

This is no excuse (because there can never be an excuse for someone like me who’s been in this business for so long) but I guess I just need to tell you what happened. Having been under the weather for a long time, to the extent of being confined due to some misplaced stones in my body, I decided to get myself a researcher for all my scripts and articles to get some load off my back, at least for a while and unfortunately this big confusion came up. But my poor researcher was swearing by his late grandmother’s name that he got the info from a very well known website and of an international TV network at that. Again, no excuses but I guess I just have to do all my research by myself again.

And to set the record straight — the former Minardi Team is now called Squadra Torro Rosso while the former Jordan Team is now Midland F1. Sorry guys, and thanks.

Text your vote for your favorite auto or moto

Aside from voting through the internet or online you can now also vote for your favorite automobile or motorcycle to determine the Petron Xtra Unleaded 2006 Auto Focus Automobile & Motorcycle of the Year — People’s Choice, via SMS or text by just texting Auto Focus to 622 for Smart subscribers. Globe and Sun subscribers may please wait for further announcements on where to text your votes.

If you wish to know which models are leading in the polls, all you have to do is to log on www.autofocus.com.ph where you can also cast your vote for your favorite automobile in each category or motorcycle.

The next Grand Display days where all the current models of automobiles in the country may be seen real up close or where you can also even test drive or ride them will be on April 22, 23, 29 and 30. These are the last two weekends of April at the Central Gateway of Fort Bonifacio.

Motoring Tip of the Week

Tire care is part of a vehicle owner’s safety routine. It is a must that you regularly check the condition of your tires to determine their road worthiness.

You should always make sure that your tires are properly inflated. Tires that are either over or under inflated are not safe to use. Either way they also wear off easily. You should also ask your driver or by yourself check your tires for gravel or any debris that you may have picked up on the road that may be stuck in between the treads of your tires. Just take them out for they will not do your tires any good.

Now while you’re at it, you might as well also check if your reserve tire has any air on it. It can be an unwelcome surprise to find that out that you are about to change a flat tire with another flat tire. This week’s Auto Focus, the weekly automobile show, which airs Friday evening at 10 o’clock, will have a feature-to-feature comparison of the newly launched Mitsubishi Galant and the Honda Accord V6 on the segment Head-to-Head. We shall put on the spotlight one of the fastest-selling compact SUVs currently the all-new Toyota RAV4 and an equally in demand midsize SUV, the Mitsubishi Montero Sport as our Auto Features of the week. Automobile enthusiasts would be treated to a very interesting and informative feature spotlighting the "Toyota Mobilitas", a driving school where they offer safety skills courses for beginners and even experienced drivers located at the Fuji Speedway in Japan. Actually, these were the features lined up for last week but unfortunately, we were not aired because we had to give way to a broadcast of national interest.

On Motoring Today, the pioneer and longest-running motoring program on Philippine television that airs Sunday mornings at 11:30 we shall have a second look at the highlights of the exciting 2005 Monaco F1 Grand Prix plus a full account of the Early Warning Seminar conducted just recently by SPMJ, Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists at the Diliman Prep School in Fairview, Quezon City, one of the schools adopted by Toyota Motor Philippines where the basics of road safety would be taught.

Both developmental television programs are broadcast over Channel 4 Manila and nationwide via satellite on the National Broadcasting Network.

Happy Motoring!!!

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