The White Falcon - 22.04.1983, Blaðsíða 11

Keflavik, Iceland SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT 11
Traveller’s Code
1. Please leave your camp or picnic site
as you would wish to find it.
2. Take all your litter with you for dispo-
sal in a bin; never drop or bury it.
3. Keep the water clean; others will be
using it after you.
4. Please do not damage vegetation or
disturb wildlife.
5. Do not cause damage to geological
formations.
6. Use common sense and caution in
lighting and controling fires.
7. Keep to the track when driving cross-
country and do not damage vegeta-
tion and terrain.
8. Do keep to marked footpaths when so
requested.
9. Please observe conservation rules and
heed wardens’ advice.
10. Always treat your surroundings with
respect.
The best advice for utilizing traffic circles in
Iceland is safely move into the inside lane,
unless you are exiting at the first exit.
River Crossing
1. Before attempting to cross any serious
river in Iceland seek advice from ex-
perts familiar with local conditions.
2. Never attempt to cross in small, low-
powered vehicles with poor electrical
systems.
3. Avoid crossing alone—without any
kind of assistance.
4. Never take for granted that tracks
leading to the river are safe to follow.
5. Bear in mind that currents frequently
change and can become dangerous in
a very short space of time.
6. Before crossing always check the
speed of the current and the condition
of the river bed. Do this by carefully
wading into the river.
7. The person checking should be wear-
ing a life jacket and/or some sort of
secure life-line.
Insurance available at three locations
By law, all vehicles on Iceland’s roads must
have a minimum of third-party liability insu-
rance. Comprehensive (collision) coverage is
optional and may be purchased separately. Auto
insurance is available at the two taxi stands and
attheU.S. banking facility on base. GEICO insu-
rance is also available through agents in Reykja-
vik.
The Icelandic insurance companies may be
able to provide substantial discounts if you can
provide written proof of a ‘no claim’ history and
discount from previous insurance companies.
All insurance policies in Iceland expire on Febru-
ary 28, regardless of when your policy was
issued. If a policy is purchased part way through
the insurance year, the premium will be pro-
Icelandic law requires other than regular snow
tires be used when driving in the winter months.
However, at any time of the year, individual axles
must be fitted with the same size and type of tire.
You are given several options as to what can
be used on ice and snow-covered roads. The
following options apply to all vehicles less than
7,726 pounds in weight: (a) Snow tires on all
wheels; (b) Chains on all wheels; (c) Studded
tires on all wheels (may be left on vehicles for
entire winter period); and (d) Studded tires on
the wheels of one axle, chains on the other two
wheels. It is not permitted to use two studded
tires alone, except in compliance with (d).
The only exception to the above options is
that local Icelandic authorities will recognize
Iceland is in a borderline region between the
temperate and arctic zones. Winters are mild,
though stormy, with the January temperature in
Reykjavik hovering around the freezing mark.
Add wind chill, however, and the equivalent
temperature on exposed skin on a windy day
can make walking outside uncomfortable.
Snowfall in the Keflavik area is generally slight
and confined to the winter months (late Novem-
ber through March). Winds tend to blow fallen
snow into drifts which can make driving a prob-
lem. Long periods of severe frost are uncom-
mon, owing to the warming influence of the sea.
And snow usually does not last long, frequent
rated for the remainder of that year. Normally,
only full payments are accepted at time of
renewal.
In the event of an accident, the Icelandic
Police and Naval Station Security (if on base)
should be notified. After investigating the acci-
dent scene, security personnel and the Icelandic
Police will complete a report, which could be a
decisive factor in determining liability in the
case. However, it is the responsibility of theparty
at fault to file the report with their insurance
company. If there is a doubt about who was at
fault, both parties should file a report.
If you sell your vehicle, the insurance remain-
ing is transferred to the buyer. So you may want
to include the insurance costs in the selling price
chains on the drive wheels of a car equipped
with summer treads as sufficient for ice/snow
covered roads. However, if you are involved in
an accident with your car so equipped, the legal-
ity of your car might be subject to local interpre-
tation by officials.
You may put chains on top of any kind of tire,
but they must be removed once the roads are
clear of ice and snow. Therefore, if you are using
option (d), you must also remove the studded
tires remaining on the vehicle or comply with
option (c)..
Citations for driving without the proper tires
are issued on and off base, and if you’re involved
in an accident with improper tires, the case will
go against you.
thaws clear the roads fairly quickly.
Summers tend to be quite cool—with an aver-
age temperature in Keflavik in the 60s. Hot days
in the upper 70s are rare near the coast, but more
common in sheltered inland areas.
Precipitation is high in all seasons, being the
heaviest on the southern slopes of mountains
and glaciers and lightest on the plateau north of
Vatnajokull glacier.
Gales are frequent, and winds change direc-
tion rapidly. The air is unusually pure, however,
so that even distant mountains appear close.
Whatever the weather situation, it can change
quickly.
of your car. When insurance policies are trans-
ferred, the insurance company must be notified.
You may cancel policies, but must allow for 90
days written notice to the insurer. If you ship
your car with you, insurance may be cancelled
and you will receive a pro-rated refund from date
of shipment.
WINTER DRIVING, from 10
ly off the front, back and side glass. Brush off the
top and hood of the car, so it won’t be dusting
back on your windshield and rear window.
Even with a fully winterized automobile, the
most important factor for safety during the win-
ter driving season is you—the driver behind the
wheel. When driving on snow- or ice-covered
roads, practice gentle acceleration, gentle break-
ing, and gentle maneuvering.
Go easy when you stop and allow yourself
plenty of room to begin stopping sooner than
you would on bare pavement. Remember to
brake gently, not hard. If your wheels do lock
and you start to slide, pump your brakes. This
allows the wheels to turn and provides some
steering control. If your car goes into a skid,
always turn the front wheels in the direction of
the skid while decreasing speed.
BOOKSELLERS, from 9
Another guideline would be public library lend-
ings. They appear to be climbing steadily. A
normal library statistic is they lend enough
books to supply each oftheirlocal communities
with between three to four titles per year.
In terms of quality it is hard to be objective. It
has been suggested by some critics that of the
approximately 600 titles published in Iceland
each year less than 100 are literary works, and of
these less than one-third have any notable liter-
ary quality—of which only one-half are Icelan-
dic in origin.
However, it also has to be pointed out Iceland
has a Nobel prize winner for literature, Halldor
Kiljan Laxness, many of whose books are avail-
able in English translations.
Organized travelling a good idea
If you’re somewhat leery of setting out on your
own, then maybe an organized tour is for you.
The Base Tour Office offers many trips around
Iceland during the summer months. There is
also a four-wheeler club on base. You need not
own one to belong!
All you need to know about tires
Weather summary:
Temperate, arctic zone convergence