Encouraged by the positive feedback from my earlier reviews, decided to write more on a subject close to my heart – automobiles and driving.
I would like to categorize this into different segments. Read on to find out more….
*City driving
*If you live in a city like Bangalore, then driving around town can be quite a harrowing experience. But then, you can’t avoid it, can you?
Make sure you use the seat belt at all times and encourage your passengers to do the same. Even though you can’t reach high speeds in the city, you can prevent some injuries to yourself and others in the car, if you are belted up
Avoid using the cell phone while driving. If you just can’t avoid it, pull over to the side, after making the right signals and then take the call. In my experience, using a hands-free unit does not really help much, as most of your concentration is still on the call.
Don’t switch lanes frantically. Trying to be a snake on the roads is not good for you and fellow road users. In genuine need, turn the appropriate blinkers on and then make the switch. One of the most popular bumper stickers a few years ago was “AC car – no hand signal”. In case your electrical system has failed, please use your hand instead. As the saying goes, hands were invented long before electrical blinkers!
Try to anticipate the traffic and other conditions ahead of you. Avoid sudden acceleration and braking. Concentrate on the road and not on beautiful women on road side hoardings! Keeping a steady speed ensures a longer life for your car and lower fuel consumption.
While stopping on inclined roads, use the hand brake. This will prevent your car from crashing into the one behind you. Use a method called “Half clutch” to move forward smoothly. This requires you to release the clutch slowly till the point you feel the car slightly moving forward. Release the hand brake slowly and then accelerate steadily.
If you’re going to be driving at night, make sure your head and tail lights are working. Head lights to provide you vision and tail / brake lights to indicate to the people behind you. Please ensure you stay on low beam, while in the city. Avoid installing high intensity bulbs as they can dazzle the oncoming drivers and is also a punishable offence.
Make sure you switch on at least your parking light, when it’s even slightly dark. I have seen drivers who refuse to switch on their head lights even at 7 PM. Do they have night vision or what? Unlike your home, you don’t have to pay a fee based on the time duration you use your lights:-)
While parking, please ensure you don’t park in front of someone’s gate or entrance. Also, don’t park too close to another vehicle. Allow enough space for that poor guy to exit the parking space.
“One for the road” is definitely not on and if you’ve had a drink or two, make sure you assign a sober person to drive you back home or take a rick / cab. It’s definitely much safer that way
*Driving in the rain
*The rains are about to set in and it’s time for a few prelim checks on your car. Make sure the wipers are working and clean the windscreen sufficiently. It is a good idea to change them every year, as they harden over time and can cause scratches to the windscreen.
Drive at a steady speed in the rain. Don’t try to splash water over other people. Trust me, it can be quite nasty and unpleasant. The braking efficiency is reduced in the rain. So, try to travel in a lower gear. If you need to drive over a puddle and are not sure of the depth of water, switch to 2nd gear, raise the throttle a little and steadily cross the water body. The idea is to keep the water from getting in through the exhaust, because if it does that, then your engine is going to die on you.
If you’ve rolled up your windows, it’s going to get foggy pretty quickly. If you have an AC in your car, switch it on and the fogging should disappear. In case you don’t have an AC, switch on the blower, turn the direction control to ‘Windscreen’(one with the wavy symbol) and set it to ‘Cold’. This should reduce the fogging.
Getting anti-rust under body coating is a good idea, if you live in a coastal area or where it rains heavily.
Getting the car washed regularly, especially the under side and near the mud guards will help in preventing rust.
Driving in ghat sections
My favorite destination would be the hills and I just HAD to write about driving there.
Before you head off, make sure the essentials like brakes, engine oil, head lights, coolant…etc are in place. A really useful accessory would be fog lamps.
One common rule would be to stay as far to the left as the road would allow you to and not to overtake at curves or blind corners.
While going uphill, switch to a lower gear before a hair pin bend. This will provide enough momentum and power to take you through the bend. Avoid traveling in a lower gear for an extended period, as it can lead to engine over heating.While going downhill, always remember that preference is for vehicles going uphill. Stop and allow buses and other heavy vehicles to pass through. Remember, it’s much more difficult to steer these vehicles and can be quite a task to move them from a stationary position, while going uphill.
Always go downhill in a lower gear. The engine will act as a decelerator and the strain on your brakes will be less. NEVER switch off your engine or travel in top gear while going downhill. Keep tapping the brakes and avoid keeping your foot on them all the time.
Well…this is a really long post and I hope you find it useful. I had a great time putting it together….Happy Driving!