Re: Driving Guide : Rules, Tips, Etiquette & Common Mistakes To Avoid Long drives are always the heartbeat of any TBHpian. The wind in your face and the exhilaration that your machine provides you is way so different than that of a city drive. But with all things, a little planning can make all the difference. Most of this is my experience and I know most of this is already stuff you’ll know as well, but when you read it once more it will click. Exteriors:
1. Know the blind spots of your car. Incase you are exchanging wheels, familiarize yourself with the car before the journey and also ensure all original papers are with you at the time of the journey.
2. Check for loose fittings, suspension noises and get them fixed before your journey. The last thing you want is a pit stop ( for any reason)
3. Always drive with both your mirrors open, do not attempt to drive without them. They can seriously warn you of blind spots. If possible, use a convex strip attached to your mirrors. I cannot emphazise this point enough. Even during the recent trip to Palakkad, I saw countless folks driving with their mirrors shut at 120-140kmph. Please do not be a statistic. Tyres:
1. Ensure that the tyres are inflated to the manufacturer’s specs. Under inflation reduces fuel economy, makes the engine struggle and your tyres become possible candidates for a puncture. I have experienced this on my bike.
2. Keep safety equipment ready. Ensure the spare tyre is also inflated correctly.
3. Rotate the tyres so that all of them get to wear out evenly a few days before you start the drive.
4. Take a break every 2 hours. It not only relaxes all of you, but also gives a breather to your tyres and the engine. Suspension:
1. This is by far one area not many people take into account. We dutifully top up coolant, fuel etc etc, but leave this aspect.
2. Days prior to the trip, take the car out, listen to the suspension. Watch out for any creaky noises, undercarriage sounds.
3. Check the joints, drive shafts, linkages and correct issues even if they are minor. You are not going to be driving at 40 or 50kmph, or driving in city. The load factor on a car is more as it has to tackle winds, additional load of baggage’s, fuel etc. Brakes:
1. Ensure you have the correct level of fluid. Keep a can of brake and oil separately. Check the pads before the drive. Ensure the lines are cleaned and flushed regularly.
2. Also check for the correct tyre pressure, they have an adverse effect on braking. Use engine braking sensibly. That one move increases your brake pad’s life. Electricals:
1. Ensure the most important items are thoroughly checked, they are: headlamps, parking lamps, tail lights, flashers and indicators, horn and the hazard lamps.
2. It’s a good idea not to mess with the system’s electricals such that they fail at an unfortunate time.
3. Ensure that you headlamps give you adequate cover during nights and also when cornering.
4. Do not drive in high beam all the time. The factory fitted lamp housing is made to accept only a certain temperature. Most of the cars that have a relay fixed to increase brightness will soon have their headlamp glass and the inside reflector coating changed due to the increase in temperature. Secondly, it’s just dazzling and blinding light to the oncoming vehicle which could either stun the driver and momentarily confuse the hell out of him – which is not good for both of you. Interiors:
1. Take adequate water if you are travelling during summer. Keep tissues, and a first aid box handy. Also have a fire extinguisher handy, you’ll never know when you need that assistance.
2. Ensure all doors lock and unlock properly, seatbelts are fine, and have your visibility in your rear view mirror unobstructed. Normally things pile up at the rear seat and can hamper visibility, you don’t want this to occur when you are cruising at 80-100kmph
3. Ensure you have toll change in your hand before you reach the toll and not to look out for change at the plaza. Respect other drivers and families. They may need that extra minute or second.
4. If hunger pangs strike, pull over, finish your meal, clean up and then continue when you are fit. Incase you need a nap, please take it and continue. Even 10 minutes of solid, undisturbed sleep will recharge you.
5. It’s always better to have you driving pod and it’s immediate space (the dashboard, the area around the clock display on the dash, and surrounding areas) clean, such that nothing interferes with your vision and decision making abilities. Remove anything that can hamper with this function.
6. Ensure all passengers are seat-belted for their safety.
7. Rotate the drive with a co-passenger if you have one. This enables you to rest as well on long drives.
8. Do not overload the car. Ensure there is proper weight distribution when you pack your things into the car. This has a direct impact on the tyres.
9. Start early enough, depending on local traffic conditions. Plan reverse, and if possible avoid night driving. This way you can reach your destination safe and sound and with time to spare.
10. While planning, also take into account a lot of things can go awry – so have buffer time as well. The Drive:
1. Plan your itenary correctly, so that breakfast, lunches are all on time (incase you have folks who need them at the right time)
2. Start slowly, give way to folks when asked for. We may never know their need. Be courteous always.
3. Drive at an optimum speed , with gear changes at the appropriate RPMs. I, as a rule change gears for every 10 km increase in speed. So by 50kmph I am at the top gear and continue like that.
4. The ECU learns how you drive, so if you are aggressive the ECU will give you that edge, at the cost of fuel economy (cuz it assumes you will be flooring it the next second). I have seen this on the Getz. Drive with a light foot at a constant speed. This increases mileage and helps the ECU rationalize fuel supply.
5. More over driving at a constant speed also ensures that other folks who are in front or behind you know and can gauge your trajectory – meaning they won’t be suddenly surprised. Imagine if there’s a surprise at 90kmph.
6. Overtake with caution, use your indicators wisely and always!!!, I can’t stress this enough. I have seen folks do this without any respect or concern for the traffic around them. Honk when it’s necessary and when you are in doubt.
7. Overtake only when you have the proper way and do it fast. Please do not hesitate in the path. Give proper intimation to the folks of the car you wish to overtake, do the job quickly and continue. For all you know, the car in front would want to also overtake a slower car that was up in front and they would have just let you do it before them.
8. Never overtake on a curve unless you have a way to find out there’s nothing else on the approach path. The section between Ulundurpet and Salem has a lot of 4 way stretches becoming 2 way – without warning.
9. Do not take risks. Taking a risk at speeds over 90kmph is taming death or an accident.
10. Do not drive rashly. This not only makes you a statistic but also instigates other drivers to do so.
11. Should you need to drive in the night (before 12 PM), ensure you drive with low beam. I have seen 100% of all cars with high beams and clocking more than 140 kmph during my drive to Palakkad last month. Please do not follow the crowd. We are members of Team BHP and we have to live up to that name.
12. Respect the car you drive. Do not try stunts or over exert the engine. There’s always a power band in which the maximum power can be extracted for every car without straining the engine or the mechanicals. Also remember, as you inch towards triple digit speeds on smaller cars, your reserve power diminishes. This will also pose a problem if you are competing with fast cars on either lane. Always have reserve power –incase you need to make that jump.
13. Above all this, remember anything can happen anytime. To cite an incident, I was traveling at 100kmph to Vellore, on the return as I switched on the AC, I only got hot air – all through. When I reached Chennai, I found out there was no gas. It all leaked out. Since I was doing 100 kmph, minute stones that get kicked up as turbulence hit against the condenser and punctured it.
14. If the weather is nice and not sunny, refrain from using the AC. That will add to your mileage, give your extra power when you need it.
15. ABS – ABS is a helpful tool, it is not a catalyst to let you drive faster and still give you 100% confident braking. It’s only a technology that adjusts your braking force among all 4 wheels in such a way that they never lock up. Once they lock up, you’ve lost grip. That’s the only thing that keeps your vehicle on the road.
So long, happy driving folks….
Trumpet! |