Ford Driving Skills for Life imparts some valuable lessons

FORD Philippines and Tuason Racing School will bring the Ford Driving Skills for Life program to various dealerships around the country.

Ford Philippines has been a proponent of driving safety through numerous corporate initiatives. One of these is the ongoing Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) program. The Ford program, conducted in cooperation with Tuason Racing School, aims to teach or reteach important lessons in driving safety via a classroom-type seminar and practical driving sessions.

Now on its sixth year, DSFL aims to educate more than 500 licensed drivers. A global program, DSFL has registered more than 20,000 licensed drivers as participants in the Philippines. Free of charge, the training imparts lessons in driving safely and efficiently. We attended the DSFL program last week and, although we thought of ourselves as a seen-it-all-on-the-road veteran driver, we found some reminders quite useful.

Safety lessons:

1. Before driving off, check your tire pressure and check under the car for fluid leaks. Anything other than clear water (dripping from the aircon) is an indication of potential mechanical trouble.

2. Set the correct seat position where pedals and switches are in reach, and not too close to the steering wheel. Adjust the mirrors, too.

3. Wear your seat belt each and every time, including when in the back seat. This is the best life-saving device of your car, especially when you are in the back seat.

MORE than 40 participants in the latest round of the Ford Driving Skills for Life campaign learn safety lessons that can help them avoid accidents.

4. Maintain tires by inflating properly and rotating every 10,000 kilometers (or according to the manual). Cracks and bulges on the sidewalls or tread and chunking of the tread indicate a need to replace the tires. Replace in pairs (both front or both rear) or in complete sets

5. Children must sit in the back, in proper safety seats. Use a rear-facing infant seat, front-facing child seat or booster seat as appropriate.

6. Pets should also be fitted with a proper restraint, and must stay in the boot or back seat.

7. Control your speed on the road. An impact at 80 kilometers per hour is 20 times more likely to kill the car occupants than a crash at 30 kph.

8. Keep a safe distance from the car in front. Follow the three-second rule. Pick a stationary object—sign or lamppost—and start counting the number of seconds after the car in front passes it. You should reach the same object after three seconds.

For rainy days or at night, count to six; and in heavy rain or thick fog, count to nine.

9. Don’t give in to distractions. A car at 45 kph travels more than two car lengths every second. Looking at your phone while driving makes you four times more likely to crash.

10. Never drink and drive. Driving impairs reaction time and judgment. It reduces vision and creates a sense of overconfidence.

THE FORD Focus is the vehicle of choice for the practical lessons component of the Driving Skills for Life safety campaign.

11. Don’t drive tired. Take a 15-minute break for every 2 hours of driving. (Too bad if you’re on Edsa.)

12. Be a calm and considerate driver. Don’t lose your temper or assume that the other driver will stop for you.

13. One tip that caught a lot of drivers by surprise: Don’t use your hazard lights during a downpour. Turn on your headlights (on low beam) instead.

Ford is encouraging drivers to participate in the “I Pledge to Drive Safe” by going to the Ford Philippines Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/FordPhilippines) and taking the “pledge” found on the campaign tab.