Safety Tips

Breakdowns

Preventive maintenance reduces the chances of a breakdown. However, the possibility cannot be overruled. It is better to be prepared.

Carry an advance-warning triangle. It can be used to warn other road users if the car is obstructing the road. Place the triangle at a distance of fifty meters behind the vehicle. In case you don't possess a warning triangle hang a piece of red cloth on the car.

Road Accidents

1.    Stop your vehicle in the safest place - if possible, off the road.

2.    In case someone is injured, administer first aid. Call local help and rush the injured to the nearest hospital. The effort to save the life of an accident victim should be the top priority.

3.    Inform the police (no.100) as quickly as possible. It is important to give accurate details.

4.    Note down the registration numbers of the other vehicles involved.

5.    Inform the insurance company as per the rules.

Mechanical Failures

If the pedal brake suddenly gives way

6.    Pump the brake pedal fast and strongly many times to build pressure

7.    If there is an engine brake shift to a low gear.

8.    Use the handbrake (or e-brake) if the vehicle does not come under control.

9.    Activate the hazard lights and look out for a safe place to stop.

10.  In case of a puncture or blowout hold on to the steering wheel firmly. Draw the vehicle towards the corner of the road.

11.  Accelerator wire breakage may create sudden loss of acceleration. Do not brake suddenly. Draw the vehicle off the road

12.  If the hood of your vehicle suddenly flies up, slow down and stop. Draw the vehicle to the roadside.

13.  If you sense fire, switch off the ignition and draw the vehicle towards the side of the road. Switch on the hazard lights. Try to put out the fire by throwing sand onto it. If the fire grows, stay away from it – it could lead to an explosion. Try to find help as quickly as possible and warn others.

Driving On Wet Roads

Driving On Wet Roads

Each year, there are thousands of car accidents (some of them fatal) due to wet roads and poor driving conditions in the rain. Don't become a statistic. Here are some practical tips to help you know how to recognize dangerous conditions and drive safely when the road gets wet.
Why is Driving in the Rain So Risky?
As the road gets wet, oil and grime that have settled into the pavement rise to the surface. The road gets extremely slick and slippery, making it more difficult to get traction.
Slow Down
Your best thing you can do to prevent an accident on a slick road is to slow down. When you drive slowly, a greater amount of the tire's tread makes contact with the road, giving you better traction. Try to drive at a steady pace, and avoid jerky movements when braking, accelerating, or turning.
Keep a Safe Distance from the Car in Front of You
It takes up to three times longer to stop on a wet road than a dry one, even if your tires are designed for wet weather and are of good quality.  Remember:

• Don't trail closely behind other vehicles; three car-lengths is a safe distance to be behind a vehicle that's in front of you
• Be alert for brake lights ahead of you
• Always turn on your headlights so that other cars can see you
• Drive without the cruise control; it will help you to be more aware

What to Do if You Lose Control of Your Car
If your car starts to skid, try this: 

• Don't slam on the brakes
• Apply the brakes in a firm but steady manner
• Steer in the direction of the skid
• If your car has anti-lock brakes, apply more pressure to the brakes but do not pump them

If there is water on the road, you may be in danger of losing control of your car due to hydroplaning.  Hydroplaning occurs when your tires glide across the surface of the water on the road. If you start to hydroplane:

• Take your foot off the gas, but don't slam on the brakes
• If you have a manual transmission, push down on the clutch and let the car slow down on its own
• If you have automatic transmission, hold the steering wheel steady and lightly apply the brakes

Don't Drive if You're Tired or Distracted
Driving in wet weather requires extreme alertness, particularly at night. If you're tired, find a safe place to pull over and take a rest. Avoid distractions such as eating, drinking, talking on the phone, fiddling with the radio, or handing items to children in the back seat -- anything where you need to take one or both hands off the wheel.
Get Your Tires Checked
Driving with bad (or bald) tires can only make things worse.  Try this: 

• Check your tires regularly for tread wear; the treads should be at least 1/16 in depth to perform safely in the rain
• Have the air pressure checked at least once a month
• Have the mechanic rotate the tires as part of your routine maintenance to ensure even wear

If you live in an area with a lot of wet weather, consider investing in a tire that's specially designed for slicker road conditions

mileage tips

How to estimate car's mileage

"What is my car's mileage?" is a question that every car owner has on the brain, regardless of financial status or number of cars owned. When it comes to a car's mileage, the owner is curious. Estimating your car's mileage/fuel economy is simple if you know how to go about it. Even if you really don't care about your car's mileage, we suggest you estimate your car's mileage once in a while; it is a good indicator of your car's health. If your car's fuel consumption is considerably higher than normal, you can safely assume that all is not right with the engine and it might spell trouble for you in the near future. Another point of consideration is the environment - cars with bad fuel efficiency tend to pollute the environment more, and while we aren’t exactly tree-huggers, we believe that you shouldn’t harm the environment willfully.

Here is a simple way of estimating a car's mileage.

Full-to-Full:

1.    Go to the filling station and fill the fuel tank completely. Completely means up to the brim!

2.    As soon as you enter your car, note the odometer reading (kilometers done) before starting the engine. This reading is the starting point. If you have a tripmeter or two, you can reset it to read ‘zero.’

3.    Use your car as you usually do.

4.    Once your fuel gauge indicates a half- or quarter-full tank, visit a nearby filling station, preferably the same one you tanked up at the last time. This will help reduce the error.

5.    Note down the quantity of fuel it takes to fill the tank up to the brim.

6.    Note odometer reading once again. This is the end point.

7.    Now calculate average/mileage/fuel economy of your car as the difference between the starting and end points in km divided by the amount of fuel required to fill the tank up at the end point, in litres, OR average fuel consumption = (end point – starting point) / Fuel quantity

8.    Alternatively, divide the tripmeter’s reading by the number of litres of fuel required to top up the second time.

Note: You can carry out the same procedure once with the air-con on and a second time with it off, to calculate the effect the air-conditioner has on your car’s fuel consumption..

Tools

·         Check Used Car Valuation

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·         Know on-road price of any car

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·         Recommend me a car

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Qualities of a Trainer

FUEL ECONOMY TEST

Fuel economy of the vehicle

(It is measured by certain approved Govt. agencies)

All members of SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) must start showing fuel economy figure for all vehicles between 1^st January 2009 to 31st March 2009

u This ‘standard test condition’ is just like the Indian urban driving conditions

Additionally

u Test is done in a lab using a standard fuel

u Load of 2 persons and AC OFF

u Time is for 20 minutes with fixed gear and speed changes

What Is This Standard Test Condition?

a. Car is run on test-bed

b. Emissions collected

c. Gas analyser machine for

    measuring fuel mileage

“Who are the government certified agencies?”

•  The government has certified 3 agencies to conduct this test, namely
•  VRDE (Vehicles Research & Development Establishment) Ahmednagar
•  ICAT ( International Centre Of Automotive Technology) Manesar
•  ARAI ( Automotive Research Association Of India ) Pune