Dad and mom, be trustworthy, have you ever ever struggled along with your baby’s homework? I don’t have children, however I’m fairly assured. Assured that I’ll pull out the entire remaining hair on my head for those who give me a sheet of highschool maths. It shouldn’t be that means, proper? We all know what it’s, we’ve studied it earlier than, and a few may need even scored As within the topic again within the day.
Buddies, it’s all about observe. Identical to in sports activities, you may’t simply present up after a few years away and curl one into the highest nook or hit a one-handed backhand winner such as you by no means left.
It’s the identical with driving. Whereas we drive on a regular basis, it’s not typically that we get right into a state of affairs that’s near the automobile’s (and our personal) limits. Many drivers haven’t even been in such conditions earlier than – we’re taking a few automobile’s most braking energy and the sting of traction. It has been a few years since I participated in a driving course and pushed a automobile to its limits in a secure, managed atmosphere, so again to highschool it was.
Final month, Volvo Automotive Malaysia (VCM) hosted its first-ever Security Driving Expertise to cap its ‘For Life’ marketing campaign at KL’s Sungai Besi airfield. The marketing campaign highlights the a long time of security improvements by the Swedish carmaker, which have most likely saved tens of millions of lives.
Notable firsts embrace the three-point security belt (1959), the rearward-facing baby seat (1972), booster cushion for youths (1978), side-impact airbags (1994), aspect curtain airbags (1998), blind spot info system (BLIS, 2003) and pedestrian detection with full auto-brake (2010), amongst different security options that at the moment are ubiquitous in automobiles.
Nearly as intelligent is the enduring Volvo For Life tagline – I can’t consider many situations the place simply two phrases in a slogan can say a lot a few model.
“The Volvo Security Driving Expertise completely sums up the ethos of our ‘For Life’ marketing campaign – If you really feel secure, you may really be free,” stated Patricia Yaw, head of selling and PR at VCM. “We need to empower Volvo drivers with the correct mindset and data for security on the street, studying life-saving abilities with confidence within the newest Volvo automobiles outfitted with cutting-edge superior driver help programs and security improvements performing as an extra security internet,” she added.
The 2-day occasion noticed 240 (only a coincidence, I’m certain) members consisting of Volvo prospects, fanatics and the media studying important defensive driving abilities, and placing the teachings into observe. Kudos to VCM for being so beneficiant – 102 of the members have been non-Volvo house owners, they usually solely needed to pay RM100 for the expertise.
The day began off early with an IKEA breakfast (a novel pairing of two iconic Swedish manufacturers) earlier than a briefing on the fundamentals. Seating appropriately is the muse of driving properly – whether or not from a efficiency or security standpoint – but, most individuals don’t do that appropriately. An excessive amount of recline and limbs totally stretched out is the most typical mistake.
In the event you’re not seated proper (elbows and knees bent, arms on the wheel’s 3 and 9 place) you’ll have restricted steering vary and received’t have the ability to step onerous sufficient in emergency braking, setting your self up for failure for ALL the workout routines, which simulate precise essential conditions.
The security driving module then proceeded to introduce members to ABS braking and emergency lane change within the XC40 and C40 Recharge Pure Electrical EVs. Nearly everybody has heard of ABS and stability management, and we would like these security options in our automobiles, however not everybody is aware of how ABS works, what occurs when it really works, and the way we should always react together with it.
The train had us stand on the brakes (actually, else anti-lock received’t have interaction) from 60 km/h to a full cease, to familiarise members with the protection characteristic, earlier than upping the sport to contain avoiding an impediment. In actual life, this might be a canine or a toddler, so understanding what to do is important.
From onerous braking to no braking for the subsequent train – emergency lane change. As soon as once more, we accelerated to round 60 km/h (feels quicker than you suppose in a slender lane of cones) earlier than swerving into one other lane with out touching the brakes, and straightening after that. The instructors gave the left or proper command on the final second within the ultimate run, testing our reflexes.
Not each real-life emergency state of affairs permits us the time and house to brake, and this train confirmed us how we should always react, and the way the automobile will react, in cut up second eventualities.
With the basics lined, the programme shifted to the runway for the ‘experiential’ module, the place we acquired to check out chosen driver help options which might be related in day by day driving, reminiscent of Pilot Help (adaptive cruise management with steering, cease and go) and cross visitors alert with auto brake. These options are your folks, get to know your folks.
We’re on an airstrip, the most effective place for a prime pace take a look at, however this can be a security occasion, I sighed. To my shock, we got prime pace runs on the 1.8 km-runway, the place I managed to hit the XC60 PHEV‘s 180 km/h pace cap.
In the event you don’t already know, all new Volvo automobiles since 2020 are restricted to 180 km/h ‘to ship robust sign concerning the risks of rushing’. That’s nonetheless greater than sufficient pace on faucet, and lots of would have left the occasion with an indelible reminiscence of hitting prime pace on a metropolis airstrip, with the KL skyline in full view and the double-deck SPE freeway alongside.
However the most effective was but to return, for me not less than. The occasion ended with a timed slalom course that wanted greater than aggressive juices. This was the time for members to place into observe all that they’ve discovered about automobile management on the restrict, and piece all of them collectively right into a clean lap.
The important thing phrase is clean – it’s not simple to attain the fragile stability between getting into onerous (you’ll run broad and/or ESC will minimize energy, shedding you valuable seconds) and being too cautious (five-second penalty for hitting a cone would possibly weigh closely for some, however too secure = too sluggish), however that’s what separates the great from the remaining, and the most effective from the great. You’ve acquired to push the automobile to the sting, however not let it fall off the imaginary cliff – it’s a effective line.
A line that this participant managed to stroll on slightly properly, solely to journey and fall on the ultimate hurdle, which is to cease the automobile totally inside a field after full energy on the ultimate straight. I overshot, and the following five-second penalty turned a rating that was title contender into mid-table. By no means thoughts the prize, it was nice enjoyable.
However greater than enjoyable, the Volvo Security Driving Expertise was a well timed refresher course for this driver, one which reactivated the muscle reminiscence of the way to react in essential conditions, together with a automobile’s security options. I’m fairly sure that lots of my fellow members have been new to such eventualities, and what they discovered and skilled that day at Sungai Besi air base would persist with them. For Life.
GALLERY: Volvo Security Driving Expertise
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