Mercedes-Benz promotes safety driving

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo , The Jakarta Post , Sentul | Sun, 04/20/2008 10:57 AM | Lifestyle

One of the finest racing experiences open to laymen is playing a racing video game, such as the "Gran Turismo" series for PlayStation.

However, safety driving sessions at a real circuit proved to be more thrilling, with faster heart rates and more realistic repercussions.

On Sunday afternoon, a batch of reporters gathered at the Sentul International Circuit to attend the Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience, which lasted from April 10-17.

Besides journalists, the promoter invited local celebrities, Mercedes-Benz car owners and enthusiasts.

Safety driving, as opposed to leisure driving, entails a combination of the right seating and steer handling, comprehension of a vehicle's safety features, driving skills and the state of the vehicle itself.

Smart car users can still have accidents if they fail to use the safety features during critical conditions, or respond recklessly.

The program consisted of several sessions, such as off-road, slalom, lane change plus sudden brake, skid pad and track lap on the circuit.

Mercedes-Benz provided two dozens vehicles. They consisted of the ML class, GL Class, S Class, E Class and New C Class.

Our group had the chance to try out the features of the ML class by driving the vehicles on a rocky road. For some sophisticated cars, the driver should activate the added safety features for certain driving situation.

Some cars are safe and a few are safer. The feature from the car that we used could make the car brake automatically while in a reclining position if the driver failed to move upward.

In this rugged road condition, one of the best compliments the German car maker received was, "Wow, I feel sleepy while the car is off road."

Mercedes-Benz offers a number of safety features, such as airbags, Pre Safe, Brake Assist, Night View and Intelligent Light System.

The second session was the slalom test.

"Please concentrate on the space between the cones. Don't focus on the cones as you might run over them," said one of the three German instructors, Sven Schroder.

"And try to drive closer to the cone."

We drove the sedans for this test at a comfortable speed.

The slalom test involved the drivers focusing and using the right seating and handling position. Drivers should remember that their legs can still bend while seated. This enables the driver ********************************************************************* to slam the brake pedal to the tilt in an emergency situation. The head set should also be adjusted parallel to the driver's head.

"The seating and handling position doesn't look cool, but it's safe," said Sven.

The next session was the emergency maneuvering and braking test. We had to drive up to 80 km/hr, release the gas pedal, overtake a dead spot and slam the brake pad within the assigned point. If we executed the moves correctly, there would be flashing lights from the rear lamps, indicating a critical situation for the vehicles behind.

The sedan has a special program that enables the car to prevent slips and get quickly back on track after an emergency overtaking situation.

Many of the drivers appeared to "fail" the test for the curve skid pad session, in which we tried to run the car up to 60-65 km/hr, release the gas pedal on the slippery spot, handle the steering, hit the brake and move on. Many of us still experienced oversteering because we exceeded 65 km/hr, or failed to handle the steering wheel correctly.

"Very well," said the instructor to the drivers who could not manage the test. He pushed us to improve as we tried the exercise several times before moving onto the next session.

The last session, which was my favorite, was to drive the cars for several laps on the Sentul track. The circuit is 4.12 kilometers long. For those who had been on the track before the session was tedious at times as the instructors expected us to follow the safety car at a certain speed.

The instructor alerted the drivers who went faster than the designated speed.

"The intention of this practice session is to know which driving line is the most efficient," Sven said. Again, my memory of playing Gran Turismo resurfaced. We had to know when we needed to slow down or sprint."

It was far from an A1 Grand Prix driving session, but many of us were thrilled to try the course.

Driving tips for different weather conditions

^Congested traffic:^Y * Drive slowly in congested. * Do not hit the clutch frequently because it could wear out prematurely.

Rain: * Drive at a conservative speed. * Turn on the hazard lamps. * Adjust the windshield wipers to the rain's intensity. * Turn on the air-conditioner to prevent fogging, which could dim the driver's view. *******************************************************************

Flood: * While driving through an inundation of water on the road, do push the gas pedal constantly to avoid the car's engine being turned off, which occurs because the water gets inside the muffler. * Drive slowly to prevent creating waves of water. * In order to see whether the car can get through the inundated water, use the muffler as a reference. If the muffler is higher than the water, then the car can pass the water.

Night Time: * Avoid driving when drowsy. * While turning, use the long lamp so the other car on the opposite side is aware of your position. * Avoid using the long lamp on a straight path in order not to obstruct the view of the drivers on the opposite side. * Control your speed and keep a safe distance between your car and the car in front. * In order to prevent fatigue, open the window and breathe the fresh air from outside.

(Source: Mobil 1 Safety Driving Tips)

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