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Dad and mom, be sincere, have you ever ever struggled along with your baby’s homework? I don’t have youngsters, however I’m fairly assured. Assured that I’ll pull out all the remaining hair on my head in case you 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 might need even scored As within the topic again within the day.
Buddies, it’s all about observe. Identical to in sports activities, you’ll be able to’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 usually that we get right into a scenario 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 high school it was.
Final month, Volvo Automobile 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), facet 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.
Virtually 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’ll be able to actually be free,” mentioned Patricia Yaw, head of selling and PR at VCM. “We need to empower Volvo drivers with the right mindset and data for security on the street, studying life-saving expertise with confidence within the newest Volvo automobiles geared up with cutting-edge superior driver help methods and security improvements appearing as a further security web,” she added.
The 2-day occasion noticed 240 (only a coincidence, I’m positive) contributors consisting of Volvo prospects, fans and the media studying important defensive driving expertise, and placing the teachings into observe. Kudos to VCM for being so beneficiant – 102 of the contributors had been non-Volvo homeowners, 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 inspiration of driving effectively – whether or not from a efficiency or security standpoint – but, most individuals don’t do that appropriately. An excessive amount of recline and limbs absolutely stretched out is the most typical mistake.
For those who’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 be capable of step exhausting sufficient in emergency braking, setting your self up for failure for ALL the workout routines, which simulate precise crucial conditions.
The protection driving module then proceeded to introduce contributors to ABS braking and emergency lane change within the XC40 and C40 Recharge Pure Electrical EVs. Virtually 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 at the side of 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 contributors with the security function, earlier than upping the sport to contain avoiding an impediment. In actual life, this might be a canine or a baby, so figuring out what to do is significant.
From exhausting braking to no braking for the following train – emergency lane change. As soon as once more, we accelerated to round 60 km/h (feels quicker than you assume 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 closing run, testing our reflexes.
Not each real-life emergency scenario permits us the time and area to brake, and this train confirmed us how we should always react, and the way the automobile will react, in cut up second situations.
With the basics coated, the programme shifted to the runway for the ‘experiential’ module, the place we bought to check out chosen driver help options which are related in each day driving, similar to Pilot Help (adaptive cruise management with steering, cease and go) and cross site visitors alert with auto brake. These options are your pals, get to know your pals.
We’re on an airstrip, one of the best place for a high pace check, however it is a security occasion, I sighed. To my shock, we got high pace runs on the 1.8 km-runway, the place I managed to hit the XC60 PHEV‘s 180 km/h pace cap.
For those who don’t already know, all new Volvo automobiles since 2020 are restricted to 180 km/h ‘to ship sturdy 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 high pace on a metropolis airstrip, with the KL skyline in full view and the double-deck SPE freeway alongside.
However one of the best was but to come back, for me at the least. The occasion ended with a timed slalom course that wanted greater than aggressive juices. This was the time for contributors 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 straightforward to attain the fragile stability between getting into exhausting (you’ll run broad and/or ESC will lower energy, dropping you treasured 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 remainder, and one of the best from the great. You’ve bought to push the automobile to the sting, however not let it fall off the imaginary cliff – it’s a fantastic line.
A line that this participant managed to stroll on somewhat effectively, solely to journey and fall on the closing hurdle, which is to cease the automobile absolutely inside a field after full energy on the ultimate straight. I overshot, and the next 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 easy methods to react in crucial conditions, at the side of a automobile’s security options. I’m fairly sure that a lot of my fellow contributors had been new to such situations, and what they discovered and skilled that day at Sungai Besi air base would stick to them. For Life.
GALLERY: Volvo Security Driving Expertise
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