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Are you driving right?

To begin with, let us look at the state of driving in India. Every year, around 1 50 000 people die due to road accidents, which is more than the number of people who have died in all the wars put together that India has fought. In comparison, the United States of America which is a developed auto market witnessed 40 000 road accident deaths in 2016. Out of 1 50 000 road accident fatalities, more than 25 000 deaths were due to car crashes. This is primarily because of negligent driving. More accidents are occurring due to wrong behavior than a lack of skills. Hence, controlling one’s behavior is as important a part of driving training as attaining driving skills.

Here are some important points for you to consider when it comes to driving an automobile:

THE ART OF SHARING THE ROAD

Everyone on the road enjoys driving as much as you do. Roads are public property and it is extremely important that you drive safely. It is necessary to adhere to the traffic rules and maintain a safe distance between your car and other vehicles. Drive very carefully near schools, hospitals, and construction zones. Strictly adhere to the driving rules when you are near children, blind persons, handicapped individuals, and old people. Safe driving habits can reduce fuel consumption, decrease emissions, and reduce travel time too. Our collective behavior forms our road culture.

SPEED IS NOT ALWAYS FUN

Driving conditions and traffic flow are factors that dictate your driving speed. While staying within the speed limit, you also need to match your driving speed with the traffic flow. The chances of crashing into vehicles in front of you increase if you drive faster than the traffic flow. Maintaining a steady speed, within legal limits, at a safe following distance will help give you the time required to handle an emergency situation. Constantly anticipating what may emerge on the road makes you a safe and responsible driver.

A VIGILANT DRIVER SAVES LIVES

We love our technologically advanced cars and various driving assists that they come with, but with the advent of these technologies, drivers are becoming negligent too. At times, these tools divert the attention and lead to unsafe driving. Therefore, it is important to keep an eye on the road at all times and abide by the rules and regulations while driving. Never text while driving as it can endanger your life along with the lives of your co-passengers.

BRUSH UP YOUR SKILLS

You must always practice everything that you learned for your four wheeler driving test. As it turns out, most of those rules aren’t just good driving lessons; they are legal regulations. It is better to follow traffic lights than get into an episode of road-rage. Make sure you are not talking on the phone while driving. And last but not least, never drive after consuming alcohol

GET TO KNOW YOUR CAR BETTER

It helps a great deal to understand the features of your car. As per the Motor Vehicles Act, a budding driver should understand the working of various systems of the vehicle so that the driver is able to take the correct decision in case of any abnormality observed or emergency situation faced. Exploring your own car is a sure-shot way to a happier driving experience. Learn to listen to your car and ensure that you have complete knowledge of all the controls and their functions. You will realize that a lot of this technical knowledge is not all that difficult to master.

THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO SAFETY

Do a thorough safety check before starting a journey. Keep the checklist of the most important things ready, like seatbelts, mirrors, fuel, water, air pressure, first aid kit, spare tires, toolbox, spare bulbs and fuses, and an emergency parking reflector. Use the mirrors and signaling indicators to not only ensure your own safety but also the safety of other vehicles.

It is indeed never too late to check your driving skills and learn a few things afresh. Follow the pointers in this write-up and make your driving safer. Adhering to traffic rules, having a sound understanding of your vehicle, and socially responsible driving will keep you and your loved ones safe

How a simulator helps you before you start driving

The need for simulators

As per the Motor Vehicles Act and the CMVR, a trainee is supposed to master driving skills by spending 10 hours training on the road. It is not easy for a novice to acquire the necessary skill level within such a short span of time. Therefore, to save on the limited time available, Maruti Suzuki Driving School has developed and started using simulators.

Challenge for the trainee

Driving on Indian roads can be a challenging experience for a trainee. One needs to deal with a variety of risks and significant pressure while driving on the road. Therefore, it is necessary that a novice learns to master different controls such as steering, pedals and gears, one at a time.

Although this speeds up learning, one cannot learn this while driving a real car. This is because all controls would have to be managed by the trainee simultaneously.

Benefits of a simulator

When trainees start using a simulator, they can choose the specific control they wish to practice with. The simulator manages the rest of the controls.

A simulator’s dimensions are designed in such a way that all controls mimic a real Maruti Suzuki car. Therefore, the trainee knows where exactly the pedals are located. For instance, one can identify the gear by just placing one’s hand on the gear level.

As soon as the controls are mastered, the trainee can focus on learning various complicated maneuvers. Some of these include lane changing, overtaking, merging with traffic and driving on roundabouts. This enhances the training experience and substantially develops the trainee’s confidence.

Why theory is as important as practical to learn driving?

In order to be a good driver, one must always equip oneself with all the theory lessons while learning to drive. And one of the best ways to do it is by enrolling in a driving school. Tangible benefits for an educated driver include saving close to 12% of fuel related expenses and 60% when it comes to safety related faults.

A good driving school will make sure that the participants are equipped to handle emergencies, use first aid, react correctly for situations emerging on roads like road rage incidents, aware of the symbols lighting up on the car’s instrument cluster, and honouring the rights of others on the road.

Here are some of the most crucial aspects that highlight the importance of theory lessons while learning to drive.

THEORY BUILDS CONFIDENCE

Theory lessons often include all those aspects of owning and driving a car that can only be learnt through classroom input. A good driving school appoints experts to teach the theory lessons. These experts communicate effectively and give attention to each participant. The practical lessons learnt from the driving-coach need to be backed with theoretical knowledge if you want to be a confident driver. At Maruti Suzuki Driving School, we ensure that our instructors are focused on helping the learners develop the skills required to drive safely and confidently.

KNOW THE LAW

A carefully designed curriculum of a driving school covers a wide range of topics. A lot of these topics are about the inner workings of a vehicle that includes technical details of how a car functions. Some of the most crucial aspects of theory input are identifying the traffic rules and all the important signs, symbols, indications, map-legends/keys and several other nuances which are not always present at one-go during the practical lessons on the road.

Theory lessons in a driving school also focus on several legal aspects. A participant is made aware of the process of registration of a vehicle, obtaining a driver's license, traffic rules, parking rules, towing rules, suspension of driver's license, drunken driving, rash and negligent driving and most importantly the penalties for traffic offences. Trainees are also educated on different types of insurance covers available, their pro and cons, and the procedure to be followed for claim processing.

SAFETY IS SUPREME

Safe roads are the hallmark of a civilized society. Our love for driving is always tested on the touchstone of traffic rules. A good driver diligently follows traffic rules to ensure safety. Maruti Suzuki Driving School emphasizes the importance of safe driving by not only teaching the theory lessons but also exposing the learners to simulators. Theory input shows the details of the safety features of a car and how to use those features. We share the road with every other driver, therefore, it is mandatory to learn the rules of safe driving

ANATOMY OF A CAR

Theory lessons introduce the learner to the structure of a car including all of its important components. This knowledge is necessary in order to drive confidently. These lessons are interesting and helpful. Learners are taught about the most important aspects of a car engine, chassis, crank linkage, fuel supply system, cooling mechanism, lubrication, ignition, starting line, clutch, brake system, gears, battery etc. Experts often show the link between the structure of a car and the rules of driving. For instance, an expert driver can reduce gearbox repairs by up to 40%. Learners are encouraged to apply the theory to their driving sessions on the road. This process helps build confidence through awareness of traffic rules and safe driving skills.

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

We must always remember that the right to drive can only be enjoyed if we are responsible drivers. The responsibilities of a driver are learnt in detail through theory lessons. These rights and responsibilities are codified in the form of important laws such as the Rules of Road Regulations and Motor Vehicles Act. These codes prescribe punishments for violation of the rules.

It is our sincere endeavour to create confident drivers who believe in safe driving. We have designed a Learner's Course which spans 21 hours, including 10 hours of practical and 11 hours of theory input. Our carefully designed theory lessons ensure that the driver not only has excellent driving skills but also sound knowledge of theory.

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