A
Short Guide to Road - Worthiness |
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Driving
in the hills can be real pleasure if you just take a bit of extra
care. |
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Please Dont Drink & Drive as this might put
you and your dear ones life in danger. |
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- To
get your trip off to a calm and happy start, make sure you know
where you are going and have a plan to get there. Tell your family
and friends about your itinerary, too-it can make all the difference
in an emergency.
- Check
ahead on weather and terrain conditions in places along
your route.
- It's
important to factor in enough time for extra stops, predictable
and unpredictable, you might need to make along the way - for
your child, for food, for traffic jams caused by rallies or massive
buffalo-cart convoys on a highway.
- It's
usually advisable to start early in the morning. Have a restful
night prior to your trip. That includes at least six hours of
sleep, to make sure you wake up without a trace of fatigue.
- Night
driving is inadvisable on Indian roads. If you must, the look
out for pedestrian and cyclist on narrow roads. They are hard
to see because of the high beams of oncoming vehicles.
- In
the winter especially, day driving is the best. Fog may engulf
you after sunset and, if its's thick enough, fog lights become
ineffective - sometimes you can't see even your own car bonnet.
- Most
petrol pumps closed down at 7 pm in the hills and along
highways, so keep an eye on your fuel gauge.
- Tractor-trailers
and animal-drawn carts are also a hazard at night, espacially
in fog; these ghostaly object suddenly appear on the road sans
tail lamps.
- Be
considerate and dip your headlights for oncoming vehicles. The
whole idea is to see and be seen !
- Before
retiring for the night in extremely low temperature, run your
engine for at least 10 minutes.
- Going
downhill, stay off the brakes as much as possible and shiftinto
a lower gear.
- Remember
that vehicles going uphill always have right way.
- Don't
hit the brakes hard, because you risk locking them.
- Always
engage a lower gear when going uphill before entering a curve
or riding a slope, so as to get better engine compression.
- Ensure
that you have enough momentum as you into a curve or up a slope,
and maitain it so that you don't stall midway.
- Don't
let the engine go into low revs, which can induce knocking, but
let the momentum carry you right through the curve.
- When
you come to a hill or curve, slow down so you can stop for any
accident. You must drive slowly enough to stop whenever required.
If your view is blocked by a hill or a curve, do not pass another
vehicle in front of you. Pass a vehicle only when the clearance
is good enough and the visibility is fine.
- On
ice, snow or wet ground, do not make the mistake of dropping into
a lower gear, which will make the wheels spin all the more. It
is better to go to a higher gear and keep going through.
- If
you hit a really skiddy patch, you might try lowering the air
pressure to get better traction out of the tyres.
- Be
especially careful while driving in rain. Visibility can drop
to a dangerously low 25 meters. Never try to move on kuccha stretches
along the highwayduring a rainstrom, and turn on your windshield
wipers before slogging through a big mud puddle.
- Avoid
using sprinklers to clean the windscreen while on high passes
- the water may freeze on your windscreen.
- Remember
that after driving through water, braker become less effective
- so maintain some extra distance between your car and the one
that is just ahead of you.
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Allow a vehicle behind you to overtake you if you are driving
at a slow speed. Never try to race with the other vehicle
on who reaches their destination first. It is always better to
drive at a slow speed. This makes the risk of you getting badly
injured less even if you meet with an accident. A slow vehicle
can be controlled easily by the driver.
- Keep
in mind that people in the hills are often very bad about honking
their horns. Ensure, however, that you keep blowing yours so that
you don't meet up with any nasty surprises round a corner.
Driving in the right way on hilly roads is not a tough task but,
surely requires some changes to your usual driving styles. Driving
in hilly terrains needs a little bit of familiarization and once
you are acquainted with the conditions, you may start enjoying
the drive. Be focused, attentive, and relaxed and you will be
a very safe driver.
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Tips on hill driving |
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Check List |
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- TYERS
Check the wear and tear on your tyres. Irregular wear may indicate
that there is a problem with the suspension.
- BRAKES
Top up the brake oil. Check the brakes shoes and brake pressure.
- OIL
Lube oil is the lifeblood of your engine. Ensure that engine,
gear and deferential oils are all at the correct level.
- FILTERS
Change the fuel, air and oil filters if you are setting out on
a long drive. Make it a point to clean the air filter regularly
on dusty roads.
- BATTERIES
On a long journey, avoid using a battery that is over two years
old.
- HORN
This should be in perfect condition, esecipally on hill drives.
- V-BELTS
Change the v-belts of your fan, alternator or AC if there's been
any wear and tear.
- HEADLIGHTS
Check the focus of your head lamps, espcially if you foresse a
bummpy ride.
- SHOCKERS
Get the shock absorbers checked before starting.
- LEAF
SPRINGS Check for cracks in leaf springs, especially
the main ones.
- WHEELS
Your car's tyres may get damaged if the wheel aren't aligned properly;
also wheel imblanaced can cause vechicle to shake at higher speed.
- WIPERS
Check the wiper blades. especilly in the rainy season.
- RADIATOR
Check radiator coolant and hosepipes to aviod a braekdown in summer
traffic jams.
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Don't forget to carry.. |
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- HEADLAMP
BULB
- V-BELTS
For fan and alternator.
- FUSES
& THICK WIRE Fuses for all electric points; think
wire for faults.
- TOOLS
Screwdriver set, wrench, key-set , jack and jack rod, wheel spanner,
knife, torch.
- LEAF
SPRING Main leaf springs are a must for bumpy roads,
such as those in Ladakh.
- TWO-CHAIN
For rescues.
- TUBES
You may not find new tubes in smaller settlements.
- SMALL
SHOVEL Always helpful in snowbound areas.
- WOODEN
LOGS In case a leaf spring breaks in the middle of nowhere.
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