The Ideal Driving Distances

How often do you want to get close to the car ahead? Close enough to be able to see what's on the parcel tray? If the answer is always, often or even once in a while, you're in danger of running into the back of the car in front. You are in serious need of reviewing how you drive rather than blame the driver in front for stopping suddenly in case you do run into his back, which you will sooner or later.

You see, no matter how good the brakes are, in most cars you must fi rst apply them to get the car to stop. This means braking is heavily dependent on your reaction time, and the average human reaction time is about 1.5 seconds, which is plenty of time for a crash to happen. So the simple rule of thumb is the closer you are to the car ahead the less your reaction time needs to be. Now, think again, are your reactions fast enough for you to apply the brakes and get the car to stop before you run into the back of the car whose parcel tray you can see? Unlikely.

At the same time it isn't practical to suggest that you keep as large a gap as possible with the car in front. But, as with all things, there's a solution. Drive at such a distance where you're not getting left behind but you can still stop well in time in an emergency. How do you do that? Here's how.

Follow the three-second rule. It's a simple rule really. It simply means that your car should pass a point at least three seconds after the car ahead has crossed the same point.

First, identify a fixed point along the road, like a lamp post. Let the car ahead pass this point (in this case the lamp post). Now you ensure that you're able to count slowly from 1 to 3 before your car crosses the same lamp post. Now, maintain this gap.

A three second gap between your car and the one in front will give you enough time to react to any emergency manoeuvres that the driver in front might need to make. At the same time you won't be left behind.

But remember that stopping distances also depend on factors like the surface condition. So, if it's raining and the sufrace is wet, or there's an oil spill on the road for instance, the time required to stop increases and with it the 3 second rule.

The distances shown are a general guide and could vary depending upon your thinking distance, road surface, weather conditions and also the condition of your car

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Budget and Premium Tyres

As with any other commodity, there is a wide variety of tyres available in the market. Which one should you get for your vehicle, though? Does a more expensive tyre mean better performance? Most importantly, what is the point at which an expensive tyre becomes an overkill for your vehicle?

As a rule of thumb, manufacturers will fit your car with tyres that are economically feasible for them. This means that they will have the lowest cost, with minimal requirements when it comes to grip – but they will ensure that the tyres have long life, because that is what the general public wants. This rule doesn’t apply to premium cars, which have more specific requirements and whose target customers are more willing to shell out money for more benefits.

The low grip helps with better fuel economy figures. The regular driver isn’t bothered with how much grip his car generates, because he isn’t going to see how fast he can go around a corner with his car. Therefore, he can live with low grip because nine times out of ten, he’s not going to explore the limits of grip with his car. Since most of you reading this will have a budget car (relatively speaking) you can explore options that will help increase fuel economy while still bringing down braking distances.

Of course, everything comes at a price, so be prepared to shell out a premium for tyres that do all these things, or are imported. If you own an MUV and especially if that MUV is used for commercial applications, you will certainly want the car’s tyres to last a long time without compromising on fuel efficiency, but grip levels will not be high on your list of priorities. In this case, the factory-fitted tyres will probably serve you best, because those are the requirements for the overwhelming majority of MUV owners.

If you have a premium car, you will want to pay careful attention to the tyres you have on your car, because if they are inferior, you will have a safety problem; one that will rear its head only at high speed. Take careful note of the speed and load ratings on the tyres that were original fitment, and fit tyres that meet or exceed those ratings. If you find it exceedingly difficult to wrap your head around this, a good way of making sure you get the right tyres is to look at what is fitted on the new model, or the competition. If you’re still not sure, look at what is fitted on cars a class higher – though that might be overkill for your car.

A good rule of thumb to have is to follow the policy of going “one step up”. See what the logical upgrade is for your vehicle, and opt for those tyres. This will ensure that you don’t lose out on acceleration and fuel efficiency while increasing safety via shorter braking distance and increased cornering grip. Of course, whether you upsize the tyre is up to you, since that will void the manufacturer’s warranty, but the compound is what matters more.

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Essential Driver Safety Tips To Avoid Pedestrian Accidents

Gone are the days when pedestrians walked on footpaths and the roads were for motorists. Thanks to the thousands of new cars being registered and increasing number of people crowding the cities, congestion has become a harsh reality and there is no dearth of people on the streets today.

Pedestrians often stray in the path of motorists and things can go from chaotic to dangerous in the blink of an eye. One must therefore be prepared for any eventuality and the following basic driver safety tips to avoid pedestrian accidents should help go a long way:

• Awareness is the key and it all begins with knowing your vehicle. Most of the new cars these days come with disc brakes and ABS. These go a long way in reducing the stopping distance and ensuring steering control during a braking manoeuvre.


• Out on the road, anticipation is the key. One of the top driver safety tips to avoid pedestrian accidents is by staying alert at all times. Pedestrians can pop in from anywhere and without warning. So be warned.


• Slow down when going past a stopped bus, passengers are notorious for getting off and bolting across the road from the front.


• A nod, headshake, potential distractors are all early warning indicators that a pedestrian could make a dash for it. Watch out for these.


• Lunch times along with opening & shutting hours are when pedestrian traffic is high in work districts. So proceed with caution if you’re in such an area during that time.


• Keep a watch for children around residential complexes. They have an uncanny knack of running across in the street chasing after a ball.


• When driving after dark, ensure that the headlights are well-aligned and illuminate the road sufficiently. Re-align if it isn’t so.


• Most pedestrians walk with the back to the traffic. So a short toot lets them know that there’s a motorist behind them.


• Fitness awareness may be improving but not the infrastructure. So watch out for enthusiasts who may be jog right into your path in the wee hours of the morning.


• Any place is a good place to cross for most pedestrians. So drive keeping the conditions in mind, not the performance of the car or your mood

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Do I Need to Replace More Than One Tire at a Time?

You can safely replace only one tire if the others still have most of their tread.

Unlike the old days, when a pair of "snow tires" would be mounted to the drive wheels only for winter use, today we recognize that a vehicle should have four matching tires: same type, same model and, yes, even same degree of wear. The reason is simple: A car with four tires that behave the same — whether accelerating, braking or cornering — is balanced and predictable. If any of these factors are different at one or more wheels, traction characteristics can vary and performance will be unbalanced.

Tread depth is measured in 32nds of an inch, and most new tires typically have 10/32 to 12/32 (5/16 to 3/8) of an inch of tread. If a car's other tires have lost only 2/32 or up to maybe 4/32 of their original tread depth, it's probably OK to replace just the damaged tire.

There can be exceptions, though. Some manufacturers of all-wheel-drive vehicles recommend that all four tires be replaced, not just one or two, because a new tire will have a larger overall diameter than the other tires. The ones that have lost just a few 32nds of tread depth will spin faster than the new one, and the difference could cause an all-wheel-drive system to engage on dry pavement and possibly damage the system.

On an all-wheel-drive vehicle or one with a conventional four-wheel-drive system, all four tires would ideally be replaced at the same time so they all have the same amount of traction as well as the same diameter.

On a front- or rear-wheel-drive vehicle, similar guidelines apply. If half or more of the tread on all four tires is gone, replacing just one tire will result in one wheel spinning at a slower rate than the others, possibly sending false signals to the traction control and antilock braking systems. It also will result in one tire having more or less raction for acceleration, braking and cornering grip than the others, which can affect a vehicle's behavior. On a two-wheel-drive vehicle, a better approach would be to replace both tires on the same axle. The best approach, though, is to replace all four if the tread on the old tires is significantly worn.

One way to avoid buying more than one tire is to have the tread on the new one "shaved" so it matches the depth of the others. Some tire dealers will shave off some tread depth on a special machine for a fee.

If you decide to replace only one tire, it should be the same model, size and tread pattern as the others. A different brand or model tire will have even greater differences in traction and number of revolutions per mile, and it's likely to wear at a different rate. That means it could conceivably wear out faster than the others, even if it starts out with more tread depth.

Whether you decide to replace just one tire or more, tire experts advise that the new rubber should be mounted on the rear. If new tires are mounted on the front, the worn tires in the rear would be more susceptible to hydroplaning — riding on top of water on the road — and possibly causing the vehicle to spin in a turn.

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