Ever wondered what SRS, which is written on most steering wheels and dashboards containing airbags, means?
It stands for secondary reaction system, which means that, when all else fails, the airbags are deployed in an attempt to minimise the risk of injury during an accident.
Airbags do not save lives and they do not come with the guarantee that you will not be injured when they do, in fact, deploy in the event of a collision.
While safety features on cars have evolved at a rapid rate in the past few years, there is still no car that can guarantee the complete safety of its occupants.
All you can do to protect yourself on South Africa’s increasingly dangerous roads is to hone your driving skills, ensure your vehicle is roadworthy, don’t drive recklessly or under the influence of alcohol and have a good idea of what to do in the event of an impending collision.
Considering how easy it is to buy a fake driver’s licence in South Africa, advanced safety driving courses are something the government should seriously consider endorsing. Not only are they an opportunity for people to work on their driving skills, but more importantly, driving courses show Âpeople just how easy it is to lose control of a vehicle and what to do when that  happens.
A group of motoring journos were shown a video of a simulated accident during the Mercedes-Benz Dynamic Driving high-performance driving course recently.
Two mid-range sedans in the league of eight-year-old Audi A6s were equipped with remote controls, positioned at opposite ends of a race-track, each travelling at a speed of 60kph, and then set off to crash. The closing impact of the collision was 120kph, as that is the combined force of the vehicles. The resultant damage had us gawping.
The huge cars crashed into each other head-on — the bonnets were ripped away and the impact carried as far into the cars as the back seats. Both cars flipped over and it was evident that no airbag would have saved the occupants from the sheer force of the impact.
After the video presentation, we were let loose on the Zwartkops raceway in a fleet of Mercedes-Benz C55s and it was no wonder that, even in a controlled environment such as a raceway, we just couldn’t get the cars up to decent speeds after watching the crash simulation.
In Gauteng, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to academies at which to do advanced driving courses. All it boils down to is how much you have to spend and which car you would enjoy throwing around a racetrack.
With the Mercedes-Benz team, you’ve got phenomenal C55s at your disposal, and with the Volkswagen Driving Academy, you get to experience the GTi on the Kyalami raceway.
The Mercedes-Benz course features collision avoidance, the usual safety demonstrations and skidpan training, whereas the GTi course focuses on high-performance driving in dry conditions.
And please don’t make the mistake of thinking that driving courses, be they advanced safety courses or high-performance courses, are only for adrenaline junkies or car fanatics because they are not. Driving courses are for just about anyone who has a driver’s licence and wants to learn what he or she could do to prevent or minimise the impact of an accident.
And, with the festive season around the corner, I can’t think of a better time for South Africans to be armed with as much knowledge as possible to keep safe on our roads.
For info on Mercedes-Benz courses, tel (012) 374 7824 or email [email protected]. For info on the ÂVolkswagen driving academy, go to http://www.vw.co.za/about/ drivingacademy/
Holiday driving tips
- Check your car thoroughly before starting a long-distance trip. Ensure that you check the lights, the tread on the tyres, the pressure of the spare tyre and ensure that you have the tools to change a damaged tyre.
- Check fuel, oil, water, brake fluid and the battery.
- Always have a first-aid kit and a break-down kit, which should include basics such as a torch, tyre sealer, a warning triangle and booster cables.
- Remember that driving requires concentration and you will need a rest from time to time. It is recommended that you take a break every two hours or 200km to stretch your legs.
- Always drive long-distance with your headlights on.
- Obey the rules of the road, in terms of sticking to speed limits, not driving under the influence of alcohol and keeping at least a three-second gap between your car and the car in front of you.
- And, as my Mum is fond of saying, it’s always better to be a little late than dead on time, so always be patient, tolerant and courteous.