General Motors encourages safe driving

General Motors, which has a long record of safety firsts including, among others, active head restraints, frontal air bags and side-impact air bags that reduce the risk of injury to children, is constantly taking steps to improve the overall safety of their vehicles.

"We design safety and crashworthiness into our vehicles very early in development. Different regions have unique requirements for crash safety as part of their New Car Assessment Programs or NCAPs, and the Sub-Saharan Africa region is no different," said Exports Director for General Motors Sub-Saharan Africa and Managing Director of General Motors East Africa Operations, Rita Kavashe.

Kavashe said as part of the company's ongoing commitment to safety, they were embarking on a campaign to encourage safe driving among their clientele.

"Did you know that, when worn properly, a seat belt can reduce the risk of being killed in an automobile crash by 45 percent," she said.

Kavashe shared the following driver safety tips for tackling the roads during bad weather conditions.

Rain:
Before heading out into the rain, ensure that your windscreen wipers are in proper working order and that your tyres have sufficient tread.

Turn your headlights on to make your vehicle more visible on the road

Avoid sudden moves. Try to drive in the tracks of the vehicle in front of you.

Reduce your speed and maintain safe following distances by allowing for additional stopping distance.
Be aware of water build up on the roads, which could lead to hydroplaning. This is when the tyres of your vehicle lose contact with the road and ride on a wedge of water, causing your vehicle to lose traction and impacting on your steering capacity.

If you do find yourself hydroplaning, keep the steering wheel straight and take your foot off the accelerator. Do not hit the brakes or try to steer, as the vehicle slows down the weight of the vehicle will cause it to settle back down on the road and restore control of the vehicle.

Light rain or mist can also cause dangerous travelling conditions by lifting the oil and dirt on the road surfaces, making this extremely slippery.

Remember puddles can disguise potentially deep and damaging potholes. Try and avoid them where possible.

Thunderstorms:
It is safest to stay in your car when lightning is present. If you have to park, do so in an open area, away from trees.

If you are driving through a storm, be mindful of possible flooded roadways and other road hazards, as you would when raining.

If you are driving after a thunderstorm, be vigilant for downed branches and power lines or other debris lying in the road.

Hail:
Hail is often associated with thunderstorms. Getting caught in a Hail storm can hamper visibility, shatter windscreens and cause extremely slippery and icy road conditions.

In the event of being caught in hail, pull safely onto the shoulder of the road, away from any trees that could fall on the vehicle.

If at all possible, try pull into a sturdy garage, parking garage, or under a shelter to minimise hail damage.

Floods:
Never attempt to drive through flooded sections of road, as the water may be deeper than it appears. Two feet of water is enough to carry away most vehicles.

If you do find yourself driving in an area where water is running swiftly, the force of the current may pull your car to one side. If this happens ease off the gas pedal, but don't touch the brakes. Then steer away from the swift water.

If your car is caught in a flash flood, get out of your car immediately and move to higher ground.

Fog
If you see a patch of fog covering the road ahead, slow down before you reach it.

Turn on your low beam headlights, or fog lights. Avoid using your brights, as this will impair, rather than aid your vision.

Turn on your windscreen wipers.

Be alert for slow moving vehicles and traffic stopped ahead.

In heavy fog, roll all your windows down. You may actually hear other cars before you see them.