The SAS Survival Driver’s Handbook

There are also laws governing when a horn can be sounded in built-up areas (usually defined as areas where the street lights are less than 200 yards/metres apart). The time span varies from country to country, but as a general rule you should never use the horn at night unless it’s an emergency.

ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (#ulink_6580078a-41d0-53f1-9625-daabbc0964f0)

An increasing number of new cars, especially high-specification models, are now fitted with an anti-lock brake system (ABS). This sophisticated form of braking can be extremely useful in an emergency as it helps to maintain traction under severe braking by preventing the wheels from locking and skidding.

A sensor control attached to each wheel detects when the wheel is about to lock and responds by automatically releasing the brake and then re-applying it several times a second. You can feel this happening through the brake pedal, which pulsates up and down. There’s no need for you to pump the brakes — in fact, pumping the brake pedal will interfere with the ABS’s operation. And, whereas with ordinary brakes you have to take great care when braking in slippery conditions for fear of causing a skid, ABS allows you to brake as hard as you can on wet and slippery surfaces without losing control of the steering.

However, ABS has its limitations. If you try dangerous stunts like taking a corner too fast or braking at the very last minute, it can’t prevent accidents occurring. And on loose gravel or snow, where all four wheels may lose traction, anti-lock brakes may actually take longer to stop the car than a conventional braking system.

Cars fitted with ABS have a light on the dashboard which tells you when there’s a fault in the system. Don’t try to investigate yourself — see an expert. Should a malfunction with the ABS occur, the ordinary brakes will take over.

STABILITY (#ulink_7584514f-15ae-5ade-b5d3-ac906226b3dc)

Vehicles which are low to the ground with a wheel close to each corner offer greater stability than those designed for off-road use, which tend to be taller, with a high centre of gravity. When using off-road vehicles on normal roads, take care — especially when turning corners or changing direction — as the handling is not the same as for a front-wheel drive. Special courses are available — see advertisements in specialist motoring magazines, or consult your dealer for advice.

FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE (4WD) (#ulink_b787b3b4-4aa2-5ea9-a7fe-495129946a88)

In slippery conditions or on rough terrain, 4WD improves the grip that the tyres have on the road. It is now available in some conventional cars, as well as models designed specifically for off-road use. Ideal if you need a vehicle that can work in all weather and cope with difficult surfaces, but bear in mind that conventional-style cars with low ground clearance cannot cope with soft mud or sandy surfaces in the way that true off-road vehicles can.

Crash Protection (#ulink_2883e533-3fbb-5d77-8f69-40a590e9cbf0)

The real test of a car’s crashworthiness is whether it can succeed in making severe accidents survivable. And if there’s a single factor which gives car occupants a better chance of walking away from a crash than any other it’s the integrity of the car’s structure. A passenger compartment which suffers major distortion on impact (doors crumpling inward in a side-on collision; pillars that collapse and instruments that intrude in a head-on collision) will offer little protection to those inside.

Crash tests are the best means of measuring how well a car will withstand impact. Dummies packed with sensors occupy the driver’s and passengers’ seats, and the car is rammed into a concrete block. By analysing the wreck and the readings from the dummies, scientists can calculate the risk of injury to different parts of the body. Some of the results of these tests are published in consumer magazines, and if you’re buying a car it’s worth finding out how well that model performed in crash tests relative to other cars in the same class. You may find that the much-hyped new car of your dreams, fully equipped with state-of-the-art airbags, power steering and ABS, fares less well than a frumpy, no-frills rival.

Safest of all, structurally, are big, heavy cars. In a collision between a large car and a supermini, the bigger car’s size and weight advantage will tell in its favour, and the supermini will come off worse every time. On the other hand, big cars cost more to buy, insure and run — so safety is not the only consideration to take into account. It is, however, an important factor, so once you decide which type of car will best suit your needs, check out the safety options on offer within that class.

SEAT BELTS (#ulink_b0daa3c1-5f35-5125-bd42-6596804596c5)

When a car travelling at 30 mph collides with a solid object, any occupants not wearing a seatbelt will be thrown forward at about the speed the car was travelling. When their bodies hit the windscreen or dashboard (or, in the case of back seat passengers, when they hit the seats or the people in front of them) the force of the impact will be three and a half tons — roughly the weight of an elephant. It goes without saying that the human body cannot withstand that sort of impact. Death or serious injury is the inevitable outcome.

All new cars are fitted with front and rear seat belts and in most countries it is now law that everyone in the vehicle must wear a belt where one is available. There are still many older cars which do not have rear seat belts, but most cars built since 1981 have mounting points located under the seat cushion and in the rear pillar so that it is easy to have rear belts fitted.

REMEMBER

Belting up has been proved to reduce injuries and save lives, so where there is a belt fitted, use it. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Passengers who don’t wear belts are not just risking their own lives — the effect of a back-seat passenger hitting the person in front at 30 mph is the equivalent of their jumping off a 30-foot building and landing on someone. Bear that in mind next time you have a passenger, who doesn’t want to wear a seatbelt.

It’s also worth noting that insurance companies do not look kindly on people who don’t wear seat belts. If you are injured in an accident as a result of failing to wear a seatbelt, that will count against you when your claim for compensation is assessed.

Types of seatbelt

Inertia reels

Most cars are fitted with inertia-reel belts on their front seats. These adjust easily and allow you some leeway for movement until the vehicle brakes suddenly or crashes, at which point inertia causes the reels to lock. To test the belt, give it a sharp tug; it should lock. Make sure the belt is adjusted so that it fits snugly. In an accident a slack belt will give little protection, because by the time the slack is taken up your head will have made contact with the dashboard.

Pre-tensioners and web locking devices

A pre-tensioner fitted to the buckle will tighten the belt in the moment of impact, cutting down on your forward movement. A web lock or grabber acts on the reel, preventing the belt being pulled through the spool.

Lap belts

Most lap belts are simple devices, little more than pieces of webbing attached to an anchor point on the car’s chassis. Because there’s no inertia reel, they need to be adjusted to minimize slackness.

HOW TO WEAR A SEATBELT (#ulink_4034c3c8-42eb-51cd-ac10-7b91ba8f145c)

Seat belts are designed so that, in the event of an accident, the webbing is in contact with bony areas such as the shoulders, ribs and pelvis, thus minimizing the risk of injury to delicate fleshy tissue. Serious injury can result if the belt is not worn correctly.

Seat belts are most effective when the wearer is sitting up straight and well back in the seat. First adjust the seat to a comfortable upright position (the further a seat is reclined, the greater the risk of your sliding out from under the belt in a crash). If your car has height-adjustable belts, position the diagonal band so that it rests midway across your shoulder. It should not be in contact with your neck, and the diagonal should never be worn under the arm. If it is not possible to adjust the height of the belt, boost your height by sitting on a cushion. Making sure that the belt is not twisted or caught on anything, pull it across your body.

Position the lap belt across the pelvis, NOT over the stomach or waist. Always place the buckle to one side to reduce the risk of injury.

Pregnant women must take special care to keep the belt as low as possible over the hips. If in doubt consult your doctor.

It’s a good idea to get into the habit of always checking the belt’s release mechanism — in an emergency such as a fire, you may need to leave the vehicle in a hurry.

SEAT BELT MAINTENANCE (#ulink_4034c3c8-42eb-51cd-ac10-7b91ba8f145c)

Check all belts regularly to make sure that they are in good working order and free of damage. If the webbing becomes frayed, contaminated or damaged the belt should be replaced.

Always keep seat belts fastened when not in use — in an accident a flying belt buckle can cause serious injuries. This will also prevent stray belt straps from getting caught in the car doors, or tripping up passengers as they leave the vehicle.

Keep all seat belts clean — dirty belts can leave marks on clothing. Never use bleach or chemical solvents as this will weaken the webbing, and NEVER dismantle the assembly to clean the belts. Use a cloth moistened with a mild detergent for cleaning, then fully extend the belts to allow them to dry thoroughly. A wet belt can cause rewinding problems. Keep the buckle and retractor free of obstructions.

SEAT BELT REGULATIONS (#ulink_4034c3c8-42eb-51cd-ac10-7b91ba8f145c)

In Britain and most European countries seat belts must be worn by the driver and all passengers (provided a seat belt is available), unless an exemption has been granted. Exemptions can be given for medical reasons (your doctor will issue you with a certificate). Drivers making local deliveries in a vehicle designed or adapted for that purpose are also exempt, and you are allowed to remove your belt while carrying out reversing manoeuvres — though you must put it back on afterwards.

Even if you are not involved in an accident, you can be fined for not wearing a seatbelt. All occupants over the age of 14 are personally responsible for making sure they wear a belt (and liable for the fine if they don’t).

It is the driver’s legal responsibility to see that any children under 14 wear a belt or, preferably, a restraint suited to their size and weight (a baby or child seat for infants, booster seats for bigger children). You could be fined or have your licence endorsed if you fail to ensure that children use seat belts or restraints where available.

Most European countries will not allow children to be carried in the front passenger seat. This is because the safest place for them is in the back seat. In Britain, the rules on carrying children are as follows:

Children under 3 years of age: must always wear a child restraint (an adult seatbelt will not do) when travelling in the front seat. In the back seat a child restraint must be used if one is available. There’s nothing in the law to stop you carrying a baby or toddler in a back seat which is not fitted with a child restraint.

Children from 3 to 11 years of age and less than 1.5 metres (5 feet) tall: must wear an appropriate child restraint if one is available. If not, an adult seatbelt should be worn.

Children aged 12 and above or younger children over 1.5 metres tall: must wear an adult belt if one is fitted, whether they sit in the front or the rear of the car.

In Britain there’s no law against carrying more passengers than there are seat belts available, or against carrying children in a car which has no appropriate child restraints whatsoever. But the fact that it’s not illegal doesn’t make it safe. Heavy passengers will pose a danger to those sitting in front of them if they don’t wear a belt, and children have a much better chance of surviving an accident if they are secured by a child seat or other restraint rather than an adult seat-belt which they might slide out of. Don’t stop at complying with the legal requirements — follow the recommendations set out below (see Child Restraints).

A seatbelt that has been worn in an accident should be checked by an expert. The whole assembly may need to be replaced even if there is no visible sign of damage.

CHILD RESTRAINTS (#ulink_2977dbd2-9779-5382-805b-189f7a6900d6)

Children who are left unrestrained in cars have accidents — even when the car is stationary. Try not to leave them unsupervised, and NEVER leave them alone in the car with the keys in the ignition. It’s well worth fitting childproof locks so that the rear doors can only be opened from outside the car. And if you have electric windows, ask if a device can be installed which will allow you to override the rear-window switches so that they can only be operated from the driver’s seat.

The only safe way for children to travel by car is strapped into a child restraint which is suited to their weight and size, and which conforms to approved safety standards (look for United Nations, European Community or British Standards labels signifying that the product has been tested and approved). The alternatives don’t bear thinking about: