With the festive season fast approaching we asked 23-year old race car driver Gennaro Bonafede, one of the leading lights in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship, to share his tips for safe driving.
Not only is Bonafede a regular podium visitor in his Audi S4, he is regarded as a wet weather expert and the fact that he won at a very wet Kyalami in only his third race in the Audi confirmed his status as a "reinmeister". He is also an instructor at the Volkswagen Driving Academy at Kyalami.
First and foremost it is your attitude to driving that counts the most. You have to be watching the road ahead and recognise situations before they become a threat. At this time of year there are a lot of thunderstorms and as a result large puddles form on the roads. Some drivers tend to drive into puddle because it's cool to make a big splash, but how do you know the puddle isn't hiding a huge pothole?
Visibility is also reduced and because it is December, drivers are thinking about a holiday so are not concentrating. Rain at night also poses another danger as lights are reflected off wet windows and roads and can be a big distraction, especially in heavy rain when windscreen wipers are battling to cope.
It is estimated that approximately 25% of all motor vehicle accidents are blamed on bad weather, but I disagree!! Bad weather is not the cause of accidents. The driver is the one in control, or who should be in control of a vehicle. The weather and road conditions only help punish a driver's mistakes.
APPROPRIATE SPEED
A lot of people assume that because I race cars, I drive fast on the roads. I like to say that I drive sensibly and I don't intentionally speed or make a habit of it. Like everyone, I do speed occasionally, but I don't ever go too fast for the conditions. There is a massive difference between going fast on public roads compared to driving on a race track.
On a racetrack, all the drivers are experienced, all the cars are travelling in the same direction, all the cars are safe and well built and there is a lot of space on a race track beyond the tar. On public roads, your biggest danger is other drivers. Licenses are being bought these days and I personally do not trust any other driver on the roads. I try and manage the space around me and look ahead of the car in front so I have a fair chance of predicting what he or she might do. You have to be very aware of your surroundings.
The conditions of the road also make a huge difference with a lot of dirt and oil on the roads, when it rains, this becomes like an ice rink! Your other obstacles are kerbs, lampposts, potholes and the infamous roadworks.
STOPPING DISTANCE
Obviously a wet surface means the level of grip is greatly reduced therefore braking distances become much longer, but there are a number of factors that influence stopping distances, even in perfect conditions: Reaction time, which includes thinking distance, varies greatly from driver to driver. Other than the speed at which the vehicle is traveling, it can be increased by: tiredness, alcohol or drug use, legal medication, lack of concentration and bad vision.
Once a driver has reacted there are many other factors influencing stopping distances. The weight of the car, condition of the brakes, tyres and road surface are all important to consider. Have you ever given any thought to how much 4 passengers can weigh? 300kg isn't unreasonable!
Gravel, dirt and mud can increase braking distances significantly, and then road surfaces also differ in a braking area. For example, there could be a patch of freshly laid tar, a painted zebra crossing etc which all influence stopping distances. A popular taxi pick-up or drop off place or bus stop is usually very slippery because oil dropped onto the road lowers the friction coefficient.
On good dry roads a car travelling at only 80km/h will need more than twice the stopping distance than a car doing 60km/h. At 120km/h a car will need over four times the distance to come to a safe halt. Of course, when a road is wet there are a lot more variables. As alluded to earlier, obviously there's less grip and the condition of tyres is crucial and then there's the matter of white lines or painted road markings.
Painted markings and manhole covers offer very little grip and thus greatly increase stopping distances.
YOU NEED TO BE SMOOTH
Also, driving in the wet requires smoothness. Try be gentle with the car. Hard acceleration causes wheelspin, unless the car has traction control, and sudden steering inputs can cause a car to slide and not make it around the corner. You have to drive gently, even in the dry. This will also help fuel economy and with petrol costing over R13.00 per litre, every litre saved makes a big difference.
Those are just a few things to consider when driving but it's equally important for a driver to ensure tyres are inflated correctly, there's enough fuel and the car is licensed and insured.
Safe driving over the festive season and remember road safety begins with you!