Rules that always apply To ensure yourself and your passengers full driving comfort and safety, you should…
10 pieces of advice for women from the European Rally Champion
(photo Moje Auto)
Kajetan Kajetanowicz won his titles not only thanks to his driving skills and hard work, but also by observing all safety rules during rallies. Rally drivers know best how to drive safely, because according to the well-known rule in this sport - winners reach the finish line. Difficult and professional nomenclature used in driver's guides often discourages women from reading. For this reason, Kajetan Kajetanowicz has prepared a list of 10 tips for the fair sex, written in simple and accessible language, which will help every woman always reach her destination safely.
10 steps to the queen of the steering wheel
Safety first - this is the motto that Kajetan Kajetanowicz took to heart when taking part in rallies. Thanks to this, he reaches the finish line safely and fights for the biggest titles. Similar rules apply to driving in road traffic. Here, too, following a few basic rules can protect us and our loved ones with whom we travel, as well as other road users, from unpleasant consequences or even tragedy. Kajetan Kajetanowicz decided to meet the needs of all road users and prepared 10 tips that are understandable and, above all, valuable:
Windows, lamps, mirrors
Before driving, make sure your windows, mirrors and lamps are clean. Better visibility allows you to react faster in the event of a threat, and sometimes even avoid it. This rule should be followed literally at any time of the year. In spring, when trees and shrubs come to life, they begin to shed dust to fully develop. If you park your car under a tree, a coating may appear on its body and windows after just a few hours. The resulting dirt on the glass is particularly dangerous because it may limit visibility.
However, in summer, when the mercury exceeds 30 degrees, many drivers are more distracted. Therefore, it is worth having clean mirrors to see exactly who is overtaking you and in what road conditions. It is important to determine whether the overtaking person has planned the overtaking maneuver well and continues driving at his own pace, or whether it is better to help the overtaking person and get closer to the roadside in order to minimize the risk of a dangerous situation. When the leaves start falling from the trees and the days get shorter, it obviously means that autumn has arrived. At this time of year, drivers usually struggle with frequent rainfall.
Therefore, before each journey, you should briefly inspect your car and wipe the windows, mirrors and headlights. However, winter requires the greatest caution from drivers. This is the most troublesome time of the year. In winter, you should remember about clean windows, lamps and mirrors, but also about a number of other car elements, such as the roof and license plates, which should also not be dirty or snow-covered.
Armchair
When you get behind the wheel, check that the seat, mirrors and steering wheel are properly adjusted. This will improve your driving comfort and you will also have much better visibility. This should be taken care of before each trip. A comfortable driving position translates into comfort, which in turn translates into safety. If the seat is pushed too far back, it may be difficult for our feet to reach the gas pedal, brake and clutch pedal. You don't need much imagination to see what can happen when your foot slips off the brake pedal when you press it to stop the vehicle at a red light. Similarly, if the seat is moved too close to the steering wheel, after some time during the journey our body may begin to feel numb. The movements will be uncoordinated and your knees may touch the steering wheel, which is absolutely unacceptable when driving a car as it may result in an accident.
Don't look into your bag while driving
Briefly and bluntly - turning your eyes away for 50 seconds at a speed of 5 km/h allows the car to travel up to 80 meters without your control!
Rest
If you cover many kilometers while driving, do not forget to rest, even if short. Fatigue is not a good advisor on the road. Very often we repeat in our minds - a few more kilometers, another 5 minutes - unfortunately, each body has its limits of endurance. In many cases, we think that we have estimated our strength correctly, and later it turns out that we have miscalculated. We may fall asleep, faint, or faint. Therefore, when we feel tired, the sooner we decide to take a short rest, the more cautious we will be. While resting, if the weather conditions allow it, open the window to ventilate the cabin, and it is best to get out of the car to stretch your bones. Taking breaks while driving is especially important in winter, when we try to warm up the interior right after getting into the car. A quick increase in temperature has a sleep-inducing effect!
Don't touch up your makeup while driving
Eyelashes, nails, lips? However, these matters, which are so important, are best beautified at home in front of the mirror. It's similar to a handbag - in the blink of an eye, a car travels a really long distance without the driver's control. Moreover, correcting makeup requires precision, and even the way we know well can be unpredictable. The car may hit a pothole, a branch or an object that accidentally found itself on the road. When we find ourselves in such a situation, an attempt at makeup may end in failure and often result in serious health damage.
Drive sparingly
By using, for example, the "prompt", i.e. arrows on the dashboard display. When the arrow points up - shift up a gear, when down - reduce it. If you don't have this system in your car, change gears around 2,5 - 3 thousand rpm.
New icon on the display
Orange or red? Don't underestimate the failure. You will find hints in the car's service book. However, if you don't feel confident in this, just go to the website or call someone you suspect knows the subject. Just in case, it is worth carrying a car service book in your car. Despite the fact that we live in times when the Internet has become the fastest source of obtaining knowledge, in this case the quickest answer will be found in the service book of our car.
What fuel for the car?
Although this issue is obvious to many women, sometimes when driving a borrowed car you wonder what fuel to put in it. The answer to this question can be found in two places: on the inside of the fuel filler there will be a sticker with the abbreviation ON (diesel oil) or PB (petrol). The second place is the registration certificate and point P.3: gasoline is marked with the letter P (Petrol), and diesel fuel with the letter D (Diesel). I'm ashamed to admit - I once made a mistake myself .
If you must use the phone, do it using a hands-free system.
In many new cars, you can connect your phone to the speaker system, which means that the conversation is not so distracting. But remember, your phone interferes with your driving, and if you don't need to use it then, do so after you've stopped. Also remember that you are not allowed to drive with a phone to your ear. If we do this, we will face a fine. In my opinion, the phone is currently the biggest time stealer in our car.
Shoes
It is clear that a leg in a high heel looks stunning. They certainly add charm, but they don't help with driving. It is worth putting comfortable shoes (without heels) intended for driving only in the trunk. This will increase your confidence in using the accelerator, brake and clutch pedals and, consequently, your safety.
“There are a lot of women among my fans and I hope that these 10 simple tips will make traveling by car more pleasant and safer. It is often women who travel with small children, which makes the aspect of road safety even more important. Although it may sound biased when I say it, traveling can be very pleasant. I wish you as many returns as trips with a sense of security, but also great fun while driving. By the way, I would like to thank all my fans for their support and see you at the rallies!
Conclusions
- Most experienced drivers know that safety is the priority when driving.
- Regardless of the season, you should check your windows, lamps and mirrors before each trip.
- Before we sit in the driver's seat, we should make sure it is adjusted to travel comfortably.
- All drivers, regardless of gender, should be as focused on driving as possible when driving. During this time, it is not recommended for women to look into their purses and for men to look into their backpacks.
- When driving a car, especially if it is a longer journey, remember to take short breaks.
- Women driving a car at the same time should not touch up their makeup.
- Master drivers do not forget about economical driving; it is worth getting acquainted with several guidelines which, if followed, will reduce fuel consumption.
- Every woman's car should have a service book. This is where you will find all the warning lights described, which will largely translate into knowledge about the technical condition of the vehicle.
- Before you start traveling in a car that you will drive for the first time, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the type of fuel that should be refueled. Contrary to appearances, mistakes at gas stations happen quite often 😊
- If we must use the phone while driving, we should do so by following generally applicable rules.
- Every woman should travel in comfortable shoes. It is worth having one pair of shoes in the trunk that will not burden your feet in any way.
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Kajetan Kajetanowicz – rally driver (Automobilklub Polski), born on March 5, 1979 in Cieszyn, resident of Ustroń; LOTOS Rally Team competitor, two-time European Rally Champion in 2015 and 2016 and four-time Polish Rally Champion in 2010-2013.
