10 SAFE DRIVING STEPS YOU MUST KNOW.

The rainy season is back and the risk factor while driving on Nigeria road would increase significantly as records have shown that more vehicle accidents takes place due to the heavy flood and faulty cars.These are some General tips which can ensure you are safe while driving in this season, they are:

1.  Drive slow on rainy days when the roads are still wet as the stopping distance usually increases considerably on wet roads. Also, brakes may be slightly less effective on rainy days as water generally seeps into the brake pads and disks.

2.   In case it is raining heavily and you cannot see ahead, turn on the headlights and fog lights and drive at a cautious speed.

3.    The Air conditioner should be maintained properly and to use the demister, set the fan speed to low, turn the vent control to windscreen, set control to fresh outside air, and turn on the AC and it will help the car glasses from fogging up.

4.   If you are to drive through stagnant water, do not panic. Put the car in first gear and move ahead gently. Do not drive fast and once you step into stagnant water do not stop your car, just keep moving or water might get into the tail pipe.

5.  Battery condition should be checked, and a coat of petroleum jelly should be applied to the terminals.

6.   Drive only if it’s necessary - Yes, you’ve heard it on the weather forecast all the time, but people say it for a reason. Put simply, if you don’t go out, you can’t come to any harm on the road. Is your journey really that urgent or important?

7.  Maintain proper following distance (3 seconds rule). This needs to be increased in wet weather.

8.    Be more alert watching for brake lights in front of you.

9.   Don’t follow large trucks or buses too closely, because the spray created by their large tires can reduce vision.

10. Drive in the tracks of a vehicle ahead of you.

We wish you safe and comfortable driving during the rains. However for a more comprehensive protection during this season and all year round, check out our variant motor insurance products: goo.gl/Cvv29y & goo.gl/4bk3th

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SAVE PETROL CONSUMPTION – GET A LOWER BILL

Petrol is an essential commodity which is for the most part used to run our vehicles and generators daily. However, with the recent return of the persistent petrol scarcity, the cost of purchasing petrol increases which makes it pertinent that we find ways of conserving this essential commodity so as to save cost

. Additionally with the financial hardship that is as of now being experienced across the country, it would be efficient if these tips can be practiced as they would definitely reduce our overall spending on the purchase of petrol.

The following are ways we can save petrol while using our vehicles:

Make fewer trips

Did you know that when you drive a car that has been parked for a few hours, the engine is cold and it uses much more fuel for the first five miles or so? Ideally you’d combine all your daily errands into one big trip. Often that’s not possible if you have to pop out during the day to drop off and collect the family, but try not to go out separately to the supermarket shop or buy a newspaper or to attend a meeting.

Accelerate smoothly (Be a patient driver)

The perfect way to travel is at a constant speed (ideally around 80Kmph), and in the highest gear (five or six). So if you’re a patient driver, you’ll have lower fuel bills – it’s as simple as that. It’s unrealistic to avoid overtaking, but there’s little point accelerating past a car to simply be in front of it at the next set of lights – any instant gratification will appear on your fuel bill the next time you fill up.

Don’t drive in the rush hour

There are few worse places to spend your time than stuck in traffic jam, but it’s also a very expensive way of travelling. Every time that you stop and start in traffic, your car needs first gear and a huge amount of fuel to get moving again. Second gear is not much better. The best solution is to not travel during the rush hour. You can also save some fuel by trying to understand what the traffic is doing in front of you, and travelling steadily at a slow speed, rather than accelerating and braking.

Turn the air-conditioning off

It’s tempting to leave the air-conditioner on the while driving, but it uses quite a bit of fuel, so we’d advise you turn it off when it’s not hot.

Check your tyre pressures regularly

The lower the tyre pressure, the more fuel the car needs to move it down the road. We recommend that you take five minutes every fortnight to check the tyres. If you’re not sure what the pressure should be, you can normally find the figures near the lock inside the driver’s door.

Don’t push the accelerator down too far

This one always surprises people. It’s not just to do with what gear you’re in. You may be in a high gear and travelling at a sensible speed, but if you’re pushing the accelerator down a long way to avoid changing into a lower gear (into third from fourth, for example), then you’re actually using more fuel not less. Obviously, if your car has an automatic gearbox (you’ll know if it does), then it will probably do a better job than you of choosing which gear to be in, so it’s not a problem.

Stick to the speed limit

Driving at a higher speed can actually get to your destination in record time but it uses much more fuel than driving at a constant speed. If for example, you could shave a bit of time off your journey through Lagos Ibadan Expressway by travelling above the speed limit at an increased speed above 140kmph on a 114-kilometers trip. Although you might arrive about 20 minutes early but it’s false economy. While the car is running for 20 minutes less, it uses much more fuel when it is travelling. That 20 minutes could cost you up to N1,600.00 extra on fuel.

The few tips noted above can be help reduce our daily consumption of petrol and ultimately our overall spending on petrol. Practice them today and you will be glad you did especially during this scarcity period. 

Drop a line and let us know ways you have employed to conserve fuel apart from the above. We would love to hear from you.

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