A vehicle breakdown is a mechanical or electrical failure of a motor vehicle in such a way that the underlying problem prevents the vehicle from being operated or impedes the vehicle's operation so significantly that it is very difficult, nearly impossible, or else dangerous to operate. Vehicle breakdowns have various causes. Depending on the nature of the problem, the vehicle may or may not need to be towed to an automobile repair shop.
If you have a breakdown, think first of all other road users and -
a) Get your vehicle off the road if possible;
b) Warn other traffic by using your hazard warning lights if your vehicle is causing
an obstruction.;
c) Put a retro reflective warning triangle on the straight road at least 50 metres, on sharp bends almost 100 metres behind and in front and 50 meters in residential area of your broken down vehicle on the same side of the road or use other permitted warning devices if you have them. Never forget the danger from passing traffic;
d) Keep your side lights on if it is dark or visibility is poor;
e) Do not stand(or let anybody else stand) between your vehicle and oncoming traffic;
f) At night or in poor visibility do not stand where you will prevent other road usersseeing your lights; and
g) At night or in poor visibility, put on bright or reflective clothing.
Saturday, September 24, 2022
*EIGHT (8) Smart Skills For Driving An SUV*
1. Practice Makes Perfect
Get comfortable in your SUV before taking it out on the road. Practice driving in a large, open space (such as an empty parking lot) and in different weather conditions to get used to the handling and braking.
2. Keep It Light
Any cargo—including passengers—raises an SUV’s center of gravity, which increases the chance of a rollover. So be mindful of packing heavy stuff, especially when you have passengers, and avoid using the roof rack unless absolutely necessary. Be aware, too, that overloading can cause brake wear and tear, tires to overheat, and can increase the risk of a blowout.
3. Go Slower
An SUV handles differently than a lower-bodied sedan; it isn’t designed to make quick, sharp turns. Take corners easy, and slow down on curved roads. Drive especially carefully in snow and rain.
4. Leave Lots Of Space
While your driving position in an SUV gives you good road visibility, it can be hard for drivers of smaller cars to see around you. Those behind you, for example, may not have much of a warning that you’re going to stop. Increasing your following distance can result in less-sudden stops, which may in turn help prevent cars from rear-ending you.
5. Hit The Brakes Sooner
SUVs require greater braking distance from most other cars, especially in bad weather. “Because SUVs weigh more than smaller vehicles, they need more time to come to a complete stop,” Solomon says. “Four-wheel drive does not mean four-wheel stop.”
6. Mind Your Mirrors
Minimize blind spots on either side, which may require positioning mirrors farther out than you would for a sedan. Be aware that since you’re sitting higher, it may be harder to see things lower to the ground; when backing up, be especially careful that nothing and no one is behind you.
7. Avoid Sudden Movements
Drivers can help guard against the threat of rollover crashes by not overcorrecting with the steering wheel. In an emergency, try to steer as smoothly as possible.
8. Think Before You Tow
Even if your SUV is equipped with a trailer hitch, that doesn’t necessarily mean it has the engine power, stability or braking capacity to handle a loaded trailer. Refer to your owner’s manual before attempting to trailer anything, and know that the handling and stability changes greatly when adding a trailer to an SUV. Also, be aware that SUV factory mirrors are usually not sufficient for trailering.
The Lagos Ride Scheme is firstly aimed to take off all rickety cars being used as taxis on our roads by providing alternatives to the operators who are not owners of the vehicles to become owners through the “lease to own scheme”.
The Lagos Ride Scheme provides the driver/operator with right to own the car after the car is fully paid for within 3-4 years.
*HOW TO APPLY FOR LAGOS RIDE?*
Application details and processes are online through lagosride.com and further links on android & IOS play stores by searching lagosride.
NO: This is an empowerment programme for the citizens of the State who fall into any of these categories.
The Unemployed or Workers under the present taxis scheme who are not owners of the taxis they are operating.
*THE MAINTENANCE QUESTION:*
The vehicles are from GAC Motors that is presently located in Lagos with over five present maintenance centres and creation of addition 6 centres through construction of new service centres & partnership with existing LACVIS test centres.
LASG signed a joint venture with GAC Motors in 2020 to establish an assembly plant for local assembling of vehicles thereby making the cars readily available/affordable. Plant is at 60% completion with an annual capacity for over 5,000 cars.
*WHY IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM THE PRESENT TAXI SYSTEM IN LAGOS*
- It is an empowerment scheme for the residents of Lagos State which guarantees ownership of the car after full payment is done with low access deposit.
*FEATURES*
It is security embedded with dashboard cameras installed in each car for real-time monitoring of the car, passengers and drivers activities for safety purpose.
All the cars are uniformly painted with unique number on each car for identification and safety.
*RIDE SHARING:*
With the technology its operations will be deployed on, ride-sharing is possible for passengers (who agree to share ride) thereby reducing commuting costs.
The scheme provides brand new cars and not used cars which provides dignity for the ridesr and low emission rate to the environment thereby reducing the impact of emission on climate.
*MORE CARS ON THE ROAD?*
The Lagos Ride aimed to take off all rickety cars being used as taxis on our roads, providing alternatives to the operators of these vehicles who are not owners of the vehicles to become owners.
*TYPE OF VEHICLES AVAILABLE*
Two forms of GAC vehicle will be used for the scheme
i. GS3 model – a mini SUV
ii. GA4 model – a full saloon car with full options
*MORE FEATURES*
- Comprehensive Insurance Policy
- LASG E-Hailing Levy
- An android phone given to each driver/operator loaded with the apps.
- Full vehicle registration cost
- Dashboard camera that gives audio and video feed accessible remotely
- 360 coverage inside and outside the car.
- A physical panic button that can be used by any body inside the car in case of assault or emergency which is connected to the control command centre
A SOS button on the driver’s app and the user’s app that all connected to the command centre for action
Training and Certification with Lagos State Drivers Institute for the operators.
*#LagosRide*
*#ForAGreaterLagos*
Tuesday, September 13, 2022
*MOTORCYCLE RIDING*
Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. For some people, motorcycling may be the only affordable form of individual motorized transportation, and small-displacement motorcycles are the most common motor vehicle in the most populous countries, including India, China and Indonesia.
*Tactics for surviving as a motorcyclist*
*1. Watch your surroundings*
Watching your surroundings means watching:
into the far, middle and near distance; and
behind you, using your mirrors and checking over your shoulders, before
changing position or turning.
*2. Keep your distance*
Use the ‘two second rule’ (see Section 8). In wet or icy conditions, always
leave a bigger gap.
*3. Be seen*
Make sure your position is correct. Use dipped headlights and wear high
visibility clothing (such as a neon vest and ‘Sam Browne’ reflective belt).
*4. Do not surprise others*
Never do anything on the road that could cause another road user to slow
down, brake or swerve or that could startle pedestrians.
*5. Think like other road users*
Anticipate how other road users might react.
*6. Read the road*
In other words, ride to current road, weather and traffic conditions.
*7. Adopt the right speed for the conditions*
Never let others dictate your pace.
*8. Never ride your bike after consuming alcohol or drugs*
*9. Trust your machine by maintaining it properly*
Follow the acronym POWDERS and check petrol, oil, water, damage,
When it comes to wearing a seatbelt in Nigeria 40% of Nigerian road users don’t find it useful or they underestimate its usefulness while the 50% that wear it don’t wear it religiously or they only wear it to take a selfie. The remaining 10% that use the seatbelt do so in order not to be fined by the law according to a survey conducted by a team of experts.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria recorded 2,656 road crashes and 1,076 deaths across the country in the third quarter of 2020.
About 50% of these people could be saved if they wore seatbelts. Driver safety is very important. When you are behind the wheel, your actions will affect you, the people you carry in the car, and anyone else who happens to be on the road near you.
REASONS FOR USING SEATBELT
1. Seatbelt Saves Lives: The function of the front seatbelts is to stop the forward momentum of the driver and front passenger in the event of an accident. It is the best defense against road hazards, aggressive drivers, distracted drivers etc.
Without the front seatbelts, forward momentum would smash the head and body into the steering wheel, dashboard, or windshield.
2. It works together with Airbags: The reality is airbags are designed to work in conjunction with seatbelts, not independently or in place of seatbelts. Without putting up a seatbelt, an airbag might not expand fast enough to cushion the forward momentum of the occupant and in certain cases plowing unrestrained into an airbag has been known to cause death by suffocation.
3. It is the Law: Wearing a seatbelt is the law in any country both developing and developed countries. If you are caught not wearing a seatbelt you could face expensive fines and consequences.
4. Safety of our Children: Children in a car are more vulnerable to getting flung in the event of an accident. Seatbelts work on top of various child restraint systems each tailored to the height of the child to significantly reduce the fatality rate of children in car accidents. Of every 100 children who die in motor vehicle accidents at least, 80 would survive if they were properly secured in an approved child safety seat or safety belt.
5.Maximum protection for pregnant women: Wearing a seatbelt is critical to the protection of both mother and child. It is perfectly safe for even heavily pregnant women. It may be slightly uncomfortable for an expectant mother but wearing a seatbelt will not harm the baby at all and it reduces the fatality risk of the mother without whom the fetus’s chances of survival are grim.
In conclusion, people have a general notion that the back seatbelt is not useful like that of the front, this is not true. It is as important as the front seatbelts. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) wearing a front seatbelt can reduce the risk of fatal injury by 50% while wearing a back seatbelt can reduce the risk by a whopping 75%.
Make wearing your seatbelt a habit. The next time you get in a car remember to buckle up, no one plans to get into an accident but if an aggressive/enraged or a reckless driver heavily runs into your car, a seatbelt can save your life only if you are wearing it.
2. If parked on street, approach driver’s door, key in hand from front of vehicle
3. Unlock door and enter quickly
Preparing to Drive
1. Lock doors
2. Place key in ignition
3. Adjust seat for best control (Top of steering wheel should be no higher than the top of
the driver’s shoulders.) There should be at least 10” between the driver’s body and the
bottom of the steering wheel. (Use a wedge seat cushion, and/or pedal extensions for
maximum field of view.)
4. Adjust inside and outside mirrors for maximum field of view
5. Fasten and adjust safety belt and make sure all passengers buckle up
