Buy Consumer feature: advanced defensive driving with Masterdrive
The brief was simple enough: come to Masterdrive Cape Town and be prepared to leave better, safer drivers
For those of us privileged enough to have a driver’s licence and access to a car, driving is one of our most common activities. Yet, there are so many different styles and techniques and, dare we say it, bad habits we fall into when behind the wheel. Despite the basics of how to hold the steering wheel, smooth acceleration or the braking distance before a stop, there should be one primary goal: to safely reach your destination.
The CAR team recently participated in a defensive driving and skidpan training course with Masterdrive Cape Town in an effort to brush up on those all-important driving skills and shake off some of the poor behaviour we tend to adopt over time. The two-day session took place at Killarney International Raceway in Cape Town.
ADVANCED DEFENSIVE DRIVING
The first day focused on defensive driving and began with an in-depth theory session to prepare us for a practical test. We were guided through an interactive presentation that highlighted common mistakes and errors drivers make on their daily commute and revealed easy ways to correct these. The presentation went into great depth about the different types of hazards, how to identify them early and plan and react in good time. An informal verbal test is held after each chapter, giving participants a chance to digest what they’ve just learnt.
Additional benefits for fleet customers include fewer accidents, improved fuel consumption and reduced wear and tear on company vehicles
After the presentation, it was time for the defensive-driving practical. This is designed to take students through a variety of real-world driving scenarios to gauge how they apply the principles from the theory session. The practical is made up of two parts: an instructor-guided drive and a scored test.
The guided drive enables the instructor to observe current, unaided driving style, and suggestions are made to improve things like seating position and steering wheel control. Once out on the road, the instructor verbalises all the activity happening around the vehicle with the aim of aligning driving style with good defensive driving techniques.
Then the defensive driving test takes place. The instructor scores drivers across various driving parameters: smoothness of braking, acceleration, observational awareness and safe following distance. The driver is also expected to announce, in great detail, the activity of drivers and pedestrians around them to refine their defensive-driving awareness while on the move. The test is concluded upon arrival at the track where the instructor gives a final score and all-important feedback.
Unlike most manufacturers’ advanced driver offerings that are, for the most part, a fun-day-out marketing exercise and a now-you’re-one-of-us gratuity to new owners – think Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-benz – the Masterdrive training course is independently run and genuinely has road safety as its cornerstone. It aims to equip attendees with not only advanced vehicle control, but also advanced cognitive skills behind the wheel; a master’s in driving safety if you will.
SKIDPAN EVALUATION
The second day takes place at the Killarney skidpan, an area of watery asphalt used to simulate wet driving conditions. Most advanced driving skidpan sessions are usually accompanied by a rear-wheel-drive, firebreathing V8, but here we experienced the skidpan in normal cars. Our vehicle choices included the Suzuki Vitara Brezza and Kia Sonet from the CAR long-term fleet.
We started with some emergency braking drills to get a sense of the ABS intervention. Most members of the team were surprised at how the brakes felt in an emergency situation. The instructors reiterated how critical it is that drivers understand the limits of braking and how to react.
Masterdrive has road safety as its cornerstone and will make you a Masterdriver
Our next drill added an element of unpredictability … an emergency lane change on a wet surface. This was a real eye-opener as it revealed how human response times are delayed in an emergency. The grand finale of the emergency braking segment was an emergency lane change and hard-braking drill; this was to the left or right, depending on the instructor’s instruction just milliseconds before having to make a decision and turn the wheel. It simulated how quickly drivers must react in an emergency and the appropriate inputs required.
With the cones deranged and rearranged too many times to count, it was time for the last set of drills in our own vehicles: understeer and oversteer. These out-of-control moments can be extremely intimidating and that is why such a significant amount of time is spent on these exercises. With an instructor in the passenger seat, drivers are guided to induce understeer and oversteer around the skidpan. It’s then up to the driver to correct the vehicle and get it safely back on course.
After a day of strenuous emergency drills, it was time for the cherry on top: a gymkhana obstacle course in the Masterdrive fleet of Toyota MR2S. It’s not every day that you get to throw one of Toyota’s most iconic two-seaters around a wet skidpan and none of us could resist. Each participant received two practice laps and a timed lap. It was competitive and the obstacle course was complex but every single driver ended their laps with a grin from ear to ear, no matter the time.
The two-day training course was an opportunity to learn more about how we drive, the bad habits we subconsciously fall into and how to rectify them. The first day refined our focus and awareness muscles, while the second gave us a chance to experience simulated emergency situations. Whether your car costs R10 000 or R1 million, the Masterdrive course is worthwhile to improve your driving skills and safety on the road.