Image: Ford
Image: Ford
Image: Ford
Image: Ford
Image: Ford
NewsBy: Siyavuya Mbaduli
The DSFL programme was established in 2003 by the Ford Motor Company Fund in conjunction with the Governors Highway Safety Association and a panel of safety experts. Officially launched within South Africa in 2010., the panel came together to create the Ford Driving Skills for Life programme which teaches legal drivers of all ages the necessary skills for safe driving beyond what they learn in a standard driving school lesson.
Image: Ford
The series of measures taught in the course are international in scope touching not only South Africa but many areas around the world. The basic premise behind Ford Driving Skills for Life is to provide a step in the learning process with new skills and information not currently shared with newly licensed drivers in the basic driver education courses.
Training is conducted in a hands-on curriculum and the entire program is available at no cost. Training conducted under the Ford Driving Skills for Life program addresses the inexperience factor as well as issues surrounding distracted driving and fuel-efficient driving tips.
Image: Ford
According to statistics, a total of 1 685 people lost their lives on the roads during the 2021 festive season, a 14% increase compared to the previous period. Ford’s DSFL programme is dedicated to bringing this number down by helping drivers improve their skills in key areas that contribute to 60% of vehicle crashes, such as:
Hazard Recognition:
In Hazard Recognition, the driver learns how to scan for trouble, especially during busy situations such as entering – and turning into – an intersection. Key safety zones are identified, and drivers are taught how to minimise distractions so as not to feel overwhelmed.
Vehicle Handling:
Vehicle handling covers learning to control a vehicle’s balance and the forces acting upon it when in motion. Drivers will experience the effect of acceleration and braking on a vehicle’s stability, and driving techniques designed to transition between these smoothly. This helps to maintain good grip and traction with the road surface at all times. DSFL also teaches drivers how to recover from a skid and the contrasting dynamics between front- and rear-wheel drive vehicles.
Space Management:
South Africa’s increasingly busy road network makes space management a valuable defence against road accidents. Being aware of the space around the vehicle will lessen the chance of being in a rear-end collision, or having a head-on accident.
Speed Management:
Excessive speed can endanger not only yourself but those around you. DSFL instructors will help demonstrate these dangerous and reckless driving habits while also showing how active driving aids, fitted to the vehicle, can be complemented by emergency driving techniques.
Distracted and Impaired Driving:
One of the leading causes of collisions is drunk driving, which has a dramatic impact on the driver’s concentration levels, overall awareness, depth perception and peripheral vision, reaction times and reflexes. To prove the point, the DSFL team uses drunk goggles that simulate the dramatic effects of driving under the influence of alcohol. Using a phone while driving has rapidly become one of the main contributors to traffic accidents, and the Ford DSFL programme highlights the shocking reality of how texting while driving costs lives.
Image: Ford
As a driver, you need to be vigilant and aware of your surroundings at all times, especially when driving in areas with pedestrian activity. Always stop for pedestrians at a zebra crossing and never pass vehicles stopped at zebra crossings because they may have stopped to allow pedestrians to cross the street. Always Stay focused and slow down where children may be present.
Keyword: Ford’s DSFL programme empowers new drivers with essential skills