SAFETY DRIVING TIPS FOR A JOYFUL RAYA FROM REPSOL

UMW LUBRICANT INTERNATIONAL SDN BHD REPSOL and UMW PENNZOIL DISTRIBUTORS SDN BHD wishes Malaysians “Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri”. To celebrate this joyful occasion, we at UMW urge our fellow Malaysians to be extra cautious during the balik kampung exodus. As everyone will be using the holidays to reunite with their loved ones, we should all do our part to ensure that our holidays are a happy and joyous one. As such, we would like to share a few safety driving tips with everyone for their Balik Kampung drive.  The following are the tips, provided by two professional drivers, who are GSR Repsol Air Asia Rally Team’s Karamjit Singh and Gunaseelan Rajoo.
VEHICLE
Prior to making the trip back home, you should always make sure that your vehicle is in pristine condition. You should make sure the tyres are properly inflated, and all fluids (such as battery water, brake fluid, radiator water, engine oil, etc) are at proper levels. If you are making a particularly long trip, it would be best if you got a mechanic to thoroughly examine your vehicle, to avoid any disruptions or breakdown during the journey.
DRIVER
Before embarking on the journey, always ensure that the driver has enough sleep or rest. This will enable the driver to be alert, and hence avoid accidents. It is also very important that the driver has enough food and does not drive on an empty stomach.
CO DRIVER
For long distance traveling, it would be advisable to share driving responsibilities with others in the vehicle. If there is no alternative driver, it is advisable to pull over when tired, or take breaks at intervals of few hours. However, when you do stop your vehicle, please make sure that you do not park at the emergency lanes. Use the designated Rest & Relax stopovers.
EMERGENCY
Always keep emergency phone numbers while traveling. For example, prior to the journey, find out the emergency numbers of hospitals, police stations, or even highway authorities, on the route you will be taking for your travel. Alternatively, check if your car insurer provides roadside assistance or highway breakdown assistance, and keep their number in your mobile.
BUCKLE UP
From the moment you step into the vehicle, always remember to strap on your seat belt. Aside from it being the law, buckling up while traveling will ensure a safer trip, and could potentially safe your life on the road.
DISTANCE
On the highway, you should always maintain a two-to-three car distance between yourself and the car in front of you. This will be very helpful when the car ahead suddenly applies their emergency brakes, or if another vehicle suddenly swerves in front. Similarly, if an accident occurs with other vehicles, please avoid stalling traffic by slowing down to see what has happened. This unnecessary slowing down will cause traffic to build up, and may also cause other accidents to occur.
We hope that our safety tips has been informative and helpful.  Again, we urge everyone to stay vigilant, responsible and corteous on the road, as this may save lives.  “Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Maaf Zahir dan Batin.”