By T.K. Malhotra (President)
The summer sets in and seen on the roads are vehicles with dark black tinted glasses. Many private cars are even noticed with curtains fitted in the interior preventing total transparency. You are tempted to increase cooling efficiency. Using these measures though may slightly increase cabin-cooling of your car, don't forget that the safety of your vehicle in close proximity with other vehicles will be jeopardised. The Motor Vehicles Rules make it abundantly clear that every motor vehicle shall be maintained to ensure minimum 70 per cent visual transmission of light. The glasses used or fitted to the vehicle shall be maintained in a manner to provide visual transmission of light not less than 50 per cent conforming to IS standards. These rules have been framed to permit clear vision from outside to inside and inside to outside. We have, therefore, to be extra cautious not to fit to our vehicles tinted glasses or sun control films that are so dark as to obscure clear vision.
While talking about summer, many of the city motorists must also be planning a holiday with their families to nearby hill stations. Hill driving needs special skill indeed. So we must take the following precautions:
 Test the brakes before setting off.
Shift to the correct gear before climbing and descending.
Avoid changing gears mid-way on a gradient.
Give way to heavy vehicles and the traffic that is upcoming.
It is risky to switch off the engine or shift to neutral gear for saving fuel. If we do so, we may lose total control on our vehicle.
Religiously follow traffic signals and use caution by blowing horn reaching blind corners and sharp turnings. At night use dipper instead to forewarn the oncoming traffic.
Avoid always overtaking near the bends and at the crest of hill.
While passing the traffic coming from the opposite side, use dim lights only.
Use the same gear for descending a gradient which would have been used by you to ascend it.
Allow the brakes to cool if found fading which happens due to excessive heating.
Care for parking rules when stopping on a steep gradient. Use hand-brakes and place stones or bricks under the wheel but remember to remove those while resuming your journey.
It is highly important to position your vehicle when negotiating sharp curves. The vehicle should be pulled towards right to bring it as close to the road centre as possible. Move gently to the left/inner side of the corner to reduce sharpness of the curve. Put your vehicle straight.
On leaving the corner, move to the left.
Before arriving at corners, the vehicle should be pulled to the extreme left. Then move towards right close to the centre of the road. Move well thereafter to the left and leaving the corner steer your vehicle straight.
Fitment of TV in a vehicle seems to be yet another craze though it also jeopardises vehicle safety. Must you find this irresistible, take precaution to place the unit in your vehicle in a manner that it does not distract the person at the 'wheel'.
It must be placed behind the driver, so that the telecast is not within his view. The audio should also be operated at a low level to avoid distracting other drivers sharing the road with you.
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