KOTA KINABALU: More than 80 Ford customers and members of the public participated in the company’s recently launched Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) training programme, a series of road safety workshops.
This is the first time the programme has been held in Sabah. Classroom and practical sessions took place at Sime Darby Auto ConneXion (SDAC)’s Kota Kinabalu branch and Likas Stadium.
Ford and its local distribution partner SDAC said the free-of-charge DSFL programme aimed to raise awareness on road safety, and aid in the reduction of traffic fatalities and injuries by educating drivers on the skills and techniques needed to drive more safely.
Ford claims that Malaysia has one of the highest vehicle ownership rates in the region and records two million traffic accidents daily.
They added that while East Malaysia has fewer vehicles on the road, fatal road accidents are on the rise, with non-compliance to traffic and road safety regulations being the main contributing factors.
“At Ford and SDAC, we are committed to equipping Malaysians with safe driving knowledge and that’s why we have decided to bring this programme to East Malaysia,” said Sime Darby Auto ConneXion managing director Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz.
“Ford’s DSFL programme provides the know-how to help drivers understand a number of unpredictable scenarios that could happen on the road, while also equipping them with the tools to tackle potentially dangerous situations accordingly.”
The workshops were held in conjunction with the “Carlist.my Drive: Off-road Edition 2019” event. It allowed the public to learn about the DSFL programme and gain safe-driving information.
A total of four training sessions, half-day workshops which consisted of both classroom and practical hands-on sessions, were organised over the weekend from Nov 16 to 17.
The workshops addressed various driver risks with training focused on four main areas:
Distractions — Making smart decisions behind the wheel to limit distractions such as mobile phone usage, and staying focused on the task of driving
Hazard recognition — Scanning the road ahead for potential dangers, particularly approaching intersections and safety zones
Speed and space management — Learning to adjust speed to maintain safe space around, ahead, and behind a vehicle while avoiding being rear-ended
Vehicle handling — Understanding the vehicle’s capability and learning to better control it by leveraging its safety features such as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Semi-Automatic Parallel Parking (SAPP), Forward Collision Warning and Lane Departure Warning
An emphasis on the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or medication was also incorporated as part of the programme. This included having participants wear specially designed goggles that help simulate the experience of driving while movement, coordination, and alertness are impaired.
Now in its 16th year, the DSFL programme has provided free training to more than one million newly-licensed drivers in 40 countries, which Ford equates to an investment of more than US$50 million (RM209 million).