Acquiring the Driving Skills You Didn't Learn In School

MANILA, Philippines - Driving in the Philippines has always been legendary. I’m sure every one of us at some point, has had a balikbayan relative come home to the country and tell us, “Pare, can you pick me up? Hindi ko na kaya mag-drive dito...” And frankly, this type of request requires no further explanation – we are all quick to oblige because we know in our hearts that driving in the country is not for the faint of heart. It is for the skilled local, who has learned to dance with wild drivers, and anticipate crazy road stunts three steps ahead.

And yet learning to survive this concrete circus does not always come without casualties. In 2010 alone, the Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System (MMARAS) reported a total of 18,810 traffic accidents – 12,665 of which, were caused by human error. And obviously, these figures do not include the unreported cases, as the East Avenue Medical Center alone, receives about a 100,000 medical emergencies every year, from vehicular accidents.

Unfortunately, driving in the Philippines is anything but safe. But this is not to say that we should abstain from driving altogether. The best bet we have is to drive defensively.

In recognition of this special need, the Ford Motor Company – a global automotive company that manufactures and distributes automobiles across six continents – continues on with its Ford Driving Skills For Life (DSFL) campaign in the Philippines. Now on its 6th year, the program offers free courses – which include both classroom and hands-on learning – that help educate drivers of all ages, on safe, smart and fuel-efficient driving practices. This driver awareness and education project is maintained by the Ford Motor Company in cooperation with the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIPF).

“And as part of this year’s DSFL program, we decided to invite our friends from the media and their loved ones to participate in a seminar – so they can see just how simple it is to be a safe, smart and fuel-efficient driver,” says Anika Salceda-Wycoco, FGP’s AVP for Communications.

And might I say – the Ford DSFL indeed, was a very practical and informative seminar. It was conducted in collaboration with Tuason Racing School (TRS), with JP Tuason as our lecturer for that day. The program included an excellent review of road signs and road markings, and a very fun discussion of how all these fell into the local context. I also enjoyed the critical thinking part when we had to analyze several given road scenarios, and decide what was best to do in that situation, and also what was legal. Most of all, it was the application of the local flavor into all these exercises that made me appreciate this program the most. After all, you may theoretically know all the rules – but the real environment changes everything.

The program also included excellent tips on how to parallel park – parking 101 for the parallel-parking-phobic – and techniques on how to maneuver your car in tight, curvy pathways, and even go back the same path in reverse! Of course, you can’t exactly expect to learn these skills until you’ve tried them out for yourself – so sufficient time was also devoted to the hands-on training part, using vehicles such as the Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus and Ford Escape. And each vehicle had an instructor from TRS waiting inside to guide you, of course.

Lastly, the program also emphasized the importance of fuel-efficient driving, and gave out several practical tips on how you can save gas. Best of all, we were each asked to compare our fuel consumption from driving a given path, the normal way we do, and a second time around, applying all the fuel-efficient driving techniques we learned that day. And not very surprisingly, we noticed at least an 18% increase in fuel economy, from applying these techniques in that short path alone.

Ford’s DSFL program has had over 20,000 participants since 2005, and by the end of this year, they plan to add at least 2,000 more. With approximately four million driver’s licenses and permits being issued by the LTO every year, it is high time that more people get educated on safe and smart driving practices.

Ford has also recently concluded several DSFL seminars in its Metro Manila dealerships, training approximately 300 participants. They also regularly conduct University tours, and are targeting 15 Colleges and Universities by the end of 2011.