Ford Family Safety Day: Part 1 - For Parents and Adults

2018 July 14

Today, we attended the Family Safety Day event sponsored by Ford Philippines in line with their Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) advocacy which aims to educate drivers on smart, safe and fuel-efficient driving.

This first part discusses the highlights of the seminar and the practical driving training.

I learned so much!





The event actually involves three parts - the Seminar, officiated by JP Tuason of the Tuason Racing School, the practical driving training which is held at the spacious Megatent Events venue and the kids version which I will write about in a separate post.

We arrived early so we had time to partake of the food offerings while Dylan had his first spin at the kiddie race track.  All kids were required to wear helmets for safety, of course.

At around 10AM, everyone was invited to join the seminar.  It opened with an introduction by EJ Francisco, AVP for Communications for Ford PH, a Welcome Speech by Ford PH's Managing Director Betrand Lessard and a Chat with Radio DJ Delamar Arias.

EJ Francisco, AVP Communications, Ford PH

Bertrand Lessard, Managing Director, Ford PH

Radio DJ and Mom Delamar Arias

JP Tuason of the Tuason Racing School conducted the Family Safety Day seminar.  At first, I wasn't sure if any of these details would be relevant to me after all I'm not the one driving the car but over the course of the seminar I realized that I do have certain responsibilities as an owner of a vehicle, especially when it came to making our vehicle safe for ourselves, our children and other passengers.

The team of Eco-Friendly Driving

The following slides from the presentation are important to learn for anyone who owns a vehicle.  The maintenance of your vehicle is a large contributing factor to the safety of everyone who rides it and therefore one that should be given priority.

1.  Daily Safety Checks

While normally, it's the driver that does safety checks prior to driving, I realized that safety checks can be done by everyone in the family.  For instance, checking under the car for leaks can be made into a habit, sort of like a game with the kids. 

They were also kind enough to show different samples of these liquids so that everyone will have a better understanding of the kinds of fluids that we find underneath our cars.

2.  Assessing your Tires' Health

During the discussion on tires, I found it fascinating because I was learning so much.  While I knew that tires needed to be replaced in pairs or in complete sets, I didn't know there were Tread Wear Indicators (TWI) on the tires themselves haha  Tread Wear Indicators, as the name suggests, are found in the tire grooves to mark that point in which you need to change your tires.  When the tires' treads are so worn out that they're on the same level as the tread wear indicators, then it's definitely time to change tires.  Worn out treads can cause your car to skid because it no longer has traction on the road. 


3.  Adjust your position for Comfort and Safety

When you're done with your exterior and interior safety checks, it's also important to adjust your driving and seating position for comfort and safety.  Normally, Patrick's doesn't need to adjust the driver's seat because he's the only one driving but in cases when someone else drives your car, you do need to re-adjust the driver's seat to suit your own position. The only times I had to adjust the passenger seat is when we've taken our car to the car wash because most of the time, they'll move the seats to efficiently vacuum inside the car.  

4. Seatbelts

Seatbelts are actually a no-brainer when it comes to car safety.  They're already built-in, especially in most modern cars so there really is no excuse not to put them on.  I actually have "Dora the Explorer" to thank because my kids don't want the car to start when one of us hasn't put on the seatbelt.  When they were younger, they would always say "So we can be safe!" while they're putting their seatbelts on.  I know of people who don't want to put their seatbelts on because (1) "I'm not comfortable" (2) "It's just a short drive" (3) "I have my kid on my lap" (4) "I'm seated at the back, it's not necessary".  Personally, I think it's silly.  You never know when an accident will occur.  Even if you're the most conscientious driver on the planet, if you encounter one who isn't, the seatbelt is there to save you or your passenger's lives.    No excuses.

5.  Car Seats

As parents, we need to prioritize our kids' safety in the car and on the road.  One of the best ways is by equipping our vehicles with appropriate car seats for infants and children.  In the Philippines, car seats still aren't really a common practice and most parents and relatives usually keep the children on their laps while traveling.  The importance of car seats is gradually permeating the consciousness of parents now that there are plenty of car seat products available, either brand new or second hand.  

This is good since the House of Representatives recently passed House Bill 6938 or the "Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act" which stipulates that "no child below 12 years old shall be allowed to sit in a front seat of a motor vehicle, unless the child is at least 150 centimeters or 59 inches in height and capable to properly fit in the regular seat belt in the front seat."  This basically means that following the requirements, any child under 12 and under 59 inches should sit in the back in a proper car seat.  

The second half of the Family Safety Day Driving Skills for Life agenda is the hands-on training for smart, safe and fuel-efficient driving.

The first course was the "emergency braking course" which lets the participants driving the Ford Everest brake hard and come to an immediate stop before hitting the pylons or the cones on the road.

The second course was the "Slalom course" which tests the participants ability to handle the vehicle  and the driver's alertness on the road.

The third course was the "anti-distracted driving course".  It has two parts - first with the driver instructed to fiddle with his phone while driving and the second, for the driver to just concentrate solely on driving.  This emphasizes the reason why there is now an Anti-Distracted Driving Law and why there's a need for drivers to focus on driving while on the road.

Even though I'm not a driver, I understand the values that this kind of training imparts.  There have been many instances that Patrick has suddenly halted or has swerved to avoid being hit by unruly vehicles.  It's scary if you think about it.  But most modern  and newer cars like the Ford Ecosport and the Everest are equipped with safety features and technology that help in safety and better car handling, so that's a plus!

Texting while driving can be avoided.  It's actually easy!  If you really need to make a call or read  or respond to a text, you can park for a while and do that or do what Patrick does - he hands me the phone and I do it for him.  Also, kids in the backseat are as much a distraction as being on the phone.  So, we have to try to find ways to keep our kids calm and quiet while on the road.  Secure them with car seats and seatbelts and provide them with their own activities to keep them occupied.

We never have to take safety for granted.  Our lives are at stake all the time we are driving.  Just the smallest things like putting on your seatbelts can save your lives.  Thanks Ford Philippines for driving these points home for us!