According to a European study, 80% of car crashes would be avoided if drivers had an extra second to react. At least that’s what we were told during the half-day Driving Experience course that I was glad to attend.
Now, I didn’t really need to participate in this event, having followed similar courses before. But I did realize that everyone needs a refresher once in a while, and how easy it is to neglect certain driving techniques during the daily commute to work.
During the Driving Experience program, the instructors explain how to gain that extra second of reaction time and to become a more alert driver. A second program is called Mastering Performance and is a full-day course on a race track, but you have to complete the first one before moving on to the second.
A little theory is in order before getting behind the wheel. Participants get to learn how to adopt a good driving position, one that allows you to react more quickly to emergency driving situations. The instructors also explain how to adjust the mirrors inside and out to minimize blind spots.
Vision and braking techniques are also taught in order to better tackle the closed-course exercises, which mimic what could happen while driving on the open road.
And then, the moment everyone is waiting anxiously for: getting behind the wheel of one of a dozen Mercedes-Benz vehicles. And the selection couldn’t be more interesting, as it includes B200 Turbo, C300, C350 4MATIC, ML320 BlueTEC, E350 4MATIC, SLK350, GLK350 and—no joking here—a trio of AMG hot rods for good measure: C63, CLS63 and SLK55. We get to try them all, and everyone has his own car.
Being a frequent performer of acceleration and braking tests, I concentrated more on observing how the other participants were managing. To duplicate a panic braking situation, the instructors asked us to keep a constant speed without easing off the throttle, and then slam on the brakes when we’d reach a series of cones.
It took some practice for most to successfully perform this test, but after a few runs, everyone got the hang of it. Braking through a curve to get a feel of a car’s balance and to keep your eyes on the obstacle ahead was also a challenge, and participants responded admirably.
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Now, I didn’t really need to participate in this event, having followed similar courses before. But I did realize that everyone needs a refresher once in a while, and how easy it is to neglect certain driving techniques during the daily commute to work.
During the Driving Experience program, the instructors explain how to gain that extra second of reaction time and to become a more alert driver. A second program is called Mastering Performance and is a full-day course on a race track, but you have to complete the first one before moving on to the second.
A little theory is in order before getting behind the wheel. Participants get to learn how to adopt a good driving position, one that allows you to react more quickly to emergency driving situations. The instructors also explain how to adjust the mirrors inside and out to minimize blind spots.
Vision and braking techniques are also taught in order to better tackle the closed-course exercises, which mimic what could happen while driving on the open road.
And then, the moment everyone is waiting anxiously for: getting behind the wheel of one of a dozen Mercedes-Benz vehicles. And the selection couldn’t be more interesting, as it includes B200 Turbo, C300, C350 4MATIC, ML320 BlueTEC, E350 4MATIC, SLK350, GLK350 and—no joking here—a trio of AMG hot rods for good measure: C63, CLS63 and SLK55. We get to try them all, and everyone has his own car.
Being a frequent performer of acceleration and braking tests, I concentrated more on observing how the other participants were managing. To duplicate a panic braking situation, the instructors asked us to keep a constant speed without easing off the throttle, and then slam on the brakes when we’d reach a series of cones.
It took some practice for most to successfully perform this test, but after a few runs, everyone got the hang of it. Braking through a curve to get a feel of a car’s balance and to keep your eyes on the obstacle ahead was also a challenge, and participants responded admirably.
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