A Year of Ups and Downs
The year 2023 has just flown by as I write this last editorial of the year. We started the year with a shortage of semiconductors which made the manufacturers struggle to meet the demand for new cars. While some of the cars had a waiting period of up to one year, there were also some models whose waiting period exceeded that. Now most of the cars can be bought within a waiting period of a couple of months, barring some of the Toyota models which still have a one-year waiting period.
The recent festive season witnessed record new car sales but there will be a dip in the month of December, for most people like to wait and get their cars registered in the new year.
For some of us, driving is something we enjoy; for some others, it is a chore and they do it because they have to. It shows in how they drive. They will not shift down and make a swift overtaking manoeuvre; instead, they will labour along the other car or bus even on a single-lane highway, thus making it dangerous for themselves and the oncoming traffic. Most automatic cars have a manual mode, yet most people tend to stick to the auto mode. One must use the manual mode while going up and down a ghat. While going downhill, one can use engine braking to reduce the load on the brakes and while going uphill, if one is in the manual mode, one can get instant acceleration to make a quick overtaking manoeuvre.
While driving on the highway, one should always look way beyond the vehicle immediately in the front, so that one has enough time to brake and slow down even before the vehicle in front starts braking, thus maintaining a safe distance between oneself and other vehicles.
EDITOR – ASPI BHATHENA
