Teachers’ Day Special: Ways in Which Your Car Teaches You To Be A Better Driver

Teachers, among the strongest influences in our lives, are remembered every year on September 5th, celebrated as Teachers’ Day to honour one of the country’s finest academics and India’s second President, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

Some teachers impart knowledge in classrooms through words and numbers, some on the sports field through actions and instructions, and others through tunes and instruments. Then there are those who guide and help hone our skills without us even realising it. As surprising as it may sound, we’re talking about your car.

Let’s explain this; no matter how much experience you may have when it comes to driving, some on-road situations can make you anxious. Driving uphill on hairpin turns, navigating unknown roads, parallel parking or stopping on inclines can be tough even for seasoned drivers. Fortunately, some cars guide you to become better at these. Here’s how:

Improves Parking Skills

Reversing your car is not easy, especially when you are new to driving. Sometimes, even when you’ve been driving for years, making a U-turn in narrow lanes or tight spots can be quite unnerving. And often, you might risk bumping your car into low railings, high pavements or even people walking by.

Fortunately, car features, like the rear-view camera, which can be found in all Ford cars – from hatchback Ford Figo to compact SUV Ford EcoSport and capable off-roader Ford Endeavour, can help you become an expert at reverse parking. When you engage the reverse gear, the camera turns on automatically and displays a grid with red, yellow and green markings so that you get a clear view of what’s behind. This way, you can learn to make neat reverse moves even in crowded spaces without the risk of bumping in anyone or anything.

Of all the challenging parts of driving, parallel parking is perhaps the trickiest. And it can take time to completely master. In cities with vehicle density and congested roads, this becomes even more difficult. Some parking spots may be so tight that you need assistance from a passerby to avoid bumping into another vehicle or object.

To help you master parallel parking, India’s most capable SUV Ford Endeavour comes with a near-magic feature – the Semi-auto parallel park assist. With this technology, you can relax and let the car take over steering itself. All you need to do is manage the brakes and gears and as per the instructions displayed on the screen. By watching the angles at which the car turns over and over, you can eventually gain the confidence and capabilities needed to fine-tune your parallel parking skills.

Prepares You For Unpredictable Roads

When driving during bad weather conditions or turning on unpaved road corners, there is always the risk of skidding and losing control. And if you are a city dweller who used to driving on well-tarred roads, then these conditions can be especially challenging. But did you know that your car can help you maintain grip, overtake smoothly and even drive with stability irrespective of the road condition?

While ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) is a government mandate, traction control is not. Nonetheless, Ford cars have always advocated for safety over everything else. So, along with ABS, Ford cars include ESC – Electronic Stability Control. Here’s how it works; your Ford car considers the direction in which the front wheels are pointed. If your actual direction of travel is not the same, brakes are automatically applied to return complete control to you, the driver. This feature helps you retain control if you get stuck in a muddy or slippery patch.

Guides You At Every Step

Knowing your route is of utmost importance during interstate drives and road trips. The last thing you want happening on vacation is getting lost in a remote location with no help. Fortunately, the embedded navigation system in most of your Ford EcoSport guides you to stay on course and cuts out unnecessary waste of time and fuel.

Apart from showing you turn by turn directions on a high-resolution touchscreen, you can also make your drive easy with voice-guided navigation, live traffic information and estimated travel time. This way, you can unleash the adventurer in you and explore unknown places without worrying about getting lost or losing your network connectivity.

In fact, top-trim Ford EcoSport S comes with SYNC 3 connectivity and infotainment system that’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible and seamlessly integrates your in-car experience with your driving.

Master Uphill and Downhill Drives

Driving on city roads is one thing and driving on hilly and inclined regions is another. Apart from such roads being narrower, maintaining control and preventing the car from rolling back can add to the difficulty. Mastering control over the car can take quite a while if you don’t practice enough. But assistance in the form of the Ford Endeavour’s Hill Descent Control and Launch Assist features are designed to help you take on uphill and downhill drives with ease.

On steep inclines, Hill Launch Assist, a feature available across all Ford Endeavour variants and automatic variant of Ford EcoSport, holds the car in its position for a few seconds to prevent it from rolling back. In fact, the Ford Freestyle is the only manual car in its segment to offer Hill Launch Assist feature.

The Hill Descent Control, a more advanced technology that’s available with the Ford Endeavour, helps climb down the sharpest of hills at great ease. The feature uses the brakes to regulate speed and maintain a steady pace while you are coming down a hill to ensure you always have full control on the vehicle. All you have to do is manage the steering wheel, and the Ford Endeavour takes care of the rest.

Both these features continue to assist drivers until they perfect their skill, just like a teacher.

Trains You to Tackle Tough Terrain

To go on an off-roading adventure, you need to be a skilled and highly experienced driver. Since you will be driving on riverbeds, rocks, sand, snow, gravel and other natural terrain, an SUV is the best option to tackle these surfaces. And a tough SUV like Ford Endeavour is equipped with the technology to train you to take on such any such challenging surfaces.

The Terrain Management System (TMS) in the Endeavour can help you master various on-road or off-road surfaces with just the turn of a dial. How does this work? You can toggle between four preset off-roading modes – snow, rock or sand mode – and calibrates the throttle response, gearshifts, and brakes to give you complete control over the terrain. Besides, features like Electric Locking Rear Differential and low-range transfer case makes the Ford Endeavour the ultimate off-roading car in the SUV segment.

While the Ford Endeavour may help you teach extreme off-roading, other cars in Ford’s utility vehicle portfolio meet your diverse needs too. Compact SUV Ford EcoSport helps you take the road less travelled with its outstanding driving dynamics and 200 MM ground clearance to ensure you don’t always have to stick to the road in search of adventures. The Ford Freestyle, India’s first compact utility vehicle, on the other hand is right sized with SUV-like capabilities, designed to meet the needs of young SUV aspirants. Both these cars teach you responsible off-roading and gradually build up your skills.

While many people know how to drive, becoming a skilled and safe driver, takes work and practice. And while you may practice your driving abilities, having the above car features to assist and guide, you can go a long way in shaping you into a competent and exceptional driver. So, this Teachers Day, take a moment and appreciate your car, your unconventional teacher for all that training it has imparted in you.