USEFUL INFORMATION
When you will have to push your car then you will definitely remember this article!The Department of Road Assistance of ELPA has listed some key facts about car damages based on the almost 220,000 calls that it accepted by subscribers asking for Road Assistance .
DAMAGE / IMOBILIZING CAUSE |
PERCENTAGE |
Electrical system / battery, ignition, alarm blocking, etc. |
47,80 |
Accident on the road / Restoration |
6,3 |
Tire "Puncture" |
6 |
Transmission system(clutch / disc / box etc.) |
4,8 |
Cooling system (high temperature, belt, pump, etc.) |
4,2 |
Engine failure |
3,7 |
Damages in fuel system |
3,4 |
Brake damages |
0,75 |
Problems / damages of locks (steering wheel, doors, etc.) |
0,6 |
Lack of fuel |
0,4 |
Source : ELPA
What can this mean?
- 10-15% less fuel consumption and emissions.
- 10-25% fewer accidents and improvement in road safety.
- Significant reduction of noise.
- Reduced costs for fuel, vehicle maintenance and insurance.
- Increase of the comfort of transportation for the driver and passengers.
- Equal travel time compared to normal driving.
How can this be achieved?
- Drive at low engine speeds.
- Predict the required acceleration or deceleration, depending on traffic conditions.
- Accelerate your car quickly.
- Make rapid changes to high-speed links in gearbox (in other words, drive as much as possible with higher links in the gearbox).
- Avoid all unnecessary deceleration, braking and gear changes.
The "trick" with the tires
You should check the tires of your car regularly. A small deviation from the normal inflation, can cost you a lot. If your tires are not inflated to the correct pressure specified by the manufacturer, they consume more fuel by 1,2-3,7% (depending on the speed). The correct inflation will save you on average 25 liters of fuel per year!
Statistical surveys have shown that 93% of accidents result from careless driving. Drivers often do not obey to the traffic rules. Follow these steps to avoid accidents.
Examine your eyes and your vision to the ophthalmologist. Drivers with poor eyesight without glasses or prescription for contact lenses often cause accidents. Some people choose not to wear glasses or may not be able to have contact lenses and continue their lives without taking any measures. Apparently having good vision will help you drive properly on the road.
You have to learn the road signs. Memorize what all these signs mean. There are many signs out there, except the "Stop" sign. Most people, including myself, do not know all of them, but one day, you may avoid a car accident. With the proper use of these rules you can avoid possible accidents.
Before you sit in the driver's seat, you should check your vehicle extensively. Check the air pressure in your tires as often as possible, make sure that all wheel nuts are well tightened, the level of engine oil is sufficient, make sure that the radiator water is adequate and finally check that the brake fluid is at a satisfactory level. These will not only help you avoid an accident, but will make your car have better performance and save fuel money.
Regular car maintenance is essential! After starting the engine check all the functions of lighting and wipers. To check the brakes, gain a little speed and press the brake several times to make sure the brakes work properly. If you think there is a different sense of brake and intensity of braking is not sufficient, then you need to take your car to the garage for inspection.
When driving, make sure your mind and your eyes are on the road, not talking to the phone or looking at something or someone else on the road. This also means that if there is someone beside you that you speak with, make sure you look the way straight and not your partner. If your music distracts you, then turn off the radio, or lower the music. Do not put the music too loud so that you will be able to hear the sound of the engine and what is happening outside of your car. You may accidentally hit an animal and may not even realize it. And last but not least, do not exceed the speed limit. Speed limits are set by special scientists so that in case of an accident the car will stop immediately, and even if you fail to completely stop the car, the damage to the car and to you will be minimal.
ΟPTICAL CHECKS
Wheels approximation and deflection checkWe make this check with a special approximation meter by checking the geometry of the wheels, in order to reassure the rectilinear movement of the vehicle. Brake CheckWe check the maximum strength of the vehicle brake system. This strength must be efficient to stop the vehicle in time, when it is necessary.
First of all we check that all the lights of the vehicle work correctly. We also check the operation of all the operation switches. Suspension System CheckThe suspension system connects the frame of the vehicle with the wheels. The mission of the suspension system is to provide convenience to the passengers, continuous contact of the wheels with the road, stability and to reduce the strain of the vehicle for the vibrations. Fuel CheckThe problem of the atmospheric pollution is very serious and well-known. That’s why the government has established impurity limits for all vehicles. The vehicle owners are obligated to check every six months or every year their vehicles and to acquire a Gas Control Card.
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A requirement for the success of the efforts to reduce the pollution is to participate in the program to control fume quality of the vehicles so that with all the necessary regulations conformity with the fume transmission limits is accomplished.
With the gas control card:
- The environmental pollution is reduced.
- The car engine works better.
- The car “lives” more.
- Less fuel consumption.
The regulation of the impurity control card, predicts that:
- All vehicles with gross weight less than 3.5 tones must obtain the card once per year.
- All vehicles with gross weight more than 3.5 tones must obtain the card twice per year.
- Taxis must obtain the card twice per year.
Publishers
The card is published by:
- K.T.E.O. (Special Technical Vehicles Check Centers)
- Special Licensed Control Centers
Service Centers Controllers
They check the reliability of the measurements (appropriate equipment, right regulation)
Field Controllers
The right application of the program is controlled by:
- ministry of environmental protection
- Police
The control is conducted randomly by a policeman. The control covers approximately 10 % of total checked vehicles. The goal is to export useful calculations about the application of the program.
Supervision
Greek government is the supervisor of this program. The greek government’s role is to:
Coordinate and control (service centers, field controllers, public services)
Collect and evaluate all the information of the system.
Inform the public.
Train the technicians for use procedure of the machines and the measurement methodology.
Supervise the penalty system operation.
Driving in snow conditions is not pleasant for all drivers, so people who drive in these conditions must be well - prepared. Even if we drive a 4x4 car, or we use the best winter tires, snow may cause many unpleasant surprises. In all these cases, proper snow chains are the best solution.
One of the most important steps for the proper chain placement is to practice. Many times you have noticed (especially in snow road centers), 3 or 4 people trying to place correctly the snow chains. In order to avoid this, you have to practice, at least once, before you try it in actual conditions.
The snow chains are divided in various categories, (with flexible wire, with spikes, chains-spiders, chains-blanket). All these types are quick to apply; the placement of the last two types needs only few seconds. That’s why many drivers prefer these types. The simple snow chains with flexible wire, are very reliable (if they are placed correctly), proper for all types of cars and they rarely betray the user. The “chains-spiders” are quick to apply; however special metallic rings must be firstly applied to the wheels with their bullets. This type of chains is the best but they are not suggested in our country, because of the low levels of snow. They perfectly cooperate with the wheel, combining caoutchouc and steely caps, while at the same time the pentagon shape gives more stretch holding to all directions. The chainsblanket are made of a specially designed fabric, which increases the friction on the ice or snow. However, these must be used only on the snow asit is proven that they wear out easily on net road.
You have to know that …
- The more surface of the tire is covered with the chain, the best adhesion we have. That’s why the surface of the tire has the same form with the chain, so can “catch” the ice or the snow and can move the vehicle easily.
- The snow chains are used only when the road is slippery. They must not be used when the road is clean because they can cause damages to the tires and to the road also.
- The snow chains must be applies only to the moving wheels.
- The driver’s moving must be soft, the moving wheels have better adhesion. That doesn’t exist with the other wheels.
- The average speed which is suggested for a vehicle with snow chains must not be more than 30 or 40 kilometers per hour.
1)You know the speed that the basketball player Boban Giankovic, hit the column?
Only 4 km per hour. As a result he became handicapped.
2)When your child is standing unfastened between the two front seats and you brake or crash with a speed more than 4 km per hour, you know what is going to happen? How often you drive with 4 km per hour? How often the other cars are moving with 4 km per hour?
3)If a car which is moving with 50 km per hour crushes in a constant point (a column) you know which is the power that the passenger will crush to the car’s panel?
4)A power of three tones. Can you lift three tones? A man like Pirros Dimas can lift only 240 kgr. Are we so stupid? Yes we are. If you ask people around you, they believe that they know to “drive”.
5)When the passengers of the rear seats don’t use their seat belts (really how many of the rear passengers use their seat belts? Really, you know the power of the crush to the front seats?
Exactly, the same, three tones! What’s the meaning for a front seat passenger to use a seat belt, if the rear seat passenger doesn’t use it?
6)When a mom holds her little angel, sitting at the front seat you know which is the power of the crush if an accident will happen?
You know, 3 tones. Will you put your child under a 3 tones truck? No? So why you hold it into the car? Don’t tell me that you can keep it up ….
7)The Greek people who knows everything says: “if I don’t wear a helmet, I have better vision and I hurt only myself”.
Really? With tears and snotty you can’t see. Let’s see it from another view. If you are riding with 80 km per hour with a bee in your face, is possible to cause an accident? You see, that wearing a helmet is not only your case.
8)Have you ever seen in the road young people who wearing the helmet like a headpiece?
I’m sure that you have seen them. You have to know that is worse than no wearing a helmet. In a possible fall, the rider will hurt seriously his neck. The same exists for the riders who hasn’t strap his helmet correctly. So, If you are so stupid and you can’t wear your helmet correctly, it’s better to wear no helmet.
9)You know that many parents try to kill their children?
This is a real fact in a Greek island.
The son is arrested by the police with a high-cubism motorcycle without wearing a helmet, without a driving license. The police calls his parents in order to inform them. Next morning his father calls to the local authorities, by using his personal connections. After that everything is “ok”. Few days later, the young boy killed in an accident with his motorcycle, without wearing a helmet. What his father had already done? What was the example for his son? His behavior said to him: ”it’s not bad to drive against the rules, if we are capable not to get punished. The father shows his strength by using his personal connections; he permits his son to drive without a driving license. The parental example is very powerful. Most parents don’t really help their children.
10)What is worse for the Greek government, to try to steal money from a bank, or to try to kill someone?
The first. Just look why.
- If you get caught stealing a bank, you will be accused to the criminal courts.
- If you try to cross a road with red light (if you try to kill the person who crosses the road with green light) you pay only a fee € 700. If you have money to pay within ten days, you pay with a discount 50 % (only € 350).
So, if you kill someone, you go to the prison. If you try to kill someone, you pay with a discount.
Don’t laugh, that’s the reality.
11)The Greek government is very hypocritical. The day that the new driving code was voted by the parliament, a TV channel had a camera to the entry of the parliament’s garage. Almost nobody of them had fasten his seat belt.
Let’s talk about Greek Police.
12)How many times have you seen a policeman wearing a seat belt in the police car? Never.
The person who punishes you for no seat belt use, the same person is illegal. What can we say now?
Let’s talk about the habit. Every day, three people killed from an accident. We think that is so normal. When 21 kids killed in Tembi valley, we talk for “national tragedy”. We need only 7 days, to have 21 killed people. Every week 21 people killed. That’s only a habit. If we have 21 people in an accident, then we feel very sad.
Let’s go ahead. How many people killed to the fires of Peloponese during summer of 2007. Greek people talk about “national tragedy”. Every year, we have 2500 deaths from road accidents. What’s the difference between a people who burned from a fire or a victim of a road accident.