Toptech Transport & Logistics, one of Africa’s leading institutions in driver education, has launched a project dubbed ‘Off-road Driving Festival’, which seeks offer training to users of 4×4 vehicles on how to navigate through the most difficult terrains safely, without causing damages to a vehicle.
Launching the festival, Executive Director of Toptech, Ekow Garbrah, noted that, at the end of the programme, participants will gain experience in handling the 4WD vehicle in all terrains, as well as gain confidence in driving in all terrains.
Among other things, he said participants would apply hazard avoidance techniques and gain experience in vehicle control.
He added that all participants will receive a Certificate of Achievement for attending the course. According to Mr. Garbrah, many more drivers claim they are capable of driving 4WD’s, but majority of them fail during their test.
“Today on our roads, you can count three out of ten vehicles to be 4by4’s at any given time. This shows that, the population of 4WD’s is on the increase. Many more companies and individuals are investing in 4WD vehicles as luxury vehicles thus under utilizing its purpose. 4WDs are expensive to maintain and rather be kept in a pool and as the need arises, it could be driven to difficult terrains.”
“It may interest you to know that, most drivers do not even know when to use the Auxiliary gears and what to do. However when it comes to operating a 4WD vehicle in an off-road terrain, a different type of skills must be acquired. Driving a 4WD efficiently requires professional skills. In order to develop such skills, there are many techniques that need to be practiced. Many drivers with poor driving habits cause more errors and increase maintenance costs considerably.”
In the case of the 4WD, the repercussions can be very expensive, and at most – life threatening, according to Mr. Garbrah.
He thus cautioned that “the use of incorrect techniques develops into poor skills and improper practices as well as misuse of the vehicle. Driving a 4by4 vehicle off-road requires a set of entirely different skills. Ideally, to travel off-road reliably, the vehicle that is most effective is a four-wheel drive with a low range gear of its transmission system.”
What participants should expect
As part of the training, participants will be treated to live band music during the first trip in learning to climb the Aburi, Ayi-mensah steep and rough hills.
All participants will be instructed by Toptech’s seasoned instructors that include its South African counterparts and ex- military instructors of the Ghana Army, as well as Toptech’s experienced instructors including Cecil Ebow Garbrah and Tony Anlimah, Toptech’s head of training.
The second season of the festival will be held at Toptech’s training site in the Greater Accra Region at a later date.
The festival, which is a day’s programme will commence at 9am with climbing a steep hill with driving a 4WD vehicle.
Toptech’s instructors will drive first whilst participants listen with rapt attention to the do’s and dont’s in hill climbing.
Participants will be educated on how to drive to select the appropriate gears to climb and descend a hill.
Toptech’s 4WD festival in off-road defensive driving techniques will explain the reasoning behind the techniques and methods taught. Drivers will go through the theoretical and practical driving skills including Drivers’ Responsibilities, Hazard awareness and others.
Toptech is thus requesting interested participants to log on to www.toptechghana.com for registration