On 17 February, 30 lucky winners from the Shell Helix D-Academy Facebook contest had the opportunity to attend a special defensive driving course dedicated to compact cars organised by Shell Helix in conjunction with the introduction of the new Shell Helix HX7 E synthetic-technology motor oil. The participants for the exclusive course worth RM1,000 per pax were selected from nearly 100 entries received over a two-week period for the Shell Helix D-Academy Facebook contest held in January 2012.
The programme started with a one hour theory session on the basics of defensive driving. Topics that were covered included the correct seating and steering position, understanding the dynamics at work in a skidding vehicle and safety features in modern cars and how they work.
Following a quick demonstration on the correct seating and steering positions, participants went on to take part in a practical session that comprised three different driving activities such as Skid Control, Braking Technique and Driving Dynamics.
Instructor Ching Eu Earn explaining the correct seating position to participants.
In Skid Control, participants had the chance to experience understeer and oversteer with instructors showing how to identify and overcome such situations. With this exercise, participants were able to understand and value safety features such as VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) or ESP (Electronic Stability Programme).
Learning how to control a skidding car on an oily surface
In the Braking Technique exercise, participants practiced emergency braking in a straight line which was then followed by braking and avoidance using ABS (Anti-lock Braking System).
Many were surprised to learn that ABS did not mean stronger braking or stopping ability. The feature was actually designed to enable you to steer your vehicle away from an obstacle when applying emergency braking. Without ABS, the vehicle’s wheels would lock under hard braking and continue to go straight ahead despite efforts to steer the vehicle away from danger.
Finally, during the Driving Dynamics exercise, participants were able to practice vehicle control and steering skills. Effective steering methods would enable one to avoid a potential hazard on the road rather quickly. To make things interesting, all participants were judged by instructors and points were awarded based on their performance in each exercise.
Two lucky participants, Kenneth Chiew, 32, and Mark McVernon Young, 30, finished with the highest scores and walked away with a Samsung Galaxy Tab each.
Kenneth, a motorsports enthusiast since young who had attended two other driver training programmes before, believed in the adage ‘one can never stop learning.’
“Winning one of the two Grand Prizes was an unexpected bonus as I took part to refresh my knowledge. I like the Shell Helix D-Academy as the programme was comprehensive and everything was properly explained by the instructors,” he said.
For Mark, flying in from Kuching to attend the defensive driving programme was well worth the effort and money spent.
“I have to drive two and a half hours every weekend between my workplace in Sri Aman and my family home in Kuching. What I learned today would definitely help me on the road, although I wished the programme was longer,” he said.
Edmond Capel was delighted that his 18 year-old son, Edwin, was selected to take part in the Shell Helix D-Academy and said, “Good driving habits should be inculcated at the beginning and this is definitely useful for my son who has only been driving for about a year.”
For 24-year old engineering student Sabree Abdullah, the Shell Helix D-Academy was an eye-opener as some basics such as the correct seating and steering positions were not emphasised in driving school.
“Defensive driving should be incorporated in the syllabus for learner drivers here in Malaysia. What I have learned and experienced today made me realise that it is invaluable,” he suggested.
Shell Helix believes that protection should not only be given to the engine but also to the driver, hence, the decision to organise the special defensive driving course to mark the launch of its Shell Helix HX7 E synthetic technology motor oil that is formulated specially for compact cars.
The new Shell Helix HX7 E engine oil:
- with its 5W-30 grade is formulated with special synthetic base oils and friction-reducing molecules and has low viscosity at low temperatures
- this simply means that the engine oil will be thin enough to flow during morning start-ups and thick enough to protect the engine’s metal surfaces from friction when it is hot.
- is also equipped with active cleansing agents that prevent dirt particles from sticking together to form sludge.
- is able to offer up to 19% more protection than other synthetic-technology oils tested, 1.8% more fuel economy compared to a 15W-40 mineral oil and smoother power delivery with reduced emissions.
According to Ms Seow Lee Ming, Cluster Marketing Manager, Shell Lubricants SEA-South, the new Shell Helix HX7 E was specially developed to cater to discerning compact car owners who wanted a better engine oil for their cars.
“The new Shell Helix HX7 E is competitively priced and yet able to deliver instant and tangible benefits in the form of greater fuel economy, engine responsiveness and better performance and protection throughout the oil-change interval,” she said.
For the past 60 years, Shell has been working hand in hand with Scuderia Ferrari in Formula One to develop top quality Shell Helix lubricants. The partnership contributed to a technological advantage over the competition as the pair developed products and technologies together for the race track that could then be transferred to the road. The new Shell Helix HX7 E is the latest result of the highly successful partnership.
Price: RM115 per 4-litre pack
Purchase: From all Shell petrol stations, authorised service centres and workshops nationwide.
