Ford Shares Its Five Safety Tips For The Hari Raya Homecoming

Ford has compiled a series of tips, simple ones, to get you through the Hari Raya homecoming rush. Some of them may you’ve heard before, but these have been condensed into a short list of uncomplicated steps you can take to make the journey as painless as possible. 

Obviously, the coming days are when literally millions of drivers and passengers traverse from north, south, east and west to head back to their hometowns to celebrate the festivities. This period, as we all know, is especially accident-prone due to the heavy traffic volume causing road users to spend longer hours on the road, leading to fatigue, aggravation, and stress.

On to those tips, then:

1. Prepare Your Car

Before you embark upon your balik kampung  journey, there are some basic checks you can perform to help get your vehicle ready for a long drive. Before setting out, you can check the oil levels, wiper fluid, and tyre pressure. If you are travelling with children, ensure they are buckled up and use an appropriate child safety seat for their age.

2. Plan Your Trip

Leave plenty of extra time on your trip. Delays are the one thing that you can count on when driving long distances while millions of fellow travellers are doing the same. Building in extra time can help keep you relaxed on the drive, and will allow you to take breaks along the way. Remember, the shortest route isn’t always the fastest route, aim to avoid roads that are prone to congestion during peak hours.

3. Pack Smartly

Make sure you keep a basic first-aid kit in your glove box. Also bring things to entertain yourselves, like music, games, and toys for the kids. In addition, you can plan ahead to use luggage that fits the amount you intend to pack in them to reduce wasted space. Placing harder bags with non-fragile contents on the bottom helps too, so that you'll be able to stack them higher. 

4. Divide The Labour

Driving long distances can be tiring, so try to take breaks and share the driving. Some people are good at navigating; others couldn't read a map if they tried. Know who does what well, and divide up jobs by talent and preference.

5. Keep Calm and…

When frustration rises, remember everyone is just trying to get home to their loved ones. Losing your temper will not help the situation. Press pause (but don't take your eyes off the road), take a step back, remember Hari Raya is about forgiveness and reconciliation, and re-evaluate your itinerary and ETA.

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Ford also invites all members of the public to join the ‘Future of Safety with Ford tour’, an interactive and hands-on experience that promotes greater road safety awareness through advances in vehicle technologies.

The tours will be held on August 6-7 from 10am at the 1Utama Shopping Centre and will last for 45 minutes each.