Station manager advice

Station manager advice

HOW TO DRIVE SAFELY IN FOG

In this period of the year we witness a growing number of road accidents caused by unfavourable weather conditions (fog and ice) due to which drivers' mistakes become obvious, such as maintaining insufficient distance between vehicles and failing to adjust speed to the weather and road conditions. All drivers find it extremely difficult to drive safely in dense fog, especially those who are inexperienced and who have never driven in such conditions. These are exactly the drivers that may pose a risk to themselves and other traffic participants.

Some tips on how to drive safely in fog are specified below

1. Go out on the road only if necessary
Fog usually starts early in the morning and early in the evening, mostly in the areas near rivers and lakes. Therefore, if you have a choice, try to avoid driving in these times of day. Regularly monitor weather forecast.
 
2. Slow down
Adjust the speed to the weather and road conditions. What this really means is that, in fog, you should drive at the speed at which you will be able to stop the vehicle in front of any obstacle as soon as you observe it.
 
3. Keep a greater distance
In case of fog, when visibility is decreased, keep greater distance from the vehicle in front of your vehicle. Thus you will have more time to react in case of emergency.
 
4. Drive in the middle of the lane
When driving in dense fog, as your orientation points use the middle line of the road and the right line of the road edge, if it is marked. In order to avoid vehicles coming from the opposite direction, as well as pedestrians and cyclist moving along the right edge of the road, make sure to always keep your vehicle at the same distance from these two lines.
 
5. Be extra careful at junctions
When approaching a junction, put the window down and listen closely to the traffic. This is a good way for you to know when it is safe to go in case of very poor visibility.
 
6. Beware of ice
In case of very cold weather and fog, you must be aware that the fog may very easily and quickly freeze on the road. Thus the road may become extremely slippery in a matter of moments. Therefore, when driving in fog and on a slippery road, operate the vehicle without making any sudden and unexpected moves.
 
7. Four indicators of direction and stop
If fog is very dense, or if you are simply unable to see where you are driving, the best solution is to park the vehicle on the side of the road and turn on all four indicators of direction so that other participants in the traffic can see you.
If fog is very dense and visibility is as low as possible, you must keep all four indicators of direction turned on during driving so that they can be visible.
 
8. Turn on glass heaters
Since fog can create humidity, turn on glass heaters and wipers for better visibility.
 
9. Fog lights
Fog lights are one of the most important things, indeed. If your vehicle is equipped with these lights, use them, because they are set low and directed down to light a wide surface area, which, in case of fog, is the only solution to light the road and avoid blinding of other drivers. When lights are directed at the horizontal line, as is the case with regular lights, and especially when long lights are turned on, in case of fog the light reflects and blindens other drivers.
 
10. Turn off any device which distracts you
Turn off the music, mobile phone, or anything else which will distract your attention. You must be extremely careful when driving in fog.

 

INSTRUCTION FOR ASSEMBLY OF SNOW CHAINS

Snow chains are integral part of your equipment for winter driving.  In the following steps you will learn the easiest way to put them on the tires.
It is not difficult to fit the snow chains on the tires and they usually always come with instructions for installation. However , when you find yourself in the situation where you have to fit the snow chains for the very first time at night, rain , snow or ice,  this can certainly prove problematic.

 
Undo the chain and lay it out on the surface;  once it is laid out, place it under the drive wheel
Pull the chain through the inner side to make sure that the centre of the rubber ring is approximately at the centre of the wheel and then use your hands to stretch out the remaining chain on the ground in front of the wheel.
After that, lift the left and right sides of the rubber ring and connect them at the top of the wheel
Take side-chains, and connect them in a circle in their natural order, and make sure that all chains are equally and tightly tied.
Once you have done this, sit in the car and drive it for a few meters. Then leave the car and check the chains; tighten them, if necessary.
With the chains fitted in this manner, you may continue to drive but be careful and do not drive too fast.
Despite helping you drive, snow chains can nonetheless sometimes cause damage to the vehicle, break the car trap, etc. , so it is recommended that, once you pass the section of road which is under snow, and once you reach a clean road, you make sure that you remove the chains from the drive wheels.

Cleaning the snow off a car should be done using appropriate accessories (brush with fine ends), and by no means should you use inadequate tools (shovels and various wooden, metal and other objects) that can damage the polish on a passenger vehicle. It frequently happens in winter the windows on a passenger vehicle freeze. It is recommended that you carefully remove the ice using an ice scraper, but avoid sudden tugging of windscreen wipers, as this will destroy them. The best option is to start the engine and direct the jets of hot air in the windscreen and wait for the ice to thaw. Then use a scraper to thoroughly clean the ice.
 

Also clean the windshield fluid nozzles as there is a strong likelihood that you will need them.

 

 

WINTER DRIVING

TIPS FOR SAFE VEHICLE OPERATION

 

GENERAL INFORMATION
 
• Be aware of your limitations and the limitations of other drivers. Keep your focus on your surroundings.
• Do not make swift movements, avoid sudden acceleration (accelerate gradually and only a bit at a time).
• Avoid sudden braking and excessive speed.
• Increase the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.
• To prevent the risk of slipping on an incline, use a higher gear than you would use in dry weather.
 
BRAKING
  • It is important to anticipate braking by making an assessment of the required stopping distance and by alternate use of engine braking and brake pedal. Braking should be gradual to prevent the wheels from blocking, which could lead to skidding and loss of control over vehicle. In case of wheel blocking and slipping, release the brake pedal to re-establish a grip on the ground, then brake again albeit gradually, continuing to use engine braking. To reduce the risk of blocking the wheels when driving on a downhill, you can use a lower gear than you would use in dry weather.
  • Before dealing with a dangerous situation (sharp curves, deceleration) anticipate braking, in order to do it gradually, and use engine braking.
WHY SPEED MATTERS?
SPEED
REACTION PATH
 BRAKING PATH
STOPPING DISTANCE
 WEATHER  CONDITIONS
50 km/h 14m 15m 29m DRY ROAD
14m 31m 45m WET ROAD
60 km/h 17m 22m 39m DRY ROAD
17m 45m 62m WET ROAD
80 km/h 22m 40m 62m DRY ROAD
22m 81m 103m WET ROAD
100 km/h 28m 62m 90m DRY ROAD
28m 127m 155m WET ROAD
120 km/h 33m 90m 123m DRY ROAD
33m 182m 215m WET ROAD
The time that passes from the moment a danger is observed until braking time (driver-vehicle system reaction time) is approximately 1 sec (0,8 seconds for a driver and 0,2 seconds for a vehicle).
 
Starting a vehicle
 
To avoid the risk of slipping when you start your car in the snow , it is necessary to gradually accelerate. If the wheels start to spin, turn a higher gear to reduce the force that is applied to the wheels and start the vehicle in a satisfactory manner.
 
Curve
 
• Before entering a curve reduce your speed, making sure, however, that you are slowing down on a flat road. For turning around a bend, your actions on the steering wheel must be gentle and constant, in order to prevent slippage and loss of control over the tires.
• Maintain a low and constant speed in a curve to avoid an imbalance of the vehicle. If you lose manageability in the front part of the vehicle, you need to regain a grip on the surface. In order to do that, reduce the speed by releasing the accelerator pedal. If necessary, apply the brakes gently without blocking the wheels. If the rear end of your vehicle (cars with front-wheel drive) starts to spin, accelerate in order to regain balance of the car. Under no circumstances should you brake as this would create an even greater imbalance in the back of the vehicle.
 

Traffic safety – sitting properly and importance of wearing safety belt

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO WEAR A SAFETY BELT
 
​Safety belt is a basic element of passenger protection, and by using it

• impact to the body with parts of passenger compartment is prevented

• deceleration time of the body during a collision is prolonged

• impacting force is distributed to more resistant parts of the body

 A research made at the beginning of 2013 by the Traffic Safety Agency showed the following:


• 61 % of drivers wear safety belts,

• 50 % of passengers wear safety belts,

• 3 % of back-seat passengers wear safety belts.

Movement of passengers in a vehicle during a front collision not restrained and restrained by a safety belt.
According to data of the World Health Organization wearing safety belts can significantly decrease risk of fatal outcome during traffic accident (front-seat by 40 to 50%, and back-seat by 25%).
If all drivers and passengers in Serbia would use their safety belts in the moment of traffic accident, it is estimated that at least 100 lives could be saved in a course of one year.
 
The key reasons why it is important to wear a safety belt on the back seat:

• Advanced safety systems, such as air bags (front, side) and pyrotechnic pretensioners, are turned off due to safety reasons, or cannot work correctly if the safety belt is not on.


• Front seats are not designed so to sustain a surge of one or more human bodies on high speed (for instance, a mass of passengers colliding with the front seat on a sudden stop), causing adverse effect on front-seat passengers safety.
 

A non-restrained back seat passenger is under risk of sustaining grievous bodily injuries even in situations where no direct collision with another vehicle occurred, but only sudden braking.

• In case a vehicle rolls over, or suddenly stops, there is a high risk of passengers being ejected through the vehicle glass window.

 

Service quality

The times when gas stations were merely stops for filling up your tank are long behind us. Although, if that’s the only thing you need at a given moment, you’re in the right place. We carry all types of top quality fuel with top quality service. In case you need anything else, our employees are there to get things done. Everyone is dedicated and diligent in their performance. Quality service is understood, because our staff are all aware of the fact that theirs is the smiling face you see when you stop by and that it is the reason you keep coming back.

Additional car equipment

As already mentioned, we have top fuel for your car, but we also have many other things that your vehicle needs. From new tires and batteries to chains and wiper blades. Of course, first aid kits and other items prescribed by law are available. So don’t worry if you forgot to replace something before your journey or you simply didn’t have the time to pack it, it’s all ok. At our stations, you’ll find everything you need for a safe and comfortable trip.

Car cosmetics

Stops during your journey are more than welcome, especially if you have a long ride ahead. Use them to stretch and freshen up, but also to do a couple of small things which will make the journey more pleasant. Cleaning the windscreen and headlights, refilling the cleaning fluid, checking the wipers and many other small things don’t require much effort. If the level of the glass cleaning liquid is low or you need anything else such as this, feel free to ask, we are prepared for all these situations.

Food, drinks

Your car moves by consuming fuel. That’s one thing we have whenever you stop by. But don’t forget that you yourself spend energy. One of the common driver’s mistakes is thinking “I’ll eat when I get there“. When planning your trip, remember to include snacks. Be sure to drink plenty of liquid, if you’re in a hurry take a cookie or chocolate. Our range of these products is also wide. Try the food in our restaurants. We’ve noticed that people from nearby often come to have a bite, or buy something at our shop. This brings us joy, so whenever you drop by, welcome.