Battle of the sexes on track

It was all tyre tracks and brake pedals as former Miss SA 2015 Liesl Laurie went head to head with actor Nyaniso Dzedze, the new face of Discovery Insure.

Despite the chilly autumn breeze, Kyalami racetrack felt the heat as the two competed in the Jaguar Experience driving safety tests.

The aim of the challenge was not just to make them better drivers, but also to see who of the two was best behind the wheel and create awareness of how important it is to focus on the ever-changing road environment.

Participants were paired into teams of two and began with two experience activities in the new F-Pace SUV model. First was a smart cone followed by the gymkhana.

The smart cone challenge uses wireless technology to light up pairs of cones randomly to indicate to the competitors where they must drive next at a moment’s notice.

This teaches them to be alert at all times. The gymkhana is focused on exposing the driver to many different vehicle systems, such as EPAS (Electronic Power Assisted Steering) and ABS (Anti-lock Braking Systems).

Jacaranda FM host Laurie, who was involved in a car accident and shared her story in a Discovery Insure advert, said she welcomed any initiative to help the country’s roads become safer, especially after what she had been through.

“I will definitely take advantage of today’s experience and put the learning into practice. “We all have a responsibility to make our roads safer,” she said.

Dzedze, who stars as Simon in the latest Discovery Insure advertisement, agreed with Laurie.

“We really can’t afford to be complacent about this important issue.

“So many lives are lost senselessly on our roads.

“Just a simple thing such a change in driver behaviour can turn this whole situation around.

“Rewarding good driving behaviour which will go a long way in making our roads a little safer.”

Facing stiff competition to complete the task in the shortest time at a determined speed, the goal was to finish with both precision and accuracy.

It became evident that staying alert when driving and keeping 360-degree vision, as it is often impossible to predict the actions of another driver, were of paramount importance.

It also became clear that it’s crucial to have an excellent braking system and to know how and when to brake.

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.