Designers have worked hard to make a car «Zhiguli» as safe as possible. Indeed, in many cases, for the first time in domestic practice, a number of elements aimed at improving safety are embedded in VAZ cars. Here you need to point out the disc brakes of the front wheels, separate brake drive of the front and rear wheels, the brake force distribution regulator, good handling and vehicle stability, good visibility. Factors such as the overall high reliability of the car, ease and convenience of driving, low noise and vibration levels, efficient heating and ventilation systems, and comfortable seating that reduce driver fatigue also contribute to safety. VAZ vehicles can be equipped with seat belts for the driver and all passengers. Controls for lighting and light signaling devices, windshield wipers and other devices are conveniently located within easy reach for the driver. The body has a variable stiffness along the length, as we have already said. The door locks are designed to prevent them from opening in the event of a rollover or other types of accidents.
Recent statistics, however, show that cars «Zhiguli» often become involved in traffic accidents, which is due to two main reasons: a large number of inexperienced motorists who begin their driving biography with a fast and dynamic car, and the fact that these same circumstances make «Zhiguli» also unusual for experienced drivers who previously drove domestic cars of other brands.
High quality car «Zhiguli» causes not only a low level of internal noise in the cabin, but also a small increase in noise with increasing speed. Combined with good stability and handling, this results in the driver «does not feel the speed» and he is overcome by a false sense of security and peace. Meanwhile, movement at a speed higher than that which corresponds to specific objective conditions is fraught with «Zhiguli» the same danger as for any other car - indeed, the driver in this case may lose control, which will lead to an accident. Since at high speed the car has, regardless of the subjective sensations of the driver, a large supply of kinetic energy (the value of the latter, as is known, is proportional to the square of the speed), the consequences of an accident can be very severe. It suffices to say that at the automobile test site, the collisions of cars on a fixed obstacle, which are reproduced for experimental purposes, are carried out at a speed of only about 50 km / h; in this case, however, the cars receive very serious damage in the same way as the mannequins that replace the driver and passengers (especially if the mannequins are not secured with seat belts).
Without retelling in this brochure the provisions of the Rules of the Road, which, of course, must be strictly observed, we consider it useful to give drivers «Zhiguli» a series of practical tips that, we hope, will help them save themselves and their passengers from many troubles. These tips, however, apply to drivers who drive other cars; however, for the reasons discussed above, many of the recommendations are particularly relevant when driving «Zhiguli».
Don't drive fast! This thesis means that it is necessary to avoid sudden changes in the direction of movement, excessively intense acceleration and deceleration, sharp release of the accelerator pedals w clutch. This is especially important when driving in winter and generally on slippery roads. Detours and overtaking must be carried out along a smooth trajectory, and not through sharp turns (pic. 8).
Always keep a sufficient distance from the vehicle in front! Even under the most favorable conditions - when driving on a dry road - the distance in meters should not be less than half the speed expressed in kilometers per hour.
Don't rush to pass the green traffic light, which, as you feel it, is about to change to yellow and red! Statistics show that most of the accidents and collisions with pedestrians are committed by those drivers who do the opposite. When approaching a traffic light that you think could change from green to yellow to red at any moment, slow down and be prepared to stop on the line «stop».
If you see someone riding to your left or right (both near and especially a little ahead) the car starts suddenly and without visible (for you) reasons to slow down - slow down too! Most likely, a pedestrian, whom you could not see before, will almost jump out from under the wheels of this car into your lane. For the same reason, do not try to get ahead in a free lane at the moment a green traffic light appears, while cars in other lanes are on the line «stop».
Get in the habit of glancing in your rearview mirror when you brake! This will in many cases save you from being hit from behind. After all, often the situation allows, if necessary, «take a ride» a little further ahead and «leave» from rear impact. Remember that your car's brakes are more efficient than most other brakes!
At intersections, do not unconditionally use your right of way. Make sure that the car approaching from the left really intends to let you through. Remember that it is still better to give way to someone who should not have counted on such kindness on your part than to get into a traffic accident even with the proud consciousness of being right!
If at an intersection a car approaching you along a transverse street gave a turn signal, do not rush to continue driving until you are sure that it really began to perform the intended maneuver. Yourselves, intending to turn left or right, give a signal about this in advance, but not before you pass the previous intersection (pic. 9).
Do not abuse the coast! Such a ride on a slippery road threatens to skid. At the same time, it does not provide significant advantages even on a dry road, leading, however, to an increase in the wear of transmission units.
If you need to quickly slow down on a slippery road, apply intermittent braking.
Not «hang» above the steering wheel and do not squeeze it with a stranglehold - this is not only tiring, but also makes driving difficult, i.e. unsafe. Get into the habit of driving with your seat back relaxed and your hands on the steering wheel without too much pressure.
Do not let drivers behind you influence your decisions by turning on your horn or headlights - do not react to such «hurrying» actions! Remember that you see and know the situation in front of you better than those behind you.
Do not place any solid objects on the shelf behind the rear seatback. In the event of an accident, they, flying forward with force, can become a source of additional serious injuries!
Transport children in the back seat. Remember that the safest place in a car is at the rear on the right, and the least safe is next to the driver, especially when seat belts are not being used. The rear doors, unlike the front ones, cannot be opened from the inside when the lock-lock button is pressed - this is also done in order to increase the safety of children sitting in the back seat.
On the road, do not block the front doors from the inside - in the event of an accident, this will make it difficult for others to quickly help you.
If you feel that an accident is imminent, do not lose your temper and turn off the ignition at the last moment. This will reduce the chance of a fire.
Remember that the worst kind of disaster is any kind of collision, so anything but that (except, of course, hitting people).
Special mention should be made of seat belts, the use of which for the driver and the passenger sitting next to him in a number of areas is mandatory from January 1, 1976. (it is advisable to equip the rear seat with belts).
As the experience of countries in which seat belts have been used for a number of years shows, these belts to a very large extent reduce the severity of injuries in accidents, primarily during rollovers and various kinds of impacts falling on their front. Therefore, remember that seat belts in your car are not installed for traffic inspectors, but for you and the people traveling with you, and do not neglect them!
It is useful to equip the car seat with head restraints, which prevent serious injuries in the event of a strong impact to the rear of the car.
Now about night driving. Despite the fact that at night the traffic intensity decreases many times compared to the daylight hours, statistics show that the likelihood of a traffic accident at night increases dramatically. It is especially difficult to drive at night on unlit highways, as well as in the city in rainy weather, as the wet road surface reflects the light of street lamps and creates glare that makes it difficult to navigate. It follows from the foregoing that long driving at night is best avoided; if such a ride nevertheless turned out to be necessary, we advise, along with the well-known provisions, to keep in mind some additional points.
When driving on an unlit highway, do not look at the headlights of oncoming cars, but look more to the right into your lane and to the right side of the road. Remember that you need to pass with oncoming cars with dipped headlights, and not with sidelights (i.e. almost blindly). Unfortunately, there are drivers who do not understand this and, violating the requirements of the Rules of the Road, try to drive with sidelights, and demand the same from you. Because you continue to drive with your headlights low, these drivers «in protest» turn on high beam; in this position, also turn on the main beam for a moment, showing that you were driving with the low beam before, and immediately turn it on again. After that, the oncoming driver usually calms down, also switches to low beam, and then the passing proceeds normally.
When driving for a long time at night in rainy weather, do not forget to periodically wipe the headlights to prevent deterioration of the visibility of the road in front of the car, sidelights, taillights and turn signal glasses so that others can see you and your signals to change direction.
It is especially necessary to say about the circumstances that arise after driving through a ford and through deep puddles. Wetting of the wheel brakes, which occurs in such cases, leads to a decrease in the coefficient of friction between the brake pads and discs (brake drums), which causes a temporary but dramatic reduction in brake performance. This must be remembered immediately after leaving the water «dry» brakes, having made several braking from a speed of 30-40 to 15-20 km / h (while doing this, make sure that there is no car behind).
Part of the accidents of cars of all brands and types is not due to driving errors, but due to the occurrence of technical malfunctions in them; however, these malfunctions usually do not occur suddenly, and therefore can be prevented by systematic monitoring of the condition of the relevant elements of the car. Cars «Zhiguli» are characterized by high operational reliability; nevertheless, what has been said applies to them as well.
From a safety point of view, the focus should be on tires, brakes, tie rod ends, upper and lower ball joints of the front wheel stub axles.
When it comes to tyres, the biggest danger here is a sudden loss of internal air pressure (especially in the front tire) And «skid» vehicle associated with the loss of tire grip with the road surface.
When hitting nails and other small sharp piercing objects, the air from the damaged tire usually does not come out immediately, and therefore this kind of damage does not pose a particular danger. Here it is only important to feel the malfunction that has arisen in a timely manner by the emerging and increasing car drift to the left or right, deterioration of rolling and handling, as soon as possible (however, without sudden braking and turning) pull off the roadway and stop, bearing in mind that otherwise the tire will inevitably fail, and irrevocably. A much more dangerous situation is created when the tire «bursts» spontaneously. Consider the reasons that may lead to this.
Tire can «burst» due to the development of cracks and gaps that have arisen in its sidewall or on the treadmill. Therefore, tires must be systematically inspected (also on the side facing the inside of the vehicle); if cracks or breaks are found, you can no longer ride on such a tire.
It is dangerous to drive on tires with an internal air pressure lower than normal, as this leads to overheating of the tire and a decrease in its reliability, as well as overloading the car and, accordingly, its tires. When driving for a long time at high speeds, especially in hot weather, it is desirable to additionally increase the internal air pressure by 0.2–0.3 atm compared to that recommended for normal conditions, as this will reduce tire deformation and heating. If the tires of your car were purchased at different times and in general, in your opinion, differ in reliability (we are not talking about the degree of their wear yet), then new tires must be put on the front wheels.
As for the probability «drift», then it should be remembered that it usually begins with side sliding of the tires of the rear wheels, and not the front. Therefore, it is better to put tires with less tread wear on the latter than on the front wheels.
It must be borne in mind that, according to the current Rules of the Road, the tread of a passenger car tire must have a pattern depth in the center of the treadmill of at least 1 mm. However, to further reduce the probability «drift» and punctures, as well as to maintain the retreadability of the tire by applying a new tread, it is better (and ultimately more cost effective) remove the tire from service after the tread depth decreases to 2.5-2 mm.
If, nevertheless, it happens that you suddenly «will burst» front wheel tire and car «will lead» left or right, keep it moving straight with the steering wheel (which in this case will have to exert a lot of effort, gently release the accelerator pedal and, without resorting to the brakes, let the car roll in the engine braking mode. Brake only after the speed drops to 10-15 km/h. The same should be done in the event of a sudden failure of the rear wheel tire.
car brakes «Zhiguli» quite efficient and reliable. It is necessary, however, to replace the brake pads in a timely manner, first of all on the front wheels, since the service life of the brake pads of the front wheels is much shorter than the rear ones. In the event of failure at the moment of braking the drive of the brakes of the front or rear wheels, the pedal, despite the separate drive, «fail» to a fairly great depth; however, despite this, quickly press it all the way, and if this does not help - «swing» pedal once or twice. As a result, braking, although not as effective as with a good drive of the brakes of all wheels, will be provided.
The condition of the tie rod ends and ball bearings of the front wheel stub axles has a great influence on safety.
To check the upper ball joint, it is necessary, having installed the wheels by eye in the direction of rectilinear movement, while being on the side of the car, take the upper part of the tire with your hands and, sharply pulling the wheel towards you and away from you, estimate the amount of play in the ball joint by knocking and moving parts. Play when assessed by the movement of the upper part of the tire should not exceed 1 mm. To acquire the skill, it is useful to evaluate the clearance in the upper ball joints before this.
The wear of the lower ball joint is determined by installing the car on a viewing hole or overpass and measuring, with the plug turned out, the lubrication hole located on the lower end of the support, the distance from the lower edge of the housing to the surface of the ball joint pin. If this distance exceeds 11.8 mm, the ball joint must be replaced. It is convenient to measure using a template made of a nail in the form of a rod with a diameter of 4 mm with a flat end and a risk applied at a distance of 11.8 mm from its end.
Tie rod ends (only six of them) should not have a noticeable play when the steering wheel is swayed sharply from side to side. The check is carried out on a viewing hole or overpass with the initial position of the wheels corresponding to straight-line movement. This requires the participation of two people (one, located below, checks the play in the tips, and the second, at his command, shakes the steering wheel). When swinging in the tested tip, there should be no knocking and noticeable play.
Next, they check the condition of the pendulum lever, for which it is enough to grab the transverse link adjacent to it and swing it sharply forward (in the direction of the car), and then back; if there is a noticeable play in the lever bearings, two plastic bushings must be replaced, and if wear is found on the axis of the pendulum lever, this part must also be replaced.